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

Are You Ready for Some Football?!

With both the NFL and the college football seasons in full swing, football fans have lots of reasons to celebrate! Favorite teams, favorite players, favorite gear, favorite coaches: the social media posts and memes are just getting started!  And if your family is involved in the sport, it’s just that much more exciting! Whether you or someone in your family plays ball, excellent training is crucial. Not only will it improve performance, but training can also prevent injury.

Specialized Training in Atlanta

For football, as with most sports, training revolves around the three S’s: Strength, Speed, and Stamina:

  • Strength is the force you generate or apply onto another object. It may be the force applied to a thrown football, or the force applied to the ground as you launch into the air to catch a pass. Either way, the stronger you are and the more control you have over that strength, the more effective you will be at football or any sport.
  • Speed is not just how fast you can run. It’s also how fast you react, how fast you move through normal motions, how efficient your movements are. The coaches at STACK help you break down your movements, and train your reactions so that your speed will enhance your strength.
  • Stamina. Endurance. Sheer Grit. The ability to keep going, channeling power after you thought you gave your last drop.

At STACK Sports Performance and Therapy, our coaches will help you develop each of these core strengths in a way that also strengthens the others! Call our Atlanta training facility to find out how we can help you!

Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Training & 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

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

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