National Athlete of the Month | Kara Patterson | January 2012

Event: Javelin Throw

Born: 04/10/86

High School: Skyview HS (Vancouver, Wash.)

College: Purdue '09

Career Highlights: Four-time USA Outdoor champion ('08, '09, '10, '11); 2009 NCAA runner-up; Two-time BCAA All-American

Kara Patterson continued her dominance of women's javelin in the United States by winning her fourth consecutive national title in 2011. At the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships, she improved Kim Kreiner's American record with her winning toss of 66.67m/218-9. Patterson burst onto the national scene in 2008 when she won Olympic Trials with a mark of 58.44m/191-9 and earned a spot on her first Olympic team. At the 2008 Big Ten Championships, Patterson secured her second conference title and shattered the Big Ten record and the Boilermakers' all-time record with her heave of 61.56m/202-0, It was the top throw by an American in 2008, the second longest in NCAA history, and placed her second on the U.S. all-time list behind American record-holder Kim Kreiner. Patterson redshirted the 2007 season. In 2006, Patterson won her second straight NCAA Mideast Regional javelin championship with a throw of 51.16 meters, advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships where she finished 26th. She capped off her 2005 season by winning the silver medal at the Pan Am Junior Championships with a launch of 50.26m/164-11. Patterson won the 2005 NCAA Mideast Regionals and Big Ten Championships meets. In high school, Patterson was a four-year varsity letter winner in swimming, basketball and track and field, as well as a three-time javelin state champion.

Source: http://www.usatf.org/

Exercise of the Month | Calf Raises | January 2012

The Calf Raise is a simple, yet effective, exercise for your lower legs. There is no extra equipment needed for a calf raise, however, you can perform this exercise on a step to increase the range of motion of the exercise.

To perform a Calf Raise, position your feet shoulder-width apart, with your hands on your hips, or holding onto a sturdy object for balance. Contract your calf muscles and slowly raise your heels off the ground. Once your heels get 2-3 inches off the ground hold this position for 5 seconds and slowly lower your heels back down to the ground. It is important to maintain body control during this exercise.

To increase the difficulty of this exercise, you can add weight by holding dumbbells in your hands. You may also perform the Calf Raise on one leg at a time. -- This incorporates proprioception into the exercise. The straight leg calf raise concentrates on the Gastrocnemius muscle. To target the Soleus muscle, perform the Calf Raise with a bent knee.

Weekly Training Article | Home Workouts vs. Gym Workouts | 1/23/12-1/29/12

By Gregg Hall

Making the decision of where you will go to exercise is a very important step in reaching your goals of fitness. A lot of factors will go into this decision, and each one should be evaluated well before you start exercising. Once you have made a decision on where you will go to exercise, you can move onto deciding how you plan to work out.

As you probably know, exercising at home has many advantages. The finance department is one of the best advantages. With the gas prices being what they are today, it is quite obvious that you'll save money on fuel as well as wear and tear on your vehicle.

Memberships to a gym can often be quite expensive and may include other things that you don't need such as child care or swimming pools. You also won't need to be concerned about the latest trends of exercise gear as you most likely will be exercising by yourself at home.

Keep in mind that working out at home does require a bit of financial obligation. Even though you may plan to run, it is very important that you have high quality running shoes. This statement applies to any type of equipment that you may purchase to use at home. If you go out and buy cheap equipment, you'll probably end up getting hurt or frustrated because you aren't making any progress.

Along with the financial gains, exercising at home may also help those who don't like to work out in public. If you are worried about how you look in gym clothes, it is very comforting to know that the only person who has to be with you when you exercise at home is you. Also, when you exercise at home, you don't need to worry about time at all.

Those of you who are motivated by being with people you know while working out away from home, a gym may be a better idea. At the gym, you'll also have more of a selection of equipment, far more than you'll have at home.

If you need other services than just weights and equipment, the gym may have just what you need. If you plan to swim in a triathlon, you'll find the swimming pool at the gym to be just what you need to prepare yourself. Swimming is also a great exercise for your body and cardio, as it will work muscles in your body that you probably didn't even know you had.

Gyms will also offer you classes that you may find very motivating. You can also meet new people in class, or just help others along if you choose.

All in all, making the choice of exercising at home or at the gym is a choice you should make based on your goals and personal preference. The most important decision you'll need to make is to determine what type of environment you want to be in and how you want to accomplish the fitness goals in your life.

Once you have given it some thought and weighed the pros and cons, you'll have no problem making the choice. Always keep in mind that once you've made your choice, you can always switch if you aren't happy with the choice you made.

Source: articlecircle.com

Weekly Training Article | Chronic Nonspecific Back Pain | 1/16/12-1/22/12

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems, affecting 8 out of 10 people at some point during their lives. It can range from a constant ache to a sudden sharp pain. For back pain to be considered chronic pain it needs to persist for a period longer than three months. Chronic nonspecific pain as it’s called is "nonspecific" in nature. In other words, in most cases, the cause of the pain is unknown or difficult to diagnose.

Four out of five people that visit their doctor for back pain have nonspecific back pain as the cause. Because chronic nonspecific back pain can result from several factors -- physical, psychological and even social -- its treatments need to be just as diverse.

Noninvasive treatments for chronic nonspecific back pain are the most common prescribed by doctors. These include back braces, pain medications, cold or heat therapy, electrical stimulation, and exercise therapy.

Many back braces or lumbar supports are available without a prescription at local pharmacies and general stores. The main concern behind the use of a back brace is that the overuse of a back brace may atrophy or waste away spinal support muscles that would normally support the back (due to lack of use). If you plan on using a back brace to support your lower back, it’s best to limit its use to several hours a day. You can also use a back brace to help support your back when returning to a labor-intensive job after an injury or from a long vacation.

Another option is OTC or over the counter pain medications. These can include medications such as Aleve or Aspirin, but also encompass topical analgesics such as PainEnz, or Icy Hot. These topical analgesics stimulate your sensory receptors for heat to cover-up or counteract pain.

Back pain is a serious issue; the above treatments are only for temporary relief of nonspecific back pain. If you are experiencing sharp or acute back pain you need to have it checked out by your doctor. -- It could be a sign of a much greater problem that can only be diagnosed by a medical professional.

Source: articlecircle.com

Weekly Training Article | Being Healthy is a Choice | 1/9/12-1/15/12

By Gregg Hall

Your body does so much for you and that is why so many people are returning the favor, so that their body keeps giving them that boost in life.

Natural health is one of the ways many people are opting for as they have come to appreciate all that Mother Nature has to offer, in the ways of ingredients that help the body.

Natural health is also about being pro-active in your life. You need to understand that if you want to be part of the natural health community, then you must be dedicated to making your life -- and especially your body -- healthy.

Natural health is not about being a health freak, but more a health-conscious person. It is about making the lifestyle work with and for you.

To truly appreciate what natural health has to offer, you need to invest in a natural health book, which you can read and find out more on the subject of natural health.

If you have been living the junk food and quick meal life, then you will need to incorporate vitamins into your natural health regime; to be successful in this, you will need to obtain knowledge on what vitamins your body lacks.

You will find that a whole lot of options are open for you. And that is why you will need to do research that will help you in your aim of living the natural, health way.

Natural health also means incorporating more naturalistic solutions into your life. You will be able to enjoy the pleasures of life with a body that functions at its optimum at all times.

And if you are truly dedicated, you will succeed. The best part is that once you start living better, you start feeling better; and that is crucial in dealing with everyday stresses and depressions.

Source: articlecircle.com

Weekly Training Article | The Exercise Ball: Try it for Core Conditioning | 1/2/12-1/8/12

There is so much being said nowadays about working out with an exercise ball that you may have wondered what all the fuss is about.

Originally created for use in physical therapy, the exercise ball, better known as the Swiss ball, is a large, inflated, rubber ball around 25-35 inches in diameter. In the past, the exercise ball was used by physical therapists to help rehabilitate their patients, particularly those with lower back pain.

Today, the exercise ball is a common tool in many physical fitness programs. One reason for this is, like Pilates, the use of the exercise ball helps to firm up the trunk muscles in the core of the body. Training the core of the body not only lends strength to the limbs and trunk but it also keeps the body flexible, balanced and provides support for the spine.

The effectiveness of using an exercise ball for core conditioning is due to the round shape which creates instability for the body. This in turn causes your body's core muscles to react to the instability caused by the ball. Over time, your body will improve the strength and flexibility of those muscles as it begins to intuitively rely on the core muscles for balance.

Using an exercise ball as part of a fitness program can include a wide range of difficulty levels from easy to moderate, to difficult -- each level requiring support from the core muscles.

If you've ever wanted to give the exercise ball a try, here are a few routines to get you started:

1) Squat and Lift

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding the exercise ball in your hands with both hands on either side of ball.

Bend both knees (as if you are going to sit) so that you are squatting slightly as you lower the ball in front of you.

Slowly straighten your legs to a standing position as you lift the ball to shoulder length.

Once you have straightened up completely, slowly raise the ball above your head and then slowly lower it to shoulder height again.

Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times.

2) Hip Extension

Lie on your back on the floor with your heels propped on the exercise ball.

Slowly lift your hips off the floor as you squeeze your buttocks and tighten your abdominal muscles.

Continue to lift your body off the floor until your body is in a straight line.

Hold this position for a few seconds and lower.

Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times.

3) Lunges

Place the exercise ball on the floor and stand with your back towards it.

Standing with your feet together and your hands on your hips, place one foot on the ball behind you.

Slowly bend your front knee, ensuring that your knee doesn't pass your toes.

Try to keep your back erect -- do not lean forward as you bend.

Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times.

These exercises are just the beginning. There are so many exercises you can do on the exercise ball that you'll never become bored. You may also develop your own routines that you find helpful. Be sure, however, you warm up first for 5-10 minutes before getting started. Used properly, the exercise ball will increase the strength and flexibility of your core muscles with regular use. No matter what your fitness level is, give the fitness ball a try. You'll be surprised to see how much fun it can be.

Source: articlecircle.com