Frisbee for Fun and Fitness
Are you looking for a fun and intriguingly unique sport to help you stay and/or get motivated for your personal fitness? Possibly interested in finding a nice outdoor activity to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine? Today is your lucky day because your flying disc of healthy fitness fun has just landed. Here is an article to help you get on your way to some really fun fitness in the sun with a Frisbee.
Let’s look at some of the many ways to enjoy the magical Frisbee and make it a part of your daily fitness routine.
Ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate Frisbee is possibly the ultimate way to truly enjoy the fine art of Frisbee to its fullest. It is actually now simply called Ultimate because the Wham-O toy company apparently holds the copyright to the name of Frisbee. While there are too many styles of Ultimate to be able to fit in a short article, the synopsis is that you basically score a point by passing a Frisbee to a player on your team who is standing in an area which has been designated as the goal area. You can only throw the Frisbee when it is in your hand as the rules do not permit to walk or run with the Frisbee in hand.
Frisbee Golf
Golf anyone? Yes you heard right. There is a fun and unique form of Frisbee known as Frisbee Golf that you may or may not have heard of. It is also known as Disc Golf or evidently even occasionally by “Frolf”. Whatever name it goes by it is a pastime you might enjoy exploring more by either finding a local Frisbee Golf course or even fashioning a portable one and playing with some friends or family. You may be in a lucky situation where there is actually a Frisbee Golf league near you that you can join so you can get a good introduction from some seasoned Frolf pros. There are actually around 3000 or so courses in the US and supposedly one out of five Golf rounds played in the US in 2009 was actually a round of Frisbee Golf.
The object of Frisbee Golf is to make it through a course in the fewest number of throws possible. This is the similarity to the sport of Golf and the naming as a resulting factor. Instead of the conventional holes of Golf, the targets in Frisbee Golf are usually posts with chainlike nets in which you can throw a Frisbee. As Frisbee Golf is played at a leisurely pace in parks and so on, it is truly a pastime that is likely going to be fun for the whole family.
Frisbee Dog
Looking for some outdoor fun with your golden retriever or other fetching-friendly four legged companion? Frisbees can be a dog’s favorite toy and it is such a popular phenomenon that there are even competitions for catching a Frisbee in flight. This sport is aptly named Frisbee Dog or Disc Dog and while it may be tempting to go competitive with your adorable flying friend, it may be even better for both of you to just keep it fun and stress free!
Asian Urban Transit Aerobics
It seems that some societies have a natural tendency toward fitness incorporated into their daily urban environments. Let’s take a look at some of the way some Asian cultures with modern societies incorporate exercise into their daily urban routines, and also look at how this may differ from societies where obesity is apparently more of an issue. What may come as a surprise is how a couple of classic technologies can help to keep the citizens of a very modern city attractively fit and slim.
The bicycle is likely the first and foremost ubiquitous icon of urban fitness that one is likely to spot in an Asian city. It does a wonderful job of keeping the air clean while simultaneously providing relatively quick and convenient transportation through the city streets. It is one invention that has truly held its own through other advances in modern transportation technology. It requires no gas, no electricity, little maintenance, and is generally very affordable to the masses. Combine it with electric mass transit, and a city is humming with green, sustainable energy.
What the bicycle does for the one that powers it is truly remarkable. The body is nourished with healthy aerobic exercise and the rider feels invigorated with vibrant energy. It can be pure pleasure to cycle through the sunny city streets and can potentially even make the ride to work become a journey of discovery. One may chance upon a new shop or café that they had never seen before, and would likely not have seen if speeding past in a car or train. One may also chance upon an attractive new person to invite to the aforementioned café. While feeling so invigorated, it is easy to start the day and leap into the next task at hand. When arriving at their destination the rider may feel truly ready to continue their momentum and spring into action in a whole new way.
Next up is a spectacularly simple invention that once seemed to be practically irreplaceable. The staircase is still present in just about any building with 2 or more stories, but it seems that it is being hidden more and more. What may seem odd is that in some Asian cities, the train systems sometime offer no other easy way to access the train platform. Elevators are not always available and if escalators are present, they often only run in one direction. Even when there is an elevator available, they are usually small and generally only used by people with strollers or large luggage and so on. What all of this means is that people are actually using their bodies to walk up and down staircases which are often rather long. It may be surprising, but they are not generally winded and collapsing at the top, either. Let’s just say that this sort of daily exercise is gold for those who are seeking a firmer and smaller behind.
There are, obviously, other factors involved in these cities which contribute to the people staying fit. Combined with a greatly decreased intake of red meat so prevalently ingested in parts of the west, this daily integrated exercise goes a surprisingly long way to make a fit society.
Lamaze Breathing
For those who are trying to take a more natural approach to labor then it’s a very good idea to find some good Lamaze breathing classes. Lamaze breathing consists of breathing techniques that help manage the pain of labor. It isn’t a pain killer. Its purpose is to take your concentration off the pain and on the breathing. It also helps you stay relaxed and keeps you from panicking. Lamaze breathing is a great exercise during pregnancy as well because it delivers more oxygen to the baby.
The cleansing breath is known as the more basic breath that you would probably learn in class. The technique is easy and calming. You would breathe in slowly and deeply though your nose and exhale just as slow through your mouth. The cleansing breathe or signal breathe is usually used at the beginning and end of contractions. This breathes also signals that a contraction is at work.
Another technique is called the blowing breath. This is more of a shallow breath that’s done when you’re relaxed. It’s a very soft breath. To get a feel at how shallow it needs to be you can grab a paper or candle and hold it some inches away and when you breathe out the paper should flutter or if you’re using a candle the flame would gently blow out. To try this as an exercise do a cleansing breathe for 90 seconds and follow with the blowing breathe for another 90 seconds and then go back to the cleansing breathe for another 90 seconds.
The patterned breathe is the one everyone knows as the “hee, hee, hoo”. The technique behind this one involves 2-4 rapid exhales of hee, hee, hee to one blow of hoo. They are soft inhales in between the exhales and the blow. That is, inhale rapidly in between the hee and the hoo. When you’e having a contraction you want to start with the cleansing breathe then the patterned breathing and end again at the cleansing once the contraction starts slowing down.
There is no right or wrong breath. Do what makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. The different stages of labor might be another determining factor. During your pregnancy practice all the breathing techniques along with some deep breathing techniques to get some extra oxygen flowing through your body and down to your body. If you practice breathing throughout your pregnancy then breathing during labor should become a second nature to you and it will be more manageable. Remember there’s a difference between breathing deeply and hyperventilating. Make sure you keep a healthy balance in your breathing and to make it fun have a friend join you.
Pre-natal Yoga
Yoga is a great form of exercise. Its benefits are similar to that of Lamaze breathing. It will teach you how to breathe so that you can manage the pain of labor. It also strengthens your pelvic muscles making it easier to push the baby out during labor. The greatest thing about yoga is that it is a relaxing exercise that brings awareness to your body. Pre-natal yoga not only connects mind body and soul but it also connects you to the life force you have growing inside of you. Yoga has numerous benefits.
The yoga practices will show you how to breather deeper and more fully. Breathing techniques have been used for centuries to help manage the pain of labor. Yoga during pregnancy is a great form of exercise. It will tone your muscles which will help you carry your baby in your tummy and once you’ve given birth. There are poses that will help you stretch muscles will put stress on your lower back from carrying extra weight in front of you.
The first thing they teach you in the class are breathing techniques. These techniques are very similar to Lamaze breathing except they are slower and deeper inhales. Ujjayi breathing is when you breathe in through your nose deep enough to where your belly expands fully. The exhale is just as slow and as deep. This breathing technique will help you stay calm and manage any discomforts of pregnancy. It also delivers extra oxygen to your baby. Remember, you’re breathing for two people. This same breathing exercise can help you prevent early contractions. When people panic or under stress the body releases hormones that may induce labor. The breathing will help you relax all of your muscles so that you don’t tighten up and start contractions early.
A great pose to start out with is the Coobler’s or Tailor’s pose. This pose will help to open up your pelvis. If you are very flexible just make sure that your sit bones are well grounded. You can do so by pulling each side out a little bit. If you need extra support then place a mat, towel or pillow. Sit up against the wall with the soles of your feet touching each other. You can either gently push down on your knees toward the floor or your can just place your elbows if it seems to be enough. With each exhale try to relax and go a little deeper in the stretch making sure that each movement is synchronized with the breath. You should feel your hips opening up and releasing. You can stay in this position as long as you want but make sure that you ease your way out of it especially if you’ve sat in this position for more than one minute.
Tennis For Fitness
Looking for a really great way to get in or stay in shape while having a really good time enjoying a friendly game? How about simultaneously developing your hand eye coordination and advancing your skill in a popular sport? There is a certain casual recreational game that current history claims began as a simple enjoyable pastime of French monks; a game which has evolved over the years into a rather competitive international sport enjoyed by people all over the world. It is sure to tone you up and likely be one of your enjoyable pastimes for years to come.
Tennis has truly come a long way over the past thousand years or so and now you too can enjoy this classic sport while getting in great shape in the process. You may or may not be surprised to hear that running around on a relatively small tennis court can really be an epic aerobic workout rivaling just about any other sport around. What is possibly just as surprising is how enjoyable such a simple game can be and how such a small court can remain fun regardless of how many hours you play. It is likely that you have already tried it, or have a friend or relative who plays. If you have tried it, then you can likely confirm its rigorously dynamic aerobic benefits. Anyone who has tried it and given any true effort to chasing a tennis ball around knows how intense it can be and how much running can actually happen on such a small court.
Arm development is another feature of tennis which is wonderful as long as one balances their workout regime with other forms of exercise. As with any sport with many similar repetitive movements originating from one side of the body, it is important to learn how to play with both hands for optimal fitness benefit. This is, of course, unless you are training to be a tennis pro and feel that maximizing your skill with only one hand is more efficient. If that is the case then you may want to find another fast and effective way to exercise your other arm in a similar manner to ensure you have a balanced physique from your efforts.
These days it seems like there are public tennis courts in just about every town, so finding a place to practice and hone your skills should be fairly simple. Indoor and outdoor courts are both great, although an indoor court is obviously the appropriate all weather option. Many fitness clubs and community centers also have tennis courts and hopefully you can find one that is relatively convenient and suits your style.
Like any sport with equipment, there are a couple of necessary things for playing a game of tennis. You likely already have a pair of tennis shoes, or at least something suitable. A racket and a can of tennis balls is all that is really required to start playing tennis right away. So go have a ball and join the tennis racket.