Want to know more about treating a torn hamstring?  Check out this article to learn how you can reduce your time in rehab and get back to what you want to do.  

The most important thing a parent with a young athlete can do: show up.  This is a critical component of a child's development, knowing mom and dad are there to support.  Check out this article:  Being A Great Parent to A Young Athlete

Very exciting!  You are about to embark on a new business of taking care of yourself.  Now....what to do?  Right now you can only handle so many things at once so you chose exercise.  Unlike the real world of entrepreneurs you lack a few things:

1. You Don't Like to Exercise
2. You are Really Out of Shape
3. You have No Clue what You are Doing

Okay, all very reasonable thoughts but you are committed to taking better care of yourself.  Let's start with the basis.  Like any new business, you have to have the following:

1. Purpose - What am I doing?  Why am I doing it?  How will I benefit?
2. A System - Am I going to exercise 2x a day or 3x a week or 8 times a month?  What kinds of exercises should I be doing?  Who should I talk to?
3. Learn Some Basics - Where do I start?  What does cardiovascular mean?  Repetitions vs. sets...what is the difference? 
4. Start Doing! - The only real way to get on the right pat is to start moving in that direction!

One of the biggest lessons to learn starting your new exercise lifestyle is BE REASONABLE....IT TAKES TIME!!!  Just like anyone who starts a new business, there are dreams that within a few months you will be making money hand over fist, working less than your previous job, and looking for islands to retire to in 5 years.  It does not work that way!  Developing a new exercise regiment from scratch is difficult to say the least and benefits won't show up for a few months.  Immediately, you will have more energy and positive attitude but things such as weight loss, cardiovascular benefits, reduced stress on joints, strength, and inches off around the waste take time.  Remember keep focused on your purpose, the system, and what you have learned along the way.  The is no exercise/fitness lottery where all of the sudden you run like a gazelle, look like a supermodel, and have the lungs of a whale.  Learn your new exercise business well and although that retirement may not be on an island, you will be around happy and healthy to enjoy it. 

Every few months some financial firm will send you a statement telling you how much is in your 401K account.  Now, if you are like many Americans, you put a portion of your paycheck towards a company sponsored fund that is suppose to "protect your future."  So mindlessly, you just go along with an say to yourself "They are the experts, they know what they are doing, I will be fine."  You kept spending money like it was going out of style because the 401k was going to take care of you.  Completely hands off, never have to worry about it.  And then, if you are like the millions affected in the past year, all of the sudden you are told you can't retire because someone did something to interest rates that affected home loans and consequently your 401K is half its value and you have been layed off.  What happened? 

Now lets look at you and your health.  Everyday there are many factors that can affect your overall health encompassing exercise, diet, stress, pollutants in the air, genetics, and the list can go on forever.  Like the 401K example, would you turn over your well being completely to someone else?  Would you just assume because you look good on paper that you would never check you cholesterol, get annual exams, exercise 3-4 times a week, or eat a healthy diet?  If someone just told you that "you are fine, you don't have to do anything" would you trust it?

I wouldn't because simply: there is no one invested more in your health than you.  Picture what happened to those people who didn't watch their investments.....they can't retire and face a reality of working to the last day.  Would you put yourself, your family, and your friends at risk because you don't want to take the time to learn more about how you can better your health?  That would be crazy.  Consider the following:

1. Its a marathon...not a race - Every January new resolutions are made and for the most part, over before Valentine's Day.  Paying attention to your overall health is more like investing than your could ever imagine.  Having a steady pace of exercise, check ups, good diet, lowering stress in your life, spending time with loved ones, and gaining self satisfaction from your endeavors will ensure that your IconoMe will stay strong.  Always putting off the basic components of a healthy lifestyle is not different than buying a car with money you don't have.  You convince yourself "I will pay it off eventually" but with your health there is no eventual...it is every day. 

2. Its not rocket science - Honestly, I have no idea how the entire economic system works....it is too big!  Japan sells some tuna to China and now my blue jeans cost $5 more.  I will never understand that world but I do know a lot about myself because I am 100% invested in me.  Taking the time to learn the basics is not hard and asking questions when you are talking to a health care professional will go a long way.  Educate yourself on how to stay healthy and that power will last for years to come.

3. Its more than just about you - I have spent a lot of time talking about the "I" and "Me" but in reality we are not islands.  We have families, friends, coworkers, and loved ones that depend on our efforts, time, and consideration to help them in their journey.  Ignoring your own health affects everyone around you.  Eating junk food for 30 years and sitting on the couch can result in Diabetes, costing considerable money, pain, and distress to you that ripples to everyone else around you.  Being moody because your foot hurts may upset your spouse while not being able to play baseball with your children is an emotional connection that they will never develop with you.   Furthermore, being sick all the time because of self-inflicted poor health can lead to many doctor visits, costing considerable amounts of money and time, even at times affecting your job which others may depend on.   Your IconoMe reaches far and wide, no different that the world we are currently weathering.    

We you sit down and think about your own health, ask yourself  three questions: 

"What do I want out of this life?"
"Who is going to be with me?"
"How am I going to be around to enjoy it?"

Start investing in your health....the dividends are limitless.

INTRODUCTION

This category offers a different perspective on how exercise, fitness, and general good health play into the whole economic climate.  Unless you have been living under a rock that past 2 years, you have noticed how a few industries have caused the complete collapse of US and worldwide economy.  Banks lending more than they had to people who couldn't afford homes led to over 10% unemployement.  How did that happen?  I have an idea but I am not an economist so I don't have the answer there.  The Exercise Economist offers the reader an opportunity to see how exercise plays into their overall well-being and how ignoring it can destroy your IconoMe = self economy.  This section will explore how ignoring certain industries within our own lives can cause create this similar domino affect.  If you can't learn to take care of yourself and maximize your own potential, you will never be able to share those accomplishments to benefit those that you love.  Learn and enjoy!

Keith J. Cronin
"The Exercise Economist"

Coaching young athletes can be very challenging.  Learning new motor skills, developing a complete understanding of the sport, teamwork, and performing under pressure are just a few of lessons taught by coaches to young athletes.  Combining these intentions with adolescent distractions, hormones, and constant interruptions during practice make the process of learning difficult at times.  Now, combine all these variables with one child that is hurt and you have a recipe for distraction.  What is a coach to do?  How do you determine when a child is good to get back on the field?  The parents are putting pressure on you because they want their child to play so what do you do?

The most important a coach can do is establishing communication.  Communicating with the athlete, parent, and doctor, trainer, or physical therapist is where the progress begins.  Lack of communication lends to sending a child back on the field too early or delays in the rehabilitation process.  As a therapist, I establish a very clear line of communication between the athlete and their parents.  This same methodology can be used by a coach to ensure that the right decisions are made with the right information.   As a coach, ask yourself the following questions:

·         What is the injury?  How bad is it?  What did the doctor say?

·         What is the normal process for getting back in the game with this particular injury?

·         Who is the athlete?  Are they driven?  Are they likely to do their rehabilitation properly or skip steps because they are impatient or bored?

·         To what degree does the injury affect performance?  Can a child with a sprained ankle still pitch a baseball?  Does tendonitis mean no throwing or just monitor?

This simple method of asking who, what, when, where, and why when it comes to injured athletes will ensure that a coach can establish an excellent communication that supports a positive environment for maintaining athlete’s sporting interesting while allowing healing.  Consider the following example:

                “A child sprains his ankle while playing soccer.  After going to the doctor, the child is revealed to have a high ankle sprain.  The child returns to the next practice and the coach asks the athlete and the child says he has an ankle sprain.  The coach, remembering from his days of injuries, thinks that in a week or so the child should be ready to return to practicing.”

                This example highlights a very important component of communicating properly to understand the injury.  The difference between an ankle sprain and a high ankle sprain is considerable in the healing process.  While the common ankle sprain can heal up in a week or two for a young athlete, a high ankle sprain may take as much as two months.  As a coach, be sure to ask the parents and the athlete, and if possible, ask for any information that the doctor wrote down.  With the right information at hand, you don’t have to be a medical practitioner to look up online reasonable guidelines for to address a particular injury.  The most important part is establishing good communication so the right decision is made with the most complete information.  

As you get older, it is no surprise that parts of the body start to wear down some.   The body is very resilient to healing itself on a daily basis but sometimes the system gets pushed past the “point of no return.”  Fortunately, the world of medicine has created replacement parts for knees, shoulder, hips, and ankles (as well as other body parts) that allow full function minus the pain…..well, at least down the line.

If you are considering, are rehabilitating, or have had a joint replacement in the past there are a few things you should know in respects to you new hardware.  As a therapist, I know the rehabilitation process hurts and seems like it will never end but keep in mind, a few decades ago a person with damaged knees would be in a wheelchair instead of up and walking.  So, now that you are past the fact you are thankful for all that is modern medicine, here are the real facts:

1.       It’s Mean Upfront – This is surgery….major surgery.  The surgeon breaks open your joints, saws out the bad parts, and hammers/screws in the new ones.  The physicality to simply put in the replacement is so great that many physicians stop doing them around 60 years old.  The body part is going to swell up and send off every pain signal available in its arsenal.  The outstanding benefit that you are to have is the parts currently damaged will heal and the parts that wouldn’t heal are gone. 

2.       Rehabilitation Takes a Bit – Going through rehabilitation to get the joint moving as soon as possible is the best bet.  The joint will have a tendency to scar down and restrict overall motion.  Most important things to consider:  Reduce the swelling and Improve the motion.  Take care of those two things and the rest will take care of itself.

3.       Cold and Wet – You will become a human barometer.  When it rains or is very cold the joint will hurt.  This achy soreness can go on for the rest of your life so please don’t be shocked if hurricane season or winter brings your new body part some grief. 

Now, I gave you some realizations about have a total joint replacement.  Here is the overwhelming benefit that through all the time, money, pain, and aggravation: you have the opportunity to keep moving.  Being limited to the point where you never leave the house because of knee pain is a far worse consequence that a little achiness when the weather turns bad.   Physical pain is real but the emotional pain from being incapacitated by constant joint pain, isolation, and depression is far worse.  So in respects to joint replacement, keep that mind focused on a future of getting your life back and most importantly keep moving. 

 

Baseball culture will continue with the pace of “sports proliferation” and as parents it is important to draw the line.  The following tips will ensure that you are doing the best for your child to make the most of baseball, but all sports in general:

·         Each year make sure there are 3 consecutive months where there is no throwing.  This is a guideline supported by Dr. James Andrews and followers of his work.  This ensures that each child’s arm takes the appropriate time to heal and prepare for another season of competition.

·         Switching sports on a regular basis not only develops a better athlete but reduces the risk of particular injuries.  Even though playing basketball instead of training for baseball increases risk of sprained ankles, it significantly reduces the future risk of damage to the rotator cuff

·         Make sure all strengthening and conditioning drills are appropriate.  Talk to your pediatrician what elements are appropriate for growing bodies.

·         If you child can point a finger to the pain, such as a tendon, ligament, or joint that is very specific, pay attention!  Sore muscles happen with every sport but complaints of elbow joint pain on a regular basis needs to be addressed immediately. 

·         Ensure that you child is also going on vacations, participating in other school activities, and having a life out of sports.  Obsession with athletics, particularly one sport, can lead to drop out before high school and a life-long hatred of the sport. 

Why does baseball allow such a culture to exist?  Consider the following:

·         Lots of Games - Major League baseball plays 162 games a year.  This number of games is considered an acceptable standard of play for adults for young athletes it is way too much.  In respects to baseball, our culture has determined that “if more is good, the great than that must be better.” 

·         Training, Training, Training – The idea of conditioning for baseball was a scarce thought just 20 years ago.  Young baseball players today are hitting the gym, drinking protein shakes, and participating in workouts more appropriate for a NFL linebacker….and they are 9 years old!  Our cultural push to preparation has created a future of broken bodies, leading to broken dreams. 

·         Can Play for a Long Time - Baseball is a slow sport with moments of intense movement but rarely completely exhausts the athlete.  The physicality of football, basketball, soccer, and even hockey will eventually completely exhaust the young athlete, sometimes forcing time to rest.  Baseball players can take hundreds of explosive swings and throws before reaching exhaustion, all along damaging body parts to irreparable levels.

·         Bringing the Game Indoors – In years past, when the weather got cold the baseball season ended.  Recent pushes for indoor facilities, batting cages, pitching lessons, and use of warehouses for full team practices has allowed the athlete to throw year round.

·         Obsession with the Now – I played baseball in little league, high school, and college and to this day I can never remember the intensity of parents and coaches today at such young levels.  Dreams of being the best, scholarships, and big league contracts drive many parents, athletes, and coaches to only think in the now.  A 6^th grade weekend championship game is important but driving young athletes into the ground to get there is sacrificing the future. 

Any parent with a young athlete in baseball would be hard pressed to miss all the warnings these days with youth baseball.  The following is a list of things that have become main stream in the past decade to make a real difference:

·         Little League has instituted pitching rules that limit the number of pitches per game and time in between starts on the mound

·         Greater awareness that breaking pitches, such as curveball and sliders, are not good for a developing shoulder and elbow

·         Use of safety equipment, such as helmets, that have reduced the number of concussions and other head injuries considerably

These pushes by the parent, association, and medical communities have made a great difference but the question remains:  Why do injuries continue to rise in youth baseball?  The answer is not what “we are doing” to reduce the problem but more what “we are becoming” in our sports culture.  Years ago, young athletes would play a variety of sports, go on vacations with the family, and have times termed the “offseason.”  Nowadays, it is not unusual to see a 10 year old playing 100+ baseball games in the summer, cramming in $60 personal training sessions 2x a week, hitting a pitching lessons 3x a week, and then sprinkle in some conditioning a practice during the dead time.