Sports Conditioning – Change of Seasons, Change of Sports
When the seasons change, our sports change. Our bodies, our gear, and our exercise conditioning should change, too. Preparing one’s muscles for a different sport prevents injuries, enhances recovery from preexisting injuries, and improves performance for the sports to come.Here in Colorado’s Aspen Valley, cyclists are in great form. In the quiet red-rock town of Basalt, cyclists have been enjoying the splendor of riding along the Frying Pan River. For months, they have been fine-tuning their cycling muscles.But now our attention turns to the slopes of Aspen. In fact, months before the ski resorts open for ski season, locals work on getting their “skiers’ legs” on backcountry hillsides.Cycling to Skiing: comparing Sports Conditioning styles.Let’s use the cycling-skiing comparison to demonstrate the different requirements of these sports on our bodies. First, cyclists work on staying in a tucked position. The muscles on the front of the body that put cyclists in a forward-flexed position are strong and tight. And the positioning of a cyclists’ body over their bikes is grossly different than a skier’s stance.Cycling also occurs within a limited space around one’s bicycle. Riding efficiently and maintaining balance on a bike requires a rider to tighten around the bike. The goal is to limit the area within which they work; i.e., to minimize their “work-space”.Skiers, on the other hand, are unlikely to be as space-conscious. Their work-space is not so strictly defined. And unless they are competitive speed-skiers, they do not need to practice staying tucked.For those cyclists who are skiing in the backcountry before the start of ski resort season, their muscles are not conditioned for the change in sports. Backcountry skiing requires a different sense of balance than cycling. The work-space is broader. Obstacles may surround you. Terrain changes radically beneath the skier’s feet. The skier must adapt and rebalance continually as they move.Other conditions affect the transition in seasonal sports. These include: your gear, injuries, your overall physical activity levels, weather and environmental conditions, and participation in other sports.Sports Injury Prevention.When changing seasonal sports, your first priority should be to prevent injuries. Before one season ends, you should be conditioning your body for the upcoming sport. You, the athlete, should take 4-8 weeks, minimally, to prepare for the next sport. If you have any preexisting injuries, you may need longer.If you do not make a physical transition, you are predisposing yourself to injury. It is recommended that you start the next sport at a low physical intensity. Take basic first aid precautions, if necessary. Icing sore muscles and getting aerobic exercise will remove the soreness and speed up recovery.Recovery.Taking the time to get physically conditioned for the next sport will aid recovery in two ways. First, it will improve the healing environment so that preexisting injuries may heal. Your injury may be aggravated by your current sport. Or maybe it is not healing in the presence of training for your current sport. Changing your training may allow your injury to rest and heal.Second, as you start to practice the next sport, being physically prepared will allow your muscles to respond better to their new requirements. You are less likely to become sore from new activities, and less likely to get injured. Your muscles will recover faster. This will make you feel better: energized, stronger, ready to get out and repeat the fun!Enhanced Athletic Performance.All of these advantages of pre-conditioning for your sport result in enhanced performance. What is performance, and which of its features can be improved?Performance means your ability to participate in a sport. It includes your muscles’ abilities to perform, or execute, the basic moves of that sport. Performance also refers to how you feel while practicing the sport.Performance refers to measurable features, too. It might refer to the time requirements of performing the basic activities. It might refer to the level of difficulty in executing certain moves. It might refer to the fluidity, creativity, or elements of artistic expression revealed through “sporting display”.If you practice your sport for fun and recreation, then enhancing performance may just mean that you end the day without injuries or feeling wrecked! Improving performance means “More Play-time”!If you are a competitor within your sport, you probably already know the need for pre-conditioning, and you practice it seasonally.Starting a pre-Conditioning program.When you plan to condition for your upcoming sport, consider all of the factors described above. How are the sports different? What condition is your body in? Do you have any injuries? What does performance mean to you?Hiring a personal fitness trainer or a sport-specific coach can make the transition easier. They can also make it more fun. They may motivate you to have your best season ever! And also, they have the coaching tools to make those athletic dreams come true!In conclusion, seasonal sports pre-conditioning is an effective way to prevent injuries, treat injuries you already have, aid recovery as you change sports, and enhance athletic performance for the new sport.
What Makes a Great Entertainer?
Most people at some point in their lives encounter a great entertainer, unless of course they live under a rock. And, most of those people if they’re lucky enough get to see more than one. Most everyone instinctively knows a great entertainer when they see one however, do they really know what goes into making one?Based on my experience it’s not an accident that some entertainers stand out from the crowd. It’s based on a carefully laid out plan that includes; stage presence, humility, confidence, mental preparation, natural talent, experience and one secret ingredient.Did you know that the number one fear in North America is public speaking? The only way to alleviate that fear is with practice. Public speaking or any type of performance in front of an audience takes practice. It’s not just about what to say or do, it’s about how to say or do it. Most great entertainers know that it’s far less important what you say or do, it’s how you say or do it.So, how do you learn how to give a great performance? Well, the first thing you need is the right information. It always amazes me how few people know how to interact with an audience. It’s not just about being confident it’s about where to stand, how to stand, when to speak, how to speak, body language, how to move and how to address the audience. This type of information starts with a template. There actually is a template for giving any type of presentation. Most great entertainers know this. They do not wing it.For example, there is a template just for the introduction which includes things like; how to take the stage, what to say first, asking enrolling questions, earning the right and strategically letting the audience what the presentation is all about and what’s in store for me. While this may seem like a simple thing, it’s not. An entertainer needs to know exactly how to perform each one of these steps. It’s not enough just to know the steps, you need to know how to deliver them.Then, once you have the template down the hardest part comes next; how to put your personality into the template. This is the part that takes the most practice. I remember when I first put the template into practice it was nothing short of a disaster. Why? Because, I tried to be someone that I’m not. An audience can see right through that. I needed to find myself within the template and learn how to be me while still covering all of the things I need to do to connect with the audience.Ok, so let’s say you’ve mastered the template and can deliver it in your own style and personality. What else do you need to know? Just this; the audience is the star! That’s the secret ingredient. Without it, you can never hope to be a great entertainer. And, that’s the biggest mistake that most upcoming performers do not understand. It’s all about the audience. In fact, the more you make it about the audience the more success as a great entertainer you’ll have.The last thing an audience wants to see is some ego maniac artist take the stage and make it all about them. For example; if the artists performs what they want and say what they want with little regard for what the audience wants. That’s so wrong on so many levels. How to do you make it about the audience? Use the template. The template teaches you how to interact with them instead of performing down to them. If the audience sees you at their level the more success you’ll have.A combination of the perfect performance template, experience and making the audience the star will propel any career beyond normal expectation. Just remember to get the right information from the right people. How? Go to someone who’s already doing it and ask them. It’s as simple as that.
Getting Drug Rehab For Free
Drug rehab can be very expensive. Some drug rehab facilities charge upwards of one thousand dollars a day, which can really add up over a 28 day stay. The paradox of the situation is that the people who most need to get treatment for drug addiction are often the ones who have neither health insurance or the ability to pay for drug or alcohol rehab out of pocket.However getting free drug rehab services is entirely possible if the person is willing to be creative and/or look around at their options. This article will detail how to go about getting drug rehab treatment if you have no insurance and no money.Getting free drug rehab servicesThe fact of the matter is that there are very few private, non-profit drug rehabs. The vast majority of drug and alcohol rehab centers are in the business of making money. Therefore, if you do not have insurance or money but want to get treatment for drug addiction, you may be thinking that such rehabs will not be suitable options for you. But, I am here to tell you, it is a mistake to write off drug rehab centers just because they are for profit.You may be surprised to learn that the vast majority of drug treatment centers are started and managed by individuals in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction themselves. Therefore, these people understand that in the midst of a drug relapse a person often will not have the money necessary to get the help that they need. However, having been in these shoes before, many rehab administrators are willing to work with people who do not have the ability to pay.In fact most rehabs have, at any point, a number of people attending the drug rehab that are there on scholarship, meaning that they are essentially getting treatment free of charge. The rehab does this to help addicts and alcoholics in need as well as to get a tax write off for themselves. And you would be shocked how often such arrangements take place.You will not see free rehab offers being advertised however. So if you want to find out if a rehab is going to be willing to work with you, you are going to have to hit the pavement and start investigating. All rehabs have intake offices where you can speak to a representative of the rehab center. Ask them if they ever offer scholarships for people who can not pay for drug rehab out of pocket. You will be surprised at what you discover.