Dick Moss (dm@peupdate.com) is the publisher of PE Update - a website that keeps physical educators and coaches up-to-date on over 40 sports, fitness and coaching topics. The website also provides a free newsletter, blog and sample articles. Check it out at: http://www.peUpdate.com http://www.peupdate.com
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an affliction that can affect anyone who pecks away at a computer keyboard - and that includes elementary and high school students who may eventually work in computer-related jobs.
CAUSE
The syndrome is caused by repetitive stress, such as typing, and occurs because of compression of the median nerve that runs down the wrist and enters the palm of the hand.
Walking is one of the best exercises for lifetime fitness. But let's face it - plain old walking can be a boring proposition for students. As a result, the canny physical education teacher will find ways to make a walk more exciting.
Thanks to modern technology, there is now a fun activity that combines satellite navigation, orienteering, computer skills, treasure hunting.
At last! After long winter months of running in school hallways after endless hurdle drills on linoleum and cement after dreary, dark training runs on icy roads - Spring had finally sprung. We were finally the recipients of a beautiful, sunny Spring day. And although it was partly snow-covered, 200 meters of our track had melted.
With that familiar spring smell of fresh air and melting dog-doo in our nostrils, we were finally ready to do some serious damage in track practice.
There is not a teacher alive who has not stood in front of a classroom of drowsy students. There is no doubt that teaching effectiveness is much reduced when students can barely keep their eyes open. Fortunately, physical activity can be used to energize such classroom lulls.
ENERGY BREAKS
A short fitness break of three to four minutes can get the blood pumping again, relieve boredom, reduce tension and increase your students' level of alertness.
Whether you are running, cycling, paddling, performing aerobics routines or using cardio machines, the traditional method for monitoring exercise intensity is to measure heart rate. For the purpose of general fitness improvement, this allows you to determine whether you are working within your aerobic training zone - the intensity that most effectively improves the cardiovascular system without becoming uncomfortable and causing premature fatigue.
It is common practice for exercisers to take their heart rate after a bout of exercise. Whether running a track interval or performing an aerobics routine, this method is frequently used to monitor the intensity of exercise.
If you are part of an exercise group, common procedure is to wait until everyone has located their pulse (often 15 seconds or so) then to time six, 10 or 15 seconds while everyone counts their own heart beats.
Although speed is a major determinant of success in team sports, there are a number of errors that team sport coaches make when attempting to develop maximum speed in their athletes.
These errors include performing the sprints at the end of practice, sprint distances that are longer than that performed in games, and a total volume of work that is excessive.
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