Sports Related Injuries

Knee Injuries From Mountain Biking

Knee Injuries From Mountain BikingKnee Injuries From Mountain Biking by Dave Regis

The sport of mountain biking is extreme, giving riders an adrenaline rush as they speed their way down hills and mountains over varying terrain. The more extreme the course the bigger the challenge and the bigger the risk should they fall.

It is always important to understand the types of injuries which can be sustained in your chosen sport so that you are able to consider the preventative measures available to you in the form of protective clothing, padding or even a sports brace. While minor injuries can simply result in abrasions and grazes to the skin, injuries to the knee can occur from downhill riding or through falling from your bike.

What is the knee joint?

As the knee joint remains active in the majority of sports it is susceptible to injury as a result of the forces passing through the joint, with impact damage from undertaking extreme sports such as mountain biking increasing the risk of injury further.

The joint itself joins the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone), with the patella (kneecap) and the fibula (second bone of the lower leg) also forming the joint. There are also four ligaments working to stabilise the joint which are the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL), Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) and Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL).

Knee Pain

In general research suggests that 25% of cyclists will suffer from knee pain at some stage either as a result of overuse or from not having the correct setup on their bike in the first instance. Overuse injuries are typically self-limiting and following a period of rest you should expect to see a full recovery.

Knee pain can come in a variety of forms depending on the nature of the condition, from mild ligament strains to tendonitis to ACL tears and ruptures. The more serious injuries are typically as a result of impact damage from falling from your bike.

ACL Injuries

The ACL is the main ligament within the knee joint and is responsible for stabilisation, allowing a person to walk and run. An injury here can vary in severity from a few weeks out of action to up to a year following surgery and intensive physiotherapy. Typically 40% of all ACL injuries occur as a result of participating in an extreme sport such as mountain biking, wakeboarding or snowboarding.

In the event of a rupture or tear to the ACL surgery may be offered to remedy the condition though this requires the torn ligament being replaced and following an extended period of rest a patient can work on strengthening exercises to help stabilise the joint before getting back on the bike. Recovery can take up to a year following the initial injury which can be career threatening to professionals and have a huge impact on your lifestyle for the amateur.

Soft Knee Supports

Soft knee supports are typically worn post injury as a means of providing compression and support during recovery whilst remaining active. There are a variety of sports braces available on the market, each designed to manage specific conditions.

A support is designed to be worn when active, with breathable material which fits closely to your joint offering you compression without restricted movement. Depending on your condition there are knee supports available to help manage anything from mild sprains to tendonitis to mild ligament damage so that you can continue being active during your recovery from injury.

The use of a knee support is as much about enhancing the confidence of the patient as it is about helping with your rehabilitation, giving you the confidence to ride your bike normally and enjoy everything the countryside has to offer.

Rigid Knee Supports

A rigid knee support is designed to be worn as a preventative measure, though can equally be worn post injury to protect the joint from further injury in the future. A CTi knee brace is manufactured from carbon fibre to minimise unnatural movements whilst stabilising and maintain bone alignment and is worn by extreme sports stars the world over because of the protection it affords them.

The CTi knee brace is worn by professionals and amateurs from a range of sports, including snowboarding, wakeboarding, BMX and Speedway. The professionals know the importance of staying fit as they compete to be the best in their chosen field and the CTi gives them the confidence to push harder and faster as they strive for glory. It is typically used by sports people for any ACL / PCL / MCL / LCL injuries. In the event of any accident they can be assured that the CTi will offer maximum protection for their knee joint.

What should I do if I am injured?

It is important to not play through the pain to avoid causing any further damage, with resting giving you the best chance of a speedy recovery. Ice can be used to help manage any inflammation as well as lifting your leg above your chest.

During your recovery a soft knee support can be used to offer additional support when active as well as compression to minimise inflammation. Post injury a rigid knee support can be used to help minimise the risk of subsequent injury in the future.

If you are in doubt as to the extent of an injury or the type of knee support which would be best suited to you then you should speak with a clinical professional.

Dave Regis discusses sports injuries and the treatment options available including orthotics and physiotherapy. The use of knee support forms part of this discussion and how this can impact on the patient during recovery.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Knee-Injuries-From-Mountain-Biking/353368


Stretch Away Stiffness

Stretch Away StiffnessStretch Away Stiffness  by Sandra Prior

Stiff hips are no fun, and can sideline your workout. Banish them with pigeon pose.

Muscles Worked

1. Gluteus Maximus
2. Gluteus medius hip flexors
3. Psoas Major
4. Illacus

How to do it

Kneel on all fours on a yoga mat, with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. Slide your right knee forward until it�s close to your right wrist (your shin will be at a 45 degree angle to the front of your mat), and flex your foot. Extend your left leg behind you, with your toes pointed. Lower hips towards the floor, keeping them level.

Walk your hands forward, and lower your torso until you feel tension in the right side of your bum. Rest on your hands or forearms, or put your forehead on the floor. Hold for five breaths, then walk hands back to right leg. Switch sides.

Tip: If one hip won�t reach the floor, place a folded blanket underneath it so your hips are supported and stay level.

The Pay Off

You use your glutes and hip flexors (the muscles along the front of your hips) for nearly every daily activity. When you�re overworked, they can tighten up, making your lower body feel stiff and even leading to back pain. End every day � or workout � with this pigeon pose to help release tension in those muscles and lose that stiff feeling for good.

For Best Results

Repeat this stretch once or twice.
If your hips are really tight, stay on your hands when you lean forward. Progress to resting on your forearms and then to resting with your forehead on the floor. To make it more challenging, hold the pose for up to five minutes on each side.

Mistakes to Avoid

Don�t tighten up your shoulders. This creates tension in your upper body, making it more difficult to get into the pose.
Don�t rest your back foot on its side, which can strain your knee�s ligaments.
Don�t force yourself into position, doing so could strain your hips or knees. Instead, with each exhalation, sink a little deeper into the stretch.

Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Stretch-Away-Stiffness/161845


Boosting the Vertical Jump - The Way You Use Diversity With Exercising

Boosting the Vertical Jump - The Way You Use Diversity With Exercising

Submitted by: Teodoro Yaekel

When you're not playing basketball, increasing your vertical leap should be a goal that you have even during the off-season. This type of training, for it to work properly, involves several coordinated components. Of course you can just play a lot and get your workouts in that way. You need to consider this a little more deeply. If you want to improve your vertical leaping ability, this article is written to show you how to take your training time to the next level.

Have you ever done track and field running before? If you have, fast and slow twitch muscles are probably something you are familiar with. Sprinters have fast twitch muscles and distance runners have slow twitch muscle development. Fast twitch muscles in your calves and legs should be developed if you want to do high vertical leaping. So when you do squats, don't go all the way down to your calves, even if you are lifting lighter weights. That places tremendous strain on your knees and is not recommended. You basically want to go down to about 60%, then come up to a standing position to complete one repetition. You want this to be totally controlled. If you are not stable when you come up, fast twitch development will not occur. If your body is tight, then you are opening yourself up to the potential for injury and poor performance. It is imperative that, before you work out, you stretch your tendons and ligaments in your legs before you start your workout. If you want to jump, or improve upon this ability, certain muscle groups must be stretched before exercising. To name off just a few of them, your Achilles tendons, hip flexor muscles, hamstrings and quadriceps must all be stretched. It is also important to stretch your knees. You do this by initiating slow circular motions to get them limbered up. When you stretch your tendons and ligaments, you will see a dramatic improvement to your jumping every time you exercise.

A terrific way to build your rebounding ability and also work on your fast twitch muscle response is to do box jumping. It is a very simple thing to do. Locate a box that will not collapse with your weight, and jump on it, off of it, and then back up on the box repeatedly.

It will be more difficult when you use a box of a greater height. Jumping up on the box is something that you should be able to do initially quite easily. So the exercise is simply this: you jump off of the box, and the moment you hit the ground, jump back on it. Stretching your legs, and warming up, prior to this exercise, is something you should always do anytime you work out.

Hopefully this article has provided you with three strategies to improve your vertical leaping that will work for you. There are many more things you can do that will only help you even more. Using the information, whatever you get, is the key to making a difference with your jumps. As long as you try, and do the routines without fail, you will improve your vertical jumps in no time at all.

There is no doubt that all of these recommendations can help you to be a much better basketball player, on the other hand, in case you genuinely want to take your basketball game one stage further you need to focus on your vertical leap skill.

Take a look at the links down below for a couple of suggestions.

About the Author: Isn't it time to find out exactly how to take your game to a higher level? Take a look at this page at http://www.dgipoolproducts.com and learn about one of the most effective vertical jump programs available these days.

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Free Weights Equipment Can Add To Overall Health

Free Weights Equipment Can Add To Overall Health

Submitted by: Kevin Urban

Face it, not everyone wants to look like a Sherman tank. Many think the overall outcome of a good free weights equipment training program will be a bulky, hulk-type look. This simply isn’t so. Weight training can add so many benefits to an overall health program that it’s crazy for people not to take advantage of this simple and relatively inexpensive form of exercise.

Effective weight training programs are just one portion of an overall fitness plan. Lifting, cardiovascular exercise, diet and even stress reduction all come into play if total health improvement is the goal. Lifting free weights, however, is a key component that shouldn’t be overlooked when equipping a home gym.

By toning, strengthening and even bulking up muscles – if that’s the program’s desired outcome – a person can help improve their appearance, muscle endurance, strength and even outlook on life. Muscles that are toned, firm and fit also help a person training with free weights prevent injury and even prevents osteoporosis at a later age, which is now considered a concern for men and women alike.

Getting started using free weights can be a little tricky, but it’s not rocket science. A training program involves making sure whatever weights and exercises you incorporate are handled with care. Since weight lifting equipment enables a huge range of motion, it’s important to learn proper form and follow it. Injury can result with over lifting and hyperextensions, so being informed before starting to train is just a good idea.

Once a good plan is put into place, free weights can be a really fun endeavor to add to a fitness program. The challenges of lifting and doing it right are fun and rewarding. The rewards are visible and often quite easy to track. Results can be seen by following a program that only involves a few days a week. It’s not necessary to train on the equipment seven out of seven to improve conditioning.

Weight training equipment can provide huge benefits physically and psychologically. Just remember when getting started to arm yourself with good information and then enjoy from there!

About the Author: Kevin Urban is the editor at http://www.best-home-gyms.com, a consumer guide on home exercise equipment.

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Beat the Heat

Beat the Heat

Submitted by: Sandra Prior

‘When it's hot, I drink at least two more cups of water than usual,’ says marathon runner Robert McLane. If you're going out early, ‘hydrate throughout the day before,’ says Aaron Runyon. The rule of thumb is to aim for 500ml to one litre of fluid per hour of exercise, or 100ml to 200ml every 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure you hydrate with fluids containing electrolytes since you will be sweating a lot of salt out. Look for a drink that contains 25 to 50 grams of carbs, 230 to 345 milligrams of sodium, and 40 to 100 milligrams of potassium.

Run Very Early or Very Late

‘We meet up anytime between 4 and 5am so we can be done around the time the sun rises,’ says Elizabeth Hensley, where the normal high in December is 36°C. If you can't go early, go as late in the day as possible. Although the sun is highest in the sky at noon, the earth's surface heat peaks between 3 and 5pm. ‘I run at midnight,’ says Nick Davis, ‘I wear just shorts and shoes.’

Plan Ahead

Run in a park with water fountains or on a route with petrol stations. ‘I map my run to make sure I can refill my bottles,’ says Dominique Perrier. Or stash a cache. ‘My weekday runs are usually a series of loops in the neighborhood, so I can double past my house, where I leave water or a sports drink by my post box,’ says Warren Biddle. ‘I sometimes ride my bike or drive the route and leave some water along the way,’ says Sloan McLaughlin, who lives in Egypt. Jesse Mack keeps a cooler at the end of his street with water, energy drink and a hat. ‘I grab a drink and switch hats, so I get a cooldown every loop.’

Check the Index

It's not the heat, it's the humidity. ‘Last summer, it was 31° at 8pm, but it's high humidity that will get you,’ says Runyon. Moist air slows down your body's ability to cool itself through sweat. The discomfort index combines temperature with relative humidity to give you the apparent temperature - how hot it actually feels. ‘I check the weather forecast the day before my long run to decide how early to go out,’ says Johan Havenga. ‘Here the temperature doesn't drop much at night, and humidity is higher in the early hours.’

Wear the Right Stuff

‘Last summer, I ran with a lightweight long-sleeved top that wicks,’ says Gaeten Dominic. ‘My skin temperature stayed cooler for a more pleasant run.’ Light-colored clothing reflects heat, and a loose fit lets air circulate. Hats are useful for more than blocking rays. ‘I pack ice under my hat, which lasts about 40 minutes,’ says Roger Trudeau, who lives in Tunisia. ‘The cooling effect of the water running down over me makes all the difference.’

Get Used to It

The good news is your body begins to adapt to elevated heat in only three or four days, though it might take up to two weeks to acclimatize. ‘Running in Guadalajara, Mexico, it's hot most of the time, so my 'secret' against heat is facing it on a daily basis,’ says Alberto Aguirre. ‘Long distance runs of 30km at noon are tough, but if you do it twice, you will be ready to finish even if the heat is on.’

Be Sensible

‘If you ever feel nauseous or heavy-headed, stop immediately, get in the shade and drink something cold,’ says Rik van der Vaart, who speaks from experience, having suffered heat stroke when he first moved to tropical Aruba 10 years ago. Tara Sweeney adds to the list of warning signs: ‘If you are feeling dizzier than normal, are feeling sick, or are not sweating, then you need to stop and get inside somewhere cool.’ Michael Bower says, ‘Above all, listen to your body and what it says. It knows more than you do.’

Seek Shade

Elizabeth Hensley's running group avoids the heat as much as possible. ‘Any time you can spend in the shade will help - stretching, warmups, even water breaks,’ says Hensley. Plot routes through residential areas. ‘There's more shade in the neighborhoods, plus there's usually the opportunity to run through a few sprinklers,’ she says. Or run by larger bodies of water. ‘I run near a river or reservoir since it is naturally cooler,’ says Maritsa. It can get very, very hot in the summer.

Race Easy

Save the 42.2km races for autumn, since the optimum marathon temperature is 12°C. Every seven degrees above that, your overall time slows by a minute or more. ‘My 10km race pace at 27 degrees is at least 10 percent slower than at 16 degrees,’ says Michelle Ginsburg. Jeannie Runyon says she and her husband stick to local 5kms. ‘That way we can enjoy the race-day experience without spending hours in the heat.’ Even with the shorter distances, forget about PBs. You can't expect to race all out.

Enjoy

‘I put on a pair of lightweight racing shoes, sunglasses and racing shorts, and run shorter routes more often,’ says John Fletcher. ‘I feel like I'm flying.’ Cool off by standing under a garden hose as does Victoria Stopp taking a cold shower, or getting in a pool. ‘I jump into the pool and cool my body off before I start,’ says Donna Parsons. Amanda James freezes paper cups of energy drink with sucker sticks for a post-run recovery snack. Appreciate the light mornings and the absence of pouring rain. Remember, it'll be cold again soon enough.

About the Author: Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu

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How to avoid injuries

How to avoid injuries

How to avoid injuries

By: Diana Statham

Exercising is a great way to keep yourself fit and healthy, but there is also a risk of injury. However, if you follow some basic guidelines, and stay within your physical limits, you can ensure that you'll have an enjoyable and safe workout.

Warm ups:
Warm ups are essential... this cannot be stressed on enough. Starting an exercise routine without warm ups can be very damaging to your body.
It is always advisable to do some relatively gentle exercise to warm up your muscles, so that they'll be less susceptible to damage that may occur during exercises. Also, they'll ensure that they get more flexible and limber.

Just spend a few minutes getting warmed up. About 5 to 10 minutes should do. Stretch muscles and other soft tissues. This will prepare your body for the more rigorous exercise that is going to follow, and help you go for a longer period of time without feeling tired or fatigued.

The right get-up:
Fitness wear is very important. Only if you are at ease and comfortable in what you're wearing, can you perform to your optimum potential.
The right shoes are imperative. They must be suited to the type of exercise that you are doing. When buying a pair of fitness shoes, always consult with the staff at a sports equipment store, and ask for their advice. The wrong type of shoes can lead to sprains and even long-term injury.
Clothes, too, must be comfortable, loose-fitting, and, ideally, made out of a fabric that absorbs sweat, like cotton. Very tight fitting clothes can be uncomfortable, and extremely loose clothes can get in the way.
Don't compromise when it comes to fitness wear.

Cool down:
Don't come to a sudden halt in between strenuous workouts. This causes the blood to pool in your leg veins, and can leave you feeling dizzy and faint. Give time for the lactic acid being produced by your muscles during vigorous activity to be cleared by finishing your session with a few minutes of gentle exercise.

Change and Alternate:
It is a good idea if you combine strenuous activity with something that is comparatively less physically demanding. This lessens your chances of over-exerting yourself, and gives your body more time to recover from bouts of intense activity.

Stop when it starts hurting:
If exercising starts to hurt, stop until the pain has completely gone away. Saying like 'no pain, no gain' should be ignored, since they make you push yourself beyond your physical limits... which isn't a good thing, after all. If you experience physical discomfort and things like dizziness, faintness, nausea, shortness of breath etc, please visit your doctor right away.
Also, avoid exercising when you are unwell or sick.

 

Author Bio
Diana for http://www.health-care-information.org Offers information on various health topics such as diseases, injuries, and medical tests.

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How To Run Faster Using Fatigue Nutrition

How To Run Faster Using Fatigue Nutrition

Submitted by: Curt Shryack

An interesting topic of discussion lately has been how to run faster using nutrition. A more accurate way of describing nutrition to run faster is fatigue nutrition. To perform at your best the body must have proper fuel. Anything less than optimal fueling will lessen your chances of obtaining you true speed potential. Your speed potential is not sprint speed, but rather the top speed that you can maintain for a given race distance.

To run faster using fatigue nutrition three components must be followed. The four components are training, attitude, rest, and nutrition. Each plays a vital role for speed to be gained and maintained. Forgetting to use all three together will lessen your performance.

A much misunderstood fact about running fast is that proper training for distance runners is not sprinting. For people who run the sprint events this type of training may work. For distance runners an often neglected method is running slow to become fast. The famous line you have to “run fast to run fast” is in my opinion the reason for a large percentage of running injuries.

When runners build up their endurance first with longer slow distance runs. The body not only becomes more efficient but also less injury prone. As your shape improves and you start adding different types of speed training dramatic increases in speed will result.

When your maximum speed potential is found, attitude becomes the second critical component. The winner of any sporting event is the athlete who wants it the most. Runners will not stay in top shape for very long unless they are willing to train. A major reason why athletes come and go so frequently at local running events is because of their attitude.

How do you improve attitude with fatigue nutrition? As the body becomes more and more tired the brain will receive less nourishment and your mood will deteriorate. By fueling before, during and after workouts these blue moods can be lessened dramatically.

Fatigue nutrition can also be described as rest. When the body is not given adequate rest performance will suffer. Rest is like food for the body. Without adequate rest and fuel the body will reach a point where it will not function. Have you ever eaten a good pre workout meal after an exhausting day and then try to have a good run?

An interesting experiment to try is to eat a diet that is a perfect balance of vitamins and minerals but only sleep 2 or 3 hours a night for a week. What do you think will happen?

By eating a diet rich in non processed foods, training properly and getting adequate rest you will reach your top speed potential. I can’t promise that you will be the next gold medalist or world record holder. You can become the best that you can be. And that is all that really matters.

About the Author: Curt Shryack from Moline,Il is the author of Fatigue Nutrition & Endurance Exercise. http://www.fatiguenutrition.com Checkout my Blog http://fatiguenut-curtiss.blogspot.com/

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Weight Lifting Safety Tips - What You Probably Don't Know

Weight Lifting Safety Tips - What You Probably Don't Know

Submitted by: Erick Spires

A most common mistake committed by those who start weightlifting is overwork. There is that inner impulse that tells you be like that muscle man next to you in the quickest way possible. So you lift more, strain your muscles more and you overwork yourself. The consequence? Torn muscles and tendons and diminished self esteem. Thus, it is important to follow safety in weightlifting to avoid such things from happening.

The concept of weight lifting is simply to increase muscle activities and speed up metabolism. This way, fat burning activity in the body is increased and lean muscles are developed. It is also very important to rest the muscles and give them time to repair themselves after an intense weightlifting activity. Doing your intensive routines twenty four/seven is not only highly dangerous, it also defeats the purpose of muscle building. Overworking your muscles does not make them bulkier but thinner.

Whenever you are not sure of what particular weight to lift or how many routines should be done in one sitting, safety in weightlifting protocol dictates that you consult a trained professional. Hire a coach that can supervise you as you do your routine. He will also teach you how to properly and safely do your exercises. If you cannot afford that, at least have a buddy or a spotter who can scrutinize your form and step in should you get caught in a bind and not be able to lift a heavier weight than you're used to. Partner with someone in the gym who can spot for you in return for you doing the same favor for him.

As you lift weights, keep on breathing. Many lifters hold their breaths as they lift weights. This is dangerous since holding your breath too long could impair the delivery of oxygen to the brain and cause you to faint. Imagine what would happen should you faint while in the middle your lift. Countless injuries would result. So maintain a regular breathing pattern as you lift the weight.

Don't forget to warm up before heading to the weights section of the gym. This is an important procedure to follow for safety in weightlifting. Warm up your muscles by running for a good five to ten minutes in the treadmill and then doing stretches to prepare your muscles for lifting the weights. Stretch your quads and glutes, your arms and back. After your strength training session, cool down by walking and stretching some more. Finally, prevent slippage of weights caused by sweaty palms by wearing weightlifting gloves. There are rubberized gloves that give secure grip to prevent yourself from sustaining an injury due to weights inadvertently slipping from your palms.

Following these safety measures will ensure that you continue to enjoy the benefits offered by strength training through the use of weights. Give your muscles a good warm up before you start your weight-lifting regimen, have someone spot you and give your muscles adequate time to repair-- all these will also let you avoid the pains sustained by those who don't follow these safety tips as they lift weights.

About the Author: Happily married father of three, fitness nut, and former professional bodybuilder. Want to learn about the best way to build muscle safely? Check out our complete http://www.bodylasticsresistancebands.com/bodylastics-reviews/ and discover how http://www.bodylasticsresistancebands.com/ can help you get fit without an expensive gym membership.

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Swimming Pool Safety Tips

Swimming Pool Safety Tips

Submitted by: B Evans

Adult Supervision is Mandatory For Pool Safety

In summer, we enjoy sunshine and swimming pool fun. The swimming pool is very attractive to our kids at all times of year. Please have an adult designated to maintain constant visual contact with children in the pool, spa, or hot tub environment.

Never take your eyes off a child when he or he is in or near any body of water, not even for a second. Installing a fence or other barrier is important, but do not rely solely on barriers, such as fences or walls. This is no substitute for adult supervision.

Keep toys, tricycles, and other children's playthings out of the water and away from the pool or spa. Do not consider your children to be "drown-proof" because you enrolled them in swimming or "waterproofing" classes. Do not rely on inflatable devices to keep your child afloat. These are not substitutes for adult supervision.

- Entrapment Protection

Drains, Suction Fittings, and Jets - Current grates and covers help prevent body or hair entrapment. Make sure that drain covers meet the ANSI/ASME A112.19.8M standard. Safety doors should be installed in all pool cleaner wall suction lines. Pools, spas, or hot tubs with drain covers that are broken, missing, or not adequately secured should not be used until the proper replacement has been installed.

- Visual Inspection

It's fun to add these amenities to your pool, but also be aware years of outdoor elements may weaken certain structures over time.

Diving - Any diving board, rock, platform or slide should be inspected prior to use to affirm that its installation conforms to applicable industry standards and government regulations.

Electrical Hazards - A licensed electrician, experienced in swimming pools and hot tubs, should inspect your equipment to make sure everything is properly grounded, bonded, and protected by proper GFCI circuits according to Article 680 of the National Electric Code.

Ladders, Steps and Handrails - Make sure there are adequate safe-entry and safe-exit methods in both ends of the pool and two sides of the hot tub or spa.

- Layers of Protection

As more swimming pools are built and more people enjoy them, the incidence of near-drownings and drownings continues to increase. Only by knowing the proper and safe use of the swimming pool can these tragedies be avoided.

Primarily, be aware that the pool should not be inaccessible to children without the assistance of an adult. This means that there should be a self-locking gate, a self-locking door if the pool is adjacent to the house with no fence in between, and an automatic safety cover that is secured on all sides of the pool and can support the weight of several adults. Remember that no matter how many barriers exist around the pool area, THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CONSTANT DIRECT ADULT SUPERVISION.

It only takes a few seconds for a child to fall into the swimming pool and drown. Also, this is NOT limited to children. Anyone who is not able to swim is in danger of drowning if he or she falls into the pool. Under no circumstances should anyone not able to swim be allowed in the pool area unsupervised.

Make sure your pool or spa area meets all necessary barrier requirements such as a fence, wall or safety cover that guards against unsupervised access, particularly by young children. Make sure the safety barrier is always in place when the pool or spa is not in use.

Fencing: Isolate the swimming pool with a minimum four-foot-high enclosure. Make sure doors leading to the pool or spa area are self-closing and self latching, or are equipped with exit alarms, and are never propped open. Gates should have self-closing, self-latching mechanisms. Latches should be out of reach of young children and kept in proper working order.

Safety Covers: An impenetrable covering that completely covers the pool, spa, or hot tub will prevent access to the water when there is not supervision.

Alarms: Alarms are available for doors, fences, in pools, and as a clip-on for children. Alarms detect unwanted entrances to your pool, spa, or hot tub.

Rope and Float Line: Place these across your pool to alert swimmers to the separation of the deep end from the shallow end of the pool.

Rescue Equipment: Equipment such as a life ring and shepherd's hook should be placed near the pool in an easily accessible spot.

Posted Emergency Information: Learn how to administer lifesaving techniques to children, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Post all CPR, other emergency information, and warning signs, as well as the emergency phone number - 911 - near the pool, spa, or hot tub.

Outside Telephone: Be sure to have a telephone in case you need to summon help.

A number of safety devices and tools are available to make the pool area safe and enjoyable. These include signs for pool safety and rules, life rings to throw to a person in trouble, "shepherd's hooks" to use to extract an incapacitated person from the water, buoys and ropes to divide the shallow end from the deep end of a swimming pool, and alarms which emit a loud noise in the event someone were to fall into the pool. For more details on these and more safety devices, consult your nearest pool retail showroom.

American Pools And Spas is strongly committed to reducing the number of drowning and near-drowning accidents so we are sharing these helpful safety tips provided by the National Swimming Pool Safety Committee.



About the Author: Author: Ben Evans is the owner of American Pools & Spas, and bring decades of residential and commercial swimming pool construction experience to every job. If you have swimming pool questions, please visit our website: http://www.american-pools.com

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The Beauty Of Hills

The Beauty Of Hills

Submitted by: Curt Shryack

I just love the results that hills give to my running. No other workout gives more to my running than hills. Want to run fast, run some hills. Want to increase your leg strength, run hills. Want to work on your running mechanics, run hills. Want to increase your mental toughness, run some hills. Want to get in shape fast, run some hills.

Every time that I stop running hills for an extended period of time I start to run slower. I’m not sure why I always stop. Probably the pain that I feel when I run hills hard. The shear agony that running up a half mile long hill at 5k effort can bring, is this why?

When I am running my best it has always happened after running hills once a week for a couple of months. The increased leg strength that I develop and my increase in lung capacity are just a few of the reasons for running so well.

Our running club meets once a week to run a course that is called ball busters. This is a 7 mile course of 12 hills that increase in difficulty. Each hill has a different grade and length. And at the top of each hill there is a flat section leading to the next hill.

I can run many different types of hill workouts on this one course. One time I will concentrate on running the uphill sections hard. The next time I might run the hills and flat section hard. Or another week I can run the whole course as fast as I can. There are so many ways to run this course that I shouldn’t become bored with hills.

What can a person do that lives in an area were hills are not available? Options can include running stairs, hill workouts on treadmills, stadium bleachers. I have heard of runners using beach areas.

Treadmills are an excellent way to run hills. A common injury caused by hills is running back down. Using a treadmill you can correct this problem. After running the hill reducing the incline back to zero during your rest period. By not running downhill the landing shock reduced.

Treadmills can simulate most any hill. The length or speed running up the hill can be varied to meet your needs. A good treadmill hill workout could be ¼ mile uphill repeats with a ¼ mile jog. Choose a speed that might seem a little slow at first. As the incline increases the intensity will also increase.

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