The Joys of Coaching

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There’s nothing like being a coach. Helping young people to work together and accomplish things is an invigorating feeling. It’s almost impossible not to feel good about yourself and the world when you see shy kids making new friends or patting each other on the back for a job well done. When they’ve worked on something for a long time and it finally clicks, it’s amazing to watch. It also helps when you’re knowledgeable on the topic at hand, because you can be even more helpful to the kids. The kids may not always appreciate it, but when they do, it makes an impression that can last a lifetime.

Many youth coaches are parents of kids who are participating in the sports. They may coach little league baseball, pee wee football, or some other sport. Maybe they’re involved in one of the community center leagues. The one thing they all have in common, though, is the urge to help. Even the coaches you may not like or get along with spend a lot their own personal time preparing the kids for the games and teaching them valuable skills. It’s a lot of hard work, but the end results produce great life lessons and experiences that can’t be replicated anywhere else.

Another thing that being a coach can do is bring people closer to other families in the community. When the kids play together, parents also end up spending time together. New friendships are often born this way. Even opposing teams’ parents can end up being friends. Of course, it’s all business when the game’s going on. After the game, though, whether the Bulldogs won or lost, nobody’s going to make any pet insurance claims so why not have a bit of fun. Everyone will probably go out for pizza or ice cream, though, and there will almost certainly be a big lesson learned for everyone involved.

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Why Coaching with Love and Concern for a Team Works for Kids

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Being a coach of a sports team for children can really play an influential part in a kid’s childhood. That first coach is someone that leaves such a lasting impression on the child that they will be talking about it when they are 80 years old and sitting in a nursing home.

With such a task ahead of you as a sports coach it can be a bit intimidating. So how do you know that you are coaching the right way as compared to the wrong way? How do you know that you are leaving a good impression on a child?

The answer really comes down to instinct. If you are coaching from the heart and with the thought that you must guide a child through a very important part of their life and let them learn how to play a certain sport, then you are probably going to leave a very good impression on these children. However, if you are coaching them as if there is a hoard of sports betting sites nipping at your heels and trying to get them to win, then you probably aren’t going to be that coach that everyone remembers.

Children’s sports should be all about having fun, trying out a sport and meeting new friends above everything else. There is absolutely no need for anyone to act like these young children are professional players and have millions of dollars resting on their shoulders, because they don’t.

Remember if you coach with love and instinct then you’ll be a coach that children will love. If you act like these children have the world riding on their shoulders and end up being that screaming, raving coach, then you probably will not be a part of a child’s memory and if you are it won’t be favorable!

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Want to Model? You Can’t Spend All Day on the Sports Betting Sites

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There’s nothing wrong with playing on the computer after a long day at work. It can be very relaxing, and a lot of people enjoy making a few wagers on one of the sports betting sites. If you want to model, though, you’ll have to do more than that. Do you have a portfolio? Have you had any experience? Do you fit the height/weight profile of the companies you’re thinking of applying to? There’s a lot more to being a model than just looking pretty, but too many people don’t realize that. Instead, they get a few pictures taken and wait for the offers to come rolling in.

Unless they’re incredibly striking and very, very lucky, that generally doesn’t happen. Instead, they languish in their ‘real job,’ wondering why they haven’t been ‘discovered’ yet. If you want to be discovered as a model, you have to show the world that there’s something to discover. Do all the research you can on how a person gets into modeling. Narrow that research down to the companies that you’d like to work for, or the agents you’d like to represent you. Then, research them more carefully. Find out what they want, specifically. If you don’t have it, move on to the next company.

Some agents are more specific about people of a certain height, weight, or ‘look.’ When you find an agent that matches up with your abilities and qualifications, send them your photos. These shouldn’t be things a friend took at the beach. They should be professional photos that were taken with modeling in mind, with professionally done hair and makeup if at all possible. That will give the agent a chance to really see how you look, and you may get to proceed from there.

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Winter Pool Covers Eliminate Algae

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The need to cover your pool may not sound like it’s related to style or fashion. After all, you’re dealing with algae, dirt, and scum. However, there is a kind of fashion element to the latest in winter pool covers for above ground and in ground pools. Pool covers are very visible to you and your guests when you look out at your backyard or deck.

Some pool covers will give extra protection with a drain so the ugly algae-ridden puddle of water does not collect on the pool cover. A pool cover will lessen the evaporation process, which will also greatly decrease the amount of water inside the pool.

To be most effective, the pool cover should be constructed of a strong tear resistant material such as a woven polyethylene. This type of U.V. stabilized material protects from snow and sun as well as ice. There are some pool covers that feature a black underside that will greatly slow algae growth. Heat-sealed seams will ensure that you pull back the cover next spring and find a crystal clear pool.

For above ground pools, it’s best to have a cable and tightener mechanism anchored to the cover by rip proof metal utilities. Pools are different sizes, so the most flexible covers have an extended two to four foot overlap. This overlap will also accommodate pools with top rails that are wide.

Those who must have their pool warm regardless of the outside temperature do not need to install a heater. Pool covers constructed from a special material can absorb solar energy to heat the pool every day. If the pool is above ground, the solar pool cover can raise the temperature of the water up to 15°F. Solar pool covers have thermal bubbles that retain heat. With a transparent blue color, the sun’s rays can reach the above ground pool for maximum heating.

Fancy a Dip?

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Step aside, yoga, there’s another way to increase physical fitness and boost your mental health: Swimming.
For years, swimming has been touted as an excellent form of exercise, and for a multitude of reasons. It’s low impact, so it’s easy on the muscle, bones and joints, which makes it an activity that people of all ages can take part in. And because you’re in water, the risk of an exercise-related injury is far lower than the injury risks associated with other activities such as running, walking and biking.
But the benefits don’t stop there. Since the water provides natural resistance—it’s actually 12 times more resistant than air—those who swim can enjoy some serious calorie burning benefits, and depending on your weight and the intensity of your swimming, you can blast more calories in one hour of swimming than what you would normally burn in an hour at the gym.  And while you’re burning calories, you can also enjoy improvements in your endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular health and strength (lean muscle mass).
Body and Mind
That’s not to mention the mental benefits of taking a few laps around the pool. Studies have shown that swimming forces you to focus on regulating your breathing, which ultimately leads to relaxation and a meditative state. The sensation of weightlessness and floating adds to the overall relaxed feeling, and most swimmers agree that a dip in the water usually leaves them feeling relaxed and refreshed.
With all of these benefits, it’s no wonder that researchers began to study the effects of swimming on aging, and in their research, there have been some significant findings that suggest that regular swimming can slow the aging process and actually prolong life. Now there’s a great reason to hop into the pool.
One study conducted in 2009 by researchers at the University of Indiana found that the physiological markers associated with aging were slowed dramatically (up to 20%) among study participants who swam regularly. Additional findings revealed a positive correlation between swimming and increased respiration, muscle mass, bone density, cardiovascular activity and neurological function, further supporting findings that swimming significantly benefits your overall health.
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Chlorine May Lead to Breathing Problems in Swimmers

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Chlorine is widely regarding as the most effective way to disinfect and prevent bacteria from forming on swimming pools. However, recent research reveals that too much exposure to chlorine can lead to significant respiratory issues, as evidenced by the following two studies:

A recent study conducted by researchers in Belgium and published in the September 2009 issue of Pediatrics found that teenagers who spent more than 1,000 hours in a swimming pool had more than eight times the risk of developing asthma, allergies or other breathing disorders, compared to teens who swam in pools that were disinfected using copper-silver disinfectants.

In another study, researchers at the American College of Sports Medicine found that chlorine levels such as those found in public and home swimming pools may lead to increased breathing problems and a condition known as exercise induced bronchoconstriction in trained swimmers.

The researchers studied the effects of chlorine in two different concentrations, including 0.5 parts-per-million (PPM) and 1.0 PPM (the latter of which is typically found in home and public pools) had on the lung capacity of trained swimmers. Testing was conducted after the swimmers swam in pools with different chlorine concentration levels, as well as after they ran or cycled next to the pools. The researchers found the incidence rate for respiratory trouble was slightly less than 20% when swimmers swam or exercised near the pool with 0.5 PPM; however the incidence rate for respiratory issues climbed to more than 60% when swimmers were exposed to the pool containing a concentration of 1.0 PPM. These findings were regardless of whether the swimmers had a history of prior breathing problems.

The researchers said they had suspected that chlorine played a significant role in the respiratory health of swimmers and cautioned those who swam regularly to be aware of the chlorine concentration levels in the pools in which they are swimming.

They noted that swimming is an exercise that’s generally recommended for those who already have breathing problems, such as asthmatics, and recommended that those with respiratory issues should seek out pools with chlorine concentrations of less than 0.5 PPM.

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Active for Life

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Most people know that being active is the key to staying healthy well into your senior years. It’s also widely known that as we age, our muscle mass begins to deteriorate, our joints stiffen and our bones become weaker and more frail. Taking up regular daily exercise can help stave off the effects aging has on the body and improve overall health and well being. And it can be fun.

Start simply by incorporating exercise into your daily routine. Go for a walk in the morning or evening, ride a bicycle down the street—whatever you do, the activity doesn’t have to be vigorous or strenuous in order for your body to receive the benefits of exercise. And no matter your physical condition, there’s an activity that’s right for you. Whether that means going to the gym and working out with a friend or personal trainer, or joining a sports team, exercise will keep you healthier and increase longevity.

According to the National Institute on Aging, whatever activity you choose, your focus should be on building up your endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. A sample workout plan might include a mix of stretching the muscles pre- and post-workout, along with walking and light weight lifting. Swimming is another great activity to incorporate into your workout. It not only satisfies helps increase strength, endurance, balance and flexibility, it’s great for burning a high amount of calories and it’s easy on the muscles, bones and joints.

After a few weeks of activity you will start to see benefits, including an increase in energy and strength. You may also being to notice that your getting more quality, restful sleep as your body is responding to the increase in physical activity and seeking ways to repair and restore itself for the next day.

Use common sense when taking up a new exercise routine and make sure to stay hydrated and take plenty of breaks. If it’s been a while since you’ve exerted yourself, make sure that you start gradually into a routine so that you can prevent injury. Also, talk to your physician before starting any activity.

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Exercising In Water Provides Great Health Benefits

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Many people that need to be exercising and thinking more about their health are those that deal with such things as obesity, disabilities or chronic injuries which makes it harder to exercise and easier to be inactive. Swimming and other aquatic exercise are good options for people of all ages and varying fitness levels because they have less impact on your joints than other types of exercise do which makes it easy for those dealing with pain, size or injury issues. Also, there are many health benefits that are associated with swimming like increased flexibility, muscle building, cardiovascular endurance and weight loss or maintenance.

Flexibility or the range of motion of a person’s muscles and joints is often taken for granted by people. You don’t know how much you need it until you experience a lack of it. Water exercises and swimming, when done with good stretching, can improve your flexibility and range of motion. That is why water is often used in therapeutic settings and physical therapy to help increase flexibility for a person. Water makes movements smoother which leads to lengthening, stretching and toning the muscles.

As people age, they tend to lose muscle mass and flexibility which can lead to difficulty in performing simple, everyday tasks. Muscle strength and endurance don’t always go together, but swimming can actually build both of these at the same time. With swimming, the body naturally meets water resistance so no matter what you are doing or what speed you are moving you build muscle. And when you move at a fast pace in the water you not only build muscle strength but endurance as well.

Swimming can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone and is also one of the best cardiovascular exercises available. Those suffering with anything from knee or back problems to disabilities as well as those that are overweight can exercise easily in the water and gain better health and a stronger body as a result. And as an added benefit, those swimming or doing other aquatic exercise can increase their metabolism and in turn lose weight or maintain their weight.

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Different Types of Women’s Swimwear

There are many different types of swimwear that are available to women on the market today. But when it comes to swimming for fitness or competition versus swimming for recreational fun, there is a big difference on what type of swim suit that should be worn.

Many styles are available to choose from in the area of swimwear for fitness with many neat patterns and colors, but there are some elements about them that are similar. First of all, the swim suits usually have a high neck so that the water resistance doesn’t drag you down. Also, the straps on the suit are crossed in the back for more stability and so that they don’t fall down when moving your arms during swimming.

Additionally, the swim suits used for fitness or competition are usually one-piece rather than two-piece. It is pretty impractical to wear a bikini or a tankini type of swimming suit when really actively swimming because they aren’t made to resist the water very well and won’t stay where you want them to when pushing off a wall or doing a turn. However, there are some two-piece swimming suits made specifically for fitness swimming that can be used that are made with a higher waist and sports-bra like top, but they do tend to be more expensive than the one-piece ones. And the one-piece swimming suits are still considered the standard and are what is worn during swimming competitions.

Some common variations occur in the different types of swimming suits. The thickness of the straps varies from style to style and really is based on personal preference. Depending if you are outside in the sun and how often you are swimming tan lines might play a role on the strap you prefer. Also, the type of material used to make the suit can differ from being polyester or nylon/lycra. Most of the swimming suits are made from nylon/lycra, but they tend to become stretched out and wear out quickly. A polyester suit might be harder to find, but they don’t wear out as fast and are great for practice.

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Swimming Can Melt Those Extra Pounds

Splish splash, this is the sound of obesity fleeting from the American public. Swimming is the latest fad for losing weight, not to mention a family friendly activity. The world underneath the water has been related to the mental and physical benefits of yoga with a refreshing way to cool off in the hot summer months. Between competitive swimming in the Olympics and varsity competition, swimming has become most beneficial activity.

Swimming has also been used as a method of rehab or improvement in motor function for accident victims and the disabled. While swimming allows people to be in a weightless environment it’s also ideal for all ages. Learning how to properly swim at a young age makes all fear of drowning disappear, which allows families and friends to enjoy the water anytime. For instance, during vacations and holidays the water can be a great way to getaway and to get where you want to go. Cruise deals offer a vacation with its own fitness center as big as an ocean.

Not only does a cruise take you by way of the waves, but a number of pools are normally present on various decks so that passengers can enjoy the water before arriving on exotic islands such as, the Bahamas or the Caribbean.

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