Tag Archive for: #wonderfullyfit

Do We Teach Our Kids Bad Food Habits?

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It’s 7:00 am, and you’re late for work. The kids are just now ready for school, and no one has had time to think about breakfast. Oh, well, they’re not hungry anyway, and neither are you. We’ll just skip breakfast. You instruct them to eat good at lunch when they’re at school, and everybody’s off.
Lunchtime arrives and you’re just not that hungry. Maybe a quick snack bar, a diet soda, and back to work. Do you ever wonder what your kids are eating for lunch? Have they come to the same conclusion?

Alright, time to prepare dinner, and time is short. You have three places to be in order to get everybody to practice, pickup the cleaning, and then on home. On the way to the cleaners you realize dinner is going to be a lite one if you fix what you have at home. Where to stop? How about pizza and soda? Or maybe the kids would like burgers and fries. While you try to decide what to provide for dinner, the kids have finished practice and they’re starving. The gym has a food dispenser for snacks and sodas, and so they load up on candy bars and coke.

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It’s 6:45 pm and you’ve made the last stop on the child pickup train. Everybody’s loaded up and ready to go home. You’ve decided to stop for pizza, already called your order in, and it’s ready when you stop by.

Is this your typical day? If so, you’re among the vast majority of Americans. We all spend our days in a constant rush, with very little thought given to our nutritional needs, and much given to the convenience of what we eat. But do you realize in short-cutting your meal needs, you’re teaching your children that same habit?

We all read the articles about proper nutrition and our health, and we make the association between eating right and living longer, more healthful lives. But we don’t practice what we read. We certainly don’t ever stop to think about how much of our day is spent without any nutritional input at all.
Our children grow into adults, and we wonder why they look a little pale, or less than robust and healthy. They live in a world filled with stress, no exercise, and unhealthy eating habits. What do we really expect?

It’s our responsibility to take the time and while we teach our children good morals, good work ethics, and the values of family, to also teach them the importance of taking care of themselves. What good really are all the other values we try to instill if we teach them bad habits in taking care of themselves? What kind of quality do their lives have if they aren’t healthy and able to enjoy life?
So, as you rush home you make a mental note to improve your menu choices, tomorrow. You’ll take more time in preparing the meals they eat, and the food choices you put before them.

Teach them to look for nutritional value while seeking out convenience.

 

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A Detoxifying Cleanse Can Boost Your Energy

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Have your energy levels dropped for no apparent reason? When your body isn’t being nurtured properly it can shut down. This shut down isn’t an immediate cessation of function but individual systems begin to slow down to conserve energy. Your metabolism slows, glandular functions are hampered and the body itself will start to lose power and strength. The first thing you may notice is that you experience fatigue all the time and just can’t seem to get it together. Before you reach for another cup of coffee or other energy boosting concoction consider a detoxifying cleanse.

Think of your body as a car engine. What would happen if you never changed the oil in your car? As you can imagine, engine performance would slowly decline and you’d have to push harder on the gas to get up to speed. Have you ever tried to get onto the highway in a car with poorly performing engine? Instead of going 0 to 60 in 5 seconds, it takes 10. Your body is the same way, our bodies can become sluggish if waste, poisons, toxins, chemicals, and other harmful substances are not periodically flushed out with a detoxifying cleanse.

detoxifying

Most of us assume that our body can naturally rid itself of all of the toxins and waste matter that we’re exposed to. While this is true in optimal conditions, the American 21st century diet consists of preservatives, refined sugar and other chemicals that prevent our bodies from operating at optimal levels. Some of these toxins and waste are difficult for our bodies to remove and as these toxins accumulate your body begins to grow ill or tire easily.

Getting your energy back…

One of the ways to regain your energy is to allow your body to repair itself and you can help it along by getting rid of all the accumulated waste. This easily done with a detoxifying cleanse that flushes everything out of your system. You begin by drinking mostly fluids and eating only healthy, fresh foods. If it comes in a package don’t eat it. There are many cleansing programs on the market that can but to supplement your cleanse. Check the products labels of any cleansing programs and make sure that the ingredients are all natural. If you don’t know what a listed ingredient is don’t use it.

Before you reach for caffeine or a cola as a pick me up consider that your lack of energy may be caused by something as simple as an abundance of waste. A detoxifying cleanse is such a simple thing to do for your health and your energy.

 

 

Breathing, Exercise and Eating

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If I had not gone through several diet and exercise programs, I would not believe the connection that the elements of breathing, exercise and eating share. Since I have however, received quite an education in these three areas, I can vouch for the certain fact that they are all interrelated and do affect the body individually and jointly.

Now, the eating and exercise you may have already figured out, but are you aware of the role our breathing plays in providing the body with the oxygen needed for maximum metabolism? No, most people aren’t.

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This is how the process works. In order to metabolize food, the body needs certain elements to come together and create the right conditions for food breakdown. Oxygen is one of the elements. The more oxygen we add to the process, the better our metabolic process can work to properly utilize the energy from the food we have consumed.

It is here that our breathing plays a key role in the metabolic process. The deeper, and more efficiently we breathe, the more oxygen we consume. The more oxygen we consume, the more we provide to the metabolic process. Makes sense doesn’t it?

What role does exercise play in this process? Well, exercise conditions our body to keep it in optimal shape. To keep muscles functioning correctly and build muscle mass. The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn; the more calories we burn, the better our metabolism is at using up the calories we take in through food consumption.

Can you begin to see how our body is really a well functioning machine? It’s a continual circle of events, one feeding off the other. When all the events are coming together properly, we are healthy, happy individuals. It’s only when abuse of the system begins to occur, that we put our bodies in jeopardy. Perhaps is we educated our children, while they are young, about the dangers of abusing their body, we would have better equipped young adults. We educate them about the dangers of household appliances that are incorrectly operated, about the danger of driving recklessly, and improper operation of the car they’re driving; we just don’t take the time to educate them about the most important piece of equipment they will ever operate, their own body.

Exercise, breathing properly and healthy eating are the ingredients vital to the proper operation of the body. Of all the things we ever learn, of all the thoughts we ever entertain, or the abilities we acquire as we grow, our health and the means to maintain it, are the most important. Nothing else works unless our mind and body have been kept in working condition. Have you ever noticed someone who is paralyzed? So many of the choices they could make about how to spend their time, playing sports, skiing, or swimming, have been taken away. The same is true for someone who has abused their body to the point of being an invalid; so many of the choices that could have been made to enrich their lives, have been taken away.

 

 

 

What Role Does Nutrition Play in Our Health?

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Nutrition as it applies to our daily lives means that we take in what we need to maintain our body’s healthy state. Nutrition has become an important word thanks to the involvement of the USDA in our daily food requirements, and the FDA’s involvement in determining what is and is not dangerous for us to consume.

What about eating habits? What about vitamins? What role does our daily intake play in our health? More than you have been lead to believe or understand. The body’s ability to remain well under anything other than ideal conditions is a direct result of the nutrition received on a daily basis. The mind’s ability to remain well is, again, a direct result of our nutritional intake. For instance, the human brain doesn’t develop well without the necessary input of protein in our daily diet. No protein, no intelligence.

nutrition

Nutrition refers to the nurturing of our body, in our ability to keep it healthy and functioning as it is supposed to do. Our ability to provide the body with all the necessary food, vitamins, and minerals so that we continue to thrive in our daily life processes.

How do we determine that we are providing the essential nutritional needs? That knowledge comes by educating ourselves about what our individual needs are, the needs of our family, and then taking that knowledge and applying it to the foods we buy, that we prepare, and that our families consume.
Health is taught as a science course, and addresses matters of personal hygiene, diseases, and the broad spectrum of health as it applies to the masses.

No individual attention is given to how to attain optimal health via our eating habits. It’s funny that we skip the most important, fundamental building block to good health: our nutritional and caloric consumption in our food. I personally believe we should have the field of nutrition and physical activity married into something combined to provide every person that enters the school system with a personal knowledge of their bodies’ needs, caloric, and nutritional, so that they complete their education with mental and physical competencies, as well as analytical and mathematical competence.

Nutrition is a concept that should be as important to our educational process as our ability to count. The ability to recognize our nutritional requirements, find the foods we need to fulfill those requirements, and differentiate between healthy food consumption and “unhealthy” eating habits is not an option. Not for a healthy, happy, long, and quality life.

What we should absorb as we travel along life’s daily path is a way to incorporate good nutrition into our lifestyle. There is generally just as much room for good as there is bad, it just so happens that bad nutritional habits hold more appeal.

Bad nutrition receives more advertising dollars than healthy nutritional options, and is often more visible. But that doesn’t mean it’s any easier, more convenient, or cheaper. Habits, generally take about two weeks to make the switch from conscious action to unconscious thought. Two weeks is not long, it’s not long at all for decisions that will affect you for the rest of your life. It’s also not long for the potential reward that comes from setting an example your children can follow, and you can be proud for them to follow.

You teach them daily about the good habits you want them to develop, and then you demonstrate a bad one in your nutrition choices. 

 

 

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Why Muscles Get Sore

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As people age, they begin to complain more of pains in their muscles and joints. They seem to stiffen up with age, and such commonplace activities as bending over for the morning paper can make them wince.

Such pain can grip so fiercely that they are sure it begins deep in their bones. But the real cause of stiffness and soreness lies not in the joints or bones, according to research at the Johns Hopkins Medical School, but in the muscles and connective tissues that move the joints.

muscles

The frictional resistance generated by the two rubbing surfaces of bones in the joints is negligible, even in joints damaged by arthritis.

Flexibility is the medical term used to describe the range of a joint’s motion from full movement in one direction to full movement in the other. The greater the range of movement, the more flexible the joint.

If you bend forward at the hips and touch your toes with your fingertips, you have good flexibility, or range of motion of the hip joints. But can you bend over easily with a minimal expenditure of energy and force? The exertion required to flex a joint is just as important as its range of possible motion.

Different factors limit the flexibility and ease of movement in different joints and muscles. In the elbow and knee, the bony structure itself sets a definite limit. In other joints, such as the ankle, hip, and back, the soft tissue—muscle and connective tissue—limit the motion range.

The problem of inflexible joints and muscles is similar to the difficulty of opening and closing a gate because of a rarely used and rusty hinge that has become balky.

Hence, if people do not regularly move their muscles and joints through their full ranges of motion, they lose some of their potential. That is why when these people will try to move a joint after a long period of inactivity, they feel pain, and that discourages further use

What happens next is that the muscles become shortened with prolonged disuse and produces spasms and cramps that can be irritating and extremely painful. The immobilization of muscles, as researchers have demonstrated with laboratory animals, brings about biochemical changes in the tissue.

However, other factors trigger sore muscles. Here are some of them:

1. Too much exercise

Have you always believed on the saying, “No pain, no gain?” If you do, then, it is not so surprising if you have already experienced sore muscles.

The problem with most people is that they exercise too much thinking that it is the fastest and the surest way to lose weight. Until they ache, they tend to ignore their muscles and connective tissue, even though they are what quite literally holds the body together.

2. Aging and inactivity

Connective tissue binds muscle to bone by tendons, binds bone to bone by ligaments, and covers and unites muscles with sheaths called fasciae. With age, the tendons, ligaments, and fasciae become less extensible. The tendons, with their densely packed fibers, are the most difficult to stretch. The easiest are the fasciae. But if they are not stretched to improve joint mobility, the fasciae shorten, placing undue pressure on the nerve pathways in the muscle fasciae. Many aches and pains are the result of nerve impulses traveling along these pressured pathways.

3. Immobility

Sore muscles or muscle pain can be excruciating, owing to the body’s reaction to a cramp or ache. In this reaction, called the splinting reflex, the body automatically immobilizes a sore muscle by making it contract. Thus, a sore muscle can set off a vicious cycle pain.

First, an unused muscle becomes sore from exercise or being held in an unusual position. The body then responds with the splinting reflex, shortening the connective tissue around the muscle. This cause more pain, and eventually the whole area is aching. One of the most common sites for this problem is the lower back.

4. Spasm theory

In the physiology laboratory at the University of Southern California, some people have set out to learn more about this cycle of pain.

Using some device, they measured electrical activity in the muscles. The researchers knew that normal, well-relaxed muscles produce no electrical activity, whereas, muscles that are not fully relaxed show considerable activity.

In one experiment, the researchers measured these electrical signals in the muscles of persons with athletic injuries, first with the muscle immobilized, and then, after the muscle had been stretched.

In almost every case, exercises that stretched or lengthened the muscle diminished electrical activity and relieved pain, either totally or partially.

These experiments led to the “spasm theory,” an explanation of the development and persistence of muscle pain in the absence of any obvious cause, such as traumatic injury.

According to this theory, a muscle that is overworked or used in a strange position becomes fatigued and as a result, sore muscles.

Hence, it is extremely important to know the limitations and capacity of the muscles in order to avoid sore muscles. This goes to show that there is no truth in the saying, “No pain, no gain.” What matters most is on how people stay fit by exercising regularly at a normal range than once rarely but on a rigid routine.

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Benefits of Liquid Vitamins

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Vitamins and minerals can be absorbed by the body in a number of ways. They first enter our body through the food we eat. Secondly, we can take vitamin supplements to increase the amount of pertinent vitamins and minerals. There are different methods of taking medication and one of the most common methods is absorbing it in its liquid form. Do the advantages of liquid vitamins far outweigh its disadvantages – if there are any? Read on and find out.

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Better or Easier Absorption for Kids

Although liquid vitamins may taste worse than vitamins in flavored, chewable tablet forms, they are however easier to absorb. There are numerous cases in which children have problems with choking, breathing and swallowing simply because of their inability to absorb medication or vitamins in this form.

This is the same problem as well for adults who have lost their ability to control their jaws or are unable to digest anything that is not in liquid form.

Liquid Vitamins are More Effective

Because of its form, liquid vitamins can be assimilated immediately into the blood stream for a more systemic administration of the vitamin and its average absorption rate is approximately 90 to 98%. It is also three to five times more concentrated than vitamin pills and this lead to higher bio-activity and greater therapeutic benefits.

The Link between Antioxidants and Liquid Vitamins

Have you ever wondered whether or not liquid vitamins contained oxidants as well? Vitamins E, C and A are examples of antioxidants and they are commonly found in vitamin supplements but what about liquid vitamins?

And the answer is an absolute YES. Liquid vitamins must in fact contain such antioxidants or they’ll prove to be ineffective compared to other vitamins. Remember that the most important of all antioxidants – Vitamins A, C and E – are not internally produced by the body so they must be a regular fixture in our diet. Antioxidants are our main defense against effects of damaging oxidation reactions. Antioxidants are our best weapons against suffering from any form of cancer. Without it, we are basically weaker and less healthy.

Liquid Vitamins versus Digestive Acids

One reason why people refuse to acknowledge the benefits of liquid vitamins is because of the supposed destruction by digestive acids of any vitamin or mineral that it does not recognize as part of the process of digestion. The opposite is, in fact true. Our digestive system actually prefers or is able to better absorb liquid vitamins and minerals rather than those made in pill or capsule form.

A vitamin pill or tablet has to be digested completely before it can benefit the human body. It must be broken down into absorbable nutrients or only up to thirty percent of it will be absorbed by the human body. Liquid vitamins however provide a better and easier solution for the digestive system. Because it does not depend in any way on mechanical digestion, an estimated 90% of it can be absorbed directly by the body.

It’s vital to remember that digestion does not mainly function to destroy vitamins and minerals but rather to transform them into substances it can use to improve the general constitution of the body.

Liquid Vitamins: Toxic or Not?

Another problem posed is the amount of colloidal minerals found in liquid vitamins. Are they harmful or not?

In truth, even plants and fruits contain a trace of such minerals in them. Apples, for instance, contain 3-5 mg of aluminum as it’s one of the most abundant elements that can be found in the surface of the Earth. But do you hear anyone telling you that apples are dangerous to your health? On the contrary, what we are more likely to hear is that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

And so it must be with liquid vitamins as well. Containing a slight amount of colloidal mineral doesn’t mean it’s bad for our health right away. Colloidal minerals, are above all else, naturally occurring elements and can not therefore be avoided.

You Have a Choice

At the end of the day, however, it’s still up to you whether or not you wish to take vitamin supplements in liquid or solid form. What really matters is what you prefer and which will ultimately work better for you.

 

 

Golfing – Why Weight Training Is Important

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It does not matter what sport you play, strength as a necessary component. To the surprise of many people, golfing is not an exception to the rule. It is important that all golfers train for endurance, stamina, and aerobic activity. It is essential for your body to perform at its best until after the last sing of the day. A commonly overlooked training activity for golfers is weight training. Weight training allows you to strengthen muscles, and develop better spatial awareness. The weight training recommended for golfer’s targets muscle groups that other exercise programs ignore. This is why it is necessary to learn which muscles you will be using while golfing.

A strong swing puts a lot of force on muscles and joints around the shoulder, wrist, and elbows. You also put a lot force on the lower back and hips. Your weight training program should focus in on the specific areas. This will allow you to drive with more power and strength, as well as provide you with better accuracy. You will not require as much effort from these muscles if they’re toned and in shape.

golfing

As you use them, your muscles are naturally able to stretch and return to their normal position. When you perform exercises that are designed to focus on the muscle groups use them of, they will be able to lengthen further, and provide more strained without training. This will help improve not only your strengths, but also your joint flexibility and a range of motion.

The purpose of weight training is to focus your muscles and increased their ability to respond to outside forces, like weights. There are a large number of exercises you can use to assist with resistance training. In some cases, special equipment must be used, but the majority of exercises can be adapted to standard weights.

Each weight training program provided to golfers will have training cycles. The cycle you are in will depend on the season. Typically, during the preseason and well into the season, your focus will be on building strength and lean muscle mass. During the off-season, you will be focused more on maintaining the muscle and stamina you have built.

In golf, the main focus is on the upper body because this is the force that delivers the swing. Because of this, the majority of weight training for golfers is focused on the upper body. It is important that you do not ignore your lower body. Many golfers fail to train adequately on their gluteals, their thighs, their hips, and their abdominal muscles. This is unfortunate because they are crucial to executing the proper swing. Performing squats, leg lifts, and resistance training for the legs will help you develop these muscle groups.

It is extremely important for a golfer to protect their shoulder joint during weight training. This is because the majority of the golfers the shoulder workout should be performed on the course. There are very few exercises that allow local for to build strength and stamina in this joint while maintaining flexibility.

Before you choose a weight based exercise program, you should research the experience of other people. You will want to choose an exercise program that has high ratings, and plenty of customer testimonials. Your exercise regimen should help you focus your strengths in a way that you will perform better on the course without damaging your joints. If you do not feel confident in your ability to choose an exercise program, consult with a professional to help you design one specifically for your body type.

 

Exercising Properly To Avoid Injury (exercise tips)

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There are two main types of exercise that you can do – aerobic and anaerobic. The first one, aerobic, means with oxygen. Aerobic type exercise has an important distinction, it burns fat as the main fuel.

Anaerobic on the other hand, burns sugar as the main source of fuel. Despite common myths, exercise doesn’t have to be drastic in any way to provide massive benefits. Even if you choose light exercise, you will still burn fat.

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Light exercise will clear out lactic acid, which is a waste of the body, and stimulate your cells to
regenerate. To be sure that you are burning fat rather than sugar, it’s very important to make sure
that you are doing several things as you exercise.

The most important thing you can do as you exercise is breathe deep. You should always breathe in deep into your stomach through your nose, hold it for a few seconds and then exhale hard through your mouth.

Second, you should make sure that you exercise at a comfortable level. You should exercise at a level of 7 out of 10, and still be able to carry on a normal conversation while you exercise. You should do this for 45 minutes or so each day, then you’ll begin to notice just how much your energy
will explode.

Even if you don’t think you have the time to exercise, rest assured that there is always time. If you have to, use the time that you would normally spend sleeping. With exercising, you’ll actually need less sleep than before.

You can also use the time of your lunch break to exercise as well. The increase in productivity will have you more on the ball, and you can save your time through the dramatic increase in your
overall productivity.

Cellularise, or rebounding, is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise there is. If you have access to a rebounder, you shouldn’t hesitate to use it. Use any break you have at work to engage in some type of movement and deep breathing.

Any type of exercise you do will strongly benefit your heart. It will make it a stronger and larger organ. Deep breathing will help your lungs become stronger and larger as well. There is research now that links exercise to helping benefit and almost prevent each and every type of disease or ailment.

Movement of the joints will promote proper blood flow and create energy, as sitting down all day
will rob your body of much needed energy. If you sit down all day, it’s very important that you promote blood flow, circulation, energy, brain flow, and the strength of your heart. With just a little bit of your time devoted to exercise, you’ll find yourself healthier than you have ever been in the past.

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Nine Facts About Fiber

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If you’ve been looking for a way towards a high octane diet, you’ll find fiber to be exactly what you need. Even though research has shown fiber to be powerful, many people aren’t taking this nutrient
seriously.

To help you fuel your health with fiber, here are 10 facts to help.

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  1. Fiber fights diseases. A diet high in fiber can help to prevent colon cancer and heart disease. High
    fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by binding it in the digestive tract. For thousands of
    years, fiber has been used to stop constipation.

  2. Fiber can actually help with overeating. All high fiber foods will take longer to chew and digest,
    making you feel satisfied longer

  3. Most popular foods don’t have enough fiber. If you like the more popular foods, you probably need
    to increase your intake of fiber.

  4. Grains offer the most fiber. Dietary fiber is actually plant matter that we cannot digest. The best
    sources are whole grains and concentrated grain products.

  5. Kids need fiber as well. Children that are older than 2 years of age should consume a daily intake of fiber. Kids are most receptive to fiber found in fruits, vegetables, and even fortified breakfast
    cereals.

  6. More fiber needs more water. In order to keep fiber moving through your digestive tract, you’ll
    need to consume a lot of water. With your diet of fiber, you’ll need eight or more glasses of water
    every day.

  7. Fiber cannot be cooked out. When you cook your fruits and vegetables, don’t worry about cooking
    the fiber out, as it stays. The fiber found in fruits and vegetables aren’t just in the skin or
    in the peel.

  8. You can get enough fiber. If you eat more than 50 grams of fiber in a day, you can get diarrhea
    and bloating, which can interfere with your body’s absorption of other key minerals.

  9. Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet doesn’t have to be hard. Even though you may think
    so, getting the amount of fiber you need isn’t very hard to do. All you have to do is eat the right
    foods and you’ll be well on your way to a fiber rich lifestyle.

As one of the key ingredients to healthy eating, fiber is something you don’t want to skip. Fiber can
serve many different purposes, which were covered above. If you aren’t getting enough fiber in your
diet – you should do something about now instead of waiting until it is too late.

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Agility Training for the Football Player

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Agility training has become an integral part of football training at both the high school and college levels. In order for players to play at championship levels they must have power, speed and agility. It isn’t enough to just be strong and not sufficient to be very fast. Players must also have the ability to turn instantly, stay on their feet and out-maneuver the opposing team.

There is a science to the approach of teaching players agility. It isn’t enough to build endurance through long runs or speed through interval training or speed work. These all develops specific muscle groups, but by developing agility the player also hones his neuromuscular system and engages more of his muscles to perform the same motion.

agility training

Players who are agile on their feet are able to maintain their balance during direction changes, starting, slowing or stopping. It also helps the player the chance to develop better kinesthetic awareness, and stronger neuromuscular coordination that increase control of the body and prevent injuries.

The cornerstone of agility is explosive start speed, better reaction time, more stable balance, stronger footwork, and more reliable acceleration. For players to achieve these things, coaches must use less than ideal tools, the unreliable body of the player. Utilizing exercises like as traditional, the standing broad jump, tires, repeated short distance runs or explosive starts over a distance of between five to 30 yards.

But today agility training for football players, and other ball related sports such as soccer and basketball, must include other forms of training to improve their skills. High school players are starting from a point where they are bigger and naturally stronger than in past years which means they need more aggressive training to achieve good results.

One way of teaching agility to even larger players are the ladder drills. These drills can take many forms and teach the player to move their feet quickly in and out of small slots while maintaining balance and changing direction. Coaches can encourage explosive speed by directing a 30 yard sprint at the end of each pass over the ladder.

Another new addition endurance and agility training is proprioception training. This is a means of muscle training that physical therapists have been using in rehabilitation for many years. Only recently have coaches discovered the benefits for their players.

Proprioceptors are special biochemical receptors in the muscles, joints, tendons and inner ear which collectively provide us with a strong understanding of the body’s general position, and the positioning of body parts, body parts. Proprioception training puts a strong focus on the development of core muscles in the abdomen and back in order to improve balance.

When it comes to joint stability, balance is necessary. Without the joint being balanced, a player becomes at risk for developing an injury. Proprioception increases balance and by improving stability also decreases the risk of injury. Part of the training forces the body needing work onto uneven surfaces which develops significantly improved overall strength and endurance.

Tools for proprioception training can include cones, plyoboxes, balls that are weighted to the player’s needs, ropes, ladders with flat rungs, and agility mats or dots. Other training items that are more specific to proprioception are trampolines, wobble boards and dyna-discs, all increase the balance ability of the player.

Including agility training for football players will only help to improve their overall performance and decrease their rate of joint injuries. Both of these factors will help to keep the player on the field all season and improve the overall level of play for the entire team.