Girls on
Boy's High School Teams
Should girls be allowed on
boy's high school teams?
You've probably heard about
this topic on the news. Girls have gone to court challenging this issue
for the right to try out for a boy's team. Whether you are for girls
being
on boy's teams or you support the status quo, is of course your
opinion.
Some girls argue that their teams aren't competitive enough. Now that's
a real slap in the face of a girl's team! The whole point of creating
girls
teams is to give every girl a chance to play competitive team sports
with
other girls. If girls were allowed to play on a boy's team, why not the
reverse being true? Boys allowed to play on a girl's team. Do you see
how
ridiculous this may get?
A solution to this issue
would be to create co-ed high school teams. Instead of wasting money in
courts on high priced lawyers and tying up the courts with legal
issues,
the money can go into a co-ed high school teams. In this way, the girls
who want to compete on a more competitive level can. Of course, you'd
have
to create some team rules i.e, the number of boys to girls that a team
can have.
This is just one point of
view. You'll see this issue brought up time and time again.
Posted on: Wednesday September
27, 2006
Exercise
and Longevity
Your longevity, how long
you live, depends on exercise, nutrition, your genes, your size and
just
plain luck, too! As you can see, a lot of factors determine how long
you
live.
I was watching the news this
morning and there is this 75 year old man from Canada who competed this
past Sunday in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. He completed the
marathon
in one hour and 30 minutes which according to someone interviewed is a
good time for most people. For someone his age, it's a fantastic time.
They showed him jogging towards the finish line. He looked great for
his
age.
This is not his first marathon,
either! He's competed in many and I hear he is known worldwide by many
people for this. So what's his secret? It's staying active and
exercising.
Preferably you should start exercising, i.e., taking part in sports or
some sort of physical activity when you are young and continue
exercising
throughout your life. For those of you who haven't done this or stopped
for whatever reasons, it's never too late to start exercising again.
Posted on: Monday September
25, 2006
Tax Break
For Your Gym Membership
Here's an idea that's been
mentioned for a few months in Canada. To encourage fitness and
exercise,
fitness gyms and a few politicians are trying to get the Government of
Canada to give tax breaks called a tax credit for people's gym
membership
fees. I do not know how many countries, if any, are currently offering
a tax credit or tax deduction for gym memberships but it makes perfect
and logical sense to do so. It will encourage a lot more people to
hopefully
exercise and stay in shape. Secondly, why should you be taxed on your
income
that is used by you to stay healthy, anyway?
Will this be extended to
personal trainers or online
fitness programs too? We'll have to wait and see. I try to
stay on
top of worldwide news to see if any other countries are currently doing
this or proposing this sort of idea. Maybe other countries are offering
other creative alternatives?
Posted on: Saturday September
23, 2006
Exercise
For Your Abs
Everybody wants toned abs.
Am I correct? Most people want toned abdominals for aesthetic reasons
namely
to look beautiful, but there are other health reasons why you should be
exercising your ab muscles. The main reason is that a toned tummy puts
less strain on your back and prevents you from encountering future back
problems. Also, you do not have to strive for a six-pack to have
beautiful
tones abs. Toned abs are just as beautiful and sexy!
One of the most effective
and simple exercises for your abs that can be done almost anywhere and
anytime are ab crunches. These can be done in your home, gym or even
your
office, preferably 3 times per week. You do not even need any equipment
except maybe an exercise
mat if you like!
Here's the best way to do
Ab Crunches to get optimal results:
Lie flat on your back making
sure your back touches the ground. Put your hands on your chest or
behind
your head. Slowly lift yourself from the ground using your abs only and
your eye focusing forward. If you have your hands behind your head, do
not lift yourself using your hands. That's why hands on your chest is
better.
It keeps you from improperly doing the exercise. Once you reach as far
as you can go (but not in a seated position, this is not a situp),
slowly
lower yourself to the ground.
I know text instructions
are difficult to follow, but I will be adding a video demonstration of
Ab Crunches for you soon.
Posted on: Wednesday September
20, 2006
Ideal Body
Weight
How much should you ideally
weigh?
It all depends on a lot of
factors. Some are obvious like your height, your body's natural width
and
girth. Other factors are not as obvious such as your bone mass and
density.
There are adverse side affects to either weighing too much or too
little.
If you weigh too much then you may feel lethargic during the day and
your
body functions have to work extra hard putting unnecessary strain on
your
body. Likewise, weighing too little is not good for your health and
various
body functions. Also, trying to perform or take part in sports or
exercise
would not result in optimal performance.
The idea for this topic came
to me while I was watching CNN. They reported that Madrid is banning
extremely
skinny models. What constitutes skinny to them? Models who are 5'9"
tall
must weigh at least 122lbs and have a BMI of 18.
You must be wondering by
now what your ideal weight should be? The answer is twofold. First,
based
on your given height you should fall within a certain range. Your
doctor
should have a chart to show you this or be able to tell you this.
Secondly,
your body will tell you if you weigh too much. For example,
if you
are tired a lot during the day or unable to exercise at optimal levels.
Posted on: Saturday September
16, 2006
Bringing
Your Fitness to New Heights
At one time or another everyone
who visits a gym gets tired or bored by their fitness routine. This
boredom
can quite often cause many people to climb the walls, literally!
One of the most common items
being added by fitness centers around the country are rock climbing
walls.
You may have seen these walls at fairs, amusement parks, or
children’s
centers. They are irregularly shaped walls with small hand and
footholds
attached at various intervals up the height of the wall.
Looking at them than can
sometimes be quite intimidating because who wants to look like a fool
and
fall off the wall in front of the entire gym. However once you realize
the benefits rock climbing has, you might be willing to give it a
try.
Before you get started you’re probably going need to take a
safety class.
These are between an hour or two in length and go over the safety rules
and may include some climbing tips as well. The fitness center should
always
have an experienced staff member manning the ropes at the bottom (known
as a belayer). Should you fall off the wall (and you will at some
point)
the belayer slows your descent to prevent injury.
Most climbing walls will
have at least two difficulty levels, beginner and advanced, while some
may have three or four. Resist the temptation to go directly to the
advanced
and start on the easiest course. Most people assume that climbing a
rock
wall will only exercise their upper body muscle groups. However, as
muscle
soreness the next day will show you, it’s a whole body
exercise. Even people
with well developed arms, shoulders and chest muscles may experience
some
soreness, as these muscle groups are now being used in new ways.
Climbing
a rock wall is also a mental challenge, as you will have to negotiate a
path with the hand and foot holds to reach the top. Here are some tips
for people just starting out:
Use a firm but not overly
tight grip. Don’t grip too strongly to the handholds like
clinging on for
dear life. If you do fall the belayer at the bottom will slow your
descent.
Use your feet. Use your lower
body to help balance your weight. This not only gives you a better
exercise
but makes the climb easier.
Use you hips. By pointing
and shifting your hips in the direction you are reaching you can better
control your center of gravity and keep your balance.
Be calm. Your first few times
you are probably going to be very nervous. Let the belayer on the ropes
know you aren’t experienced. The main advantage indoor
climbing has over
outdoor climbing is controlled conditions that were designed with
safety
as a priority.
This article was written
by Allison Preston.
Posted on: Monday September
11, 2006
Airfares
and Being Overweight
We all know that being overweight
has many costs to the individual and society. From increased healthcare
costs to your health in general. If you travel on several US airlines,
everyone now has to pay more for airfare because people in general tend
to be overweight. With the cost of rising fuel prices, the increased
passenger
weight results in more fuel being used. This increase in airfares will
most likely result in worldwide airfare increases in countries where
obesity
is a problem. One airline in the US even charges 'Customers of Size'
two
airfares!
It's interesting to contemplate
this notion. You have so many seats on a flight. When an airline books
a flight to capacity, how do they know they are not going over the
weight
limit for the flight? They do not know how much each person weighs! I
think
that they must figure out an average weight per person. If this wasn't
the case, your safety during air travel could be at risk.
Posted on: Sunday September
3, 2006
