Sports « Weekly Gravy

Men and women alike want defined abs. But you don’t have to achieve a “six-pack” — the nickname for the three most visible pairs of abdominal muscles — to get the benefits of a stronger middle, needed to support your back. For a study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), scientists from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, evaluated popular ab exercises to determine the best ones. Popular Ab Strength Training Exercises Bicycle crunch Captain’s chair crunch Classic crunch Decline bench curl-up Front plank Side plank Stability ball crunch Yoga boat pose Of all these, the winner was the classic crunch. And it makes no difference whether you do crunches with arms folded across the chest or hands behind the head, researchers found. What does matter is using proper form. Here’s how ACE recommends doing crunches with hands behind your head: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor between 12 and 18 inches from your rear. Press your elbows back to bring shoulder blades together without arching your lower back. Keep elbows in this position and keep your feet, tailbone and lower back in contact with the floor throughout the entire exercise. Exhale and engage your ab muscles. Tilt your chin up slightly as you slowly curl head, shoulders and upper back off the floor. (Try not to tense… read on >

Teen boys who are unfit and/or obese have higher odds for chronic disease and disability as adults, according to a large Swedish study. Researchers followed more than 1 million boys for an average of 28 years, starting when they were 16 to 19 years of age. Those who were inactive, obese or both as teens were more likely to receive medical disability pensions as adults. The pensions are granted in some countries to working-aged adults who are unable to work due to chronic illness or injury. “Cardiorespiratory fitness and obesity already in adolescence is strongly related to later health,” said lead researcher Pontus Henriksson, a registered dietitian at the Karolinska Institute in Huddinge, Sweden. His team cautioned that this study does not prove that being unfit or obese as a teenager causes disabilities in adulthood, only that the two appear to be related. This association, however, is important because many teens are less fit and weigh more than previous generations, Henriksson said. The study also provides more evidence for the relevance of fitness and obesity in adolescence as markers of future health. Morbidly obese men were at greatest risk, the study found. Henriksson and his colleagues also found that compared with being unfit, being moderately or highly fit was related to a reduced risk for disability, whether one was obese or not. Common disabilities associated… read on >

Research consistently tells you just how important exercise is for health. It can help head off heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many types of cancer, including breast and colon cancers. A report published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that another important prevention factor for an even wider group of cancers is having a body mass index (BMI) below 25. BMI is a measure of body fat that takes into account a person’s height and weight. A low BMI means you have less fat on your body. The report also showed that health risks can be up to 50 percent higher if you’re overweight (with a BMI between 25 and 29.9) — and up to 80 percent higher if you’re obese (with a BMI of 30 and over). Indeed, a high BMI may be to blame for nearly 4 percent of all cancer cases, according to another study, published in The Lancet Oncology. There’s no doubt that diet and exercise work together to lower BMI. Besides cutting calories, to lose weight you need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, and 60 to 90 minutes a day to maintain a loss. But don’t stop there. Other research has found that the more exercise you do, the more you can reduce your risk for many diseases. Indeed, people… read on >

Bouncing around at a trampoline park can be great fun, but a new study warns it can also be an invitation to sprains, strains and broken bones. Nationwide, more than 100,000 emergency room visits were related to trampoline injuries in 2014, according to the latest data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Injuries that occur at a jump park are typically more severe than those that happen on a home trampoline. “Emergency room visits, hospitalizations and surgical interventions are not uncommon in children and adults due to jump park-related injuries,” said lead researcher Dr. Ryan Voskuil, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Tennessee Health Center in Chattanooga. Several factors contribute to the danger, Voskuil said. Jump park trampolines have a stronger bounce than home ones, he noted, and parks place obstacles around the trampolines to make the experience more exciting. Trampolines at parks also are interconnected and can have different slopes. Finally, many people jumping at the same time increases the chance of collisions. “Similar to a skateboard park or bicycle park, these parks incorporate games, obstacles and various geometric configurations,” Voskuil said. “It’s just like any sport you participate in, except I think, it’s substantially more dangerous.” For the study, his team looked at 439 trampoline injuries reported over two years. While more injuries occurred on home trampolines (66 percent), more than… read on >

Two out of every three people will experience a shoulder injury or problem at some point in their lives. One reason: When it comes to training, the anterior, or front, deltoid muscle gets almost all the attention, while the medial and posterior deltoids get the cold shoulder. For a study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise, scientists from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse evaluated popular shoulder exercises to see which were most effective. Popular Deltoid Strength-Training Exercises Barbell upright row Battling ropes Bent-arm lateral raise, great for the medial deltoids Cable diagonal raises Dips Dumbbell front raise Dumbbell shoulder press, tops in training for the anterior deltoids Push-ups Seated rear lateral raise, excellent for the posterior deltoids 45-degree incline row, excellent for the medial and posterior deltoids While no single exercise can work all three parts, start building a shoulder workout with two that target most of the muscles. Build up to three sets of eight to 15 reps each. At first, you may only be able to lift very light dumbbells, but with consistency, you’ll develop strength over time. When you can complete three full sets, it’s time to increase your weight. For the seated rear lateral raise, sit on the edge of a bench, feet flat on the floor, a dumbbell next to each foot. Bend over to bring your torso… read on >

Guarding against injury means increasing both flexibility and strength. Target the muscles that support your ankles to protect your joints by strength-training two or three times a week on alternating days and always after you’ve warmed up. Start by using a resistance band to work calf muscles. Sit on the floor, with legs straight. Wrap the center of the band around your right foot and hold the ends taut in both hands. Flex toes, hold and return to start. Complete your reps. Next, point your toes, hold and return to start, adjusting the tautness of the bands in your hands as needed. Complete reps, then repeat the entire sequence with your left foot. Now move to calf raises using your own body weight for resistance. Hold the back of a chair or face a wall and place your hands against it for balance. Lift your left foot behind you, heel toward your butt, placing all your weight on your right leg. Now lift just your right heel off the floor. Hold for three seconds, then lower. Complete your reps, then switch legs and repeat. For both exercises, start with one set of eight reps and build to three sets of 10 to 12 reps. To avoid injury, always build up endurance gradually, no matter what the activity, and get instruction if needed so that you… read on >

Even a slight improvement in your heart/lung fitness could reduce your risk of a heart attack, a new study reveals. Between 2006 and 2008, researchers assessed the cardiorespiratory (heart/lung) fitness of just over 4,500 men and women in Norway. None had heart disease, high blood pressure or cancer, and most were considered at low risk for heart disease over the next 10 years. By 2017, however, 147 of the study participants had suffered a heart attack or developed angina, conditions caused by narrowing or blockage of heart arteries. More investigation showed that the risk of heart attack and angina steadily declined as cardiorespiratory fitness increased. “We found a strong link between higher fitness levels and a lower risk of heart attack and angina pectoris over the nine years following the measurements that were taken,” said Bjarne Nes of the Cardiac Exercise Research Group (CERG) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. “Even among people who seem to be healthy, the top 25 percent of the most fit individuals actually have only half as high a risk as the least fit 25 percent,” he said in a university news release. The study used a fitness calculator developed at CERG, which measures the body’s capacity to transport and use oxygen during exercise. It found that for each increase of 3.5 fitness points, the risk… read on >

Agility, or the ability to react quickly to change without losing your balance, is an important skill not only for playing sports, but also for everyday living. Strength training helps improve agility, but so do balance and coordination exercises. Simple moves include standing on one foot, standing on tiptoe and walking heel to toe. Specific activities that boost agility: Yoga Tai chi Ladder and hurdle drills Jumping rope A great do-anywhere exercise is controlled marching in place. Lift your right arm overhead as you lift your left leg, bending the knee at a 90-degree angle. Hold for three to five seconds, then switch sides. Continue alternating arms and legs for a total of three to five minutes. For better agility and coordination, here are three more exercises that will help: First, toss a small, soft ball from one hand to another, keeping your eyes on the ball at all times. For added difficulty do this as you balance on one leg, lifting the other leg by bending the knee at a 90-degree angle. Do 10 tosses, reverse legs and repeat. Next, bounce a small agility ball against a wall and catch it, first with two hands, then with your dominant hand and finally with your non-dominant hand. The ball will bounce in different directions, requiring quick action. Be sure to do this in an open… read on >

Socializing with friends is great for physical and emotional well-being, but if all of your get-togethers are at restaurants or bars, it can be hard to stick to a healthy eating plan. Try these ideas for having fun without placing the emphasis on food. Both you and your friends will benefit. Turn your brunch group into an arts project. Whether you’re quilting, knitting or crafting, busy hands can’t reach for snacks. If you’d rather look at art than create it, try going to different museums rather than bar-hopping with your friends. Want to get even more physical? Grab a few friends or another couple and sign up for a 5K or 10K race, and hold your own training sessions once or twice a week until the big event. Or choose a charity and do volunteer work as a group on a weekend afternoon. If you’ve been sedentary, step up to exercise with a more relaxed activity by joining a bowling or softball league. These are also great bonding options to do with co-workers if you want to socialize outside the office. Take along healthy treats for refueling afterwards. When you do want to get together over food, it’s easier to control calories and portion sizes if you do the cooking. Grilled chicken and fish in warm weather, and hearty vegetarian chili and stews in cold… read on >

Slow and sneaky weight gain usually happens over time — on average one pound a year — so it’s not always obvious at first, especially if you don’t regularly weigh yourself. But if this weight creep goes unnoticed year after year, by middle age, your middle may lose the sleek look you had when you were younger. Several factors could be to blame. Maybe you’re exercising less because family and work obligations have gotten in the way of regular gym visits. Maybe you’re eating more, such as having a cookie with your daily afternoon cup of tea. Perhaps you simply don’t need as many calories as you used to because of the gradual shift in body composition that can happen with age. Having less muscle and more fat can slow your metabolism, making it easier to gain weight. But you can work to avoid or at least limit this type of weight gain. Start by doing a quick self-evaluation. Has your activity level gone down? Are you eating more than usual? If you answered yes to these questions, make the commitment to get back on track both with diet and exercise. To improve diet, studies that tracked people for 20 years found the key is to switch to a way of eating that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts. You can replace low-nutrient… read on >