STRETCHING YOUR LIMITS - IT'S SPRING! TIME TO BEGIN SOME SERIOUS TRAINING

May 1, 2011 – Lisa Cachia

The time has come when the grip of Old Man Winter begins to release and Mother Nature’s powers of renewal take over. And that means softball season is upon us.

The combination of cold weather and lots of holiday meals have made the couch a warm cozy place to hibernate all winter leaving all but the most consistent of us feeling a little bottom heavy.

But before this season gets into full swing I strongly recommend some pre-conditioning a.k.a. spring training. It will help to shake out the cobwebs in your head and prepare your body for more vigorous activity. Remember the Tin Man? After sitting still for a period of time, he really needed a good grease job to get moving and even then he was very unstable. He wasn’t really in full command of his parts until he had been up and running for a while.

Silly reference? Perhaps, but you get my point.

Start slowly maybe by taking daily walks, a casual bike ride or a swim (preferably in a heated pool) followed by some stretching. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes or more of cardio vascular exercise on most days for healthy benefits. You can also refer to “Stretching the Limits” from the Spring 2010 issue of Senior Softball News or on the website for ideas with visual descriptions of safe stretches.

Then over a few weeks begin to bump up the intensity, maybe add some jogging or push it up the hill on your bike. Increasing the duration of your exercise at a medium level of intensity will not only help burn the extra fuel that may be stored around your waistline, but it will also increase muscle endurance. Keep stretching.

After a few weeks of general conditioning it’s time to add in some sport specific training like going to the batting cages, throwing the ball and simulate running the bases with some short explosive runs. Always be sure to warm up before beginning any intense segments of your training not to mention before games. Keep stretching.

Taking this gradual type of approach to your spring training and continuing the cardiovascular exercise and stretching between and during games can keep you feeling good and most importantly injury free all season long. Please have regular physical check-ups and always see your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Staying healthy and enjoying the sport is really what it’s all about. Have a great season.

Lisa Cachia is a Nationally Certified Personal Trainer/ Group Exercise Instructor and owner of Benefitness Personal Training. Contact Lisa at benefitness@comcast.net.