OUTDOOR SPORT

Five Tips For Swimming Pool Fun

2011-01-28T23:41:00.000-08:00

Author: Allen Smith

Swimming is a great way to exercise and it can benefit anyone. If you're not fortunate enough to have your own swimming pool, you can use your local public swimming pool, or even swim in the sea if you're reasonably close to the coast. Whatever way you do it, try to get wet often; it's good for you and lots of fun too!

1. Keep moderation in mind when you go in the pool. Begin with short period of 10 to 20 minutes. You can increase this when you gain in stamina. And don't try all the hardest strokes at first. Build up to it gently.

2. Use a quality filter for your pool. Trying to save here will only result in constant maintenance costs. It will also mean swimming in a pool that is always dirty.

3. Repair any tear in your swimming pool liner as soon as possible. If the tear is three inches or less it should repair easily. If it is larger you may have to replace the entire liner.

4. Don't allow children (or adults) to run near the pool. Running and diving into a pool is asking for trouble. Accidents can easily happen on slippery surfaces, so play safe always.

5. If you find that all your pool toys, chemicals and cleaners are becoming unmanageable, find someplace to store them. A shed or pool house near the pool is ideal. However, be careful not to store chemicals that may react with each other close together. Also make sure the room is well ventilated.

Hand mitts, paddles, swim fins, and kickboards are all ways to make your swimming more fun and challenging to provide better exercise. These days you can even swim to music by using a specially designed radio that fits into a waterproof bag. So don't just lounge around the pool all day. Use it as it is intended to be used – swim and enjoy life!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/water-sports-articles/five-tips-for-swimming-pool-fun-4122127.html

About the Author

Steve Taylor writes about high quality pool pumps like the Hayward pool pumps online.

Skiwalking with Nordic Walking Poles for Winter Fitness Fun

2010-01-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

If you've been on the lookout for some fun and effective winter fitness activities, look no further. Skiwalking with Nordic walking poles is hitting the scene as more and more people discover this inexpensive and easy to learn activity.

What is Skiwalking?

Skiwalking is one of the more popular winter fitness activities in Europe. Over half the entire population of Finland has tried skiwalking, and 6 million people worldwide have participated in this fun new way of walking. Skiwalking is simply walking with specialized Nordic walking poles. It's super-easy and anyone who can walk can skiwalk. It can be done anywhere, and it doesn't matter if there's any snow on the ground or not. As a matter of fact, skiwalking has been used for years by ski coaches as a conditioning activity for the summer months.

The Benefits of Skiwalking

There are lot of benefits to skiwalking that make it worth a try. You don't need any advanced level of fitness or athletic ability to take advantage of skiwalking. Seniors, overweight people, those who suffer from chronic joint pain, as well as people with balance issues can participate. If you can walk, you can probably skiwalk. Skiwalking is great if you're looking for new winter fitness activities, since the poles increase stability when walking in snowy conditions. Snow, however is not needed in order to participate in skiwalking. Many people skiwalk year round. Skiwalking is actually easier for many people than traditional walking since the stress on the hips, knees, shins, thighs, and other joints is decreased. Skiwalking strengthens the neck, back, arms, shoulders, and abdominal muscles. Even better, although this activity is low impact, it actually burns 40% more calories, yet it engages more muscles than traditional walking. If that's not a reason to try skiwalking, I don't know what is! Finally, skiwalking is an inexpensive activity to get started in, with Nordic walking poles available at around $70. Buy yours here and get started today.

Hitting the Skiwalking Trails

Your skiwalking trail could be your neighborhood or nearby park. It could even be the beach or any other place you like to walk. Many winter skiwalkers are taking advantage of the same trails used by snowshoers and cross country skiers. You might even pack your poles and head for a luxury ski resort for a skiwalking weekend. How much fun would that be? If you'd rather stay at home, check out nearby ski resorts for suitable skiwalking trails near you. If you don't live in a traditional skier's heaven, that's ok too. There really are no limitations. The world is your trail! Anywhere you can walk, you can skiwalk, although I don't think I'd try it at the mall!

Resources
Article by gabbi525 (18,209 pts )
Edited & published by KJ Fitness,Ink (3,333 pts ) on Dec 17, 2009

1. Skiwalking: www.skiwalking.com

2. Skiwalk: www.skiwalk.com

3. Nordic Walking USA: www.nordicwalkingusa.blogspot.com

2010-01-14T17:07:00.001-08:00

One of the great joys of camping is the cleansing effect of leaving everything unnecessary at home, to be able to carry everything you need with you, giving a real snail-in-it's-shell independence. But to do this you need to throw away all your conditioning, the airing cupboard full of clothes is a long way away, so how do you plan?

The answer is of course the 'The Rule of Three'. As a system it's very simple and it means you carry the bare minimum and yet manage to smell reasonably acceptable when you meet people who haven't spent the week in a tent. This method is of course based on civilised camping where both showering and cloth washing facilities are available (as when camping in France), but it works pretty well for rough campers willing to dive into mountain streams...

It works like this... you need three items of any clothing that you wear next to your skin. So let's take socks as an example.
Day 1 - You put on the first pair of nice clean socks and cycle all day in them. By the end of the day these will be a tadge 'ripe'. So when you go and have your shower you then put on the second pair of (clean) socks.

Day 2 - You get up in the morning and put on the dirty socks from day 1. Now I know they are going to be a bit smelly, but they have been airing for 12 hours and as you'll be cycling they aren't going to be tooooo bad. The second pair of nearly clean socks, which you've only worn on clean feet for a few hours, are put into the 'nearly clean' bag. That evening you shower and put on the 'nearly clean' socks and then wash the dirty pair.

This means that you now are wearing pretty clean socks, have a totally clean and unused pair and a third pair clean but wet.

Day 3 - Today you put on the nearly clean pair of socks and put the wet socks on the outside of the bike to dry (if you haven't dried them already). At the end of the day you again shower, put on the unused pair of socks and wash the, by now, quite dirty socks.

This means you are now wearing clean socks, have a totally clean pair that you've dried, and another pair clean, but wet.

Repeat as necessary...

This method applies to pants, socks, and T-shirts. Carrying three of each will take up very little room. It means that you will always have in your bag a clean, dry pair of socks etc.

It also applies to towels. I carry three 'muslin nappies' - these are made of something like cheesecloth and will both dry you after a shower, and dry themselves very quickly. Carrying three (old T-towels do just as well) means you should always have a clean(ish) dry towel. People carrying a 4 foot bath towel generally end up growing mushrooms by the end of a week...

The snag (which I guess you've noticed) is if it rains... In this case you may not be able to dry those socks and in this case once you have one wet pair it's important to NOT wash another. You simply stop the cycle and continue to wear the dirty pair in the day, shower and then put on the relatively clean pair in the evening, all the while trying to dry the third pair. In this way the worst case scenario is that you do get a bit smelly in the day, but in the evenings you will remain fragrant.

The Rule of Two

With items that are not next to the skin the 'rule of two' comes into force. It works like the rule of three, but because these clothes will not get so smelly you can run them on a two day cycle - i.e. one on, one clean etc but because these items will never get as smelly this is less critical.

Total packing

What this system means is that you should carry three pairs of socks, pants and three T-shirts. Two pairs of cycling shorts and fleeces make up the kit and that total will take very little space. Remember that in extremis buying a clean set of socks or a cheap T-shirt will cost pence.

To this list of clothing I add a set of thermal underwear which I wear in cold weather as pyjamas - in the summer there's no real need, but out of season it's a very versatile addition to your kit and something that you can wear under fleeces to keep you toasty in the evenings. A pair of lightweight camping trousers, or an indian cotton dress will help the image in the evening and not add much to your weight.

Some of you may have realised that this is all you need for any length tour - in fact you need carry little more for a 6 week adventure than you would for a weekend away.

And on a personal note, I find the use of a decent underarm deodorant makes my T-shirts last a LOT longer before people move away from me in bars...

Thanks to www.bretonbikes.com for providing this article also see our camping checklist article, La Crosse Technology WS-7014CH-IT Wireless Weather Station,

Outdoor Sports Injury Prevention

2010-01-14T01:18:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Paul Auerbach

Outdoor recreation is the fastest growing category of recreation in the U.S., and perhaps worldwide. In addition to hiking, trekking, backbacking, camping, fishing, hunting, skiing, swimming, boating, scuba diving, and all of the other outdoor recreational activities with which we are familiar can be added sports activities, some of which include competitions. So, when you consider surfing, windsurfing,mountain biking, rock climbing, adventure races, triathlons, marathons, and all of the assorted activities that are perpetrated outdoors, outdoor sports is a huge category.

Each activity has a set of rules for injury prevention. For instance, if you are a scuba diver, there are unique concerns for which you must be aware, such as how long you spend underwater and at what depth, rapidly you ascend from the depth, which marine animals to avoid, and so forth. There isn't enough space in this individual post to consider every activity, but there is certainly room for a list of generalities, which are the foundation upon which are built the specific considerations of injury prevention.

Here is a list of injury prevention recommendations for outdoor sports, whether they be recreational or competitive:

1. Be prepared. The Boy Scouts (and Girl Scouts) have it right. There is no substitute for preparedness. Adherence to this basic rule will prevent or ease the majority of mishaps that occur in the wild. Proper education prior to situations of risk allows you to cope in a purposeful fashion, rather than in a state of fear and panic.

2. Prior to undertaking a trip where you will be far from formal medical assistance, it is wise to attend to any obvious medical problems. If you have not done so within the past 6 months, visit a dentist. Make certain that all of your immunizations are up to date.

3. Use common sense. Many accidents occur because people ignore warning signs or don’t anticipate problems. Swimmers are stung by jellyfish outside protective net enclosures; nonswimmers drown while participating in hazardous whitewater rafting adventures.

4. Pay heed to rangers, posted warnings, weather reports, and the experience of seasoned guides. For instance, in hot and dry weather, know the specific fire risks, and take no chances.

5. Prepare for situations of risk by developing your skills in less challenging conditions.

6. Wear recommended personal safety equipment, such as a flotation jacket, safety harness, or climbing helmet.

7. Do not tolerate horseplay in dangerous settings.

8. Many health hazards of wilderness travel, such as falls, can be avoided by a reasonable degree of strength and endurance, which can only be acquired by conditioning. Every expedition member should begin from a state of maximum fitness.

9. Other health hazards, such as temperature extremes and high-altitude disorders, can in certain circumstances be avoided by acclimatization to the environment. Acclimatization is a physiological adaptation that is often different from, and may be unrelated to, physical fitness.

10. Be prepared for foul-weather conditions. Always assume that you will be forced to spend an unexpected night outdoors. Carry warm clothing and waterproof rain gear. 11. Break in all footwear, and take care to pad rough edges and exposed seams.

11. Prepare a trip plan (itinerary) and record it in a location (trailhead, ranger station, marina, or the like) where someone will recognize when a person or party is overdue and potentially lost or in trouble.

12. Make sure that children wear an item of bright clothing and carry a whistle that they know to blow if they are frightened or lost. If you carry a radio, know how to tune in to a weather information channel.

13. In most stories of miraculous ocean or wildland survival, the first chapter includes the account of how the victim lost his way. All wilderness travelers should carry maps, be proficient with compass routing, understand how to signal for help, and know in advance where they intend to explore.

14. People with specific medical disabilities, such as chronic severe lung disease, may be advised by a physician to avoid certain stressful environments, such as high altitude.

15. Anyone who undertakes vigorous physical activity should consume adequate calories in a well-balanced diet. A debilitating weight-reduction program should not be continued in the wilderness, where a rescue might depend on extraordinary effort and endurance.

16. To avoid dehydration and exhaustion, take adequate time to eat, drink, and rest. Most adult males require 3,000 to 5,000 food calories each day in order to sustain heavy physical exertion. Women require 2,000 to 3,500 calories. A nutritious diet can easily be maintained with proper planning. Don’t plan to live off the land unless you are a survival expert.

17. Fluid requirements have been well worked out for all levels of exercise. Most people underestimate their fluid requirements. Encourage frequent rest stops and water breaks. If natural sources of drinkable water (springs, wells, ice-melt runoff) will not be encountered, you should carry at least a 48-hour supply. Carry supplies for water disinfection.

18. Use the buddy system. Don't enter a remote area without a companion, or better, a few companions.

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