Bestdancer's Blog

What I Learned in Physical Education

bestdancer — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:35:32 +0000

Since about the middle of the second trimester I said to myself, “I want P.E, I want P.E.”Then finally the third trimester comes and I get to enjoy having the Physical Education class. But this class has been like no other P.E. class I’ve ever had before. We have to do projects, its crazy, and now I think I finally understand why we have to do these projects about personal fitness. I know I’m an athlete and I kind of already know how to take care of my health and stay physically fit, but I’m not an expert. These projects have taught me some interesting facts and they have also proven some facts that I already knew of.

There are numerous things that I’ve learned and I hope to use to live a long and healthy life. For example, I’ve learned how when your running a more long distance run that you should run on the ball of your feet and let it roll to the toe. Also a big thing that I just learned in this project is that there is such a thing as over exercising. I should not revolve my life around exercising which I don’t think I do that but I am still aware of it now. I’ve also learned the proper way to take care of an injury like if I pulled something, I know that I must relax the injury, ice it, apply pressure, and keep it elevated so it can heal. One last thing that I’ve learned is how to properly lift weights, which I really want to use so I wont be so small.

I think that’s bout all that I learned that was new to me. So now I’m going to go and try to use these techniques to get in the best physical shape I can be in.

Injury Prevention

bestdancer — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:59:06 +0000

If you are improving your health by exercising on a regular basis you might want to continue to keep reading on how to prevent injuries while exercising (if you haven’t had one already.) First you always want to make sure you are performing a proper warm up and cool down. A warm up will usually consist of a light jog (depending on the activity) and some stretching to get your muscles loose and ready for exercise. You must stretch because it is easier to get hurt if your muscles are not stretched. Make sure you always start with a warm up because it is important to increase the intensity of your workout gradually, and if you exercise intensely right away, you could risk getting hurt. A cool down is the proper way to stop and exercise or activity. It will usually consist of walking or jogging after the exercise this way you don’t just stop. During the cool down there is more stretching involved so that you can make your muscles more flexible and more in shape for the next time you work out. The stretches in a cool down should be held for at least a count of forty seconds, so that you can gradually bring your exercise to a halt.
Here are some more tips that may be helpful in preventing injuries:
 ALWAYS WEAR THE RIGHT GEAR: Having the right protection for any sport is always needed, whether it’s a helmet, mouth guard, shin guard, goggles, or maybe most importantly shoes.
 DO NOT OVER DO IT: Over exercising is very harmful to the body and can cause “overuse injuries”, Pulled muscles, Stress fractures, Knee trauma, Shin splints, Strained hamstrings, Ripped tendons. If you’re out of shape and you’re barley getting back into exercising, take it at a slow rate and gradually increase your workout time. Don’t try to do so much that you will hurt yourself.
 AVOID FROM EXERCISING IN EXTREEME CLIMATES: If you must exercise in the very cold winter of hot summer take these tips into consideration. In the winter make sure you are waring the proper warm clothing which is a first layer of moisture wicking clothes as well as a hat and gloves. For the summer time make sure you have a lot of water close by and wear clothes that is conductive to cooling you down.

If by some reason you do get injured during an activity/exercise be sure to follow the very effective method for decreasing pain, controlling swelling and minimizing the side effects of an injury, the R.I.C.E method.
Rest – allow the injury to heal properly and to avoid getting worse. Exercising through your pain will not allow an injury to heal properly.
Ice – Ice is used to decrease the swelling and pain. You should only ice 20 minutes at a time and can reapply every 2 hours. If you notice that your skin turns white or blue while icing, you should stop immediately.
Compression – Compression is important for controlling the swelling. A compression wrap should be applied immediately to the injured area. If you start to loose circulation, loosen the wrap
Elevation – make sure that you are elevating the injured body part above the heart. So, if it is your ankle that is swollen, you should lie down and place your foot up on some pillows so that it is above the level of the heart. This limits gravity and helps fluid to move away from the injury.

Resources:
- http://www.girlshealth.gov/fitness/fitnesssafety/
- http://quicktofit.com/2009/03/27/things-to-avoid-while-working-out-so-you-wont-get-hurt/
- http://www.getupanddosomething.org/FAQ_WhatToDoIfHurtExercising.htm

Hydration During Excersize

bestdancer — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:22:10 +0000

When you exercise there are really only two essential things you need. Which are; the equipment needed for the designated sport or activity, and water. Why is water so important during exercise? As we all know water makes up 50%-75% of the human body so without water we could not live. Did you know on a warm day a runner can loose up to one cup of water for every mile he/she runs? It only takes 1%-2% of your body’s ideal water content to cause dehydration.
Sweating is the body’s major way of getting rid of excess body heat. We sweat to help regulate our body temperature. If we find ourselves not sweating anymore during exercise this is because a lack of water and if this starts to happen it can lead to heat cramps, heat stroke, and exhaustion. Do not wait to drink water until your thirsty because once you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated.
The best drink for the day before a big event, like sports, and the day of is water. Two to three hours before you start exercising you want to drink about 15-20 fl oz of water, and 10-15 minuets before you want to drink about 8-10 fl oz of water.
Sports drinks used to replace the losses of sodium, potassium and other electrolytes during exercise. These drinks are really not necessary during normal training. But if you are exercising for 3 hours or more in a hot or extreme condition, like a marathon or ultra marathon then you may want to drink a complex sports drink with electrolytes such as Gatorade.
You must always take into consideration what the temperature is outside and how long you will be exercising for in order to know how much water you will need.

Resources:
- http://www.runlikeagirl.co.uk/running-articles/health-and-diet/hydration.php
- http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/ProperHydration.htm
- http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl
- http://springwise.com/food_beverag

- http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/84657/are-sports-drinks-worth-
- http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/work_out/

- http://media.ny1.com/media/2008/8/13/images/sports_drink

Nutrition Basics

bestdancer — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:11:25 +0000

In order to keep yourself in good health you must not only stay active and exercise, but you have to consume a reasonable amount of nutrition daily. To accomplish this you must keep in mind the six basic nutrients required for good health; carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water.
CARBOHYDRATES consist of your starch and dietary fiber. For example: bread, cereals, pasta and rice. You should aim to eat at least 3.5 ounces of whole grains a day. When I say whole grains I don’t just mean a sandwich with white bread and maybe some Lucky Charms for a snack to get your daily fiber, NO. You must eat the right kind of fiber so change your bread to wheat bread; also maybe try whole-wheat pasta and rice.
PROTIEN from food in the digestive system is broken down to amino acids. Which are used for building and repairing muscles, red blood cells, hair and other tissues, and for making hormones. Protien is a main source of energy the body needs. You intake protien from animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese and eggs and vegetable sources like legumes (beans, lentils, dried peas, nuts) and seeds.
FAT is the third basic nutrient and there are five different types of fat. Saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, trans-fatty acids, and omega 3 fatty acids. You must know the difference between the healthy and unhealthy fats. You should try and stay away from the trans-fatty acids such as French fries and microwave popcorn, as these will lead to high cholesterol and other health problems. The omega 3 fatty acids are much more healthier things like walnuts, shrimp, salmon, ect. The importance of fat is it helps with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K. It also keeps the body warm, maintains hair and skin, and protects the vital organs.
VITAMINS are chemicals that the body needs to process nutrients, regulate the nervous system, and help to build genetic material. They are best obtained by a healthy diet mostly from fresh fruit and vegetables and not by supplements.
MINERALS are an inorganic substance needed in order for the body to form teeth and bones, and blood cells, regulating body fluids and to assist in the chemical processes of the body. Bananas, peaches, milk, and orange juice are just some examples of the type of product that can give you your mineral needs.
WATER maybe the most important component of the Six Basic Nutrients. Water makes up about 50% to 75% of the human body, without water you cannot live. The body needes at least 8 glasses of water a day in order to deep the body healthy. It cleanses the body, keeps the skin, organs and hair in good shape, is needed to produce digestive enzymes. It helps the body collect the nutrients from food and liquids, and to control the body temperature, and is needed for proper cell function. Acording to MYPYRAMID.GOV if you exercise you need to drink more than 2 litters a day. Try to stay away from caffinated products, such as soda and coffee, as these will dehydrate the body.
Keeping up with your nutrition and staying healthy will benifit in staying fit. Because your body will already be in good shape healthwise, therefore it will be easier for you to become phisically fit.

Resources:
- http://www.vitaminsdiary.com/nutrients/six-basic-nutrients.htm
- http://mypyramid.gov/pyramid/fruits_tips.html
- http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/vitamin.html