Stretching is a great way of stopping or at least doing a large part in the prevention of sports injuries. The simple act of stretching will give you more benefits than simply cutting your risk or injury it will also help you to gain muscle, agility and coordination. I have stressed in the past that stretching is very useful but here is an article that I found that gives you even more reason to stretch everyday.

Overcoming & Preventing Sports Injury

If you’re involved in the health & fitness industry, whether it be participating in your favourite sport, coaching, training or just keeping fit, you’ll know how annoying and debilitating a sports injury can be. In reality, when you have a sports injury you’re actually losing on two fronts. Firstly, you’re losing simply because your body has been hurt and now needs time and care to repair itself. And on top of this, you’re also losing the time you could have been putting into training and improving your sporting ability. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: Author, average sports, contact sports, energy, football, protective equipment, rigors, sports injuries, sports injury, Sports Medicine, sports people, waste products

Arthoscopic surgery has been a mainstay for many years to fix knee problems associated with overuse. I had always thought that if I had a problem with my knees from sports that I would opt for this kind of surgery. One problem that I seen to have with my knees is that I have some floating cartilage that every now and then really hurts my knee but this is not what arthoscopic surgery is for, instead arthoscopic surgery is used to cut out arthritis spots in the knee.

A new study questioning the usefulness of arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee should encourage patients to consider physical therapy as an effective non-surgical option, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The study was published in the September 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

The study found that physical therapy, combined with comprehensive medical management, is just as effective at relieving the pain and stiffness of moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee as surgery. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abnormal movement, American Physical Therapy Association, arthritis, arthroscopic surgery, Christopher M Powers, co-director, director of the Biokinesiology program, floating cartilage, knee pain, knee surgery, Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Lab, New England Journal, orthopedists, osteoarthritis, pain, physical therapist, physical therapy, president, R. Scott Ward, Sports Medicine, sports medicine clinics, surgery, Swimming, the Annals of Internal Medicine, The New England Journal of Medicine, treatment of osteoarthritis, University of Southern California Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy

Carbohydrate loading is a method that has been used for at least 20 years now by marathon runners and other endurance athletes. The idea behind carb loading is that you would eat a huge amount of carbohydrates, usually complex carbohydrates in the 12-18 hours before competition. The Mayo Clinic came up with this great primer on the how, what and why of Carb loading.

Carbohydrate loading can improve your performance during high-intensity endurance exercise. Use this strategy to prepare for a marathon, triathlon or another endurance event.

Perhaps you’re training for a marathon or triathlon. Or maybe you’re a long-distance swimmer or cyclist. Whatever your sport, if you plan to complete 90 minutes or more of high-intensity exercise, carbo-loading (carbohydrate loading) may improve your performance.

Carbohydrates: The body’s fuel

The food you eat contains carbohydrates, protein and fat. These nutrients supply the calories your body uses for energy. Although your body needs all three nutrients, carbohydrates are your body’s primary source of energy.
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Tags: athlete, average athlete, bloating, carbohydrate-containing sports, cramps, cyclist, dairy products, diabetes, energy, food, Loading Carbohydrate, long-distance swimmer, Mayo Clinic, registered dietitian, soccer, Sports Medicine, Swimming, triathlon, weightlifting

Going to the gym is supposed to be good for your health, but if you don’t take the proper precautions, it may have the opposite effect. Newsweek has an article about germs and gyms that gives some great tips. Germs can lurk on any surface, from exercise equipment to the spigot on the water fountain, and locker rooms are ideal places for bacteria and fungi to thrive. But you can lower your risk of catching other gymgoers’ germs—and with them the risk of catching a cold, athlete’s foot, or even the potentially deadly staph infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (or MRSA). Portland, Ore., sports medicine internist Dr. Carol Otis offers these tips:

Cover any breaks in the skin. Normal, unbroken skin can’t be invaded. But when a skin break—even one as minor as a small scratch or the raw skin characteristic of psoriasis— comes in contact with an infected surface, MRSA and other bacteria can worm their way in. The earliest danger signs: pimplelike red bumps or boils. To protect yourself, put a band-aid on any cuts, abrasions or blisters. And don’t shave immediately before a workout to avoid being in the locker room with cuts and scratches. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: athlete, athlete's foot, blister, blisters, Carol Otis, Clean exercise equipment, cuts, exercise equipment, Newsweek, Oregon, Portland, psoriasis, Sports Medicine, sports medicine internist, staph infection

From the LA Daily News. I jumped up when I saw this article as it hits all the important points to look for in a personal trainer:

Working with a personal trainer can help you reach your fitness goals safely and effectively. Before you hire one, keep the following tips in mind:

Looking for a trainer? Ask around. “We’re the ones in the gym all the time,’ says fitness trainer Jeanette Jenkins, who keeps a personal database of local trainers. “Trainers are going to know who is good because we’re all colleagues.’

Consider hiring a fitness trainer at your gym. They will be familiar with your facility, and you can always seek redress from management should a problem arise. “There’s absolutely a bonus to hiring someone at your facility,’ says personal trainer Kathy Kaehler. “It helps you move along and helps you change your workout.’
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Tags: Allen Saltzman, American Council of Exercise, co-owner, Hope College in Michigan, Jeanette Jenkins, Kathy Kaehler, Michigan, National Academy of Sports Medicine, personal trainer, reputable agency, Sports Medicine, Topanga, Woodland Hills