Tip of the Month - Smith Sports

FITNESS TIP OF THE MONTH

July: If you are a runner or a triathlete and have never heard of a foam roller, google it now! A foam roller is used on overly tight muscles. As you roll over it, your body weight and gravity work to knead and massage out the tightness. A good rule of thumb when rolling: if it doesn't hurt, you're not doing it right. The pain indicates an area of tightness. As unpleasant as it can be, it sure beats having to drop out a race or skip a training run because the pain in your muscle is too much to handle.

June: Don't throw away those berries that are on the verge of spoiling, but use them to jazz up your ice cubes. Rinse blueberries, raspberries, blackberries -- strawberries don't work as well since they're too big when whole, and when sliced their red color bleeds into the cubes. Place a few blueberries, or one large blackberry or raspberry, in each ice cube tray and fill with water. Freeze and use in lemonade, or as an adornment for summer punches. Throw the extra berry-filled ice cubes in ziplock bags and they will last for up to a month in the freezer.

May: The majority of low back pain can be attributed to a rounded lower back. Instead of standing or sitting tall so you have a slight arch, your lower back rounds making you look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Avoid this at all costs! Find a way to remind yourself to correct your posture every 20 or 30 minutes, whether by setting an alarm on your computer or placing a Post-It in a place that is very visible. This can reduce the neck and shoulder pain you get from slouching over the keyboard for extended periods of time.

April: With Spring upon us, it's important to remember the small things as you begin exercising more outside. While it's easy to remember your shoes or long sleeve shirt, there are a few small things that will optimize your spring fitness time. Sunglasses are a must! Not only do they keep the spring sun out of your eyes, but they also shied them from the cooler winds. Always have an extra paid of dry socks available. You never know when you will get caught working out in the rain! Last thing to remember, toss a plastic grocery bag or waterproof bag in with your other gear to hold any wet or muddy gear separate from dry items.

March: How do you reward yourself for reaching your smaller goals along the road to success? Your personal reward system may be setting you back. Many people indulge in something they have sacrified during their new fitness and nutrition plan. Instead of allowing food to be your driving force and reward, switch to a food-free reward system. Now that you've lost a few inches or pounds, why not enjoy a new workout outfit or a pair of jeans? Or for those bigger goals, treat yourself to a pedicure or spa treatment. This is the kind of treatment you deserve when you reach your goals.

February: Still struggling to control your portions? Snack time is one of the worst for most people since everything is supersized these days. To help with this problem, avoid supersizing at the grocery story and instead purchase a smaller sized healthy pre-packaged snack that will curb your hunger. To determine whether it is healthy or not, look at the nutrition information panel. Be sure to check the daily value and the actual portions per package. Sometimes the information can be skewed depending on that so read carefully. This is typically more expensive than buying in bulk, so if you want to save some money and you have strong will power, buy the larger amount, but measure appropriate portion sizes into smaller containers as soon as you get home.

January: Happy New Year! As you decide what this year's resolutions are going to be, make sure they are "SMART" goals. S-pecific, M-easurable, A-ttainable, R-ealistic and relevant, T-imely. These five attributes will help you see your resolution through to the end this year. First, you need your goal to be specific so you can measure it. Next, when your goal is measureable you can see if you're attaining it! Speaking of attaining it, make sure your goal isn't too hard to reach. It's good to push yourself, but you still want to be successful. Next, be realistic and make it relevant. Plan only what you can actually do and make it important to you. Lastly, be sure to include a time frame on your goal. Whether it be a month or a year, set a starting and ending point. Now get some SMART New Year's Resolutions and enjoy your success!

December: Tis the season and year to NOT stress about gaining excess weight. One tip to avoiding that battle of the bulge is to allow yourself to indulge a little here and there, BUT limit your portions. Don't go into the holiday season thinking "I better eat as much of these tasty treats as possible because when the holidays are over, I can't eat this treats anymore!" Don't allow yourself to think like this. Instead, have a small taste of what you want and enjoy this time with your family instead of enjoying a huge plate of sweets and the belly ache that comes with it! Cookies and other sweet treats are around all year long, and with a planned cheat meal/day, you can enjoy them all year long. So don't make the holiday season a reason to ruin your hard earned results!

November: One of the biggest mistakes I see people make at the start of their workout is their stretching routine. Most people do the stretches they learned back in elementary school where they hold a stretch for 10 seconds and then move onto the next muscle group. I'm not saying this is bad, it has it's place in the workout, but that place is the end when you are cooling down. At the start you need to let your muscles know they are going to be moving, not standing still. This is where dynamic stretching comes in. Stretches that are movement based, such as carioca or a functional chest opener will warm your muscles up, stretch them out and leave them ready to do some work.

October: Are you ready to incorporate something new into your workout that is possibly the most comprehensive and beneficial form of exercise a person can do? Jumping rope can burn up to 1000 calories per hour, making it one of the most efficient workouts possible. It tones muscles in the entire body, developing long, lean muscles in all major muscle groups, both upper and lower. Jumping rope optimizes cardiovascular conditioning and maximizes athletic skills by combining agility, coordination, timing, and endurance. Best of all, it's exercise that is inexpensive, portable, fun, highly enjoyable and great for kids! Get jumping today!

September: Americans LOVE sugar and, on average each American eats about 175 lbs of sugar EACH YEAR. Not only is sugar addictive, with those consuming it suffering from headaches, anxiety, depression and mood swings, but here are five other reasons to kick sugar to the curb. 1) Sugar leads us to pack on the pounds. It contains only empty calories - no fiber, no protein, no vitamins and no minerals. 2) When you eat refined sugar, your body takes nutrients from other cells to metabolize is because the sugar lacks the ability to do so on it's own. 3) Calcium is significantly lost when sugar is consumed. With a decreased amount of calcium, bones become weak. 4) Large sugar intake leads to the onset of diabetes because sugar raises your body's blood sugar levels quickly, causing the pancreas to release insulin. Eventually, the pancreas wears out and cannot perform its normal duties. 5) Sugar consumption will leave you feeling run down. After the "sugar high" comes the crash and you feel more tired than you did before the high, you have less energy and are hungrier. Isn't it time to cut sugar out?

August: Regardless of what you might read or people may tell you, there is no such thing as spot reducing. Although weight training crunches will tighten up your abs and make them look better, as well as protect your lower back from injury, they will not melt the fat on your midsection. If you truely want 6-pack abs, you need a low fat diet and a weight training routine that includes cardio exercise.

July: When running, most people exhale when the left foot hits the ground, but some people exhale when the right foot hits the ground. If you're in this later group, you may be more prone to get side stitches. Exhaling when the right foot hits the ground causes greater forces on the liver (which is on the right side just below the rib cage). So just as the liver is dropping down the diaphragm raises for the exhalation. It is believed this repeated stretching of ligaments that extend from the diaphragm to the internal organs leads to spasms in the diaphragm. To prevent a side stitch, take even, deep breaths while running. Shallow breathing tends to increase the risk of cramping because the diaphragm is always slightly raised and never lowers far enough to allow the ligaments to relax. When this happens the diaphragm becomes stressed and a spasm or "stitch" is more likely. If you do get a side stitch, stop running and place your hand into the right side of your belly and push up, lifting the liver slightly. Inhale and exhale evenly as you push up.

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FITNESS TIP OF THE MONTH

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