A-Z OLYMPIC BOXING For the first time since boxing was introduced in 1904 women are competing in the Olympic Games in 2012. Both men’s and women’s events will have different weight categories. Men’s consist of 10 ranging from light Fly Weight (46-49 kg) to Super Heavy Weight (over 91 kg), the women’s have 3: Fly Weight (48-51 kg), Light Weight (57- 60 kg) and Middle Weight (69-75 kg). The duration of the women’s and men’s bouts last 2 to 3 minutes long over 3 to 4 rounds respectively. Each event is run in a knockout format...
A-Z OLYMPIC CYCLING There are four classifications of Olympic cycling, BMX, mountain bike, road and track. Each one requires similar skills such as speed, power and rapid response times. BMX and mountain bike competitors require more agility than the road and track cyclists, but all require exceptional strength both physically and psychologically...
A-Z OLYMPIC GYMNASTICS Gymnastics is a popular sport worldwide. It requires a diverse range of abilities that include overall body control, co-ordination, flexibility, strength and endurance. It is a pleasure to watch these athletes, to us the spectator, everything looks effortless yet there is a real sense of power and strength behind each movement. We will see three disciplines at the games, Artistic, Rhythmic (women only) and Trampoline. But there are a further range of international gymnastic competitions that include Acrobatic, Aerobic, Double Mini Trampoline, and Tumbling events that are included under the same umbrella. Visit www.british-gymnastics.org for the latest news, events and articles, there is a great deal of valuable information...
A-Z OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATING Figure skating has a colourful history and has captured the hearts of many historical figures such as Marie Antoinette & Napoleon. It survived wars and tragedies such as the crash of Sabena Flight 548 which killed the entire American team in 1961 and boasts many famous participants, the first being Sonja Henie from Norway, who later became a famous film star and debuted at Chamonix in 1924 at the age of 11...
A-Z OLYMPIC ROWING Originally rowing featured heavily in transportation and warfare, it has since become a prestigious event in the UK with the formation of the Henley Royal Regatta. The oldest surviving rowing race dates back to 1715 the Dogett’s Coat and Badge takes places from London Bridge to Chelsea every year. Some of our most famous rowers are Steve Redgrave who won golds in five successive Olympics and Sir Matthew Pinsent who won four...
A TRUE ACHILLES HEEL Tendons are made up of a tough, resilient connective tissue. They act as the bridge between muscle and bone and have a small amount of elasticity. The Achilles Tendon found at the base of the heel is comprised of the gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris muscles. It is vulnerable to injury due to its location and the role it plays between ourselves and the ground we walk on. In addition, it has a low metabolic rate and a poor blood supply that means the structure has a slow rate of healing...
BOWING OUT TO GRAVITY - THE FORWARD BENDThe art of the forward bend is something I like to call a Primal Movement. Whether we are cleaning our teeth, tying our shoes, picking up the kids, throwing a bowling ball or making shapes on the dance floor we all go through a bend pattern countless times each day. ..
'CRISIS AT CHRISTMAS' Read David Tidd's first hand account on his time volunteering at 'Crisis' and the importance of just a few hours makes. “I just want to cook my own dinner and have my own front door”, this statement was only a small part of the realisation that my life is pretty good. A friendly but somewhat frustrated client, who had been kept waiting for 6 hours for his housing appointment, was busy explaining how his hamstrings are much shorter now and do not work so well as antagonists to his quadricep'...
CYCLISTS Now that the weather is becoming more cooperative for outdoor interests, a boom
in activity is taking place. Accompanying this is an increase in injuries related to the natural process of coming out from hibernation and waking up those sleepy muscles. In the previous massage edition, the article was about running (in particular running marathons)...
FROZEN SHOULDER Frozen shoulder, also known as "adhesive capsulitis", is a restrictive condition that can be painful and frequently affects abduction and external rotation of the shoulder joint. It affects more women than men, and usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 65. In the past, it was thought to be a degenerative condition, but since it is rarely found in those over 70 years of age, this theory has been dismissed...
GETTING RESULTS BY WORKING IN THE MOUTH The Head and its Appendage, the Jaw - Given the many bones and muscles we tackle as beginning massage students, it’s understandable that we approach the head as a single unit. Once we have a closer look, however, we see that the head is composed of three anatomical areas: the neuro-cranium, the viscero-cranium, and the mandible. The neuro-cranium is simply the round ball that holds the brain. It has a dense “base,” which is a nest for the brain with many openings for nerves and blood vessels, and a thin “vault,” which caps the brain and distributes the force of bumps or blows. If you imagine wearing a cap, the edge of the cap would outline the place where the base and the dome meet...
HOW TO CHOOSE A MASSAGE COUCH There is a wide range of couches available and the whole process can become slightly overwhelming when trying to decide which couch is best for you and your needs.Try to choose a model of couch that will suit your needs by asking yourself a few questions...
MARATHONS With the season changing, the days getting longer, more people are running and many will be training for the London Marathon in April. Some will have sensibly started the required training regime during the dark winter months, building up their stamina gradually and systematically. Others will have waited until the weather was more enticing thus leaving themselves a little less time for the body to adjust to the demands being made. Finally there will be those who start training just a few weeks before and realise they might have left it a bit too late. At whatever stage your clients come to you, it can be a challenge to get them through this event...
SPORTS MASSAGE FOR PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY Having worked within elite sport for persons with a disability since 1994 the author's concern has been to bring sports massage therapy (SMT) to athletes with a disability and to educate them as to its potential benefits in enhancing their sporting performance. As the uptake of SMT has increased, especially at the international competitive level, so has the impetus to quantify and document its benefits...
SWIMMERS Swimming can be the weakest event in a Triathlon for various reasons. Unlike running and cycling, swimming generally does not get the same amount of attention for reasons of time, finances and conditions of training. The amateur sports person usually has to work a full or part time job, so there is this issue of trying to fit it all in. With running and cycling, it is much easier to incorporate these two disciplines into a daily routine such as using these to get to and from work. With swimming, it is a bit more time intensive. There is the matter of finding a venue that has the appropriate size pool, as well as finding a time that fits the schedule. In addition there needs to be a certain amount of training that mimics the type of environment they will be competing in. Many get on their wetsuits and take themselves down to the Thames, the ocean or lake, but obviously the frequency in which this can be done is not the same as in the other two disciplines...