Posts Tagged ‘tennis’

Tips For Tennis Elbow Sufferers

Saturday, April 10th, 2010

If you suffer from tennis elbow then finding the right treatment methods is critical and essential for a complete recovery.

The following is a list of the top 5 treatment methods that have been proven to work together to cure and treat it.

Tennis elbow treatment should be dealt with in the context that you have a soft tissue injury and therefore the treatment methods listed below follow a specific process which is numbered one to five.

Method #1The first and probably the most important method of treatment has to be rest. Rest is essential for any injury and it is essential if you plan on using any other methods to treat your tennis elbow symptoms.

Method #2The second method which is very effective in the treatment of elbow pain is to use ice. Any doctor will tell you to keep ice on your muscle injury or tendon injury as this will help to reduce the swelling, easy the pain, and help to reduce inflammation. This in turn also helps to speed up healing.

Method #3The third method is to use compression. You can get specific wraps that can be placed around your wrist and arm and this is another method that can be used to keep the swelling to a minimum and prevent any further damage to the muscles and tendons. Compression also helps to keep everything in place.

Method #4The fourth treatment method is elevation. If you can try to keep your arm elevated above heart level it will help to prevent further swelling and help to reduce pain. Swelling is often caused when there is too much blood in the site of the injury and by elevating your arm you will be reducing the amount of blood in this area.

Method #5If none of the above treatment methods are working and your symptoms are getting much worse, then you need to see your family doctor as you may have something more serious going on - like a broken bone. You will need to have a specialist look at your injury and correctly diagnose that you are suffering from tennis elbow.

Your orthopedist or primary physician will also determine what course of treatment is right for you. Once you begin to see improvements in your symptoms and pain threshhold, you can then start to practice some of the tennis elbow exercises that are available, on a daily basis. You will need to start out slow and simple but within the next few weeks you will be able to increase the resistance that you use in these exercises.

You should never rush the resistance or tension when performing these exercises, as this can exascerbate the problem and make it worse. You need to make sure that your muscles and tendons are properly prepared.

That’s the top 5 tennis elbow treatment methods that you can use. There is one more thing that should be discussed and that is whether you are taking pain relief medication. If so, then you should make sure that you are taking something that includes an anti-inflammatory to help keep the swelling down.

Looking to find the quickest and best relief for tennis elbow ? Then visit Bruce Lipsky MS’s to find the best advice curing tennis elbow and other sports injuries.

Get out and Exercise as a Family

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

Today’s parents are busier than ever! Between careers, children and taking care of the home, you may think that there is no time for extra activities. Exercise is important to your health as well as the health of your children. Doing activities together, as a family unit, is a great way to work in exercise, fresh air (if outdoors), and family fun time together.

There are so many great options for family exercise activities that can get your family off the couch. Why not try taking advantage of the competitive nature of most people? It’s a good idea though, to make sure that the rivalry remains light and friendly. The idea is that recreation is a great time to get fit, not create conflict. Some great conventional choices for competitive family exercise include bowling, tennis, and racquetball. Bowling can be enjoyed by all ages and is a fun way to get moving. It’s also enjoyable to do as a family. Tennis and Racquetball provide a great workouts for people of all ages. Playing as teams can keep the games very different, and can make game time even more interesting. Play boys against girls or parents against kids and see who comes out on top. Of course, regardless of who plays better, everyone wins at the end of the day.

Many people who are taking charge of their health are turning to personal trainers, and for good reason. A private trainer is highly suggested for family exercise regimens. You don’t even need to see your trainer frequently in order to make a difference. Having a family session just once a week, or even once a month, can really help out. Your trainer will be able to tailor a plan for each member of your family. They also provide accountability. If you know that they will be checking up, you’re more motivated to stay on target between visits.

There is a growing focus on spending more time together as a family. People are also more concerned about leading a healthy lifestyle. The good news is that these two goals can work well together. You can take family outings that promote a improved lifestyle. Some great examples include bike riding and hiking. Walking is also a great way to get moving that almost anyone can do.

All of these activities get you outside, enjoying the scenery, and also impart opportunities to get your family active. When taking a family bike ride, pick assorted routes and destinations to keep it interesting. Keep in mind the skill level of each participant in order to circumvent a route that is too challenging for younger children. Bring plenty of water and bring a trailer or pack in case a little one wants a bit of a break. Not only will they get a break, but mom or dad will get a better workout as well. Whether you’re hiking or biking, it can be a lot of fun to pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at the end of your trip. This gives kids a real goal to work toward and makes for a fun outing.

T-Squared Vancouver personal training offers services including diet, nutrition, exercise plans, and general coaching in health and overall fitness. The focus is providing personal and professional services that get you results. Powered by SEO 2.0 Optimization Services

A Tennis Racquet Features and How They Effect Your Game

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

You want to purchase a new tennis racquet, but you are unsure what to buy. You are confused by head size, head heavy or head light and the list continues. I think a brief explanation is in order.

Head size correlates directly to power. The modern day racquet comes in head sizes that range from 85 - 135 square inches. Most of your players use racquets that fall somewhere in the 95 - 110 square inch range. With a larger head size you get more power, a larger hitting area and bigger sweet spot. A large head size is most often used by a beginner to intermediate player for this reason. A more accomplished player typically plays with a smaller head size because they provide more control.

A racquet will vary in lengths from 27-29 inches. Longer racquets provide more reach for your ground strokes, more leverage on your serve and a bit more power overall. Longer racquets tend to be lighter than a 27 in raquet. When the length increases so does the dynamic swing weight. So if you did not decrease the weight of the racquet it would feel more like an unusable club.

Ok, we have covered length and head size, now we should take a look at some more basic stuff. With a heavier racquet you will have more power and stability than you would with a lighter racquet. A lighter racquet is easier to get around allowing you to swing through the ball faster. So you are thinking, well then a lighter racquet swung faster should be able to create as much power as heavier racquet swung slowly. This has been heavily debated through the years. With Wilson’s creation of the Hammer, racquet weights have steadily decreased to below 10 oz. So you may be telling yourself that lighter, head heavier is better. That is not necessarily true. You will have to be the judge. Your point of reference should be the racquet you are currently using, is it head heavy or head light, what size head are using and what is the current weight. For me, I had to switch from a head heavy, oversized, light racquet to a heavier mid size racquet that was more balanced over all. The reason for this is because as my skills advanced, I had the ability to take a bigger cut at the ball, or generate more of my own pace, which caused me to spray the ball (long usually). With the new racquet I gained more control with my ground strokes, but it took a little getting used to at the net.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the varying weights and balances of racquets. With a head light, heavier racquet you tend to gain control and power. This racquet is often referred to as traditionally weighted and balanced, weighing in at 11-13 oz, and is most often used by the elite players.

The beginner or intermediate player typically plays with a light weight, head heavy racquet. It tends to increase their power and maneuverability.

Another factor to consider is your frames stiffness. With a stiffer racquet you get less bend which technically speaking means less energy is depleted from the ball. With a flexible racquet you get more bend which technically speaking means you deplete more energy from the ball. Simply put flexible racquets have less power than stiffer racquets.

The last thing to look at in racquets performance is your string pattern. A tennis racquet strung in an open pattern will provide more rebound than a racquet strung in a denser pattern. An open pattern does not feel as “tight” and gives you more spin, but it can also lead to more broken strings. Players looking for more control or maybe they hit hard top spin will have their racquets strung denser.

As racquets continue their evolution, I am sure your game will too. Good luck and happy hunting on finding that new tennis racquet!

About the Author: