Epoxy Floor Paint: Not During Winter

!±8± Epoxy Floor Paint: Not During Winter

During this wet season, you have plenty of time to make a list of house projects you will want to get accomplished in the warm weather next summer. Winter is a great time to plan out the projects that you will do and there's no need to wait until it's a Friday night of July to think of the needed supplies and tools that you will need to use next morning. Also, wet and cold weather is a great opportunity to realize the problems which are caused by the wet weather around your house but are unnoticeable on a hot summer day.

If your home has a basement, you should check to see if there is presence of moisture or maybe even standing water if your area has a high water table level when it rains. If there is water, this is not the appropriate time to add a basement concrete sealer but you can begin planning to do the job when the dry season returns. Painting the sealer on a damp area is useless because it won't bond and will just quickly peel off.

An additional project that you can think about to improve the usefulness of your basement floor is the application of an epoxy floor paint. If you want good results, again do not attempt to do this project on damp or moist concrete. Just like any other paint, an epoxy product will not adhere properly if there is water present. Sometimes you can get away with applying a water based paint in a damp situation but usually the added moisture will wash out the paint too much and make in ineffective. Also, a water based paint is no good for a floor anyway as it will not last very long at all. So, it's better to make plans now for the coming warm and dry season.

One thing that you should think about as you are creating your to-do list is this can actually be considered a "honey do" time. Make it a point to tell your significant other that it is important to search out for all the necessary tools and supplies that you will be using during the upcoming project. This will help you a lot when you are expected to deal with the real chores for the house. After all, if you are studying about how to do the project that should count as something, shouldn't it?

So, if you know how to play right your cards right, it may be possible that you can use that spare time on Sunday going to hardware store or reading a book that can help you learn about the project and formulate your plans. Then, you will have the time to lay back on your favorite couch and watch the NFL games.

Epoxy Floor Paint: Not During Winter

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The Truth About Agility and Quickness Training

!±8± The Truth About Agility and Quickness Training

Have you ever noticed that training for speed and agility improvement produces less results than does strength, power, muscular endurance, flexibility and aerobic endurance?

This explains why many athletes who perform resistance training, may develop considerable size, strength and/or endurance. Even stretching and jogging may offer some substantial improvement in their respective modalities.

Speed and agility improvement, on the other hand - doesn't come as easy. Let's start with speed. Clinical research, practical application and outstanding coaching has proven that virtually anyone can get "faster" with the appropriate program design. Speed, better labeled as velocity, is trainable. Linear speed - that is. Yes, science has proven that everyone can get faster - even slow kids can get faster. Straight line (linear) speed is is easy to increase for most people.

What about lateral speed, change of direction, agility and quickness? Exercise science researchers have provided little to no direction on training for the 'juke'. Sure athletic performance training coaches and companies try to make you believe that cones, ladders, agility rings and other apparatus are essential for improving speed. My hope is that after reading this article you will understand the hoax behind current "agility "training methods.

A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN SEEKING AGILITY & QUICKNESS:

1. Faster feet will NOT make you a better athlete. This is so far from the truth. If you have ever witnessed a Double Dutch competition, you will agree that there is no athlete on the planet who moves like Double Dutchers. If fast feet were the answer - then why not start recruiting double dutchers to play in the NBA, NFL or UFC? Fast feet are not the answer. The hips steer the ship, not the feet.

2. Looking down while performing an agility drill is BAD. Agility ladders and cones impair visual feedback. All sports have a "plane field" The plane field is where your head and eyes need to be during competition. Basketball players have a plane field that is considerably higher than soccer players. This makes sense - basketball players are tall, and the "business of competing" happens above the waist. Take a moment to see if your agility drill passes the Tennis Ball test. If you can hold a tennis ball in between your chin and neck while you perform an agility drill - your head is tilted in the wrong direction. The nervous system captures and stores every move you make while training. When you retrieve these moves for use on the floor or field - your body will remember to sink your head just as you did during the drill. If you fight the head sinking urge (rather during training or competition), you will confuse your nervous system and your body will produce uncoordinated and ineffective agility moves.

3. Agility and quickness training is less qualitative, less quantitative, and more relative. What does this mean? Coaches watch athletes and give them feedback on their form and technique - that's a qualitative analysis. Quantifying a training session means giving it sets and repetitions. Run 50 yards - ten times is quantifying a training session.

To be quicker and more agile, all training sessions for quickness and agility must incorporate the free-thinking of another human being. No training apparatus can come close to the reactive ability of another person. True agility training is like mental wrestling. Conventional agility training puts your nervous system to sleep. Combat athletes seem to understand this concept. In the classic 1984 film, "The Karate Kid", Daniel (Ralph Macchio) witnesses a "bad guy" breaking a piece of wood. "Can you do that?", he asks his Karate instructor (Pat Morita). The karate instructor's response, "I don't know, I've never been attacked by a piece of wood." I think Bruce Lee made a similar comment in one of his films when he said, "Boards don't hit back". My point is, agility and quickness training is relative to who you are trying to catch or escape from. Cones don't move. Cones don't think. I've never been tackled by an agility ring. I have been tackled by a 280 pound tackle named Adonis. You get the point.

There is a big difference between agility and maneuverability. How many world class sprinters are playing professional soccer or football? Speed is not as important as how you position yourself on a field, mat or floor that has a constantly changing environment. Agility training cannot be done in isolation. Don't approach agility training the way you would approach lifting weights. Agility and quickness training is a co-dependent activity, weight lifting is an independent activity - it can be done in total isolation and you will still see improvements. You cannot get quicker training by yourself.

The Truth About Agility and Quickness Training

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Get Your Man The Perfect Gift!

!±8± Get Your Man The Perfect Gift!

It sounds so simple, but if you want to please your man then give him what he wants. First, you must realize what he would actually buy for himself and what he would actually use.

1. Sports Tickets -

Ever been out to dinner and felt like you are competing with a TV for your man's attention? Let's face it. Your man would rather watch the game than hear about your friend's failing love life. I'm not saying he doesn't care about what you have to say, but he has his priorities--and for most men, sports are at the top. If your guy is a football fanatic, get him some NFL tickets. Maybe he prefers hockey? You can find some great deals on craigslist.org or eBay. People are always looking get rid of tickets last minute.

2. Electronics -

If your guy is a gamer then he is craving Halo 3. Already have it? Get him a gift card to EB Games or GameStop. Is he a film buff? Spend some time searching IMDB for one of his favorite director's first flicks. Ladies, this is a great way to impress your man. Scrounging up a rare movie from the 80's will score you major points. Whether your man is a cinefile or audiophile, he will be realize and appreciate your scouring the planet his favorite artist's early work--and you will be rewarded.

3. Adventure -

Does he always complain about work? Maybe he needs a vacation. We all need the occasional escape to clear our heads. What better way then dashing off to a tropical island for a week? A little vacation can rejuvenate him and can also rekindle the flame that used to be a burning forest fire. Not a beach person? Book a long weekend at a cozy mountain lodge. There's nothing like getting out on the slopes, cuddling by a fire, and drinking hot chocolate to cure those winter blues. What man can turn down an adventure?

4. Truck Accessories -

I have a friend whose girlfriend got him a cold air intake for Christmas. At first I was a little confused, but then I thought, "Does she have a sister?" He was really into his car, and you could tell he loved the present--probably because he always let you know where he got it. I don't think you can go wrong with an automotive accessory. From my 2-year-old nephew to my grandpa, men of all ages love trucks. If you are looking to drop a few bucks, consider getting him a nice set of rims or a full performance exhaust system. The loud growl that aftermarket parts add to his truck's sound will surely get his testosterone pumping. But if you're like me, and your pockets are running light around the holidays, you could get him a sturdy set of truck floor mats. They may not be exciting, but they are useful and he will appreciate that. At least they won't be sitting in the back of his closet with the other hideous sweaters you picked out for him.

If all else fails swing by Victoria's Secret, pick up the sexiest outfit you can find, cook him his favorite meal, and massage his back till your thumbs go numb. I don't think any man can argue with a good meal and a back rub. Whatever you do, don't get him some couples treatment from a spa. Facials and mud baths are for chicks.

Get Your Man The Perfect Gift!

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Spinal Cord Injuries During Football Season

!±8± Spinal Cord Injuries During Football Season

Football is a violent sport. For many fans, this is part of its appeal. For the players, however, the violence inherent in the game poses a serious health risk. With this year's football season already begun, there's no time like the present to focus on the potential for spinal cord injury, measures for prevention, and methods of treatment.

Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. It is protected by the vertebrae and extends into the lumbar spine. The signals that pass between the brain and the body via the spinal cord are responsible for regulating our most essential functions: bowel and bladder control, blood pressure, body temperature regulation and sensation.

Injury to the spinal cord can occur as the result of tumors, developmental disorders, disease, and - what I'll be focusing on in this article - trauma. A physical trauma can cause strain on the spinal cord, compression of the spinal cord, or fracture of the vertebrae surrounding the spinal cord, resulting in damage to the cord itself. Oftentimes, when the spinal cord is injured, the messages cannot pass between the brain and the body. When this is the case, essential bodily functions can fail - causing paralysis or even death.

Football Injuries

Head, neck, and spine injuries are common in football; this stands to reason as falls and hard hits are an everyday occurrence for all players - no matter what position they play or level of play (high school, college, or the NFL). If the angle and velocity of these impacts are just right, spinal cord injury is a natural result. Various sources offer statistics regarding football-related injuries. Although the exact figures in these reports may vary, all sources agree that even just a single severe spinal cord injury is too many.

To be fair, I believe equal attention should be paid to the athletes on the sidelines: cheerleaders. These men and women have progressed to complex acrobatics that send them hurtling through the air. Stunts like these can result in cheerleaders falling on their heads or backs, or with other cheerleaders landing on top of them. Clearly, these scenarios can result in head trauma or spinal cord injury, and these types of injuries are also an unfortunate reality of the sport of cheer leading.

Treatment

At my practice, we use several methods for treating our patients with spinal cord injuries on Long Island. The ultimate goal of these therapies is to decompress the spinal cord and stabilize the spinal column.

After surgery, most of our spinal cord injury patients in the NYC metro also undergo physical therapy and other ancillary therapies. Thanks to advanced treatment methods, life expectancy and quality of life for these patients may be significantly improved. Victims of these injuries can go on to lead full lives, even if they have lost the use of their arms and legs.

Prevention While improving treatment for football-related injuries is a worthy goal, equal emphasis needs to be placed on preventing the injuries from occurring in the first place. I can offer several suggestions.
Coaches and trainers: Perform thorough physical exams to ensure that no athletes are playing injured. Encourage training for coaches and staff so that they are prepared to respond to a spine injury. Coach players to use methods of blocking and tackling that do not use the head as a "battering ram." Arrange for a physician to be on the field during practice or a game in case of emergencies. Make sure that helmets are well-fitted and that straps are tight. Officials: Continue to enforce penalties against helmet-to-helmet contact. Players: Focus on keeping the head up, even when blocking and tackling. Trainers should work with players to strengthen neck muscles so that they can maintain proper posture during the game. Players need to immediately report "warning signs" of an injury (such as numbness or tingling, pain or pressure in the head/neck/back, weakness or uncoordination, and difficulty breathing) - and should not return to the game.

Measures can also be taken to prevent cheer leading injuries. Experts suggest improving the facilities where stunts are performed (for example, requiring floor mats and avoiding wet surfaces), limiting the participants who can perform more dangerous stunts to those with more experience, and requiring coaches to undergo specialized safety training. It's important to note that cheer leading is not considered a sport by some schools, and thus is not as heavily-regulated as other athletics. Many have suggested that, until cheer leading is sufficiently regulated by all schools, sufficient safety improvements cannot be made.

Spinal Cord Injuries During Football Season

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