Category Archives: Physical

Making a beach kit!

Every day life, How to's, Physical, , , , ,

homestead beach palm tree

One of the biggest perks to living in Miami is enjoying beautiful weather pretty much year round. Of course there’s all sorts of thunderstorms to contend with. But when it’s nice, it is niiiiice. Like throw on a pair of shorts and lounge by some water nice. Like never have to wear real shoes unless you really want to nice. Like pinch me is this vacation or is this real life….nice.

To take full and complete advantage, we’ve resolved to hit up our favorite beach on as many clear-sky Saturdays as possible. It’s an amazing way to re-charge the batteries and soak up some Vitamin D before heading back into the week.

We wake up on Saturday mornings, drink coffee, throw on clothes, load the car, pick up supplies along the way, and sit our butts in the sand as soon as humanly possible. BUT! Last week we decided we could expedite this process by creating a beach kit. We would simply keep a stock of needed items in the trunk of the car. Genius! This way, we can get out the door even faster and even make impromptu trips on non-planned beach days when the stars align and we find we have some time on our hands. Or when a beach pops out of nowhere just begging to be enjoyed (Hey, we’re in Florida. It happens!).

Our beach kit consists of…

Now, I know this post may seem a little out of the realm of your own possibility. Most of the country is experiencing a little thing called WINTER, you might be saying! I understand. But I still think a little preparation goes a long way in making sure you actually get outside as much as possible.

When I was further north I can remember, especially in Winter, wanting to capitalize on those rare and beautiful sunny days whenever they reared their lovely heads. I would sit at work in my nice clothes wanting nothing more than to be strolling in a park or hitting a hiking trail. But by the time my work day was through and I ran home to put sneakers and “play clothes” on…the sun would be setting, the temperature dropping. If only I had kept a spare pair of shoes and pants in my car!

Consider what outdoor activity you may like to do a little more of this winter and make doing it as easy as possible. Throw your hiking boots in the trunk! Keep a soccer ball in your office! Put your roller-blades by the front door!

Let’s all play outside more in 2016.

Ballet dreams.

Physical, , , , ,

ballet2

The ballet world is simultaneously beautiful and brutal. It’s dancers are nails-tough. Did you ever dance? I took ballet from the time I was itty-bitty all the way through my freshman year of college and have the terrible knees, cracking ankles, and hip turnout to prove it. Not to mention, I still find buns to be the most effective and classic, no-nonsense hairstyle. Ha!

Ballet is magical! If you agree, you may want to check out the following…

Here are a few Instagram accounts–

Ballerina Project

Celestin Boutin

Adrian Mitchell

Melissa Chapski

Chelsy Meiss

As well as a “day in the life” interview with Anna Tsygankova, a ballerina at Het Nationale Ballet who trained at The Bolshoi!

20111209NBC_Nutcracker_BackStage

I’ve loved delving into the worlds of real-life dancers ever since I was in elementary school and checked this book out from the library over and over again. The discipline, grace, and passion of professional ballerinas is such wonderful inspiration!

(Top photo via here, bottom photo via The National Ballet of Canada.)

7 day arm challenge.

Physical, , , , , ,

In keeping with this post, I took to Pinterest to come up with a fun exercise challenge to do this week. Along with my normal work-outs (yoga, hikes, dance), I’m going to do the following weight work every day attempting to increase the reps each day. IDK if I’ll be giving out tickets to the gun show in the span of just 7 days but it should be fun! Feel free to join me if you’d like to work your arms this week.

toneyourarms

On the road again…

Physical, Travel, , , , , , , ,

alaskasoccer1

As I mentioned last week, I spent my middle and high school years criss-crossing the state and my college years criss-crossing the nation because I fell head over heels in love with an extracurricular activity. Which is why, when I read this article about a JV girls soccer team from Alaska, my heart went out to them. You’ll see why…

Players from the Ketchikan High School girls JV soccer team, the Lady Kings, wait in the Ketchikan airport for their final trip of the season. They’re flying to Sitka, a slightly smaller town that’s about 200 miles north, also on an island. The past month and a half, they’ve traveled nearly every weekend. They flew to Juneau twice, then Anchorage, now Sitka.

Marissa Medford, the team’s head coach, acknowledged that the trip was exhausting. But she was nevertheless confident and optimistic.

“They’ve got this down,” Medford said. “They’ve pretty much been living out of their bags for a month now. Pretty much enough time to get home, wash their stuff, get the new set of homework and hit the road again.”

Wow, have I been there. My first year competing for collegiate forensics, before our team had travel restrictions in place (mandating students couldn’t travel over 3 weekends in a row), I felt like I was in a constant state of motion with my eternally packed suitcase in tow. I can remember doing laundry with my roommate before our last and most important tournament of the season and tearfully confessing to each other, “I don’t want to go.” We were just so exhausted. Because not only were we sleeping nights on buses, putting in long days and coming home to paper due dates and tests to study for but we were never alone. As an introvert, this was the most tiring and scary aspect of a rigorous travel schedule. No time to slip away and recharge one’s batteries; having to be “on” all the time.

travel1

 

travel4

Indeed, if soccer is such a huge and exhausting commitment, some might wonder if playing in the first place is worth it. But according to Coach Medford, the experience of being on the team does more than give the athletes a chance to play sports.

“I think it helps them grow, and it brings them closer,” Medford said. “It’s different than people down south. You hop on a bus, go play a game, hop on a bus, go back home. [The Lady Kings] are with each other all the time. They grow friendships, and they grow up together.”

travel2

And she’s right–friendships forged in this manner will last a lifetime. More or less because… you’ve been. through. some. shit. My coaches and teammates saw me at my absolute best and my rock-bottom worst. And I saw them. We were thrown into some pretty wacky situations that only travel can create…and became closer as a result.

alaskasoccer2

[Medford] believes the payoff is worth it, despite the brutal schedule.

“We have a really bad issue with substance abuse and domestic violence,” Medford said. “Not just Ketchikan, but Alaska in general. So it’s good for them to stay involved and have self-worth, and a sense of purpose and meaning. So that’s good to see.”

alaskasoccer3

But this is the part that struck me right to my core…how in the face of shitty consequences, extracurriculars, whether that means debating or kicking a ball or strumming a guitar, give a different option. In simplest terms, they give kids something else to do…something BETTER to do, than the outlets that can look so enticing when you’re young and dumb and not thinking about consequences. The girls on the Ketchikan JV soccer team may miss a few homework assignments. They may not be as chatty at the family dinner table because they’re reserving their words for strangers hundreds of miles away. They may, on certain days, question why they even chose to play soccer in the first place. But they will also have beautiful bonds with their friends and memories. They will have opportunities perhaps otherwise overlooked. And maybe they will play that much harder because the journey was just as important as the destination.

travel5

And whether they know it or not, they will have a forever fan way down here in the Bluegrass State who realizes how meaningful those journeys can be.

 

(Pictures of the soccer team from the original article and by Emily Files. Pictures of the WKU Forensics team from Facebook culling and by various friends and old teammates who I hope don’t mind. ;  )

World Cup Half Empty or Half Full

Brainpower, Physical, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ghana v USA: Group G - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

The other day, I was talking to my friend Jimmy Drake about the World Cup. He LOVES it…and sports in general, actually. But his stance that this relationship isn’t always easy interested me. I asked him to share his thoughts with you on why and HOW you can choose to embrace, love and celebrate one of the greatest shows on Earth–The World Cup. As Team USA takes on Germany this afternoon, while at the same time protesters continue to riot just a stones throw away from the pitch, things have certainly reached fever pitch. Thanks so much for sharing, Jimmy, your analysis rings remarkably true. Enjoy!

—

World Cup Half Empty or Half Full

by Jimmy Drake

As we get older all kinds of things become more complicated. It’s a fact of life, but it’s become especially evident in my sports fandom. When I was a kid it was easy to root for my favorite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves, and wear their logo proudly. However, as I grew older, I realized a picture of a screaming Indian and tomahawk chants are offensive to Native Americans. As a kid it was easy to get excited every time my favorite football player clobbered a defenseless receiver, but as I learned about the severity of concussions and brain damage my shouts and fist pumps turned to cringes. Or college basketball–growing up in Kentucky it’s a close second to Southern Baptist as the state’s dominant religion. But then you learn the NCAA generates millions of dollars as a “non-profit,” gives athletes a rushed and sometimes¹ even fabricated college education, and only offers their scholarships one year at a time. These situations bring up complicated emotions for any informed sports fan, but none present the biggest challenge to my compartmentalization skills as much as FIFA and the World Cup.

Before I explain how evil and corrupt FIFA is, I’ll explain how fucking awesome the World Cup is. First off, it’s soccer at a high level. The teams aren’t as good as you’d find in the Champions League or the Euro’s, but it means more than both of them. Soccer on it’s own can be beautiful and epic. The World Cup adds to this beauty and epicness by raising the stakes to an astronomical level. Just watch the video of Maradona in the 1986 World Cup. His goal is one of the more incredible things I’ve ever seen in sports, the moment magnified by the hopes of an entire nation.

 

And these hopes are the very reason Americans should enjoy the World Cup. Being a patriotic American is awesome, but given America’s current geopolitical standing, it’s difficult for me to to get all patriotic about wars, politics or international relations. Sports make it easy. I can chant “USA!USA!USA!USA!” and wave a “Don’t Tread On Me” flag without looking like an imperialist xenophobe. I can sing the national anthem with my hand over my heart without feeling like I’m being indoctrinated into nationalism. Events like the Olympics² and the World Cup are my only chance.

americanfans

So the World Cup is awesome, that’s easy enough, but something sinister lies beneath the surface. FIFA is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association³ and it’s president, Sepp Blatter, is a villainous character straight out of a Disney movie, the kind of guy who suggests female soccer players wear shorter shorts to grow interest in their sport.

Countries find it an incredible honor to host a World Cup, so much so that they’ll change constitutions¹, pay millions of dollars in bribe money² and pour their own citizens tax money into stadiums that are rarely used once the whole shebang is over³ while these same citizens live in abject poverty. Okay, so that’s a pretty insane investment, but surely hosting a World Cup boosts the economy enough to have it all make sense. But FIFA operates as a non-profit. Any money they make in Brazil this year from endorsements, advertisements, ticket sales aren’t even taxable by the Brazilian government. So, while the rare rich hotel owner may profit the taxpayers investment isn’t returned at all. And locals are justifiably angry, storming the streets and protesting FIFA and all it stands for.

fifaprotests

There is no solution I’ve found to this conundrum other than compartmentalizing the two sides. I hate how FIFA and the Brazilian government have handled the event but I love the spectacle of it. And soccer… isn’t FIFA. Soccer isn’t the Brazilian government. Players train their whole lives for a chance at this World stage and I will cheer them on…and I will cheer them on even louder if they’re from the USA. It’s just another complication of growing up and having to search harder for joy in a complicated world.

1. http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/06/17/3943396/morris-what-happened-at-unc-happens.html?sp=/99/102/110/112/973/

2. Summer only. Seriously the Winter Olympics are so boring, except hockey. I’m honestly surprised that the USA figure skating team isn’t selected by way of a America’s Got Talent style reality show.

3.  Not just an awesome video game that helped get tons of American bros into soccer.

(Ed. Note: WordPress only let me “superscript” 1, 2, 3 so please excuse the repetition here.)

1. http://l2b.thelawyer.com/home/insight/how-fifa-is-changing-brazils-constitution-for-the-world-cup/3020589.article

2. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/may/10/millions-bribes-qatar-2022-world-cup-claims

3. http://www.npr.org/2014/06/21/324260148/world-cup-stadium-in-the-amazon-is-nice-but-is-it-needed

 

Rebounding–Would you try it?

Physical, , , , , , , ,

rebounding

Vertically bouncing up and down first became an exercise for physical health in 1938 when an inventor produced the first miniature trampoline. While it’s not an exercise regimen you see a lot of folks flocking to (it may bring to mind an aerobics-wear clad woman of the ‘80s, scrunchied ponytail bouncing with a fervor) REBOUNDING has a lot of documented health benefits. Most notably, it’s ability to stimulate lymph circulation. Because the force of gravity actually increases each time you land you get a strong flow of lymph fluid running throughout the lymph channels and nodes as opposed to the trickling flow that happens during regular day activities.

CJ Puotinen explains in the Jan/Feb 2014 Well Being Journal, “On the rebounder, it takes about two minutes to pump lymph fluid from the feet all the way up into the thoracic duct area.” But, you may be wondering, why is lymph circulation so important? Well, the lymph system is an important aspect of the immune system–it removes waste from cells throughout the body. You may be more familiar with the concept of lymph nodes (especially when they’re swollen) but the lymph is a clearish-yellowish fluid that hangs out inside those nodes and contains your immune system’s infection fighting lymphocytes.

The main organ of your lymph system is the spleen which acts as a regeneration center for blood. Your spleen breaks down old red blood cells and uses their iron for new hemoglobin. AND it makes more lymphocytes which in turn flow through your tissues and knock out most infections before they can enter your bloodstream. Fairly important stuff! Toxins can get all up in your business and if your lymph drainage is impaired or the flow is constricted they collect, pool and lead to trouble.

You may have insufficient lymph circulation and not even realize. Some common warning signs include edema, dark circles, swollen ankles or legs and cellulite. So rebounding seems like a fun way to keep the lymph flowing nicely! I would love to invest in one of these…

from Target,

from Carter Fitness,

or from Amazon.

and maybe start bouncing with one of these routines…

—

What do you think? Would you try it?

The big business of college sports.

Brainpower, Physical, , , , , , , , , ,

ukbball

What are your thoughts on college sports? Over the years, the business behind these amateur athletes has been of peripheral interest to me. Sure, I bleed blue and love the NCAA basketball tournament. But after Nerlens Noel tore his ACL in a game I read up on the lack of insurance against serious injuries afforded to these sport-stars and my interest was piqued. And all the regalia sold across the country to mega fans of various collegiate programs has always struck me as strange when they’re emblazoned with the names of unpaid participants. Not to mention the billion dollar renovation to the glorified basketball court where my local team tips off has become a hotly contested political issue. Wanting to delve deeper into HOW college sports in our country went from extracurricular to big business, I turned to my ever-faithful Netflix account and streamed “Schooled: The Price of College Sports.” The documentary provides the history behind this transition into a billion dollar enterprise built on the backs of unpaid young adults.

On the other hand, I worked my ass off while participating in a college extracurricular, too. I’ve never felt I should have been financially compensated for that participation. Yet, my university wasn’t making millions of dollars off of that informative speaking final at the Ball State Invitational so….

This is definitely a subject where my opinions have yet to be fully formed. Check out the documentary if you’re curious! And I’d love to know…Do you support this billion dollar industry? Are you in favor of paying college athletes? What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!