Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Monday, June 27, 2016
Sunday, June 26, 2016
BLOG 65 SUMO WRESTLING
BLOG 65 SUMO WRESTLING
Sumo wrestling is quite the spectator’s sport. The cultural
components and sheer size of the men participating are interesting to observe.
In America, wrestling has taken on popularity with the WWE as well as MMA
styles of fighting. So in this Blog, let’s take a look at the history of sumo
wrestling and its evolution. Earlier this month, my husband and I walked down to the pier and their was a martial arts competition taking place, and I have never
really explored this activity. I have met several military and navy clients
over the years who have been stationed in Japan, so I thought why not combine
the two and learn more.
Sumo wrestling comes from Japan and is their national sport.
Its background is religious based, and was originally intended to entertain
Shinto deities. Shinto is Japan’s major religion followed by Buddhism. As a
religious based tradition, the ring is still purified with salt before
competitions. The basis of the sport is to have the last man standing:
whichever man exits the ring first or any part of his body other than the soles
of his feet touches the ground, is the loser. There are no weight classes or restrictions in this sport, so every man is up for fair game. Thus, weight gain
is part of preparation. Keep in mind, “The beginner watching his first sumo
broadcast on television soon realizes that very little time is actually spent
grappling. Rather, the rikishi spend most of their time performing pre-bout
ceremonies steeped in Shinto tradition” (http://www.sumotalk.com/history.htm).
(https://jonbarron.org/weight-management/biggest-loser#)
How one becomes a sumo wrestler is almost a life-long
process. Each wrestler belongs to a stable. The stable master manages each member
and this is usually a retired wrestler with years of experience and
credibility. Being a sumo wrestler is a career of classes and ranks: “There are
a number of different divisions for the wrestlers, ranging from the makuuchi and juryo divisions at
the top (sekitori), to makushita,
sandanme, jonidan, and jonokuchi below them. Wrestlers begin receiving a salary
when they become a sekitori at the rank of juryo or higher, and they also get to wear a keshomawashi, a lavishly embroidered apron-like cloth that
comes down to their ankles, when they are introduced before the beginning of a
tournament. More than anything, though, they get to have people around them
take care of their everyday needs” (http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/sumo/sumo04.html).
Training starts at 5am and each hour of the day is
structured and scheduled. The focus is leg strengthening, core, and balance in
order to keep a solid stance and low center of gravity. They eat two times per
day and take naps in between practices. To summarize, “Sumo wrestlers maintain
their infamously large physique with the help of chanko, a high-protein,
high-starch, high-calorie diet which wrestlers consume twice daily to keep
their metabolism low. According to Web-Japan.org, at around 11:00 a.m. and
later at 6:00 p.m. the younger wrestlers serve the chanko which generally
consists of stews, sashimi, deep-fried food and hamburger steaks. Taking long
naps after meals is viewed as a training tactic that helps wrestlers achieve a
bigger physical presence” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/462741-sumo-wrestler-training/). This daily grind is impressive.
There is skill and technique to this sport, not just large
men trying to push each other over. I admire the cultural components and
respect the training dedication. Now I’m curious of the health implications of
being a sumo wrestler. Maybe that’s the follow up Blog to this one. Until next
time….
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Friday, June 24, 2016
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Monday, June 20, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
BLOG 64 THE JUMPING JACK
BLOG 64 THE JUMPING JACK
The jumping jack is one of my favorite cardiovascular
activities because every BODY can do it. Be it a step touch motion or high
impact with weights, the jumping jack elevates the heart rate and works your
total body. I’m sure each of us had done countless repetitions of them dating
back to pre- school days. So where did this movement even come from??
But the story of the jumping jack is actually not positive….
While at West Point, Pershing was given the task to haze a fellow student, Charles D. Rhodes. The intention was to punish Rhodes will making him fitter. The story goes like this, “He would line up a group of plebes, order them to count off to identify odds and evens, and when he pulled on an imaginary string, all the odds threw their arms stiffly out at right angles to their bodies; then Jack pulled the string in the opposite direction, and the odds dropped their arms and evens jumped their legs out to make a V. Back and forth went the string, arms flapped, legs splayed, while upperclassmen howled at the marionettes in action” (https://physicalculturestudy.com/2015/02/23/the-history-of-the-jumping-jack/).
This exercise continued to be used in the military for physical improvement purposes as well as a hazing tactic. Then in the 1950s, fitness phenom, Jack LaLanne brought the jumping jack to the public. When I picked this Blog topic, it was because I love the adaptability of the exercise to meet all clients’ needs. Little did I know what I would find. So hop up and give me 100 jumping jacks right now!!!!
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Friday, June 17, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Monday, June 13, 2016
Sunday, June 12, 2016
BLOG 63 THE TREADMILL
BLOG 63
THE TREADMILL
Most
folks either love, hate, or have learned to at least tolerate the treadmill.
This popular piece of equipment is found in nearly every gym, in people’s
homes, and might even be featured as a clothing rack in some garages (I’m
kidding but it’s true). So where did this calorie burning machine come from??
Let’s take a look at the history of the treadmill (my kind of history for
sure).
The
original use of the treadmill was not for exercise purposes. The Romans (of
course) were the first to use this piece of equipment as a crane to help lift
heavy objects. As such, “The men would walk within
the wheel itself and because the treadmill had a larger diameter, they were
able to lift double the weight with half the crew” (https://www.lifefitness.com/blog/posts/the-history-of-the-treadmill.html). Half the crew could lift twice the amount of weight… not
bad. During the 1800’s farmers needed a reliable/predictable source of power,
besides wind and water. Thus, the horse powered treadmill was used. Dogs and
sheep also propelled these machines. During this time period, “The treadmills
produced both rotary and reciprocating powers for use with light machinery like
butter churns, grind stones, fanning mills and cream separators” (https://www.lifefitness.com/blog/posts/the-history-of-the-treadmill.html). There had to be some source of power before fossil fuels
came into play.
The uses of the treadmill
continue. During the Victorian Era, “William Cubitt invented the prison
treadmill. Installed for hard labor, these treadmills were designed as a means
to usefully employ convicts and use their power to be productive. The prisoner
would simply work the wheel to produce power to grind corn and pump water,
although some served no purpose at all other than punishment. Eventually The
Prisons Act of 1889 abolished hard labor and instead recognized that labor
within prisons should have a constructive purpose” (https://www.lifefitness.com/blog/posts/the-history-of-the-treadmill.html). The idea of going nowhere very fast can be torturous.
Honesty, I’d much rather be outdoors with a client walking and/or running and
enjoying the companionships versus watching the minutes tick by on the machine.
Furthermore, “Prisoners were forced to
‘climb’ the steps or spokes of this machine for six straight hours or more to
pump water, grind grain or just for the punishment.
To the prisoners, it
wasn’t the 6,600 or more steps – the equivalent of climbing 17,000 vertical
feet – that was the worst bit of this form of punishment. It was the
“monotonous steadiness” of the task that was enough to drive some of them to
revolt” (http://www.attendly.com/the-ancient-and-surprising-history-of-the-treadmill/).
During the Roaring 20’s
when people were concerned with image and looks, the treadmill was actually
used for fitness purposes. Then again, owning a treadmill could just be for
show. Then in the 1950’s, “Internationally recognized cardiologist Dr. Robert A. Bruce and his colleague
Wayne Quinton invented the medical treadmill to help diagnose heart and lung
diseases. In the 50s, there wasn’t a safe way to test and monitor cardiac
function in exercising patients, so Dr. Bruce came up with the bright idea of
hooking up patients to an ECG and letting them run on a treadmill, paving the
way for the modern day stress test” (http://www.attendly.com/the-ancient-and-surprising-history-of-the-treadmill/). Finally, “Bill Staub
and Dr. Kenneth Cooper brought the first home exercise treadmill to market
through Aerobics, Inc. The popularity of aerobic exercise equipment at home and
in gyms grew throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s” (https://www.lifefitness.com/blog/posts/the-history-of-the-treadmill.html).
The basic structure of the
treadmill has stayed the same over the last forty years, but technology is
always looking to press the envelope with new features and add-ons. Your speed
and weight remain the core factors of how many calories you burn on this piece
of equipment. My favorite activity, mainly because of its effectiveness, is
walking on an incline on the treadmill for lower body sculpting. I laugh that
this machine was actually once used as a punishment device because so many of
us dread the treadmill. However, it is a safe alternative to being outdoors
alone or during unpleasant weather conditions. As part of our fitness journeys
we all have our preferences. One step at time, be it on the treadmill or not,
we are making strides towards success and progress.
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