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There are MANY different ailments and conditions and diseases that affect the back. Your spine is CRITICALLY important to your entire life! Back pain is exhausting and can be extremely painful. If you have a healthy back, you should do everything you can to stay that way. If you have issues with your back, there are a few things that you should do:
1) Go to the doctor and get a diagnosis. Once you have this, ask your doctor to help you develop a plan for getting better.
2) Follow the plan. Did your doctor tell you that you would feel better if you took some of the weight load off your back (by losing weight)? Then, do it!

Some general things that can help you feel better (and prevent pain in the first place) :
• Get active. Just like your car doesn’t fix itself in the driveway, your back won’t fix itself when you are in bed!
• Strengthen the muscles that support your back. If you only do crunches, your abs are not properly developed to support your spine. You need to work on your core.
• Consider losing weight if you are overweight. Additional weight on your body causes more stress on all of your muscles and joints as well as your back. You may find that not only does your back pain go away, but also so does your knee pain and your foot pain!
• Drink water. Studies by the Jack M. Blount Foundation found that chronic dehydration is a contributing factor in muscle spasms. It also makes spasms more painful. You know all the other good reasons to drink water, so if you aren’t doing it yet, make it an easy resolution that you can keep!

Tags: Fitness, Flexibility, Injury Prevention, Sports Fitness by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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Did you know that there were 3.5 million visits by children to the doctor for sports-related injuries according to a survey by the Consumer Products Safety Commission?
Sometimes, when it comes to kids, we think they are tougher than perhaps they really are. Their bones (and the rest of their bodies) are still growing.

The American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine recommends the following to prevent Childhood and Adolescent sports injuries:
1) Be in condition to play a sport (kids can’t just get off the couch and play football – they need to be in shape for their specific sport)
2) Warm up before playing
3) Always wear protective equipment (and make sure it fits and is properly adjusted)
4) Avoid playing when tired and stop if you experience pain.

Tags: Fitness, Injury Prevention, Kids and Sports, Sports Fitness, Youth Sports Fitness by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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Have you ever taught a kid to hit a baseball? What do you keep repeating? Keep your eye on the ball, follow through, stay relaxed, etc. These are the same basic concepts for a great swing. However, your body could be holding you back.
How flexible are you? Do you think that improving your flexibility would improve your golf game? OF COURSE IT WILL. Here is why. When you are more flexible, you improve multiple things that improve your game.
You will hit longer. When you are more flexible, you are able to achieve a loaded position at the top of your backswing. What that means is that the muscles that produce your clubhead speed are stretched. And by stretching, your body is able to transfer more power to your clubhead.
You will give your arms some relief. Many golfers lack the flexibility and core strength to control their swing so they compensate by overusing their arms. Have you looked at the guys on the PGA tour?? I was at East Lake in November and I had a good hard look at the pros on practice day and game day (in case you have never been, go on both, since you can get very close and even get tips from the pros on the practice days). My point here is that these guys don’t look like bodybuilders.
Your swing will become more consistent when you are more flexible. When you aren’t flexible, you compensate your swing. And that makes your swing more erratic.
Your teacher will find you a better student. A golf pro can teach you the proper mechanics when your body is not holding you back. My father-in-law would not agree with this analysis because he believes retraining can ruin your game. However, he ISN’T flexible. So whatever the pro tries to show him will need to be modified (and that modification may be worse than what he is currently doing). If you have the flexibility, you are more able to properly apply the teachings to your game.

Tags: Flexibility, Injury Prevention, Sports Fitness, golf by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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New to the gym? Then, you should ensure that you understand how to properly use equipment and what you need to be doing to get the best workout for you. If you haven’t read it yet, you should pick up a copy of my Getting Started with Fitness tip sheet. This is downstairs at Chapel Hill on the wellness wall or you can ask me for a copy. It has some great tips on how to safely start an exercise program.

Are you new to weights? It may be a good idea to take a few personal training sessions so you can have a routine that you can do on your own. Be aware that good form is crucial and that you are a unique individual and you should be a little selfish when it comes to your workout. You need to make sure that it is the best thing for you. It is probably also a good idea to pick up a copy of my Common Strength Training Mistakes so you can get an idea on what not to do.

Are you trying to lose weight? I always recommend that people visit their doctor. He/she is the best person to help you decide what is best for you and they can refer you to a dietician if you need some nutritional advice.

If you are new, it is important to keep an open mind and sometimes an open mouth. If you have any questions, ASK! If you have a question or a concern, come see me. I truly want to see you happy and in the very best of health!

Tags: Fitness, Sports Fitness, Weight Loss by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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Remember to check my wite for the May Chapel Hill News Article!!!

Sports Specific Training

David Hansey

NASM Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist

NASM Certified Sports Fitness Specialist

NASM Certified Personal Trainer

I have talked a lot about Sports Specific training. Over the next two months, I will highlight why it is important to train specifically for your sport and how to accomplish this.

Every day I see people performing strength and cardio exercises improperly. Many to the degree that they are risking injury. Most to the degree that the exercise is not as effective as it could be. Any athlete (and this even means the weekend warrior such as tennis or golf players) needs to review their fitness level. Is there something lacking? Are you carrying more weight than you should? Has the quality of your game hit a plateau or diminished? Does the quality of your game get worse the longer you play? Do you feel pain or weakness while playing or for any time after? These are all signs that your fitness level is lacking for the level of sport you want to be able to perform at. And you should consider a few things in order to fix them.

First, any pain or discomfort needs to be accessed by a physician. He is the only person that can tell you if there is a serious problem going on. For example, pain in your lower back on the golf course could just be weak or tight muscles. But it could also be a herniated disc that you are damaging even further every time you play. Only a physician can tell you for sure.

After your doctor visit, you need to review your weight and conditioning level. Getting winded or tired or watching your game drop off are all signs that you are lacking cardiovascular conditioning. For example, if you miss more shots halfway into your tennis match than at the beginning, you need to review your cardiovascular conditioning. You may be “in shape” but you may not be performing the moves to help you with your game. Some sports specific training such as agility training may be all you need or you may need a comprehensive cardio, strength and agility program specifically designed for you. Just as your doctor is the only person who can determine the best course of action to deal with pain, a CERTIFIED personal trainer is the only person who can determine the best course of action to improve your conditioning. Ideally this person has training and experience in dealing with athletes. I stress certification above because it is important to check the credentials and qualifications of anyone that you are trusting with your body or the bodies of your children. Any trainer should be happy to provide you with all of these details when you are considering them for training.

Next month, I will go into detail on how Sports Specific Strength Training can have a dramatic impact on the quality of your game as well as reduce your injury chances. I will also highlight how it can be an important part of the recovery process if you have already been injured. Regardless of your sport, training specifically for it will not only prevent injury but allow you the opportunity to become stronger, faster and more accurate. For more information on Sports Specific Training, call me at 404-514-1896 or visit my website at www.4fitbodies.com.

Tags: Chapel Hill News, Sports Fitness by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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