Too often people look at exercise and diet as "complicated."  It is anything but complicated, nevertheless, this is how the combination of media, government, anyone selling a vitamin, or perhaps the greatest things in "ab blasting" technology makes things confusing.  Everyone in the game is just trying to make a dollar, pass a bill, or write something interesting so blaming them is just a waste of time.  Besides, it works to affect people's habits, opinions, and general direction when it comes to exercise and diet.  So, let's make this a little simpler.

WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF EFFORT?

If the world of exercise and diet are a struggle, consider this previous statement.  If you are having trouble getting off the couch to exercise do you honestly believe that all of the sudden you will workout 5x a week, 2 hours a day, not to mention remove all processed foods and shop only at organic markets with you hemp sewn bags?  The answer is no.  So, again, what is the maximum benefit for the least amount of effort.  This is where the Exercise Economist comes in.

Consider walking everyday for 30 minutes adding a salad to every dinner.  This is very minimal effort.....walking and eating something green.  Not complicated, not terribly strenuous, add a bunch of salad dressing and you will never know there is something healthy down there. 

What is the benefit?  A LOT!  Will this make you lose 10 pounds a month, get ripped arms, or change the way your boss looks at you....probably not.  But here is what it will do.  Walking 30 minutes a day reduces risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis.  Not having all of those conditions would be a GIANT BENEFIT!  Furthermore, the antioxidants and general nutrients in a salad with spinach, carrots, tomatoes, etc. also reduces the risk of these same conditions.  Very little effort, a lot of benefit. 

Absolutely, to get the ripped arms and flat tummy a lot more will have to be done but honestly, if you are not willing to go for a walk and eat a salad, two very easy things to accomplish on a daily basis, then those other goals are just a dream. 

Also, being healthy saves a lot of money that would have been spent on health care.  Who doesn't like having more money?

So, in closing, make it simple.  Don't look at exercise and diet like it is ancient rock scratchings in a cave.  If you don't know where to start, try a walk and salad....maybe pet a puppy (drops the stress level).  Give it a try.

Physical therapy is scary enough knowing someone is going to "hurt you" to make "you better."  As a parent, that goes double for not knowing how your child is going to get back to being healthy.  For any parent curious about physical therapy, this article on Advice for Parents with Athletes in Physical Therapy should help. 

Being young has its advantages, particularly when it comes to healing up bad injuries.  Unfortunately this knowledge pushes young athletes to push too hard, supported by parents and coaches wanting them to succeed.   This is somewhat of a mixed blessing and should be looked at closer.  Check out this article to learn more.

The concept of  "pushing through the pain" often has reprecussions for any injured athlete.  Consider this article No Pain, No Gain - Bad Advice for Athletes and understand how being reasonable in regards to sports is ultimately the right long term decision

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.