STRONG POINTS – Tips to get going

By Contributed – Vernon Morning Star

Finding balance in your training and conditioning program can be a tough call for people with busy lives. The first thing to go is usually fitness. People find it hard to find time or the energy to be involved in a well rounded program. Finding the balance between training and life doesn’t need to be difficult and it doesn’t have to take tons of time out of your schedule. If you are finding yourself in a rut or having a hard time starting a healthier lifestyle, I hope this article gives you the motivation to start!

I asked current clients for feedback on how staying active makes them feel.
Doug H.: “Working out has really helped me mentally just knowing that I can physically accomplish so much more, like longer and more productive shifts at hockey, just tying up the skate laces easily, more day to day energy. Being in better physical shape just gives you more confidence in yourself. It took hard work to get in shape and just knowing you had the discipline to accomplish that helps you in your approach to your daily life, it makes goal setting easier knowing that same discipline can be applied to other aspects of your life.”

Nicole M.: “Committing to daily exercise helps me relieve stress and tension; exercise releases endorphins in my brain, which make me feel happier and more confident.”

Gord F.: “My fitness routine helps me to stay physically mobile and mentally sharp as I age gracefully.”

Some great tips to help you continue the path of fitness:

n Find a conditioning program that helps you stay motivated and accountable. This could mean joining with friends or a program that is group based.

n Be sure to take into account adaptation. Finding activities and programs that lack proper adaptation is an injury waiting to happen! Just because it’s hard doesn’t means it’s good! Avoid beating your body into the ground with high volume and lack of technique. Training to fatigue is a sure-fire way to get injured.

Search out quality instruction and don’t be afraid to ask for credentials/liability insurance and ongoing education credits.

Now take this time to get moving and inspired — your body and mind will thank you!

Strong Points is written by certified personal trainer Rhonda Catt, with CATT Conditioning and Excel Fitness in Vernon.

The midst of Hockey season!

(oops…I started writing this post in September and quickly stopped…time to finish the entry since it’s NOW December 26 and the hockey season is 1/2 way through…well, at least the Minor Hockey season is!)

I have one more week of freedom as a parent.  Hockey season is upon us!  Yikes!  Two boys aged 9 and 6 both love the sport as do their parents so it really isn’t that bad.  I actually love watching the games and practices and how much all the kids progress through the season.  But it shifts my thoughts back to the summer hockey schools and the year-long play for many children.  Developing your child for one sport only just makes me cringe.  YES, there are the kids out there who want nothing more then to play Hockey and there is nothing wrong with that BUT it’s their choice!  As a parent, please see the value in having your child experience other opportunities for nervous system development.  That means, playing more and enjoying different sports and activities will only help in your childs movement and sport development.

I am fortunate to work with high level athletes.  One of those athletes is Aaron Volpatti who is signed by the Vancouver Canucks.  I met his parents this summer.  Aaron dragged them to a stair workout which I’m sure they weren’t too pleased about.  Afterwards I ran into “talkative Tony” at the Wesbild Center, watching the Vernon Vipers practive.  Aaron and a few others were hitting the ice for a pre-season skate.  Jerred Smithson, Chuck Kobasew, Andrew Ference to name a few.  The talent these guys have is amazing to watch and when you train them in the summer, it’s even more exciting to see their talent close-up.

It was great to hear stories on the young life if Aaron Volpatti and is training or lack of during many years.  Tony talked about the years of youth hockey and the additional sport and fun Aaron had AWAY from the rink.  It was great to hear stories from the eyes of a hockey dad and how important it is for a child to experience fun and sport away from their favorite sport.

What many parents don’t understand is there is also risk to having your child play one sport year round.  RISK?  I hear you say… WHAT sort of risk?  There are several.

• Year round play in one sport may decrease performance in many development skills.  The more random, unstructured play, the more variety in their activities will allow the nervous system to learn patterns.  The more movement patterns the body knows and can perform the better the athlete.
• Repetitive movement patterns can lead to injuries.  Over time the aches and pains can show their face… it may not happen right away but trust me…. it will happen.
• As a child spends all year playing one sport what is neglected is true strength to play the sport.  Many parents want their child to play the sport without any solid training program which means lack of strength, stability, power development and more.  In order to “get better” you need to “train better”.
• TRAINING IS KEY!  You will not break a child if they “lift weights”.  If you think about the stress that goes through the body during tasks such as stopping, turning, jumping etc that you see in sport, lifting a weight in a controlled manner is the least of your worries.  Getting a child strong is a positive thing BUT this doesn’t mean treating your child like a bodybuilder is the answer and NO I’m not telling parents to throw their child into a gym.  This point is to recognize the importance of strength!  The importance of movement control and co-ordination.  The importance of foundation building is crucial for sport success.  Think about it…does your child even know how to STOP properly and why is that even important?!!

There are several critical points to be made but it’s Boxing day and I think it’s time to stop working.  Plus, I’ve ate too much in 2 days to keep sitting on my ass!  If you are a parent, please appreciate the development benefits of variety for your child!

Now, time to play with my childs Marshmallow gun he got for Christmas.  I’m sure that counts too!

The Good Life

  Check out the newest issue of The Good Life!  With a little article on Page 18

http://issuu.com/NaturesFareMarkets/docs/natfare_newsletter_septoct2012_web/1

Stress is a Mess!

Ya, we have heard it before… STRESS! You are stressed…. I’m so stressed. It’s unavoidable and happens daily. It’s the everyday stresses that people do not recognize such as getting the kids ready for school on time or the drive to work….. you know, those drivers that seem to forget they have turn signals for a reason! Most people just go about their day but along with physical stress, that mental stress all adds up.
Here is a daily challenge for you, choose one option below and see how you feel after one week!

Challenge 1: Increase your sleep! How much do you get per night? Do you stay up late on weekends? Are you able to get at least 8 hours sleep per night?
Challenge 2: Are you too busy? Can you say No? Do you feel like you need to help out in every situation? Take time for yourself! Can you say no when needed?
Challenge 3: Eat clean and healthy! What can you eliminate or reduce in your diet? How much sugar do you consume daily? Can you increase the amount of vegetables daily?
Challenge 4: Activity! Can you perform some sort of daily physical activity?

Pick a challenge and see what you can accomplish for one week! Good luck!

Tough Mudder Baby!

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Tough Mudder

Wow! Headed to Whistler this past weekend for an amazing weekend of ..well, not too sure how to explain it! It was FUN, it was totally more then I imagined! I was on a high after completing the course! I couldn’t wait to do it all over again or at least something else similiar to it! Was it tough…no, actually! I honestly didn’t think it was tough. The cold water obstacles were brutal but they were also so much fun. I looked at that course and experience and was thankful for my background of fitness and loving the fact that I could accomplish the challenge with no problem at all. Each person I saw cramping or limping made me realize how fortunate I was to love what I do because my training background made it fairly easy, if that is the best word to describe it!?
What I realized was that it doesn’t need to be a Tough Mudder challenge to make you appreciate your fitness or training background. You could be the average Joe who just spends some great quality time with your kids and plays pretty hard with them. The fact that you have the ability to do so because of your fitness is exactly what I want you to appreciate!
For me, it was the challenge of Tough Mudder and doing it! For you, it could be the game of flag football with friends or biking with your kids. Take the time to appreciate what you CAN do but also take the time to think about what you CAN’T do? Do you have limitations simply due to the fact that you aren’t active? Are you someone who just doesn’t do much at all? Tired…aches…pains? Maybe it’s time to get moving more! There is never too late of a time to get active…get fit and move your body!
What Tough Mudder taught me was to open up to opportunities for MORE! To get out of my comfort zone in strictly training…… put that training to USE! Mountain biking, running, weight training…it all helped me but now it’s time to have some fun with other adventures. Wow… I can’t wait! How about you?

LifeFit Outdoor Adventure Race