The Power of Stretching
"The money and the fame are irrelevant really. I'm just a hamstring away from oblivion; you've got to look at it like that." ---- Steve Jones
Running is the oldest and most popular sports in the world. Most runners feel that running is fairly simple, when in reality it is very complex. Running is one of the only sports that gives the whole body a work out. Leg strength and cardiovascular endurance play huge roles in the success of a runner, but they are not the only things that measure ones running ability. Upper body strength and back support are also important in running. Since athlete's's bodies are made up entirely of muscle, they must exercise often in order to take care of themselves and prevent injuries. Muscles are like any other thing in the world, the more you use them the stronger they get. Running long distances is strenuous on the muscles and if they are over worked and under cared for they can be damaged. Running causes the muscles that are active to become strong and less flexible, whereas the opposing muscles that are relatively under used become weaker. When muscles are being used they expand and contract often. If the muscles were not used in a while they usually get sore from the work out. Since muscles are the most important part of being athletic, proper care should go into maintaining them. Stretching before and after runs is a perfect way to care for your muscles.
WHAT IS STRETCHING?
The three main reason why stretching is so beneficial to a runners body is: it reduces the risk of injury, prevents muscle soreness after exercise, and it improves athletic performance. What is actually happening to the body during a stretch is very complex. Each muscle contains stretch receptors which attach themselves to the working part of the muscle called, muscle fibers. The stretch receptors measure the degree of the stretch, sending a message through the spinal cord to the nerves that control the contraction of the muscle where the receptors are. As the runner stretches more intensely the receptors begin to send out pulses harder and more rapidly. These pulses exceed a certain frequency, and the stretched muscle contracts and shortens, preventing overstretching.
STRETCHING INJURIES
Unfortunately, stretching is not done willingly by runners. Even though it would only take an extra five to ten minutes on top of the one or two hour run, most runners choose to skip stretching.
The setting is eighteenth century Boston, Massachusetts. The population in Boston between 1760’s and 1790’s ranged from sixteen thousand to eighteen thousand . Some of the major building that are well known for the time period are Old State House; originally called Town House, this building is very historic the Boston Massacre of 1770 took place in front of this building, also the Declaration of Independence was first read off the balcony. Also Boston has the Old South Meeting House; which in that time was the largest meeting space, this was where the “convocation met before the Boston Tea Party, and this is community commemorated the Boston Massacre” . Another building is the Old North Church, the first stone was laid in April of 1723 taking twenty-two years to complete, this is the oldest church is Boston today. This church’s steeple was immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem “The midnight ride of Paul Revere” . The geography in Boston is that it was a coastal region with poor soil, this was not a farming community, and most people that lived in Boston were people that practice a trade or a craft. The climate in Boston ca...
Running is an action or a movement, but actually it serves as more than just that. Running is what the human body was made to since the creation of the human species. Over many years of evolution the body has evolved and become adaptable to different types of running. Many who begin running at such a young age whether it is long distance or sprints,but have never stopped and realized, wait how is this affecting my body? Many believe that there is all good to running and that no harm can come from it. Others may argue that it comes with a series of lasting internal injuries that may not affect them at the moment but affect them in the long run. The physical characteristics associated with running can come with a list of positives, but have we forgot about the negatives ? Runners remain with lasting injuries that serve as injurious to the body . The benefits and downfalls in the physical aspects of running serve in areas such as the heart, bones, and joints.
The lives we live today encompass many moral aspects that would not have been socially acceptable fifty or more years ago. John Updike’s short story, A&P, addresses these issues of societal changes through a 1960’s teenager point of view. This teenager, Sammy, spends a great deal of his time working at a local supermarket, observing customers, and imagining where his life adventures will take him. Through symbolism and setting, Updike establishes the characters and conflicts; these, in turn, evolve Sammy from an observational, ignorant teenager, promoting opposition to changing social rules, into an adult who must face reality.
Prejudice is a cancer that spreads hate among its perpetrators and victims alike. In 1930 Langston Hughes penned the novel, Not Without Laughter. This powerful story, written from the perspective of an African-American boy named James “Sandy” Rodgers, begins in the early 1900’s in the small town of Stanton, Kansas. Through the eyes of young Sandy, we see the devastating impact of racism on his family and those they are close to. We also see how the generations of abuse by whites caused a divide within the black community. Among, and even within, black families there were several social classes that seemed to hinge on seeking equality through gaining the approval of whites. The class someone belonged to was determined by the color of their skin, the type of church one attended, their level of education, and where an individual was able to find work.
One factor which is probably significant is that three weeks before the race, during an easy run the day after an excellent 41-mile training run, I injured a calf muscle. I used electronic stimulation to promote healing, and ran very little during the three weeks preceding the race. This area bothered me frequently during the race, feeling as if it wanted to cramp.
In the documentary Killer at Large, former Surgeon General Richard Carmona remarked that “Obesity is a terror within. It’s destroying our society from within and unless we do something about it, the magnitude of the dilemma will dwarf 9/11 or any other terrorist event that you can point out…” Carmona is indeed right, with the rapid increase of obese children, America is on the fast track to producing a generation with a life expectancy shorter than their peers. One of the main factor is the media representation of obesity (Greenstreet 2008). In today’s society parents are not only worrying about televisions influence on their kid’s behavior but their weight and health, too. According to study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, that researched the role of media in childhood obesity, stated the obesity increased by 2% for every hours of television in adolescent’s ages 12 to 17. The advertisement of food and beverages present a very strong influence on the children. Most of the products being advert...
How much running is “too much” running? is there too much of a good thing? There is and it is most commonly referred to as over-training. Over training is by definition the imbalance between training and recovery.the conceptual theory behind most “plateaued” and over-worked bodies, in the gym, the swimming pool, the track etc.. Over worked meaning that they are being worked to a detrimental state. a place where the individual isn’t getting the most out of your body and may even drop in body mass, muscle mass and overall performance.
Based on a review of the literature, one thing learned was that the incidence of obesity from 1980 to 1999 has doubled in the United States (Ogden, Carroll & Flegal, 2002 cited in O’Dea & Eriksen, 2010, pp. 84-85). Childhood obesity is a major concern because these children grow up to become obese adults. According to Serdula et al., 1993 (as cited by Friedman, Bowden, & Jones, 2003) childhood obesity leads to a lot of adult health problems. Obese children are being diagnosed with diseases normal seen in older adults, like non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Disease leads to other costly complications, such as coronary artery disease, renal failure, and blindness (Freedman, Katzmarzyk, Dietz, Srinivasan, & Berenson, 2009
The last time I did not run for consecutive days, was during Middle School. Running has been a very powerful tool for me, and the joy it brings is something I carry. As a person who has an unhealthy amount of anxiety in my life, running has been an outlet for me. Whenever I feel anxious or stressed out, I run. There are two ways running brings me relief; the first is it is an immediate distraction from whatever is bothering me. In addition, running also gives me a “runner's high” after I run. While this may seem unimaginable, it is actually very real because the pleasure of finishing a workout has few parallels. After I run, for the rest of the day, my mood is elevated.
The effects of obesity in children are immediate health problems as well as long term health problems. According to the WebMD article “Children’s Health” states that “children have fewer weight-related health and medical problems than adults. However, overweight children are at high risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults, placing them at risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes later in life.” Obesity has negative effects on children, which raises concern, because lon...
One main concern that runs through the mind of an athlete is receiving an injury due to the lack of warming up properly. A pulled muscle would only hurt an athlete’s performance and result in time taken away from their routine workout in order to heal that injury. A warm-up should warm the muscles and liberate them to prevent rigorousness and/or constriction. A proper warm-up is important because, “warm muscles and dilated blood vessels pull oxygen from the bloodstream more efficiently and use stored muscle fuel more effectively” as a result (Reynolds). When an athlete performs dynamic stretching, they are constantly moving throughout the entire warm up as well as stretching at the same time. When a person performs static stretching, a short type of running may be included before the stretch in an attempt to “warm” the muscles of one’s body. Unfortunately since all static stretches are either standing still or residing on the ground, the muscles are given a good amount of time to cool down. Finally, when it is time for the athlete to perform their actual workout, their muscles are cold a...
What is Biomechanics? It is the study of forces and their effects on the living system (McGinnis, 2013). In this essay, I will be looking at the biomechanics of running. Running, as well as any other sport requires skills for which advancement is due to consistent deliberate practice and effective development. However, runners should establish a training system that actively builds their original running pattern instead of basing it on what works well for others. Understanding the biomechanics of running gives a better knowledge of their running techniques and points out areas of concerns that require improvement. Despite the fact that running is dependent on the interaction of the whole body, breaking down the running pace into single components allows us to further understand how minor changes can increase improve performance and decrease injury risk.
Child obesity does not let people succeed as a child because some people feel embarrassed.
Firstly, I think that entertainers’ athletes are paid so much because they deserve it. An actor isn’t going just wake up one day and say, “I think I’m going to be an A-list act...
Today, millions of people have discovered the benefits of stretching. Over the last years, studies have shown that people that live these active lives live fuller lives. In fact, studies show that a lack of physical activity directly relates to many major illnesses and death. Before the Industrial Revolution, people actually had to work hard to get their needed amount of movement. After the Revolution, it became a different story. People no longer needed to work physically to make a life for themselves. With this lack of movement came lack of flexibility. Now, everywhere you look, you see people out jogging, hiking, and playing golf, tennis, and other sports to stay active. The fitness trend is in; but it’s not a trend anymore. Now, it’s a way of life. Stretching is an important part of this way of life that many people leave out.