Need a low-impact exercise to compliment your cardio and strength-building exercises?
Just say, “om.”
Yoga — a set of body movements intended to stretch parts of the body while also focusing on breath control —is a great way to enhance your workout routine, said Gabriel Stinson, MS, PES, a sports enhancement specialist with Memorial SportsCare.
“Moving through and holding the various positions of yoga focuses on improving strength, flexibility and cardiovascular function,” Stinson said. “It’s also a great stress reliever. It provides a great workout while refreshing the mind and body.” Read the rest of this entry »
The first time Gabe Stinson learned about a Tough Mudder race from a friend, he was intrigued. And once he participated in his first – he was hooked.
Whether it’s a Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder or Spartan Race, they’re gaining in popularity,” said Stinson, MS, a certified performance enhancement specialist with Memorial SportsCare.
Though more people are participating, these competitive events — which combine off-road running through fields or rough terrain and challenging obstacles — are not for everyone, Stinson cautioned. Training is very different from training for a traditional road race. Read the rest of this entry »
Inflatable bounce houses are becoming a staple at backyard birthday parties and other outdoor gatherings. But with children’s more frequent exposure to these popular party attractions comes a higher likelihood of injury, experts are finding.
A new study, which looked at numbers from 1990 to 2010, found that more than 11,300 children were treated for bounce house-related injuries in 2010, twice the number from 2008. The study found that most injuries occurred from falls and collisions with other jumpers; more than half of the injuries included fractures, sprains and strains.
While the study couldn’t pinpoint a reason for the increased number of bounce house-related injuries, the authors suggest their growing popularity, which Paul Kircher, ATC/L, an athletic trainer with Memorial SportsCare, said he agrees with. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Memorial Health | Posted in Exercise, SportsCare | Posted on 20-09-2012
As Gabe Stinson, M.S., a certified performance enhancement specialist with Memorial’s SportsCare, found out, even when you help other people improve their fitness, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ve mastered a perfect running form.
“A friend of mine told me about a race series called Tough Mudder, and I was hooked. I signed up for the nearest race and started training. For the first month or so, I ran pain free,” Stinson said.
But then the problems began. “My right knee started to hurt with every run. I backed off my training and rested, which helped. But the pain came back, and I knew it was time to see an athletic trainer.
“In just one session, my trainer saw that my calves, especially my right one, were tight. This threw off my running form that led to my knee pain. The advice? Stretch before and after each run to maintain proper running form.”
Posted by Memorial Health | Posted in Nutrition, SportsCare | Posted on 06-09-2012
As teens are back in school, many are also back in football, soccer or cross-country practices. If you have a teen athlete, their extra physical activity means an increased need for the right nutrition.
Katie Horstmeyer, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian who works with Memorial SportsCare, said the right nutrition makes a noticeable difference in a teen’s performance during practice and competition. To play well, teens need to eat well by making the right food choices. Horstmeyer outlines a few of her favorite nutrition tips for teen athletes and their parents. Read the rest of this entry »
Margarita after bariatric surgery ready to participate in Memorial SportsCare's Women's Biathlon
One of her biggest challenges awaits Margarita Martin on Sept. 23, and the Charleston nurse and mother of three couldn’t be more excited.
Margarita will join hundreds of other central Illinois women when she takes part in Memorial SportsCare’s women’s biathlon. The 20-kilometer bike ride followed by a 5-kilometer run will be the biggest athletic event she’s tackled to date.
And that’s quite an accomplishment, considering that the 5-foot-10 woman weighed just over 300 pounds through most of the first half of 2011. After she had bariatric, or weight-loss, surgery at Memorial Medical Center in May 2011, she eventually lost 140 pounds.
To prepare for the biathlon, Margarita has been running three days a week – a fast, short run and two slower, long runs – and doing cross-training exercise four days a week, including weights, hill training and bicycle riding. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Memorial Health | Posted in SportsCare | Posted on 01-08-2012
You don’t need to keep your power-strength workouts to the confines of your local gym. Take a look around your environment or even stop by your local junkyard, farm-supply shop or hardware store, and you’ll find the materials for a fun, inventive way of building strength for your sport of choice.
In the video below, Joshua Grant, an athletic trainer with Memorial SportsCare who works with several of the sports teams at Taylorville High School, describes four exercises using a tractor tire, sledgehammer, chain and sports utility vehicle.
Congratulations! You’ve decided you want to cross the finish line at SportsCare Women’s Biathlon on Sept. 23 this year!
Now that you’ve decided to make the commitment, you may need some help figuring out where to start and what to do. Memorial SportsCare’s athletic trainers devised a training program to help beginners get into the right condition to be able to participate in the biathlon.
The biathlon consists of 12 miles of biking on gently rolling hills followed by a 3.1-mile run on a mostly flat course. At the end of the training program, you’ll be able to complete both – what an amazing achievement. Read the rest of this entry »
The three main components to any worthwhile fitness regimen are nutrition, strength conditioning and cardiovascular exercise. Can you achieve success in all three areas by going at it alone? Sure – but it’s more likely you’ll stick to a healthy diet and exercise routine if you first have the tools and tips necessary to build a solid foundation.
A 2010 study published in the journal Obesity found that people who participated in a structured group exercise program worked out for a longer period of time than those who didn’t. When half the battle to adopting a lasting workout routine is turning it into habit, longer workouts may mean the difference between adopting the habit or abandoning it for the couch. Structured exercise plans also keep you more accountable and motivated.
Memorial SportsCare’s new Healthy Lifestyles 360 (HL 360) program, which kicks off in June, offers participants the knowledge and motivation they need in a structured environment to ensure lasting success. HL 360 is a spinoff of SportsCare’s already existing Healthy Lifestyles fitness program, in which a certified SportsCare employee works with a person to meet their individual fitness goals over a period of 10 or 20 weeks. HL 360 adds in a nutritional component and opportunity to participate in both group and individual exercise. Read the rest of this entry »
If you follow sports, you likely heard the latest news about Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls leading scorer, sitting out the next 8-12 months following his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery.
The 23-year-old point guard went down with just 80 seconds left of the first game of the Bulls’ Eastern Conference quarterfinals series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Video courtesty of jmike619 on Youtube. Video may not play if Youtube user has removed it.
He’s not alone. Several NBA stars have experienced the same injury during this compressed season. But it’s not just NBA stars who are susceptible. Read the rest of this entry »
Need a low-impact exercise to compliment your cardio and strength-building exercises?
