The last few weeks I’ve written about two reasons that over specialization can harm kids: it can hamper your child's performance, and it can lead to burning out. The third and final reason over specialization can be detrimental to a child is the damage it could potentially cause to them as an adult. I talked in my last article about the mental aspect of overspecialization and the effects it can have if the child has bad experiences or experiences serious disappointment to the point of wanting to quit. The even more dangerous possibility is a mental block causing kids to dislike exercise, or at the very least, to equate exercise to disappointment and anxiety and want avoid it entirely.

This is assuming that kids only experience the general types of issues. They’re parents are not forcing them to do something they no longer enjoy, they aren’t trying to live through them, or even worse, berating their own kids or other kids for not playing well or living up to the ridiculous standard they have set. I have witnessed this in the past and it is a very frightening and distressing sight to see. One surefire way to turn a child off from exercise is to have them experience it in a negative light. Most kids are resilient and often aren’t pushed to that extreme, but ones that are and start to see exercise as nothing but stress, anger, and disappointment will become adults that hate exercise. 

We all know that diet is important for body composition and overall health. But an adult that hates exercise because it has had nothing but negative impact as a child, will never be as healthy or live as full a life as they could otherwise because they will be missing the exercise piece of the health puzzle.

-Coach Adam

If the headline caught your attention then you DEFINITELY appreciate a challenge and a little competition, so wait until you hear what we have in store for you now!

In April we ran a class wide attendance challenge. The challenge was for EVERYONE in the training hour to show up OR contact a coach before a coach contacted them and 5 AM made it happen, which was pretty amazing. Because of their dedication they earned a big breakfast made by yours truly! It was great fun. It was so much fun that we decided to give it another go except with new and improved rules (we know how much you love rules!)

This one is SPECIFICALLY for Fun Fridays! We have calculated the average attendance for each training hour on all Fridays in May and they can all use a little love 🙂 so we are here to intervene! We are looking to INCREASE the average over the next 6 weeks. 

Each week we are going to count up the numbers and report each training hours increase (or decrease). If you attend a different training hour it still positively impacts YOUR training hour. If you are not able to be here it will NEGATIVELY impact your training hour UNLESS you have a MYZONE and you show us a movement that day on your activity calendar OR if you take a training selfie and send it to us 🙂 (Hey we all need to be accountable, right?)  If you train two days per week your attendance will NOT negatively impact your training hour, so keep doing what you are doing!

Fun Fridays are too amazing to miss! We promise to make it the best hour of your day! Just show up, work hard and wear your RED shirt for Red shirt Friday!!! 

Happy Training! 

Yes, that says "sportlight", and yes, it was on purpose 🙂

After speaking with Kyle Hill’s dad, Tom, as well as speaking with Kyle, I decided this was a great subject for my next spotlight. Kyle was a part of my Athlete Academy program for several months before starting to play on several baseball teams this spring. Over those several months I saw major improvements in Kyle in just about every facet. He got stronger, he got more flexible, and in turn his play got better. Below is some information from Kyle himself about his experience in Athlete Academy.

“I originally started Athlete Academy to get stronger and to become a better player in general. Before starting I did not have much prior knowledge on how to correctly work out and gain strength.

I pitch, play center field, and also play shortstop for Concord High Baseball. I've played baseball since before first grade and played on numerous levels from Babe Ruth up to Concord Cannons. Since doing Athlete Academy, I have noticed a major difference in my performance on the field. My bat speed has improved greatly, making it easier to hit faster pitching, I have become a faster runner on the base paths, and there is also a difference in velocity while pitching.

These improvements are all thanks to Athlete Academy and I would have never gotten better in this way without it. The best part of Athlete Academy is having a coach like Coach Adam there to push you and make you get better and also having the other athletes there to support you as well.”

I am extremely proud of Kyle for taking the steps to get him to the enormous potential he possesses. Great job, Kyle! Can’t wait to get out and see some games this spring!

-Coach Adam

Monday was AMAZING! Thank you for joining us on Memorial Day for a super fun training hour. 82 of you all in the house. It truly amazes us and fills us up with great joy to see that many of you spend an hour of your morning with us. 

We always do a fundraiser at our Memorial Day training to support the Veteran's who are still with us, but struggling. Operation Hat Trick is a fantastic operation who provide incredible support to our struggling NEW HAMPSHIRE Vets!

On Monday we raised almost $600 to send to this amazing organization!

We do not take for granted how amazing you are- Thank You!

The orange wristband corresponds with the rotary stability test that took place in the quadruped position. This test helps us coaches analyze the functioning of your pelvic, hip, and shoulder girdle stability when combined with an upper and lower body movement. The ability to complete this exercise tells us that you’re transferring of energy from the lower body to the upper body during and exercise should be performed well, with minimal risk of injury.

The focus on this movement pattern is more so STABILITY, where the Active Straight Leg Raise and Shoulder ROM tests demonstrated your MOBILITY.

What is this band for?

The orange wristband protects you from potential injury during explosive movements (listed below). When there is a possible disconnect between the upper and lower body, a less than ideal result may occur. Through proper core stability exercises, we can work to make things smooth and efficient from head to toe!

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

Power movements are done carefully and may be avoided to stay injury free.

Examples of exercises not performed with an orange band:

• Sandbag cleans
• KB squat to clean
• KB swings

Well, how can I work to get out of my band? I want to do some of those exercises!!!

Core stabilizing exercises should be performed often, so often that you may even begin dreaming of them!

1. Walkouts

Purpose: to strengthen the abdominals

How to perform it:

• Begin standing with feet hip/shoulder width apart
• Reach for the floor while keeping the legs straight and beginning walking hands out until in a pushup position
• Pause with hands directly under shoulders
• Slowly walk hands back towards your feet and stand up completely

Repeat: 1 minute

2. Slow Mountain Climbers

Purpose: to strengthen the abdominals while in motion

How to perform it:

• Start in a pushup position- hands under the shoulders and with the ankles, knees, and glutes squeezed together
• Slowly bring the right knee towards the right elbow for 3 seconds
• Slowly bring the right knee back towards the other leg for 3 seconds
• Repeat with left leg
• *Focus on keeping your hips stable to minimize your hips from rocking side to side

Repeat: keep alternating legs for 1 minute

Let's conquer this band together,
Coach Cari

Did you know that your attitude and your actions have a GIANT impact on the people around you? I am not just referring to your family, either.

If you are fired up and excited about something, I’ll betchya others will want to know what has you so excited. You did your first chin up- WHAT?! That’s a huge deal. People get excited for you and they are inspired by you. Wow - you can do a chin up? You are STRONG! That’s great. What a POSITIVE influence you are.

You are eating vegetables like they’re going to stop popping up from the ground and you’re drinking more water than a fish and you are feeling AMAZING! People want to know what the heck you’re doing and jump on that bandwagon. Your friends are like holy smokes - I’m ditchin’ the wine, pass me the H20!

But let’s turn the tables…

We’re setting goals in training and YOU roll your eyes at the vegetable theme that we have going on this month. You tell Sally Mae next to you, "Whatever, I don’t need someone to tell me to eat more vegetables."

You POISONED someone else. What if that person hasn’t had a veggie in weeks and they just needed that little kick in the pants to jump on the band wagon and you just mocked the thought of it. They don’t want you to see them put their name on the veggie board.

Words matter. Whether you want to believe it or not you have an effect on the people you around. Whether it’s at home, at work, at the gym or wherever. Your words mean something. None of us have arrived yet. We can all afford to be just a little bit better. So do yourself and others a favor and be positive. 365 days a year X 1% better every day is a transformation I’d love to see from everyone!

Make it happen,
Coach Meagan

Get the tissues out with this one. After reading this you will not be able to stay discouraged or no motivated. Debbie is the meaning of the word, ‘Determined’. I’m pretty sure that if you looked it up in the dictionary her picture would be there. With her determination she has increased the level of intensity in the whole room. I believe Debbie’s crew pushes harder because Debbie pushes so hard. Remember to grab a box of Kleenex.

Debbie on the left getting her I Survived shirt

“As a (3x) Cancer survivor and loss of my right leg from just above the knee down, my absolute biggest challenge would be to keep my motivation up and lose weight and be more mobile. After my last episode with Cancer which was in September of 2015, the cancer medicine that was prescribed to me to take on a daily basis would make me feel fatigued and increased my weight as a side effect. Goals would be set to focus on diet and exercise but I would always fail after the first day or two. All the healthy fruits and vegetables I would buy and intend to eat that week would end up going bad. As I was growing up I was never much of a vegetable eater. It was something I have always avoided.

After my last doctor’s appointment in January of this year I felt discouraged after seeing my weight on the scale at the doctor’s office. I felt the demons inside me were beating me up and at that time I decided to do something about it. This is the first time in my entire life I felt a change needed to be made to better myself.

After my workouts and eating the healthier foods, my weight has gone down. My energy level has gone up with a sense of highness. I feel more flexible and toned. The ability to just bend over without holding my breath has gone away. I have noticed and have received compliments that I have lost weight in my face. I can feel the change in my body every day.

If you need strength, encouragement, positive results and a better outlook on yourself, then Get Fit NH is the key. It’s not just a gym. It’s the positive atmosphere and encouragement from the coaches; I’ve also made new friends.

During my episodes of cancer I have always stayed positive and upbeat. I have never asked “why me”. With the love and support of family and friends it was all I needed to make it through. Since the time when I lost my leg people were always impressed with what I could do. I have been through many obstacles in my life and have not let any stop me from what I want to do. My motto is “Where there is a will, there is a way”. It is what I always say to myself.”

Debbie truly shines in the spotlight with a smile! Thank you Debbie for shining at Get Fit NH.

-Coach Nancy

I am writing this blog in hopes of explaining the importance of the white wristband that some of you may wear fashionably around your wrist. Although some of you know of an existing or previous shoulder condition that may be hindering your mobility and shoulder range of motion, many of you feel pain free and pressing overhead may not cause any uncomfortable sensations when performing that motion. Lots of factors come into play when performing our shoulder mobility test- the test checking to see if you should be wearing the corresponding white wristband. Don’t be ashamed and don’t become discouraged, as there are many ways to work your way out of this band and improve mobility in your upper body!

What is this band for?

• This test asses:
• Scapular mobility and thoracic spine flexibility
• Shoulder mobility in a combination of motions: internally rotate and adduct one shoulder while externally rotating and abducting the opposite shoulder
• Symmetry between left and right sides
• A red flag on this test is attributed to limited ROM or pain! Some of our red flags would include having slouched posture/ rounded shoulders – possibly from sitting in a chair all day (which can result in shortened latissimus dorsi and pectoral muscles), a previous injury and or scar tissue buildup, or having pain while performing the impingement test

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

We want to be cautious of overhead exercises! The current status of limited shoulder mobility or shoulder pain can result in compensation by utilizing mobility of the spine to perform the exercise (which will then make for a very unhappy back over time!).

Examples of exercises not performed with a white band:

• Overhead pressing of any sort: with resistance bands, dumbbells, etc.

This is where becoming best friends with the two exercises listed below: Open Book and Quadruped Extension Rotation will be important. Also, remember to take warm up seriously on the training floor and focus on your breathing. Belly breathing is very important and helpful in order to unnecessary tension out of the shoulders and traps.

1. Open Book

Purpose: to improve mobility of the thoracic spine

How to perform it:

• Lie down on your side, bring your top leg forward and anchor it down on foam roller
• Stack both hands chest height
• Reach the top arm forward, slowly rotate the top arm back while following that hand with your eyes
• Slowly close it back up

Repeat: 1 minute on each side

Don't do it: if you experience pain during the exercise

2. Quadruped Extension Rotation

Purpose: to improve extension & rotation in the T-spine

How to perform it:

• Get onto all fours: hands and knees, and sit your bum back on your heels
• Slide your left elbow back so it is touching your left knee and place your right hand behind your head
• Begin with the right elbow touching the left elbow and then begin to slowly reach the right elbow up and back rotating at the thoracic spine (follow the elbow with the eyes)
• Slowly close back up

Repeat: 1 minute on each side

Don't do it: if you experience pain during the exercise

Happy stretching,
Coach Cari

In my last blog, I wrote about some of the dangers of overspecializing from a mechanical standpoint, like why it may actually hinder rather than help a child’s ability in a given sport. As a quick reminder, when I talk about over specializing, I mean having a young athlete do one sport, and only one sport, year round without ever being introduced to different movements or events.

Today I want to talk about the mental aspect, which is the high burnout factor that over specializing can lead to. You may not feel this way about everything, but as human beings we need change because change leads to growth. That growth can be physical or mental. When a child is put in the same sport, doing the same movements over and over and over again, without being exposed to something else, eventually that child will most likely become disinterested in the sport. Often times, they will quit entirely because they get sick of it.

Imagine you are fed nothing but chicken and rice every day, for every meal your entire childhood. What are you going to do the SECOND that you are given the option to stop eating it? You may never eat it again. Same thing can happen with kids and sports. Not only will they become sick of it, but even if they do keep playing they will never reach their full potential. Disinterest breeds disengagement, and a disengaged player will never reach their full potential.

Don’t create more burnout. There are already hundreds of thousands of adults my age who don’t move anymore because it got so stressful and so frustrating that it wasn’t worth it anymore and they stopped entirely. Don’t add to that statistic.

-Coach Adam

Foam rolling is something that is incorporated into a large majority of the warm-ups here at Get Fit, but I feel that the benefits and true importance don’t get touched upon enough! Foam rolling is a form of Self-Myofacial Release, which you can think of as mini massage for yourself (that you don’t need to make an appointment for) that will help you perform better during training and recover properly after!

I am hoping that once reading through this post, you obtain a better understanding as to why we do it and that you might even want to invest in a foam roller!

Benefits of foam rolling BEFORE training:

• Improved circulation of blood - resuming normal blood flow through your muscles through the pressure applied and helping to get better oxygen delivery to those muscles
• Releasing painful trigger points or knots in the muscle that may be hindering your movement patterns
• Decreasing muscle tightness and improving flexibility - rolling the muscles will help stretch and loosen the fascia that surrounds your muscles, helping many other structures move more freely, therefore increasing your ability to perform better!

Benefits of foam rolling AFTER training:

• Help decrease your recovery time - sore and fatigued muscles after a workout can be attributed to lactic acid buildup; as you roll those tired muscles, blood and nutrients flood the area to help your body to recover and remove waste products
• Keep your body less prone to injury - keeping structures throughout the body moving more easily will limit injury caused by restrictions

Helpful tips to remember: Take deep breaths, relax your body and the muscle being targeted, move slowly to gain awareness of trigger points, and apply pressure.

Time to get rolling,
Coach Cari