There’s something exciting about getting back into the habit of working out. Before you begin comparing what different fitness equipment stores have to offer, set some ground rules for choosing only the best. Here are a few tips that will help.

Start With the Basics

It’s been a long time since you worked out regularly. Now is not the time to invest in a lot of equipment that is beyond your ability. Focus instead on basic equipment like benches, weights, and other resources that you can use to tone those muscles and build endurance. The day will come when you can add more equipment and take advantage of the great pricing for new exercise machines for sale. For now, simple and basic will serve you well.

A Little Fun Won’t Hurt

While you may be sticking with the basics for now, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun at the same time. You’ll find that the better fitness equipment stores offer equipment that almost makes it seem as if you are playing instead of working out. Remember how much fun it was to jump rope when you were a kid? Consider adding some time jumping rope to your workout routine. It’s a great stress reducer and works out more muscles groups than most people realize. Jumping rope is also a lot of fun even if you aren’t particularly stressed right now. Read the rest of this entry →

Each sport has its own personal risk of injury, even the sports where you may think a problem is highly unlikely.

Darts, for example, is not exactly what you may call ‘high intensity’ but players often fear the dreaded Dartitis which is when the players lose the ability to allow the dart to leave the fingers effectively. This is also known in other sports, especially golf, as the ‘Yips’. It is essentially the loss of fine motor skills in athletes and can occur completely at random.

Dartitis is a psychological disorder and very real, but there are sports injuries and sayings that need dispelling as pure fantasy as we look at cracking some of the myths surrounding sports injuries.

No Pain No Gain

Let’s start with a famous saying that is repeated in every single gym around the world. However, strictly speaking, no pain no gain is the opposite of the words uttered.

Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Continuing through sores or cramp is not an immediate problem but if there is acute pain (something sharp and severe) or a clear indication that something is not right (a sprain for example) then it is time to stop immediately and seek medical advice.

Injuries heal fastest when rested

Football injuries cost clubs millions of pounds a year by having to pay injured players and in some cases, when key players are absent, it has a direct impact on a team’s ability on and off the pitch. Read the rest of this entry →

Back injuries are a common issue among athletes, especially those who compete at a high level.

For example, before he retired, Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt had to take a significant amount of time off from his sport to deal with severe back pain. Professional golfer Tiger Woods also had to take time off as he underwent surgery to repair a damaged disc.

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to suffer from a back injury, though. Whether you’re an amateur or a seasoned pro, it’s important to know how to treat and prevent these common back injuries.

Common Back Injuries

The following are the most common types of back injuries that athletes tend to experience:

Lower Back Injuries

Many athletes struggle with lower back injuries. The following are some of the most common injuries they experience:

• Back strains (injuries to the soft tissues — muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, etc.)

• Spondylolysis (stress fractures in the lower lumbar spine)

• Herniated discs (the nucleus — center of the discs of the spine — ruptures outside of the normal place)

Runners, golfers, gymnasts, and weightlifters most frequently experience lower back injuries. Read the rest of this entry →

Knee dislocations are not as common as other sports injuries, but they do still happen, especially in contact sports like football. In fact, football players are probably most susceptible to knee dislocations.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer dealt with a knee dislocation in 2006, and Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller experienced one during the fall of 2017.

If you or someone you love is a football player, it’s imperative that you know how to prevent and treat a knee dislocation. This is a serious injury and the better prepared you are, the greater chance you have of recovering successfully.

What is a Knee Dislocation?

A knee dislocation occurs when the bones that form the knee joint (patella, tibia, and femur, specifically) undergo a great amount of force and are pushed out of place. This is a very painful injury that is always considered emergent.

Symptoms of a Knee Dislocation

The most common signs of a dislocated knee include:

• A loud popping sound

• Severe pain

• Severe bruising and swelling

You will also be able to see that a portion of the knee has been shifted out of place. There’s very little guesswork involved when it comes to diagnosing a knee dislocation. Read the rest of this entry →

Longtime athletes and coaches are constantly on the hunt for easy and effective ways to both help prevent common sports injuries as well as speed up recovery times when an injury does occur. Tactics like ice therapy, cupping, and foam rolling have all had their heyday recently, but one practice seems to have endured the longest – sports massage.

Believed to have originated in ancient Greece and Rome where gladiators were prescribed massages both before and after working out or battling, sports massage has evolved throughout the centuries to incorporate more physiotherapy and recovery techniques. This has lent itself to a newer therapeutic approach called soft tissue mobilization.

What is Soft Tissue Mobilization (STM)?

An umbrella term to capture a wide array of techniques, soft tissue mobilization is any type of physiotherapy performed either manually or with instruments that help to release soft tissues in the body. Soft tissues are essentially any component of the musculoskeletal system that is not bone – so ligaments, tendons, muscles, skin, fat, fascia, cartilage, nerves, and so on.

Soft tissue injuries are common in sports, from sprains to muscle strains to tendonitis and other stress injuries. The healing process following a soft tissue injury involves a unique process of biological repair. An inflammation response from the body floods the tissue at first with fluids, blood, and eventually white blood cells; this causes the characteristic swelling, warmth, and redness of a fresh soft tissue injury like an ankle sprain. Read the rest of this entry →

Knee injuries are extremely common among all athletes, both those who play recreationally and those who are seasoned professionals.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has experienced both a torn ACL and a torn MCL, as has his teammate Rob Gronkowski. Olympian Alex Morgan also suffered from a torn ACL when she was senior in high school.

None of these athletes let their knee injuries stop them, and neither should you. No matter what kind of knee injury you’re dealing with, these exercises can help you get back on your feet.

1. Foam Rolling for the Shins

Foam rolling is a great technique for loosening up the muscles and promoting recovery after tough workouts.

When most people think about foam rolling, they focus on the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. But, it’s also important to spend some time rolling the shins, especially if your sport of choice requires you to do a lot of running — track, soccer, basketball, etc.

Foam rolling the shins helps relieve tension that could irritate the knees. It also helps prevent shin splints — win-win!

To foam roll the shins properly, start on all fours and place the foam roller at the base of the ankles. Then, slowly roll upward, pausing when you reach a tender spot. Hold your weight on each spot for 30-45 seconds before moving on. Read the rest of this entry →