Sports « Weekly Gravy

Of all sports, football sends the most U.S. males to the emergency room, while cheerleading and gymnastics most often do the same for women and girls, a new report finds. And, overall, U.S. emergency departments see about 2.7 million patients between the ages of 5 and 24 for sports-related injuries each year, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In some cases, these injuries might even be a gateway to opioid addiction: Opioid painkillers were given to ER patients suffering from a sports injury in about one in five cases, the study found. That number rose to nearly half (46%) among young adults aged 20 to 24. “As we have learned from the opioid crisis, many patients move from appropriately prescribed opioid medications to misuse of opioids,” noted Dr. Teresa Amato, who directs emergency medicine at Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, in Forest Hills, N.Y. She wasn’t involved in the new research. “I would encourage any parent with a child that has a sports-related injury who is being evaluated in an emergency department to have an open and frank discussion about pain control and if opioids are needed,” Amato said. “Of course, in some cases there will be a need for these medications, but the discussion prior to dispensing or prescribing opioids may prevent misuse later… read on >

Is your workout routine in a slump? To keep challenging your body, it’s important to tweak your regimen every three months or each season. By aligning these changes to seasonal changes, you can also start the right prep for the next season’s sports, such as training for skiing in the fall and hiking in the spring. To begin, grab a calendar and chart out your key dates and activities. Not all the changes to your program have to be dramatic, according to the American Council on Exercise. Challenging yourself can be as simple as changing your strength-training equipment from free weights to resistance bands or to bodyweight-only exercises like push-ups, wall sits and crunches. If you’ve been exercising solo, one effective change is to build in a social component. Ask a friend to join you for workouts or sign up for a class you’ve always wanted to try. You’ll have more fun and be more accountable when others are involved. Look into any worksite wellness programs that your employer has made available to you. Classes held at your office complex means no need to travel to a gym. If time constraints have been limiting your workouts to the weekends, this convenience should make it easy to add weekday sessions to your schedule. If a worksite program isn’t in place, talk to your employer about starting… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Pre-workout supplements are the buzz around many gyms and athletic facilities. But before you chug these products and start exercising, it’s important that you know more about the supplements. Cleveland Clinic offers this advice about these products: The supplements typically come in powder or pill form. The main ingredient is usually caffeine. Most brands range from 150 milligrams (mg) to 300 mg of caffeine per dose. These products are generally safe if the maker is credible. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, take these products with caution.

Getting more exercise could help ward off depression, even if you have a genetic risk for it, new research shows. For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 8,000 people and found that those with a genetic predisposition were more likely to be diagnosed with depression over the next two years. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had an inherited risk. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk for depression, the investigators found. Both high-intensity exercise (such as aerobics, dance and exercise machines) and lower-intensity activities (such as yoga and stretching) were associated with a reduced risk of depression, the findings showed. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode of depression by 17%, according to the study published Nov. 5 in the journal Depression and Anxiety. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, genes are not destiny and that being physically active has the potential to neutralize the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically vulnerable,” said lead author Karmel Choi. She is a clinical fellow in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each… read on >

When it comes to sculpting a better booty, here’s the bottom line: You need to strengthen your glutes. And more than giving these muscles a toned look, working them also improves the mobility of your hips, helps stabilize your core and eases lower back pain. Here are three to add to your repertoire. Pulsing Squats: This is a great variation of the classic squat. Stand straight with your legs shoulder-width apart. Now lower yourself into a squatting position and pulse — that’s a gentle bounce. Pulse three to five times per squat, then with control return to the start position and repeat. Quadruped Bent Knee Hip Extensions: Grab an exercise mat and get down on your hands and knees. Slightly contract your abs to stabilize your core. Lift one leg behind you, keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees. Only the thigh is moving upward. Stop when the sole of your foot is facing the ceiling. Then, with control, return to the start position. Complete a full set on this side before switching legs. Pulsing Side Leg Lifts: From the same position on all fours, stretch your right leg out to the side in line with your hip. Raise the leg to hip level and pulse it up and down about an inch at a medium, steady pace, about three to five times before lowering… read on >

Just because your upper arms are temporarily hidden under sweaters and jackets doesn’t mean you should neglect them. Here’s how to tone them with weights for better definition now and when they’re fully back in view. Hammer Curls: These are an effective variation of the bicep curl. Stand straight, a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides, wrists facing inward. Without moving your upper arms, raise the dumbbells until the ends closest to you touch the fronts of your shoulders. Hold briefly, then slowly lower the weights to the start position. If lifting both arms simultaneously is too difficult, do this exercise with alternating arms. Alternating Hammer Curls: This advanced variation of the Hammer Curl is done in the basic plank position. Get on all fours. If you’re strong, extend your legs straight behind you, with toes flexed. If not, keep your knees bent on the floor. Arms should be straight, but rather than having palms flat, each hand holds a dumbbell flat on the floor. Contract your abs and keep your upper body straight as you press your bodyweight onto your left hand. Now raise the weight in your right hand until the end closest to you touches the front of your shoulder. You’re moving only your forearm and keeping your right elbow close to your right side. Lower with control to the… read on >

FRIDAY, Nov. 8, 2019 (American Heart Association News) — Washington Heights, a historic neighborhood on Chicago’s far South Side, faces the modern-day challenge of boosting health, education and economic opportunities for its residents. At the forefront of this revitalization effort is The Endeleo Institute, and its success stories are multiplying. “Endeleo” is a Swahili term for progress and growth. The nonprofit aims to create a culture of health and rejuvenate the neighborhood’s 2-mile West 95th Street corridor by partnering with health organizations, institutions, local government and businesses to push community improvement projects forward. On one end of that corridor is the Carter G. Woodson Regional Library. Endeleo recently helped spearhead its restoration and worked to make it a hub for health information, creating a state-of-the-art space for all ages to congregate. “Dementia and Alzheimer’s were running rampant in our community,” said Melvin Thompson, executive director of Endeleo, the community development arm of Trinity United Church of Christ. Washington Heights’ population is predominantly African American, a group about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias compared with their white counterparts. Brain health is connected to heart health, Thompson said, and Endeleo works to promote cardiovascular wellness, too. The library, home to the largest African American history and literature collection in the Midwest, was refurbished with $9 million in government funding. It reopened in… read on >

Teen girls who play several sports have a lower injury risk than those who focus on just one, a new study finds. It included more than 1,100 girls who play basketball, soccer and volleyball. Most were middle and high school students; some were in college. Girls who specialize too early in sports such as basketball, soccer and volleyball could find that a single-minded focus “may hinder motor development and lead to compromised hip and knee coordination during dynamic landing and jumping activities, which can lead to increased chance of potentially life-altering injuries,” said lead author Christopher DiCesare. He’s a biomechanist in the Division of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio. The study also found that girls who focused on a single sport had a higher rate of hip and knee injuries and an increased risk of knee pain. Researchers said playing multiple sports may improve girls’ coordination, and that those who specialize may not fully develop neuromuscular coordination patterns that can reduce the risk of injury. Due to uneven growth in bone mineral and muscular and connective tissue strength before and during puberty, young athletes may be less able than older ones to handle the physical stresses associated with focusing on one sport, the study published Oct. 23 in the Journal of Athletic Training concluded. “By understanding the influence that sport… read on >

Only about half of all American adults meet the national guidelines for aerobic activity and only about one-fifth meet the combined aerobic and strength-training goals. One reason is that some people just don’t find it enjoyable, so they don’t stick with it. Changing your mindset can lead not only to increases in exercise time, but also feeling good about working out. A study in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise looked at overweight women and their reaction to 15-minute high-intensity interval workouts designed to get faster results compared to continuous and longer-lasting exercise. The researchers found that the slow and steady approach was met more positively, and left participants looking forward to another workout rather than tired and discouraged. In another test, they found that starting out at an intense pace and tapering off to a very low intensity was also more pleasurable than the other way around. A separate study in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that many influences are at work when it comes to developing a fondness for exercise, including mental engagement. It helps to choose an activity that you’re confident about. For instance, if you’re a poor swimmer, you won’t feel comfortable in a water class. If you are self-conscious about how you look in exercise clothes, group classes may not be for you right… read on >