No Child Left Behind: Let’s Get Physical
A lot of political capital and many educational dollars have been invested in keeping our childrens’ minds up to speed. The solution may be fitter bodies. Two studies at the University of Illinois make the case. Scientists grouped 9 and 10 year old kids by their levels of aerobic fitness. In one study they evaluated the kids’ performance on cognitive attention tasks; […]
Resistance Band Fitness for all ages
Resistance bands are one of the best training tools for the fitness games we play and home exercise programs we teach and recommend. Bands are perfect because they are portable, inexpensive and adaptable. Purchased in 3-4 foot lengths or cut to this length from 75 foot rolls, we use them for both upper body and lower […]
Saluting the USA, World Cup Classy
Did you see that shot? It was the best in the whole tournament. Nope. I’m not talking about Heather O’Reilly’s blast from 40 yards out. Though that was amazing. I’m talking about the photo of the American team lining up to salute the US military personnel stationed in Germany. Commentator Ian Darke quipped that the […]
Run…It’s the natural pace of kids
No Pain. No gain. Fuhgettabout it. That’s for adults. And that’s because we’re old. This is the old advice. Exercise for us is scheduled, measured and altogether serious. Ushering kids into this is making them old before their time. Have you ever been to a Chuck E Cheese’s? It’s a kids’ games arcade with pizza […]
Do you know what your children are doing for exercise?
“Many American youngsters are not getting enough physical activity and parents are failing to make their children’s health a priority, according to a new study,” reports msnbc.msn.com. Nothing new here. The article goes on to say, “research by the YMCA, which surveyed more than 1,600 American parents with children between the ages of 5 and 10, […]
Now That’s Sportswoman-ship!
I’m not sure I’ll ever get tired of watching this story. Two players carrying an opponent around the base paths after she hit one over the fence and tore an ACL rounding first base. Her teammates couldn’t help her. She had to touch all the bases for her home run to count. Sara Tucholsky video […]
My sport is your sport’s punishment
Have you ever had a coach who makes you run laps when they’re mad at you? “You stink!Go run a lap!” These girls laugh at that coach. They love to run. They do it for fun, and for fitness. They run with their friends. They run for glory. They run to clear their minds. They […]
Marion Booth Mentored Me
In November, 92 year old Marion Booth received the award of a lifetime: A Distinguished Service Award from the Maryland State Golf Association. I can think of no one more deserving. Marion has played championship golf since her teenaged days. She’s played with and against the best. She still competes in District Golf matches and […]
Is it “just” Growing Pains?
I was stretching with my U13 soccer team after a scrimmage. Through a chorus of moans and evident wincing one player told me, “Coach, no one in my class can touch their toes.” Her teammates nodded in agreement. Yep, tight muscles in longer limbs are natural when they’re growing. But does that mean pain is […]
Got Milk?
A popular ad campaign, used to ask, “Have you had your milk today?” It was spoken in pictures of celebrities, sports figures, models who wore a milk mustache. Drink your milk because it builds strong bones and strong bodies, they tell us. I think to myself: I hope my kids are reading this and listening. I have pleaded with […]