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British Heavyweight Boxing
Boxing promoter Frank Warren must be furious. The 'spectacle'
that was presented to the viewing public, never mind the paying
fans inside London's ExCel arena, on Saturday 10 th Dec 2005 was
a diabolical demonstration of exactly how far...
Golf Gloves Training Aids
Golf training aids come in all different forms. You can even purchase golf gloves training aids. These help you to know exactly how to grip and hold your club for you to develop that smooth, consistent, and powerful swing. A good golf grip is a...
Putting Adversity On Ice
It's been just over two years since 36-year-old Scott Brandon became a paraplegic. After going through all the natural adjustments and emotions such a life-changing experience brings, he has neither the time nor inclination to wallow in...
Rematch between Jones and Hopkins
Representatives of both boxing fighters have agreed to a March
11th, 2006 fight. The 12-round light heavyweight fight is
scheduled to be shown on HBO pay-per-view.
Jones (49-4, 38 KOs), who turns 37 on January 16th is a former
middleweight,...
The Fiesta Bowl is Moving Out of Town
In College Football the Fiesta Bowl is saying good bye to the
Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona after 35 years since Arizona
State beat Florida State 45-38 in the inaugural Fiesta Bowl on
December 27th, 1971.
Next year, the College...
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Ready, Steady, Crocked
The motorway was hell, your dinner was in the dog, but by some superhuman effort involving changing in a telephone booth, you just about made it to the sports centre on time. You've had a bad day, you want to hit something, but you couldn't find the traffic warden, so it will have to be a shuttle. And now…you're raring to go.
You strip off the tracksuit, select your favourite racquet (hopefully a Prince) and step onto court for a ‘knock' – just to warm you up. Jim whacks one up and you, forgetting that you're not playing for the Town Hall clock, in fact not even playing, leap backwards and hit a clear, exercising a perfect scissor kick just like your coach taught you. Magic.
Regrettably, the twang you hear next is not the sound of your sweet spot connecting with the shuttle, but rather that of your Achilles tendon snapping as your foot hits the ground. No more badminton for a while then; but, hey, no more motorway either, unless you drive an automatic.
The moral of this story is that a knock up is a knock up, not a warm-up. Badminton is a physically demanding sport and the better you are the harder it will be. (Assuming that your opponents are of a similar
standard). Whilst it is true that most club players do not warm up, it is also true that many of them pick up injuries, particularly as they begin to age. Many years ago I recall writing a newspaper article in which I described a veteran pair as ‘one bandage short of a full set'.
Research as early as the seventies highlighted that calf injuries are common in badminton, especially with the over 35s. Shoulder injuries are also common. Not all injuries are accidental; many result from overuse or bad technique (or both). There is a wealth of information available on warm-up and stretching, but I will write about warming up for badminton in the future. A few minutes warming up, light jogging, sidestepping, and some stretching, could save you a lot of money on bandages.
You only get one body; look after it.
Brian Mantel
About The Author
Brian Mantel
www.funkyfogey.com
The website for the active, healthy and wealthy over 50 age group.
customerservices@funkyfogey.com
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