Effective mindset and Sport intelligence

Discussion about brain injuries

2009-04-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

Rindge, NH, April 10, 2009 - The public is welcome to Franklin Pierce University for their annual Sports Symposium, titled Head To Head: How Much Do You Really Know About Concussions. The panel discussion is hosted by the Franklin Pierce University Sports & Recreation Club, to further the educational outreach on the dangers of concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries. The discussion take place after a series of new studies shows the effects of concussions on youth, collegian, and professional athletes. The event will be held at the Franklin Pierce University Fieldhouse on April 24th starting at 6PM.

Panelist include Chris Nowinski of Sports Legacy Institute most notably known as the former World Wrestling Entertainment star Chris Harvard. Dr. Ann McKee Associate Professor of Neurology & Pathology Director, Neuropathology Core Boston University School of Medicine. Steve Bushee Boston College Assistant Athletic Director, Director of Sports Medicine. Dr. Grayson Kimball an AAASP-certified sport psychology consultant and has been working with Getpsychedsports.org as a sport psychology educational consultant, he also has a private consulting practice in Boston. Dr. Vincent Ferrara Founder and CEO of Xenith a company dedicated to advancing safety and activity through innovation and education. Xenith’s primary goal is reducing the risk of traumatic neurological injuries.

The panel will discuss areas relating to mild traumatic brain injury such as prevention, diagnosis, second impact syndrome, post concussion syndrome, treatment, and psychology of sports. Head To Head is taking place in the aftermath of recent tragedies related to head injuries. Attendees will become educated on mild traumatic brain injuries and the possible effects of sustaining a head injury in sports.

Recent Tragedies in Sports Spurs Panel Discussion on Brain Injuries

The panel discussion is hosted by the Franklin Pierce University Sports & Recreation Club, to further the educational outreach on the dangers of concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries. The discussion take place after a series of new studies shows the effects of concussions on youth, collegian, and professional athletes.

http://www.pr.com/

Gunners remarks Arsense compliments

2009-03-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

Arsene Wenger has lavished praise on his side following their nail-biting penalty shoot-out victory over Roma.

The Gunners needed penalties to see off Roma in the Eternal City, after the game had ended 1-1 on aggregate.

Eduardo missed Arsenal’s first spot-kick, but they progressed 7-6 when Max Tonetto failed to convert.

Wenger felt Arsenal were pushed to the limit by a quality Roma side and says his players showed tremendous character.

More....

Effective Ways To Get Out of a Negative Mindset

2009-03-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

It is too easy to get into a negative mindset which invariably leads to unhappiness and depression. To avoid being overwhelmed by negativity we need to make a conscious effort to avoid the experience. When life seems like a perpetual dark tunnel these are some suggestions to change your outlook on life.

Don’t Cherish Destructive Thoughts.

Often we don’t realise how much we subconsciously cherish negative thoughts. It may seem counter intuitive, but often a negative frame of mind occurs because we won’t let go of the negative thoughts and ideas. Sometimes the mind clings on to these thoughts with a feeling of self pity or injured pride. We don’t like the negative frame of mind, but at the same time are we consciously trying to overcome it? The problem is that if the negative thoughts go round and round in our mind they can become powerful and we lose a sense of perspective. Just make a conscious decision to ignore the negative flow of thoughts and sentiments and be persistent in these attempts.

Do You want to be Happy or Miserable?

We should feel a negative mindset is a choice. If we feel a victim to our own emotions and thoughts, nobody else will be able to help us. We should feel that by holding on to a negative frame of mind, we are inevitably choosing to be unhappy; each negative is a conscious decision to be miserable. If we really value the importance of our own inner peace and happiness, we will aspire to cultivate this through good, uplifting thoughts. Next time you feel the onset of a depressed state of mind, just ask yourself the question: Do I want to be happy or Miserable?

Spend Time With Positive People

The best antidote to negativity is simply to spend time doing positive, uplifting activities. Sometimes if we analyse and examine our own negativity it does nothing to reduce it. By engaging in useful fun activities, we forget about the reasons for our negativity; this is often the most powerful way to overcome a depressed state of mind.

Don’t Accept Negativity from Other People

We live in a world where there are no shortage of pessimists, critics and doomongers. There will always be people who can find the negative in life; but, there is no reason why we have to ascribe to their world view. For example, often in an office environment there is a negative attitude to the workplace, but, even if there are faults and limitations we don’t have to allow them to make us a negative person.

Let Go of Thoughts

If you can learn to control your thoughts, you can control the experience and emotions of life. The best antidote to negativity is learning the art of meditation. Meditation is more than just relaxation; it is a change in consciousness. We move from the limited perspective of our mind and discover an inner source of happiness.

Live in the Heart

The nature of the mind is to be suspicious and critical. If someone does 99 good things and 1 bad thing, the mind will invariably remember the bad thing. If we allow ourselves to be drawn into highlighting the mistakes of others we will invite a negative mindset. However, if we live in the heart we are not drawn to the faults of others (even if they are insignificant). It is in the heart that we can have a true sense of oneness with others, their faults seem insignificance and we can feel a sense of identity with the achievements of others.

Don’t Sit Around Doing Nothing

The worst thing for a negative frame of mind is to mope around feeling sorry for ourselves. Ruminating on our bad luck / worries / fears will not diminish them in any way. Exercise can be a powerful way to bring about a new consciousness. Negativity is often associated with boredom and lack of purpose. Stop endlessly checking emails and surfing web, look for something good to do.

Force Yourself to Think of 3 Positive Thoughts.

If you are feeling really miserable and have a low sense of self esteem, try thinking of 3 good things that you have done. At time our own mind can be our worst enemy and very self critical. It is important not to lose a sense of balance; for the various bad things we have done, we have also done some good things.

Don’t Think Anything You Wouldn’t Say in Front of People

We often think things we would never say in front of people. If you are annoyed, disappointed with someone else, imagine what you would say to them in person. Sometimes when we are with people we are forced to behave; even if we are not particularly sincere the effort to avoid negativity can help us to overcome our bad mood.

Learn life to live sport

2009-02-19T03:51:00.001-08:00

The South East Regional Academy of Sport (SERAS) has stepped back into gear for 2009 with a flurry of sporting camps held recently.

Pambula ’s Scott Proctor and Eden ’s Thomas Griffin were among eight athletes from the Bega Valley who have earned a scholarship from the South East Regional Academy of Sport (SERAS).

As part of their induction, they attended a weekend program with over 80 scholarship holders at the University of Canberra recently.

"The Learn Life - Live Sport ’ education program was designed to assist scholarship holders to develop their understanding of sport science and their responsibilities as potential elite athletes," executive officer Garry Lane said.

"The Education Program is a major component of the athletes ’ scholarship and the academy was delighted to be able to stage this activity for the entire academy for the first time," executive director Garry Lane said.

This program will now become a permanent fixture on the SERAS calendar and it allows the academy to deliver more sport specific skill development through its sports program camps? ’ Lectures provided over the weekend included: sport psychology by Kim Cardile from the Australian Sports Commission, principles of training by SERAS exercise physiologist Kate Greenwood, sports nutrition by Vicki Deakin, associate professor, University of Canberra and injury management and prevention by Phil Newman, lecturer physiotherapy, University of Canberra.

A number of workshops were also held during the program including: netball taping with Phil Newman; media skills with Cathy Reid, public speaking with Sue Willis, recovery from exercise with Kate Greenwood and core strength and flexibility with SERAS strength and conditioning coach Dean Chiron.

Eden Imlay Magnet,
New South Wales

Interest in science

2009-02-19T03:48:00.000-08:00

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia.
THERE are a diversification of rapid growth and increase in science and IT of the sectors. Because of this, the university of Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR university) offers a broad variety of programs to meet the various needs for the secondary graduates.

During almost four decades now, school's of the university of arts and Science (SAS) had produced the graduates able for science and of industries of TI. Currently, the school offers various programs of market, such as chemistry and biology, the information systems machinant, the information systems of businesses, of data processing, micro-electronics, technology of Internet and technology of interactive software.

These programs are conceived to provide to students a balanced and all-round education, equipping them with the multidisciplinary qualifications which are essential on the job market. Another attraction of the study in SAS is that the students can obtain a bachelor in degree of the Science of university of Campbell without having to go overseas. At the advanced level of diploma, the students can also achieve the bachelor in degree of Science (BS) led by SAS at the same time as the university of Campbell, the USA. The university is accredited by the Commission on universities of the southernmost association of the universities and schools, to allot the degree of the BS led to the TAR university.

To ensure the relevance of its programs, the TAR university had adopted proactives prospects by identifying the needs for industry in its program scheduling for studies. The university used collaborations and associations with organizations and establishments of specialist to provide to students the applications based the last by industry, technical know-how and the driving software with the professiona~ and technical certifications which are incorporated in the suitable programs. The university also incorporated the industrial attachment in its program to help of the students to gain the exposure in the middle of real work, which will increase their vendability on the reference mark.

Since 2006, SAS presented the program of the Science of sport and exercise which is conceived to cover the application of the scientific principles on three branches of biomechanics of science, physiology and the interdisciplinary approaches. The program make it possible students to develop the knowledge and arrangement in the way in which scientific methods can be employed to examine activities of sport and exercise in the subjects such as the anatomy and physiology, the psychology of sport, and biomechanics of sport.

Other matters include the management of sport, the maintenance of the equipment of sport, the legal exits and morals in the sports, and the nutrition of sport.

By providing an environment supporting to learn, the TAR university built a complete range with teaching and learning from the equipment. The university has an ideal arrangement for studies in the sports while it is well equipped with sports and equipment r飲顴ionnels such as swimming pool with Olympicsized, the gymnasium, the courses of marrow and complex of sports which comprises courts of tennis of top of roof, grounds of tennis shoe, and courses of badminton.

clickjoe

Teen duo reunited at the AIS

2009-02-19T03:45:00.000-08:00

FORMER team-members Tom Triffitt and James Faulkner de Launceston will be brought together at the Australian institute of the sport this year.

The 18-year-olds were both selected to take part in the 2009 AIlS men ’s scholarship program at Cricket Australia ’s centre of excellence.

The choice continues the meteoric rise in the former classmates of grammar of church of Launceston who both moved in Hobart to continue their careers cricketing. Complete Faulkner, which was a disciple of development last year, plays with the university, whereas the Triffitt beater of wicketkeeper represents Lindisfarne.

The tiger Chris Duval, 25, a rightarm of Tassie quickly at the origin of Australia of the south but maintaining play with the compartment of the south of Hobart-Sandy, were called among six additional part-time purses.

Fourteen of the 16 disciples full-time already represented their state in one or other Twenty2O, of one day or the cricket of first class and their choice is aimed to help them take the next measure to their career.

This choice introduces all these players with a very enthralling occasion, president de national Panel of choice Andrew Hilditch said.

Upset the group which will undergo a 16 weeks program including/understanding a tournament incipient players in Brisbane with teams from India, Zealand News and South Africa in July, as well as of the three with four weeks the international excursion in August.

The disciples will undergo a development program aimed to the layer of border of Allan with Brisbane under the guidance of the first trainer Greg Chappell and his team of Cooley of troy, Brian McFadyen, the John Davison, the David Fitzgerald and the young people of Mike.

The weekly program of S of a player 'will include a combination of the formation of qualifications, the scenarios of play, the force and treatment, the prevention of damage, the nutrition, the re-establishment, the psychology of sport, the program of career and social assistance and the science of sport.

Rob Shaw
Launceston Examiner

Mental Coaching: Mental Coaches Are Most Widely Associated With Professional Sports Mental Coaching

2008-12-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

Today's most vocal business leaders are emphasizing that "the world is flat," that labor moves freely, and that the lowest price, whether it's from Atlanta or Argentina, always wins. Million dollar orders can be placed online without so much as speaking to a live person, and the "faces" of corporate communications are increasingly those of models or paid spokespersons rather than real business leaders.

So in a world in which you will receive hundreds of job applications from all around the world for every publicly announced opening, how relevant are people skills? Very much online learning courses People still design products, build websites, create advertisements, and communicate with each other to coordinate these efforts.

And that one needs a proper environment in which to perform his or her job, not "even if" but "especially if" that person was born and raised somewhere else. Immigrants and guest workers are as much members of the corporate world as anyone else, but online learning courses special issues and hardships need close attention to bring out the most in them, and that means mental coaching. Mental coaching is an excellent way of bringing someone from a different culture into the team 100%, and it is one of the most important functions of human resource management nowadays.

Mental coaches are most widely associated with professional sports. Dr. John F. Murray developed the Mental Performance Index to analyze nursing online course football players, and also helped Vincent Spadea overcome one of the longest losing streaks in pro tennis history. However, mental coaching is just as helpful for anyone on any rung of the corporate ladder, from the CEO to the lowest salesman or engineer.

Hiring and training employees is a costly endeavor, so any steps that can be taken to improve employee work product is essential. In today's world, many companies are finding that Mental coaches are well online courses the investment. They have already proven effective in many fields other than business. So why not maximize your investment in your company's personnel and let your Human Resources department try this great resource.

While the world may well have become metaphorically "flat," it is still populated with human beings -- and human beings don't perform up to peak potential without training and nursing online course management. Companies are fundamentally composed of people, something that is as true during the age of Bill Gates as it was during that or Rockefeller, the changes owing to the Internet notwithstanding.

The Radiant Health Spa offers something for everyone

2008-12-27T11:46:00.000-08:00

By Trish Payton

The golden door of opportunity opened for Heather Eller, shortly after her arrival in Gold Beach, the end of June, 2007; joining her husband Bill McMillan, hospital administrator at Curry General.

Eller received an invitation to open a day spa at the GoldRush Center; and without a moment's hesitation, responded in the affirmative, "Absolutely!"

The time frame allotted Heather was 1-1/2-2 months to pull it altogether, before the GoldRush grand opening, September 27, 2007. However, Eller rose to the occasion. Her choice of color, furnishings, display of local art, in addition to tranquil background music, created a vibrant, yet relaxing ambiance, she calls "Radiant Health Spa".

Nancy Zi is the first licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) to join Heather at Radiant Health Spa; a women with 25 years experience as a LMT. Nancy specializes in the following: Swedish/Relaxation, Deep Tissue/Sports and Pregnancy Massage, Hot Stone Massage where flat stones are heated in hot water and placed on your back and the palms of your hands. The stones are used to massage, placing pressure on the muscle, and allowing the heat to penetrate the body as well. The heated stones are adjusted to a comfortable, tolerable heat for the body massage.

Zi also does Reflexology, in addition to Zi Scrubs, consisting of Aromatherapy Sugar Scrubs, and Aromatherapy Dead Sea Salt Scrubs.

Look for upcoming Aloe Vera Enzyme Body Wraps; a dry wrap that cleanses and detoxifies the body; offered in January, 2009. In addition to Set-N-Me-Free Wraps; another deep cleansing, body detoxifying wrap.

Alice Taylor, Nurse Practitioner/Midwife, has recently joined the team as well. For all your skin/facial care needs in conjunction with a free consultation, Alice will continue to offer the following: IPL Photorejuvenation, IPL Laser Hair Removal, Microbrasion, Restylane, Perlane, Botox, Juvaderm treatments. Taylor's present hours at Radiant Health Spa are Thursday and Friday, from 2-6 p.m.

Heather also added to her team recently (but has not yet started) Carmen Woolsey, who will offer Microcurrent (facial toning), and facials, part time.

Downstairs are additional rooms, where an Infrared Sauna is offered, as well as a room for Eller's future acupuncturist, and a future wet room for body wraps and body scrubs.

This coming spring Eller will offer services in acupuncture, in addition to nontoxic nail care and chemical-free nail polish. Also on the menu are future Spa Parties/Spa Packages; and Gift Certificates are available all year round.

Heather's role as owner/LMT is also in promoting Nancy, Carmen, and Alice. "I would rather be behind the scenes a little bit and make them the stars," comments Heather.

Eller recently had a Trunk Party, featuring local artists, Terry Olin, and Gloria Sevy; showcasing their Spa Jewelry made exclusively for Radiant Health Spa, as well as all their different lines of jewelry. Eller invited the community to join and have a good time, serving wine and hor d'oeuvres.

"It turned out wonderful! People seemed to have a really good time!" Eller exclaimed.

Mark your calendar -- Saturday, February 7, 2009, for another Trunk Party showcasing fresh water pearls, from the Silk Road in China; which are Fair Trade pearls. Connie Sayler who strings pearls will be featured. The community can look forward to Eller's Trunk Parties, held once every quarter, featuring a selected artist.

Heather, a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) for the last eight years, acquired her education from Portland's East West College of Healing Arts, graduating in 2001. Shortly thereafter, travels to Thailand equipped Eller for six weeks training in Thai massage. Upon her return from Thailand, Heather was wed to Bill, joining him in Guam for the next five years.

Stepping into the arena of massage at Gold's Gym in Guam, Heather worked on body builders and Sumo wrestlers from Japan, which also led to injury bodywork. Eventually, Eller developed a large clientele for her bodywork, the remainder of her time in Guam.

What was the reason for Heather's career change into the Healing Art of Massage?

"I deeply care about people. I cannot stand to see people in pain. I want people to come, I want them to get better. If they want to come back and see me, because it's a maintenance issue, or because they want to relax. Wonderful! There's no reason in the world that people can't feel better someway. I'm not a miracle worker by any means. But people can feel better, whether it's emotional, or physical; I want to achieve that," states Eller.

Heather explains that massage is beneficial in so many different areas; from reducing stress, increasing mental activity/circulation, cleansing the lymphatic system, releasing toxins from the body, before and after surgery, (upon your doctors recommendation), recovery time is faster, and prevents injury. To touch in general is very healing.

In conclusion some of the most amazing circumstances Heather experienced, was working with people who had cancer, severe injuries, or recovery from personal illness.

"Pain in itself is extremely stressful. I can't image that someone who lives with chronic pain day after day, what they must go through! That's where I want to reach out to people," shared Heather.

Radiant Health Spa is open Monday-Friday,10-6 p.m. and Saturday, 12-5 p.m. For more information Heather Eller can be reached at (541) 247-2030.

Why sport is good for you

2008-12-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Sir, Jamaicans enjoy many activities, of which sport is chief.Adults and children love many aspects of sport and lots of benefits are derived from it.Health is one of the main purposes people do sport. Good health helps to break down stress.

Exercise, being an aspect of sport, helps people especially elders who are sick. Doctors give special types of exercises that they should concentrate on known as therapy. Swimming and cycling are two important sporting activities that help people restore their health.

Sport also brings a lot of finances into Jamaica. Some of the sports that people pay to watch are cricket, football, netball and basketball. A favourite among Jamaicans is athletics. Every four years the whole world takes part in the Olympics.

Jamaica has great athletes and they always do very well. We are proud of Jamaicans and their involvement in sports.

Sport also plays an integral role in the lives of young people in the communities. It helps assist in building strong friendships and relationships.

Rackeisha Houde, Age: 12, Bellevue Primary and Junior High

Personal Fool: Sports health tips by Dr. Bam

2008-12-19T22:12:00.000-08:00

By Bam Ransom, Contributing Editor

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Today Dr. Bam (I'm not really a doctor) is going to take a look at some of the more common types of professional sports injuries that have occurred in 2008, in the hopes that young athletes out there can use this information to avoid the same type of injury.

As always, consult a real doctor (preferably a psychiatrist) before instituting any exercise regime recommended by Dr. Bam.

First, we all know how important doing warm-up exercises is. Stretching should start off any intense physical activity.

For example, if, like Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, you're going to spend some time dodging McDonalds bags in your living room, you should spend at least 10 minutes warming up your hamstrings. Otherwise, like Marshall, you might end up with the fourth-most common injury to professional athletes: doing something dumb just before your DUI trial.

Sure, you might get lucky. You might not put your arm through a glass entertainment center as Marshall did when he initially claimed to have slipped on a McDonalds bag in his home. But why risk looking foolish just before your DUI trial? I recommend professional or amateur athletes should always stick to SAYING foolish things ONLY before any criminal trial. (Note: I'm NOT a lawyer either.)

Just spend the proper time warming up for crying out loud.

Another common mistake that has resulted in injury to professional athletes this year has been taking apples into bed.

I can understand why athletes would choose apples as boudoir mates over say, limes or kiwis. An apple is more seductive, just ask Adam and Eve. But when you're done talking to them, ask Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls rookie point guard, about the dark underside of apples.

Rose, it turns out, suffered the third most common type of injury that occurs to professional athletes: slicing open your arm to the tune of 10 stitches while cutting fruit in bed.

While you're right, this type of injury is more common with professional wrestlers and boxers, it has been known to happen to other types of athletes as well. So, youngsters beware.

With the winter season upon us we should also pay some special attention to conditioning concerns for young athletes. We don't want young athletes to strain themselves doing unfamiliar and strenuous work like shoveling snow or the more mundane reaching into a running snow blower to dislodge a piece of ice. This could result in the second most common type of injury to professional athletes: breaking your fingers on parts moving at RPMs of 1500 or more.

Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic broke three fingers and lost three months of the Avs season in just this very way.

Remember youngsters, there's no shortcut to conditioning. Just remember the simple rule - "keep your hands and feet away from moving metal and plastic parts." While this is especially difficult for hockey players to remember, it's essential to their health.

Which bring us to the most common type of injury suffered by the professional athlete: shooting one's self in the foot, leg or thigh either literally or figuratively with an unlicensed, concealed handgun. This type of injury is more common with wide receivers.

Some believe that this type of injury is proof that MORE wide receivers should carry unlicensed, concealed handguns. But I disagree.

Why confine it to wide receivers?

---

Bam Ransom's "Personal Fool" appears at sportsnetwork.com on alternating Fridays.

How to keep fit during the long winter nights

2008-11-05T07:03:00.000-08:00

NOW that winter's nearly here, Health Reporter Helen Rae takes a look at sports that can be done all year round to keep you fit and healthy.

WITH the long dark nights rapidly closing in, it’s all too easy to put away your trainers and hang up your tracksuits along with your good intentions.

But just because the fine weather and light nights have gone, there’s no reason to pack in health and fitness regimes.

If the rotten weather has been driving you indoors, then there are plenty of activities you and the family can choose to keep your fitness levels up through the winter months — basketball and Tae Kwon-Do being two of them.

In the North East, we’re lucky to have our own basketball team, The Newcastle Eagles, who are streets ahead when it comes to understanding the importance of an active lifestyle.

The team is committed to working with the local community and spreading the word about basketball.

Through the Eagles Community Foundation (ECF), launched in 2006, the team has grown levels of basketball participation in Tyne and Wear and South East Northumberland, through activity programmes, notably The Eagles Hoops for Health primary schools programme.

The British Basketball League has now rolled out this programme throughout the whole of the league.

Head coach and player Fabulous Flournoy, said: “Knowledge about exercise and diet are essential for kids – particularly these days when there are such high levels of obesity.

“We hope that through schemes such as Hoops for Health, kids can learn about the importance of staying fit and healthy, while learning to play basketball and become more active.”

The Hoops for Health programme is an introductory scheme, involving Eagles and Team Northumbria players in a healthy living promotional programme with 120 primary schools across the Tyne and Wear every year.

The first stage of the five-stage programme involves roadshows where players give talks on healthy eating, no smoking, fitness and physical activity.

Stage two focuses on coaching; stage three is the regional tournaments; stage four is the tournament finals, with stage five culminating in the ‘BBL Ultimate Champion of Champions tournament’ where winners of the stage four tournaments come together for a play-off.

Paul Blake, managing director of The Eagles, said: “The players love going out to talk about the sport which they feel passionately about, and I think this is reflected in the response which they get from the schools.

“Hopefully by boosting basketball's profile as a sport, and as a form of exercise, older children and adults will develop a real interest in the game.”

Fabulous added: “Basketball is an excellent sport, as it combines many health benefits both physically and mentally.

“It can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities and is an all-year-round sport as it can be played indoors and outdoors.

“As well as being a total body workout, it also helps develop important skills which gives the participant many positive reasons for taking part in the game.”

As with all sportsmen, it's essential the players eat a healthy and varied diet — this is something talked about in detail as part of the Hoops for Health scheme.

Fabulous said: “My diet is varied and I'm really particular about the food I eat.

“I take pride in my cooking and enjoy planning and preparing meals. I don't eat out often so the food I eat I've almost always cooked.

“I don't eat red meat, but always make sure that I'm getting enough protein from chicken, turkey, salmon and cod. I also try and eat as many vegetables as possible.”

The activity doesn't stop once off the court.

Part of the whole basketball match experience is the courtside entertainment.

Not only do the players guarantee a good show, but the courtside entertainment is action-packed and very fast-paced, incorporating music and performance

Previous acts have included Newcastle dance troupe Encore, Bad Taste Cru Break Dancing Act and leading sports entertainer Tommy Baker.

The next act due to appear on November 21 is Britain's Got Talent contestants, Tae Kwon-Do Chi Demo Team.

Tae Kwon-Do is one of the world's most popular martial arts, combining combat techniques, self-defence, sport, exercise, meditation and philosophy.

Excellent for all-round fitness and mental well-being, it develops focus, coordination and balance, as well as giving you a great cardiovascular workout.

The Chi Demo team's founder and instructor, Russell Shaw explains what the act is all about.

He said: “The world-famous Tae Kwon-Do demo team — the Korean Tigers — have been a major inspiration for me, and my ambition was to form the UK equivalent, which is how the Chi Demo Team came into existence.

“The act is a mix of Tae Kwon-Do and gymnastics — adding flamboyancy to the art and making it highly entertaining for audiences.”

Taking up a new sport can seem daunting at first, but you shouldn't let this put you off doing something which you could really enjoy and excel at.

To watch Fabulous Flournoy and his team of Eagles play their ‘grudge-game’ of the season, when they come face-to-face with the Scottish Rocks at The Metro Arena on Friday, November 21, visit www.newcastle-eagles.com or telephone (0191) 245 3772 for tickets.

For more information about the Tae Kwon-Do Chi Demo Team, contact Russell Shaw on 07733 428 648.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk

To be mentally stronger

2008-11-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

With the rise of mental illness in the city, anxiety, depressions, panic attacks, suicides,schizophrenia, low self-esteem are our new found Regular exercise helps you to feel positive
best friends. In the rat race of science and technology, where we have to prove our productiveness, we have proudly forgotten to be humans — something that we are all born with.
We tend to blame our family, friends, peers, superiors to be the cause of stress in our health. But how many people will you blame? The list just goes on. Ever thought of looking within?
All of us are in the pursuit of peace and happiness... but somewhere along the line, trying to strike a balance between the social, spiritual, economic and mental aspects of our lives is a learning and growing process forever.

Lack of a stoic balance makes us feel like an emotional ‘Tarzan’ swinging from one end to another. We experience a sense of unpredictability and instability.

Moreover, for some of us who are unable to call the ‘shots’, life may almost be like a puppet in the hands of the other. Creating a balance in the core of our lives is somehow the essence of having a strong foundation. Here are a few simple day to day pointers and tips that could help you ‘live and see the brighter colours of your mind’.

Mind your mind: Get into the habit of introspection and look within. Have you acted out of proportion to a situation or not expressed yourself? Practicing introspection on a regular basis will make you more aware of who you really are.

Are you able to live in the NOW? Life is a mystery — a box of chocolates you will never know which one you get! It is with this realisation that clarity comes in and your life improves.

Relax unwind: If too much work is weighing you down, learn to say to yourself, ‘I have had enough for the day’. Listen to music, watch a film and meditate. Taking ten minutes out of your busy office schedule to do something you enjoy may de-stress you.

Meditate: Make meditation a ritual like you brush your teeth, it is essential to feel the space within. Our mind is clogged with thoughts, actions, words, emotions leaving no room for silence and the emptiness within. Meditation helps in getting touch with the silence within.

Accept yourself: We are all different human beings, individual in our own nature. The only thing that is common to all of us is that ‘we aren’t perfect’. So, don’t judge yourself or anybody else.

Be a part: Be a part of a club, a course, or a non-profit organisation. Look around, you will find a lot to do. Not only will you feel better but you will benefit from supporting others too.

Keep in touch... ‘untouchability’ is a crime: If you are going through a difficult time like a messy divorce, a bad month at work, or just a painful experience, you don’t need to pretend to be strong and put up with it alone. Friends are essential at this time so remember to keep in touch.

Feel oneness with Mother Nature: Go on a nature trail, making your own road will give you confidence and make you feel free. A simple act like watching a bird or a butterfly can bring an immense sense of relaxation.

Do something creative: Start a hobby. It will help you when you are anxious or low by increasing your confidence. It could be writing a poem, learning a dance, cooking, gardening. Experiment and find your forte.

Step it up! Regular exercises in the form of a sport you enjoy like swimming, walking, dancing, and cycling may be a lot of hard work but are surely worth the effort. Not only are they good for the physical body but mentally they release hormones that help you feel positive.

Feed your mind: Having a balanced diet not only fills your physical body with the right nutrients and energy but the food you eat affects the moods you feel. The simple key is to eat regularly every two to three hours and have a good proportion of fruits, nuts and vegetables everyday.

Zzz...: Clocking in the zzzs...is an essential part of keeping your mind healthy.

Talkety talk: Our problems tend to overwhelm us and push us into our shell. It may always help to confide in a friend you trust and let the steam off. The friend may in fact give you a third person’s perspective which may not have occurred to you earlier.

Lean on... support: The truth is if you are physically sick, you normally very readily run to a doctor for help but somehow the embarrassment creeps in when you may have to ask for help for your mental health. You tend to perceive it as a sign of weakness. On the contrary it is only a sign of personal strength. Everyone needs strength from time to time and honestly there is nothing wrong in asking for it.

Value yourself!: The feeling of being valuable — ‘I am a valuable person is essential to mental health and is a cornerstone of self discipline’: (Scott Peck).
For only after you realise this will you allow love, joy and peace to flourish in your life!

(The writer is a clinical psychologist and counsellor)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Amateur Sports Can Lead to Unexpected Health Problems Later in Life

2008-11-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

ScienceDaily (Oct. 30, 2008) — Taking up bowling or tennis is an excellent way to stay fit. But if you're not careful, you might find that these amateur sports can have unexpected long-term health risks.
A new study headed by Dr. Navah Ratzon, a long-time occupational therapist and director of the Occupational Therapy Department at Tel Aviv University, can be applied to any number of leisure sport activities. "Increasing numbers of adults are pursuing amateur athletics during their leisure hours. But we've found worrying indications that this activity -- when not done properly -- may have negative effects on the musculoskeletal system," she says.

In the United States, musculoskeletal disorders and disease are the leading cause of disability, and are the cause of chronic conditions in 50% of all people 50 years and older. Musculoskeletal complaints include discomfort, pain or disease of the muscles, joints or soft tissues connecting the bones.

More Athletic Gain, More Chronic Pain?

Focusing specifically on bowlers, Dr. Ratzon and her graduate student Nurit Mizrachi found that 62% of the 98 athletes in their study reported musculoskeletal problems -- aches and pains in the back, fingers, and wrist, for example. According to the study, recently published in the journal Work, the degree of pain a player reported was in direct proportion to the number of leagues in which the person participated. Their conclusion is that the intensity of the sport exacerbated the risk of long-term musculoskeletal damage.

The risks are particularly high in sports where the body is held asymmetrically and repetitive movements are made.

A Few Ounces of Prevention

All ball sports should be played with caution, Dr. Ratzon advises, including sports like golf, basketball, tennis and squash. "Your body is meant to work in a certain way," says Dr. Ratzon. "If you jump for the tennis ball while twisting your back, you put too much stress on your body because it’s an unnatural movement."

Stretching before playing sports is an obvious prevention method against long-term damage. But people should take other measures to keep their bodies fit. If you play baseball, tennis, or golf, Dr. Ratzon suggests that you balance this asymmetrical activity by alternating the use of your right and left arms before, during and after the game, at home or at the office.

"There is really a long list of things people should integrate into their mindset when playing amateur sports," says Dr. Ratzon, an expert on the risks of physical recreation. Other factors such as noise, poor weather, and lack of proper rest should also be considered, she says.

Stress and Strain

People should avoid stressing about their amateur sports activities, notes Dr. Ratzon. If they get anxious when they don't find time for the team each week and shut out other important aspects of their life, such as time with the family, the stress can exacerbate a predisposition to chronic health problems.

"It's important that the new activity integrates well into one’s everyday life," says Dr. Ratzon, even if that means letting your teammates down once in a while. Amateur sports are meant to be fun and healthy for you. Some of her advice might keep both your swing and step in line for a long, long time.

http://www.sciencedaily.com

Heads up! Study looks at soccer and extroversion

2008-02-24T06:27:00.000-08:00

Heading the ball is a staple move in soccer, but it comes with a price: possible concussions.

As coaches, trainers and doctors debate how to deal with the risk, researchers are drawing closer to understanding who is more likely to stick their neck out.

Extroverts, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, are more willing to go head-first into the ball.

A research team administered two tests to 60 teenage and adult male soccer players: one measuring personality traits such as extroversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness; the other, sensation-seeking behavior.

A group of 20 non-soccer-playing athletes with minimal experience in contact sports acted as a control.

Players more apt to head balls had higher levels of extroversion. Tall players also headed the ball more often, but there was no correlation between this group and extroversion. "If you have to counsel a player who heads the ball a lot because they're tall, that's easy to change," one researcher said. "But if this is part of their personality dynamics, that's harder."

By Jeannine Stein
Los Angeles Times

Athlete Opportunity Theorem

2008-02-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

As in love and war, work and play, sports and living all present opportunities. The beginning of life is the opening door to multiple and monumental opportunities. What we do next in between life and death are all opportunities: many wasted, many taken. Every time you do something it impacts the opportunity of that moment and forever changes the direction of one's life. It is essential that we should always try to make the most of every opportunity. Sports, education, business, friends or family, and social interaction provide the most potential and are thus interesting yet intense opportunities. The issue is how are you and those around you creating and using all opportunities? As all of life provides vast opportunities, I will try to touch on some small yet important opportunities.

Setting the stage, a strong work ethic and proper time management skills, especially regarding athletes and coaches, are both critical to enhance opportunities and sports provide a great developmental platform to many successful opportunities in all aspects of a fulfilled life. Athletes and others either take advantage of or throw away opportunities: most don't even realize that "every moment" is an opportunity and therefore generally miss out. We learn from both good and bad experiences in life. What and where are opportunities? Opportunities are everywhere and always happening it's a matter of perceiving and acting upon all these complex events!

Life is full of opportunities, they exist but only if we can perceive and take advantage of them (recognizing, learning and using them). We are born then grow some, are blessed with better circumstances but all with environmental, behavioral, and opportunity factors presenting new elements and the opportunity to change frequently. Opportunities and using these opportunities are critical and life changing especially, between the ages of birth and 5 years as one develops life, social, and coping skills: behavior patterns and discipline are also critical during this phase (hopefully properly guided opportunities). Communication skills are developed and finally individuals have the opportunity to begin the institutional and social educational developmental process. Institutional education is one of the most critical opportunities as it sets the foundation for one's life and the ability to become financially productive as well as sustainability: most people have to daily earn a living (sort of like training daily). The next opportunity comes with an individual's professional endeavors and family opportunities so many choices so little time. All of this falls within the first 17-22 years of our existence. There are opportunities to choose your path regarding God, what sport do I want to participate in, what political party makes the most sense, where do I want to live, what do I really want to be, and on and on: so many opportunities? How we choose and use these opportunities and eventually what becomes really important is critical during these stages as this will directly impact the rest of your life.

Sports offer the most diverse opportunities. I will focus on swimming (because I have more than 40 years experience swimming and coaching) as well as a few other sports. Normally, every day a swimmer attends a workout and most just show up and swim whatever the coach assigns. There is little thought to the meaning and the purpose: little time and energy is devoted to making the most of this opportunity. Now if that swimmer would apply the opportunity theory they would show up, ready to train (nutrition, rest, emotions/attitude all perfect, "Right!") and concentrate, demanding excellence on each element of the workout as another opportunity to excel.

It is an opportunity to train at various levels of intensity, an opportunity to make stroke corrections, an opportunity to psychologically prepare, an opportunity to perform, all opportunities.

Now, it is agreed that many swimmers develop their own styles which physiologically makes them superior in performance against others but the basic elements of swimming are the same: strokes must be performed with certain criteria. Then there are the opportunities to compete but the decision is, when, where, and which meets are the best opportunity to excel. An example of creating opportunity to excel is seen in the practice habits of the phenomenal Michael Phelps practicing 6 days a week (mostly twice daily at 2+ hours plus dry land/weights/flexibility training). Michael was asked by his coach Bob Bowman paraphrased as, "Why not practice on Sundays, it will offer you 52 more workouts a year than anyone else?" Now that's creating opportunities.

As we grow older, the opportunity to change becomes much more difficult as we become ingrained with good or bad habits so we must continually strive to develop proper/efficient mechanics. Practicing on one's own time creates huge benefits as sometimes "quantity creates quality" as swimming requires a huge base/foundation on which to enable/empower other opportunities.

Coaches are responsible for creating opportunities during each workout. They must be creative yet scientific in the development of each workout, each training goal for each swimmer, each segment (short/long course, foundational period, special training elements, taper segments, etc.), and maintain an athlete's interest. Coaches need to plan an annual and, secondarily, a seasonal format for each team, each developmental aspect, and with each swimmer (goal setting and frequent interviews with each athlete needs to be held updating the training plan). Attention and communication with each athlete is also extremely important: how do they feel each day, how did school and their social life go, maintenance of health through proper eating, supplements, proper hygiene, plus many other factors. Continuous education on the part of a coach is also critical to self and athlete development but many coaches are part-time having other jobs to sustain them (membership in professional organizations having access to professional literature and annual clinics/conferences is critical). A huge perceived problem lies in the "shot-gun" approach to coaching where everyone is doing basically the same workout (one workout applies to all with little modification), this leads to rapid athlete digression and eventual loss.

Coaches are mentors responsible for motivating and providing the widest array of opportunities for all their athletes.

Intuitive communication (verbal and nonverbal) is also needed by both the coach and the athlete to ensure proper unencumbered workouts are focused and devoid of emotional hindrances. This means knowing your athlete and feeling their mood (look at their faces when they come in, talk with them for a few moments, and be involved in their life outside the facilities). As school is so pressure-oriented now checking on grades every reporting period can insure athlete stability (modify the number of workouts per day/week if necessary). Stability at home can also be an issue: hold parent conferences or educational seminars quarterly getting feedback from the home front. Other issues that dampen opportunities are girlfriends/boyfriends, the freedom given transportation at 16, and social peers and these are very touchy subjects warn athletes and parents early about these opportunity inhibitors. The bottom line, "know and communicate with athletes!" Charisma, a special illuminating personality drawing and influencing others, is also a factor in coaching through leadership and the ability to develop unlimited opportunities for athletes.

Another sport that offers an insight into opportunities is golf. What you do with your training time is critical. Learning golf is one step, getting good coaching is the next, but the real opportunities come when an athlete as an individual takes their game to the next level, self-coaching. Actual practice offers many opportunities to develop the game. It actually depends on the level of dedication. One could practice daily for 30 minutes on driving, then 30 minutes on the short game, pitching, and sand trap work, and finally 30 minutes on putting for about two plus hours of practice. But, how many athletes are willing to put this kind of effort into this opportunity. Maybe look at what Tiger Woods did under his father's coaching which created opportunities (Johnny Carson Show at six years old). Perfection is an allusive situation or companion but here is what I have found: "Perfect practice, makes perfect." Now let's take opportunity to the course and actual play. "Each" shot is an opportunity, a chance to challenge yourself to hit the best shot possible. Even if the preceding shot places the ball in the worse possible situation it is an opportunity to challenge your skills to excel (again look at the challenges Tiger Woods has had and the remarkable recovery shots he has made). As you can see there is a pattern: it takes hard work, volumes of time, dedication, and tremendous heart and mind set all directed to provide the most from all opportunities.

Other sports can apply this same "Opportunity Theorem." Each sport requires opportunity and consistent practice. The application of exceptional training habits, behavior (nutritional and recovery), principles of excellence all lead to great performance expectations.

The "focus" of an individual or a team on recognizing and utilizing available or creating opportunities is critical. The awareness of opportunities and the utilization of these opportunities under normal situations leads to success.

The most monumental moments in my memory are the ones where it was the worse possible situation creating varied opportunities! This is the opportunity to choose which road you will take, hopefully the one least traveled yet eventually offering the most diverse opportunities. It is the challenges that make life interesting (dealing outside the box, outside one's comfort zone) that brings the most beneficial opportunities as well as panicked excitement. Trying performances and even downright disappointing situations are all learning tools providing opportunities to grow beyond one's comfort zone. I say drink it all in and move on and don't forget what happened: learn from all failed opportunities.

Another aspect of opportunity addresses the "extinguishers" of opportunities or good training behaviors/habits. Life is a finite line, always going in one direction, there is only so much time to eat, sleep, work, play. It all depends on an individual and priorities: God, family, academics or work, sports and life, one must prioritize. The window of opportunity for sport development as a child is limited to the approximate ages of 8-22 years of age (this can be extended in both directions look at Dara Torres/Tiger Woods, she/he have used opportunities and mindset to the maximum proving there are few limitations). The daily grind needed to be the best is oppressive and the year-round athlete dedicated to one sport is rare. Most sports have a season but what could an athlete do given the opportunity to train year-round at an intense level in their one sport? The highly successful athletes must do this to be at the top of their game: all great athletes train wisely year-round! Can you imagine another sport putting as much time and effort as what we will now talk about?

A few sports require so much continual foundational type training that it seems crazy, swimmers are one of those requiring intense dedication, sacrifice, and an overwhelming schedule: they must also have a pool to train in. Swimmers at an early age need to develop proper stroke mechanics then, develop workout stamina and expertise and finally develop total dedication attitude. Two workouts a day Monday through Friday before school and after (plus Saturday workouts or swim meets), go to school and excel academically (swimmers are built that way always the top performers at all they do), eat (proper nutritionally as well for fuel), sleep, and maintaining a positive productive friend/family relationship. Many athletes are now "home schooled" to create opportunities to train and excel academically.

Most people collapse just thinking about this schedule but what it demands positively is teaching individuals how to manage time, how to be successful against all odds and excel in this opportunity we call life.

I will not even go into the logistical aspects of all this from a parent's viewpoint it further staggers the imagination.

Now apply the previous work ethic and schedule to any other sport (the workplace or life in general) and you have the formula for total success. So few are capable let alone able to hold this schedule and accomplish all else on their already overloaded schedules.

This creates the pyramid opportunity formula where the base is large and the pinnacle is small due to attrition or sheer brutality of this dedication required.

I have yet to meet an unsuccessful (at life and in business) ex-athlete who was near the top of their sport. They understand how to create opportunities and grow them.

All success is predicated on the principle that one must create opportunities or opportunities must become present to achieve the status of success, why not create the opportunities?

There are also the "developers of opportunities" these are the support groups for athletes: parents, coaches, teachers, friends, and acutely-managed personal freedom - all these elements can either help or hinder. The Chinese have created the ultimate "Opportunity Training Cosmos" which are eco-spheres for their potential great athletes: we are finally beginning to create this concept for USA Swimming. There are so many distracters and negative influences affecting athletes, just watch the news.

Life is hard enough without making things harder, how to ease negative situations are the factors we need to seek out for successful opportunities.

Many parents hinder athletes from developing opportunities and reaching their potential but without parents there are NO opportunities: nurture your children. Coaches also can be a huge limitation on athletes where they fail to continually develop and learn becoming satiated in their comfort zones. Coaches and manager's ability to see opportunities and fail to steer athletes in that direction staggers the imagination: some are even territorial and possessive thus damaging an athlete's potential opportunities.

Coaches: every day there are opportunities for a coach to learn something about an athlete and something new or technical about their sport.

Teachers: there are 3-5 other teachers working with the same athlete, what teachers do during the time where an athlete is in direct contact with them is a critical opportunity: pay attention, listen carefully as overload is very common to these high performers. Athletes: your responsibility is to learn and perform in the academic setting just as you do within your sport. Also, eliminate blockades to opportunities by doing what you are told to do at home. Don't waste energy on misbehaving (do your chores): we all have someone who is in authority over us. Now as to friends, true friends don't demand your time they actually support your efforts. Athletes: choose your friends carefully, a girlfriend or boyfriend can certainly demand time and attention (too much attention) therefore be careful and communicate your needs to train/study/work. As to freedom, it comes in many packages, an automobile can be a tool and help an athlete and their family but it also can lead to real opportunity crushers.

Create your opportunities; make the most of everything you do, help enhance every possible opportunity.

Next, we have to develop the individual and the team opportunity concept.

While an individual athlete needs to always try and do the most "good" for themselves (intrinsic motivation) they also must do the most "good" for the team (extrinsic motivation).

Swimming is an individual sport with one athlete against the clock over the prescribed distance using a specific stroke, but there are times when the swimmer must compete in a weaker stroke for the benefit of the team (strategy swimming in dual meet or team championship situations). While the opportunity for the individual swimmer may not be advantageous the opportunity for the team may be the higher cause. In other sports, this is much easier to understand (baseball/football) as individuals and the team as a whole organism must work together for the opportunity to win (if the offensive part of the team is down and the defense is performing at a high level there can still be victory but very rarely).

Back to strategic swimming, this can be very stressful yet exciting, high school seasons can be a great release from the everyday or seasonal pressure mill as individuals can at times fill in and swim different events checkmating another team's normal strategy of swimming power against power. College swimming is similar except that these athletes are receiving resources in return for performance still; this can make swimming off your normal stroke both extrinsically and intrinsically motivating. Most of the time the focus must be on the individual opportunity but, team goals must also remain a major consideration for coaches and swimmers.

Athletes go through some crazy opportunities or stages of learning, training, and performing to become great athletes but they are pretty consistent with the following patterns.

First, athletes perform for their parents seeking approval, attention or love via a sport. This time can overlap all the other stages in that athletes seek to obtain parental attention. Parents can really mess this stage up by creating pressure or even living vicariously through their kids.

Secondly, athletes perform for the coach and this may be the final stage for many if not most athletes. Coaches can dominate their athletes demanding performance: this type of coach better be a great coach or great damage will ensue. Team sports are the only place where this coach led effort will work, with some consistency, but imagine if you had a team loaded with the third-stage athletes connected with second stage/level athletes. The third and final stage is where the athlete performs for themselves taking responsibility for their own levels of training, knowing their own limitations and developing their own knowledge base (athlete as coach). This third stage is where the highest level of performance comes: self-actualization. This third stage is where you will find the Olympians and the Tiger Woods and Dara Torres of the sports world.

Here every opportunity is explored and utilized by the third stage athlete. Every stage and every experience is an opportunity tool to enhance training and performance and sometimes to get "seasoned" psychologically.

In summary, "great athletes" have learned to always make the most of all their opportunities. When the right door opens they see the opportunity and take advantage of it. Some opportunities are created by individuals, always knowing that they must do something on their own to enhance their chances for success. Those that train the best and the most benefit with the most opportunities in life and in their sport. If you are waiting for an opportunity you have already missed many other opportunities: seize your moments. What you do between birth and death is your personal opportunity, take responsibility and make the most of all opportunities.

All in all, every moment is an opportunity: see it, take it, and grow. If you want to be the best, at whatever, than be the best: stop throwing away opportunities use them! Work harder and smarter then others it all pays huge dividends, go for the GOLD!

Dr. Chuck Slaght
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com

Fun ways to get fit

2008-01-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

LET'S face it - the idea of sweating it out in a gym is not everyone's idea of fun.

Unfortunately many of us have now got the idea that pounding a treadmill or pumping iron is the only way to keep fit.

If we don't want to do that, often we don't do anything. Exercise is thus pigeon-holed into something we know we should do but never get around to.

The result is playing havoc with our health. Regular physical exercise has many health benefits - it helps the circulatory system deliver oxygen and nutrients around the body; aids the removal of toxins and waste products from your body; improves skin condition; reduces the rate of bone loss, the risk of heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes; alleviates depression and anxiety; controls weight as well as building and maintaining strong and healthy bones, muscles and joints.

So vital is it to our well-being that doctors are now prescribing exercise like they would medicine, with about 10,000 exercise prescriptions being made in Greater Manchester each year.

Peter Elton, director of public health for Bury explains: "Some people get referred for exercise by their GP because they have health problems such as obesity, heart disease and depression.

"We can get people to do exercise on prescription but getting them to sustain it is very hard - you are lucky if a quarter of people keep it up.

"It is difficult because often these are people who have never done any exercise in their life and we've got to think why that is. In Bury about 25 per cent of people don't take any physical activity - not even 15 minutes in a week in one go. That percentage is across all ages and goes up with age."

Moderate

For good health it is recommended that people do 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week. For many this can sound daunting, but the good news is you don't have to join a gym and you don't even need to do 30 minutes all at once to feel the benefit. If 30 minutes is too much you can start by introducing small bouts of activity into your day, such as three 10 minute walks, building this up as your fitness improves.

"What is moderate exercise for one person will be different for someone else because it depends from what level of fitness you are starting from," Dr Elton adds. "Some people will go to gyms but we need to encourage people to do exercise generally. That doesn't mean doing it for a week or two but to keep on doing it and build it into everyday life.

"It's best to do something you know you can do every day. If you live two miles away from work, walk there or get off the stop earlier or park your car so you can also save on your parking fees as well."

Your body will tell you when you are reaching a moderate amount of exercise - you will be breathing harder than normal and feel slightly warmer, but this shouldn't be uncomfortable. It should feel like you are making some effort and shouldn't feel easy. If your heart is beating rapidly and you are breathing hard, then this would be classed as vigorous exercise.

If you haven't exercised in the past or for some time, you need to build up gradually. Be aware that everyone is different and what might be easy, or moderate exercise for one person, may be vigorous for another.

You should see your GP before starting a new exercise programme if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, joint problems, or you're over 60 and haven't exercised for a while.

Remember, your body doesn't differentiate between different physical activity, so whether you are mowing the lawn, washing your car or working out in a gym, it's all exercise. And the best type is one that you enjoy doing because then you're more likely to keep it up.

1: Team Sports

Be it football or bowls - whatever your age or level of fitness there will be a team sport to suit you.

Being part of a team means that other people are relying on you, so there is less chance that you'll start making excuses for letting your exercise slip.

A group activity can also help you get organised and set aside a definite time for exercise. And more than that, it can be fun and sociable - even ordinarily downbeat moments like running in the rain, playing hockey in the mud or having a crazy coach - can make for good memories when shared.

2: Swimming

Swimming is a great form of exercise because it is one that can be continued for a lifetime. You can make your swimming as leisurely or as strenuous as you like, making it ideal for both relaxation and calorie burning. Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and fitness. It is also a good way to get you back into exercise following an injury, because the water supports your weight enabling you to exercise without putting any pressure on your joints or recovering muscles

3: Dancing

The success of TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing has sparked a resurgence of interest in ballroom and other forms of partner dancing.

For those who take their interest beyond the sofa it can be a great form of cardiovascular exercise for all ages as well as improving coordination and flexibility.

Stuart Clayton, 65, and his wife Jean, 61, from Sale (pictured above) have been dancing for 15 years and were the founder members of the Cinnamon Club in Bowdon three years ago, where they now dance twice a week. "It's a lot more physical than it looks," says Stuart. "Recently I put a calorie counter on and it's at least 300 calories an hour coming off - if you dance for three hours you could be burning up 1,000 calories!"

Stuart also enjoys the social side to his active hobby. The club has a large mix of members ranging from late teens to 70s who all share a common interest in dance, and it has added enjoyment because it is something they can do together as a couple.

"We both took early retirement from IBM," Stuart adds. "It was an opportunity to start a hobby we could do together.

"I'd recommend anyone to give it a try - although it's a lot harder than it looks, once you get it it's brilliant. Of course you are nervous about it when you're a beginner because you think you'll get danced off the floor, but it doesn't work that way. Experienced dancers will recognise a beginner, help them and give them space - they want beginners to join and for the club to grow - it makes it more fun."

For more information go to www.dancz.co.uk.

4: Walking

Walking is a physical activity suitable for all ages and fitness levels because it can be done at your own pace, at any time and with minimal equipment. It can also be incorporated easily into your every day routine and for this reason is an ideal way to fit exercise into our busy lives.

Mum-of-two Helene Orchard (pictured below with daughter Macey) admits that she would find it impossible to do any structured exercise, such as go to a gym or join an aerobics class.

To get around this she has built exercise into her everyday tasks, so that no matter what is happening she still manages to get it done.

"I'm obviously limited to what I can do around Lucy's feeds," says the 26-year-old from Cheadle Heath whose youngest, Lucy is just four-and-a-half-months-old. "But I like to do some exercise every day."

Helene walks her five-year-old daughter, Macey, to and from school every day and builds on this a couple of evenings a week with some power walking on a circuit near her house.

"It takes about 15 minutes to school every morning and then I'll take a longer route home, putting an extra 10 minutes on the journey. In the afternoon I do the same when I pick Macey up," she adds.

"Walking to and from school also gives me an opportunity to talk to Macey - when she can tell me what she's done at school.

"The weather really used to bother me, especially going to work if my hair got wet - but now it doesn't. As long as Lucy has got a rain cover on her trolley and Macey is holding an umbrella then it's fine - it's only a bit of water.

"I go back to work in Febuary and I intend to walk the children to the child minders and then walk to work in Stockport. I think it's important that my girls don't think it's normal to sit on a sofa every night. I want them to enjoy being active so I'll keep the walking up."

5: Gardening

If you garden for pleasure you'll be pleased to hear that it is a hobby which can benefit both your physical and mental well-being.

Gardening involves several exercises including stretching, weightlifting and a moderate cardiovascular workout.

There are a lot of activities you can do in the garden with a wide range of physical exertion levels, so even the elderly can enjoy pottering and cleaning up the lawn. Gardening is also used to help those with mental health problems because of the relaxing atmosphere of being outdoors in the fresh air.

Carmel Thomason
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Fear of fitness more than physical

2008-01-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

If your resolution to get in shape always ends in failure, the problem may be in your head, not your work-out. Sam Murphy reports.

Personal training used to be all about whipping your body into shape. No more - hire a personal trainer these days and chances are you'll exercise some mental muscle, too.

"Exercise itself isn't rocket science," says Pete Cohen, a health and wellbeing coach trained in human psychology and behaviour. "It's getting people to enjoy it and stick with it in the long term that's the real challenge."

So can working with a trainer help you lose your bad attitude? Cohen believes many of us set ourselves up to fail when we try to get fit.

"From the very moment you think to yourself, 'I've tried this before and it didn't work - why should this time be any different?' you can bet your bottom dollar it won't be," he says. "To make a difference, you need to reinvent yourself as someone who no longer hates exercise ... A skilled personal trainer can help bring around that shift ... in lots of ways: for example, by making exercise enjoyable and challenging your beliefs."

Behaviour modification techniques such as self-talk, which encourages the belief that you are already living a healthy life rather than being on the way to one, have long been used in other areas of behaviour counselling, including quitting smoking, weight loss and sports performance, but they are only now finding their way into the personal training market.

That doesn't mean trying to terrify people into it. In fact, Sheffield University research found that using scare tactics was the least effective strategy in instigating healthy behaviour changes. What worked was setting goals, using self-talk, behavioural contracts and regular monitoring.

"Many people embark on exercise with no goals at all or just vaguely formulated ideas such as 'tone up' or 'get fitter'," Cohen says. "Helping clients pin down exactly what they want to achieve is crucial." Aberdeen University research found that setting goals resulted in significantly more weight loss than not setting goals. "The same is almost certainly true with exercise," Cohen says.

What makes a good goal? "One that's challenging but achievable," says mental performance and lifestyle coach Midgie Thompson. Once you've determined your ultimate goal, you need to work backwards from there, setting mini goals along the way that will boost morale and keep you on track.

Putting your goals in writing is widely recommended. "It creates accountability, a powerful incentive," Thompson says. But be careful what you write. "The language you use to state your goal is important. I encourage clients to set 'towards', not 'away from' goals. For example, rather than saying, 'I want to lose weight', I'll get them to say, 'I want to reach my ideal weight'. The unconscious mind doesn't like 'losing' anything, so the way you frame your goal needs to be positive."

Unfortunately, most of us feel anything but positive about physical activity. In many ways, exercise is seen as punitive; as soon as you start telling yourself you "have to" lose weight, it's all about negative emotions.

Does it matter, though, if the thing that motivates you to lace up those trainers is shamefully shallow? Research on "intrinsic" and "extrinsic" styles of motivation suggests it does. Studies show that extrinsic factors, such as losing weight for your wedding or holiday, are associated with short-term commitment. Intrinsic factors - say, the sense of accomplishment you feel from getting fitter or the enjoyment of playing a sport - are associated with long-term adherence.

Then again, part of the battle with exercise is making it a habit, so who cares if those first few sessions are motivated by nothing more lofty than attaining a six-pack? "It doesn't matter whether your motivation is deep and meaningful or superficial, as long as it gets you out there," Thompson says.

Cohen says that if you manage to get through those first few weeks, you'll begin to develop the neurological pathways that make exercise feel normal. "Experts estimate that if you can sustain the habit for 21 sessions, it will become routine," he says. And that, of course, has to be the ultimate goal.

How to find the athlete within ...

- What are your reasons for exercise? Write them down in as much detail as possible.

- Set challenging but achievable goals. Establish your ultimate goal, then work back to the present, putting in short-term goals to achieve along the way. Put your goals into a time-scale and have them in writing.

- Learn to self-talk. Everyone has times when they don't want to exercise but those who do it anyway are those who have learned to counter negative self-talk with positive, persuasive arguments.

- Try to stay "in the moment" during your work-outs rather than thinking about other things. Feel the breeze on your face when you're out running or tune into your breathing rather than focusing on your heart-rate monitor.

- Don't get stuck in a rut. "Have a sense of discovery and fun about exercise," Cohen says. "You've got to enjoy the journey, not just the destination."

- Use visualisation: picture yourself on the treadmill or taking part in a class.

- After your work-out, take a moment to congratulate yourself and reflect on what you've achieved.

http://www.smh.com.au/

Training the best – to be better

2008-01-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

New EP athletic facility’s program design to make its athletes swifter, higher, stronger

By John Molene

Under the watchful eye of performance director Shawn Myszka, Chaska baseball player Nate Murphy throws the large weighed ball toward the wall. Again, and again. And Again.

Practice makes perfect, they say. And while these three Chaska Senior High baseball players training on a Saturday morning in January may not attain perfection, striving for it is more than acceptable, it’s required.

For many people, January marks a resolution to get in better shape.

For the elite athletes who train at Explosive Edge Athletics in Eden Prairie, the new year means getting to a level they’ve never reached before. In fact, the club’s brochures ask that very question: “Are you ready for the next level?”

Opened in 2007 in an office complex on Valley View Road, Explosive Edge Athletics (EEA) provides power training programs, athletic testing, speed, agility and quickness drills, nutritional consultation and sport-specific clinics for high school, collegiate and professional teams and athletes.

In fact, the staff at Explosive Edge is so confident of their abilities to improve athletic performance that they offer a money back guarantee.

“We provide a unique, multi-faceted approach to athletic performance training,” said Jason Thompson, EEA business director.

“The difference between great athletes and mediocre ones is often minimal,” Thompson said. “Therefore, an athlete’s inner mental strength and will to win can be the determining factor for success. At EEA ... successful training is based on principles of a superior training philosophy and a strong mental commitment of both the athlete and the athletic performance coach.”

All training programs at EEA are customized specifically to each individual client focusing on their sport, ability and personal and athletic goals, ensuring that no two athletes have the exact same overall plan.

“Nothing we do is cookie-cutter,” said Thompson. “Every single program is customized based on each athlete’s strengths and weaknesses.

“By utilizing proven and highly technical methods, along with state-of-the-art testing equipment, we are able to guarantee an athlete’s results,” Thompson noted. “All to often, many other athletic performance facilities simply exploit a young athlete’s natural maturation and claim huge gains in success from it. ... We strive for technical perfection from all of our athletes and thus achieve results above and beyond natural growth, as well as reduce the number of unwarranted injuries.”

Shawn Myszka, EEA’s athletic performance director, brings a heavy list of credentials into the gym. As a former competitive bodybuilder, Myszka won the NPC Wisconsin State Championship in 1999 and 2001, and eventually competed at the national level. He then took his passion for training to the next phase as a professional strength coach with the Chicago Bears in 2003.

Myszka is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and speaks at state, regional and national clinics and seminars on athletic performance training. One of his areas of expertise is in the field of plyometrics, an exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, generally for the purposes of improving performance in a specific sport.

Plyometric movements use the strength and elasticity of muscle and surrounding tissues to enable the athlete jump higher, throw farther or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal.

“Very few do it correctly,” said Myszka, who is one of the leading experts on the methodology and application of the program and has led seminars for professional football, baseball and soccer strength coaches on the subject.

“It’s the bridge between strength and speed,” noted Thompson.

“It’s one of the things that makes us different,” added Myszka.

Myszka, who brings a wealth of high-profile experience to EEA, creates programs that develop both physical and mental strength so that athletes will become faster, stronger and mentally tougher than their opponents. He’s worked with high school, college and professional athletes and coaches from novices to world-class professionals.

“Training for athletic performance goes much further than what is happening inside a weight room or on the track; it actually goes much deeper than that,” said Myszka. “It taps into the heart and determining day-in and day-out what someone is truly made of. When the athletes are here at EEA, they are expected to go the distance. We expect them to have the desire to push themselves to the absolute limits of their potential – if they have the desire, we will design the program and put them in a position to get there.”

The plyometric program they have instituted has had dramatic results with several athletes, Thompson noted. They said:

* Ben King, a quarterback at Mankato State, improved his horizontal jump seven inches in less than three weeks.

* Minnesota state 2007 Class AA high jump champion Hanna Muegge of Hopkins increased her jumping ability two inches in seven sessions.

* Minnesota professional tennis player Eric Butorac gained four inches on his vertical jump and nine inches on his horizontal jump.

Thompson and Myszka said the strength programs they design emphasize quality over quantity, and combine power with speed.

“It’s all about developing strength with speed, or speed with force,” said Myszka.

The first session with an athlete involves measuring their present abilities. The EEA team then puts together a plan to improve performance in the areas the athlete wishes to improve.

“On day one we assess their weaknesses and strengths, and then we work with them one-on-one to improve,” Thompson said.

For more information on Explosive Edge Athletics, see www.explosiveedgeathletics.com, or phone 952-746-9003.

Top of your game!!

2008-01-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

How do you reach your peak performance? Professionals share
their expertise on maintaining that mental edge

After 15 years as a professional soccer player, Marcelo Fontana has figured out a lot more than just how to kick the ball into the net.

"If you set a goal," says the Milwaukee Wave midfielder, "you have to do everything you can to achieve it. If you don’t reach it, at least you did all you could.

"If at the first obstacle you quit, it’s never going to work for you. You have to keep pushing."

It’s that kind of mental toughness that traditionally separates elite athletes from everyone else.

Coaches have preached it for generations. But is it measurable — or even definable?

"We don’t know a lot about emotional intelligence in sports yet," says Barbara Meyer, an associate professor in UW-Milwaukee’s College of Health Sciences. "We have no relevant research to suggest it even is important in sports."

Meyer and others are studying how athletes achieve and maintain peak performance. She defines emotional intelligence in a hierarchy — first perceiving one’s emotions, then understanding them. Next comes utilizing emotions, and finally managing them.

"I ask an elite athlete and they say it’s 90 to 95 percent mental versus physical," adds Meyer. "If you’re spending 10 hours a day training, are you spending nine hours on mental? Athletes then admit they are spending so little time on it. It’s the ‘aha’ moment."

In addition to doing research and teaching at UW-Milwaukee, Meyer also serves as athletic performance manager for Australia’s ski and snowboard team. She worked closely with Aussie aerial skier Alisa Camplin, who has won two Olympic medals, but also has had to overcome two serious knee injuries.

"When someone cannot train because they are ill, injured or traveling, we step up their mental training," explains Meyer.

Matthew Krug, an assistant professor of psychology at Wisconsin Lutheran College, agrees with Meyer that when training and talent are equal, mental preparation is the key to top performance. He is president of the Midwest Institute of Performance in Brookfield, and works with major league baseball players, PGA Tour golfers and athletes at other levels.

The experts also agree on the importance of patience. "A great athlete is not developed overnight," says Heather Haviland, a professional triathlete from Waukesha.

Krug’s resume includes a year at the IMG Academies in Florida, where tennis and golf phenoms go to work on their game. "If I think someone is going too quick and it’s detrimental to their possible future results, I’d give an athlete a great deal of credit to be able to step back," he says.

Meyer, meanwhile, points to golfer Tiger Woods’ success. "He’s incredible, but what he does mentally is trainable, things like controlling his intensity, and focusing," she explains. "He’s taken golf to a new place with fitness and training. He’s delayed gratification by taking his swing apart. We can teach this to people."

One skill commonly taught to athletes is imagery or visualization.

"We have an athlete visualize as many of the same variables as possible," says Krug. "These would include visual, auditory and kinesthetic variables."

Olympic speed skater Elli Ochowicz, who grew up in Waukesha, employs imagery in her workouts and competitions — an important factor in a highly precise sport where fractions of a second are critical.

"I do visualization of my technique," she explains. "Usually before every race, I picture my start and how I want to enter the corners."

Jeffrey Baker, who is a performance specialist and assistant fitness director at be fitness and wellness center in Delafield, says triathletes can benefit by visualizing even the areas that are used to transition between events during a race. "It’s so there’s no surprises and you’ll experience a high level of comfort," he says. Such imagery also has a practical side — if you visualize worst-case scenarios and how you ideally would react to them, you’re more likely to come prepared with extra shoelaces, for instance.

Krug also believes athletes need to develop routines for pre-competition, in the heat of battle, and post-game.

Consistency before competition includes what to eat and when to warm up. During a game, Krug explains, athletes need to guard against overreacting, such as a pitcher who gets mad at himself after giving up a hit. He says emotions also run high immediately after a game, so it’s better instead to postpone a detailed evaluation of your performance until the next practice.

Persistence also is a key to refocusing an athlete who has a reputation as a "head case," according to Krug.

"In my perspective, those are the athletes who haven’t had a chance to develop mental skills," he says. "It takes time and it takes patience — on the very stage where people may be booing you."

According to Krug, many athletes respond better when the surroundings are familiar — just look at the Milwaukee Brewers’ home record the last two seasons.

"Coaches can make the practice environment as close to the performance environment as possible, like how they pumped in noise for Brett Favre to practice in to be ready to play at the Metrodome," notes Krug.

Meyer says she wants elite athletes to treat a "big game" no differently from a practice. "I tell hockey players, ‘I don’t care if you’re playing for a sippy cup, a Dixie cup or the Stanley Cup, it’s still ice and a puck,’" she says.

Is that kind of mind game possible? Fontana and Ochowicz say it is.

"I love it when we get into the playoffs. It’s a motivation, but you try to calm down and enjoy it, because it doesn’t last forever. I don’t want these moments to take over," the 34-year-old Wave player says. "I think every game is important, but of course some games mean more than others. We should play like it’s any other game."

Adds Ochowicz, who has skated in two Olympics, "There’s always butterflies when it’s the Olympics, just because you’ve been preparing four years for a 38-second race. I just try to forget everything and let my body do the work."

But what about the benefits of a rousing speech? Given that a team is comprised of many different personalities, "Let’s win one for the Gipper" doesn’t work with everyone.

"Sometimes you yell at a guy and he goes into a hole," says Milwaukee Bucks guard-forward Charlie Bell. "Some guys don’t need to be yelled at — they’re self-motivated."

Coaches learn to be selective with halftime speeches, according to David Schultz, who directs Carroll College’s men’s basketball team. "Maybe once or twice a year that can be effective," he says. "You overdo it and it loses its luster. Besides, on the college level you have guys play for you for four years and they end up hearing the same thing for a hundred games."

Haviland says athletes can become more successful by improving their goal-setting and planning skills. A goal "keeps you coming back," she says.

"It’s the idea of how do you execute to get to your goal," Haviland adds. "If your goal is to have $1,000 saved by the end of the year, you have to have a plan and stick to it."

Recreational athletes often find their motivation in life-altering events, according to Haviland. "Maybe someone close to them died, or they had cancer, or they want to lose weight or control their weight," she explains. "These things empower people."

"When you feel good and healthy, and you’re tactically prepared," says Fontana, "you get into the game and it’s time to shine."

By CATHY BREITENBUCHER
http://www.gmtoday.com

Anxiety and Stress Guide

2008-01-20T06:50:00.000-08:00

Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health diagnoses. It is essential for those suffering from these disorders that they can have many different options for treatment. Even more outstanding is the idea that major depression has become the leading worldwide cause of disability. Depression and anxiety are both very disabling to people and their lives. However, sometimes the typical medications can have terrible side effects and many people do not want to take them because of this. Therefore, there are anxiety and depression alternative therapies available. Anxiety and depression often occur at the same time and can make overcoming the symptoms even more difficult. Anxiety and depression alternative therapies are available to help with many of the different symptoms.

One of the leading symptoms of depression and anxiety is insomnia and sleep disturbances. The root of sleep disorders in people with depression and anxiety is physiological. There are a few very specific things that should be done to try and alleviate the sleeplessness that can occur. They are all considered to be anxiety and depression alternative therapies. The first is to make sure the body has plenty of vitamin E and B complex. While the vitamin E helps people sleep, the vitamin B complex calms the nerves. Second, it is helpful to avoid any stimulants. This includes illegal substances, caffeine, and sugar. It is also important to exercise.

Not only can exercise help counter act the depression, it can also help tire a person out and help them sleep. Then it is a good idea to learn to meditate or use relaxation exercises. Lastly it is suggested that psychotherapy be obtained. That way, there is someone the person can talk to about the disturbances, stresses, and feelings that they are experiencing. Getting the troubles out of the mind can slow down the racing of thoughts that can occur.

Anxiety and depression alternative therapies are often inexpensive and easily accessible. However, when already stressed and depressed and it can be difficult to try and make additional life changes. It is also important to note that they are not an instant help, but do take some time. So people must be patient. Another one of the anxiety and depression alternative therapies is something called Emotional Freedom Technique.

This is said to be acupressure for the mind. This is a treatment of gentle pressure of the head, chest, and hands. The pressure in specific places is said to relieve emotional difficulties. People with depression and anxiety should be able to seek treatment without the side effects or stresses of medication trial and error.

By Stephan Bikoe

Top 4 Nutrients For Brain Power

2008-01-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

The key strategy for tuning up the nervous system is to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to make healthy nerve cells, to protect them from damage, and to enhance their ability to carry out their functions. The results can be astounding. You can boost your mental alertness, increase concentration, promote learning, enhance both short-term and long-term memory, and keep your senses sharp. Your brain requires a constant source of high-quality nutrition. The brain is so metabolically active that a deficiency of any of a number of nutrients can lead to poor mental function, depression, or other serious mental disorders. Since the neurons in your brain communicate through neurotransmitters, you need to supply your body with the raw materials needed to keep a constant supply of neurotransmitters available. There are more than fifty known neurotransmitters. Some are found only in the central nervous system, while others are active there and elsewhere in the body. Here are some nutrients for boosting your brain and nerve function.

1. Boost Choline Intake

Choline, a B vitamin-like substance, is a crucial ingredient in the membranes found in every one of your cells. Dietary or supplementary choline can boost the production of acetylcholine and thus is important for memory, learning, and mental alertness. Rich food sources of choline include lecithin, peanuts, wheat germ, and soy foods. Choline is also found in good levels in Brussels sprouts, oatmeal, soybeans, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes. The best forms of choline for supplementation are phosphatidylcholine, glycerophosphocholine, and cytosine diphosphocholine, but supplementation is usually not necessary if you boost dietary sources.

2. Boost Your Antioxidant Intake

Vitamins C and E are found in high levels in the brain and nervous system. Because the brain cells are high in unsaturated fat, they are especially vulnerable to damage by free radicals. There is mounting scientific and clinical evidence that the higher the intake of antioxidants over time, the better the mental function later in life. A high intake of these nutrients is also associated with a significantly lower risk for both Alzhemier’s and Parkinson’s disease. Taking 500 to 1,500 mg of vitamin C and 400 to 800 IU of vitamin E is recommended.

3. Balance Your Electrolytes

The ability of a nerve to fire depends on the presence of electrolytes – minerals such as potassium, sodium, chloride, and magnesium dissolved in water. They are termed electrolytes to signify their critical role in conducting electricity in the human body. If you have too much sodium and too little potassium in your diet, the imbalance can slow down the ability of neurons to conduct signals. Boosting potassium and magnesium while restricting sodium intake is a very important dietary recommendation for tuning up brain and nervous system function. Eating more whole, unprocessed foods and avoiding high-salt processed foods and table salt is all that is needed for most people to get their potassium and sodium in balance.

4. Take B Vitamins

These vitamins are crucial for brain and nerve function. B1 and B2 help control the use of glucose by neurons. They also help your body make fatty acids needed to preserve the integrity of nerve cell membranes. Along with vitamin B5, they are important for making acetylcholine and thus for helping memory function. Vitamin B2 (niacin) is vital for proper mental function. People who suffer from niacin deficiency often exhibit signs of dementia. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) acts like a biological shuttle service, ferrying amino acids into the brain for its use in making neurotransmitters. Lack of B6 can cause abnormal brain wave patterns and a decrease in nervous system activity. Vitamin of B12 helps your brain make use of carbohydrates and proteins. It is also vital for producing the myelin sheath that protects the axons of your nerve cells. Folic acid works as a partner with vitamin B12 in many biochemical processes in the brain, including the manufacture of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Impaired mental acuity (or dementia) and depression are common symptoms of folic acid or B12 deficiency. Deficiencies of these nutrients are common, especially in elderly subjects, and are an often overlooked cause of dementia and depression.

Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

Stress Reduction Methods

2008-01-20T06:19:00.000-08:00

Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. With the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion, or a new relationship, we experience stress as we re-adjust our lives. In so adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder us depending on how we react to it. Exercise As a way of draining off stress energy, nothing beats aerobic exercise. To understand why, we need to review what stress is. People often think of stress as pressure at work, a demanding boss, a sick child or rush-hour traffic. All these may be triggers but stress is actually the body's reaction to factors such as these. Stress is the fight-or-flight response in the body, mediated by adrenaline and other stress
hormones, and comprised of such physiologic changes as increased heart rate and blood pressure, faster breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, dry mouth and increased blood sugar. In other words, stress is the state of increased arousal necessary for an organism to defend itself at a time of danger. Meditation Another way to reduce stress in the body is through certain disciplines which fall under the heading of relaxation techniques, reiki healing and other forms of healing are great to reduce stress. Just as we are all capable of mounting and sustaining a stress reaction, we have also inherited the ability to put our bodies into a state of deep relaxation which Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard University has named "the relaxation response." In this state, all the physiologic events in the stress reaction are reversed: pulse slows, blood pressure falls, breathing slows and muscles relax. Sleeping As mundane as it sounds, sleep is an important way of reducing stress. Chronically stressed people almost all suffer from fatigue (in some cases
resulting from stress-induced insomnia), and people who are tired do not cope well with stressful situations. These dynamics can create a vicious cycle. When a distressed individual gets more sleep, they feel better and are more resilient and adaptable in dealing with day-to-day events. Leisure Pacing has two components: monitoring your stress and energy level, and then pacing yourself accordingly. It is about awareness and vigilance; knowing when to extend yourself and when to ease up. It is also about acting on the information your body gives you. Expectations A common source of stress is unrealistic expectations. People often become upset about something, not because it is innately stressful, but because it does not concur with what they expected. Take, for example, the experience of driving in slow-moving traffic. If it happens at rush
hour, you may not like it but it will not surprise or upset you. However, if it occurs on a Sunday afternoon, especially if it makes you late for something, you are more likely to be stressed by it.

Reframing
This is one of the most powerful and creative stress reducers of which I know. Reframing is a technique used to change the way you look at things in order to feel better about them. We all do this inadvertently at times. For example, many people view a split from a partner as huge disaster where as others may realize that they may have needed this time to assess personal priorities and what they really want from a soul mate.

Belief Systems
A lot of stress results from our beliefs. We have literally thousands of premises and assumptions about all kinds of things that we hold to be the
truth - everything from, "You can't fight Government" and "The customer is always right," to "Men shouldn't show their emotions" and "Children should make their beds." Support We have all had friends who come to us upset, talking incessantly about a
problem, and feeling better when they are finished. They have told their story, cried or made some admission, and the act of doing so in the presence of a trusted and empathic listener has been therapeutic.

Humour
Humour is a wonderful stress reducer, an antidote to upsets. Laughter relieves tension. In fact, we often laugh hardest when we have been
feeling most tense. Idols We all inadvertently have idols that we worship. These idols can consist of objects of desire such as a particular type of car, a big house, a handsome or beautiful partner and maybe even celebrity pop star. The old saying that the grass always seems greener on the other side has an familiar ring to it. Humans can become slaves to there desires and obsessions, even people that appear outwardly content have deep seated desires that become there goal in life.

Massage
One of the best ways of discharging stress and staying happy and healthy is by having massage.What is massage? Massage is rubbing, kneading, tapping or otherwise manipulating the soft body tissue with the hands or with some instrument designed for this purpose. Massage relaxes tense muscles, eases stress, relieves pain and can help you get to sleep. Smoking Smokers often report that cigarettes help relieve feelings of stress.
However, the stress levels of adult smokers are slightly higher than those of non-smokers, adolescent smokers report increasing levels of stress as they develop regular patterns of smoking, and smoking cessation leads to reduced stress. Far from acting as an aid for mood control, nicotine dependency seems to exacerbate stress.

By Kieth T

Pros Secrets To Play Better Golf

2008-01-20T06:12:00.000-08:00

Golf is a sport that is enjoyed by millions of people every day all over the world. For many years, men, women and children have taken part in the sport of Golf. There are professional golfers and not-so-professional golfers. There are expert golfers, intermediate golfers and beginners. No matter what level of golf we play, we all want to improve our golf game. The first step to propelling yourself towards competing with golf professionals is to learn and apply some specific principles of the game.

The Principles of golf

What principles do I mean? Well these principles include a variety of areas, such as mental attitude, swing, and determination. Next, how much you are willing to practice? Why not start with the principle of developing a routine? As with anything in life, golf requires diligent application to master. It is suggested that you play golf a minimum of two times weekly. In order to get the most out of the sport of golf, four times weekly is best. This may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that it is a game you love and want to improve. Remember the old saying,

Practice Makes Perfect ....

Well, it applies to golf, too.

Change your Attitude Man!

Your mental attitude can literally make or break your golf game. You may be wondering at this very moment, why more people do not play better golf. After all, the game of golf is simple in concept, a ball on the ground, a club in your hand and other golfers watching quietly while you hit the ball. What is the big deal, right? Well, the main reason a golfer continually has a high game has to do with their mental attitude. In order play a better game, it is necessary to start from the beginning with a positive attitude. Beat the game, do not let it beat you.

Have you heard the stories of golfers throwing their clubs when a shot does not go the way they planned? I sure have, my own dad did that. It is exactly that type of mental attitude that hinders performance in a game. Allowing the game to frustrate you does nothing at all to the ball or club (except maybe break it and then what good is it), it only defeats you.

The Swing of it all!

Finally, the way you swing your golf club has everything to do with the result of your golf game. If you do not learned the proper techniques of the swing, you will continue on the present road of your over par golf game. Without knowing exactly how you should be swinging, you cannot even hope to improve. Today`s golfers have listened to all of the hype, theories and stories surrounding the world of golf swings. It is all too easy to fall into the trap and never reach your goal of developing a good golf swing.

By learning and applying all of these main principals, you can begin to enjoy a golf game that is comparable to those played by the professionals.

Written by:
Jim Cox
Melbourne, Australia

Sports Science & Improving Sporting Performance

2008-01-20T06:02:00.000-08:00

Sport science is a collection of scientific disciplines that work together to improve the performance of a given athlete. This can cover the way an athlete sleeps to the food they eat and when they eat it. It can also cover the cloth they wear and the manner in which they train and how often they train. Sport science covers the facilities that they perform in and how they are designed and built.

Finally, sport science also includes the mental needs of the athlete. There can be great strides on the physical front to allow the athlete to go beyond what they think they can. The mental barriers also have to be moved to allow the athlete to move that imaginary point they see as their limit.

Top consultants in the world
Currently the following people are listed as the top consultants in the world on the subject of sports science. They are Dr. Filippo Ongaro (Italy), who works with endurance performance enhancements for elite athletes and astronauts, Dr. Jacques Dallaire (USA/Canada), who works with mental and physical testing and performance for athletes and professional racecar drivers and Ric Charlesworth (New Zealand), who works with high-performance management.

Each of these people brings to the field of sport science a wide range of experience and techniques that help to increase athletes abilities to perform at their peak. They have, in fact, worked to keep moving the point at which the athlete reaches their peak. This effort allows the athlete to perform faster, better and for longer periods of time. They have addressed the mental challenges to endurance as well as the physical challenges to endurance.

Qualifications involved with sports science
The people that are involved in sport science are all professionals at what they do. They may be doctors of various clinical specializations. They can also be dietitians, physical therapists, psychologists and physiologists.

Many will be engineers that focus on different areas of the athletes performance and find ways to get a little bit more out of the athletes efforts. Some will design the training equipment or the actual equipment used to compete with or the facilities they compete in. The one thing that all these professionals have in common is a love for the sport they are involved in and a desire to see it go to the next level

Benefited from sports science
There have been many benefits for the general public because of sports science. Some of these advances have included the way shoes are designed and the way they are built. We have seen changes in bicycle designs that have made them lighter and stronger. We have even seen changes in the types of snacks that have been made popular over the years.

The benefits of sport science have also impacted the way our every day injuries are treated. There are new methods for physical therapy that were developed to help elite athletes heal faster and better. The cloths we wear are warmer, lighter and brighter because of the advances in sports science.

http://www.articlecircle.com/feeds.php?author=1244

Niagara Ice Dogs - Young Athlete Training Programs

2008-01-20T05:54:00.000-08:00

Young Athlete Training Programs
The most important years of an athlete are between the ages of 7 to 11. One of the leading researchers in the area of athletic development, Istvan Balyi states that if the ABC’s (agility, balance, coordination and speed) are not trained as a part of a solid foundation by the age of 11, the person will not maximize their athletic potential. The Human Performance Centre programs are designed for young athletes guided by the Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) document. The LTAD is fully based on and supported by coaching and exercise science literature.
Every child is not going to be a professional athlete. As parents we want them to be able enjoy and be confident when undertaking physical activity. Early introduction of a physical lifestyle will encourage children to be more physically active throughout their lives. This increased activity reverses current trends in childhood and adult obesity and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore confidence in physical competency will lead to an overall confident, positive, highly motivated individual with a healthy self esteem.
The Human Performance Centre’s goal is to help each and every young athlete to grow and develop in a fun, friendly and safe environment. We will teach young athletes how to move more efficiently, quicker, with more coordination, strength and power, all of which will lead to a lesser chance for injury.
# Early specialization in a single sport can be detrimental to a young athlete. Specializing before the age of 10 in late specialization sports contributes to: One sided, sport specific preparation
# Lack of ABC’s, the base movement and sports skills
# Overuse injuries
# Early burnout
# Early retirement from training and competition

What can you expect?
# Your program will work on developing FUNdamental movement skills and sports skills.
# Your program will work on learning to run, jump and throw properly.
# Your program will work on the ABC’s of athleticism: agility, balance, coordination & speed.
# Your training session will last for about one hour.
# It will start with a general and sport specific dynamic warmup.
# These seemingly basic skills will be introduced through fun and games.

Mental training
For all athletes to maximize their potential the mental component must be addressed. Areas such as arousal management, coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety, visualization techniques and learning how to remain focus and free of distractions will be addressed. These mental skills will help all athletes on and off the field of play.
It is the mental power that separates the exceptional from the very good. When high level athletes play there is not much to choose between them talent or training wise. What separates them is what goes on between the ears.
A positive mindset during training keeps you focused on making the small improvements to make you better. A positive mindset during competition may make that 1% difference between achieving your goals.

Nutrition knowledge and skill development
Nutrition is an important component of healthy growth and development in youth. In addition, physical activity, athletic performance and recovery from exercise are enhanced by optimal nutrition. Learn how to select appropriate food and fluids, time your intake and assess supplement choices for optimal health, growth, development and exercise performance.
For parents and children, learn a healthy and manageable division of responsibility for eating. Enjoy food and eating peace in the family.
Learn how favourite youth culture foods (often called junk food) can fit into your athlete’s eating while maintaining optimal performance. Learn how to make informed choices.
Our Registered Dietitian can help you as a group on a variety of topics including tips and techniques for eating on the road, preventing fatigue and planning meals and snacks. She can also help you individually based on your specific medical issues and needs for energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.
Nutrition does not make an average athlete elite, but it can make an elite athlete average. Learn to make the most of your talents with optimal nutrition.
Nutrition does not make an average athlete elite, but it can make an elite athlete average.

Proper rest, recovery and regeneration education
It’s all about the training and how hard you train! This may be true, but if you always train hard you will eventually burnout and get injured. This is called overtraining. As athletic trainers we recognize that overtraining is also very individual. Did you know that the purpose of training is to cause the body to adapt to the overload and that this takes place during the recovery period. Teaching athletes proper rest, optimal nutrition, effective recovery methods (like relaxation and stress management techniques) will help them optimize training sessions. These skills will be transferable to future sport training.

Details for this program are available below:

The White Oak Resort Conference & Spa
253 Taylor Rd 534
Niagara-On-The-Lake
Ontario
http://www.whiteoaksresort.com

Create a Positive and Ready Mindset - Golf Players

2008-01-20T05:51:00.000-08:00

Written By: Robert K. Winters, Ph.D.

When you really want to play your best golf, you must understand this simple philosophy: action always follows thought. I have found this verbal directive to be true in working with every golfer who wants to improve his or her talent potential and to post lower scores. The key point of this mental lesson is that in order to make your most efficient swing and play your best golf, you must first get your thoughts and emotions in an organised and positive working order before you step into the address position and strike your ball. In a very real sense, you must be psychologically and emotionally ready long before you are physically set to hit a correct golf shot or make a sound golf swing. This 'ready mindset' must be addressed before you step on to the first tee and before you play any shot on the course.

The Way Your Brain Works

The reasoning that you must get your thoughts in a positive and focused order before you act is really quite simple. It is based on your brain's never-ending struggle of entertaining positive thoughts versus negative ones. In today's fast-paced commercial world, where we are constantly exposed to advertising campaigns and information overload, it seems almost second-nature to become sceptical and cynical and to buy into negative messages.

The content of many of these messages distort our sense of 'reality' and we start to programme negative thoughts as being 'realistic'. This is known in neurological literature as the negative bias of the human brain. Your brain is skewed to view information in a way that will hold you back or protect you and make you cautious.

Simply stated, your brain responds to negative information much more readily than it does to positive signals. (If you don't believe me, just look at the front page of any newspaper.) The result is a negative focus or mental perspective. And the trouble with negative thinking is that if you buy into it, it always works!

The concept is known psychologically as 'negative emotional contagion'. The result is: think bad stuff, bad stuff happens. This is why it is so important to get your thoughts flowing in a positive direction. Let's apply this to your golf. If you think you're going to miss a shot or find trouble, you usually become worried and feel a bit vulnerable. In an effort to gain control over your negative thoughts and feelings, you become tight and try to overcontrol the shot. You steer the club in an attempt to gain control over negative imagined events in your mind (that you are trying to avoid) and as a result, you end up with the negative result – i.e. exactly what you were trying not to do.

If you choose to focus on the negative approach or you just act without planning your shot or thinking about the situation correctly, your golfing day is over. The problem then becomes that your lack of focus coupled with a negative attitude carries over into the rest of your game. What started out as a promising round ends up as a bad day on the links.

The good news about this is that there is another way to think and to programme your mind and body for optimal performance. The accompanying sequences of Luke Donald in action tell their own story, while the following passages will describe how to create a purposeful and positive mindset for playing great golf.

Creating a Positive and Directed Focus

An organised and positive mindset gives you the opportunity to hit consistent shots and to repeat that sequence for an entire round. By getting your mind focused on what you want to achieve versus what you want to avoid helps to create a mental scheme or road map for success. Here are three simple suggestions for getting your mind into a positive, directed focus for golfing success.

1. When you stand behind your ball before the shot, give yourself specific directions on what you want to achieve and where you want the ball to go. Think about what the situation gives you and make an appropriate decision based on your assessment of the situation and your available golf skills.

2. Understand that your brain and body do not understand the word imagery of don't. Your body only understands the energy that is given to brain. It becomes imperative that you always give yourself a do this directive. Directing your mind to a specific intention of do will allow your body to respond more effectively by sending positive motor movement signals from the brain. The do this mindset helps to create a smoother and more efficient motor action with your swing.

Make a clear decision about what you want to do and stick with it, even during your swing. Remember, the clearer your picture from behind the ball in your planning, the more likely it will result in a more efficient swing when you are ready to strike the ball.

3. As you go out to play, adopt the single goal that you will have a clear and focused mind on each shot you hit and that you will not hit any shot until you are 100% positively focused and ready. If you are over a shot and you become negative, simply back away from the ball and become refocused. Get yourself recommitted to the specific task of what you want to happen and then swing away to your target with trust.

Implications and possible problems

2007-04-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Drop-out from exercise has been identified as a major healthissue in healthy individuals and there is no reason to assumethat this will not be the case with clinical populations. Withthis in mind, it is important that exercise therapy should beoffered to appropriate patients by psychologists and psychiatristsin the first instance, and thereafter coordinated by accreditedhealth professionals who have the experience and expertise todeliver and prescribe exercise in the appropriate way. The BritishAssociation of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) providesa 3-year supervised experience accreditation scheme and it issuggested that any individual employed to deliver exercise therapyin clinical settings should have undergone this process. Furthermore,as is the case with other types of mental health professionals,good practice would dictate that exercise therapists shouldreceive some form of ‘supervision’ from a mentalhealth worker

Many mental health professionals do not appear to view exerciseas a worthwhile strategy. McEntee & Halgin (1996) reportedthat, even though many psychotherapists believe in the therapeuticvalue of exercise, only approximately 10% recommended exerciseto their clients. Perhaps future developments in this fieldshould focus on attempts to forge greater links and partnershipsbetween exercise/health professionals and those who delivermental health services so that a greater range of appropriateintervention therapies might be offered to patients. In theshort-term, this could involve the establishment of closer linksbetween clinicians and staff at local leisure centres to facilitatethe process of engagement with exercise for their patients.

Exercise therapy might not be suitable or useful for all patients(e.g. those with pre-existing physical ailments) and it wouldbe unrealistic and unwise at this stage to suggest otherwise. There may also be some element of ‘psychological resistance’from some patients who may have had poor exercise experiencesin the past or who are not convinced of its possible benefits.Exercise therapy might not be appropriate with patients whohave, or who are experiencing, severe eating disorders becauseit could hinder their recovery.

There is still some uncertainty about optimal levels of exercisefor therapeutic effects. At present, several organisations (e.g.American College of Sports Medicine, 2000) recommend that adultsshould exercise 3–5 times per week at moderate intensity,but these guidelines were developed with physiological adaptationsin mind rather than the therapeutic benefits of exercise. Exactguidelines have yet to be developed for each specific mentaldisorder, although the available evidence indicates that moderateintensity exercise would be best.

Amanda J. Daley
Amanda Daley is a senior research fellow (exercise and health psychology) at The Centre for Sport and Exercise Science (Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2BP, UK. Tel: 0114 225 4426; e-mail: a.daley@shu.ac.uk). Her main interests are the psychological effects of exercise in non-clinical and clinical populations.

Physical health and mental illness

2007-04-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

A range of psychological interventions (e.g. psychotherapy and medication) is available to assist clinical patients to improve their mental health. Furthermore, while other types of therapies and interventions might be useful in changing mental states, they are less likely to address adequately the physical and functional problems that individuals with depression might experience. Moreover, exercise has the potential to influence patients' physical and psychological health simultaneously and this could have cost implications for the NHS. Faulkner & Biddle (2001) have commented that, regardless of any mental health benefits, exercise should be promoted, since the physical needs of psychiatric clients are often underserved. A number of studies have highlighted that clinical populations tend to suffer from poor physical health. For example, Chamove (1986) has indicated that patients with schizophrenia score well below the normal population on physical fitness. People with schizophrenia are commonly overweight, have excess body fat and are unfit. The physical health of substance misusers could benefit from exercise therapy. Specifically, people who misuse alcohol have been reported to have poor physical fitness (Palmer et al, 1988), loss of bone mass (Peris, et al, 1992) and a reduction of type II muscle tissue (Preedy & Peters, 1990). Given this wide range of physical ailments typically experienced by clinical patients, the physical benefits of exercise therapy alone present a sufficient reason for inclusion in any form of psychiatric rehabilitation (Faulkner & Sparkes, 1999).
Amanda J. Daley
Amanda Daley is a senior research fellow (exercise and health psychology) at The Centre for Sport and Exercise Science (Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2BP, UK. Tel: 0114 225 4426; e-mail: a.daley@shu.ac.uk). Her main interests are the psychological effects of exercise in non-clinical and clinical populations.

Exercise and lifestyle counselling

2007-04-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Although psychological outcomes associated with participationin exercise are important, consideration also needs to be givento patients' wider needs. Exercise therapy is much more thansimply a way of providing facilities for patients to take partin exercise; like other therapies, it is an active psychologicalprocess. When promoting exercise with patients it is also crucialto consider the long-term consequences of this type of therapy.Many clinical patients will previously have been mostly sedentaryor they will not possess the psychological skills or knowledgeto adhere to a regular exercise programme and therefore theywill need more than exercise alone. Ideally, exercise shouldbe offered in conjunction with exercise counselling that isaimed at equipping individuals with skills, knowledge and confidenceso they feel able to participate in physical exercise on a regularbasis throughout the rest of their lives. Therefore, it is importantthat exercise therapy incorporates practical strategies thatgive patients the physical and psychological tools to sustaintheir exercise behaviour and experience positive psychologicalgains from exercise once the therapy comes to an end. In accordancewith the principles of the transtheoretical model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983)exercise therapy sessions should usea variety of cognitive–behavioural techniques (such ascognitive reappraisal and consciousness raising, goal setting,self-monitoring and finding social support) for promoting positiveexercise attitudes, experiences and behaviour. Exercise and lifestyle counselling should be offered withina counselling framework and, ideally, exercise therapists willhave some experience of counselling psychology. Perhaps oneof the most well-known and used approaches in mainstream counsellingpsychology is Carl Rogers's theory of person-centred therapy(1957) and it would be important for exercise therapists todemonstrate the core conditions of unconditional positive regard,empathy and congruence in their relationships with patients.

Amanda J. Daley
Amanda Daley is a senior research fellow (exercise and health psychology) at The Centre for Sport and Exercise Science (Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2BP, UK. Tel: 0114 225 4426; e-mail: a.daley@shu.ac.uk). Her main interests are the psychological effects of exercise in non-clinical and clinical populations.

Models explaining the benefits of exercise

2007-04-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

There are many hypothesised mechanisms by which exercise isthought to influence mental health. Several biological, psychosocialand psychological models and theories have been suggested thatmay help us to understand these proposed relationships. It isdifficult to pinpoint any single mechanism that is likely toaccount adequately for the exercise and mental health relationshipuntil further research specifically addresses each proposedexplanation. Although there have been a number of suggestedhypotheses for this relationship, research supporting physiologicalexplanations has been weak, with many studies being poorly designed.Moreover, while evidence supporting psychologically based explanationsare not conclusive they do seem intuitively appealing. Specifically,the mastery explanations have had consistent empirical support.

Hyperthermic model
A common explanation of affective change is a neuro-physiologicalmodel known as the hyperthermic model. This suggests that theprimary stimulus for promoting affective change is the elevationin body temperature from exercise, and this alteration in physiologicalstate is manifested in a number of responses that are orchestratedby the hypothalamus. The belief that elevating body temperaturecan be therapeutic is longstanding (e.g. saunas and steam room).Indeed, research has revealed that total body warming (e.g.warm showers) reduces muscle tension (deVries et al, 1968).Specifically, in relation to exercise, Horne & Staff (1983)concluded from their counterbalanced design that high intensityexercise and passive heating produced similar increases in slowwave sleep (relaxation effect) and that exercise may be a vehiclefor these effects. Support for the hyperthermic explanationhas been mixed and, in fact, there are many studies that havefailed to demonstrate a positive relationship between exercise,increases in temperature and improved psychological states.It is now thought that there are more comprehensive models thatexplain the relationship between physical activity and psychologicalwell-being more accurately.

Endorphin hypothesis
The endorphin hypothesis proposes that the effects of acuteexercise on psychological well-being, in particular ‘euphoria’,is caused by the release and subsequent binding of endogenousopiods, these being -endorphins to receptor sites in the brain(Steinberg & Sykes, 1985). The endorphin hypothesis originatedfrom early research on rat brain tissue that revealed significantincreases in opiate receptor occupancy after the rats had beenforced to exercise (Pert & Bowie, 1979; Wardlaw & Frantz, 1980).Christie & Chesher (1982) have also demonstratedthat mice can become ‘swimming junkies' if they exerciseregularly. Unfortunately, because of the inherent problems ofexamining -endorphin receptor site occupancy in humans, researchhas attempted to examine peripheral -endorphin levels (bloodoutside the blood–brain barrier) after exercise (see Synder, 1977).Furthermore, DeMeirlier et al (1986) reported a positiverelationship between -endorphins and exercise, which they contendedleads to more positive affective states.

Research by Farrell (1989) suggested that exercise does notalter the blood–brain barrier in a way that allows peripheralendorphins to act directly upon the barrier. In other words,endorphins have been measured in the circulation and not directlyin the brain, and because the blood–brain barrier blocksthe passages by which ‘opiate’ substances move fromthe blood to the brain it is difficult to test the endorphinhypothesis. Interestingly, despite very limited support, theendorphin hypothesis remains one of the most popular explanationsof the psychological benefits of exercise.

Self-esteem and mastery explanations
There are a number of theoretical models that have attemptedto consider the possible relationship between participationin physical activity and self-esteem. One such model is Sonstroem's(1978) psychological model for physical activity. This modelassumes that involvement in physical activity increases physicalability, which positively influences one's self-estimation andconsequently leads to higher levels of self-esteem. Specifically,as individuals with high self-esteem take pride in their bodies,they continue to exercise, thereby maintaining and/or increasingfitness. Additional physical activity leads to increased perceptionsof physical ability and self-esteem, which results in even greaterattraction to physical activity. The cycle continues in thisway. The model has been reasonably successful in presentingcorrelational evidence associating physical activity and psychologicalhealth, although some researchers have indicated inconsistenciesin the application of this model.

Related to the concept of mastery is the idea that exercisecan provide proprioceptive feedback of improvements in the overallfunctional ability of individuals' bodies. This in turn mightbe effective in changing body perceptions. Related to this,the positive relationship between exercise and mental healthcould be explained in terms of the physical signs associatedwith exercise (e.g. muscle tone and weight loss) and these physicalsigns could be viewed as positive cues towards a sense of achievementin one's physical self. This is important for clinical patientswho often have negative feelings about themselves and theirbodies.

Distraction hypothesis
A popular explanation for the positive relationship betweenexercise and mental health is the distraction hypothesis. Thiswas originally conceptualised by Bahrke & Morgan (1978)in a study that compared the effects on state anxiety of walkingon a treadmill, meditating or resting in a comfortable chair.Their findings demonstrated that all three groups showed decreasedlevels of state anxiety after treatment. It was concluded thatexercise can serve as a useful distraction or ‘time-out’from stressful stimuli and feelings and that this can lead toimproved psychological wellness. In this respect, patients mayfind exercise a useful strategy to help them focus on eventsother than their particular life circumstances.

Amanda J. Daley
Amanda Daley is a senior research fellow (exercise and health psychology) at The Centre for Sport and Exercise Science (Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2BP, UK. Tel: 0114 225 4426; e-mail: a.daley@shu.ac.uk). Her main interests are the psychological effects of exercise in non-clinical and clinical populations.

Exercise therapy and mental health in clinical populations: is exercise therapy a worthwhile intervention?

2007-04-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

An important issue that warrants attention is patients' thoughtsand perceptions about the usefulness of treatments that theyreceive in comparison with exercise therapy (Box 1). Pelham& Campagna (1991) reported that psychiatric out-patientswho participated in a 12-week exercise therapy programme expressedpositive views of exercise. Moreover, antidepressant, mood-elevation,moderate anxiety-reduction, increased self-esteem and improvedconcentration were some of the effects described by participants.Anstiss (1988) examined the relationship between exercise andwell-being in alcohol-dependent patients who exercised for 4weeks. On discharge, 60% of clients reported that exercise wasof great value, and 29% said it was of considerable value. Likewise,Martinsen & Medhus (1989) asked patients to evaluate theusefulness of physical fitness training as compared with othermore traditional forms of therapy (i.e. contact with nurses,psychotherapy and medication). Patients in the training groupranked physical fitness training as the therapeutic elementthat had helped them most. Patients in the control group rankedindividual psychotherapy as most important. This raises theissue of patient choice and, collectively, these studies indicatethat patients perceive exercise as a useful strategy in theirrehabilitation

Amanda J. Daley
Amanda Daley is a senior research fellow (exercise and health psychology) at The Centre for Sport and Exercise Science (Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2BP, UK. Tel: 0114 225 4426; e-mail: a.daley@shu.ac.uk). Her main interests are the psychological effects of exercise in non-clinical and clinical populations.

Exercise therapy in clinical populations

2007-04-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

Pelham & Campagna (1991) investigated the physiological,psychological and social effects of exercise in out-patientswith schizophrenia, using a single-subject design that emphasisedinterviews and questionnaires. A typical exercise programmeconsisted of cycling on a ergometer, 4 days per week for 30minutes per session. Their results indicated a general trendof reduced depression, increased general well-being and improvedaerobic fitness. More recently, Faulkner & Sparkes (1999)conducted an ethnographic study that examined the influenceof exercise as a therapy for schizophrenia and reported thata 10-week exercise programme of twice-weekly sessions appearedto help reduce participants' perceptions of auditory hallucinations,raise self-esteem and improve sleep patterns and general behaviour.

Craft & Landers (1998) conducted a meta-analytical reviewof studies that had investigated the effects of exercise onclinical depression and depression resulting from mental illness.A Master's thesis and unpublished Doctoral dissertations andwere also included in the analyses. To meet the inclusion criteriafor this study, participants had to be suffering from depressionas either the primary disorder or as a secondary disorder asthe result of mental illness. Results from 30 studies showedan overall mean effect of –0.72, indicating that individualswho exercised were less depressed than their non-active counterparts.This study also concluded that those individuals who were initiallymore depressed benefited the most from exercise. Several otherwell-considered reviews (Martinsen, 1993; 1994; Mutrie, 2000;North et al, 1990) have indicated a positive relationship betweenexercise and clinical depression scores. An example of exercisetherapy being used as an adjunctive treatment for depressionis described below.

Martinsen et al (1989c) investigated hospitalised patients withvarious DSM–III (American Psychiatric Association, 1980)anxiety disorders; somatoform disorders; conversion, somatoformpain and somatization disorder; and hypochondriasis. Patientsparticipated in an 8-week specialised aerobic exercise programme(main treatment) and three sessions of group psychotherapy.Anxiety was assessed using the Symptoms Rating Test (Kellner & Sheffield, 1973).No control group was included. Duringthe study, anxiety scores fell significantly in most diagnosticgroups. However, 1 year after treatment, those patients whoexperienced panic disorder with agoraphobia had lost their gains,while those with generalised anxiety disorder and agoraphobiawithout panic attacks remained well. Patients with social phobiawere unchanged at discharge as well as 1 year after treatment.According to Martinsen (1995) these mixed findings may be dueto normal variations in the course of different disorders, butthey could also highlight that various anxiety disorders responddifferently to exercise. Orwin (1974) has also reported positiveresults with a combination of exercise and exposure to the anxiety-provokingstimuli, although sample size was small.

Several studies have reported a positive association betweenparticipation in exercise and enhanced mental health in peoplewho misuse alcohol, with some studies reporting significantchanges after relatively short exercise programmes. Gary &Guthrie (1972) found that self-esteem improved along with fitnessin a 4-week jogging programme. Other studies using quasi-experimentaldesigns (e.g. Palmer et al, 1988; Preedy & Peters, 1990)reported significant reductions in trait anxiety and depressionduring exercise. They also found that people with alcohol misuseproblems who undertook aerobic exercise were better able tocope with life-stresses after discharge from the alcohol treatmentprogramme. Research has also reported that participation inexercise appears to help reduce levels of alcohol consumptionin misusers, although published research in this area remainslimited and somewhat contradictory. Using self-report, Sinyoret al (1982) indicated that exercise can be linked to sustainedabstinence up to 3 months after discharge from an alcohol treatmentprogramme. Using a multi-site random control study, Donaghy(1997) investigated the relationship between exercise participationand levels of drinking by using serum carbohydrate deficienttransferrin (CDT) as a marker of chronic alcohol consumption.No evidence to support a positive relationship between participationin exercise and maintained abstinence or controlled drinkingwas reported, highlighting a need for further research to clarifythis relationship.

Amanda J. Daley
Amanda Daley is a senior research fellow (exercise and health psychology) at The Centre for Sport and Exercise Science (Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2BP, UK. Tel: 0114 225 4426; e-mail: a.daley@shu.ac.uk). Her main interests are the psychological effects of exercise in non-clinical and clinical populations.

OTHER VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH

2007-04-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Positive mood . The Surgeon General’s Report also mentions the possibility of exercise improving mood. Unfortunately the area of increased positive mood as a result of acute and chronic exercise has only recently been investigated and therefore there are no meta-analytic reviews in this area. Many investigators are currently examining this subject and many of the preliminary results have been encouraging. It remains to be seen if the additive effects of these studies will result in conclusions that are as encouraging as the relationship between exercise and the alleviation of negative mood states like anxiety and depression.

Self-esteem . Related to the area of positive mood states is the area of physical activity and self-esteem. Although narrative reviews exist in the area of physical activity and enhancement of self-esteem, there are currently four meta-analytic reviews on this topic (Calfas & Taylor, 1994; Gruber, 1986; McDonald & Hodgdon, 1991; Spence, Poon, & Dyck, 1997). The number of studies in these meta-analyses ranged from 10 studies (Calfas & Taylor, 1994) to 51 studies (Spence et al., 1997). All four of the reviews found that physical activity/exercise brought about small, but statistically significant, increases in physical self-concept or self-esteem. These effects generalized across gender and age groups. In comparing self-esteem scores in children, Gruber (1986) found that aerobic fitness produced much larger effects on self-esteem scores than other types of physical education class activities (e.g., learning sports skills or perceptual-motor skills). Gruber (1986) also found that the effect of physical activity was larger for handicapped compared to nonhandicapped children.

Restful sleep . Another area associated with positive mental health is the relationship between exercise and restful sleep. Two meta-analyses have been conducted on this topic (Kubitz, Landers, Petruzzello, & Han, 1996; O’Connor & Youngstedt, 1995). The studies reviewed have primarily examined sleep duration and total sleep time as well as measures derived from electroencephalographic (EEG) activity while subjects are in various stages of sleep. Operationally, sleep researchers have predicted that sleep duration, total sleep time, and the amount of high amplitude, slow wave EEG activity would be higher in physically fit individuals than those who are unfit (i.e., chronic effect) and higher on nights following exercise (i.e., acute effect). This prediction is based on the “compensatory” position, which posits that “fatiguing daytime activity (e.g., exercise) would probably result in a compensatory increase in the need for and depth of nighttime sleep, thereby facilitating recuperative, restorative and/or energy conservation processes” (Kubitz et al., p. 278).

The sleep meta-analyses by O’Connor and Youngstedt (1995) and Kubitz et al. (1996) show support for this prediction. Both reviews show that exercise significantly increases total sleep time and aerobic exercise decreases rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is a paradoxical form in that it is a deep sleep, but it is not as restful as slow wave sleep (i.e., stages 3 and 4 sleep). Kubitz et al. (1996) found that acute and chronic exercise was related to an increase in slow wave sleep and total sleep time, but was also related to a decrease in sleep onset latency and REM sleep. These findings support the compensatory position in that trained subjects and those engaging in an acute bout of exercise went to sleep more quickly, slept longer, and had a more restful sleep than untrained subjects or subjects who did not exercise. There were moderating variables influencing these results. Exercise had the biggest impact on sleep when: (a) the individuals were female, low fit, or older; (b) the exercise was longer in duration; and (c) the exercise was completed earlier in the day (Kubitz et al., 1996).

The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health
Daniel M. Landers
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

Exercise and Depression

2007-04-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

Depression is a prevalent problem in today’s society. Clinical depression affects 2–5% of Americans each year (Kessler et al., 1994) and it is estimated that patients suffering from clinical depression make up 6–8% of general medical practices (Katon & Schulberg, 1992). Depression is also costly to the health care system in that depressed individuals annually spend 1.5 times more on health care than nondepressed individuals, and those being treated with antidepressants spend three times more on outpatient pharmacy costs than those not on drug therapy (Simon, VonKorff, & Barlow, 1995). These costs have led to increased governmental pressure to reduce health care costs in America. If available and effective, alternative low-cost therapies that do not have negative side effects need to be incorporated into treatment plans. Exercise has been proposed as an alternative or adjunct to more traditional approaches for treating depression (Hales & Travis, 1987; Martinsen, 1987, 1990).

The research on exercise and depression has a long history of investigators (Franz & Hamilton, 1905; Vaux, 1926) suggesting a relationship between exercise and decreased depression. Since the early 1900s, there have been over 100 studies examining this relationship, and many narrative reviews on this topic have also been conducted. During the 1990s there have been at least five meta-analytic reviews (Craft, 1997; Calfas & Taylor, 1994; Kugler et al., 1994; McDonald & Hodgdon, 1991; North, McCullagh, & Tran, 1990) that have examined studies ranging from as few as nine (Calfas & Taylor, 1994) to as many as 80 (North et al., 1990). Across these five meta-analytic reviews, the results consistently show that both acute and chronic exercise are related to a significant reduction in depression. These effects are generally “moderate” in magnitude (i.e., larger than the anxiety-reducing effects noted earlier) and occur for subjects who were classified as nondepressed, clinically depressed, or mentally ill. The findings indicate that the antidepressant effect of exercise begins as early as the first session of exercise and persists beyond the end of the exercise program (Craft, 1997; North et al., 1990). These effects are also consistent across age, gender, exercise group size, and type of depression inventory.

Exercise was shown to produce larger antidepressant effects when: (a) the exercise training program was longer than nine weeks and involved more sessions (Craft, 1997; North et al., 1990); (b) exercise was of longer duration, higher intensity, and performed a greater number of days per week (Craft, 1997); and (c) subjects were classified as medical rehabilitation patients (North et al., 1991) and, based on questionnaire instruments, were classified as moderately/severely depressed compared to mildly/moderately depressed (Craft, 1997). The latter effect is limited since only one study used individuals who were classified as severely depressed and only two studies used individuals who were classified as moderately to severely depressed. Although limited at this time, this finding calls into question the conclusions of several narrative reviews (Gleser & Mendelberg, 1990; Martinsen, 1987, 1993, 1994), which indicate that exercise has antidepressant effects only for those who are initially mild to moderately depressed.

The meta-analyses are inconsistent when comparing exercise to the more traditional treatments for depression, such as psychotherapy and behavioral interventions (e.g., relaxation, meditation), and this may be related to the types of subjects employed. In examining all types of subjects, North et al. (1990) found that exercise decreased depression more than relaxation training or engaging in enjoyable activities, but did not produce effects that were different from psychotherapy. Craft (1997), using only clinically depressed subjects, found that exercise produced the same effects as psychotherapy, behavioral interventions, and social contact. Exercise used in combination with individual psychotherapy or exercise together with drug therapy produced the largest effects; however, these effects were not significantly different from the effect produced by exercise alone (Craft, 1997).

That exercise is at least as effective as more traditional therapies is encouraging, especially considering the time and cost involved with treatments like psychotherapy. Exercise may be a positive adjunct for the treatment of depression since exercise provides additional health benefits (e.g., increase in muscle tone and decreased incidence of heart disease and obesity) that behavioral interventions do not. Thus, since exercise is cost effective, has positive health benefits, and is effective in alleviating depression, it is a viable adjunct or alternative to many of the more traditional therapies. Future research also needs to examine the possibility of systematically lowering antidepressant medication dosages while concurrently supplementing treatment with exercise.

The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health
Daniel M. Landers
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

Anxiety Reduction Following Exercise

2007-04-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

It is estimated that in the United States approximately 7.3% of the adult population has an anxiety disorder that necessitates some form of treatment (Regier et al., 1988). In addition, stress-related emotions, such as anxiety, are common among healthy individuals (Cohen, Tyrell, & Smith, 1991). The current interest in prevention has heightened interest in exercise as an alternative or adjunct to traditional interventions such as psychotherapy or drug therapies.

Anxiety is associated with the emergence of a negative form of cognitive appraisal typified by worry, self-doubt, and apprehension. According to Lazarus and Cohen (1977), it usually arises “...in the face of demands that tax or exceed the resources of the system or ... demands to which there are no readily available or automatic adaptive responses” (p. 109). Anxiety is a cognitive phenomenon and is usually measured by questionnaire instruments. These questionnaires are sometimes accompanied by physiological measures that are associated with heightened arousal/anxiety (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, muscle tension). A common distinction in this literature is between state and trait questionnaire measures of anxiety. Trait anxiety is the general predisposition to respond across many situations with high levels of anxiety. State anxiety, on the other hand, is much more specific and refers to the person’s anxiety at a particular moment. Although “trait” and “state” aspects of anxiety are conceptually distinct, the available operational measures show a considerable amount of overlap among these subcomponents of anxiety (Smith, 1989).

For meta-analytic reviews of this topic, the inclusion criterion has been that only studies examining anxiety measures before and after either acute or chronic exercise have been included in the review. Studies with experiment-imposed psychosocial stressors during the postexercise period have not been included since this would confound the effects of exercise with the effects of stressors (e.g., Stoop color-word test, active physical performance). The meta-analysis by Schlicht (1994), however, included some stress-reactivity studies and therefore was not interpretable.

Landers and Petruzzello (1994) examined the results of 27 narrative reviews that had been conducted between 1960 and 1991 and found that in 81% of them the authors had concluded that physical activity/fitness was related to anxiety reduction following exercise and there was little or no conflicting data presented in these reviews. For the other 19%, the authors had concluded that most of the findings were supportive of exercise being related to a reduction in anxiety, but there were some divergent results. None of these narrative reviews concluded that there was no relationship.

There have been six meta-analyses examining the relationship between exercise and anxiety reduction (Calfas & Taylor, 1994; Kugler, Seelback, & Krüskemper, 1994; Landers & Petruzzello, 1994; Long & van Stavel, 1995; McDonald & Hodgdon, 1991; Petruzzello, Landers, Hatfield, Kubitz, & Salazar, 1991). These meta-analyses ranged from 159 studies (Landers & Petruzzello, 1994; Petruzzello et al., 1991) to five studies (Calfas & Taylor, 1994) reviewed. All six of these meta-analyses found that across all studies examined, exercise was significantly related to a reduction in anxiety. These effects ranged from “small” to “moderate” in size and were consistent for trait, state, and psychophysiological measures of anxiety. The vast majority of the narrative reviews and all of the meta-analytic reviews support the conclusion that across studies published between 1960 and 1995 there is a small to moderate relationship showing that both acute and chronic exercise reduces anxiety. This reduction occurs for all types of subjects, regardless of the measures of anxiety being employed (i.e., state, trait or psychophysiological), the intensity or the duration of the exercise, the type of exercise paradigm (i.e., acute or chronic), and the scientific quality of the studies. Another meta-analysis (Kelley & Tran, 1995) of 35 clinical trial studies involving 1,076 subjects has confirmed the psychophysiological findings in showing small (–4/–3 mm Hg), but statistically significant, postexercise reductions for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure among normal normotensive adults.

In addition to these general effects, some of these meta-analyses (Landers & Petruzzello, 1994; Petruzzello et al., 1991) that examined more studies and therefore had more findings to consider were able to identify several variables that moderated the relationship between exercise and anxiety reduction. Compared to the overall conclusion noted above, which is based on hundreds of studies involving thousands of subjects, the findings for the moderating variables are based on a much smaller database. More research, therefore, is warranted to examine further the conclusions derived from the following moderating variables. The meta-analyses show that the larger effects of exercise on anxiety reduction are shown when: (a) the exercise is “aerobic” (e.g., running, swimming, cycling) as opposed to nonaerobic (e.g., handball, strength-flexibility training), (b) the length of the aerobic training program is at least 10 weeks and preferably greater than 15 weeks, and (c) subjects have initially lower levels of fitness or higher levels of anxiety. The “higher levels of anxiety” includes coronary (Kugler et al., 1994) and panic disorder patients (Meyer, Broocks, Hillmer-Vogel, Bandelow, & Rüther, 1997). In addition, there is limited evidence which suggests that the anxiety reduction is not an artifact “due more to the cessation of a potentially threatening activity than to the exercise itself” (Petruzzello, 1995, p. 109), and the time course for postexercise anxiety reduction is somewhere between four to six hours before anxiety returns to pre-exercise levels (Landers & Petruzzello, 1994). It also appears that although exercise differs from no treatment control groups, it is usually not shown to differ from other known anxiety-reducing treatments (e.g., relaxation training). The finding that exercise can produce an anxiety reduction similar in magnitude to other commonly employed anxiety treatments is noteworthy since exercise can be considered at least as good as these techniques, but in addition, it has many other physical benefits.

The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health
Daniel M. Landers
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

Mental Health Related Definitions

2007-04-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

Acute. Acute refers to something that occurs at a specific time often for a relatively short duration. For example, acute exercise refers to a bout of exercise done at a specific time for a specific amount of time. Acute anxiety is anxiety that exists in a person in response to a specific event (same as state anxiety).

Anxiety. Anxiety is a form of negative self-appraisal characterized by worry, self-doubt, and apprehension.

Chronic. Chronic refers to something that persists for a relatively long period of time. Chronic depression, for example, would be depression that lasts a long time. A chronic exerciser is someone who does exercise on a regular basis.

Depression. Depression is a state of being associated with feelings of hopelessness or a sense of defeat. People with depression often feel “down” or “blue” even when circumstances would dictate otherwise. All people feel “depressed” at times, but a “depressed” person feels this way much of the time.

Clinical depression. This is depression (see definition) that persists for a relatively long period of time or becomes so severe that a person needs special help to cope with day-to-day affairs.

Meta-analysis. A type of statistical analysis that researchers use to make sense of many different research studies done on the same topic. By analyzing findings from many different studies, conclusions can be drawn concerning the results of all studies considered together. Both unpublished and published studies can be included in this type of analysis.

Positive mood. Positive self-assessments associated with feelings of vigor, happiness, and/or other positive feelings of well-being.

State anxiety. State anxiety is anxiety present in very specific situations. For example, state sports anxiety is present when a person is anxious in a specific sports situation even if the person is not generally anxious.

Trait anxiety. Trait anxiety is the level of anxiety present in a person on a regular basis. A person with high trait anxiety is anxious much of the time while a person low in trait anxiety tends to be anxious less often and in fewer situations.

Soccer as Therapy for Mental Illness

2007-04-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

By Barbie Nadeau

Newsweek

Updated: 2:53 p.m. ET Jan. 18, 2007

Jan. 18, 2007 - Sports therapy has long been considered helpful for those suffering from conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, abuse, amnesia and even shyness. But Italian doctors have taken this often-marginal treatment a step further: they’re using the highly strategic game of soccer as part of a treatment plan for complex mental illnesses like schizophrenia and depression.The physicians have found that it helps with socialization, concentration and confidence building. It also aids in breaking down the stigma of mental illness, say its coordinators—especially in soccer-crazy Italy, where the game is as much a part of life as pasta. How effective is it? Dr. Santo Rullo, a psychiatrist who has used soccer therapy as part of a treatment program for more than 600 men over the last 14 years, says its success can be measured by his patients’ reductions in medications and their return to their regular lives. "In the beginning, it didn't matter what time of day we scheduled games," says Rullo, a founding psychiatrist in the use of soccer therapy. "But now so many patients are back at work or have other social obligations, we need to work around schedules."

Rullo is featured in a new Italian documentary that follows a soccer season of Il Gabbiano, a soccer team whose players use sports treatment to help in their battle against conditions that include schizophrenia, depression, bipolar and multiple-personality disorders. The group practices twice a week and travels across the country for league-style games against similar teams. The documentary, called "Matti per il Calcio," ("Crazy for Soccer") by Volfango De Biasi and Francesco Trento, premiered in Milan on Jan. 16. Rullo spoke with NEWSWEEK's Barbie Nadeau by phone as he traveled to Rome from Milan with the Il Gabbiano team.

NEWSWEEK: How do you use soccer to help treat mental illnesses?
Rullo: Soccer is used for socialization in the treatment of many mental illnesses. Since soccer is such a part of our national culture, it is a natural way to help our patients touch base with their core and their backgrounds. It gives them a sense of balance. All of our patients played soccer as children and teens; many played in organized clubs. It is not a new sport they must learn, it is almost inherent in them, and that is what makes it such a useful tool. In many ways, it helps them return to the concept of fun and play.

So soccer therapy would work best here in Italy or Brazil, or other countries where soccer is the predominant sport?
Yes, here in Italy, soccer is part of daily life and often family life. For Americans, basketball or baseball would probably work much the same.What forms of mental illness are best treated through soccer therapy?
Our patients are primarily battling depression, schizophrenia, multiple-personality disorders and bipolar disorder.

What other sports work to treat mental illnesses?
Swimming has also been a very successful tool as part of an integrated treatment plan.

Does the degree of the mental illness make a difference in how patients respond to treatment?
In many cases, we have better success with patients who are more deeply depressed. In other mental illnesses, it depends on the individual and the level of medication and length of illness. Once soccer is integrated into the treatment, it is invariably useful, but in many cases, it depends on progress in other areas before we can implement soccer therapy and guarantee a patient will be safe and get the most from it.

In the documentary, many of the patients you follow seem to be talking about their illnesses very objectively in off-field interviews, almost as if it's not about them.
The thing everyone needs to understand about mental illness is that those who have it are not always sick. It's like a diabetic—the only time a diabetic is obviously diabetic is when they have an attack or bad reaction. Many mental illnesses work this way as well.

Many of the patients also talk about how, when they get out on the soccer field, the voices stop or they feel normal.
This is precisely the benefit of soccer as a therapy. It is really the social inclusion. The problem is that mental illness is almost always treated first by exclusion. A group sport like soccer helps to facilitate the inclusion of each member. The most important aspect of this program is that we also make sure the patients have information about their illness, that they are aware of their own limitations and fully understand the parameters of their illness, when possible.

The word "crazy" seems politically incorrect when used to describe those suffering from mental illness, yet you use it in the title of your documentary.
Normally, it is a politically incorrect term, but we decided to authorize the political incorrectness of it for this film to help combat the stigma. Nobody denies a connection between mental illness and being crazy, [so] we thought we'd lay it out to fight the stigma instead of pretending no one makes that connection.

There are no women featured in the documentary. Is there an equivalent therapy for women?
Yes, for our female patients, we have had the same success with bowling.

Ten-pin bowling?
Yes, there is a fairly big bowling culture in Italy, and it is a team sport that integrates socialization with physical concentration, but the women who use sports therapy are a minority; we tend to use other forms of social integration than sports.

Is soccer a last resort or a first line of treatment?
Soccer therapy is very much an integrated treatment along with clinical treatment like counseling and pharmaceutical treatments. In our patients who have gone through the soccer program, we have seen very few cases of relapse back to institutions or back under heavy medication.

You also released a report today on the Zidane-Materazzi head-butting incident at the 2006 finals between France and Italy at the World Cup. You give a very clinical analysis of French player Zinedine Zidane's momentary “calciomatto” [madness].
It is in part for fun, but we wanted to underscore the complicated nature of the concept of "craziness," and the incident last year in mainstream soccer was perfect. A person who is normally sane can have moments of craziness and vice versa. Nothing proves that like what happened during last year's World Cup.

Thanks to Newsweek

Stress Reduction Techniques

2007-02-24T22:49:00.001-08:00

This section shows you effective methods of reducing stress to a level where you can perform most effectively. The techniques that you select depend on the cause of the stress and the situation in which the stress occurs.

In choosing methods to combat stress, it is worth asking yourself where the stress comes from: if outside factors such as relationship difficulties are causing stress, then a positive thinking or imagery based technique may be effective. If the stress is based on the feeling of adrenaline in the body, then it may be effective purely to relax the body and slow the flow of adrenaline.

As with all sports psychology skills, the effectiveness of the stress reduction technique depends on practice.

Stress Reduction Techniques Explained

Environmental Methods
- Reduce the Importance of the Event
- Reduce Uncertainties
- Listen to Music or Relaxation Tapes

Physical Techniques: these are most effective where stress is driven by excessive levels of adrenaline.
Mental Techniques: most effective where psychological factors are driving stress.
- Imagery Relaxation
- Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking and Positive Thinking
- Remembering past good workouts, performances and achievements
- Self-Hypnosis and Auto-Suggestion

2007-02-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

As with all sports psychology skills, the effectiveness of the stress reduction technique depends on practice.

Stress Reduction Techniques Explained

Environmental Methods
- Reduce the Importance of the Event
- Reduce Uncertainties
- Listen to Music or Relaxation Tapes

Physical Techniques: these are most effective where stress is driven by excessive levels of adrenaline.
Mental Techniques: most effective where psychological factors are driving stress.
- Imagery Relaxation
- Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking and Positive Thinking
- Remembering past good workouts, performances and achievements
- Self-Hypnosis and Auto-Suggestion

Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking

2007-02-24T22:46:00.000-08:00

Introduction:
In preparing for a performance, you may have a whole range of fears, anxieties and negative thoughts associated with the upcoming event. While this is completely normal and is something that everyone experiences, it is important that you deal with these; otherwise, they can undermine your self-confidence.

What we look at here are techniques explicitly focused on managing performance stress.

Firstly we look at “Thought Awareness,” a technique you can use to understand your fears and negative thoughts. We then look at rational thinking and positive thinking as ways of countering the negative thoughts you have identified.

Using the Tool:

Thought Awareness
You are thinking negatively when you fear the future, put yourself down, criticize yourself for errors, doubt your abilities or expect failure. Negative thinking can damage confidence, harm performance and paralyse mental skills.

Unfortunately, negative thoughts have a tendency to flit into our consciousness, do their damage and then flit back out again, with their significance having barely been noticed. Since we barely notice these negative thoughts, we do not challenge properly, which means they can be completely incorrect and wrong. This does not stop them doing damage.

Thought awareness is the process by which you observe your thoughts and become aware of what is going through your head.

To use the technique, observe your “stream of consciousness” as you think about the upcoming event. Do not suppress any thoughts. Instead, just let them run their course while you make note of them.

As you notice negative thoughts, write them down and then let them go.

Examples of common negative thoughts might be:

Fear about the quality of your performance or of problems that may interfere with it;
Worry about how the audience or the press may react to you;
Worries about how you appear to others, for example, important people;
A preoccupation with the symptoms of stress;
Dwelling on the negative consequences of a poor performance;
Self-criticism over less than perfect rehearsal and practice, or
Feelings of inadequacy.

Thought awareness is the first step in the process of eliminating negative thoughts: You cannot counter thoughts that you do not know you think.

Rational Thinking
The next step in dealing with negative thinking is to challenge the negative thoughts that you wrote down using the Thought Awareness technique.

Look at every thought you wrote down and rationally challenge it. Ask yourself whether the thought is reasonable. Does it stand up to fair scrutiny? What evidence is there for and against the thought? Would your friends or mentors agree with the thought or disagree with it?

Looking at some of examples, the following challenges could be made to some of these common negative thoughts:

Quality of performance: Have you trained yourself as well as you reasonably should have? Have you gathered the information you need and prepared properly for the event? Have you conducted a reasonable number of rehearsals? If so, you've done as much as you can to give a good performance.
Problems of distraction and issues outside your control: Have you conducted appropriate contingency planning and created a performance plan? Have you thought about how you will manage all likely contingencies and prepared a solution? If so, you will be well prepared to handle potential problems.
Worry about other people’s reaction: If you perform the best you can, then you should be completely satisfied. If you give a good performance, fair people are likely to respond well. If people are not fair, then this is something outside your control, and the best thing to do is to ignore and rise above any unfair comments.
Problems during practice: If some of your practice was less than perfect, then remind yourself that the purpose of practice is to identify problems so that they will not be repeated during the performance. Similarly, ask yourself whether it is reasonable to expect perfect performance at all times. All that is important is that you perform well when you need to.

Self-Hypnosis and Auto-Suggestion

2007-02-24T22:44:00.002-08:00

What is Self-Hypnosis

Self-hypnosis is not a magical state. It is merely a state of mind in which:

You are very relaxed

You are paying complete attention to the suggestions you want to implant

You do not criticise the suggestions made, and accept them at face value.

Self-hypnosis is used to directly program your unconscious with affirmations and suggestions that would otherwise have to run through critical processes in your mind. You can use this programming as an effective method to reduce stress and induce relaxation.

Normal hypnosis is not normally effective in sports psychology as it requires the presence of a hypnotist. Self-hypnosis, however, is just as easy and has the additional benefit that you can completely control the inputs to your mind when you are in a suggestible state.

Hypnotising Yourself

The first few times that you use self-hypnosis, it is best to find a place where you can be undisturbed for a while. Sit or lie down, eliminate any distractions, and relax. This puts you in the best possible conditions for using the technique - however as you get more practice you will find that you can use self-hypnosis almost anywhere.

The first step is to relax yourself: close your eyes, and try using imagery of waves of relaxation running down your body from your scalp downwards, washing out stress. Let the waves run in time with your breathing, first washing down over your head, then your neck, then your torso, then arms, and finally your legs. Feel the muscles in your body relaxing as the waves of relaxation wash over them.

Alternative techniques can involve fixing your eyes on a spot on the wall, or riding down in a lift/elevator from the top of a tall building, slowly dropping down into relaxation and drowsiness. The method you choose to induce hypnosis is up to you.

The next step is to use suggestion to deepen the state. This is as simple as saying to yourself something like 'I am feeling relaxed and comfortable. With every breath I am becoming more relaxed and more comfortable.'

Once you are completely relaxed and focussed on your own suggestions, you are in a useful state of self-hypnosis. One suggestion you can usefully embed is that when you repeat a particular trigger word to yourself you will relax into this state.

As stated earlier, self-hypnosis is not a magical thing - it is just one of many things people have tried to make mystical to boost their own self-esteem and bank balance.

Suggestion and Hypnosis

Before you enter a hypnotic state it is useful to think about the suggestions that you want to apply in it. Suggestions can be simple affirmations that undo the damage done by negative thinking or can be used to make psychological adjustments or reinforce confidence to help to achieve goals that you have set.

Once you have decided what you want to use in suggestions, spend a little time working out a form of words for each suggestion that is short, positive, and powerful. Repeat this to yourself when you have reached a self-hypnotic state.

Effective use of suggestion can:

Build confidence

Reinforce goals by etching them into your mind

Reduce stress

Motivate and energise when you are feeling sluggish.

Suggestion can be used without hypnosis, for example you might make a suggestion tape to play when you are driving, while still wanting to remain alert. Using suggestion with self-hypnosis just makes it more effective.

Imagery in Stress Reduction

2007-02-24T22:44:00.001-08:00

magery is a potent method or stress reduction, especially when combined with physical methods such as deep breathing.

Imagery in Relaxation

One common use of imagery in relaxation is to imagine a scene, place or event that you remember as peaceful, restful, beautiful and happy. You can bring all your senses into the image, with sounds of running water and birds, the smell of cut grass, the taste of cool white wine, the warmth of sun, etc. Use the imagined place as a retreat from places of stress and pressure.

Other uses of imagery in relaxation involve mental pictures of stress flowing out of the body; or of stress, distractions and everyday concerns being folded away and locked into a padlocked chest.

Use of imagery is as flexible as the effort you put into developing images that meet your specific needs. This use of imagery to drive relaxation is one of the main ways that Eastern mystics use to achieve spectacular reductions in, for example, pulse rate.

Biofeedback in Stress Management

2007-02-24T22:43:00.002-08:00

Strictly speaking, biofeedback systems are tools to aid relaxation as opposed to stress management techniques.

Biofeedback systems use electronic sensors to measure stress, and then feed the results of this measurement back to the athlete. This feedback may take the form of movement of a pen on a graph plotter, or may be by the pitch of sound coming through earphones.

This feedback allows you to experiment with stress management techniques, and actually see or hear them taking effect on your body. It allows you to practise different ways of using the techniques and compare the results.

There are three main approaches to biofeedback:

Skin temperature methods: adrenaline diverts blood from the body surface to the core of the body, in preparation for response to danger. As less warm blood is going to the surface, skin temperature drops.
Skin electrical activity methods: when you are under stress you sweat more. Skin that is damp (sweating) conducts electricity more effectively than skin that is dry. These methods of biofeedback measure the amount of electricity conducted between two electrodes on the skin.
Muscle electrical activity: these methods measure the electrical activity of muscles under the surface of the skin. This is useful in measuring the tension of these muscles.

Biofeedback methods are useful ways of demonstrating the effectiveness of what may otherwise seem to be fairly nebulous methods of relaxing such as imagery. They convert vague feelings into hard, observable information, and help an athlete to fine-tune the use of stress management techniques.

Breathing Control

2007-02-24T22:43:00.001-08:00

Deep breathing is a very effective method of relaxation, which is a core component of everything from the 'take ten deep breaths' approach to calming someone down, right through to yoga relaxation and zen meditation.It works well in conjunction with other relaxation techniques such as Progressive Muscular Relaxation, relaxation imagery and meditation to reduce stress.

Progressive Muscular Relaxation

2007-02-24T22:42:00.001-08:00

Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR) is a purely physical technique for relaxing your body when muscles are tense.

The idea is behind PMR is that you tense up a group of muscles so that they are as tight as contracted as possible, and hold them in a state of extreme tension for a few seconds. Then relax the muscles to their previous state. Finally you consciously relax them again as much as you can.

You can apply PMR to any or all of the muscle groups in your body depending on whether you want to relax just a single area or your whole body.

Experiment with PMR by forming a fist, and clenching your hand as tight as you can for a few seconds. Then relax your hand to its previous tension, and then consciously relax it again so that it is as loose as possible. You should feel deep relaxation in the muscles.

Although you might well be able to relax the muscle as far without the initial tensing, tensing the muscle helps to provide a starting point for the exercise, and helps to gauge the initial level of tension in the muscle.

PMR can be used in conjunction with breathing techniques and imagery (e.g. of stress flowing out of the body) for maximum relaxation.

It can also be effective to link the exercise of PMR to a keyword that you can say to yourself. Associating the feeling of relaxation with the keyword means that in a moment of tension you can bring the feeling of relaxation purely by repeating that word.

Reducing Uncertainty

2007-02-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

Uncertainty can cause high levels of stress. Causes of uncertainty can be:

Not knowing whether you will be performing, perhaps because teams are not announced until just before a performance
Not knowing what a coach or instructor thinks of your abilities
Receiving vague or inconsistent instructions

In these cases the actions of other people are negatively affecting your ability to perform. The most effective way of countering this is to ask for early posting of a team list, to ask for a clear statement of what a coach thinks, or to ask for clarification of vague instructions. Where instructions are inconsistent or conflicting, ask for clarification.

If you ask for clarification in a positive way, then people are usually quite happy to help.

Reducing the Importance of an Event

2007-02-24T22:39:00.000-08:00

A number of factors can make an event take on a high level of significance and cause stress as a result:

The importance and size of an event
The thought of a large financial reward
The presence of family, friends, selectors, or judges
The consequences of an event may be important, e.g. for selection to a higher level team

If stress is a problem under these circumstances, then think carefully about the event - take every opportunity to reduce its importance in your eyes:

If the event seems big, put it in its place along the path to your goals. Compare it in your mind with bigger events you might know of or might have attended.
If there is a financial reward, remind yourself that there may be other opportunities for reward later. This may not be the only chance you have. Focus on the quality of your performance. Focusing on the rewards will only damage your flow if you are performing.
If friends or family are watching, remind yourself that they liked or loved you before you took up the sport, and will continue to do so whether you win or lose.
If selectors are watching then remind yourself that you may well have other chances to impress other selectors.

If you focus on the correct execution of skills, then the importance of the event will dwindle into the background.

Improving Focus

2007-02-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

Analysing your Sport's Focus Requirements

Different sports, and different parts or positions in sports, require attention to be focussed on different skills and different cues.

Where success relies on a physical skill being executed, then focus on that skill.

In other cases, you may have to make a tactical appreciation before execution of the skill. The appropriate attention should be paid to this.

Alternatively where an opponent is involved, study and learn the cues that give away his or her intentions. For example, foot movements, glances in a particular direction or tensing of shoulder muscles can give away the fact that someone is about to throw a punch. Similarly the opponent may give cues as to defensive tactics to be used which may be picked up.

The focus requirements and cues to look for will differ from sport to sport and position to position. You can analyse them effectively by studying video footage of performance. This can be slowed down so that all cues can be examined. You can also pick up information on cues from books or videos on your sport.

By understanding the cues to look for, you can separate out the things to which attention should be directed from the clutter of irrelevant stimuli that occur in a competition environment.

Training to Improve Focus

You can improve focus by practice and training, much like any other skill.

You can practise it at its simplest almost as a form of meditation - firstly study an object for some time: get completely involved with it, in its shape, colour, texture, smell, etc. Then practise switching the focus to a different object, being completely involved in this, and nothing else.

Similarly you can practise focus on sounds, listening to them and then switching focus to other sounds.

This concentrated attention helps you to feel what sporting focus feels like. The rapid switching to another thing practises your ability to switch focus.

In normal training, visualise the performance of a skill using imagery, then focus on its execution as you actually perform it. Practise doing the skill without any analysis. Experience the feeling of flow. Associate this feeling of flow with a trigger word in your mind.

Keeping Focus as You Get Better

One thing to watch out for as you get better at a sport is loss of focus. This can happen for two main reasons:

as your reactions become automatic they hold your attention less, and
as you get better, you may find that you are not as challenged by other competitors.

You may find that these focus problems have their root in goal setting: if you are setting outcome goals such as 'coming first', then this will not be challenging if you win easily.

This can be prevented by setting performance goals that are sufficiently difficult to maintain motivation, a sense of being stretched and concentration on improving skills even when competition is weak.

Distraction Management

2007-02-24T22:36:00.000-08:00

Distraction is damaging to your performance because it interferes with your ability to focus and disrupts flow. It interferes with the attention that you need to apply to maintain good technique. This causes stress and consumes mental energy that is better applied elsewhere.

This section will teach you skills for overcoming distraction

Sources of Distraction

Distraction can come from a number of sources, both internal and external, such as:

the presence of loved ones you want to impress
family or relationship problems
media - photographers, interviewers, cameras, heat form lights, etc.
teammates and other competitors
coaches who do not know when to keep quiet
underperformance or unexpected high performance
frustration at mistakes
unjust criticism
poor refereeing decisions
changes in familiar patterns
etc.

You can prepare for and deal with all of these sources of distraction.

Coping with distraction

Coping with distractions and minor irritations is mainly a matter of attitude - you can either dwell on them and blow them up out of all proportion to their significance, or you can accept them and bypass them. If you waste mental energy fretting over a trivial problem, then this is energy that cannot be spent maintaining good technique (hence preserving physical energy). Over long events or competitions, this wastage of mental energy can seriously damage your performance.

What is worth remembering is that when you are distracted, lose concentration and make a mistake, you have not lost your skills. All you have lost is your focus.

The following points may help you to deal with distractions:

Remember that although events may be beyond your control, your reactions to events are entirely controlled by you.
Think positively - recognise petty irritations as such, and let them go
Know you can perform well despite distraction
Prepare for and expect more distraction at bigger events
Expect other competitors to be more nervous at big events - use your ability to resist stress and distraction as a competitive advantage
Develop a refocusing plan and practice using it when you are distracted
Learn how to change bad moods to good moods
Sleep and rest more before big events so that you have more mental energy to devote to distraction, mood and stress control.

Symptoms of Stress

2007-02-24T22:35:00.000-08:00

The following is a list of the major symptoms of stress that you might feel:

Physical Symptoms - mainly in response to increased levels of adrenaline:
- Increase in heart rate
- Increase in Sweating, and a cooler skin as this combines with a reduction in the blood flow to your skin.
- 'Butterflies' in your stomach
- Rapid Breathing
- Tense Muscles
- Dry Mouth
- A desire to urinate
Mental Symptoms
- Worry
- Confusion, inability to concentrate or difficulty making decisions
- Feeling ill or odd
- Feeling out of control or overwhelmed
Behavioural Symptoms
- Talking rapidly
- Nervous mannerisms: nail biting, foot tapping, increased blinking, twitching, pacing
- Scowling
- Yawning

These symptoms of stress should not be taken in isolation - they could be caused by other factors. However if you find yourself exhibiting or recognising a number of them, then it would be worth investigating stress management techniques.

Optimum Stress Levels

2007-02-24T22:26:00.000-08:00

The level of stress under which you operate is important: if you are not under enough stress, then you may find that your performance suffers because you are bored and unmotivated. If you are under too much stress, then you will find that your results suffer as you find it difficult to focus on technique and fail to flow with the performance.

The graph below shows the relationship between stress and quality of performance:

Where stress is low, you may find that your performance is low because you become bored, lack concentration and lack motivation. If this state persists for a long time, then you may find the sport tedious, and give it up.

Where stress is too high, your performance can suffer from all the symptoms of stress. Your flow can be disrupted, you can be distracted, and competition can become threatening and unpleasant.

In the middle, at a moderate level of stress, there is a zone of best performance. If you can keep yourself within this zone, then you will be sufficiently aroused to give a high quality performance, while not being over-stressed and unhappy.

This zone of optimum performance is in a different place and is a different shape for different people. Some people may operate most effectively at a level of stress that would leave other people either bored or in pieces. It is possible that someone who functions superbly in a low level competition might experience difficulties in high level competition. Alternatively someone who performs only moderately at low level of competition might give exceptional performances under extreme pressure.

Not only will the zones of optimum performance be in different places for different athletes, they will also be different heights and different widths. This is why you must take responsibility for controlling your own levels of stress, particularly in a team situation: if the team generally needs motivation, but you are in an optimum zone, then paying attention to a motivating team talk may move you to a state of being over-stressed. Similarly if some team members need to be relaxed, then relaxation techniques applied to an entire team may move you to a state of bored demotivation.

You may also find that fine and complex skills are less tolerant to stress than simple skills - your zone of optimum performance may be narrower for very difficult skills than for the basic skills of the sport.

Finding Your Optimum Stress Level

An effective way of finding the stress level at which you operate best is to keep a training and performance log. In this record the quality of every training session or performance, along with the level of stress that you felt during that performance.

If you have stress monitoring equipment, and can score your performance, then this gives you hard, objective figures to use in your training log. If you do not have the ability to do this, then record your subjective views of the stress levels you felt and the quality of the session.

After a time review the training log - this should give you some good information on the way that you respond to stress. This information will help you to decide and implement a stress management program that is appropriate to the different sporting situations you find yourself in.

Thanks to: www.mindtools.com

Stress, Anxiety and Energy

2007-02-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

Below is the link of the picture of the infamous tragic incident happens in English Premier League between Eric Cantona from Manchester United and one of the spectators. While he is known for a player who is most gifted and popular among Manchester United Fan worldwide for a decades, sometimes we must understand that a good anger management is a must to avoid any inconvenient response and thus may affect our performance or concentration on playing field.

http://ifs2.imagefly.info/v/c8/jpg/Eric_Cantona_kung-fu_kick.html

Too much stress and anxiety can seriously affect your ability to focus on your skills and flow in a performance. This section examines the causes of excess stress and anxiety, explains their symptoms and then explains techniques that you can use to manage them.

It is important that you recognise that you are responsible for your own stress levels. Very often they are a product of the way that you think. Learn to monitor your stress levels, and adjust them up if you need more arousal, or down if you are feeling too stressed. Also learn that other people may seek to manipulate your stress levels: if you are feeling stressed and uptight, the last thing you may need is a motivational talk from a coach or manager who may not be able to see your stress.

Stress

A certain level of stress is needed for optimum performance. If you are under too little stress, then you will find it difficult to motivate yourself to give a good performance. Too little stress expresses itself in feelings of boredom and not being stretched.

At an optimum level of stress you will get the benefits of alertness and activation that a good level of stress brings.

Excessive levels of stress damage performance and damage your enjoyment of your sport. These excessive levels occur in the following circumstances:

When you think that what is being asked of you is beyond your perceived abilities

When too much is asked of you in too short a space of time

When unnecessary obstacles are put in the way of achieving goals

The negative effects of stress are:

That it gets in the way of judgement and fine motor control

It causes competition to be seen as a threat, not a challenge

It damages the positive frame of mind you need for high quality competition by:

promoting negative thinking
damaging self-confidence
narrowing attention
and disrupting flow

It consumes mental energy in, for example, worry. This is energy that you could devote to keeping technique good.

Very often stress can be caused by negative thinking as well as being a result of negative thinking: If you interpret a situation saying 'I'm in trouble', then you are much less likely to do well than if you think positively, seeing a new situation as an opportunity to exhibit your skills at a higher level.

Stress and Adrenaline

When you are in a competitive environment or are in an environment in which you are being evaluated, adrenaline may enter your bloodstream.

This has the following positive and negative effects on your body:

Positive Effects:

Adrenaline causes physiological arousal
It causes alertness
It prepares the body for explosive activity

Negative Effects:

It inhibits judgement
It interferes with fine motor control, and makes executing complex skills difficult.

You will experience the preparatory flow of adrenaline into your body typically as 'Butterflies in your stomach'.

In sports such as shooting where fine motor control is important, adrenaline may be a negative factor. However in sports like sprinting or power lifting, where explosive activity is required, adrenaline may be useful in generating optimum performance.

You may currently view high levels of adrenaline in your body negatively as stress. You may need to review this, perhaps welcoming adrenaline as an aid to your performance. Similarly you might like to consider using 'Psych Up' routines to raise your adrenaline levels if you are not sufficiently aroused.

Anxiety

Anxiety is different from stress. Anxiety comes from a concern over lack of control over circumstances. In some cases being anxious and worrying over a problem may generate a solution. Normally, however, it will just result in negative thinking.

Albert Ellis listed the five main unrealistic desires or beliefs that cause anxiety:

The desire always to have the love and admiration of all people important to you. This is unrealistic because you have no control over other peoples minds: people can have bad days, can see things in odd ways, can make mistakes, or can be plain disagreeable and awkward.

The desire to always be thoroughly competent. This is unrealistic because you only achieve competence at a new level by making mistakes. Everybody has bad days and makes mistakes. One of the benefits of training with better athletes is that you can see them making mistakes and having bad days too.

The belief that external factors cause all misfortune. Often negative events can be caused by your own negative attitudes. Similarly your own negative attitudes can cause you to view neutral events negatively. Another athlete might find something positive in something you view as a problem.

The desire that events should always turn out the way that you want them to and people should always do what you want. Other people have their own agendas and do what they want to do.

The belief that everything that has happened in the past will inevitably condition and control what has happened in the future. Very often things can be improved or changed if you try hard enough, or look at things in a different way.

Mental Energy

You need mental energy to be able to concentrate your attention and maintain good mental attitudes. If you are concentrating effectively then you can conserve physical energy by maintaining good technique when your muscles are tired, can maintain focus and good execution of skills, and can push and drive your body through pain and fatigue barriers.

You can waste mental energy on worry, stress, fretting over distractions, and negative thinking. Over a long competition these not only damage enjoyment, but also drain energy so that performance suffers.

It is therefore important to avoid these by good use of sports psychology, and by resting effectively between events and by ensuring that you sleep properly.

NB: There is some debate relating to the interaction between psychic energy (Kerr, 1985) and stress. This review takes the view that distinguishing between stress and psychic energy is unnecessary as it complicates the issue without yielding many useful insights. We reserve the right to modify this position in future uploads.

Athletes And Personality Types

2007-02-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

Is there a relationship between personality type and sport preference? How do people choose the sport they participate in? Would it be a matter of personality preference? Are certain personality types more attracted to certain sports, like in careers? Why some people prefer individual sports over team sports? What do basketball players have in common?

In order to answer questions related to athletes' personality type, over five hundred athletes were tested and evaluated by this author. To examine the relationship between personality types, sport preferences and performance, team and individual athletes' personality profiles were designed.

Results indicated that teams exhibit a predictable personality profile and that by understanding the psyche of the athlete, performance and team productivity can be enhanced. Interpersonal communication amongst players and coaching staff can improve, players can take advantage of their personal preferences and strengths and work on developing other areas identified in the assessment process. Optimal communication and performance can be achieved by identifying the athletes preferred learning and personality styles.

Personality types are attracted to and succeed in certain sports just like they do in certain occupations. The more athletes and coaches understand about their personalities and the team profile, the more productive they can be.

Benefits of Understanding the Personality Profile of Athletes

1. Helps assess the fit between persons and sports and even positions on a team

2. Helps athletes and coaches value their strengths and become more aware of those areas in which development may be warranted

3. Helps coaches and athletes in a strained relationship analyze the source of the conflict and build a strategy to reduce it

4. Can lead to motivated and committed behavior

5. Useful for the athlete and sports professional in career and life planning, self-management (such as stress/time management) and interpersonal skills areas

6. Many applications in team building and management training

Background

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is organized by using eight different personality preferences. The preferences are arranged by four functions and four attitudes. The four functions are composed of two kinds of perception, sensing (S) and intuition (N), and two kinds of judgment, thinking (T) and feeling (F). The four attitudes are composed of extraversion (E), introversion (I), judgment (J), and perception (P).

The roles of the functions are as follows:

Sensing (S) seeks the fullest possible experience of what is immediate and real.
Intuition (I) seeks the furthest reaches of the possible and imaginative.
Thinking (T) seeks rational order and plan according to impersonal logic.
Feeling (F) seeks rational order according to harmony among subjective values (Myers, McCaulley, 1985).

The roles of the attitudes are as follows:

Extroversion (E) draws energy from objects and people in society and the environment.
Introversion (I) draws energy from an inner world of concepts and ideas.
Judgment (J) seeks to make decisions, closure, plan operations, or organize activities.
Perception (P) outer behavior is spontaneous, curious, and adaptive, open to new events and changes (Myers, McCaulley, 1985).

The MBTI can be applied to many different settings, such as, education, counseling, career guidance, athletics and teamwork, and communications.

In education settings, the MBTI can help to analyze curricula, methods, media, and materials in light of the needs of different types.
In counseling, it can help couples and families learn the value of both their differences and similarities.
Using the MBTI in career guidance can help guide individuals in their choice of school majors, professions, occupations, and work settings.
For athletics and teamwork, it can help select teams, and help team members grow in their own development as each learns from the skills of the other.
In a communications setting, the MBTI can help to increase understanding by "talking the language" of different types in the group.

The investigation of athletes personality type and its relationship with individual and team performance is innovative; results of the work conducted with NBA players, Olympic athletes and high school athletes have been very positive. Coaches and parents can now better understand the behavior of athletes and teams. Athletes can better understand their preferences and utilize that information to maximize their performance in sport and in their second careers

by Cristina Bortoni Versari, Ph.D.

Be Confident When You're In Opening For A Kick Off

2007-02-22T08:40:00.000-08:00

What is really the definition of confidence? There’s no anything is extra important than the emotion of self-belief ahead of the start of the game. What is confidence exactly? Confidence is the trust in your capability and divided into two areas which a general belief in your ability to perform well and be successful in the game and have a detailed belief within your mission in your ability to organize your own task such as kick, pass, controlling ball and etc. How do football players build up confidence? Confidence may come from numerous sources and it differs from individual to individual. The majority of players acquire confidence from one or more of the following reason which are, experience or other persons, history success, practice, a well carry out task in the past and having a excellent support team.

Numerous tips to remember when you are about of kick off any major event games!!!

Believe in your skills. This is really the definition of confidence. If you trust in your football skills and physical talents, afterward it is said you have confidence. If you back yourself more than any person on the field, at that moment you have confidence. This comes from your belief in football talent, such as passing, running, heading and etc.

Strengthen why you will succeed. I ask athletes to record the reasons to succeed which is a sort of self-help exercise. Most athletes don’t give themselves enough praise for the successes and additional skills that contribute to good play. Athletes sometimes overlooked their own mini successes. Other players exclude positives in their profession. What is your list for the reasons to succeed? It can be consist of your ability, your team, past success, good coaches, practice, fitness, and many other areas that contribute to confidence.

Encounter the doubt. Other than staying of confident is encounter your own inner doubt. No one is perfect and in times of difficulty it’s tough not to have any doubts as to winning. The first place to start it to spot any doubts you have had in the past and that are argument in your career such as “My team is not good enough to win.” The next step is to counter the doubt with statements that turns the circumstances around into an improvement such as “I have the self-belief that my side chance is better than any side we participate.”

You be able to knock into your success in what went before to help you sense confident today by rerun thriving games, practices and conversations from others. In today’s game, you might bring to mind a successful play you had on a related field or related conditions. Most football players would say that past success and experience in playing is the number one source for confidence today. Use the past to think confident today

Patience in a form of confidence is where a serene player is a confident player. The challenge in football is to stay tolerance when thing isn’t going your way today. It’s simple to give in to internal uncertainty and criticism when you are not on peak in your sport. But the better option is to stay patient with consequences and hang around for good things to happen. A patient football player says to himself that it might not be happening right now, but I know my play will take a turn for the better.

The Mental Edge - Brief Description About Effective Sport Psychology

2007-02-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

Tennis great Jimmy Connors has said that winning is at least 90% mental. Below are some resources for taming the opponent within.

Sport psychology involves preparing the mind of an athlete, just as thoroughly as one prepares the body. Sport psychology is an emerging field in the worlds of psychology and athletics. For many elite-level, professional, recreational, and even youth athletes, successful performances, cannot simply be reduced to superior physical performance.

Instead, performance in any endeavor, is largely contingent upon mental preparation and psychological strength. Just as you prepared for competition by practicing physical skill as well as increasing your strength and endurance, you must also prepare yourself mentally. This includes setting clear, short-term goals, entertaining positive thoughts, using self affirmations, imagery, negative thought stopping, etc.

Thanks to the extensive coverage of athletic events now-a-days, the sports enthusiast can understand the need for and benefits of sport psychology. Examples of mental training surround us - for instance skiers, divers, and gymnasts imaging their routines or tricks before they perform; Nancy Kerrigan's successful use of sport psych principles after she was maliciously attacked so close to the 1994 Olympics; golfers and biathletes using relaxation techniques to slow their heart rates and breathing thereby allowing for better accuracy in their shots; and basketball player using a combination of goal setting and imagery to improve their free throw percentages. The principles of sport psychology are helping athletes succeed in many ways.

Thanks to:
johncady@mac.com