3 Tips to Help You Keep Your Weight Under Control This Holiday Season

The holidays are here and so are the added pounds.  This time of year brings on the temptation of overindulgence.  It can be hard to maintain your composure when you’re surrounded by eggnog, pumpkin pie, turkey stuffing, and mashed potatoes covered in gravy.

Before you know it – you’ve gained holiday weight. It could take months to undo what you did in a matter of weeks. Don’t overdo it this holiday season.  Here are some tips that will help you stay in control of that number that shows on your scale.

    1. Weigh yourself every day

Keeping track of your weight will do two things. First, if the number’s steadily rising it doesn’t mean the scale is broken.  It means you need to pass on the next offering of sweet potato pie. The second thing the scale does is show you that your efforts are working. If you’ve been controlling your appetite, then it’ll show in the number. You’ll feel proud of yourself and want to continue doing well.

    1. Bring your own healthy dish

If Thanksgiving dinner is going to be at your southern grandma’s home this year – you could offer to bring your own dish.  Make it something fresh and healthy so that you know you have better options than those calorie filled dishes.

  1. Eat healthy things first

Serve yourself a plate and make at least two-thirds of it with healthy foods. Eat these things first – that way you get full off of them – and you won’t eat as many coma-inducing foods.

STACK Sports Performance & Therapy in Atlanta has fitness classes available to help you stay healthy. If you need some help to stay in control of your cravings, then check out what advice our athletic specialists have to offer. Call today.

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Performance & Therapy

4 Tips for Exercising in Cold Weather

Planning a destination race or keeping up with your workouts during a trip to cold weather climates? Don’t let the low temperatures keep you from enjoying your morning run.  With certain precautions you can ensure a safe and productive time outside.

  • Dress in Layers: As you progress throughout your work out and you sweat more and more, you can peel off articles of clothing. And during your cool down – as you begin to dry – you can replace them as necessary.
  • Preventing Frostbite:During a workout, most of our blood flow is concentrated in the core, leaving our extremities susceptible to frostbite. So, you’ll want to wear a hat and some gloves. Also, don’t forget to cover those ears.
  • Know the Signs: Hypothermia and frostbite aren’t two things that the active person should take lightly. Be responsible and know their signs. Stinging sensations are the beginning of numbness – and loss of feeling – which are signs of frostbite.

Hypothermia sets in when there’s intense shivering, loss of coordination, slurred speech, and fatigue. If you begin to notice any of these symptoms you should stop your workout immediately and seek medical attention.

  • Check the Weather: Before even going out, you should know what to expect during your workout. Strong winds, icy roads, and below freezing conditions are dangerous. So, you should be made aware of it, if that’s what’s to be expected during your outing. For your safety if conditions are too harsh, you’ll want to keep your workout indoors.

For days when the weather doesn’t permit outdoor exercise, STACK Sports Performance and Therapy in Atlanta offers killer workout programs. Gives us a call today to see how we can help you!

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Performance & Therapy

Kid Athletes Can Go All the Way!

Summer season sports are in full swing for the youngest athletes. Baseball, soccer, and even lacrosse are being played on rec centers and fields across the country. Parents in the stands cover the entire spectrum of sports parenting: from amused and laid back, watching their youngsters chase a soccer ball around the pitch, casual weekend sports families, to serious, ref shaming, first string and scholarship chasing tiger moms (and dads!)

A Good Trainer Can Make the Difference

While athleticism and sports ability come naturally to some kids, others need to work a little harder and have a good coach to bring their talents to the fore. In Atlanta, the coach your child needs is at STACK Sports Performance and Therapy. We offer several levels of athletic training for ages 8 and up.

At the youngest level, our trainers focus on the gross motor skills needed on the field: running, balance, coordination, and strength. These are the building blocks we use to instill base level knowledge and mastery in our young athletes. As they grow and become more competitive, we begin working more on speed, power, and agility, fine tuning each area through practice and weight training.

At the end of each training session, we ask more than just an increased athletic ability. Our goal is to train and encourage our kids to perform well and safely. As we teach the fundamentals at the earliest stages, we train our kids to move in ways that increase stability and decrease the likelihood of injury. This is the foundation for a lifetime of participation in sports and other physical activity!

Give us a call today to help your young athlete take their competition to the next level.

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Training & Therapy

Coach’s Favorite: Bodyweight Exercises

Coach Kenny’s Pick: The Burpee

Why:  It teach’s efficiency, mental toughness, attention to detail, and endurance. As an added bonus, you need zero equipment.

When do you use it?

It’s hard to beat as a basic conditioning tool: you don’t need anything but your own body and gravity, but boy do burpees get the heart going. Furthermore, to do this movement well, you have to to be efficient and move in rhythm. If you’re not very good at these things to start, after practicing burpees you’ll get better.

There’s also some nice symbolism about getting back up when you get knocked down.

Coach Brandon’s Pick: The TRX Body Saw

This is a challenging abdominal exercise that requires you to keep your entire core tight and contracted for the whole set. While many people think to do things like sit-ups and crunches for abdominal strength, exercises that emphasize control and stability are more much useful and important, especially for an athlete.

Athletes need to manage forces from all angles and in unpredictable positions, therefore challenging the core to remain stable with a moving base of support is an excellent exercise.

When do you use it?

Anytime you are looking to burn out your abdominals in a short time period. Many other abdominal exercises require a lot of reps before your core reaches fatigue, three sets of 10 reps of this exercise is sure to get the job done!

Coach Yo’s Pick: Single Leg Box Squat Series

Why: These exercises expose any weaknesses in an athlete’s unilateral strength and let the athlete work on strength at a specific range of motion.

This series is an especially good tool for those athletes who struggle with single leg balance and stability. It can also be a good way to see how much “functional strength” they have. As a coach, it is very important to understand and see if your athletes have good control (strength and stability) during a movement as well as good range of motion (mobility).

When do you use it?

When someone struggles with any of the following:

  • basic squat pattern (depth, posture, and lumbopelvic control)
  • Single leg stability and balance
  • Change of direction at a sharp angle (like 5-10-5 agility test)
  • Coming back from ankle/knee injuries

Get Healthy, Stay Healthy

For a lot of people in the US, the first half of the calendar is about getting healthy. Every year, we see the kick off at New Year with resolutions, diets, dry January, and fitness equipment.  Usually, by Easter, the focus has shifted from getting healthy and losing weight to getting the best bikini body for the summer.

At STACK Sports Performance and Therapy, we think getting healthy should always be the goal, and physical movement is part of the prescription for success. This is as true for a person trying to lose weight as it is for an athlete recovering from an injury. Health should always be the overall vision.

What Should I Do Next?

Your health goals will drive your physical activity needs. A weight loss and tone plan may need to do more cardio or HIIT to burn the excess fuel carried on their body; but for a soccer player recovering from a torn ACL, the physical activity will look different.

At our Atlanta facility, we have the ability to work with all types of fitness needs, from weight loss fitness to sports training, and even physical therapy. Our trainers can help you set the goals you need and give you the tools to accomplish them in a fun environment.

Summer Is Coming

Every morning gives you a new chance to decide to be healthy, and make good, health conscious decisions about how you move and what you eat.

This summer, wouldn’t you love to have an extra measure of health and energy? Come see us in Atlanta and get ready to get STACK’d!

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Training & Therapy

The Best Way to Train

Baseball is historically the national pastime. While it is no longer the most popular sport in the country -football holds that spot- at least half of the US adults still follow the sport. The professional spring training season has been going since the end of February while Little League and various other recreational leagues will start up again soon. It’s a great time to pick up a bat and ball and get out to the field!

When you’re getting ready for the season, you have to have the right training. Speed and strength are important, but so is learning to move your body without injury. In Atlanta, you can find all of these things and more at STACK Sports Training & Therapy.

Time to Move

In baseball, playing offense means running the diamond, and if you want to score, you have to move fast. Getting your speed on means running drills. But you also have to work on your agility to be able to turn on a dime.

Throw It to First!

One of the first things kids learn when playing the field is to “throw the ball to first;” your coach would hit a ball, and you would catch it and throw it in. As you begin playing older, stronger, and more highly trained players, you get need to develop your arm for throwing further. The farther you have to throw, the more strain you put on your shoulder; you’ve got to know how to move correctly to avoid repetitive injuries.

Whether you are working on a youth league, high school, college or for the major leagues, we can help you get in the best condition to play injury free. Contact STACK Sports Performance and Therapy for more information on training and sports therapy.

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Training & Therapy

Drink Your Water! It Really is Good for You

By now, everyone has heard that they need to drink water throughout the day to keep their bodies healthy. Reports indicate that you should be drinking anywhere from 8 glasses a day to half your weight in ounces. Water plays a large part in your body’s systems: hydration, cooling, flushing out toxins. Water helps your brain function and your digestive system work. Are you getting enough at the right time?

Muscles Need Water, Too!

Whether you are working out, doing physical therapy or having a massage, your muscles also need water. Lactic acid or lactate is made when you don’t have enough oxygen to convert blood glucose into energy. So when you take your morning run and your high intensity sprint makes you pant and your muscles burn? The burn is the lactic acid building up. Your body typically creates it quicker than it can be used, and you need to get hydrated to flush it out. Otherwise, the muscle burn will turn to nausea or stomach pain. The feelings are temporary, but if you continually get them, you may need medical help.

Lactic Acidosis is Preventable.

To start with, keep yourself hydrated. While some may dismiss the 8-8oz glasses of water recommendation, it can be a good starting goal to keep mind and body hydrated. When you plan to work out, drink about 12-20 ounces 15-20 minutes before. Afterwards, drink another bottle or a cup of chocolate milk to provide the nutrition and energy your body needs to recover. Looking for help in reaching your health or fitness goals? STACK Sports Performance and Therapy in Atlanta can help you get there.

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Training & Therapy

Keep an Eye Out for These Fitness Trends in 2018

Here at the start of 2018, you’re making resolutions and goals to better your health.

To help you successfully reach your goals, take a look at a few health and fitness trends we can expect to see emphasized this year.

Low-Intensity “Fun” Workouts

HIIT will still be popular in 2018. But we’ll also see an increase in workout methods that involve more play, imagery, and even virtual reality. The idea is to engage the mind as well as the body.

Group Exercise Training Programs

There’s something motivational about exercising with a group of enthusiastic friends, led by a dynamic instructor. Group programs are part of a growing trend that we may see spill over into 2018.

More Recovery

We can likely expect that there will be more time devoted to proper recovery technique and methods such as cryotherapy.

Functional and Strength Training

People are becoming more aware of the need to strengthen their bodies for everyday activities. Specialized training is also key to enhancing sports performance.

Wearable Fitness Tech

Don’t throw out that Fitbit you got for a gift last year – these gadgets are still hot and helpful. Many fitness experts anticipate that we will continue to rely on such technology in our pursuit of wellness.

Yoga

This exercise introduces new methods, benefits, and approaches with each year, keeping it a current and adaptable workout method.

DNA Testing

It’s not just for testing for allergies! Some experts believe that analyzing our genetic makeup will help us choose workouts that suit and enhance our bodies’ unique abilities.

To stay on top of these and new trends on the wellness scene, stay connected with STACK Sports Performance & Therapy here in Atlanta.

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Training & Therapy

Here’s Why Athletes Need Yoga, Too

Set aside any misconceptions of Instagram girls posting yoga poses alongside their makeup demos and snaps of their coffee.

Yoga has benefits for even the most serious endurance and recreational athletes.

How can it enhance your high-intensity routine?

Take a look at these benefits of yoga for athletes.

Boost Body Processes

Your performance depends on the optimum functioning of processes like breathing, circulation, and digestion. Yoga improves all of those for more efficient energy use.

Better Channel Your Energy

Power leakages lead to wasted energy and effort. If your body is as perfectly aligned as it can be, you’ll make every single shot/punch/kick/run/ride/whatever count.

Improve Focus

Yoga is a practice in breathing and meditation. When you learn how to control your mind and emotions, you’ll be able to better focus on your goals.

Enhance Strength

Yoga won’t add bulk like weights do. But you will gain an agile kind of strength since the various poses have you supporting your body weight on different muscles.

Reduce Chances of Injury

As you strengthen your core, you will draw on the right muscles for power in more intensive maneuvers. Yoga can keep your spine flexible to help you avoid injury.

Get Better Balance

What sport discipline does balance not matter in? Yoga is a gentle yet powerful way to fine-tune your center of balance.

Recover Faster

Here’s where that stretching comes in handy. Most athletes turn to yoga with good reason while recovering from an injury.

Take yoga with our team where we harmonize it with performance and sports training. Get your first yoga class in Atlanta on the house when you sign up with STACK Sports Performance and Therapy.

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Training & Therapy

Is Strength Training Safe for Kids?

Parents who want to give their kids an extra competitive and athletic advantage are equally worried about not pushing their kids too hard.

You may hear “strength training” and think that it’s a bit of an overkill at this age.

But strength training means working muscles to make them work better. It’s not about bulking up by lifting massive weights.

A lot of the strength training done by adults is for competitions where everyone tries to look the biggest and lift the heaviest. This would naturally be harmful to young still-developing bodies.

So even if your child has dreams of becoming a bodybuilder, it’s best to set those aside for the next few formative years.

In the meantime, how can strength training (safely) benefit your kids?

  • Increases endurance
  • Reduces likelihood of sports-related injuries
  • Boosts endurance
  • Strengthen bones
  • Encourage a healthy weight for your child

Kids’ strength training programs are different from those of adults. They should be fun, light, and focused on technique. Kids also need adult supervision and plenty of time to warm up and cool down. As teens age, they may choose to focus on increasing resistance or weight or reps. But childhood a great time for kids to learn the right form.

To provide safe strength training, your child needs two things:

1. The ability to follow direction for proper technique
2. An experienced trainer

At STACK Sports Training & Therapy, we welcome kids as young as 8 into our Accelerated Young Athlete Program. That’s the perfect age when kids are able and eager to pick up on the proper technique for improving strength.

For the best youth fitness training course in Atlanta, stop over at none other than STACK Sports Training & Therapy!

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Training & Therapy