Extreme Sports – Protecting Against Injury

Extreme sports are perhaps the most engaging of all activities. They push your body further than you thought was possible. This can mean big things for you and it can feel great. That is, until something goes wrong and you end up hurt. You can avoid this.

What You Can Do

If you are worried about injuries in any of the extreme sports you are involved in, take the steps necessary to protect against it. There are a few things you can do to achieve this.

  • Get a physical first. Know that your body is healthy from the head down. It is a good idea to have a stress test, too. It will help you to achieve what you are looking for because it gives you a starting point.
  • Condition your muscles. This means you need to practice and develop skills. However, you also need to bulk up your muscles so that they can handle more. It is also a good idea to improve stamina through improved cardio workouts.
  • Consider stretching. It may not seem like it does a lot but practices like yoga can completely improve your ability to stretch. That will reduce your risk of injury.

Take the time to consider a wide range of options. Are you looking for a way to build muscle and to achieve big things? Then get fit first. You will find this is the best way to transform your body into the power house you want it to be. Extreme sports are only as extreme as you think.

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The Importance of Protective Attire for Extreme Sports

MATAMATA, NEW ZEALAND - NOVEMBER 16: In this h...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Protective attire has always had a place in extreme sports. It is the recognition that someone could get hurt or killed is why the organized competitive extreme sports organizations require competitors to wear helmets and pads. It is not the success that causes the injuries, it is the missteps, the misjudgements, and unforeseen conditions that cause the trip to the hospital.

While those who perform extreme sports undoubtedly are proud of their scares and close escapes, the protective quality of their attire has contributed to helping them escape with injuries that could otherwise have been much worse.

Helmets have their place in protecting heads from bearing the full weight of impact with an unforgiving object. Knee pads and elbow pads present serious skin scraping injuries and also reduce the impacting force of a fall. Even the protective suits have a place in keeping the body from getting scrapped up. The proper shoes or boots are an essential protective shield for the feet. Protective body suits protect the body from the temperature and from incidental contact with damaging objects.

Protective attire is an important part of extreme sports. With all of the tricks, adrenaline rush, sense of danger, and risk-taking associated with the sport, it is the one thing that cannot be ignored. It won’t prevent someone from making a mistake but it will play a role at least in migrating the injuries received. It is impossible to move on to the next adventure in extreme sports, if sidelined by an injury.

 

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Sports Drinks

On the sidelines of most professional sporting events or even local teams are usually a stockpile of bottles of sports  drinks.

These sports drinks are so popular because they rehydrate the body faster than water alone.  They have carbohydrate and electrolytes which replenish lost nutrients from the body when we exercise and sweat.  If you feel faint or have a sudden loss of energy during sport then these drinks can help you feel better and recover sooner.

Always ask your coach, trainer even doctor about which of these drinks is best for you and test the many hundreds of brands that are on the market.  Look carefully at the labelling as some brands at first glance may look like a sports drink but they contain high amounts of additives and sugars and will not benefit your body.  Energy drinks with caffeine should be avoided completely during sports.  They are an artificial stimulant and do not contain the essential nutrients and electrolytes to rehydrate your body and help your work out.  Some people have been known to have reactions to these caffeine stimulant drinks so be careful about what you choose to intake.

Sports drinks can easily become part of your work out or weekly sporting event but they should never replace water.  Water is needed for vitality and to keep your body in tip top condition. But by drinking these drinks in conjunction with water you may find that you have more sustained energy, recover faster and overall enjoy your work out or team sport a little more than usual.

Filed Under: General, Outdoor Sports Tagged With: , ,

The Success of Sport Themed Movies

Sporting events and great sporting achivement evokes such a passion and emotion throughout the world it’s only natural that storylines about true champions, inspirational winners, passion and commitment to a sport and the determination to achive make such great movies.

You can go right back to early movies like Elizabeth Taylors debut in National Velvet, Chariots of Fire, up through the decades to Raging Bull, The Rocky movies, Sea Biscuit and more recently The Fighter.  There are so many great movies about sport but what is it about sporting movies that captures our imagination and sends us in droves to the movies?

1)       They are all relatable, and once you can relate to a situation or a character you are emotionally attached.

2)      Human spirit.  We all want to see good people overcome any roadblocks and succeed, it also inspires us to do the same

3)      Admiration.  We adore and throw love and affection on a true champion.  Look at Mohammed Ali or Rocky Balboa.  True geniuses of their chosen field of sport whether fictional characters or not

4)      The underdog.  The gripping emotion you feel when you see The Champ defeated or Sea Biscuit win.  Sometimes the emotion is so high you can barely watch yet glued to the screen at the same time as if you really are on the track or front row at a boxing title fight.

So, the next time you are in the video store, see how many great movies there are about great sporting events or sportsmen and women.  Rent some out, ignite some passion in your belly and get inspired!

Filed Under: Games, Sports Tagged With: , , ,

Unusual Sports From Around The World

It’s always sports season somewhere in the world and millions of fenthusiasts every day are registering at local sports clubs, becoming fan members of a premier league footy team and buying up merchandise of their beloved teams left right and centre.

But what if you over it a little this season and fancy a change?  Well you may want to try these unusual sports for size if you’re brave enough!

In Finland, there is the annual wife carrying championships. Yes, you guessed it they actually carry their wives or partners across a bizarre obstacle course, through water and race to the finish.  If you’re thinking of taking up this sport you may want to run it past your wife first!

The Aussies love the tuna throwing championship held in Port Lincoln, Adelaide annually.  The current champion is an ex hammer thrower who threw his tuna 37.23 metres. So that’s what happens to retired world sport champions!

In Gloucestershire the English aren’t as quiet and reserved as you may think.  Once a year thousands turn out for the annual cheese rolling championships.  This strange and surprisingly dangerous sport has entrants rolling a rather large hard cheese down a hill and running after it.  It’s so bizarre its makes the news headlines most years and there are often cheese rolling related injuries.

The Welsh are not to be outdone.  The annual competition of man vs horse pits human against equine in a race of stamina and speed.  Competitors race through trees, down steep hills and negotiate an obstacle course.  The horse is more often than not the winner.

Maybe after reading the above a game of baseball, tennis or a local swimming group seems much more suitable.  The grass as they say is not always greener, so grab your Lakers cap, pick up your golf clubs and enjoy!

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The Teenager: are Extreme Outdoor Sports in their Future ?

The teenage years are a period of transition from childhood to adult. Parents want to channel that teenage energy into forming a happy, productive and responsible adult. If they have participated in the typical outdoor sports such as baseball, football, tennis, volleyball and on, are they ready for a transition to extreme outdoor sports ? That will depend on whether parents are in to extreme sports already or perhaps an opportunity for father/son or mother/daughter combinations to jointly look in to extreme sports of interest to both or to each.
A search of available extreme sports in their home region or a resort offering the extreme sports of interest to them jointly or individually would help decide an action plan.  Together time sharing sports and social events that will be permanently seared in to their memories for a lifetime, would seem to be a most desirable pursuit.
What, oh What should I choose ?
Selecting an initial choice among so many options might prove to be challenging. A teenage lad might be influenced by what his dad does to keep bread on the table or he may have had a keen interest in autos or military aircraft. This might prompt him to choose Paragliding or Sky Diving initially. A teenage lass might have an interest-as her mom does- in furthering the advance of women to compete in that formerly all male bastion outside the home. She might be prompted to choose mountaineering as her first choice and stand out as a woman pioneer in that particular field.
A lad on a date with a mountaineering lass might innocently ask what hobbies she likes. He will have to think fast when she casually responds ” Oh, I like to climb mountains ” Life on Earth is forever changing, coping and adjusting to the changes becomes a lietime pursuit.

Filed Under: Outdoor Sports Tagged With: , , , ,

Two fastened skiis +rope=mountain snowboarding

The non-math equation describes the origin of today’s snow boarding segment of outdoor extreme sports. In 1965 an engineer dad in Michigan bound two skiis together, attached a rope to the front end , allowing his young daughter to swoop down the local snow covered hills. The daughters playmates clamored for their own and so was born the outdoor sport of snowboarding. A bit later a teen age skateboarder in New Jersey adapted the skate board idea for snow by attaching a piece of sheet metal to the bottom of a board.
Snow Boarding Grows to an Established Outdoor Sport
Subsequently, an upstate New York man- who had enjoyed whizzing down snowy hills on cafeteria trays during his college days- expanded the board size to equal that of the surfing board he rode the waves with. By 1977 a Vermont man, an early on snow boarder, fashioned suitable foot bindings a la ttraditional ski bindings. In the relatively short span of 12 years the basic snow board-as we know it today - had been developed. Refinements in materials, design and safety features have improved the basic board design fashioned by four contributors with vivid imaginations and talented hands. Over that same 12 year period snow boarding stories began appearing in newspapers and magazines that fueled a world wide interest that spawned international competative events such as the annual world cup. These developments culminated in the winter Olympics establishing snow boarding as a separate and distinct competition of its own
Like any other extreme outdoor sport the value of safety and professional instruction can’t be over emphasized. The injury rate for beginners and up to one year’s experience runs at approximately double the rate for down hill skiing. The rates are significantly lower for the snow boarding novice with exposure to professional instruction.

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Outdoor Sports for Teenagers

Teenage is that phase of life when the energy levels are highest and that deserves to be properly utilized into productive activities in form of outdoor sports. There are a whole range of outdoor sports which can be easily be picked up by any teenager without the requirement of specialized training or gear. There are many outdoor sports which are practiced at school or community level including soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, tennis etc. These sports not only help them in keeping fit but also act as an important tool in the process of personality development of the teenagers. Outdoor sports have a typical requirement of participants to be social and be able to operate in teams which is so essential to the overall grooming process. Even a simple game of skateboarding in the neighborhood can be the source of great joy without the need to go out or get specialized training. However for those teenagers who have special talents for more difficult sports there are unlimited options of venturing into mountaineering, skiing, cycling, diving, surfing, rowing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, horse riding etc all of which have the potential to bring out the best in them. Though some parents might be apprehensive of the more dangerous variants of outdoor sports it will be a good idea to let the teenagers try them under the supervision of trained personnel and see for themselves the suitability of that sport. Whichever form of outdoor sports that the teenagers choose it is best to let them go ahead with it and prove their skill levels in those fields. Outdoor sports are any day a better activity than visiting malls or lazing around in the house playing games on the computer which will not only reduce physical fitness but also can induce many negative feelings amongst them.

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Gliding- The Ultimate Outdoor Sports

Gliding or flying without the power of an engine started as an outdoor sports in the twenties and has been a great thriller ever since. Gliding can be taken up as a recreational activity or competitive sports depending on the individual taste and level of proficiency. There are innumerable types of gliders and gliding styles. However all are defined by the lack of a power source wherein the potential energy is the prime source of the gliders ability to stay up in air for a short period of time. The gliders are made of wood classically but many contemporary designs with fiber glass and other composite materials have given this outdoor sport a new dimension in terms of the capabilities of the glider. There are many ways to launch the glider into air, namely by aero towing, winching, bungee launching or even by auto towing. Once airborne the glider uses the thermals and lifting currents along ridges or mountain waves to stay longer. In fact cross country racing in gliders has also become a very popular sport. There are many gliders which in the right conditions can do a host of breathtaking aerobatics. The landing of the glider is the trickiest part as there is no engine to make a go round in case of a wrong approach. However it is not all that difficult to master as it may appear from the ground. As outdoor sports, the various types of gliding have been duly recognized and have international competitions organized every year. Some of the well known events are World Aerobatic Competition and the European Gliding Championship. Initially gliding may seem dangerous and a difficult sports to master but with a little practice and perseverance it will soon become a source of joy that is only known to the soaring birds.

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Horse riding- An Elegant Outdoor Sports

Riding on the back of a horse and making do all the drives and vaults at your command has always been an exhilarating experience since time immemorial. Horse riding has often been associated with royal outdoor sports. But in the last century this has become a common sports with three vary distinct variants emerging as the popular ones. These are the common horse racing, vaulting & dressage and the polo. Tent pegging and show jumping are two other versions of horse riding that also have world wide popularity. As outdoor sports, riding has no parallel in terms of elegance and style. The very sight of a rider majestically handling the horse to his command and a jockey racing to finish line is so very exciting. As all other outdoor sports riding has its own inherent dangers of injuries but that is not a concern which can hold back a keen rider. There some forms of riding which involve bare back mounting and maneuvering the horse without support from a harness. These are more extreme forms to be practiced only by the more proficient of the riders. Even a simple carefree ride on a good horse through open fields is an experience in itself. As an outdoor sports horse riding teaches many key lessons to the learner. Anticipation is on the first things that a rider will have to master. Polo a game that developed during the British Colonial rule of India is fast gaining popularity in other parts of the globe too. It is more like soccer being played from horse back with larger variety of hockey sticks to handle the ball. Nevertheless it is a great outdoor sport to play as well as to watch from outside. Outdoor sports like horse riding are true symbols of the spirit of adventure that drives men to take risks and physical hardships for the sheer joy of it.

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