Sports Then and Now

If you love being outside, then you probably have a fairly high standard for the gear you buy for your favorite outdoor activities. Braving Mother Nature is demanding on the clothing, footwear, hiking accessories, and anything else subjected to the elements. So which brands serve up the highest quality when it comes to overall durability? Here’s a look at some of the best brands.

Outerwear
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the choices available to you if you’re in the market for highly-durable outdoor outerwear. Thankfully, there are merchants both online and off, who specialize in outfitting nature lovers with clothing from the top names in outdoor gear. REI, also known as Recreational Equipment, Inc., is probably the most popular purveyor of the most durable outdoor goods, including brands like the North Face for heavy coats, jackets, and snow-sport apparel, Garmin for GPS trackers and fitness monitors, Patagonia for stylish yet supremely durable base layers, middle layers, and fleeces, and SmartWool for socks, base layers, and other garments specifically built for warmth. Head over to REI.com to locate a store near you, or to browse their selection of clothing made for outdoor enthusiasts.
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Contact sports, by their very nature, are the most dangerous for kids of any age to engage in. These include football, soccer, and baseball and often incur the most serious injuries in kids. Others sports that commonly lead to injury are cheerleading, roller skating, ice skating, floor and apparatus gymnastics, and trampoline competitive sports.

Most Common Injuries in Kid’s Contact Sports
According to one of the top brain injury attorneys, for high school and junior league football, one of the most serious injuries is head trauma. Others may include torn ligaments and ACL and MCL separations, spinal injuries, and wrist, ankle and elbow injuries. Some of these sports injuries may also occur in Little League and high school baseball, though less often. In soccer, the common injuries are broken bones, sprains and strains to muscles, and spine and neck problems. About 80% of soccer injuries occur to the feet and legs.

Cheerleading, Gymnastic and Trampoline Injuries
Cheerleading injuries can be serious, depending on the type of acrobatics involved in the routines, and how soon they are treated. Broken arms or legs can often occur during the performance of aerial acrobatics like front and back handsprings, front and back somersaults, and splits from a leaping position, which can also cause strain on the upper thighs and hips.  Read the rest of this entry →

As a group, cyclists tend to look at the same thing with a unified fear: hill climbs. The uphill portion of any ride presents a serious challenge, and your ability to handle long rides usually comes down to how well you perform during the climbs. Whether you ride competitively or just for enjoyment, the burning deep in your legs toward the end of a hill climb is a feeling riders know all too well.

While there is nothing that can be done to make hill climbs easy, the tips below may just give you a boost during your next ascent to the top.

Consider Staying Seated

Many riders feel inclined to stand up on the bike as soon as they begin a climb, but you may find more success by staying in the saddle. Hold your position as you begin to go up the hill, and work hard to maintain your cadence. It is okay to stand up from time to time when the road gets extra steep, but dealing with the majority of the climb while in your seat is usually the best bet for a good steady pace.

Think Ahead

Before you head out on any road ride, look over your intended route and identify the hills you plan to climb. With the hills highlighted, create a plan for your ride that will allow you to store up energy in advance of the uphill portions. If you are going flat out right before you arrive at a hill, you won’t have anything left in the tank when you need it most. Read the rest of this entry →

Cycling is one of the cheapest and best ways to exercise today. It is perfect for people of all ages and abilities because the activity does not place excess strain on any areas of the body. No matter where you live in the country, there will be lots of designated cycling routes in your local area. Also, you might like to consider using a bike to get to work during the summertime if you are committed to lowering your fuel consumption. The health benefits of cycling are listed below.

Using a bike on a regular basis will help to build strength and muscle tone. Indeed, that is why so many boxers and bodybuilders choose to cycle in their spare time. If you want to improve your body image without working too hard, jumping on a two-wheeler could be a wise move.

Cycling is known to improve stamina greatly because the results from this exercise are relatively easy to judge. People tend to download an app to their phone to keep track of their movements these days. So, it is easy to see that you manage to travel slightly further with each ride.

Those who choose to use bikes in their free time encourage their heart to pound in a steady manner. That have been proven to help improve cardiovascular fitness. Studies have shown that people who cycle to work increase their fitness levels by 3-7% depending on the distance traveled.

As you can see, there are many health benefits to cycling that we simply can’t ignore. Now is the time to get started if you want to lose some weight and feel better about yourself before Christmas. The infographic will tell you more…

Infographic By peak1sports.com

Top of the Charts

There are many different types and intensity levels of training and sports fitness.

1. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Shooting up to number one in this years fitness popularity chart is (HIIT). Olympian Sebastian Coe used this technique effectively during training in the 1970’s and it suits the fast running pace of life today. Got 30 to 40 seconds to spare? Have a hard sprint then slow down with 15-20 seconds of strolling.

2. Functional Training
Coming in at number two is Functional Training.
Developed from exercises used to rehabilitate patients after injury or Stroke, this method is very good at improving muscles and movement that we use in our everyday lives.

3. Older Adult Training
Climbing slowly into number three position is the Older Adult Training.
Among the ‘aging population’ there is increasing demand for low impact cardio conditioning workout. All levels of ability can enjoy safe and effective exercises to improve physique and mental well-being.

4. Personal Trainer
Working out with your own certified professional expert is very trendy. Having a bespoke fitness plan with individualized coaching is recognized as an effective way to achieve fitness training objectives.

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