Winter can be a tough time of year to maintain some steady activity. With the dark mornings and evenings and the cold, snow or ice we all need a little push to keep moving.
January can be a great time to put your News Year’s resolution to good use and get to the gym. Many are offering discounts on memberships. If you go remember these things:
Mix It Up
Try many machines and get familiar with them. Ask for help from a trainer to make sure you are using the right muscles and correct position. Start with light weights until you are really sure how the exercises affect you. Variety is key to maintaining a workout routine.
Classes
Take advantage of the variety of classes they offer. If you can’t do an exercise properly secondary to pain or weakness, ask the instructor to modify it for you. Use weights that are lower than you think you can do. They often achieve results with weights used repeatedly. You don’t want to cause muscle failure and potentially an injury, you want to work to fatigue.
Schedule
Your exercise routine will be more successfull
if you schedule a time to go to the gym.
Make it a priority in your day!
Core
Pilates based DVD’s, exercise ball programs and exercises targeting the transverse abdominus muscles will build core strength. Increasing your core strength can help reduce low back pain and improve posture.
Legs
Boxes and stairs can be used for step-down/up exercises. Lunges, footwork and light cardio exercises such as jumping jacks and stepping in place require no equipment at all. Turn up the music and dance!
Arms
Triceps dips off a couch, wall pushups, and regular pushups require little space and can be very effective in toning the arms. An assortment of 2-5# dumbbells can go a long way in building a strength training programs for the biceps, triceps, deltoids and forearms. High repetitions with a low weight are very effective for toning muscle and the muscular activity that is required to lift weights reduces bone related diseases.
Whole body workouts can be performed using DVD’s and some of the gaming equipment programs have dance routines, yoga, and general exercise programs for all ages and abilities. Buying a used stationary bike can be a great investment.
Be Smart! Start out easy and be good to yourself. If you aren’t sure what is best for you, ask your physical therapist or physician. Avoid injury by warming up first and stretching after exercises.
Be Yard Smart!!
Gardening and yard work are hobbies that many people share. Try some of these tips to reduce stress to your joints, should you have further questions, or have pain, seek out your medical doctor or physical therapist.
- Get moving!!
- Don’t stay in any one position to long. Movement nourishes and lubricates the joints.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Being dehydrated reduces flexibility of your muscles and can increase the wear and tear to your body. Our bodies are dependent on water for good health.
- Don’t strain your self.
- A little discomfort may occur after a new activity or long duration tasks. This may lessen after activity. Watch out for pain that persists or does not lessen after activity. Stop immediately if the pain is severe, sharp or causes limping.
- Be Strong!
- Strengthening muscles in the knees, hips and entire leg can protect your joints and increase your tolerance to activity. Weakness can be treated by a physical therapist in an exercise program made just for you.
- Warm up before stretching.
- Break into a light sweat then perform stretches to help maintain mobility, increase flexibility and reduce stiffness. Hold stretches for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times. Do not bounce or pull excessively.
- Cushion and support.
- Supportive outdoor shoes with good arch support and heel cup can reduce stress to your joints. If you wear these often, they made need to be replaced every year, or sooner depending on how they feel. Speak with a physical therapist or foot wear professional for assistance in selecting the right shoe for you.
- Ice down.
- If your joints are sore, try 15 minutes of ice to reduce soreness.
Proper Pitching Mechanics
What should they look like?
Spring is finally here and thus baseball begins. Pitchers all over the Chippewa Valley start to throw and train for the upcoming season. One important factor to be successful on the field is proper pitching mechanics. The pitching delivery requires proper timing, sequencing and selective muscular activity. It involves the entire body not just the arm. Pitching is very challenging because baseball can be a world of misinformation. An athlete can attend ten different baseball camps and receive ten different opinions. A pitcher can get as many tips on their mechanics as a golfer can get on his swing.
So what does proper pitching mechanics look like? Should every pitcher look the same or have the same approach? Cy Young award winners Tim Linecum and Zack Greinke have very different deliveries but achieve the same biomechanical pearls. The number one variable in sound pitching mechanics is balance and posture. Balance is the ability to keep the head over the center of gravity (belly button) while maintaining an athletic position. Posture is defined as a spine to hip angle that stabilizes the head over the belly button throughout the delivery. The most critical point is in the late cocking phase where the pitcher should be in a stacked position. Here, the glove is positioned between the front side hip and the chest and the head is over the belly button. Use the glove as a rudder to help stabilize this position. Excessive lateral trunk tilt towards the glove side of the body places an undue stress on the throwing arm. Proper posture leads to a proper arm slot. The back side leg coming through should follow the same slot as the throwing arm. Good posture also leads to a release point that is eight to twelve inches in front of the landing foot. A video camera is very helpful in studying these positions.
We are more efficient athletes moving faster than slower. The time between first forward movement and stride foot contact is less than one second. This can help create momentum which will increase ball velocity. However, do not sacrifice balance and posture for speed of delivery. First forward movement towards home plate should always be initiated by the front side hip. Concentrate on lengthening total stride length. It is measured from the rubber to the toes of the landing foot. The appropriate stride length has several biomechanical advantages. It is a measure of proper momentum, and significantly reduces the load on the shoulder and elbow. It also increases the involvement of the legs/trunk to transfer more energy to the throwing arm. All of these advantages increase ball velocity. Shoot for a stride length 85 – 90% of body height. The average length of a major league pitcher’s drag line is twelve inches.
Focus on mastering consistent pitching mechanics for all pitch types. Control the volume of pitches early in the season. Start with fastballs and work into breaking balls gradually. It may be helpful to start throwing curve balls at a shorter distance and less effort to emphasize proper mechanics and ball rotation. Youth pitchers should have a fastball to curve ratio of 80/20. Good luck this season. Hopefully it will be successful and injury free.
Thank you,
Mike Newby PT.
Northwoods Thearpy
