We’ve all felt like this I’m sure.

I recently just happened to watch a few scenes from a documentary about Joe Namath.  A little bit about me, I don’t know but perhaps 5 things about football as a game and certainly don’t know my history of the sport but this documentary painted this man in a way that I found inspirational.  The way they portrayed him was a man of great personal confidence and resolve, honor as a sportsman, and humility as a person.  Whether that is actually accurate is always up for debate, but those qualities are things that I strongly value in myself.

Thinking of those values really fires me up and when I’m on, I am ON.  Have you ever had that feeling that you were invincible or couldn’t get tired now matter how painful or grueling the event was?  Thinking about things that inspire me puts me in that state of mind.

So, if you are hitting that wall or about to start an event, take a moment to think about something that really drives you to succeed.  I’m sure you’ll be amazed by just how little can phase you in your pursuits.

Theracane that is….

And no, The Theracane Company is not paying me to write this at all, even though they probably should from all the single digit web traffic I’m sending them.  Now, show me the money!

Back to the topic at hand, using a self-massager for kosher purposes can be very effective for helping you decrease post-workout muscle soreness and muscle tightness.  The benefits of using a self-massager vs getting an actual massage are that it’s way cheaper, it doesn’t complain when you ask of it, and it doesn’t ask you to massage it in return.  People pay good money to see specialized massage therapists for a variety of techniques, but in reality, the most effective method is one that you stick to.  I’ve never met someone who could get a massage daily.  Lastly, you don’t even need a Theracane specifically to work out your trigger points.  A tennis ball does much the same, is more portable, but a Theracane is designed to help you get to those hard-to-reach muscles of the back.  Don’t like the Theracane plug?  Well, feel free to find an equivalent product, they all work the same and can all help.

I got my own from Amazon.

Why bother?

If you’re training hard, your muscles will become tight.  Contracting your muscles repetitively or strenuously during exercise leads to shortened muscle length by a variety of factors.  You can think of exercise as being  a major contributor to muscle tightness, which in turn can limit your range of motion to take those long, efficient strokes, as well as increase your risk for injury by strain.  If exercise is a major contributor to muscle tightness, you should have an equally comprehensive method to managing this effect.  Even with a good stretching routine, regular self-massage can help maintain optimum muscle length for better performance.

In the local Bay Area dragon boat community, there exists a difference in how women and men are emphasized in the sport.  I’m going to go out on a limb to say that although dragon boat makes itself to be a very accessible co-ed sport, it falls way short of being gender neutral.

The 12/8 Rule

Here in SF, mixed co-ed teams must adhere to the “12/8 Rule” requiring that at least 8 of the 20 paddlers on board must be female to compete.  Sure enough, most coaches will keep to this ratio in hopes for better performance the thought being, “men are stronger than women and having more men in the boat vs women maximizes performance.”  Of course, we don’t live in such a black and white world of sporting performance, but there is a clear mismatch between how men and women are accounted for in a mixed-gender crew.

I’ll go out on another limb to say that with regs such as the 12/8 Rule, men are put in a position to dominate the sport, which changes the dynamics of dragon boat and, unfortunately, reflects the notion that “it’s a man’s man’s world.”  In my short time paddling, I’ve seen the “Men’s Division” turn into the “Open Division,” the title suggesting that it is acceptable for a woman to be aboard but not necessarily required.  Beyond the new name, not much has changed in the Open race itself…most crews are stacked with 100% male paddlers.  Make no mistake, I’m not writing this article to suggest gender races be done away with, just pointing out some key differences in gender emphasis.  It’s a topic rich with debate.

What You May Not Have Realized

Dragon boat is providing hundreds of young paddlers in the Bay Area with an athletic opportunity that also helps build leadership, responsibility, and teamwork skills.  While these are great skills to foster, the masculine nature of dragon boat can present a barrier to young women being able to develop these skills with equal opportunity as their male teammates.  These differences may present a significant disadvantage to young female paddlers as they mature.  Studies have found that if a female has not participated in a sport by age of 10, there is a 10% chance she will participate by age 25.  Additionally, 80% of women identified as key leaders in Fortune 500 companies participated in sports when younger and self-identified as “tomboys” growing up for having played sports.  The importance of participation and building a long-lasting athletic lifestyle plays many key roles in a woman’s development, future health, and success.

Studies have shown females to value sports for their social and team aspects with athletic/skill development holding lesser value.  76.3% of girls have been cited to put “fun” as their primary reason to be active while males tend to take the opposite viewpoint, putting skill acquisition first and “having fun” second.

The Goal

Obviously, the difference in how gender plays a role in sports suggests that a difference should also be observed in effective coaching strategies for female vs male athletes.  Some key strategies are based on these studies of gender in sport:

• Avoid the “star” label for individuals, praise the group effort
• Challenge each team member to assist other teammates in improving, don’t pit paddlers against each other
• Don’t shame, chastise, or otherwise “chew out” paddlers in front of the group
• Forget about challenging paddler “manly-hood” with taunts etc, keep feedback gender-neutral, motivational, positive and constructive
• Validate and acknowledge feelings, concerns, and feedback from paddlers so everybody feels heard and respected

In Closing

Dragon boat rules and regulations are not evenly matched to genders involved, yet the sport continues to thrive for good reason.  Dragon boat is a wonderful opportunity for everybody involved to feel stronger both in terms of their athletic ability and passion for fitness.  While not every division is written fairly, there are avenues for every type of paddler to participate fully.  At the individual team level, the methods employed by the team coach should always help foster equal paddler opportunities for the betterment of the sport.  This all starts with knowing your paddlers and their different needs.

Information about psychological differences between female and male athletes from presentation by Jen Kautz, MSPT.

A couple things could be going on.

Pain in the Butt No. 1:  Pressure and Chaffing
Since dragon boat is a fast-paced, seated sport with a lot of rotation in addition to forward/backward movements, your rearend is likely to be a point of friction.   Friction over time can lead to skin chaffing, which can cause pain (and searing agony once you hit the shower).  Sometimes wearing compression shorts under your normal board shorts or pants can reduce friction against the skin.  Other times, a cushioned bench pad can help.  Prolonged, sustained pressure against soft tissue and skin can cause soreness because you are preventing blood from flowing into the tissue.  Common areas for pressure soreness and chaffing are under the “sit bones” of your butt aka ischial tuberosities.  Shifting your weight during rest intervals or using a bench pad can help promote perfusion of blood to pressured tissues.  More importantly, you should get your technique checked carefully by your coach.  Faulty stroke technique can result in excess energy being spent drilling your booty into the bench when more power and body weight could be applied to the water.

Pain in the Butt No. 2:  Muscle Strain
Back to the heavy emphasis on rotation during paddling, your legs serve to anchor  you to your seat and transfer stroke power to the boat.  If you’re taking full strokes, you’ll probably notice that your legs will swing and swivel depending on how you like to brace your feet against the floor.  When the rate gets faster, this swing and swivel is a very active movement and while it’s not directly related to your racing fitness, having weak gluteal muscles can develop painful symptoms when fatigued.  Areas for gluteal soreness can be felt in a variety of areas due to extensive number of gluteal and hip rotator muscles present.  Commonly soreness is felt spanning between the side of your tailbone (sacrum) and side of your hip (greater trochanter).  Occasionally, hamstring tightness can cause a pulling sensation at the ischial tuberosity where they insert in which case improving your flexibility can help (see link).  If pressure to the muscle is causing the pain, you can try using a bench pad as with No. 1.  If gluteal muscle soreness, tightness, or fatigue are the reasons, then self-massage, stretching, and strengthening are a good idea (check the video links).

Pain in the Butt No.3:  Discs, Nerves, Joints Oh My
Occasionally painful symptoms in the buttocks region can be caused by a phenomenon called pain referral.  Referred pain essentially means that the cause for pain may not necessarily be where you feel it.  Our nerves and brain have millions of sensory connections.  We have a very specific map for light touch but not always for pain.  For example, a fly may land on the back of your neck and you know exactly where to reach back and crush it (or shoo it away for you kindly folks).  Compare this with banging your kneecap against a table.  You only hit perhaps a 1 cm area of your kneecap, but your whole knee can ache/throb like nobody’s business.  Sometimes if we have a low back injury, pain can be referred and felt in the buttocks region.  Injuries sustained to joints in the hip or pelvis can also cause pain in the buttocks region.  If you have a previous history of issues involving your discs, nerves, or joints, getting specific advice from a medical practitioner who has evaluated your issue in relation to dragon boat paddling is key.

If your pain is severe or not improving, you experience changes in bowel/bladder function such as incontinence, you have leg numbness/weakness/clumsiness, or numbness in your saddle region, you need to get this checked out with your doctor or emergency services as these could be very serious if not emergent issues.

Despite mortality rates decreasing since 1990, it has been estimated that nearly 40,000 women in the US will die in 2011 from breast cancer alone.  The decreasing mortality rate is attributed to improved awareness of breast cancer, earlier detection/screening, and advances in treatment.

For those women who do undergo treatment, the side effects can be debilitating.  One of the greatest challenges post-treatment is trying to resume an active, healthy lifestyle.

There is research that suggests that dragon boat and paddling on a team can safely improve fitness and have positive effects on social support as well as exercise adherence in women who have undergone breast cancer treatment.

If you are a breast cancer survivor or know somebody who is a survivor, you may consider joining and supporting a local breast cancer survivor dragon boat team near you.

Some local teams in California can be found here:

LA Pink Dragons

San Diego Team Survivor

Newport Orange Roughys

Select studies:

The development of social relationships, social support, and posttraumatic growth in a dragon boating team for breast cancer survivors

Dragon boat racing: life after breast cancer treatment

Effect of acute exercise on upper-limb volume in breast cancer survivors: a pilot study

Sources of stress for breast cancer survivors involved in dragon boating: examining associations with treatment characteristics and self-esteem

Hopefully all of you (American or not) will try hard to establish a healthy, active lifestyle not related to any short-lived New Year’s Resolutions.

Exercise & Sport Statistics

American Time Use Survey

Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults

Kraemer et al.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Feb;34(2):364-80

In order to stimulate further adaptation toward a specific training goal(s), progression in the type of resistance training protocol used is necessary. The optimal characteristics of strength-specific programs include the use of both concentric and eccentric muscle actions and the performance of both single- and multiple-joint exercises. It is also recommended that the strength program sequence exercises to optimize the quality of the exercise intensity (large before small muscle group exercises, multiple-joint exercises before single-joint exercises, and higher intensity before lower intensity exercises). For initial resistances, it is recommended that loads corresponding to 8-12 repetition maximum (RM) be used in novice training. For intermediate to advanced training, it is recommended that individuals use a wider loading range, from 1-12 RM in a periodized fashion, with eventual emphasis on heavy loading (1-6 RM) using at least 3-min rest periods between sets performed at a moderate contraction velocity (1-2 s concentric, 1-2 s eccentric). When training at a specific RM load, it is recommended that 2-10% increase in load be applied when the individual can perform the current workload for one to two repetitions over the desired number. The recommendation for training frequency is 2-3 d x wk(-1) for novice and intermediate training and 4-5 d x wk(-1) for advanced training. Similar program designs are recommended for hypertrophy training with respect to exercise selection and frequency. For loading, it is recommended that loads corresponding to 1-12 RM be used in periodized fashion, with emphasis on the 6-12 RM zone using 1- to 2-min rest periods between sets at a moderate velocity. Higher volume, multiple-set programs are recommended for maximizing hypertrophy. Progression in power training entails two general loading strategies: 1) strength training, and 2) use of light loads (30-60% of 1 RM) performed at a fast contraction velocity with 2-3 min of rest between sets for multiple sets per exercise. It is also recommended that emphasis be placed on multiple-joint exercises, especially those involving the total body. For local muscular endurance training, it is recommended that light to moderate loads (40-60% of 1 RM) be performed for high repetitions (> 15) using short rest periods (< 90 s). In the interpretation of this position stand, as with prior ones, the recommendations should be viewed in context of the individual’s target goals, physical capacity, and training status.

Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise

Garber et al.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Jul;43(7):1334-59

The purpose of this Position Stand is to provide guidance to professionals who counsel and prescribe individualized exercise to apparently healthy adults of all ages. These recommendations also may apply to adults with certain chronic diseases or disabilities, when appropriately evaluated and advised by a health professional. This document supersedes the 1998 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Position Stand, “The Recommended Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness, and Flexibility in Healthy Adults.” The scientific evidence demonstrating the beneficial effects of exercise is indisputable, and the benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks in most adults. A program of regular exercise that includes cardiorespiratory, resistance, flexibility, and neuromotor exercise training beyond activities of daily living to improve and maintain physical fitness and health is essential for most adults. The ACSM recommends that most adults engage in moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory exercise training for ≥30 min·d on ≥5 d·wk for a total of ≥150 min·wk, vigorous-intensity cardiorespiratory exercise training for ≥20 min·d on ≥3 d·wk (≥75 min·wk), or a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise to achieve a total energy expenditure of ≥500-1000 MET·min·wk. On 2-3 d·wk, adults should also perform resistance exercises for each of the major muscle groups, and neuromotor exercise involving balance, agility, and coordination. Crucial to maintaining joint range of movement, completing a series of flexibility exercises for each the major muscle-tendon groups (a total of 60 s per exercise) on ≥2 d·wk is recommended. The exercise program should be modified according to an individual’s habitual physical activity, physical function, health status, exercise responses, and stated goals. Adults who are unable or unwilling to meet the exercise targets outlined here still can benefit from engaging in amounts of exercise less than recommended. In addition to exercising regularly, there are health benefits in concurrently reducing total time engaged in sedentary pursuits and also by interspersing frequent, short bouts of standing and physical activity between periods of sedentary activity, even in physically active adults. Behaviorally based exercise interventions, the use of behavior change strategies, supervision by an experienced fitness instructor, and exercise that is pleasant and enjoyable can improve adoption and adherence to prescribed exercise programs. Educating adults about and screening for signs and symptoms of CHD and gradual progression of exercise intensity and volume may reduce the risks of exercise. Consultations with a medical professional and diagnostic exercise testing for CHD are useful when clinically indicated but are not recommended for universal screening to enhance the safety of exercise.

***

In a nutshell, exercise to improve performance may seem like a lot work, but really it depends on a small commitment of time/energy, goals, and ability.  You can improve your strength with as little as 1 set of 8-12 reps of challenging resistance, be it with your body weight or external resistance 2x/wk.  Of course, there are “ideal” training programs depending on your exact goals to bring about the fastest results possible.  There is even some evidence that suggests that performing 1 set of exercise to the point of form-failure (your inability to perform 1 rep w/ perfect form) is as effective at improving strength as multiple set exercise in the first 3 months of starting an exercise routine (Durall et al; Systematic Review of Single-Set Versus Multiple-Set Resistance-Training Randomized Controlled Trials: Implications for Rehabilitation).

If you train to the point of form failure, you should take 2-3 days of rest for a given muscle group to recover before trying that same exercise again.  This will allow your body to progress in its healing response to prepare your muscles to perform again at the same or higher amount.

I’ve got a new instructional video rendering as I type, so stay tuned.

updated: ok, you can check out the revised page HERE

There are a lot of myths out there about trying to keep in shape, keeping a regular workout schedule, or even just making the time to exercise at all. The media, celebrities, television, etc make it seem like you have to have access to a gym, have tons of expensive equipment, diet like crazy, workout every single day for hours on end; the list goes on. NO! You’d be surprised at how challenging, satisfying and NON time consuming the basics are: push ups, crunches, squats, pull ups, just to name a few. If you wanted to try, just do one set of push ups, immediately do a set of crunches, immediately followed by a set of squats, all close to but not to your limit. You will not only feel winded, but the length of time it took to do would be minimal and no equipment is needed.

There are really no excuses for not excercising. Push ups and squats can be done anywhere. You can walk instead of driving or comutting. You can do pull ups at any public park or playground. There’s also running/jogging. If your tight on time, do push ups and/or squats after you brush your teeth in the morning and/or before you shower. It will only take about 3 min to do. If your work isn’t too far away, walk. If you have a dog, walk them more often, or even jog a little with them. The possibilities are endless.

I just wanted to say that exercising can be done anywhere, by anyone. Every little bit of activity helps, no matter how minor it may seem. I don’t mean to sound preachy, but it just really angers me when I hear people say they don’t have time, don’t have the equipment, or just can’t exercise. The human body is meant to be active. If you have time to surf the net, or sit in front of your computer playing games, or watch endless television, you obviously have time to excercise. If your tired after work/school, just do a ‘quickie’ as I stated earlier.

In my future posts I hope to give some ideas/examples for workouts at home, outdoors, with/without weights, for men/women, proper form, etc. As for now, just take what I wrote into consideration.