TRAINING
It is warming up fast here in Austin and we love to get outside to stay fit. However, the Central Texas summer heat can be very dangerous for some of us. It is very important to make sure you stay safe in the sun. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are two of the most common heat-related ailments to watch out for. Here is some helpful information about heat illness and how to prevent it.
What is heat exhaustion?
Heat exhaustion is a dangerous condition where the body’s core temperature overheats due to environmental heat, humidity and physical activity. If left untreated heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke.
How can you tell if someone has heat exhaustion?
Heat exhaustion can appear suddenly during or after physical activity. Here are some symptoms to look for: excessive sweating, dizziness, fainting, weak and rapid pulse, sudden fatigue, low blood pressure when standing up, muscle cramping, nausea and headache.
What should you do if you suspect heat exhaustion?
Most importantly do not hide! Get to a space where others can help you. Let someone around you know you suspect you might have heat exhaustion. Stop physical activity and find a cooler (air conditioned if possible), shaded place to rest. Drink cool water or a sports drink. Seek medical attention if the symptoms do not go away within an hour or if your temperature gets above 104 degrees.
How can you prevent heat exhaustion?
Wear thin, loose and light-colored clothes or clothing designed for exercising in the heat. Wear sunblock (reapply when necessary) and a hat or visor. Hydrate before, during and after physical activity with cool water or a sports drink. Try to remain in shaded areas when outside and gradually get used to the temperature outside before starting exercise. Ease into exercise when outdoors and if you are with a trainer let him or her know your concerns. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking medication that makes you more sensitive to the sun or heat.
What is a heat stroke?
A heat stroke is a serious condition that results from untreated heat exhaustion. Seek medical attention immediately if you or someone else experiences any of the following symptoms: body temperature over 104 degrees that will not come down, dry and flushed skin, fast breathing and heart rate, headache, seizure, hallucination, sudden speech or coordination problems and muscle fatigue and/or weakness.
Stay safe and have fun out in the sun this summer!
Kyle
Kyle Golden is a certified trainer through the International Sports Sciences Association and the founder of Work It Personal Training in Austin.
(512) 426-2336
7817 Rockwood Lane, #102
Austin, TX
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TRAINING
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Bert
Bert Massey II is a certified trainer through the International Sports Sciences Association and is a trainer at Work It Personal Training in Austin.
(512) 426-2336
7817 Rockwood Lane, #102
Austin, TX
18
Bert
The Squat:
The End All Be All of Athletic Preparation
The title of this article means exactly what it says, in my opinion there is not a better exercise for improving athletic performance and human performance than the squat. If you are a kid in elementary or middle school and hope to play or star on the varsity team in high school you can, and will, have to have the ability to perform a full range of motion squat. Many who are not athletes can’t squat properly and those who can’t fully squat are not very good athletes, or at a minimum are not reaching anywhere near their maximum athletic potential.
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Full Range of Motion
What “full range of motion” means is that you drop your hips below your knees in a squatting position effectively “activating” your hamstrings and glutes, all while keeping your knees turned out and and keeping your back from rounding. This is not an easy combination, but is something that every person should be able to do if proper range of motion is available at the hip joint and from the hamstrings, glutes and quadriceps. This is an important ability in sports because an athlete derives power from the glutes.
UAP Position
In all sports, a Universal Athletic Position or UAP, is necessary. This position is where you sit back in your glutes, bend your knees with your feet about shoulder width apart. It is also known as a “ready” position, this position is used before a jump, when you come to a stop running, when you change direction running and basically before any movement related to sports requiring a quick change of direction with velocity. The muscles involved in this movement are the same muscles involved in squat, if these muscles are tight and “wound up” then they cannot synchronize and fire at their full potential. If an athlete, at any age, cannot squat with full range of motion, then that athlete cannot jump as high as they possibly could, they cannot accelerate as fast as they possibly could and they are much more likely to suffer from a lower extremity injury and miss playing time, all as a result of not squatting with full range of motion.
Variations of Squat
There are literally hundreds of variations of squats to help someone achieve full range of motion. These can all be very easily found on the internet. The most popular three are the back squat, the front squat and the overhead squat. Each one puts a larger flexibility requirement on the hips by demanding a more upright torso. There are also unilateral variations of the squat, where the athlete uses one leg at a time to press off the ground such as the split squat. The most important to master first is the back squat, making sure the hips get below the knees and that the knees don’t cave in toward each other. This is achieved by actively “screwing” the feet into the ground away from the midline of the body. This will cause you to shift weight off the balls of your feet and distribute more evenly across the surface of your foot and toes. It allows access to the strength of the glutes and hip flexors, when you have gotten the hips below the knees, continue screwing the feet, clinch the gluteus muscles and rise back out of the bottom of the squat.