Baseball ready, Strength & Conditioning

Baseball ready, Strength & Conditioning

The strength & conditioning program for baseball is designed to improve performance and reduce risk of injury. To improve performance you have to increase sport-specific strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, and power. To prevent injuries you have to condition the entire body to perform the explosive and repetitive tasks encountered in game play.

The baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint.... Most college and high school athletes play all year-round. MLB plays 162 games and the Minor Leagues play 142. The key to effective, injury-free performance is consistency. You have to work on some aspect of your game and fitness every day. You can't play yourself into shape in Spring Training. You can't stop working out on Opening Day. You just can't have a hit-and-miss program and expect to play your best.

How to train is important. For max results and steady gains, use my comprehensive, year-round program based on a periodization model that systematically varies the exercises performed, the intensity of the workout, and the volume of the workout done from week-to-week and month-to-month, 365 days a year! If you or your son have a goal to make the "Major Leagues", then please ask me how I can help!

Tip: As a pitcher, there is a 3-link chain that is a big concern for a power pitcher; generating force through your legs and applying it with your arms, but that energy must be transferred through the trunk.

By Charles Miskel, Personal Trainer.  e-mail: mrmiskel@yahoo.com

Exercise & Pregnancy

Exercise during pregnancy

Does exercising sound too much like a chore? We've got seven fantastic reasons why you'll actually love it!

1. Boosts energy

2. Sleep better

3. Reduce pregnancy discomfort

4. Prepare for childbirth

5. Reduce stress and lift your spirits

6. Improve your self image

7. Get your body back faster after childbirth

Pregnancy can steal your energy, but regular bouts of exercise will help you get thru your day! And the good news is you can safely start an exercise program during pregnancy even if you’ve been a couch potato up until now! According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, you can safely take place in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise everyday, as long as you don’t have a medical condition or complication that your doctor or midwife has told you rules out exercise or limits your activity level.

Start slowly and wisely

Beginners should start by exercising 15 to 20 minutes at a time, three days a week -preferably with a day of rest between workouts. Don't go for the burn and don't exercise to exhaustion. A good rule of thumb: Slow down if you can't comfortably carry on a conversation.

Stick to low impact exercises such as, Walking, low impact aerobics, cycling, swimming, prenatal yoga and stretching.
Be careful to eat properly and get enough fluids. Being pregnant means you need approximately 300 extra calories a day, depending on your pre pregnancy weight. 

If you are not new to fitness, then the general rule of thumb is, if you did it before, then you can do it during. With of course some common sense involved! Every woman is different. So listen to your body! Talk to your Dr. and most of all, get a lot of rest!

 

Melanie Elliott

Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor

6 Months Pregnant

Holiday Recipe

Apple Crisp

5 peeled organic apples (save peels)

Handful of dates - chopped

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp. ground ginger

¼ cup chia seeds

4 T. lemon juice

2 tsp. cinnamon

¼ cup coconut sugar

1 cup rolled gluten free oats

¼ cup coconut flour

¼ cup un-sweet shredded coconut

¼ cup ground golden flax seeds

1 tsp. real vanilla extract

¼ cup agave nectar

1 egg

½ cup coconut oil

Molasses for drizzling

Chop apple in bite size pieces and process peels in food processor until finely ground.

  Mix apples, peels, dates, lemon juice, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, coconut sugar

And chia seeds in a large mixing bowl and transfer to a deep pie dish or square baking dish.

Then mix together rolled oats, coconut flour, shredded coconut, flax seeds, and 1 tsp. cinnamon.

 Add agave nectar, vanilla, egg and coconut oil and cut into oat mixture with fork

or mix with fingers until crumbly.

Top apples with oat crumble and press down firmly. 

Drizzle with molasses and bake at 325 for about 30 minutes until a little bubbly around sides.

  If top browns too quickly cover with foil.

Serve with a dollop of Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream.

Enjoy every bite slowly and mindfully!
Cheri Soraparu, MS, CCN
www.bewellbalanced.org