FAST YOUTH ATHLETE

At Naperville Central High School, west of Chicago, children who are having problems with math or reading go to gym class first. And exercise isn't just restricted to the gym -- there are bikes and balls in the classrooms, and the children are in constant motion. The results are amazing -- reading scores have doubled, and math scores are up by a factor of 20. Research shows that after 30 minutes on the treadmill, students solve problems up to 10 percent more effectively. Keeping kids active at school is a superb way to increase learning, focus and even test results. As many of you reading this have likely experienced, if your mind is feeling cluttered or you’re having a mid-afternoon slump, a brisk walk or a quick workout can give you a renewed sense of clarity and focus. This is true for kids, too, and the results of implementing a physical activity program at Naperville Central High School are nothing short of astounding. Students who took part in a dynamic gym class at the begin...

The purpose of the warm-up is to lubricate the joints, increase the responsiveness of the central nervous system, prepare the body for the specific movements, and increase the body’s core temperature. The lubrication of the joints makes moving the joints easier. The bending of the knee is critical when sprinting, but will never be accomplished with stiff joints. The joints are better lubricated when the body is warm and able to produce fluid that easily flows to keep the joints moving. When a door has not been lubricated properly, it doesn’t function properly, doesn’t open and shut easily, and makes an irritating noise that confirms its problem. The brain sends messages to the muscles to tell them to move. The central nervous system must be awake to clearly signal to the muscles, and quickly and efficiently recruit as much muscle fiber as needed to perform a specific movement. If the brain does not send the signal efficiently, the body can’t perform that movement with the required spee...

1. Hi Aaron. I am glad you chose to do this interview with us. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? Thank you for having me. I have been in the health and fitness industry since 1991. I graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a BS in Physical Education / Exercise Science. Before starting my business Fucntion First in 1995 I worked at a couple of health and fitness facilities specializing in one on one posture correction as well as fitness. Eventually I sold half of the business and moved across the country and created Perfect Postures in 2002. I have worked with numerous Olympic as well as professional athletes; and the majority of my clientele are chronic pain sufferers. 2. We deal with a lot of youth athletes. Could you tell us how you improve the posture, joint mechanics, and muscle imbalances? First we do a postural evaluation. Second we do a gait analysis, and perform functional testing. These three components complete the puzzle. From there we create correc...

New article at the Equalizer http://tiny.cc/f9rd7

U.S. Children Snacking More; Junk Calories Leading the Rise Released: 3/2/2010 1:30 PM EST Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Newswise — Children in the United States are snacking more than ever before on salty chips, candy and other junk food, according to a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study. The increase in snacking, which now accounts for up to 27 percent of daily caloric intake, has occurred along with a rise in childhood obesity, a health problem that has put millions of U.S. children at risk of hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. The study, published in the March 2010 issue of the journal Health Affairs, is one of the first to look at long-term eating patterns in children, and suggests a trend in which some children snack almost continuously throughout the day. “Our study shows that children, including very young children, eat snacks almost three times a day,” said senior author Barry Popkin, Ph.D., the Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished...

Another Excelerate Sports & Lamour Training Systems production The greatest benefit of training youth will be realized through patience. Do not be hasty with adding weight to their routine if they are not mastering the movement. I tend to keep my reps in the 5-8 range when teaching a young athlete a new exercise because I am after the neuromuscular adaptations from the routine. Our main aim as coaches is to make sure the brain is sending signals quickly and efficiently so that the young athlete can perform the movement correctly. The hardest lesson as a coach for me is to allow the athletes to continue to reap the benefits of bodyweight exercises like pushups, pull ups, dips, lunges, and squats. I get excited when the young guys make progress and think they might enjoy some resistance. But is it necessary if they are getting stronger through these bodyweight exercises. They will go a long way with the master their own bodyweight and their connective tissue will adapt to the stress ...

Every youth athlete should start jump training to work on absorbing force and learning how to be reactive. Progress slowly depening on the athlete's level of preparedness. Also, make sure you warm-up properly to avoid dysfunctions and injuries. Teach the athlete to throw the hands back violently to create an apposite force reaction. Also, make sure the athlete has a slight bend in the knees and lands softly. The leg muscles and glutes should be absorbing the force not the joints. Let us know what type of jump training your youth athlete is performing. Keep Working Hard, Jimmy & Oliver