Sports « Weekly Gravy

Want two moves that will effectively develop your lower body? Then add lunges and squats to your strength-training workout. These exercises primarily use your own body weight to effectively strengthen muscles, and can be adapted for both beginners and more advanced athletes. The lunge works the quads, hamstrings, glutes and, to a lesser degree, the lower leg muscles. Lunges can be done as a forward or reverse movement. The reverse is easier for beginners. Step backward with your left foot, extending the leg behind you as you bend the right knee until the right thigh is parallel with the floor or as close as feels comfortable. Press your right heel into the floor to bring yourself back to the starting position. When you want to progress, switch to the forward lunge. The left foot steps forward with the knee bending over the foot as you lower your right knee behind you. You can draw on your body weight or intensify results by holding hand weights. Whatever your level, repeat only as many times as you are able to do so with correct form. For beginners, that may be as few as five lunges with each leg. Build up to three sets of 10 to 20 reps on each leg. The squat targets the quads and hamstrings. Developing these muscles will help protect the knees. Stand… read on >

The healthiest community in the United States is Douglas County in Colorado, according to the 2019 rankings just released by U.S. News & World Report. The others in the top five healthiest communities are Los Alamos County in New Mexico; the city of Falls Church and Loudoun County, both in Virginia; and Broomfield County in Colorado, according to the magazine. For the rankings in the second annual report, nearly 3,000 communities across the United States were evaluated on 81 health-related measures in 10 categories, including education, environment, population health and infrastructure. Douglas County, a suburb of Denver, was among the top in at least four of the 81 measures, including physical activity, educational attainment and median household income. Six other communities in Colorado were in the top 20: Broomfield County (ranked number 5), Chaffee County (11), Routt County (14), San Miguel County (17), Pitkin County (19) and Boulder County (20). In all seven Colorado counties, nearly all adults exercise and only about a quarter missed their annual wellness checkup. Across all of its counties, Colorado also has the highest average score in the country in the environment category, which includes measures of natural amenities and air and water quality. Iowa has the strongest presence in the rankings overall, with 62 counties among the top 500. Average community scores put Iowa among the top 10 states… read on >

Toned biceps not only give your upper body a sleek look, but they’re also vital for improving the upper body strength needed for daily living. The Single Biceps Curl is a simple classic and the perfect first exercise for strength training these muscles. You can start with a light weight and add more over time as you get stronger. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms face inward, with the weight touching the outsides of your thighs. Start with the right arm. Rotate your wrist so that palm faces up, and then slowly lift the weight until it reaches your right shoulder. Maintain control — don’t jerk the weight. Slowly lower to starting position. As soon as the weight touches your thigh, repeat the curl with your left arm. Continue to alternate sides. Do 10 to 15 reps on each side for one complete set. Build from one to three sets before increasing the weight. As you progress, you can challenge yourself by curling both arms at the same time using either a pair of dumbbells or a single weight bar held in both hands. The variation called Concentration Curls focuses on one arm at a time. Sit on a bench, legs apart, feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Biking is a great way to stay in shape, save gas and reduce pollution. But the estimated 80 million cyclists sharing the road with vehicles often face a host of hazards, says the National Safety Council. To stay safe, the NSC recommends: Become familiar with traffic laws. Ride single-file in the direction of traffic. Use hand signals when turning. Never hitch onto cars. Wear bright clothing. Equip your bike with reflectors.

Rowing is often called the best aerobic exercise because it offers a total body workout and is low-impact. Rowing involves performing a continuous motion with focused coordination between the arms and the legs. If you’ve never rowed a boat or paddled a canoe before, it may take some time to get the hang of it, but the fitness benefits are worth time spent on the learning curve. Home machines come very close to simulating this fun yet strenuous activity, but try different models before you buy. Don’t be swayed by price alone: The resistance mechanism on cheaper models often relies on pistons and may not give you the smoothest motion. Check out rowing machines that rely on air, water or magnetic resistance to find the one that feels most natural to you. While you should feel comfortable on the seat, working with the oars will tell you how well a machine suits you. You should be able to move your arms through a full range of motion. The resistance should feel smooth, not jerky, and you should be able to easily adjust the tension level to suit your ability. Don’t rush through a test run. In fact, you may want to return to the store for a second visit before you invest in a machine. After you’ve made the purchase and have your rower set… read on >

Ever had a bad spasm from bending down to pick up your child or tie your shoes? Keeping your core muscles — the workhorses that stabilize your spine — flexible with a stretching routine can help prevent this common occurrence and protect your back in general. The Pelvic Tilt targets your lower back and your abdominals. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet about hip-width apart. Flatten and then press your lower back into the floor. You’ll feel your hips tilt forward. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat five times. The Side Stretch helps your back and sides become more limber. In a standing position, extend your right arm above your head. Put your left hand on your hip. Slowly bend to the left without twisting or jerking. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat five times. Then repeat the sequence on the other side. The Back Arch stretches hips and shoulders as well as your back. Stand up straight, legs shoulder width apart. Support your lower back with both hands and bend backwards. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat five times. As a reminder, never bounce when stretching. This can cause muscles to tighten and lead to injury. Ease into every stretch with a slow, steady movement. Stop if any stretch feels uncomfortable. You should feel slight… read on >

After-school activities help develop social skills and talent, but a new report finds that many kids are priced out of participating. In fact, for 1 in 6 middle and high school students, costs are the prime reason for not taking part in these activities. And the poorest students are two times less likely to participate, compared with their better-off peers, researchers reported in a new poll. “Extracurricular activities correlate with grades, staying in school and graduating,” said Sarah Clark, co-director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan. “So when we see kids not participating, that’s very concerning,” she said. School activities can also influence a student’s chances of getting into college, Clark added. After-school activities include sports and various clubs, including service clubs and student council. But 18 percent of kids whose family incomes are under $100,000 don’t take part in any activity, which is double the rate of those from families with higher incomes, the researchers found. Clark said that about half of the students played sports, which include intramural and varsity teams, in 2018-2019. More than 40 percent took part in activities like music, theater or dance, she said. In addition, about half participated in a club or other activity like student council. These activities, however, often come with costs. Average fees are $161… read on >

As the weather starts to warm up, you might be excited to restart a swimming routine, but swimming isn’t the only water sport that’s also fun exercise. Many activities that used to be vacation-only pastimes are more accessible than you might realize. If you’re a fan of rowing, either the real thing or with cardio equipment that simulates the movement, consider canoeing and kayaking. Both activities provide a terrific upper-body workout. The differences between the boats and the paddles might lead you to prefer one over the other. With a canoe, you either sit on a seat or kneel. The boat is open and usually made for two or more people, so it’s a good choice for family outings. To paddle, you typically alternate sides every few strokes. A kayak is a type of canoe, often made for one person. You sit on its floor with your legs stretched out and use a double-ended paddle for alternating strokes. For a completely different experience, there’s stand-up paddleboarding, which delivers a full-body workout. You stand on the board at all times, great for improving balance and strengthening legs, and use a paddle to move through the water. You can do it on calm water if you don’t want to ride waves. Of course, if you’re a landlubber, there are many indoor activities you can move outside in… read on >

Drowning can be swift and silent, making it a leading cause of accidental death among children. To help parents protect their kids in and around the water, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated its water safety recommendations. Drowning is the third-leading cause of accidental injury-related death among 5- to 19-year-olds. Nearly 1,000 children in the United States died from drowning in 2017, and 8,700 were seen at hospital emergency departments after a drowning event, according to the AAP. Toddlers and teens are at highest risk. “Drowning is the single leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4,” said Dr. Sarah Denny, lead author of the updated policy statement. “Many of these deaths occur when children are not expected to be swimming or when they have unanticipated access to water. Toddlers are naturally curious; that’s why we must implement other strategies, such as pool fencing and door locks,” she added in an AAP news release. But little kids aren’t the only ones at high risk. Nearly 370 young people between 10 and 19 years of age drown each year in the United States. “Adolescents can be overconfident in their swimming abilities and are more likely to combine alcohol use with swimming — compounding their risk significantly. Children of color, especially African American teens, are especially at risk,” Denny said. The policy… read on >

Think exercise has to be high-intensity to make a difference to your health? Think again. New research shows that even routine housework and gardening can help older women’s hearts. “For older women, any and all movement counts towards better cardiovascular health,” said Dr. David Goff. He’s director of the division of cardiovascular sciences at the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which funded the new research. “When we tell people to move with heart, we mean it, and the supporting evidence keeps growing,” he said in an institute news release. Heart disease remains the leading killer of American women and nearly 68 percent of women aged 60 to 79 have heart disease, according to the NHLBI. The new study was led by Andrea LaCroix, of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Her team tracked the activity of more than 5,800 U.S. women, aged 63 to 97. Each wore a device that measured their movement 24 hours a day for a full week. The researchers then tracked each woman’s heart health over the next five years. The investigators found that even light physical activity — gardening, going for a stroll, folding clothes — appeared to reduce the risk of stroke or heart failure by up to 22 percent, and the risk of heart attack or coronary death by as much as 42 percent.… read on >