HEALTHY HABITS & PREGAME PRECAUTIONS
There is so much more to fitness and wellness than what is seen when the body is in motion. A lot of what makes a stellar athlete is what is done off the field, in their diets, habits, and pregame/post-game routines. A healthy diet might be the most important aspect of wellness. Having a balanced diet is crucial to good overall health, consisting of a variety of fruits and vegetables, paired with lean sources of protein, low-fat sources of dairy, controlled intake of grains, with limited consumption of fats and oils. Unfortunately, we live in a society where processed and ‘fast’ foods are made so much more easily available to the public, whereas their healthy counterparts require a little more time and effort.
People’s impatience drives them to resort to the quick and easy food option, so as a personal trainer, I took it upon myself to communicate healthy options to my clientele, along with other members of the gym throughout the day. We have at the gym a health resources station, that provides a general image of a balanced meal, which I would refer to occasionally when talking with members.
Health is a full time job, with every decision people make either contributing positively or negatively to it. There is staggering evidence that there will be a buildup of adipose tissue, leading to the onset of various non-communicable diseases for those who do not make the healthiest lifestyle choices.
Generally, people shrug off the idea that an excess of fat is a major health problem we face, so to try and give people a visual, we at Mackal provide a 5lbs visual representation of fat beneath the skin, compared to that same weight in muscle mass. Muscle is a much denser body tissue than adipose tissue, taking up less surface area within the body. It is vital to individual health to limit the amount of fat within the body, for excess fat puts a tremendous amount of stress on our organs, tendons, ligaments, and bone structures, which could greatly impede one’s health level.
Diet alone does not make a person healthy. The way people prepare for physical activity, coupled with the way they recover from said activity is crucial for maintaining a healthy homeostasis level. A lot of this refers to the elasticity of muscles, tendons, and ligaments within the body. Stretching before and after bouts of exercise is essential to ensure that the body is not only ready to work, but also can appropriately recover as muscle fibers regenerate. Before and after doing work with clients, club sports, or in the boot camp, I would make sure to properly stretch the muscle groups we would be utilizing for the exercise, as to keep a full range of motion in all joints and areas of the body.
In addition to stretching, there are other ways that people can prepare for exercise, one of which is the taping and reinforcement of specific weak points on the body. For most, these weak points are centered around the wrists and ankles, so I would demonstrate multiple methods on how to properly tape these areas. The most common taping approaches trainers utilize is the figure 8, which provides stabilization around the entirety of the joint, without limiting functionality.
Click the image below for step-by-step instructions on how to Properly Tape !
