I Fell and I can't Get Up

   There was an interesting article last week in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper. Apparently, my home town of Ottawa, Canada is the leading city in North America for falls that cause injury in the senior population. This comes as no great surprise to me. Ottawa is no boom town that would attract hordes of twenty - somethings seeking their fortunes through resource extraction! Instead it is a government town with a large and growing population of retired civil servants. Go to many shopping center food courts first thing in the morning and it is easy to see that Ottawa is Senior Central.
   Ottawa also has a nasty winter mix of fluctuating cold and thaw episodes. It is not the 'dry cold' of Canada's western prairies. It is a miserable, damp, wet cold that bites like Jack Frost with rabies. There is also the frequent drenching from freezing rain and sleet.
Winters in Ottawa are a perfect storm for icy streets and slippery sidewalks!

    There is also the fact that as an aging population is more susceptible to serious slips and falls.
There are many reasons for this:

• The proprioceptors of the muscles affect our ability to sense where our body is in space.
•  As muscles become decrepit with age so might the proprioceptors therefore affecting balance.
• The muscle strength decreases with age. An older person has less strength to resist a spill.
• As we age we have a greater tensity to stiffen up as we fall rather than relax.
• Opportunistic ailments such as inner ear issues or infections can cause dizziness and compromised balance.
• Degrading cognitive function would of course make someone more prone to an accident.
• Certain medications may have side effects that cause dizziness and balance problems.

What can be done to stave off the possibility of serious spills in citizens of the golden years?

1. Use it or lose it! A sedentary person will be more of a sitting duck were they to venture out into an icy environment. However many medical conditions due to aging will certainly have a negative effect on being active. 
2. Seniors could avoid risky icy and snow conditions as much as possible. Many seniors walk in shopping malls for exercise during times of inclement weather.
3. Attend indoor group exercise sessions geared towards aging populations.
4. Don't neglect functional strength. If you do fall you may have to get back up by yourself especially if in an isolated area. 
5. Don't rush anywhere! By a certain age you no longer have to explain yourself for being late. You've paid your dues. 
6. If you suspect broken bones, wait for help. Don't make things worse by moving a fractured limb, especially a broken leg. The femur bone of the leg is the largest bone in the body. A broken femur is considered a serious medical emergency. 

   Other than that, the best bet is to move to Belize or pray for an early spring.
After all, this is Canada - the land of ice and snow!

Gadzooks!
I told you to watch your step!

Until Next Time,..........Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview/rabbitview-crossfit

Bruce Jenner Olympic Champion Involved in Tragic Car Crash

   I was just about to post this blog when I saw a shocking clip on CBC news. Reality TV icon and former Olympic Gold medalist Bruce Jenner was just involved in a horrific Los Angeles traffic accident. There were seven injuries and one fatality. Jenner walked away unscathed but may have caused the accident. My first instinct was to kill the piece or at least put it on hold.
   After some consideration, I decided to continue. This was a plea to return to track and field as an ambassador to a sport under attack. In no way does it constitute a 'piling on' on of Bruce Jenner during
difficult and tragic times................................................................Read on for the blog.
.......................................................................................................................................

Thirty years ago this would have been a career ending scandal! Bruce Jenner is rumored to be willing to public with the news that he is in the process of  'transitioning' into a woman. Further rumors hint at his own reality T.V. show about his coming out. We are talking about the 1976 Montreal Olympic Champion in the decathlon. The decathlon is 10 track and field disciplines spread over 2 days using a points per discipline system to determine the winner for the event. The winner is traditionally heralded as 'The World's Greatest Athlete'.  
  How can such a symbol of male virility want to become a woman? For the past few years Bruce Jenner has been a background character to his wife (now ex wife) and step daughters in a Hollywood reality show called 'Keeping up with the Kardashians'.  The show chronicles the misadventures of the mother and daughters in a a world of affluence and over consumption. They are mostly famous for being famous and little else. Bruce Jenner was usually a reluctant, embarrassed, unheard voice of reason in the shadows of the main cast. His past athletic exploits were rarely mentioned.
   My views on Bruce Jenner's desire to transition into a woman:

• Is it even a surprise? His multiple plastic surgeries and fashion choices have made that a poorly kept secret.
• Is this even an issue anymore? We live in a more libertarian society in which such choices can be made with less judgement. It's his business - not ours.
• This should not detract from his past Olympian achievements. He won fair and square and that glory should always belong to him (or her).
• Who cares any more? We all have our own problems to deal with!

   My issue is this. We have lost Bruce Jenner to Hollywood. Track and Field needs him more!
One of my favorite sports is under attack. Interest in Track and Field is waning in North America.
Many universities in the U.S.A have cut their track programs due to budget constraints. In Ottawa, Canada when I was a teenager, each high school had large groups outside practicing track and field events. Now such fields either sit empty or host soccer games in the spring. Track and field is in decline.
   The International Olympic Committee is trying to keep the Olympics interesting to modern youth.
Traditional sports are in danger of exclusion. Amateur wrestling was in danger of being dropped completely from the Olympic program.Traditional wrestling nations protested enough and bought a temporary reprieve. The Olympic powers feel that to keep youth engaged they must incorporate more modern sports such as skateboarding, world of warfare, or interactive zombie zapping.
Traditional sports are in danger of extinction!
   
Track and Field is one such sport under attack! Once the marque event of any summer Olympics, Track and Field is now under scrutiny. The Olympic powers want to add new sports but keep the number of Olympic competitors at a manageable limit. That means either:

1. Dropping sports from the program. Amateur wrestling is on the bubble.
2. Cut events from certain sports.

Track and Field will never be dropped completely. What has been proposed is to eliminate certain events. Racewalks, triple jumps, hammer throws, and even the 10,000 meter run could go the way of VCR's, and TV rabbit ears.
Once dropped from the Olympics, there is a high probability that an event will no longer be considered valid for a world championship consideration.
   What we need is a respected ambassador - a spokesperson to fight for the tradition and history of the original competitive endeavors.
Usain Bolt is the current face of Track and Field! Beyond him there are few icons to promote the sport. Elite former stars such as Ben Johnson and Marion Jones succumbed to steroid scandals. Sprint stars of the 1980's and 1990's came off as being too aloof and self serving to promote the sport. Distance running champions are often shy and media wary. Throwers usually toil in obscurity.
   Bruce Jenner would be the perfect legend to be a Track and Field Ambassador. He had charisma, media savvy, and practical knowledge of almost every event. Jenner was the first Track and Field personality to stay in the public limelight past his competitive prime. Unfortunately, the Olympic boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics cost him a job as a commentator.
He drifted into other endeavors such as endorsements, infomercials, acting and eventually reality TV. Track and Field's loss was Hollywood's game. Bruce, Track and Field needs you back!
......................................................................................................................................
    Since I wrote this Bruce Jenner was involved in that horrible automobile accident. I would think that there will be legal and liability issues to come as well as much grieving from many parties.
Track and Field will have to wait.  

A discus, some spikes and a washed up former club level track man.
Not enough to save Track and Field from decline.
Bruce - the sport needs you more than Hollywood does!

Until Next Time,
Keep Fit 


Little Bobby Strong













Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview/rabbitview-crossfit

If You Train Like Chicken You'll look Like a Chicken -Specific Training

Hockey playing Hell raiser Derek Sanderson was attempting a comeback in the late 1970's.  The Boston Bruins wanted to put him on a running program for his conditioning. Sanderson, always the iconoclast protested. "When Kenya Kipjoo or whatever his name is comes here to run the marathon do they make him put on skates? No   *#@%&*  way! " Even wild man Derek instinctively knew of the training principle of specificity.

 I inadvertently discovered this basic principal of exercise training during my high school days. In that ancient era many of us participated in seasonal sports rather than specializing in one year round activity as is the norm today. I ran school cross-country in the fall. I did interscholastic track and field as a middle distance runner in the spring. In between was church league hockey season. There was some overlap. The end of cross-country season spilled over to the start of hockey season. Track and field was starting up as hockey was winding down into the playoffs.
   During the early hockey season, I could skate for miles but I seemed to be lacking some explosive speed and power.  I was doing mostly aerobic training as a cross-country runner.
   Come early spring, I would be doing anaerobic interval runs for track. Suddenly I felt like I had some extra jump in my legs during the late stages of hockey season. Even though hockey has different mechanics with much lateral movement while track running is mostly straight forward, I was training the same energy systems. (Maybe Derek's trainers weren't totally wrong.) The result was a better training carry over effect to hockey.

   Now I know that this is all in accordance with the S.A.I.D. Principle. S.A.I.D stands for
Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. The different systems of the human body will change according to the stress that is applied during activity or exercise.
Fitness Trainers should know how the human organism will react to specific overloads to the muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, and central nervous systems.
Fitness Trainers should also know the goals of the client and the physical demands of the client's preferred activities!
   Here are some observations that may summarize specificity:

• Most team sports use the anaerobic energy system. This includes hockey and basketball. 
• The anaerobic system uses glycogen or glucose as fuel. This fuel is broken down from carbohydrate consumption
• Anaerobic sports utilize the fast twitch fibers of the skeletal muscle. 
• Fast Twitch type 2a (Fast Oxidative Glycolytic) muscle fibers are for speed endurance while fast Twitch type 2b (Fast Glyclolytic) fibers are for quick explosive movements. 
• Movements that last for less than 10 seconds make primary use of the alactic system. Examples would include golf, baseball, Olympic weightlifting, track and field events such as throws or jumps, and short sprints.
• The alactic energy system utilizes primarily the type 2b muscle fiber types. It is fueled by a minute amount of adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate contained in the skeletal muscles. (CP - ATP)
• Aerobic endurance events such as long distance running, cycling or cross country skiing use primarily type 1 muscle fibers. 
• Aerobic endurance events use primarily fat as fuel. It takes up to 20 minutes of endurance type exercise for the fat burning mechanism to fully kick in.
• Stretching and flexibility is an asset for any sport or activity.

What does this mean for people with varying fitness or athletic goals?

• For athletes in anaerobic team sports, long slow runs on a treadmill won't cut it! 
• A Fitness Training client that wants to lose weight would theoretically be best served by training in the aerobic fat burning zone. However recent studies how shown that such clients might be better served by also training intensely in the anaerobic zone. Got that!
• Weight loss hopefuls should also incorporate weight training into their program since adding muscle mass can speed up the metabolism.
• Clients with office jobs may have a forward stooping posture from constantly working on a computer. Such clients would find more postural benefits from resistance pulling exercises than from pushing exercises such as the ever popular bench press.
• Bodybuilding exercises may not translate well to sports performance but they can help someone look like the King or Queen of the beach.
• Competitive athletes will usually benefit more from free weights than from machines.
• Soccer players often use all three energy systems extensively in a 90 minute game .
• Too much endurance training or cardio may hamper muscle growth. Conversely adding too much muscle mass may slow down an endurance athlete.

   Here are some other extreme examples of sticking to specifics.

1. Sprinter and long jumper Carl Lewis refused to run a slow mile after track practice in high school. Slow miles were not on his speed agenda.
2. Steeplechase track runner Henry Marsh would have a friend drive beside him on training runs and pick him up to drive up hills. His reasoning "There are no hills in a track steeplechase race!"

A Fitness trainer should always do a needs assessment analysis for each client. This should account for the goals and objectives of the client as well as the needs of their lifestyle. A generic cookie cutter training program will not cut it. Instead the training program should be tailored to the client's individual situation. The training program should be  SMART as in:

Specific    Measurable    Attainable    Realistic    Time Oriented

There is a place for some diversity and variety in an exercise program. Speed and power athletes in contact sports may incorporate a hypertrophy phase to gain weight and muscle mass. This may include bodybuilding type movements. Endurance athletes may do some speed workouts. Runners may cycle or swim as cross training on easy work out days. Hockey players may play soccer in the summer.
Hill workouts may give leg strength to track runners in flat races despite Mark Marsh's doubts.
Sure it can seem complicated. That's why there is a need for Fitness Trainers.

Speaking of the ancient era,.....I do miss the good old church hockey league days.  Sometimes I even miss 1:00 am game start times and the inebriated referees.

This muscular man mountain is lifting sandbags to prepare for a
 Strongman competition.
Two hours on the treadmill or a circuit on the machines isn't
going to do it for him!

Until next Time
Keep Fit


Little Bobby Strong















Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit

Concussions

   A concussion is an injury to the brain typically caused by a external trauma towards the head.  In sports jargon it is known as 'having your bell rung' or getting 'knocked out ! The brain also can jam against the skull from any violent force to the region of the body.
   Sports historically glorifies the courageous athlete who would get knocked out but return to the field of combat to perform heroic feats. Hockey legend Maurice 'the Rocket' Richard got knocked unconscious during a playoff game but returned in overtime to score the winner on a spectacular end-to end skate. Less is heard about him suffering a seizure in the dressing room after the game. How many tales exist of boxers getting knocked down, barely beating the referee's 10 count, and still winning the match? These are the stories of sporting folklore. Today there is a greater recognition that concussions can lead to future mental health problems.
 
 A number of incidents recently have brought the issue  of sports concussions into the public eye.

• A few summers ago, three National Hockey League enforcers (or tough guys) died within a short time span. Two were deemed suicides and one was alcohol/painkiller related. All 3 suffered depression symptoms consistent with concussion syndrome.  Professional hockey is the only team sport that lightly penalizes but condones fist fighting.
•  The National Football League recently settled a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit in favor of former players with concussion related cognitive problems.
• Dementia symptoms in ex-boxers has always been accepted as a hazard of the trade. The term 'punch drunk' has its origins in pugilism.
•  In pro-football, league governors fear the consequences of linking football contact to concussions. What if millions of mothers stop their sons from playing football? The sport would die on the vine. 
• In Canada there is a movement afoot to delay the age of full contact body checking for minor hockey. The old guard thinks that this is heresy but many hockey parents want their children to enjoy the sport without the greater risk of physical harm. Their chances of making the pro leagues are minimal. Why not keep it safe?
• A few years back in my home town of Ottawa, a high school aged elite woman rugby player died from a head injury during a game.  It was suspected that she entered the game with a previous undiagnosed concussion.
• Sidney Crosby, the world's current hockey superstar received 2 consecutive concussions in back-to-back games. He missed major portions of 2 playing seasons.
• The next 'great one' in hockey, Eric Lindros,  never lived up to full expectations due to a series of concussions. His brother Brett retired after one professional season due to concussions.

   I will even go out on a limb here with my own theory about O.J. Simpson. Simpson was an NFL football running back. If a running back gets the ball  he gets a touchdown or runs out of bounds or most likely gets tackled. Without the ball he is usually blocking some gargantuan defensive player will ill intent towards the quarterback. Even if you believe that O.J. Simpson was not guilty of the Nicole Simpson / Ron Goldman murders, there are still possible signs of cognitive impairment. Where is the rational thinking in the police chase with the white Bronco or the kidnapping scenario to retrieve his memorabilia? Could not post-concussion syndrome cause such bizarre behavior?
   There is much evidence that a first concussion can make a person more susceptible for successive concussions. It is also accepted that a concussed athlete should not return to action until totally free of any symptoms. Rocket Richard heroics should be left as ancient history.
   Coaches, athletic trainers, and team doctors are starting to see the light and working as a team to diagnose concussions and keep competitors out of competition until the brain injury has healed.
 
   If you Fitness Train athletes that participate in contact or collision sports you may have clients that come in with disregarded or delayed head injury symptoms. Hopefully you are proactive enough to prevent clients from getting head trauma during your exercise sessions! Nevertheless, stuff happens.
It's best to prepare for the worst:

• Be sure your first aid certification is current.
• Be familiar with the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT).
• Monitor speech, eye motion and pupils, pronator drift, and gait.
• Watch for signs such as; headache, confusion, neck pain, dizziness, nausea, irritability, confusion, memory problems, concentration lapses, ringing ears,  hearing problems, drowsiness, fatigue, head pressure, or any malingering physical concerns.
• Refer client for a medical evaluation if symptoms seem minor.  
• Call an ambulance or transport to a medical center if symptoms are significant. 
• It is better to over react than to under react.  

Before being allowed to return to action the athlete or client should progress in sequential stages as follows:

1. Rest physically and mentally until symptoms subside.
2. Light aerobic exercise (less impact is preferred).
3. Sport specific exercise
4. Training drills and light resistance training. Avoid body contact.
5. Full contact practice only after a final medical clearance.
6. Return to competition.

If the client is not a competitive athlete, ensure a gradual progression in intensity for the workouts.
Ensure a full day before progressing to any advanced stage.
If symptoms recur, return to stage 1.  Ensure that medical follow up is adhered to by the client or athlete.

Any severe set backs will require a further medical evaluation! 
Keep ahead of the learning curve.

Getting your bell rung!
Even the most high tech helmet provides only limited
 protection from a targeted head shot.

Until next time,....

Keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong!













References
1.  Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT)
2. 'League of Denial' by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru
Crown  Archetype Publishing   2013

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit

Birthday Milestones - Celebration or Dread!

I don't like getting old - but it beats the alternative !
 
Turning 18 is usually celebration time!  Turning 21 - it's time to roll out the barrel and  have a barrel of fun!  
   What about some the more ancient celebrations?  Sometimes the jubilation is less and the feeling of advancing age and pending mortality takes the edge off of the birthday party mood. You can say 40 is the new 30 or 50 is the new 40, but do we really fall for that line of positive spin?
   However, there may be a plus side to this ageing business. Birthday milestones may prompt lifestyle changes regarding physical fitness! When someone realizes that they have reached a certain numerical milestone and fear being worn out and decrepit, they just might seek out a Fitness Trainer. A Fitness Trainer with knowledge of the nuances of physiological ageing will have an advantage over some barely certified or non certified muscle head calling themselves a Fitness Trainer. People want to feel young again.  They want to believe that you can guide them to the warm waters of the Fountain of Youth.

   Skeptics will say that you can't turn back the years. Ageing is an irreversible force. There is a certain point at which the human organism stops improving and begins an inevitable descent. Certain chemicals and hormones produced by the body begin to decline taking the various interacting physiological systems down the slide to immobility, incontinence, disrepair and dysfunction.
   Sure that happens. It is also true that a knowledgeable Fitness Trainer can prolong the physical quality of life in an active individual. A skilled Fitness Trainer can even IMPROVE the the fitness, mobility and well-being of a sedentary time wary client!  This may not be the Fountain of Youth but can a Sprinkling Mist of Youth be so bad?

 Keep in mind the following points:

• People that have been sedentary can actually show great improvements in fitness - even more than those who have always been active. 
• Aging clients who always been inactive will lack the 'muscle memory' of those who were quite active at one time. They may be tentative at first.  Fitness Trainers will need to spend special time and care on exercise technique with them. 
•  Warm ups and cool downs should be important parameters of the exercise program.
• Functional flexibility and postural exercise should be emphasized with such aging clients.

   As for your own concerns about the ticking clock - helping your clients succeed in achieving their fitness goals will keep you feeling young.  After all,  isn't it it about time someone took a serious crack at Methuselah's longevity record? We are competitive beings, are we not?

In the words of New York Jets Super Bowl champion and legendary football quarterback Joe Namath

"I can't wait until tomorrow because I get better looking every day!" 

Until Next Time,..........Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong

I think this most recent one was number 29...or was it?
I can't remember ! 

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview./rabbitview-crossfit

The Grand Guru of Grappling!

•  An often  broken nose does not hamper the sweet smell of nostalgia when the topic of the glory days of amateur wrestling are retold over cold grog on an Edmonton patio on a warm summer eve.
• Battered ears devoid of cartilage can still hear the praises of his world class exploits on the wrestling mat, the boxing ring, the judo dojo, or the Mixed Martial Arts field of combat.
• A shoulder whose ligaments and rotator cuff muscles have long since given up the ghost, can still propel a disciplining Popeye like forearm across the nose of an impudent rookie during a sparring session. (Ouch! I can still feel it years later)
• Lower back muscles that creak like violin strings upon awakening can still explode into action in the afternoon and suplex an opponent twice his size over his head and unto the mat into an instant pin.

This describes the Guru of Grappling, Shaun H., a living legend of the mats!

   I was a late comer into my second career as an  amateur wrestler. I wrestled for the only two years that my high school had a team. I was primarily a track and field man.  All during my succeeding running days, I kept thinking that I had left something at the table. I often felt that amateur wrestling may have been my real calling. How good could I have been if I'd really applied myself in this sport! As the bad guy in the  'Dirty Harry' movie said when wondering if there were any bullets left in Harry's 44  Magnum,  "I gotst to know!".
 
   The was a varsity team and a club team at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton where I then lived. I showed up one day as an overage walk-on. My first week was tough but other than a stiff neck, so far so good. The second week , not so good. After an accidental foot to the hand my thumb was suddenly resting on top of my knuckles. My mullet hairdo was also standing straight up like I'd been electrocuted. The medical term is a dislocated thumb. So much for that try-out. The result was a trip to the emergency ward and a cast on my hand for a few months.
   Like a fool for love I was back for more punishment a year later. This time all my joints held together despite the initial pain.
   What was more surprising was the way that I was accepted by the wrestling club. I thought that I would be laughed out of the combat room like some overage, delusional clown. Not so!
Everyone was enthusiastic about giving me tips and pointers.  Nobody tried to physically embarrass me or insinuate that I was out of my league - which I was initially! This attitude came from the top down. The coach, Shaun the Grappling Guru, was no elitist. Inclusion rather than exclusion was the wrestling room environment that he promoted - as long as you showed up willing to work hard and listen! 
   Work hard, we did! The guru was a stickler for conditioning. Fortunately my track runner background help me through the pyramid wind sprints. That's about all that the track background helped me. Everything else was relearning. My bodybuilding style weight workouts had little carryover to the resisting techniques and explosive attack movements required to excel at wrestling.
The Guru had little time for any exercises that were not functional to that sport!
   The Grappling Guru also had a low tolerance for foolishness or laziness during practice. However
the Guru was not one to yell or curse or berate. His first line of a coach's tough love was 'The Look'.
'The Look' was a withering stare that could melt granite. Anyone clueless enough to not heed the stare (like me) could expect the second level of a coach's tough love. This involved a one-on-one sparring session in which the clueless pupil's poor technique would be countered with a stiff forearm cross face block across the nose. The purpose, as in all wrestling moves, was not to cause pain but to cause slight discomfort. Enough slight discomfort should cause an opponent to adjust their body position to comply with the person applying the discomfort. In this instance the discomfort was a learning tool. Since I had a sensitive nose, I became a quick learner.

   I wrestled for four years under the Guru and his successor Vang I - the toughest little guy in the world!.  Both coaches took as much time with me as with the more skilled talent. I appreciated their tutelage and I had a super experience. My amateur wrestling career was modest but at least I know that I had left nothing on the table. 
The inclusion rather than elitism formula must have some merit. An athlete from the program, Colby Bell, made it to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in Greco Roman wrestling.

The Guru and I wrestled in the Veteran World Wrestling Championships in Toronto, Canada. This was a tournament for age categories starting at age 35. It was funded by John DuPont, heir to the Dupont chemical fortune.  Dupont was a weird and beyond eccentric cat. There is a wrestling movie about Dupont called 'Foxcatcher'.  It is a must-see!  By the way, the Guru scored a tough earned silver medal at this tournament.

   Shaun H is less involved in wrestling these days but is not out of the grappling game. The Guru competes in age class JuiJitsu and Judo competitions with great success. He also coaches Mixed Martial Arts. He is currently working on a PhD in the Social Sciences. Woe to the Professor who misjudges a certain doctoral dissertation! Beware of 'The Look'!

Until next time,..............Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong
   

The Grand Guru of Grappling on the right with one of his enthusiastic but less than world class protegees.

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit

No One KNEE-ds a Blown Out ACL

   Women athletes in certain sports are at greater risk of blowing out their knees! 
Not politically correct you say. Go back to your anatomy and physiology textbook then.
There are physical differences between the genders. In the sports world this can lead to some significant injury observations.
   I just finished reading an interesting book called "Warrior Girls" by Michael Sokolove.
The author uses anecdotal and statistical evidence to suggest that there is actually an epidemic of severe knee injuries of elite young women in certain sports.   Sports with sudden stops and directional changes at top speed seem to pose the most risk. Soccer, basketball, and also rugby come to mind.
Teenage women on top notch competitive teams with year long league and tournament play are especially predisposed to become statistics.
   Often when these injuries occur they are noticeable with a dramatic leg plant and a loud popping noise. Sometimes it happens on an innocent looking movement. Either way leaves the casualty with pain and grief.

   The weak link in the knee is almost always the ACL  -the Anterior Cruciate Ligament!  This ligament runs at an angle across the front of the knee joint. The ACL prevents the femur bone of the upper leg from overpowering the two lower leg bones and sliding beyond the natural range of motion of the knee joint.  Once the ACL ruptures, a lifetime of trouble can ensue! Many surgically reconstructed ACL joints blow out again when the athlete returns to competition.
   Men blow out their knees too. They just do it at a lower rate. Recreational athletes are less at risk due to the slower speeds involved.  Maybe that's why I never got badly injured playing beer league hockey. I only thought that I was going fast.
Why are women at greater risk for ACL tears? There are many possible reasons:

• Hormones. Estrogen can make for more flexible joints. An overly flexible knee knee joint can be a disadvantage during a speed sport involving sudden deceleration and quick changes of direction.
• Weak core muscles such as abdominals, lower back and glutes (rear end). 
• Overspecialization in one sport at an early age. 
• Muscle imbalance in which the hamstring muscles are too weak to prevent the quadriceps muscles from dominating during running movements.
• Overly upright and erect running style. This is a cultural trait going back to the role of women carrying toddlers during the hunter/gatherer historic phase. (In Biblical time, this falls between the expulsion from Eden and the Great Flood.)
• Anatomy. The Q angle or quadriceps angle. This is a measurement of where the upper leg meets the kneecap. For childbearing reasons women often have a wider pelvis than men. This makes for a greater Q angle. The greater the Q angle, the less stable the knee. 
• More anatomy - knock knees. The opposite of being bowlegged. This can also be due to a wide Q angle. 
• Sedentary lifestyle. Many teenage athletes are inactive physically except when practicing or playing their sport. They don't develop other muscles. All of the wear and tear is on the same joints. Thank the modern tech toys for that!

Are there remedies for this epidemic of ACL injuries?  There are possible actions that may help:

• Strengthen the hamstring muscles so that they are not overpowered by the quadriceps.
• Strengthen the core muscles of the midsection including the abdominals, glutes and lower back.
• Improve running form. Athletes should learn to run with the butt low to the ground and relaxed hip and knee joints.
• Jumping drills emphasizing landing with bent knees to absorb shock.
• Play other sports or do other recreational activities to build a more balanced musculature.
• Work on balance. Balance drills train the body's proprioceptors which adjust during movement to keep in balance.
• Have a distinct off season from the sport.
• Take up a sport that doesn't require speed, deceleration or change of direction. You can also give up you favorite food and replace it with sprouts - but is this really an option?

   Wait a minute! I am always on the lookout for potential opportunities for Fitness Trainers. This is one of them. Women's soccer is very big in affluent suburbs and gentrified urban areas, Why not become go to person for knee injury prevention? Young women should be encouraged to be active and participate in sports. We also don't want them to get injured!
   You will have to ensure that your credentials and knowledge levels are up to date on current knee injury prevention science. This may require extra courses and constant educational updates on ACL prevention programs. Seek out such information and check out websites such as:

 PEP Program - SMSMF
 sportsmed.org
 sportsinjuries.org/acl-injury-prevention.aspx 
American Council on Exercise
National Strength and Conditioning Association
BioMechanics with Justin Price (I highly recommend checking out his courses)
or any other sites that you may find. Don't neglect the sports science periodicals either.
    

  If you want to specialize in working with post operative knee surgery clients tread carefully.

Knee surgery survivors would be considered a special client population. To work with special populations it would be wise to have an advanced accreditation that gives you the preferred knowledge and legal protection. Knees are too fragile a joint to risk to an under qualified Fitness Trainer going beyond their scope of practice. Do it right!

   There is a current controversy in the World Cup of Soccer for Women!
The 2015 games are to be held in Canada in stadiums with artificial turf. A number of women from other national teams have filed a suit against FIFA complaining that soccer at this level must be played on grass. One of the concerns is that turf has less give and elite athlete's knees will be exposed to dangerous conditions. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Then again, maybe they just fear going against the Canadian soccer women and arguably the best female athlete in the world - Christine Sinclair!

Top speed! Sudden foot plant for a kick!
A recipe for a blown out knee!

Until Next Time,.......Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong
















Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit