A-Z Sport - Bodybuilding As A Sport

Exercise and Sport For All

2007-11-23T13:43:00.005-08:00

Exercise and Sport. Most of us, keep fit enthusiasts excepted, will sooner or later, suffer from the dawning realization that our mirrors are telling us that our bottoms are sagging, our stomachs are bulging and our faces are getting puffy.

Some will just accept natures way and carry on with their usual lifestyle but there will be others that want to regain a trim and toned body and that feeling of well being that comes with being fit.

No matter what age you are when you become aware of the dreaded signs that your body is not the temple of excellence that you expected it to remain. Sloth, bad habits and diet will have their way.

They will affect even a teenager's body in just the same way as it will with any older person.

Having the right genes plays a huge part in our ability to delay the deteriorating effects of a bad lifestyle but sooner or later the body will begin give out ever-stronger signals that action should be taken to restore it to the way it was.

So what are the options?

The first thought that comes to many peoples mind is jogging. It does not require any expensive equipment, just trainers and any old clothes to suit the weather and can be carried out at any convenient time of the day or even night.

OK that's fine for those who prefer their own company but if you suffer from loneliness or just don't want to be alone when pounding the highways and byways of your neighborhood you will have to find a friend who shares your dedication to getting fit.

Incidentally there is a school of thought that considers jogging one of the worst activities for causing joint problems and associated pain.

Another option is to equip a home gym if you have the spare space.

Whether you buy just a few weights and maybe find a second hand simple treadmill or even if you can afford a comprehensive multi-gym machine it will still cost you.

As with all exercise regimes you will have to have the will power to continue with what can eventually become a boring routine, particularly so if budget and space consideration limit your choice of equipment.

Again great if you have company to help keep you going as listening to music on an I-pod or watching telly while you go through your routine can pall after a while. If you are a mother at least you haven't the problem of finding a baby sitter.

If you are a sociable type join a gym.

You can keep your interest up by trying out the variety of machines that a well run gym should be equipped with, take advantage of the good advice on hand from the staff and probably find a new circle of friends with the same interests which should help you sustain your efforts.

Subscriptions vary but are usually affordable.

This is a great option unless the whole idea of exercise without seeing a tangible result after each session doesn't appeal and the idea of running, lifting weights and other similar gym type exercises fills you with total boredom.

So lets look at Sport.

All sports have a definite objective and that is to win or lose at the end of a session.

I cannot think of a recognized sport in which women don't take part, even the roughest and toughest such as Rugby Union and League, American Football. Wrestling and Boxing have ladies teams competing against each other. Male or female, there are very few bars to taking up any sport you fancy.
Tip! Levels of iron in the body are particularly important given iron's role in many enzyme functions and it's fundamental role in the formation of haemoglobin (75% of total body iron is in this form) and as a constituent of myoglobin (the O2 carrying material that functions inside the cells). Iron performs the overwhelming activity of transporting oxygen from the lungs to the mitochondria within muscle cells – vital for the athlete.

Anybody can take part in any sport; the question is whether to take up a team sport or an individual sport.

Both will have clubs and associations and with few exceptions will welcome new members irrespective of their ability and most have an emphasis on the social side of their activities so making new friends and acquaintances with common interests is an added bonus.

The competitive atmosphere generated in sports clubs can become infectious and is a spur to increasing physical fitness to better ones performance on the playing field, court or wherever the sport is taking place.

For those who cannot get on with fast ball games such as Tennis, Squash or Racquetball there are many other options open.

Fencing, with three disciplines (foil, epee and sabre) requires good reflexes and fast feet, Wrestling needs application to technique good balance and strength. Then there is Judo, various martial arts, archery, boxing and a large variety of athletic pursuits. Football of whatever kind is so popular that a team to suit any standard of play however poor, is likely to be located nearby.
Tip! Clubs organize races, water polo, sub aqua and other water activities that also require a good level of fitness and provide competition, companionship and interest, as is the case with every sport.

My Dad who is 70 still plays a two-hour competitive game of tennis three times a week and has recently taken up golf once a week so he will have a sport when he is too old for tennis.

He still contrives to get out of taking the family's little Shih-Tzu dog for a short daily walk because he says that just walking is boring

Another alternative for those who find road and gym work tedious and boring is to take up swimming.

Clubs organize races, water polo, sub aqua and other water activities that also require a good level of fitness and provide competition, companionship and interest, as is the case with every sport.

So for that trim and toned body and to feel good without the drudgery of jogging or the dread of boredom in the gym try taking up a sport.

There is a sport suitable for every one whatever their age, shape, standard or disability.

"˜Sport for all' means exactly what it says!

Jacqueline Lloyd is the author of this article which appears in her definitive website Hot Exercise http://hotexercise.com

How Trampolining Can Be A Fun But Serious Sport

2007-11-23T13:43:00.004-08:00

The sports of trampolining and tumbling are as old as man, a reflection of man's desire to defy the ever-pervading presence of gravity.

A number of cultures have devised apparatus to send an athlete into the air, i.e., an outstretched animal skin being used to throw up, and safely receive, the descending performer. Circuses have used a number of devices to show off aerial and floor somersault activity.
Tip! So lets look at Sport.

The way these activities are now practiced reflect the intrusion, delightful in this instance, of modern technology. Modern trampolining has only emerged in the last 40-50 years from the prototype apparatus built by George Nissen back in his garage in 1936.

The Air Force, and later the Space Agencies were not slow to employ trampolines with their pilots and astronauts. Medical authorities and those working with handicapped persons have found many exciting benefits from being able to use a trampoline. At the recreational level, trampolining has an immediate appeal, especially for the young people . Every era produces at least one step forward in the sophistication of a trampoline machine used. The most modern ones are capable of projecting an athlete to such a height that the top stars can touch 10m-high ceilings and perform repetition triple somersaults with ease.

Competitive activity commenced in the US at the conclusion of World War II. The activity spread to Europe in the 1950's and display teams took the activity to all continents in the late 1950's and early 1960's, when many national federations were formed.

In 1964, the International Trampoline Federation (FIT) was formed with seven founder member federations. This number has since swollen to 42.

Championship activity has developed and grown continuously year after year. Annual World Championships were held from 1964, though since 1968, they have been held every other year, with European Championships, started in 1969, and Pan Pacific Championships in 1981, occurring the alternative years.
Tip! Cases such as these do tend to be sport-specific, being confined to sports that either require a low body mass (martial arts, rowing), where a low body weight is thought to improve performance (long-distance running, triathlon) and in those sports that requests athletes to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye (ballet, figure skating, diving).

European Youth Championships have been held every other year since 1972, and the introduction of the World Cup event in 1993 has seen a tremendous interest in the sport, with the television companies giving live coverage to most events throughout the 1993-94 series. Trampolining and Tumbling have been World Games sports since 1981.

Jeb Taylor is a fitness guru. He works out on all exercise equipment he thinks will help him. Along with bikes and jogging, Jeb loves bouncing on a trampoline as a fun way to fitness.

Find out all you need to know about trampolines. How to use them for best exercise results, and which models to buy. Daily updated blog of news & articles. Click http://www.trampolines-101.com/

** Attn Ezine editors / Site Owners ** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above.

Nutrient Requirements of Women in Sport

2007-11-23T13:43:00.003-08:00

Female and male athletes respond to training in a fairly comparable way. As volume and intensity of training increases, so does aerobic capacity and hence performance. Body composition tends to change, whether male or female, indicating that physiologically, we are all actually quite similar.

Nutritionally speaking, fuelling of training is similar too. Regardless of the sport in question, energy intake must match energy output in order to fuel training and recovery. For endurance athletes, carbohydrate intake needs to equate to approximately 7-10g per kg/bwt (or 4g per lb/bwt). If it doesn't performance tends to suffer, and fatigue creeps in. It is important for any athlete, regardless of gender, to train and compete with optimum fuel reserves, and, of course be well hydrated.

Despite seemingly parallel training responses and "fuel" requirements between males and females, women engaged in regular exercise, and especially those with demanding training and competition schedules have quite unique nutritional needs.

These special needs often mirror a particular time in a female's sexual development, or during one of the many hormonal changes, which govern a women's life. Dramatic hormonal shifts initiate quite unique metabolic and chemical changes within the body that demand specific nutrients. Needs change as a female enters her pubertal years (onset of menarche), during her reproductive years and during pregnancy, and then at the stage that marks the end of reproduction (menopause). Disruption in a female's normal menstrual functioning (e.g. amenorrhoea) may create increased requirements in macro and micronutrients (e.g. calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, protein and essential fatty acids). The BNF's briefing paper, Nutrition and Sport, reports increased calcium requirements in amenorrhoeic women, and advises all female athletes to pay attention to energy, calcium and iron intakes (1). Vitamin K supplementation has been shown to improve markers of bone metabolism in a small group of amenorrhoeic female elite athletes (2). Vitamin K functions in the synthesis of calcium-binding proteins.
Tip! Nutritionally speaking, fuelling of training is similar too. Regardless of the sport in question, energy intake must match energy output in order to fuel training and recovery.

Iron and calcium requirements of the female athlete The two main nutrients that require most attention are the minerals iron and calcium.
Tip! So lets look at Sport.

Levels of iron in the body are particularly important given iron's role in many enzyme functions and it's fundamental role in the formation of haemoglobin (75% of total body iron is in this form) and as a constituent of myoglobin (the O2 carrying material that functions inside the cells). Iron performs the overwhelming activity of transporting oxygen from the lungs to the mitochondria within muscle cells - vital for the athlete. Females have a higher rate of iron loss than men mainly via blood loss through menstruation, as well as during pregnancy and childbirth. This creates a higher iron requirement in women generally.

An athlete's iron status (measured by levels of blood haemoglobin, haematocrit concentration and plasma ferritin levels) may further be compromised due to a number of factors directly related to training. These have been identified as bleeding within the digestive system, inadequate diet and poor iron absorption, loss of iron through heavy sweating, red blood cell breakdown due to trauma created by certain high-impact activities (e.g. long-distance running), and even over-frequent blood donation.
Tip! Clubs organize races, water polo, sub aqua and other water activities that also require a good level of fitness and provide competition, companionship and interest, as is the case with every sport.

Iron-deficiency anaemia (haemoglobin levels below 12g/dl) has a major impact on performance and immune status. It decreases aerobic capacity and endurance, induces fatigue, and lowers resistance to infection. It has not yet been clearly established whether iron depletion (low ferritin concentrations and reduced bone marrow iron) negatively affects performance, but certainly low ferritin is not something to be ignored. Many however, suggest changes in plasma ferritin concentration are due to either heavy training, or as a response to inflammation, and low blood haemoglobin in some athletes is simply due to plasma volume expansion. Assessment of iron status in athletes is clearly not straightforward. Taking into account measured indices of iron status, individual dietary habits, digestive function, menstruating patterns and other significant factors should help determine the impact iron status may be having on a particular individual's performance. It is fair to say that in some cases, borderline measurements or those at the lower end of "normal" are often clinically significant, and iron supplementation produces noticeable improvements in iron status and performance (3).
Tip! There are various types of sport that range from professional to amateur. There are Olympic Standard Sports and sports that are just for fun.

The use of iron supplements at this point may also prevent the development of full blown iron-deficiency anaemia in some female athletes, which is often when "re-pletion" is most difficult, especially via diet alone. Inorganic forms of iron (e.g. ferrous sulphate, ferrous gluconate) are notoriously poorly absorbed, and often cause gastrointestinal problems such as constipation. More importantly, they often fail to raise Hb levels. Where iron supplementation is deemed appropriate (i.e. anaemia), serious consideration should be given to using new "food-form" iron supplements. Food-form iron is a version of iron that has been grown into yeast cells, and the absorbability of yeast-based iron is much closer to haem-iron. It also produces little or no uncomfortable side effects.

Calcium

National surveys have consistently reported low calcium intake is young and adult females (4, 5, 6), as well as female athletes (2, 7). This is normally due to low energy intakes, fad diets, or poorly planned vegetarian and vegan diets. Inadequate calcium intake and consequently poor calcium status is compounded by diets that contain high phosphorous, high salt and high caffeine food and drink. These have a negative impact of calcium balance, due to an increase in urinary calcium excretion (8).
Tip! A major focus in recent years within nutrition and sport for women has been with respect to the “female athlete triad”. Components of the triad are disordered eating, amenorrhoea (absence of periods), and osteopenia (as opposed to osteoporosis).

Calcium and bone health

About 60% of adult bone is laid down during adolescence (9), when calcium deposition is at it's highest (10). This is due to increases in the hormones oestrogen, growth hormone and calcitriol. Mechanisms are put to work that lead to an overall stimulation of bone cell production and maturation. Bone resorption is out-weighed by bone deposition, leading to an increase in overall bone mineralisation. There seems to be a critical 4-year period during teenage years, from the ages of about 11-15 years, during which time most of the total gain in bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) is accumulated (9).

Peak bone mass is a major determinant of osteoporosis in later life, so building the largest bone mass possible is one of the most important strategies to protect against osteoporosis in later life (11). Females in the UK, aged 19-50 years, are thought to need at least 700mg calcium daily in order to meet the demands for calcium deposition in bone. Recommendations are lower than in most other industrialised countries and it has been suggested that 11-18 year olds require 1200-1500 mg/day to optimise peak bone mass (12).
Tip! The information in this article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It should not be used in conjunction with, or in place of, professional medical, nutritional or training advice regarding bodybuilding as a sport or as a hobby.

Numerous well-controlled longitudinal studies have produced consistent positive effects of calcium supplementation on BMD in adolescent females (13, 14, 15), which suggests that our UK reference values are sub-optimal.

Female athletes are a different sub-class all together with regard to calcium needs. Up to 400mg of calcium has been shown to be lost (in males) via sweat alone, from a 2-hr training session (17), and although Ca losses in females are unlikely to be that high, any female athlete such as marathoners or triathletes training twice a day… could be at risk of not getting enough calcium in the diet to achieve a positive Ca balance. Dr Michael Colgan, renowned New Zealand research scientist believes athletes (both male and female, and especially females with amenorrhoea) need to supplement between 1000-2000mg Ca daily.

Supplementation needs should always be assessed in relation to what is actually being obtained from the diet. Dietary intake should therefore always be assessed, along with identifying factors that could potentially increase calcium excretion - e.g. high sodium and phosphorous diets, high protein diets, and an overall high "acidic" load. Knowledge should also be sought as to the types of calcium available and their rates of absorption.
Tip! I cannot think of a recognized sport in which women don't take part, even the roughest and toughest such as Rugby Union and League, American Football. Wrestling and Boxing have ladies teams competing against each other.

The female athlete triad

A major focus in recent years within nutrition and sport for women has been with respect to the "female athlete triad". Components of the triad are disordered eating, amenorrhoea (absence of periods), and osteopenia (as opposed to osteoporosis).

A review paper on BMD data in athletes found osteopenia (as defined as BMD scores between 1 and 2.5 SD below the mean of young adults) to be significantly prevalent in those at risk of the female athlete triad. Interestingly, osteoporosis (BMD above 2.5 SD below the mean) was relatively uncommon, even in this selected "athletic" population (16). This by no means relegates the problem as any less significant. A diagnosed case of osteopenia in a young female athlete may actually be a worse scenario in terms of long-term bone health, when compared to a diagnosed osteoporotic in her 60's. An athlete with osteopenia is at greater risk of developing osteoporosis than is an athlete who has normal bone mass.
Tip! Find out more about Sport and Alternative Methods of Working Out at http://www.a1-workoutworld.

There is indeed much concern amongst sports dieticians and nutritionists, who are commonly faced with various subclinical eating disorders, or "disordered eating" (a significant risk factor for female athlete triad).

Disordered eating disrupts menstrual function, and together with intense training schedules, often leads to amenorrhoea, or cessation of periods. A lack of oestrogenic stimulation of bone cells leads to decreased calcium uptake, and over time, loss of bone mass.

Cases such as these do tend to be sport-specific, being confined to sports that either require a low body mass (martial arts, rowing), where a low body weight is thought to improve performance (long-distance running, triathlon) and in those sports that requests athletes to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye (ballet, figure skating, diving).
Tip! So for that trim and toned body and to feel good without the drudgery of jogging or the dread of boredom in the gym try taking up a sport.

Of course, any female, athlete or non-athlete, under stress, or with low self-esteem, a tendency toward perfectionism, or family problems is at risk for "disordered" eating, and a down-regulation of sex hormone production, in favour of stress-hormone production.

Decreasing training intensity and optimising energy and nutrient intake must be the key strategies to dealing with any component of the female athlete triad.

Although calcium intake in the diet cannot make up for a lack of oestrogen due to menstrual irregularities, it should be optimised in the diet and by supplementation if necessary, especially if a contributory cause of osteopenia is lack of dietary calcium.
Tip! All sports have a definite objective and that is to win or lose at the end of a session.

Practical suggestions to increase intake of calcium and iron

· Eat low-fat dairy foods such as skimmed milk and natural yogurt daily

· Add 100g of tofu and sunflower seeds to stir-frys and salads

· Add almonds, dried figs and seeds to breakfast cereals

· Add blanched spinach to scrambled or poached eggs

· Use Tahini (sesame seed spread) on bread and crackers or add a tsp to natural yogurt

· Eat plenty of dark green leaves and leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli, watercress and spinach- always steam or lightly cook brocolli, kale, cabbage and spinach

· Try soft-bony fish (tinned salmon, sardines, pilchards) as a topping on baked potatoes or wholegrain toast

· Eat vitamin-C rich foods to enhance the absorption of iron (i.e. plenty of fresh fruit and colourful vegetables)

· Be aware of substances that interfere with iron absorption (e.g. phytates found in bran, and tannin in tea).

Try NOT to drink tea and coffee with food

References

1) Briefing Paper (2001) Nutrition and Sport. British Nutrition Foundation.

2) Craciun AM, Wolf J, Knapen MHJ, Brouns F, Vermeer C (1998) Improved bone metabolism in female elite athletes after vitamin K supplementation. International Journal of Sports Medicine 19, 479-484.

3) Matter M, Stiffal T, Graves J et al. (1987) The effect of iron and folate therapy on maximal exercise performance in female marathon runners with iron and folate deficiency. Clinical Science 72, 415-422.
Tip! Cases such as these do tend to be sport-specific, being confined to sports that either require a low body mass (martial arts, rowing), where a low body weight is thought to improve performance (long-distance running, triathlon) and in those sports that requests athletes to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye (ballet, figure skating, diving).

4) Department of Health (1991) Dietary Reference Values for Food, Energy and Nutrients. Report on Health and Social Subjects 41. London: HMSO

5) MAFF, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1994) The Diet and Nutritional Survey of British Adults-further analysis. London: HMSO
Tip! 1) Briefing Paper (2001) Nutrition and Sport. British Nutrition Foundation.

6) HEA, Health Education Authority (1995) Diet and Health in School-age Children. London: HEA

7) Van Erp-Baart AMJ, Saris WHM, Binkhorst RA, Vos JA, Elvers JWH (1989) Nationwide survey on nutritional habits in elite athletes Part 2. Mineral and vitamin intake. International Journal of Sports Medicine 10, 11-16.

8) Matkovic V, Ilich JZ, Andon MB et al. (1995) Urinary calcium, sodium and bone mass of young females. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62, 417-425.

9) Bonjour J, Theintz G, Bertrand B, Slosman D, Rizzoli R (1991). Critical years and stages of puberty for spinal and femoral bone mass accumulation during adolescence. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 73, 555-563.

10) Weaver CM, Martin BR, Plawecki KL, Peacock M, Wood OB, Smith DL, Wastney ME (1995) Differences in calcium metabolism between adolescent and adult females. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 61, 577-581
Tip! Lucy-Ann Prideaux has an MSc degree in Human Nutrition and Metabolism, and a BSc (Hons) degree in Sports Science. She is a registered Nutritionist with The Nutrition Society.

11) Christiansen C (1991) Consensus Development Conference on Osteoporosis. American Journal of Medicine 5B, 1S-68S.

12) National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Panel on Optimal Calcium intake (1994) Optimal Calcium intake. JAMA 272, 1942-1948.

13) Johnston CC, Miller JZ, Slemenda CW, Reister TK, Hui S, Christian JC, Peacock M (1992) Calcium supplementation and increases in bone mineral density in children. New England Journal of Medicine 327, 82-87.

14) Matkovic V, Fontana D, Tominac C, Goel P, Chestnut CH. Factors which influence peak bone mass formation: a study of calcium balance and the inheritance of bone mass in adolescent females (1990) American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 52, 878-888.

15) Lee WTK, Leung SSF, Wang S, Xu Y, Zeng W, Lau J, Oppenheimer SJ et al. (1994) Double-blind, controlled supplementation and bone mineral accretion in children accustomed to a low-calcium diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 60, 744-750.
Tip! 2) Craciun AM, Wolf J, Knapen MHJ, Brouns F, Vermeer C (1998) Improved bone metabolism in female elite athletes after vitamin K supplementation. International Journal of Sports Medicine 19, 479-484.

16) Khan KM, Lui-Ambrose T, Sran MM, et al. (2002) New Criteria for female athlete triad syndrome? British Journal of Sports Medicine 36,10-13.

17) Kiesges, RC, et al. (1996) Changes in bone mineral content in male athletes. J Amer Med Assoc 276:226-230,

Lucy-Ann Prideaux has an MSc degree in Human Nutrition and Metabolism, and a BSc (Hons) degree in Sports Science. She is a registered Nutritionist with The Nutrition Society. Aside from her own private practise and consultancy work, she is the resident Nutritionist at the Sussex Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine with Dr Nick Webborn.

Sport

2007-11-23T13:43:00.001-08:00

In our modern day society we have moved away from walking anywhere and think nothing of jumping into the car for a quick trip to the corner shop. We live life at such a fast pace that we feel we dont have time to walk anywhere and as a result we are probably the most unfit that we have ever been.

Things are beginning to change as we slowly realise that our own health is in our hands and many people are turning to Sport to help them enjoy becoming healthier.

Sport is a diverse area, which continues to grow. Many countries around the world embrace and claim a Sport as their own, calling it a national Sport. It has become a World Wide industry in which countries compete and stake claims on titles and trophies. There seems to be a Sport that suits everyone and of every age.

There are various types of sport that range from professional to amateur. There are Olympic Standard Sports and sports that are just for fun. There are lone sports such as hurdles, javelin throwing and pool. There are team sports such as basketball, hockey and rugby. There are also sports that can be both, such as tennis, running and swimming.

Sports can be played on many different levels, such as locally, nationally and internationally. Sports can be relaxing, or stressful, depending upon which sport you choose to pursue.

There are so many different types of Sports, that it is sometimes difficult to define exactly what sport is, as for some people, in some countries, yodeling is a competitive sport!

Find out more about Sport and Alternative Methods of Working Out at http://www.a1-workoutworld.com

Best Sport for Overall Fitness

2007-11-23T13:40:00.005-08:00

The best sports for fitness are the ones in which you exercise continuously, those that are least likely to injure you and the ones you enjoy the most. You become fit by exercising vigorously enough to increase the circulation of blood. It makes no difference to your heart how you increase your circulation. The best sports for fitness use your legs because the blood vessels in your legs are so much larger that you can circulate far more blood with your leg muscles. Furthermore, arm exercises tire you earlier because most people have weaker arms.

Some sports require a great level of fitness just to start. For example, to jump rope, you must spin the rope more than 80 times a minute to keep it from tangling. Many people can't jump 80 times a minute. The safest sports are low-impact aerobics, walking, swimming and pedaling a stationary bicycle. Running causes lots of injuries because the force of your foot striking the ground can be three times your body weight, which can damage muscles and bones.

You are most likely to continue a lifelong fitness program if you pick an activity that you enjoy. However, sports that don't keep you moving may be fun, but they won't make you fit. Most tennis players spend about 80 percent of their playing time waiting for the ball; and golfers are often required to ride in carts, even if they would prefer to walk.
Tip! Anybody can take part in any sport; the question is whether to take up a team sport or an individual sport.

Gabe Mirkin, M.D. http://www.DrMirkin.com

More on running injuries

Sport as a Part of our Lives

2007-11-23T13:40:00.004-08:00

Every day we get up, have our breakfast and rush like mad to whatever destination. We don't care about anything that is outside of our field of work. But when it comes to health we run like crazy to the hospital, forgetting about our daily routine. Now it is quite clear to us that we have to keep fit and stay healthy to keep up with the speed of living today. Someone buys a dozen of pills and remedies and crawls in bed with hope to get well soon and someone starts doing sports, tries to have a healthy lifestyle.

Doing sports doesn't really mean that you have to spend the whole day in the field or pitch running, jumping, making new records and winning the Olympics. To be frank, not every person has the nerve to do it. When we say sports, we mean simple physical exercises, that help us stay healthy slim and fit. A lot of argumentative essays can be written to prove the absolute necessity of some physical exercise, especially today, when we mostly come to work, sit with comfort in the chair till the rest of the day and then wonder where from did these extra kilos appear? But neither argumentative essay, nor discussions will make you think that way. You have to get the idea to do sports into your heads by yourself firmly. You can find a number of exercises on-line, in various books, on TV; even buy a video tape with necessary movements. If you don't have time to do it, just revise memories from your past (PE classes) and use it to get started. If you feel like you can use something unusual to get to know something new and to keep fit, you can use yoga or Indian dance. You have two pluses here: you get to know just a bit of the culture and feel that your body becomes flexible and slender.

If yoga or any other exotic art is too much for you, you can try simple aerobics. You can join a team and work out two-three times a week. This is also a good chance to make new acquaintances and enjoy some time in a good company. If you are a very busy person, you may use a video tape and have some good looking girl or handsome boy guide you on your way to a good figure. It is also a nice idea to reunite with your old friends and play some ball games in the free time. You'll love to have a soccer match and than chat with those whom you attended high school with. If you feel obliged to do exercises just to keep fit, you may just drop the idea because you'll se no result. If you have no desire to work out and do sports, no matter how you try, you will never achieve positive results. To reach your aim you have to start from the corresponding attitude. Besides, no one can say that sports are boring and not worth even watching. Then why do we stay glued to the TV screen, watching the Olympics. We shout for our favorite athletes and deep inside feel that jealousy, which you can't bear. And when you see an athlete wearing a medal you imagine yourself taking the prize. Do sports and you'll achieve your goal. Not necessarily your golden medal in sports, but maybe some results in other field where you are the best.

Tyler Benson is a senior writer of BestEssays.com - Term Paper writing service. He has 17 years of experience as the professor at several universities. Tyler Benson has been providing competent assistance to students in writing argumentative essays at during all his remarkable teaching experience. His example of a proper argumentative essay can be found in several guides on how to write.

Hard-Easy Training Principle Applies to Any Sport or Fitness Program

2007-11-23T13:40:00.003-08:00

You will not become a better athlete by doing the same training regimen each day. Athletes train by taking hard workouts on one day, feeling sore on the next, and not taking another hard workout until the muscles stop feeling sore.

It's called the hard-easy principle. If you want to become stronger or faster or increase your endurance, you have to exercise hard or long enough to make your muscles burn. Then your muscles will be sore for one or more days. If you try to exercise hard when your muscles are damaged, you will tear them and the muscles will weaken. If you wait for the soreness to disappear, your muscles will be stronger than they were before your workout. As you continue to take stressful workouts only after the soreness disappears, you will become progressively stronger and faster and have greater endurance. Athletes in most sports train once or twice a day in their sports, but they do not exercise intensely more often than every 48 hours.

There is a difference between the good burning of training and the bad pain of an injury. The good burning usually affects both sides of your body equally and disappears almost immediately after you stop exercising. The bad pain of an injury usually is worse on one side of your body, becomes more severe if you try to continue exercising and does not go away after you stop exercising.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com
Tip! All sports have a definite objective and that is to win or lose at the end of a session.

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Forget About Exercise, Play A Sport Instead

2007-11-23T13:40:00.002-08:00

Fitness programmes usually contain exercises such as sit-ups, stomach curls or some sort of jumping activity. That is what you would expect, right? But have you ever stopped to consider if these sort of exercises are the best way to get fit? Or that they are even good for you? Do they really help with your sport, lose weight, stay supple or keep in shape? We have come to accept the exercise is the only way to train if we are serious about our health, fitness and performance.

I would like to suggest there is another way, and a far better way for you to get what you want from a fitness plan. What is this way? Well, what about playing a sport? When you were younger did you go down the park with a few friends and just kick a ball around? Just think how much exercise you got from doing that. Calculate how many calories were used up in one hour of playing a game of football. And don't forget the cardio-vascular benefits.

But, more importantly, just how much more fun is playing a game than doing exercises? When did fitness begin to mean exercise in place of sport? Just how many more types of exercise do we really need to learn? Surely there are only so many different types of exercise our body's can perform!

One of my main interests is the state athletes call The Zone. People describe putting in the performance of their life as one of the easiest, effortless things they have done. Everything just comes together, their body feels light, their mind clear and the whole experience is one of pure joy.

If the sensations experienced in The Zone are what it feels like for every part of our body to be working at its optimum, then our fitness programmes should surely work to replicate this. Many of today's popular methods in my view do not encourage what I think of as total body integration. Muscle isolation training, core strengthening and postural exercises are some of the main culprits that ignore some of the basic principles of human movement and therefore likely to obstruct your path to true fitness.
Tip! Clubs organize races, water polo, sub aqua and other water activities that also require a good level of fitness and provide competition, companionship and interest, as is the case with every sport.

Does your body benefit from performing specialist exercises that work individual muscles? It sure wasn't designed to work in this way. You may argue that traditional fitness programmes have exercises that are specifically designed to build strength in your core, thigh muscles or your upper back. But lets stop and consider this, do you ever use your body in your sport or everyday activities that look anything like these exercises?

Do you perform a movement like a stomach crunch at work or on the playing field? Probably not! I believe that traditional exercises can set up performance-limiting habits that will adversely affect your movement. We develop these habits unknowingly until our movement is compromised to the point it will damage out fitness. If your body is not moving as well as it should then your chances of getting a sports injury are increased.
Tip! Nutritionally speaking, fuelling of training is similar too. Regardless of the sport in question, energy intake must match energy output in order to fuel training and recovery.

So I would argue it is better for us to use our body as a whole playing a sport to engage the mind and body. All of your muscle groups will be worked, your heart, lungs and circulation get a great workout, but best of all, it is so much more fun! If it is enjoyable, you will be more likely to continue being active and stay fit and trim at the same time.

Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. In 2001 he published a book called 'The Performance Paradox: Challenging the conventional methods of sports training and exercise' and is currently working on a new project about The Zone. More information about his unique approach to training can be found by clicking Fitness Programs

Is Bodybuilding A Sport?

2007-11-23T13:40:00.001-08:00

Can you imagine that in a day and age where you can turn your television onto ESPN and find the national spelling bee or the world series of poker on that this would still be a debatable topic? The fact of the matter is that both sides have a valid argument on this issue. From the outside looking in it would seem that bodybuilding competitions are nothing more then male pageants. Let's face it! The men in these competitions wear bathing suits while parading on stage to music and flexing their muscles. Is there more to it then that? Yes there is a whole lot more that the uneducated eye may miss and certainly after reading the rest of this article you can pick which side of the topic you fall on!

What constitutes a sport? This a question that has no definite answer. When golf, Nascar racing and darts are constituted as sports without any resistance, why is it that bodybuilding still garners such a high level of negativity? To first understand where bodybuilding is now, we must understand where it has been. The bodybuilding competitions of the early 1900s were a much different affair then what we have become accustomed to today. The competitions of old were broken into three different categories that each contestant would have to compete and be judged on. The first being a test of strength, followed by an agility competition and lastly by an overall muscularity showcase. It was not possible to win the event on any one category alone. The winner would have to excel in all 3 aspects of bodybuilding. It is safe to say that there was no debating whether bodybuilding was a sport in these past times. The fact that the two most athletic aspects of bodybuilding were pulled from formal competitions, leaves many people scratching their heads! It is safe to make the assumption that for the most part the people winning these competitions of old were never the best in each category. This would make the most sense for the reason that we now have individual competitions in each of these categories.

We're certainly aware of the arguments many people have for bodybuilding not being a sport but what are some of the reasons in its defense? I've always said if you don't have to train for your competition then there's no way you can be categorized as a sport. Bodybuilder's workout from 5-6 times a week for up to 2 hours per day! I don't know what the statistics are but all of us are at least acquaintances with someone who has taken up bodybuilding to get in shape but had to quit either due to lack of dedication or too many injuries. You are not going to find anyone claiming these routines are easy nor are you going to find many people that enjoy giving up the foods they enjoy for 3 month spans. All this dedication and sacrifice they put in is for the day of the competition. I bet you most people also don't understand that bodybuilders actually hire choreographers to assist them with their routines.
Tip! When it comes to bodybuilding, the appearance of a competitors physique is much more important than how much he/she can lift. The sport of bodybuilding, therefore, should not be confused with or compared to a competition of strength.

All the detractors are saying to themselves that yes bodybuilders may put work in at the gym but that still doesn't change the fact that their competition is nothing more then a glorified pageant for males! If you are up for the test I challenge anyone reading this article to stand up right now and continuously flex your muscles at full strength for a 3 minute duration. If you took the challenge I hope you have regained consciousness by now and are able to continue reading. That challenge wasn't too fun now was it?

My point was never to convince you that bodybuilding is or isn't a sport but to open your mind up to the possibility that their can be and is, a lot more to a bodybuilding competition then meets the proverbial eye. So next time you are asking yourself if bodybuilding is a sport keep in mind how much effort, dedication and sacrifice these people make to even get to the point of being on stage!
Tip! There is indeed much concern amongst sports dieticians and nutritionists, who are commonly faced with various subclinical eating disorders, or “disordered eating” (a significant risk factor for female athlete triad).

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Body Building