Make Friends With Fat

Throughout the later part of the 20^th century the mentality surrounding weight loss was that less fat in the diet meant less fat on your body.  However the surge of low-fat and fat-free products in the stores only lead to American obesity rates skyrocketing as we entered the 21^st century.

If you examine many of the low-fat and fat-free products that were created, you would see that while the fat is not present, more sugar or sodium usually was.  More sugar in the diet eventually leads to body fat formation as well as increased risk of diabetes.  More sodium in the diet increases the risk of cardiovascular problems.  This is ironic because it was low fat diets that were being recommended to help people at risk for such health problems problems.

What we know now is that not all fat is created equal.  Starting at the bottom we have trans fats. Trans fats are the worst kind of fat.  You find them in certain fried foods and in packaged foods such as snack foods and icing.  These fats were man-made in a lab and are not natural to our body.  Not only do they clog your arteries, but they also attack HDL cholesterol, which is the “good” cholesterol that helps to remove the “bad” cholesterol from blocking your arteries.  Trans fats should not be consumed at all in the diet as they serve no benefit to the your health.  Saturated fats are the other fat that should be limited to only about 7-10% of the fat you consume.  It is solid at room temperature and found in animal fat such as meats, butter and cheeses.  Saturated fat also clogs arteries and is a main culprit in poor cholesterol.

Now we move on to friendly, unsaturated fats.  These include monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.  Both are liquid at room temperature and reduce bad cholesterol and cardiovascular problems as well as provide nutrients for cell development.  Many monounsaturated fats are also high in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant vitamin that protects against disease.  Monounsaturated fats can be found in olive, peanut, canola and sunflower oil.  They are also found in avocado and peanut butter.

In addition to being found in walnuts and seeds, polyunsaturated fats can be found in the form of omega fatty acids which are crucial to the body because we can’t make them on our own.  Many studies are coming out about the importance of omega fatty acids to improving our overall health.  Many doctors now recommend taking them in supplement form or getting them by eating fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and trout a few times per week.

Contrary to what was thought in the late 20^th century, not all fat is bad!  Now monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega fatty acids are seen as a crucial part of our everyday eating in order to fight against many of the problems we thought fat caused.  Replace high fat cheeses in sandwiches with half an avocado, replace meat meals with fatty fish a couple of nights a week, and snack on nuts and seeds to get the fat that you need to stay healthy and protect your health!

The Value in a Training Diary

For most athletes the hours, days and months seem to fly by when you are in season. Before you know it you are at your last game or competition and can’t really remember everything you did to get to this point. Whether the outcome of that game or competition is what you had expected or not wouldn’t it be great to look back and be able to analyze the path that got to you to that point?

One of my biggest suggestions for any athlete who is looking to improve their performance is to keep a training diary. Keeping a training diary is probably one of the most useful, yet overlooked secrets in sport! This can be done in so many ways, you just need to find which one works best for you. Get a notebook and keep it in your sport bag to write in immediately following a practice or competition, create a virtual notebook on your computer to write in when you get home, or download a training diary app from your smart phone to have wherever you go!

Coach Kristen has developed a training diary template that can be found and printed out by clicking HERE! Take the time after each practice game or competition to answer these questions and add anything else you feel is important. Make sure to look back periodically and evaluate your training either alone or share your diary with your coach and ask for his or her suggestions. Because remember…you cant figure out where you are going without knowing where you have been first!

Kristen Perri is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Mental Fitness.  She holds a masters degree in Sport Psychology, is a certified Mental Game Coach, Sport Hypnotist and Personal Trainer.  With over 8 years of cheer coaching experience, Kristen has coached all skill levels including middle school and junior varsity. Currently, Kristen is the Head Varsity Coach of a major Long Island Cheerleading Program. 

Helpful Hydration

Now that the weather is warm, proper hydration during athletic activity is even more important.  The average person without performing any physical activity loses 2-3 liters of fluid a day, whereas an athlete can lose up to 4-5 liters if they are training.  The body also needs proper electrolyte balance.  Electrolytes are compounds like sodium and potassium that are also lost during athletic activity in perspiration.  They are the reason why sweat is salty.  Electrolytes help with body functions such as heart rate, so it is important to make sure that you replenish them along with fluids while participating in athletic activity.

On a daily basis without physical activity you should be consuming 16 cups of water a day according to national standards.  This does not all have to come from drinking liquids, it also takes into account the liquids you consume in foods.  However an athlete drink up!  You could need up to 7 liters more fluid than the average sedentary person if they are training in hot and humid temperatures.

Here are some helpful tips for maintaining proper fluid and electrolyte balance during a summer workout!

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According to the American College of Sports Medicine, athletes should ingest 16oz of fluid in the 2 hours leading up to exercise.  If exercising in hot and humid temperatures, add another 8-16oz.

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As odd as it sounds, athletes should always be checking the color of their urine.  It should be light in color indicating the right amount of fluid and electrolytes.  If it is clear, get more electrolytes from gels or sports drinks like Gatorade.  If it is too dark, you need to drink more water.

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While exercising, athletes should be drinking 1 cup of fluid for every 15 minutes of exercise, which works out to 3-4 cups per hour.  If you don’t receive a break every 15 minutes, drinking more during longer rest intervals is still beneficial.

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Next time you are going to exercise in the heat, weight yourself before and after.  Athletes should ingest 2 cups of water for every pound they lost.  So if you went from 125 pounds to 122, you should consume 6 cups of fluid (2 cups x 3lbs).

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Be smart with your beverages.  If you are only working out for an hour or less, good old water is perfect for rehydrating.  After you reach the over an hour mark, that is when you need to start considering other beverages.  Try to stay away from sugary beverages like juices and sodas because they will give you stomach issues during and post exercise.  Electrolyte enriched beverages such as Gatorades and Accelerades are better for digestion and replenishing fluid and electrolytes.

Improper hydration can lead to many physiological issues such as headaches, dizziness, stomach problems, irregular heart beats and in extreme cases it can cause loss of consciousness and severe cardiac issues.  So please remember to hydrate properly this summer so you can get the most out of whatever athletic activity you are pursuing!

The Importance of Balance

Whether you’re on a cheerleading mat, balance beam, or walking down the street, maintaining balance is important to all functional movements. Balance is part of everything we do, regardless of whether strength, speed, or endurance is dominating the movement.

Balance training should always challenge an athlete’s limits of stability, or balance threshold. This threshold must be constantly stressed in multisensory environments such as grass, matted floor, or sand. By using different environments, athletes will improve dynamic balance and neuromuscular efficiency.

Individuals with altered neuromuscular (mind and muscle) control likely have specific kinetic chain imbalances. These imbalances affect the quality of movement, leading to altered movement patterns or injury. This is why balance training is a vital component of any cheerleading training program. It ensures optimum neuromuscular efficiency of the entire kinetic chain.




Kent Tarburton is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Fitness. He holds Personal Training certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the American Aerobic Association International (AAAI), the International Sports Medicine Association (ISMA), and is a certified Mental Game Coach.

Things Cheerleaders Say That Drive Your Coach Crazy

Admit it; you are all guilty of saying at least one of these phrases before.  So the next time these sayings come rolling off your tongue, watch your coach’s reaction…we guarantee you’ll see them cringe!

1.    “I can’t.” 

2.    “Are we doing this full out?”

3.    “Do we have to tumble?”

4.    “Can we get a drink?”

5.    “I forgot my sneakers.”

6.    “Does anyone have extra briefs?”

7.    “Wait! Which side of the mat do I put my sign on?”

8.    “Do we have to roll out the mats today?”

9.    “What are the counts?”

10.  “I can't find my bow.”

Shari Tarburton is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Educational Programming.  She is a New York State Certified Health and Physical Education Teacher, a certified Personal Trainer and Mental Game Coach, and a Varsity cheerleading coach.

Healthy Suggestions for Summer Fun

With summer on it’s way I am sure you are getting excited for going to the beach, going on vacations and overall just having time to relax in the sun.  Yet with all the excitement summer brings, many of you spend a lot of time worrying about your beach bodies and vacation weight gain.  Doesn’t that defeat the point of the joy that summer brings?  Just because you have tons of graduation parties, barbeques and beach bashes coming up, it doesn’t mean you have to disregard your healthy lifestyle plan.

Here are some easy ways to stay healthy during the summer months!

·      Summer salads: Potato salad, coleslaw, macaroni salad, these are staples at most barbeques and so is the heaping amount of mayonnaise that usually finds it’s way into the recipe.  Try and moderate your portions of these salads, or opt for versions that use vinegars instead of mayonnaise.

·      Dip into something healthier: While onion dips and creamy ranch are delicious on vegetables and chips, the calories can add up pretty quickly.  Use nonfat, plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or flavored hummus for dips instead of regular sour cream and mayonnaise to get the same flavor without the saturated fats.  Or use guacamole for some healthy unsaturated fat!

·      Burger makeover: While there is nothing like a juicy burger off the grill, there can be a lot of hidden fat inside that patty.  Make sure you are using lean ground beef, or make a veggie burger using lentils or black beans to still get a hearty flavor.  Top with avocado instead of cheese for an extra nutrient boost!

·      Dessert Decisions: Balance is key when it comes to dessert selection at a summer party.  If you decided you wanted to eat some classic potato or macaroni salad, scale back on starchy, high fat desserts like cakes and cookies and opt for fruit salad.  There are so many delicious fruits in season in the summer and their juicy, good for you flavor is better than most store bought desserts anyway.  Try utilizing the grill and making fruit skewers out of pineapple, melons and cherries.  The heat from the grill will caramelize the natural sugars in the fruit for a sweet, savory and nutritious treat!

·      Easy Exercise: One of the best things about summer is that the nice weather begs for outdoor activities.  Whether you join a summer team for softball, play volleyball whenever you are the beach, or just start taking daily walks or runs in the gorgeous summer mornings and nights, it’s easy to increase your activity level and calorie burn when the weather is on your side!

Summer is a time for relaxation not worry, so as long as your mindful of balance in the foods you are choosing and remembering to stay active you’re sure to be healthy and look great doing it! 

Do I Need Mental Game Coaching? (Assessment Included!)

The truth is every athlete from beginner to professional can benefit from working on their mental game. If an athlete wants to be the best they can possibly be they must not only train their physical game but their mental game as well.

Mental Game Assessment

Here is a list of statements, put a check next to all that apply to you.

~You do not have well-defined goals or goal specificity. You lack direction.

~You perform better in practice than during competition.

~You are so self-conscious; you worry about what others think about your game.

~You maintain many self-doubts about your sport before or during competitions.

~You worry about letting others down by not performing up to others expectations.

~You are too self-conscious and worried about how others may perceive you.

~You suffer from anxiety, worry, or excess tension when in competition.

~Pre-game jitters do not go away after the first few minutes into the competition.

~You are motivated by fear of failure and it affects your performance in competition.

~You have a fear of success and sabotage yourself when you are winning.

~You are not sure why you play your sport or let others be your source of motivation.

~You are motivated by external rewards, recognition, or praise.

~You attach your self-worth to how well you perform in sports.

~You lose focus or have mental lapses during critical times of the game.

~You go through the motions physically without mental focus or intensity.

~You are not excited enough or are too excited to perform your best in competition.

~You are distracted by things that go on around you in your environment.

~You have doubts or negative thoughts before, during, or after competition.

~Post-injury you cannot perform the way you did pre-injury even when 100% physically. When performing well you may sabotage your performance with a comfort zone (protect your lead) or expectations that limit your ability to press forward.

~You become easily frustrated because of high expectations.

~You cannot perform with freedom or trust in times of adversity or pressure.

~You focus too much on your mechanics or technique when competing.

~You do not concentrate in the here and now or focus only on execution.

~You think of too much about consequences of your performance, good or bad.

~You over analyze mistakes (technique) and thus think too much about technique.

~You suffer from low self-confidence or self-esteem.

~You limit your performance with negative self-labels such as “I am a choker” or “I can’t do this skill.”

~You have trouble forgetting or letting go of bad past performances.

~Your anger or frustration gets in the way of peak performance.

~You are frequently disappointed with your performance and wish it was better.

~You have a burning desire to be the best ever at your sport or just want to know how to improve your mental game.

If you have checked off 3 or more of the boxes above you are a good candidate for Mental Game Coaching.

Just like your physical skills take the time to acknowledge the mental skills that you are weak in and create a plan with your Mental Game Coach to help take your performance to the next level. 

*Are you interested in working on your mental game one-on-one? Did you know Cheer360 offers individual mental game coaching which can be done at the Cheer360 facility OR by Skype in the comfort of your own home! Contact us for more information.*

Kristen Perri is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Mental Fitness.  She holds a masters degree in Sport Psychology, is a certified Mental Game Coach, Sport Hypnotist and Personal Trainer.  With over 8 years of cheer coaching experience, Kristen has coached all skill levels including middle school and junior varsity. Currently, Kristen is the Head Varsity Coach of a major Long Island Cheerleading Program.