Fitness Defined!

When somebody recently asked me for a definition of fitness, I stammered, stopped, and admitted that I couldn't really put it into a precise definition.   That seems strange, since I spend a lot of my time talking, defining, and writing.

But it really got me to thinking about that.   So, what is fit?  And then (for some strange reason), I thought about the Bible (yeah, I know...my brain works like that sometimes).  So here goes my definition of fitness, sort of in the form of the Beatitudes.

Fit isn't skinny, but it might be.   Fit isn't fat but it can be big.

Fit isn't being able to bench 225 pounds but fit might be that you are able to pick up a bag of potting soil and carry it to the flower bed.  
Fit is being able to climb a flight of stairs and not have to stop along the way (and maybe not be huffing and puffing when you get to the top).

I'm gonna go off on a tangent here but by the way, if you have the option, TAKE THE STAIRS!   I've seen people 30 years my junior with pounds to lose take the stairs up one floor.   I've even had people that know better take the elevator up one floor and then when they get off, sheepishly tell me that they figured that would get them mentioned in my column.

Well, yeah-here it is.   I do notice and maybe you need to forgive me for that but when you have that heart attack at 40 because you have no semblance of fit and I feel guilty because you are a friend and I should have done more to help you understand that it starts with that single flight of stairs...well then I don't need the guilt and you don't need the heart attack.

Fit doesn't mean that you drive your car around the parking lot 10 times waiting on a space to open up closer to the building.   Fit often means that you park well away from the building (unless you're in a big hurry and then you might be excused) and use those few extra steps.  

Fit doesn't mean that you pull out that Handicapped Parking tag because you couldn't find that aforementioned parking space right beside the building and don't really want to walk all the way across the parking lot when you are perfectly capable of doing so (and that thing about being in a hurry does not apply here).

Fit means that you don't smoke and never will.  Fit is being good to your body and inhaling carcinogens is never good for your body.

Fit doesn't require you to diet but it does mean that you eat smart most of the time. 

Fit means that you find a way to exercise pretty much every day.   And never forget that what works for one person doesn't always work for the next.   Find your own path here.
Notice that I didn't say that fitness means that you shouldn't enjoy life and food and friends and family  and that you shouldn't stop and smell the roses--by all means, you should do all of those things.   But if you want to do all those things for a very long time, then being fit should move way up on your priority list. 

My oldest granddaughter will be 17 when I turn 70 and I want to be around to see that day, to judge her boyfriends, and have important conversations with her.  I want to be the kind of grandfather that she might occasionally want to hang around with, partly because he still does lots of cool stuff.   Like bike and hike and canoe and dive and stuff like that.

So every day, I do things that help make sure that happens.  I guess that's just me though.

Firemen Tribute

In this space, I've written about referees, umpires, politicians, used car salesmen, preachers, and coaches.   I've written about policemen, soldiers, and teachers.   But I've never written about firemen.

Gotta fix that.

Firemen are usually invisible until you need them.   Those of us old enough might remember the fire truck in the 4th of July parade somewhere (do they still do that?) and maybe we were lucky enough for them to have a Dalmatian sitting proudly up front.   But for the most part, when only see them when there is a crisis.

It used to be that "fireman" was one of things children aspired to be, along with policemen and jet pilots.   I'm not sure that's as true anymore and I don't really know why.   My kids wanted to be doctors and professional athletes.

But what an admirable profession!   Being a fireman must be one of the most honorable professions available to us.   Anytime there is something bad that happens, a fireman shows up.

A fire?   Of course.  A car wreck or other accident?   Many times, the fireman is the first one there.   A chemical spill?   The fireman.    Find a meth lab?  Yep, call the Fire Department.

Going places (like into the heart of a fire) that we don't want to go.   Doing things that put their well-being and life in jeopardy.   I am in awe of what they do for us yet they don't get the credit they deserve.

For a moment, let me tell you a little bit about what life as a fireman is like.   Most of the time, you are not battling a fire, saving a life, or attending an injury.   Most of the time, you are at the fire station, making sure that your equipment is in perfect working order and preparing for the notification that you are needed somewhere.

Many of those firemen end up injured.   It is one thing to rush into a burning building--that is just pure bravery--but it's another to carry someone out of that same building, maybe  a full-sized adult that is unconscious. 

Or to assist with the extraction of an accident victim in a fast flowing stream or on the side of a steep bank.   Add to that the dangers inherent to fighting fires (burns, smoke inhalation, collapsing structures) and you can understand the safety concerns.

Then you add the stress of going from zero to 90 in an instant when the alarm comes in...well, the health of our firefighters is important.

My message today is two-fold.   First, if you know a fireman, seek them out and thank them for what they are prepared to do on your behalf every day.

And if you are a fireman, let me encourage you to take care of yourself.   It is important for all of us that you stay healthy and strong.   Physical fitness should be high on your priority list.    Weight control, strength training, conditioning, flexibility--your job demands all those things.

We really just want to keep you around.

Easter: He is risen!

I keep a pretty positive perspective on life.   I've been accused of looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses.  I'm pretty sure I'm one of those glass-half-full kind of guys.  Today...not so much.

I'm frustrated with a lot of things.   I look around and I see hunger and poverty and ignorance and apathy.  I see a world that seems consumed by consumerism, that is divided by partisanship, bias, prejudice , and, yes, religion.

I'm frustrated with national politics.   Have we ever had a messier presidential race?  Has there ever been a time in history when presidential candidates are all taking positions based on how they might get elected instead of establishing platforms about how to fix what is wrong with the country?

Show me a path that leads to more jobs, a stronger economy, better/more affordable health care, and fair taxation and I will follow.

I'm frustrated with how we treat those among us most vulnerable.   I have seen and heard more about child abuse lately than at any point in my life.   A Canadian court's leniency with a child abuser.  The pedophile scandals at Penn State and elsewhere.  It seems too regular that a priest or other religious leader is accused and/or guilty of the same.

Children are such an incredible, precious gift how could anyone do these horrible things?   And is the fact that we are hearing about them so much these days the result of better media coverage or an increased incidence of them?   I hope it is the former.  I fear it is the latter.

The arena of sports competition, usually considered the last place for scandal and intrigue, now produces a weekly drama.  The Black Sox Scandal of 1919 seemed as bad as it got for decades.

Today it's drugs and sex scandals and every manner of inappropriate and boorish behavior.  Goodness gracious, it sounds almost like politics!

I see anger and rage.  Like that guy last week that  I'm pretty sure didn't feel like my bicycling buddies and I belonged on "his" road.  Your salute and expletives were duly noted.

I write this column in mid-week but as you are reading this, it is Easter Sunday.  When I got to this point in writing, I stopped to think about what all that really meant. 

It means that I am blessed beyond measure.   It means that I am forgiven when I acknowledge my mistakes and decide not to make them again.  It means that I have a role model for a life of sacrifice and servitude that is what I was made for.

I am grateful for all that I have been given and know that it wasn't without a price.  The world really is beautiful and loving and kind, if only that is what you are looking for.

I may not be able to change the world but maybe I can change my little corner of it. I will still rant and rave about injustice, hate, prejudice, and unfairness and I'm going to vote and I'm going to be a part of the legislative process because those are all part of being a responsible, thinking adult.

I'm also going to get up in the morning and marvel at the wonder of the day ahead because I have a job I love and then I'm going to love on my family and ride my bike and hopefully find a way to use the gifts I was given.

And I'm going to continue to wear those rose-tinted glasses.

Preventing Throwing Injuries

Usually, the first few games of the high school baseball season find me in fleece and winter pants.  This week, I was in shorts and sunglasses.  I think winter has officially ended although, for all practical purposes, I believe it really ended back in mid-January.   We skipped spring and jumped from pseudo-winter straight into early summer.

Those spectator-friendly spring sports have already started.  Soccer, track, golf, softball, baseball...it's a good time of year to sit outside and enjoy the weather and the sport.

Unfortunately, we are already seeing a lot of shoulder problems, most of them related to throwing something--a baseball, a softball, a shot put or discus.

Many of those are just doing too much too soon.  Too many throws without proper preparation.  Too much throwing without proper warm-up.  Too many curve balls at too young an age and/or without proper training.  Too many throws (period).

Pitching a baseball is the biggest culprit.  Pitching a softball (underhand) doesn't place nearly as much stress on the shoulder and elbow.  So, what are you to do?

My colleague Tracy Martin is a physical therapist and an athletic trainer and one of the area's leading experts on throwing injuries.   Years ago, he was a college and high school umpire.  He and I put our heads together and came up with this list.

Count pitches.   Know how many pitches that you can pitch without having problems.   Know how many pitches that you throw in a typical outing.   Then don't make big changes.  

For example, if you are used to throwing 50-60 pitches, you cannot one day jump up and throw 100 pitches.  You are asking for problems if you do.

Learn the pitches.   The easiest target in this category is throwing a curve ball.   The fact is that few 12 year olds can hit a curve ball so if a 12 year old pitcher can throw a curve ball, he's usually pretty effective.  

The problem is that most 12 year olds are not physically ready to throw a curve ball (because of the stress it places on the elbow and shoulder) nor are they likely to have been taught good technique. 

A good rule of thumb:  when a youngster starts to reach physical maturity, find a good pitching coach for them and only then can a curve ball be introduced. 

Limit the pitches you throw.   A 15 year old that brags that he has six pitches is absurd.  There is no way.  First, it usually takes a couple of years to master any pitch.  Second, altering the throwing motion and/or release in that many ways will take its toll on your arm.

Never pitch tired.  Soon, you're going to start hearing about a study that concludes that 3-4 days are necessary rest periods for pitchers.  I would suggest that you err on the conservative side and make that 4-5.  Until you reach the pros. 

Lift weights.  One of the most important factors in preventing shoulder problems in throwing athletes is strength, particularly in those muscles that decelerate or slow down the arm after release.   Those muscles on the back of your shoulder and between your shoulder blades need your attention.

Play something else.   There is a high correlation between throwing injuries and year-round play.  The preponderance of travel baseball teams can mean that there is no down time.

If you do have pain with throwing or if your arm always feels tired, seek medical attention.   Get it early while something can still be done that doesn't require long periods off or anaesthesia.

Early Specialization: My take on youth sports

The two questions I get asked most often about younger athletes are how soon can they start lifting weights and at what age should they specialize in one sport.

The answer to the first question is that they should begin strength training about the same age that they begin reaching puberty but I generally recommend that you consult their pediatrician before making a final decision. 

The answer to the second one may be more complex.  There simply is not just one path to athletic success.   A common thread among most more accomplished athletes is that they played a lot of different sports at an early age.

Take tennis great Roger Federer.   He played football until he focused on tennis beginning at age 12.  Andre Aggasi, on the other hand was dedicated to tennis by age 6.  Both were hugely talented but you could argue that Federer has had the more storied professional career.

I've talked about the athletic progression of my own children before.  Like lots of kids, my kids took gymnastics first.  Daughter Whitney's first team sport was softball and then she added basketball a couple of years later.   Her sophomore year of high school, she played softball, basketball, and volleyball.   Despite a late start to volleyball, her physical skills seemed particularly well matched to that sport.   A stellar college career confirmed that.

I've said before that my son Nick first loved the balance beam (a girl's event).  Like lots of boys, his first team sport was baseball.  Next came soccer, where the intensity he would later be known for came out.  As soon as I would let him, it was on to football, although because of his size, he was in the 8th grade before he got to play with kids his own age.

I always figured him for a football player, especially because of a gene pool that included a football legacy, but he loved all those other things, especially basketball.  As it turned out, football was his ticket and a football career at Clemson University followed.

Really, you can break sports development down into two parts:  basic movement education and the development of fine motor skills.   You might call this latter stage skills acquisition.  It's where you learn to hit a moving ball, throw or shoot a ball with accuracy, develop eye-hand and eye-foot coordination. 

Yet, it's that basic movement education that gets ignored with early specialization.   Every young athlete needs to learn how to move first.   That means they need to be able to run, thrown, kick, change directions, basically how to control their body as it moves through space.

If you focus too much on skills before you get the basics down, you definitely have the cart before the horse.

And that's where early specialization might be a mistake.   Travel teams, position coaches, and playing a single sport year round are simply a mistake for the youngest of our athletes because it doesn't provide them with the opportunity to learn how to move.

This doesn't mean that if you think your child seems to have a talent for a particular sport at an early age that you shouldn't support that.   I have a cycling buddy whose 9 year old son really does seem to have a talent for the bicycle.  The fact that he will spend 2 hours on the back of a bike and enjoy it means that he will at least be an endurance athlete.

But make sure that they play other things as well so that they get the all-around athletic development that different sports provide.