My Journey into Football.

I started playing football in May 2016. As a team we started playing futsal. I really had not been too interested in playing the game as much as I enjoyed watching it and training athletes. My main game had been basketball through school and college and then from college through my early career it had been bodybuilding. I had also been training a football player for Strength and Conditioning for 4 months prior to that.

I really had not been one to play the game but I had a strong and strict mentor and great teammates. After my first game, I took some time to reflect on the game. I knew nothing about practically being in the field. However, in this team I was a part of I realised I wasn't put down but encouraged and built up.

Some of my team mates

My Head Coach and team captain saw my potential and srengths and weaknesses in realation to the game and assigned me a position. It was a position that I instantly 'clicked' into and in further months started to become even better at it.

I started to learn more about the game and follow the instructions and rules. I found myself improving mentally, physically and skilfully. I also took time to study the game. We play 5 a side football so I started learning more about that. I also took an interest in changing my training routine to play better on the field. That tremendously helped my client who played football. I was three weeks into play when I got my first compliment. 'You have really improved and I dont like it. You are causing too much trouble for me to score.' 

 

First pair of football shoes!

My head coach sponsored a pair of football shoes for me. I was using cross trainers to play when he advised to get indoor football shoes and he got them for me.

A month and a half later I scored my first goal! My head coach who was also playing with us set me up for it! As the months progressed I started to focus more on my defense position and also watch other positions play. As a strength and conditioning coach at some point I have to know how to train those positions. In November, we moved more into indoor 5 a side football. I scored my 2nd goal playing a forward position!

My improvements came through an extremely patient and suppportive team. They kept correcting me and encouraging me. There was never one session I came out feeling like a loser. 

 It seems at the age of 36 I have found a sport I can get involved in. I look forward to each session and enjoy every bit of learning I get. My journey continues.....

Turning up the Heat: Steam Showers

I'm in the beautiful city of Shillong for a family event. 'The Scotland of the East' is a beautiful place and I enjoy the natural beauty and natural and healthy food. Here's a pic from a viewpoint near my place.

Shillong, can get really cold at this time of the year. Its most severe winter months are from December to February. Unfortunately, I'm not the type that handles cold weather very well. After a few days here my muscles and back was aching from the shivering and I was getting really tired. I also didn't want to end up with a chest congestion. Then I did something that I did regularly before and still do once in a while now- have a really hot shower! It worked. The shower head was powerful so I also got the added advantage of a hydrotherapy massage.

I closed the windows and all air vents. The steam from the water filled up the room. So while I had a shower I could also do a steam inhalation. This is one of the best ways I have got a steam inhalation considering, I got my chest to clear, I got a massage and I got my muscles relaxed.

So after doing this consistently for three days (and I'm still continuing) here are the benefits I found.

1) Muscles and nerves relaxed: The terrible pain from my muscles  being so contracted and locked up and nerves being overactive started to ease out.

2) Clear Breathing passage. I could feel a light heaviness in my chest start to build up and I knew a bad congestion was not far behind. After the first hot shower, that stopped immediately. As I mentioned before the steam in the room helped greatly.

3) Active: I could move more actively and freely and be more productive instead of feeling and being like a human popsicle!

4)  Detox: I did feel better like after I do a detox. Only later did I find out steam showers actually assist the body detox.

5) Massage: I got a powerful relaxing massage due to the water force.

5) Cost and Convinience: I could do this in my own house. I didn't need a sauna session, jacuzzi session a spa or any other expensive method.

So these are the benefits I found out of my personal experience. I also found a link which lists more benefits of steam showers which you can find here.


I encourage you to give the steam showers a go and find out its benefits for yourself.

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A Deeper Look - The Importance of Strength Training

Over the years as an athlete trainer and a coach, a lesson that I have learnt and continued to learn is the importance of strength. I cannot emphasise this enough. Smart planned consistent strength training is vital to good health. These days I have been finding my niche in exercise for rehab and special populations (senior citizens, pre and post pregnancies, basic orthopaedics) and athletic strength and conditioning. I keep seeing the same thing over and over again. A simple weakness in a few muscles can cause terrible discomfort for people. Though I have been able to assist many people into recovering faster and easing their pains and discomforts, I thought I'd share a few of the things I learnt about the importance of strength training.

Strong muscles are necessary to hold your body up properly! 

1) Strength training strengthens the whole body and all its systems - Strength training generally trains the entire body- bones, muscles, nerve activity, tendons, ligaments, internal organs, cardiovascular systems etc.


2) Strong muscles protect the body - Strong muscles doesnt necessarily mean deadlifting 300lbs. It also isnt the priority to make you look good though its a byproduct. However, strong muscles help your balance preventing falls, In the event of a fall, a stronger muscle can contract harder and prevent more serious damage from happening. It can protect your joints and internal organs.  Whiplash most times is a caused by weak musculature. A strong muscle will help your balance, protect joints and internal organs, and stop serious whiplash.

Courtesy: pixabay.com

3) Strong muscles help in posture - Posture is underestimated. Incorrect posture is the cause of most back pains, neck pains, mobility issues, etc. A large cause of incorrect posture are weak muscles or muscle imbalances ( a group of muscles too tight and another group too weak).
Posture is largely connected to muscles and if muscles are weak you literally get bent out of shape!

Courtesy: www.ergonomics-info.com

  

4) Muscles - Bone relation - Strong muscles helps bones stay in place. We already saw how muscle and bone is necessary for posture. However another aspect of strong muscles are its ability to overcome the strength of the bones. Take for example the unfortunate even of a limb- bone breaking.
Assuming its not a complicated or extremely serious fracture what holds that bone in place rather than slinging off is the fact that the muscle is holding it in place. I heard a story of a person who walked about a mile with a broken leg! He was on a deserted road and limped his way to help. Another instance I heard about was of an amateur bodybuilder in South Africa. He put on so much muscle mass and strength that he broke his bones. He didn't take necessary supplements for bone health.

Im sure you see the further importance of strength training. Of course you do need proper guidance for specific aspects of strength. If you have any questions you can get in touch with me.

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