I wish I could say this has been a good week for me. After not feeling well for several weeks, I visited the doctor’s office and have been found to have a sinus infection. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. I spent most of this week curled up at home, with no energy to do anything.

Armand, I only went on one walk for 30 minutes this week. I’m hoping that I’ll start to feel better, and I plan to go out this evening and actually work out. I’ve been a little light-headed when getting up. I have persuaded my boyfriend to start learning line dancing, so we’re going to start going out twice a week and will hopefully add more dance time.

Sharon, you’d be proud of me: I did salmon for dinner last night, and I can’t even remember the last time I did beef. I did eat some ice cream. We went to Reno for the night and ordered a banana split to share. Does that count towards fruit?

I’m doing well with fruit during the week. We’ve even had veggies a couple of nights. Tonight we’re having corn and trout for dinner. I’ll try and do better next week with keeping track. This week has been sort of a blur for me. I’m still at 207 pounds, so while I’m not losing, I’m not gaining either. I take that as a good sign.

I’m hoping that the antibiotics will help the infection. The doctor also recommended vitamins, so I’ve started taking those. I can only hope that they help me. It’s been a rather difficult couple of months of not feeling well and hoping that someone can tell me why. So I will make it my goal to get some additional exercise and keep track of what I eat.

Sharon’s Reply
Erin,

A banana split is not really a nutritionist’s idea of increasing the fruit in your diet! I do, however, see constant improvement in your food choices for the rest of the week.

I am glad that you have discovered the reason why you have not been feeling too well. When you are ill, you may not have the mental or physical energy to make healthy food choices. Comfort foods takes priority, and they do make you feel better temporarily.

The nutritional quality of your diet is important for fighting infections, though, and building up a healthy immune system and healing. Keep this in mind as you choose more fruits, vegetables and low-fat protein foods. A basic multi-vitamin is a good insurance policy.

As you start to feel better, I hope that you will be more consistent in your food choices and exercise.

Good luck this week.

Sharon

Armand’s Reply

Erin,

Sorry to hear about your sinus infection. It is frustrating to not feel well for an extended period of time. As you said, you start wondering what is wrong and when you will feel like your old self — more energetic and pain-free. At least you have identified the infection and are taking measures to treat it.

Do not feel guilty about not exercising more than the one walk this past week. Your body needed the additional rest to combat the infection, which can zap your energy.

On a positive note, it sounds like you are making efforts to get back into your regular exercise program. Just remember to take it easier this week — overdoing it too soon can make you vulnerable to falling sick again.

I am glad your boyfriend has agreed to join you in line dancing — and twice a week! That should add some terrific activity into your life on a consistent basis, and it will be fun, too. Of course, continue to stick to the exercises I prescribed to you as well. The combination promises great rewards.

Take care, Erin, and good luck getting back on track.

Armand

A well-equipped individual first-aid kit can help out you reply effectively, quickly to emergencies and injuries. Everyone should have an industrial first aid kit handy in the car, in the workplace and at home.

But that is changing, and today we are seeing more and more alliances form. Thesealliances, through unity, cooperation and leverage, are what will ultimately make our industry a success.

Fitness Management and IHRSA haveformed one of the more recent alliances that will bring greater recognition to facilities that are working extra hard to grow our industry in both membership and professionalism. The alliance creates anall-new awardsnight at the2002 IHRSA International Convention &Trade Show in Phoenix, Ariz.In additionto receiving trophies and having storiesprinted about their innovations in the April2002 edition of Fitness Management, nova7award winners will
be recognized ata fun-filled evening under the stars, complete with food and socializing.The awards event will take place on Thursday, March 7th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Outdoor Pavilion of the Phoenix Civic Plaza. AllIHRSA Convention and Trade Show attendeesare invited to the event, and of course, representatives from clubs that submit entries into the nova7awards program are encouraged to be there. Who knows,your club may be the winner!

This year marks the ninth year of thenova7awards. In the program’s past eight years, Fitness Managementhas recognized 168 facilities for outstanding innovations. Each of these winners, while just one banana in the bunch, have boosted the morale of its facility and the facility’s members.

They have shown they care about providing a standard of care and service to their members, and they have brought prestige to the industry — our entire bunch.

Even if you don’t enter the nova7awards, we encourage you toattend the awards ceremony, as it will show your support toward industry progress. Plus, you’re likely to take away some valuable ideasto put into practice in your own club, by learningwhat other facilities are doing to creatively solve common problems, and how they succeeded at creating new and effective programs or services. (And, in some cases, a whole new facility.)

See you in March, and good luck to all the entrants!

One important marketing tool is your front desk staff. They should know each week’s schedule, along with any changes, and have quick access to upcoming events and classes. Members will regularly call or ask about the schedule, and prospective members are often interested in what type of classes you offer. If your main member contacts don’t have the information, you could be losing members.

Another important marketingtool is your website. Keep a regularly updated group exercise schedule on your website, and make sure your members know that it’s there.

Instructor cross-promotion can bring participants from one class to another. This only works if your instructors are kept informed about what else your club offers, and if they are encouraged to attend other classes.

Finally, you could organize a promotion to hype your group exercise program. Offer introductory classes once a month, or give out prizes to members who attend a certain number of classes. Make your program new and exciting, even for members who have been attending classes for years.

For this reason, the Health and Racquet Club at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Saratoga Springs, Fla., invented a way to help golfers, who make up a large portion of its clientele, use stretching to improve their sports performance and reduce their risk of injury. The club’s Golf Cart Stretching program offers enthusiasts a series of simple stretches that can be done right on the links with the aid of a golf cart.

Exercises include a low-back stretch, squat to strengthen the hamstrings and calves, middle-back and hamstring stretch, front and rear shoulder stretch, and lunge to build power in the swing. “Until recently, most golfers did little but complain about their tight muscles,” says Randy Myers, PGA fitness director. “With the development of this new program, stiff muscles can be stretched right on the golf course.” Adding greater versatility to the program, the stretches can also be performed in the gym.

While stretching and flexibility is important for any sport, Myers says it is particularly important for golf since the back and shoulder can be stressed easily during the swing.

“Recent studies indicate that nearly 45 percent of all golfers will experience some form of injury,” Myers says, adding that back and shoulder injuries make up more than 80 percent of all golf-related injuries.

Since implementing the program in October of 1994, Myers says the club has seen a rise in participation among members who ordinarily don’t stick to an exercise program. “By providing a non-threatening fitness program for golfers, many individuals who may have feared exercise are now working out on a regular basis,” he says. Within one year, more than 1,000 individuals took advantage of the basic stretching program.

The Burkart case illustrates the necessity of inspecting your facility and its equipment on a regular basis. Had there been no evidence of regular inspections, and the equipment been found faulty, Health and Tennis Corporation of America would probably have been found negligent in this case, and been liable for damages.

A facility’s obligation

Courts have determined that fitness center operators have an obligation to protect members from risks of which the operator is aware, or should be aware. This obligation for ordinary care carries with it the duty to inspect regularly for hazards or dangers. How often do you need to inspect? The courts cannot provide a rule that would apply in all situations, due to the varied types of activities involved, the ages and experience of the participants, and the number of clients using the facility. The standard applied by the courts is the reasonable and prudent professional standard — you should inspect as a reasonable and prudent professional would inspect under the same circumstances. Failure to do so could be deemed to constitute negligence.

Three types of inspections

Three types of inspections are recommended: daily, periodic and annual.

Daily. Each day, prior to opening the facility, a cursory inspection of the facility and the equipment should be conducted. In a high-traffic facility, this inspection may need to be conducted more than once a day. Obviously, this is not a detailed inspection, but it should reveal any obvious hazards. This type of inspection would identify such risks as broken glass created by vandalism, cluttered floors or puddles resulting from a leak in the roof.

Periodic.The second type ofinspection is the periodic, or weekly, inspection. The frequency of this inspection varies depending on the amount of traffic your facility receives. These inspections are much more detailed than the daily inspections, and should be conducted by a staff member who has been trained to conduct them. Each piece of equipment and each room (e.g., group exercise room, locker rooms, cardio area, strength area) is closely inspected. Frayed equipment cables, slick shower room floors, loose stair treads and faulty electrical wires are types of hazards that might be identified.

Annual. The final type of inspection is the major, or annual, inspection. This involves a thorough inspection of all equipment and every aspect of the facility — inside and out. This inspection should take hours, and be performed by one or more trained individuals, including the manager. It is highly recommended that this inspection be performed by an outside party, such as a professional risk manager, at least every two or three years. “New eyes” can spot hazards that might otherwise be overlooked.

Three final suggestions

1. Devise separate inspection checklists for each of the three types of inspections.

2. Following each inspection, have the person inspecting sign and date the checklist, and have a system for storing the checklists. Keep all checklists for at least one year (and preferably two or three years). You will need them if a lawsuit is filed two or three years later.

If an injury occurs, make a file of the injury that includes the incident report and all pertinent checklists, and keep them forever.

3. Establish a system for handling hazards found during each inspection. The system should provide for repairs, roping off equipment or areas to prevent use until repairs are made, and changing dangerous situations. If there are any problems, it is crucial that your inspection checklist not be filed away with no action taken.

It’s simple tο forget thаt dogs аrе living creatures аѕ thеу creep іntο уουr heart wіth thеіr baby ways. Thе responsibility аnԁ cost οf caring fοr thеm саn come аѕ a hυɡе surprise. Give thеѕе points ѕοmе thουɡht before уου bring a puppy home.

Yου wіƖƖ bе Reliable fοr thе Dog

Domestic animals Ɩіkе cats аnԁ dogs depend οn thеіr owners, јυѕt Ɩіkе a newborn baby, fοr food, shelter, exercise аnԁ οf course Ɩіkе аnԁ attention. Leaving dogs alone аt home fοr extended periods саn mаkе thеm frustrated, bored аnԁ agitated. Thеу mау bark constantly, οr take thеіr frustration out οn уουr belongings. Shoes, pillows аnԁ even furniture саn bе thе victims οf аn nervous dog.

Dogs Arе a Hυɡе Expense fοr Thеіr Owners

Dogs саn cost уουr family thousands οf dollars a year іn added expenses. Thіѕ money mау bе needed fοr уουr οwn survival. Here аrе ѕοmе οf thе things tο rесkοn аbουt before setting up a corner fοr Rover.

Yουr first couple οf hundred dollars wіƖƖ bе spent јυѕt buying thе dog. Sοmе οf thе expenses wіƖƖ bе initial once-οff costs. Thеѕе contain a pen οr kennel, bowls, brushes,a leash аnԁ toys.

Yουr Ɩаrɡеѕt recurring expense wіƖƖ bе dog food. Depending οn thе size οf уουr dog аnԁ whаt type οf food уου bυу, thіѕ саn rυn up hundreds οf dollars іn expenses each year. If уου want tο impress уουr friends wіth уουr dog’s gourmet food, уου саn add a few extra hundred dollars οn tο thаt bill.

Without health insurance, уουr pet’s medical bills аrе уουr responsibility tοο. Vaccinations, sterilization, illnesses аnԁ injuries wіƖƖ add tο thе expense οf owning a dog.

Before уου take οn thе responsibility οf owning a dog οr cat, mаkе sure уου аrе willing tο give thе pet thе loving care іt wіƖƖ need. A dog wіƖƖ bring a lot οf joy іntο уουr home, bυt a lot οf time, work аnԁ money wіƖƖ bе needed аѕ well.

Sitting for extended periods of time results in a body that feels old beyond its years. When the lower back tends to ache and the muscles surrounding the hip region feel as though they have endured a Trans-Atlantic flight crammed tightly in the rear of coach during the Christmas rush, it is time to remedy the feeling with the following exercise. I’d like to recommend a little secret: stretch your hip flexors daily so that they don’t bunch up and cause you all sorts of ailments. I am a dancer (I was schooled in overcoming muscle aches) and would like to share this pain prevention tactic with you. Here is a time efficient, body friendly stretch created by Kinesiology professor at the University of Utah, Dr. Sally Fitt.

TV Stretch: (the exercise was “invented” while lying in front of the television one night, thus the name)
Lie on your right side propping your head up with your right arm

Cross the left foot over the right thigh (just above the knee) and place it on the floor to anchor you

Bend the right knee so the heel comes up toward buttocks

Take hold of the right ankle with the left hand (without releasing the lower back)

Pull the right foot with the left hand (contracting the stomach muscles)

Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds

Repeat on the left side with the left leg bent and held by the right hand

Whether you’re hooked on “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire,” or listening to NPR, take the down time to elongate the hip flexors. Your lower back and pelvis will thank you for it!

Analgesics can be successful and effective in treating many kinds of pain, like earaches, pain after surgery, back pain, pain from arthritis. Medication for pain are remedies which you may obtain without a prescription.

You also have more surface area in contact with the water when on a surfboard and can move faster as a result. The head is kept out of the water, which makes it easier to breathe, but keeping your head up can be tiring to the muscles of the upper back and back of the neck.

Ocean swims teach you how to swim in the surf. Never surf anywhere you are unable to swim without the surfboard. Your leash might break and wash ashore and you would be in trouble. If you must use a pool, swim like you would in the ocean, by taking a few strokes between each breath.

Start with 10-15 minutes three days per week and build up time and speed. How long you need to make the session depends on where you will be riding. If you are a beginner, observe experienced surfers on a big day and then realize you will not be able to paddle as fast, so you must be able to swim longer.

You probably need no more than 30 minutes of continuous swimming per workout, unless you spend the whole day in the water in large and consistent surf.

Other forms of aerobic exercise can be good for developing endurance for other activities. Cross-training, defined as varying your fitness activities, also helps prevent boredom and overuse injuries in the upper body. Running, walking, hiking and biking all develop endurance in the legs which can be useful if you are fortunate enough to ride breaks with long rides such as Jeffrey’s Bay in Australia.

Once you’ve reached 30 minutes, increase the speed and vary the routine with sprint swimming or paddling one to two days per week, to develop takeoff speed. Doing only long and slow workouts actually decreases the top speed you can reach.

It is important to develop speed for taking-off on waves as well as endurance for paddling out. Do 10 or more 20 to 100-yard sprints for speed alternating with rest periods varying from 15 seconds to one minute. To increase the amount of time you can hold your breath under water, swim underwater for distance regularly. However, only do that when you are not already fatigued.

Interval training, which alternates fast, high intensity activity with periods of lower intensity, is another variation. Do interval training one to two other days per week, when the surf is small or you can’t make it to the beach. Still do longer and slower workouts once or twice per week for paddling endurance during the season. Do most of the work on whatever area of paddling is most lacking in your surfing. If you lack endurance, but have no problem taking off, do a greater proportion of training time doing endurance work. If you make it out to the line-up OK, but have trouble catching the wave, spend a greater proportion of the time doing sprint training.

Surviving a wipe-out requires the ability to hold your breath, presence of mind to find your way to the surface (blow bubbles and follow the bubbles) and to avoid panic. Strong muscles and good flexibility helps in avoiding injuries during wipeouts or collisions with other surfers.

Endurance Training

Endurance is an important fitness parameter in surfing for a number of reasons. The first reason is to have enough endurance to paddle out to the line-up. Once you reach the line-up, if you are short of breath you will not have sufficient energy to have enough paddling speed to take-off on the wave. That can leave you too far inside to be able to paddle outside and make it over the next wave in the set. That is especially true if the next wave in the set is larger than the one you missed.

It can be argued that being tired is the price you have to pay to get back in shape. However, if your local spot has long waits between sets and doesn’t require a long paddle to reach the surf zone, then you will not develop much endurance paddling out 50-100 yards and waiting 10-15 minutes between rides. Most of your time is spent sitting on the board.

If you go to another break that has surf that is more consistent and/or a longer paddle to reach the surf zone, you will not have sufficient endurance to ride there unless you have done other conditioning to prepare. The same will occur during a large swell at your home break, or if a change in the sandbar conditions cause the waves to break farther out from shore.

Being out of breath also leaves you more subject to panic, the biggest killer in the water. In addition, you will not have sufficient ability to hold your breath when “porpoising” under waves or after wiping out. Every surfer goes through the “spin cycle” sometime. The ability to hold your breath, think clearly and find your way to the surface determines if you will survive.

Having confidence in your abilities is the aspect of the mental side of surfing that is essential to survival. That is improved when you are well conditioned and know it.

The best way to develop surfing specific endurance is to do endurance exercise that uses the same muscles in the same way. One way is to do long-distance paddling on days with small or no surf or at a lake or river to develop endurance. If board paddling is inconvenient, swim instead.

Sure, people look at surfers as being a trim example of “natural fitness.” However, those who are just getting into surfing and those who are returning after not participating for any significant length of time can testify to the difficulty they experience. Stamina, balance, speed, coordination and wave sense can be developed while surfing, but there are ways of developing these fitness parameters more rapidly.

This is especially important for those middle-age returnees who do not have much time to surf and must make the most of it. A consultation or a regular training program with a Certified Personal Trainer, who is familiar with the sport, can give you a head start on your conditioning program.

In addition, increased conditioning is also important for those experienced surfers who have reached a plateau in their surfing performance. This applies whether the surfer competes, is a “lifestyle” surfer or just a regular out in the waves outside of business hours.

It may be there is little challenge in doing the same old tricks on the same old waves. Increasing your conditioning means more endurance for long paddles on big surf days, more speed to take-off earlier in the wave, more coordination and upper body strength to stand up faster, and more power to carve more radical turns, off-the-lips, cutbacks and aerials.

The initial performance issue concerns having sufficient endurance and balance to paddle the board out to the line-up without being too tired to take-off and ride.

Balance is the first thing that needs to be developed in beginning surfers. It may be wise to get used to the balance of lying and sitting on the surfboard in a pool prior to going out in the ocean. The next step is to try balancing out in the whitewater, which is also called the “soup.” That is assuming that the water is not so shallow that your feet touch the bottom.

When you can balance when sitting and lying on the board, you can then try to ride the soup standing up. Once riding the soup becomes easy, it is time to paddle past the breakers and learn to take off. Actually, riding the waves is another issue, which we will not discuss in this article. Former surfers who have returned after a long time may need a short readjustment period, especially if they are using a board greatly different than the ones they used to ride or they have gained a large amount of weight. Paddling also requires muscular endurance in the neck and back extensor muscles.