Why Should You Use a Skate Mate Roller Skating Trainer?

Roller skating is a very fun activity. It has aerobic benefits similar to other aerobic exercises like jogging, running, or cardio karate except that roller skating is a low impact activity. "Low impact" means that this particular activity is less stressful on your joints and will not cause your joints to undergo joint degeneration (AKA wear and tear) prematurely unlike other aerobic exercises.

While this activity can be fun and entertaining, roller skating does not come without its dangers. Safety gear should always be worn to prevent serious injury. A helmet, wrist guards, elbow guards, and knee guards should always be worn when you are a beginning skater.

A Skate Mate roller skating trainer will enable the novice skater to develop two things:

1. balance
2. proprioception

A Skate Mate roller skating trainer is highly recommended because as a first time skater, you WILL have balance problems. Just like a baby who is learning how to walk will have balance problems and need a rolling walker to stand in, so too does a beginning skater need a roller skating trainer to guard against balance problems that promote falls and serious injuries.

You can not learn how to box effectively if you do not have the proper tools to box with minimal injury. Likewise, you can not learn how to skate effectively if you are always injuring yourself from frequent falling. For that reason, a roller skating trainer is needed to maintain your balance.

A Skate Mate roller skating trainer is the ideal tool to help you develop not only balance but also proprioception. Proprioception is a medical term to refer to your perception of the position of your joints without looking at your joints; i.e. "joint position sense". As I am sitting here writing this article, my proprioception, or perception of position, tells me that both my feet are on the ground and my legs are bent at the knees without me having to look at the actual position of my legs. That is proprioception.

Another way of putting it is that a guitarist would know where to strike the G-string by the position of his fingers on the guitar without him having to look at the strings. That is proprioception.

As a beginning skater, a Skate Mate roller skating trainer will help you develop proprioception so that you can skate down the aisle without looking at the position of your feet which will determine what direction you will be going as you travel on moving wheels.

Did you know that there is a neurological purpose when roller skating rinks do what is known as a "blackout" for a few songs? When they do a blackout, the lack of light will enable those with proprioception to continue skating while knowing where their feet are positioned on the floor. Skaters with little or no perception of position would find it difficult to skate in the dark and would have to wait until the lights return to see how their feet are positioned on the floor when they skate.

In a nutshell, those with proprioception have the ability to skate in the presence or absence of light whereas those with little or no proprioception require light in order to see how their feet are positioned for skating.

Balance and proprioception are two very important things you need to develop as a newbie roller skater. The proper tools such as a Skate Mate roller skating trainer are needed to stimulate proper neurological communication from your brain to your lower extremities (legs) and vice versa, to minimize injury during the learning process, and to maximize the enjoyment on skates.

Marissa Meme is a roller skating enthusiast and an article marketer for CatholicFavors.com where you can buy not only the Skate Mate roller skate trainer but also the finest in Catholic related items such as First Holy Communion gifts for boys and girls, and Confirmation crosses.

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Why Woman Should Lift Weights

We know that increasing and maintaining adequate muscle mass is one of the best ways to keep body fat at bay and to improve overall fitness, particularly as we age. We also know that weight lifting is the best way to build muscle mass. Still, the number of women who actually participate in any formal or consistent weight training workout is still extremely low. Most women who exercise are spending most of their gym time on cardiovascular exercise. Whatever your reasons for avoiding the weights, if you are a woman, here are ten reasons why you need to take strength training seriously. You Will Be Physically Stronger.
Increasing your strength will make you far less dependent upon others for assistance in daily living. Chores will be easier, lifting kids, groceries and laundry will no longer push you to the max. If your maximum strength is increased, daily tasks and routine exercise will be far less likely to cause injury. Research studies conclude that even moderate weight training can increase a woman's strength by 30 to 50 percent. Research also shows that women can develop their strength at the same rate as men. You Will Lose Body Fat.
Studies performed by Wayne Westcott, PhD, from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, found that the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for two months will gain nearly two pounds of muscle and will lose 3.5 pounds of fat. As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism, and you burn more calories all day long. Generally speaking, for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50 more calories each day. That can really add up. You Will Gain Strength Without Bulk.
Researchers also found that unlike men, women typically don't gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy. You will, however, develop muscle tone and definition. This is a bonus. You Decrease Your Risk Of Osteoporosis.
Research has found that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density (and enhance bone modeling) by 13 percent in six months. This, coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium, can be a women's best defense against osteoporosis. You Will Improve Your Athletic Performance.
Over and over research concludes that strength training improves athletic ability in all but the very elite athletes (See Article). Golfers can significantly increase their driving power. Cyclists are able to continue for longer periods of time with less fatigue. Skiers improve technique and reduce injury. Whatever sport you play, strength training has been shown to improve overall performance as well as decrease the risk of injury. You Will Reduce Your Risk Of Injury, Back Pain and Arthritis.
Strength training not only builds stronger muscles, but also builds stronger connective tissues and increases joint stability. This acts as reinforcement for the joints and helps prevent injury. A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease the pain of osteoarthritis and strengthen joints. You Will Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease.
According to Dr. Barry A. Franklin, of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, weight training can improve cardiovascular health in several ways, including lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. When cardiovascular exercise is added, these benefits are maximized. You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes.
In addition, Dr. Franklin noted that weight training may improve the way the body processes sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months. It Is Never Too Late To Benefit.
Women in their 70s and 80s have built up significant strength through weight training and studies show that strength improvements are possible at any age. Note, however, that a strength training professional should always supervise older participants. You Will Improve Your Attitude And Fight Depression.
A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did. Women who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program, all important factors in fighting depression.

You can learn more about strength training tips and tricks here: About Strength Training.

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