Synchronized swimming

Synchronized swimming is a form of swimming which combines the sport of swimming with the artistic characteristics of both gymnastics and dance.  It could be performed by a solo, a duet, a trio, or more commonly, by a team of swimmers.  As its name implies, synchronized swimming involves performing a synchronized routine of complicated and intricate moves in the water while being accompanied by background music. 

Synchronized swimming requires a lot from its participants.  Swimmers that participate in this sport have to have highly advanced swimming skills along with incredible breath control because many maneuvers require the swimmer to be upside down under the water.  They also have to be very graceful, flexible, and artistic in the water.  Lastly, the swimmers must have an impeccable sense of timing in order for the routine to come out well.

In both the Olympic Championship and the World Championship events of synchronized swimming, men are not allowed to compete.  However, in the US and Canada Championships, male competitors are allowed to participate along with the women.  Most of the synchronized swimming championships held in Europe allow male swimmers to compete as well.  France even has “male only” synchronized swimming events.  The Men’s Cup synchronized swimming championship - a worldwide biannual synchronized swimming event for men - has also been steadily growing over the past years.

During competition, the participants are required to perform two different routines that will be scored by the judges.  The first one is a “technical” routine while the second one is a “free” routine.  Both of these routines though require the participants to show off their endurance, elegance, and creativity.  There are also age group based routines.

The technical routine also requires the participants to show off predetermined elements of synchronized swimming that must be done in the exact order that they have been given.  The free routine on the other hand has no such bounds.  This is the routine where the swimmers incorporate their own unique moves and show off their imaginative and artistic talents.

The length of time allowed for the routines is greatly dependent on the number of participants.  Solo and duet competitions are the shortest routines as they are given just two and a half minutes to complete their routine.  Team competitions naturally would require more time for them to be able to show off their skills and are therefore usually given up to 5 minutes to complete their routine.  The skill level of the competition and the age level of the participants are also usually considered when determining the maximum allowed time for the completion of a routine.

Synchronized swimming was first exhibited at the Olympics during the 1952 summer games.  It was not until the Olympic Games at Los Angeles, California in 1984 however that it became an official sport of the Olympics.  Furthermore, it was only in 1968 that synchronized swimming was recognized by the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) as the fourth official water sport, joining the ranks of swimming, water polo, and platform diving.

Sports in the “third age”

Even as you are already in the “third age”, you should still live an active lifestyle and enjoy your favorite sports as much as you can.  Regularly playing sports helps people at a more advanced age to maintain their good health.  It also helps improve confidence and increase energy.  It does not really matter how old you are, you are sure to benefit from continuously engaging in your favorite sports. 

Most people in the “third age” feel discouraged about playing sports and staying active in their lives.  Some might not feel up to much physical activity because of chronic illnesses or other health problems.  Some might have well placed concerns regarding the chances of suffering some sort of injury.  Others might not even consider playing sports at their advanced age because they didn’t play sports even during their younger days. These are barriers that prevent people from enjoying sports in the “third age”.  However, these are barriers that can be brought down and conquered.

The truth of the situation is, the older you get, the more important it is to stay active and keeps your body moving.  Playing sports is one of the best ways to do this.  As you get older, the less you can afford to stay immobile and inactive.  Keeping your body on the go is very important in helping yourself age well, stay healthy, and remain strong and energetic.  It can even help you manage many of the symptoms of aging such as painful joints and pale and wrinkly skin.  Furthermore, staying active and playing sports is not only good for your physical health it is good for your mental and emotional health too.  Playing sports can help you keep your mind and competitiveness sharp and keep you in a more positive mood.

Whatever your current condition is, exercising and playing sports can benefit you in a number of ways.  Reaping these benefits does not require you to spend strenuous hours at the gym and working yourself to exhaustion. At your advanced age, it is more about including more activity and movement in your life, even if it was only in small ways.  You do not have to engage in sports with the reckless abandon that younger players do, you can simply play at your own pace with your friends.  What matters most is that you have a good time and that you are active.

But before you get started on sports in the “third age”, you should still keep in mind some very important reminders.  First of all, check with your doctor to see which sports would be best for your condition.  Make sure to find out if there are any specific activities that you should stay away from.  Second, start slowly, especially if you have not played any sports for some time.  Playing sports can end up hurting you rather than helping you if you go “all out” at it from the get go.  Build up your stamina and your strength slowly with short games spaced out over the course of a week.  Always remember to warm up before every game and to cool down after, and keep your water with you all the time.

Sports Based on Roller skating

Roller skating is the act of using roller skates for various purposes.  It can be used for sport, for recreation, and even as a means to travel or to commute.  Roller skates can be either of two varieties: the original “quad” roller skates which had 4 wheels arranged in the same way as a car’s wheels are arranged, and the newer, more modern “inline” skates which also have 4 wheels but these are arranged in a straight line.

There are many sports based on roller skating.  The most popular of which is roller hockey.  Roller hockey is very much like ice hockey except that it is played on a hard, dry surface instead of on ice, and the players use roller skates instead of ice skates. 

Because there are two types of roller skates, there are also two types of roller hockey: Quad roller hockey and inline roller hockey.  Quad roller hockey, as its name implies, is played using quad roller skates.  This gives the players more maneuverability during the course of the game.  Thus, quad roller hockey games are usually filled with a lot of different and unique footwork and very sharp and exciting maneuvers.  Inline roller hockey on the other hand is much more similar to the traditional ice hockey game.  This type of roller hockey involves more racing action that goes up and down the hockey rink because the players do not have as much maneuverability as the players in quad roller hockey. 

In terms of the goalie, quad roller hockey goalies use a bating glove to block shots and prevent the opposing team from scoring.  Inline roller hockey goalies on the other hand use a glove and a mit.  The glove is called the “catcher” because it is used by the goalie to catch some shots while the mit is called the “blocker” because it is used to deflect the shots made toward the goal.

Roller hockey reached its high point of popularity in 1992, when it was demonstrated in front of a world wide audience during the 1992 summer Olympic Games held in Barcelona, Spain.

Another sport based on roller skating is called the roller derby.  This sport uses quad roller blades and not inline roller blades because it requires the players to change directions frequently and also because the players need to have as much balance and stability as they can.  A game of roller derby is played by two teams on an oval shaped track.  Each team has 5 players on the track: 3 blockers, 1 pivot, and 1 jammer.  The jammer is the designated scorer of the team.  A score is made when the jammer is able to lap all of the members of the opposing team.

Roller skating has also been regarded as a form of aerobic fitness sport.  Some studies have calculated that roller skating at a speed of 6 miles per hour can burn up to 350 calories in a span of 60 minutes, thus providing a very substantial aerobic workout.    The number of calories burned can even jump up to 600 calories if the speed of roller skating is increased to 10 miles per hour.

How to increase running speed in race

Speed is usually the most important facet of running considered by most runners, both professional and recreational runners alike.  Speed is the most exciting part of running, and speed is the main goal when running in a race.

So how do you increase your running speed? Well, here are several exercises you can do to help you train for your race and to increase your speed.  However, you should also consider a few running tips that will help shave off some precious seconds off your race time.  First, remember to keep your body, especially your shoulders, faced forward while you are running.  Avoid rotating your body because this will slow you down considerably.  Furthermore, keeping your body faced forward will consequently square your hips as you push off at every step, making sure your pushoff force is directed straight forward to give you better results.

Also remember to keep your knees slightly bent when you are running.  Keeping your knees locked and in a straight position during pushoff will lead to “leaping strides” instead of “running strides” and this will result in a lot of wasted force and energy.

To be able to run fast, you will need very good performance from your ankles because your ankle extension directly affects the amount of force you have on your step pushoff.  The better your ankle extension, the more power you have on each pushoff and therefore your running stride will become longer.  Longer running strides will mean faster race times for you.

A very good exercise to improve your ankle performance is the heel raise.  Stand on the balls of your feet on a stable board that is raised from the ground about 4 inches.  Slowly lower your heels to the point where you feel a bit of a stretch in your ankles or in your Achilles tendons.  Do not force yourself to go lower than the point where you initially feel the stretch.  From this point, slowly raise your heels as high as you can without feeling any pain.  Hold this position for about 4 counts to make 1 repetition.  Do 2 sets of 10 repetitions each for starters.  You can increase the number of sets depending on your current physical condition.

You hip flexors are also very important in increasing your running speed.  The forward drive that your hip flexors produce when you run also affects the length of your running stride  and the power that you generate when you pushoff against the ground.  You can strengthen your hip flexors through the lunge exercise.

Start your lunge exercise with your feet parallel to your hips and to each other and with your hands on your waist.  Step forward with your right foot with as long a stride as you can be comfortable with.  Upon completing the stride, slowly lower your body directly downward until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 4 counts then slowly raise your body and bring your right foot to the starting position.  Repeat the same move with your left foot.  Just like the heel raise, start with just 2 sets of 10 repetitions each.

Fibromyalgia and sports

Fibromyalgia is a muscular condition that affects many people.  It refers to muscle fatigue and pain felt across different muscle groups in the body, not just on isolated areas.  The term fibromyalgia directly means “pain that is embedded in the tissues of the muscles”, specifically the fibrous tissues.  This very acute pain starts from the ligaments, the tendons, and other such connective muscle tissues that are present all over the muscular system of the body. 

Fibromyalgia is usually linked to chronic stress and fatigue conditions.  It is also a common complaint from people with very low pain thresholds.  Research have shown that this condition however affect women far more than it affects men.  It is reported that Fibromyalgia occurs in women up to 9 times more than the times that it occurs in men. But for both men and women, Fibromyalgia usually develops anywhere from 30 to 60 years of age.

Due to the very characteristic of this condition, persons suffering from fibromyalgia are very unlikely to engage in sports activities or in any heavy physical activity.  Some of the symptoms of this condition, such as muscle spasms experienced over a prolonged period of time, weakness or lack of strength in the limbs, heightened sense of pain when subjected to physical and tactile pressure, all prevent the person from enjoying his or her favorite sport.

Other symptoms attributed to the presence of Fibromyalgia include dysfunctions in the cognitive capabilities of the affected person.  These are sometimes known as “brain fog” or “brain fogginess”.  This could result in many dysfunctions such as very low levels of concentration, difficulties in processing short and long term memories, and even overall memory consolidation.  These symptoms could further lead to the inability of the affected person to perform several tasks at the same time or to multi-task, thereby severely decreasing his productivity. 

Stress is considered to be one of the most important factors that lead to a person developing a condition of Fibromyalgia.  So much so that Fibromyalgia is often associated with the symptoms relating to depression and to anxiety.  Oftentimes, Fibromyalgia is found to coexist with other forms of disorders related to stress such as chronic depression, heavy fatigue, disturbances in bowel movement, and sleep disorders. 

A couple of studies that used magnetic resonance spectroscopy reported findings that showed patients with Fibromyalgia had metabolic abnormalities in their hippocampal complex.  Because it is the hippocampal complex that is responsible for the maintenance and development of the cognitive functions of the body, the study suggested that it is the dysfunction of the hippocampal complex that led to the symptoms of Fibromyalgia.

There are however some controversial theories regarding Fibromyalgia that propose that this condition is a psychosomatic illness, that is, it is a disorder brought about by psychological factors and not necessarily physical factors.  This reasoning is mainly brought about by the strong evidence available that relates Fibromyalgia to major depression.  An in-depth review regarding the association of major depression disorders with Fibromyalgia brought out significant similarities between the two in terms of psychological characteristics and neuroendoctrine abnormalities in the patients.