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. 

Exercise Fact vs. Myth

MYTH 1: Is it possible to tone one part of your body faster if you simply work it out more (example: doing a million crunches to develop a six-pack)?

FACT 1: You cannot spot reduce no matter how hard you try. Doing a million crunches will make your abs stronger; unfortunately, they will not remove the fat from your waste line. If you really want those six-pack abs, you need to follow a strict diet and exercise on a regular basis.  Remember, the only way to get rid of fat is to burn more calories through exercise than you consume through diet.

MYTH 2: Weight lifting has little effect on fat loss.

FACT 2: This myth is completely false. Weight lifting is more beneficial than cardiovascular training when it comes to fat loss. The fact is, the more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn. Muscle is metabolically active tissue; it is tissue that constantly burns calories with every concentric, eccentric, and isometric movement.

MYTH 3: Women will develop big, bulky muscles if they lift weights.

FACT 3: Women will NOT develop big, bulky muscles when lifting weights. Testosterone is the hormone directly responsible for muscle growth. Women do not produce enough testosterone to build muscles like men. The one and only exception to this, however, is genetics. Some women are born genetically with the ability to produce more testosterone than the average female. In this case, a woman can develop larger muscles than someone who does not produce that much testosterone.

MYTH 4: Stretching is a good way to warm up before exercise.

FACT 4: Stretching a cold muscle is not only ineffective, but it is also a good way to injure yourself. Studies have shown stretching cold muscles slightly decreases muscle strength and power for up to an hour after stretching. The best way to prepare your body for exercise is to perform movements similar to the exercises you will be doing.

MYTH 5: Your muscles will turn to fat if you stop exercising.

FACT 5: The fact is, muscle and fat are two different types of tissue. When you stop exercising, the muscle fibers you have gained will start to shrink through a process called deconditioning. Once the deconditioning process has begun, side effects will occur. Fat gain is the most common side effect people experience next to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. The fat gain occurs because you are no longer burning the calories you consume, so your body stores them as energy. When you stop exercising, your body eats muscle and builds fat, so it is easy to see why this myth has been around for such a long time.




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.

Perfecting Your “Cheer Face”

Facial expressions can add an enjoyable element to a cheerleading routine.  But over-exaggerated facials can actually take away from a performance.  Many judges like to see natural facials on high school cheerleaders that show they are having fun.  So, throw away the stereotypical, “a-e-i-o-u” facials and let your pearly whites show!

 

DO show your teeth and let your smile be contagious!  Show the crowd that you are having the time of your life.  Make them wish they were out there on that mat with you!

 

 

 

 

 

DON’T open your mouth like you’re sitting in the dentist chair.  The only thing that this is going to accomplish is giving you a dry mouth.

 

 

DO show an all-American image.  Somewhere in those stands there’s a little girl/boy watching you, so be the role-model that he/she deserves having.

DON’T make a duck face.  You’re not taking a “selfie,” so keep in mind that your whole family is in the stands watching you. Awkward!

 

 

 

 

 

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.