Limiting Sports Participation May Lead To Better Success

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In an earlier article we looked at how generalization rather than specialization in young athletes can lead to greater success in sports. This generalization allows a child to try different sports and, more importantly, build up and use different muscle groups than they would if they dedicate themselves to just one sport too early.

It is not just specialization though that is causing a rash of injuries and a high degree of burnout in athletes at the youth level. There is also a big problem with the intensity of youth sports in our current athletic climate. This is where children will need your guidance to make the best decisions regarding their body and how much to push at certain ages to become a better player.

An interesting new article by Roni Caryn Rabin titles “Parents Should Limit Sports Participation for Children, Trainers Say,” looks to put some actual figures and data on how much sport children should be playing in any given week.

The basis of the paper, and its key statement – is that a child should only train in their sport an hour for every age of their life in a given week. So, if a child is 8-years-old, then their sporting limit for a week should be eight hours.

This is an interesting concept. It is not one that is going to be easy to implement or one that is likely to gain much initial traction. It does, however, open up a series of talking points about how this general guideline can be turned into vital help to stop kids from burning out to early by simply playing too much sport.

The key message here is that the information, while about children, has to be taken on and put into place by adults. The big worry in the US is that so many children are vying for that college scholarship light at the end of the tunnel that putting any kind of playing time restriction on them at a young age is going to be difficult. The key is to get out of the mindset that more equals better, perhaps spending some of the newly freed up time to work on a different, but equally important, piece of a child’s upbringing is just as good.

At the very least this advice can be used to work out how much structured sport a child should play. There is a big difference between the pressure of being coached and being trained every day compared to just throwing a ball around at home or down at the park. Mental pressure is a huge reason for burnout and the vital guidance of keeping a child on a manageable coaching regime should not be ignored.

Changing a the narrative regarding the intensity of youth sports is never going to be easy, but concepts that target the amount of intense sport a child plays at each age is an excellent starting point.

Article by Vital Guidance

Limiting Sports Participation May Lead To Better Success

/in /by

In an earlier article we looked at how generalization rather than specialization in young athletes can lead to greater success in sports. This generalization allows a child to try different sports and, more importantly, build up and use different muscle groups than they would if they dedicate themselves to just one sport too early.

It is not just specialization though that is causing a rash of injuries and a high degree of burnout in athletes at the youth level. There is also a big problem with the intensity of youth sports in our current athletic climate. This is where children will need your guidance to make the best decisions regarding their body and how much to push at certain ages to become a better player.

An interesting new article by Roni Caryn Rabin titles “Parents Should Limit Sports Participation for Children, Trainers Say,” looks to put some actual figures and data on how much sport children should be playing in any given week.

The basis of the paper, and its key statement – is that a child should only train in their sport an hour for every age of their life in a given week. So, if a child is 8-years-old, then their sporting limit for a week should be eight hours.

This is an interesting concept. It is not one that is going to be easy to implement or one that is likely to gain much initial traction. It does, however, open up a series of talking points about how this general guideline can be turned into vital help to stop kids from burning out to early by simply playing too much sport.

The key message here is that the information, while about children, has to be taken on and put into place by adults. The big worry in the US is that so many children are vying for that college scholarship light at the end of the tunnel that putting any kind of playing time restriction on them at a young age is going to be difficult. The key is to get out of the mindset that more equals better, perhaps spending some of the newly freed up time to work on a different, but equally important, piece of a child’s upbringing is just as good.

At the very least this advice can be used to work out how much structured sport a child should play. There is a big difference between the pressure of being coached and being trained every day compared to just throwing a ball around at home or down at the park. Mental pressure is a huge reason for burnout and the vital guidance of keeping a child on a manageable coaching regime should not be ignored.

Changing a the narrative regarding the intensity of youth sports is never going to be easy, but concepts that target the amount of intense sport a child plays at each age is an excellent starting point.

Article by Vital Guidance

7 Vital Steps To Help You Perform Better At Everything

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The whole area of Sports Psychology and mental health are gaining exponential traction, but it’s surprising at how little is still understood about what Psychology applied to sport is.  This very thing is addressed in the interview below with Mental Performance Coach Richard Dean.

Richard is a London-based practitioner and Senior Associate of the Royal Society of Medicine.  He’s been a mentor for several NFL players, International Cricketers, International Rugby players, and International Soccer players. He has also been involved in six World Championship Boxing fights.

His academic work has been published by:  American Education Research Journal, American Journal of Educational Science, Nova Science Publishers, and Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy Journal.

Richard, welcome to Premier Players and thanks for sharing your work:

A pleasure to be here.

First off, give an insight into some of your experiences:

My work has led to some amazing experiences.  I’ve had the privilege to work in very high-profile, high-octane environments- such as the NFL, ATP World Tour Tennis Finals, in Boxing- World Title Fights; International Test Cricket, World Athletics Championships. Each experience of working with some of the best athletes in the world has been, and continues to be; deeply enriching.

One of my favourite memories was working with a World Title challenging Boxer at the O2 Arena, London. Looking out from the ring at a sea of 20,000 people, and a host of prominent people at ringside- knowing that all eyes in that arena are on your event; thrilling!

Another momentous occasion had me working with an American client who was fighting for an International title in Germany. Everything was stacked up against him, the logistics were difficult, the promoter made everything as hard as possible. And as my role was wider than just performance psychology, I had to deal with it all! I did- and we won! Despite everything being in the opponent’s favor. It was a great victory and we took the Championship to the USA!

Sounds incredible, so what exactly is Sport Psychology?

Sport Psychology looks at the influence that the mind has upon performance. It is proactively working mentally to be better. You don’t need something to ‘fix’ in order to benefit from working mentally!  It is giving people the tools, so that they can apply consistent approaches in the most pressured moments, and providing a framework for dealing with difficult situations.   That is Sport Psychology! It’s about making people more resilient, tougher, and plugged in to playing without distraction or white noise!

I want to get this across- Sport Psychology is NOT just about motivation and powerful speeches and behavior that is intended to rouse. In fact, I would like to assert that most of the time it is CATEGORICALLY not about that!

Applying specific, focused advice linked to developing mental skills and attitudes is so important. A great example is Russell Wilson- he has worked at this off the field, so that he can ‘just play’ on it!

How do you start with that process?

First, it should be determined how ‘mentally skillful’ an athlete is, and then collaboratively find ways to continually get mentally sharper in order to eliminate fine-focus errors.

I see it is as developing a strategy to ensure that you are the best possible you each and every week. As an athlete, finding comfort in the knowledge that you are preparing in the best way possible for YOU is a huge key! And that is so individual, I would advise and develop completely different ways of going about that process, dependent on the player’s individual personality.

So, just how do you determine someone’s mental fitness?

Having spoken to many athletes over the years, I believe I have a great handle on assessing the level of someone’s mental skills and mental health. Anecdotally, I’m able to see patterns from how people talk and conduct themselves- and I also use inventories if that’s what the athlete wants. I use a method called the TAIS, which was introduced to me by my colleague Dr. Michelle Pain.

I have undertaken programs of study at ‘the mecca’ of healthcare- the world-famed Harley Street, and have carried that forth, and distilled my education into a very practical and solution focused, rather than an overly theoretical MO.

How can someone help themself?

One very simple step that an athlete can take immediately is to:

1- think about your best performances
2- think about your worst performances
3- think about how you prepared leading to the best performances
4- think about how you prepared leading to the worst performances
5- determine if there is a relationship between your preparation and your performances
6- apply more of what led to the best
7- do less of what led to the worst

 I do believe that this model can apply to pretty much any context – Sports, Work or Life!

I have spoken to athletes for hours to get the above exactly right- and it’s amazing for me as a practitioner to have an athlete tell me that due to our work together, they’ve had a eureka moment! They will often say something like- This is it! I identify with this! This is MY way! To help them get to that is wonderful!

Thanks Rich, if anyone wants to reach out, can they do so?

Happy to help if my capacity allows.  People can e-mail me at rich.dean@talk21.com

7 Vital Steps To Help You Perform Better At Everything

/in /by

The whole area of Sports Psychology and mental health are gaining exponential traction, but it’s surprising at how little is still understood about what Psychology applied to sport is.  This very thing is addressed in the interview below with Mental Performance Coach Richard Dean.

Richard is a London-based practitioner and Senior Associate of the Royal Society of Medicine.  He’s been a mentor for several NFL players, International Cricketers, International Rugby players, and International Soccer players. He has also been involved in six World Championship Boxing fights.

His academic work has been published by:  American Education Research Journal, American Journal of Educational Science, Nova Science Publishers, and Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy Journal.

Richard, welcome to Premier Players and thanks for sharing your work:

A pleasure to be here.

First off, give an insight into some of your experiences:

My work has led to some amazing experiences.  I’ve had the privilege to work in very high-profile, high-octane environments- such as the NFL, ATP World Tour Tennis Finals, in Boxing- World Title Fights; International Test Cricket, World Athletics Championships. Each experience of working with some of the best athletes in the world has been, and continues to be; deeply enriching.

One of my favourite memories was working with a World Title challenging Boxer at the O2 Arena, London. Looking out from the ring at a sea of 20,000 people, and a host of prominent people at ringside- knowing that all eyes in that arena are on your event; thrilling!

Another momentous occasion had me working with an American client who was fighting for an International title in Germany. Everything was stacked up against him, the logistics were difficult, the promoter made everything as hard as possible. And as my role was wider than just performance psychology, I had to deal with it all! I did- and we won! Despite everything being in the opponent’s favor. It was a great victory and we took the Championship to the USA!

Sounds incredible, so what exactly is Sport Psychology?

Sport Psychology looks at the influence that the mind has upon performance. It is proactively working mentally to be better. You don’t need something to ‘fix’ in order to benefit from working mentally!  It is giving people the tools, so that they can apply consistent approaches in the most pressured moments, and providing a framework for dealing with difficult situations.   That is Sport Psychology! It’s about making people more resilient, tougher, and plugged in to playing without distraction or white noise!

I want to get this across- Sport Psychology is NOT just about motivation and powerful speeches and behavior that is intended to rouse. In fact, I would like to assert that most of the time it is CATEGORICALLY not about that!

Applying specific, focused advice linked to developing mental skills and attitudes is so important. A great example is Russell Wilson- he has worked at this off the field, so that he can ‘just play’ on it!

How do you start with that process?

First, it should be determined how ‘mentally skillful’ an athlete is, and then collaboratively find ways to continually get mentally sharper in order to eliminate fine-focus errors.

I see it is as developing a strategy to ensure that you are the best possible you each and every week. As an athlete, finding comfort in the knowledge that you are preparing in the best way possible for YOU is a huge key! And that is so individual, I would advise and develop completely different ways of going about that process, dependent on the player’s individual personality.

So, just how do you determine someone’s mental fitness?

Having spoken to many athletes over the years, I believe I have a great handle on assessing the level of someone’s mental skills and mental health. Anecdotally, I’m able to see patterns from how people talk and conduct themselves- and I also use inventories if that’s what the athlete wants. I use a method called the TAIS, which was introduced to me by my colleague Dr. Michelle Pain.

I have undertaken programs of study at ‘the mecca’ of healthcare- the world-famed Harley Street, and have carried that forth, and distilled my education into a very practical and solution focused, rather than an overly theoretical MO.

How can someone help themself?

One very simple step that an athlete can take immediately is to:

1- think about your best performances
2- think about your worst performances
3- think about how you prepared leading to the best performances
4- think about how you prepared leading to the worst performances
5- determine if there is a relationship between your preparation and your performances
6- apply more of what led to the best
7- do less of what led to the worst

 I do believe that this model can apply to pretty much any context – Sports, Work or Life!

I have spoken to athletes for hours to get the above exactly right- and it’s amazing for me as a practitioner to have an athlete tell me that due to our work together, they’ve had a eureka moment! They will often say something like- This is it! I identify with this! This is MY way! To help them get to that is wonderful!

Thanks Rich, if anyone wants to reach out, can they do so?

Happy to help if my capacity allows.  People can e-mail me at rich.dean@talk21.com

Evidence Proves Exercising Is Best In The Morning

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We all know that we should be exercising regularly.  The guidance provided by doctors, nutritionists, and others shows that study after study proves being physically fit and active is one of the biggest keys to leading a long and healthy life.

One thing not all people in the know agree on, however, is when the best time to exercise actually is. This debate is most often split into two camps.  Two camps that are very forceful about their beliefs with the point of contention being whether it is better to exercise before or after breakfast. That is why a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism is being deep-dived by those in the exercise industry.

The study – conducted over six weeks by scientists from the University of Bath and University of Birmingham in England – took a group of 30 men and split them into before breakfast exercisers, after breakfast exercisers, and a control group who kept their daily routines the same. The findings were shocking, discovering that those men who exercised before breakfast and before they started their day actually burned twice as much fat as those who fuelled up before their workout.

Dr. Javier Gonzalez from the University of Bath explained the findings as such. “Our results suggest that changing the timing of when you eat in relation to when you exercise can bring about profound and positive changes to your overall health.”

The major changes picked up by this study were not related to weight loss. The order of breakfast and exercise didn’t impact the weight changes in the participants at all, but those that exercised first saw immediate changes to their health that included a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes. It also showed that those participants were better able to regulate their blood sugar and that their insulin response was improved.

These kinds of studies are important for individuals because the guidance of when to exercise is just as important as knowing that exercise is effective in the first place. Armed with knowledge like this, a person will be able to better plan their workouts, hitting the gym in the morning to gain the best benefits and health boosts from the work that they put in. Exercising is often as much about efficiency as anything else, and following the guidelines in this study is a way to immediately make your exercise plan more efficient.

 

Article by Vital Guidance

Evidence Proves Exercising Is Best In The Morning

/in /by

We all know that we should be exercising regularly.  The guidance provided by doctors, nutritionists, and others shows that study after study proves being physically fit and active is one of the biggest keys to leading a long and healthy life.

One thing not all people in the know agree on, however, is when the best time to exercise actually is. This debate is most often split into two camps.  Two camps that are very forceful about their beliefs with the point of contention being whether it is better to exercise before or after breakfast. That is why a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism is being deep-dived by those in the exercise industry.

The study – conducted over six weeks by scientists from the University of Bath and University of Birmingham in England – took a group of 30 men and split them into before breakfast exercisers, after breakfast exercisers, and a control group who kept their daily routines the same. The findings were shocking, discovering that those men who exercised before breakfast and before they started their day actually burned twice as much fat as those who fuelled up before their workout.

Dr. Javier Gonzalez from the University of Bath explained the findings as such. “Our results suggest that changing the timing of when you eat in relation to when you exercise can bring about profound and positive changes to your overall health.”

The major changes picked up by this study were not related to weight loss. The order of breakfast and exercise didn’t impact the weight changes in the participants at all, but those that exercised first saw immediate changes to their health that included a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes. It also showed that those participants were better able to regulate their blood sugar and that their insulin response was improved.

These kinds of studies are important for individuals because the guidance of when to exercise is just as important as knowing that exercise is effective in the first place. Armed with knowledge like this, a person will be able to better plan their workouts, hitting the gym in the morning to gain the best benefits and health boosts from the work that they put in. Exercising is often as much about efficiency as anything else, and following the guidelines in this study is a way to immediately make your exercise plan more efficient.

 

Article by Vital Guidance

Every Daily Routine Provides An Exercise Moment

/in /by

Modern life comes with a lot of perks, like being able to cover distances that took months in a few hours.  However, it also means that we don’t get to be as physically active as our ancestors.

Despite all the advances in technology which should mean more time is saved, we still have barely any time to really care for ourselves. Our usual excuse for why we do not exercise is that we have other stuff to do but, with proper planning, you can make time for it.

If you want to understand how vital exercise is, just search online about how to lead a healthy lifestyle and exercise will consistently turn up on the lists. If you truly want to keep fit and time is the main factor preventing that, here are some suggestions on how to integrate exercise into your busy life.

Commuter exercise

With roads constantly swamped with cars, draining you of your happiness, it actually makes sense to walk some part of the way. Walk briskly for about 20 mins of your journey and you will be getting the recommended 5 sessions of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. You may even save up on transport cost and feel great if you make it a habit. Cycling is also a great option.

Stretches and exercises in your office

You can work on your triceps by doing chair dips with an armed office chair. Leg lifts while sitting in your chair is also possible – lift your legs out and hold for 10 seconds, lower, and repeat. Even a 10-minute session daily adds up. Stretching is also great for getting your blood flowing and preventing annoying aches.

Sprint the stairs

Pick stairs over elevators and escalators as much as you can to help with your health. Intense periods of stair climbing have great benefits for cardiovascular health and burning calories. When on the stairs, try to make it up as fast as you can. You may even turn it into a game by trying to beat previous times.

Break a sweat while doing chores

Chores can be boring but you’ve got to do them and you can use them as a way of shedding pounds – killing two birds with one stone. Try wood chop squats while loading your washing machine, hoovering lunges while you clean the floor, and dancing while you make a dish.  The more you move while doing chores the better it is for your body.

There are many other options to explore, especially walking.  During breaks or lunch time are great opportunities to walk your office building or your outdoor surroundings.  The main thing is to make it fun while you take care of your health.

Article by Vital Guidance

Teach Your Pet The Basics For The Best Companion Experience

/in /by

There is nothing quite like owning a pet.  They give us something to shower our affection on and this can be very fulfilling.  They can also be therapeutic because they are cute and can be so hilarious.  It is awesome watching them grow up, watching them learn and observing their behaviors.

But everything has its downside and an improperly trained animal can make your life difficult. There are some steps you have to take to ensure proper guidance of your pet into a well-behaved adult so that you both can enjoy living together.

Your pet, especially dogs, should respond to a “come” command in order to protect it from potentially dangerous situations. Knowing when to “come” can also prevent them from startling and harming other people.  Make it the best thing that happens to your pet all day if she comes when called – treats or rubs are some of the ways to achieve this.  Dogs are probably the easiest pets to train this way but with a little patience you can mold other pets to obey the command as well.

If you do not house train your pet, it will turn your house into a sewer.  This may cause you to not see the beauty of your pet.  It is also unsafe for health reasons, especially if you have little ones.   Initially, take your pet out or to the litter box first thing in the morning and once every hour.  If it wants to go, your pet will use one of those opportunities.  Make sure you give signs of approval when your pet relieves itself outside or in the litter box.

Rabbits are commonly considered to be dirty animals but this is far from true.  They can make excellent indoor companions if properly trained. Just like cats and dogs need to learn how to use the litter box and where not to go, rabbits can be taught this behavior, too.

Pets also need to know what part of the house is out of bounds and this can be achieved by using baby gates to block off areas you don’t want it getting into. Another option is to shut doors and for some pets, not allowing them in certain rooms for long periods of time will train them not to go into the room.  You can remove the barricades and open the doors after your pet has demonstrated that it will not go into the off-limits areas.  You should award them with praise and other forms of positive feedback.

Pets that beg can be annoying to the owner and anyone with food that comes near them. To prevent this behavior from developing, you have to restrict your pet’s food intake by sticking to regular meal times. No matter how adorable they look, don’t budge and indulge it or each time it sees you eating, it will disturb you until you do what it wants. Not only is a regular meal-time vital for your pet’s discipline it also prevents it from getting overweight.

These are just a few tips to help you enjoy living with your pets.  You can find more pet information at https://premierplayers.com/pets/.

Article by Vital Guidance

 

Every Daily Routine Provides An Exercise Moment

/in /by

Modern life comes with a lot of perks, like being able to cover distances that took months in a few hours.  However, it also means that we don’t get to be as physically active as our ancestors.

Despite all the advances in technology which should mean more time is saved, we still have barely any time to really care for ourselves. Our usual excuse for why we do not exercise is that we have other stuff to do but, with proper planning, you can make time for it.

If you want to understand how vital exercise is, just search online about how to lead a healthy lifestyle and exercise will consistently turn up on the lists. If you truly want to keep fit and time is the main factor preventing that, here are some suggestions on how to integrate exercise into your busy life.

Commuter exercise

With roads constantly swamped with cars, draining you of your happiness, it actually makes sense to walk some part of the way. Walk briskly for about 20 mins of your journey and you will be getting the recommended 5 sessions of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. You may even save up on transport cost and feel great if you make it a habit. Cycling is also a great option.

Stretches and exercises in your office

You can work on your triceps by doing chair dips with an armed office chair. Leg lifts while sitting in your chair is also possible – lift your legs out and hold for 10 seconds, lower, and repeat. Even a 10-minute session daily adds up. Stretching is also great for getting your blood flowing and preventing annoying aches.

Sprint the stairs

Pick stairs over elevators and escalators as much as you can to help with your health. Intense periods of stair climbing have great benefits for cardiovascular health and burning calories. When on the stairs, try to make it up as fast as you can. You may even turn it into a game by trying to beat previous times.

Break a sweat while doing chores

Chores can be boring but you’ve got to do them and you can use them as a way of shedding pounds – killing two birds with one stone. Try wood chop squats while loading your washing machine, hoovering lunges while you clean the floor, and dancing while you make a dish.  The more you move while doing chores the better it is for your body.

There are many other options to explore, especially walking.  During breaks or lunch time are great opportunities to walk your office building or your outdoor surroundings.  The main thing is to make it fun while you take care of your health.

Article by Vital Guidance

Teach Your Pet The Basics For The Best Companion Experience

/in /by

There is nothing quite like owning a pet.  They give us something to shower our affection on and this can be very fulfilling.  They can also be therapeutic because they are cute and can be so hilarious.  It is awesome watching them grow up, watching them learn and observing their behaviors.

But everything has its downside and an improperly trained animal can make your life difficult. There are some steps you have to take to ensure proper guidance of your pet into a well-behaved adult so that you both can enjoy living together.

Your pet, especially dogs, should respond to a “come” command in order to protect it from potentially dangerous situations. Knowing when to “come” can also prevent them from startling and harming other people.  Make it the best thing that happens to your pet all day if she comes when called – treats or rubs are some of the ways to achieve this.  Dogs are probably the easiest pets to train this way but with a little patience you can mold other pets to obey the command as well.

If you do not house train your pet, it will turn your house into a sewer.  This may cause you to not see the beauty of your pet.  It is also unsafe for health reasons, especially if you have little ones.   Initially, take your pet out or to the litter box first thing in the morning and once every hour.  If it wants to go, your pet will use one of those opportunities.  Make sure you give signs of approval when your pet relieves itself outside or in the litter box.

Rabbits are commonly considered to be dirty animals but this is far from true.  They can make excellent indoor companions if properly trained. Just like cats and dogs need to learn how to use the litter box and where not to go, rabbits can be taught this behavior, too.

Pets also need to know what part of the house is out of bounds and this can be achieved by using baby gates to block off areas you don’t want it getting into. Another option is to shut doors and for some pets, not allowing them in certain rooms for long periods of time will train them not to go into the room.  You can remove the barricades and open the doors after your pet has demonstrated that it will not go into the off-limits areas.  You should award them with praise and other forms of positive feedback.

Pets that beg can be annoying to the owner and anyone with food that comes near them. To prevent this behavior from developing, you have to restrict your pet’s food intake by sticking to regular meal times. No matter how adorable they look, don’t budge and indulge it or each time it sees you eating, it will disturb you until you do what it wants. Not only is a regular meal-time vital for your pet’s discipline it also prevents it from getting overweight.

These are just a few tips to help you enjoy living with your pets.  You can find more pet information at https://vitalguidance.com/pets/.

Article by Vital Guidance