I am woman, watch me score

The title of this post was a Nike t-shirt that was worn by a friend of mine in high school. I always liked that shirt and remember the phrase from time to time. Women have come a long way in sport, but we have a long way to go as well.

In the early part of the last century, sport had really started to get noticed and take off commercially. There was organized professional leagues and professional athletes were developing into household names. Most of these athletes were men. Many considered women to be too fragile to compete in high intensity sports, and thought it was dangerous for a women to run more than 800 metres for fear she may collapse with fatigue. However, thanks to the 60s and 70s, the feminist movement and some brave women athletes, people’s attitudes have changed. Woman can now do everything a man can do … or can they?

I was at the Rogers Cup semi-final on Saturday night to watch a professional tennis match for the first time. Serena Williams won 6-3, 6-3…then it was over. I turned to my male companion and was surprised to find out that the game was a best of three. I asked what the men play, the answer was the best of five. Why do the women play shorter games? I refuse to believe it is because they couldn’t possible withstand 5 games. After a brief gender in sport argument with my unfortunate friend, I made the argument that maybe the women in tennis only train for a maximum of three sets. Why train for more if the most you’ll play is three. This of course led my to think (as I have many times before) about the grass roots system in amateur sports for girls.

One place I work is in a high performance training centre for hockey players. The ratio is almost 10:1 boys versus girls. With the knowledge we have today about the benefits for strength training, sport conditioning, and performance, why are young girls not encouraged to take off-the-field conditioning programs. I know that many girls do, and these few make great strides in sport, but why not the majority? Where do we start? Do most girls understand that there is no real future in sports for them with respect to professional leagues? I have a friend who is a journalist for a big cycling magazine in the United States. She used to be a professional cyclist on a women’s team. She pointed out to me last year that the women’s cash prizes at big races is much less then that for the men. There just isn’t the same sponsorship money. How do we create more interest?

We have made great strides in getting more and more girls involved with “athletic activities” but are we doing enough to encourage them to play sports? Are parents doing enough to encourage young girls to reach their dreams as athletes? Are we doing enough to properly train girls as we do with boys?

I invite your comments here. Are we doing enough to create an equal playing field for both our young boys and girls? What’s stopping us?

Kathrine Switzer getting pushed by the Boston Marathon race director. He didn’t want women in his race. In the last frame is her then boyfriend pushing him out of her way.

Jen Mark www.dynamicliving.me

Concussions in the Classroom

Exceptions need to be made for invisible injuries.

High schools across the country are filled with student athletes. Some play within the school system and some are involved in sports above the high school level. Students that participate in contact sports have a special risk; concussions. The percentage of student athletes who get concussions will likely never be known since most do not report any symptoms. But what about those who do report how they feel? Are we protecting them enough in the classroom? Is it worth it for these athletes to explain to their teachers what has happened?

I’ve noticed that most coaches and players don’t fully understand concussions, even though they are around the sport and probably see them all the time. What about teachers in the schools? Especially those that have nothing to do with sport or fitness? It seems many of them are not sensitive to the injuries that are invisible.

Often with concussions it is difficult for the student to concentrate without getting a headache. There is often a sensitivity to lights and noise, which happens in high schools and elementary schools. The prescribed treatment for concussions is to stay home and do nothing; no TV, no video games, and no school work – they need to let the brain rest. I have had many athletes who have had to take a week off or more from school. That week is generally filled with sleeping and being in the dark. This is what is best for a concussion to heal properly. Upon returning to school the student needs to catch up with school work and get comfortable being in the classroom again. Teachers need to allow this transition time – allow for more time on assignments and perhaps guidance.

When a student returns to school around exam time, they need those extensions in order to regain confidence and do well academically. Teachers need to allow the student to finish their term papers in an appropriate amount of time and allowed to study for each exam accordingly. We are not talking about adults, who are often less affected by concussions. Student athletes are a special bred. They are in the middle of their learning and their brain is forming into a mature adult brain.

We need to help our student athletes achieve greatness on the field and in the classroom. Teachers need to be sensitive to head traumas and help students through these often difficult times. Exceptions are made in the “real” working world and we need to have them in the classroom.

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS
jen@bodysmithinternational.com

What to do if you feel injured?

Fall? What Fall?

At some point in everyone’s athletic career, there is an injury. For those that are working towards world championships or the Olympics, there is likely a staff of therapists and doctors around you giving you guidance on what to do once an injury occurs. But what if you just run a few days a week? What if you play pick up volleyball or lift weights at the local gym? Do you know what to do when something doesn’t feel right? When injury occurs?

The recently popular Mark Twain once said, “it is not what we know that does us harm, it’s what we know that just isn’t so”.

Let me tell you about a client of mine that runs half marathons recreationally. She slipped on the ice a few days ago while running in the snow. At the time, just her pride was hurt, and she was able to run home. After she had sat down for a while, she realized that her back was quite stiff and there was a pain in her glutes. The next morning the pain was a little worse and it changed the way she moved around the house and around the office that day.

What could have been done differently to prevent such stiffness and pain? What does she do now that the pain is there?

First to address the idea of prevention. After such a fall it is a great idea to get home and stretch. Get onto the floor and stretch anything that might already be sore, or areas that you think could get sore later. When you have a fall, usually your back takes a lot of stress and impact. Lying on your back and hugging your knees, pulling your legs across your body, and stretching your glutes will help minimize any spasms. If you think you might have sustained an injury, put ice on the painful area right away. Keeping the swelling down is important and this will promote healing.

Second, if you find that you do get stiff and sore after a fall, or even after playing a game of basketball with your friends, you can keep the pain and damage to a minimum. On the onset of pain and /or swelling apply ice. If there is only pain, put the ice on for about 15 minutes. You can do this once every hour if you have the time. If there is some swelling, you can add ice for 3 minutes, heat for 1 minute and repeat 4-5 times. Ice baths also help reduce pain and swelling. Sitting in a cold bathtub with ice cubes is a great delight I encourage you to try! The circulation of the water and the movement of your limbs helps to pump waste products out of your injured area and into your lymph system.

Stretching and icing before the pain starts and before swelling has a chance to clog up your joints, really helps. If it doesn’t, you need to get checked out by a professional. I find those that “wait to see what happens” always end up with a longer lasting injury. Getting treated right away may mean one treatment. If you wait and the problem persists, you may need weeks of treatment.

Think of the money you’ll be saving by taking care of your body right away. You’ll be back running, back dunking the ball, and back tobogganing with your children faster than you know it! Get to know your body and stop any injuries from getting in the way of life.

Back to my client that fell – we adjusted her pelvis levels and put her back into alignment. One day later she was doing a Zumba class at the local gym! Fall? What fall?

Jen Mark BSc., CAT(C), CSCS