R-E-L-A-X, the importance of rest and recovery

     We all know how important it is to keep a consistent schedule of working out and pushing ourselves harder and harder, but what about resting?  Is resting really that important? Is it bad to not have a day off?
     The answer to both of the above questions is YES! Resting your body is just as important as working out.  When you take a day off from lifting you allow your body to recover without any strain.  You will optimize your recovery and it can even help you get stronger! Yes, resting can actually help you gain strength!
     Yoga is a great exercise to help optimize your recovery.  Whenever you stretch you're stretching your muscles out (which is why stretching after working out is so important!) allowing them to get closer to full strength quicker.
     On your days off from lifting try reading a book or doing an activity that forces you to use your brain.  Since we're letting our body recover we might as well work out our brain and keep it healthy to help us out when we do go back to working out!
 

"Don't judge my choices without understanding my reasons" - Anonymous 

Choosing Carbs for Peak Performance

Over the past couple of decades carbohydrates haven't had a great reputation.  One diet after another has come out banishing carbohydrates from the diet almost entirely or in very small quantities.  Yet despite the growing "carbs are the enemy" movement, Americans still saw rising obesity rates.

The truth is, in order to have healthy, balanced eating, you need carbohydrates.  They are the preferred source of energy for your brain, and by eliminating them, you are asking your body to rely on making other sources of fuel that can eventually put your body in harms way.  Now that does not mean you should go eat a bagel, follow it with a bread bowl at lunch and pasta for dinner, but knowing how to use carbohydrates to your advantage will not only keep you satisfied, it will allow you to perform at a higher level than you would from avoiding carbs.

Carbohydrates should make up 45-65% of your overall diet.  If you are an athlete actively training or your sport is in season, you should be on the upper end of that range.  The real secret about making carbohydrates a part of a healthy eating plan is knowing which ones will give you the most "bang for your buck."

Here are a few tips for choosing the right carbohydrates for your diet:

•                Choose Whole Grains: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has stated that Americans should aim to eat three servings of whole grains a day.  These powerful products contain fiber, protein and B vitamins that you may not find in refined carbohydrates like white rice, semolina pasta, and most dessert products.  So try and make the majority of carbohydrates you consume a part of the whole grain family.

•                Investigate Labels: Sometimes products that seem healthy are actually not.  For example, "multigrain" products often still have "Enriched flour" as their first ingredient.  This means they are just as unhealty as their white carb counterpart.  Make sure whole grain or wheat flour is the first ingredient so you know you are getting a non-refined product.

•                Fruits and Vegetables: One of the biggest problems with low to no carbohydrate diets when they first came out was they decreased the importance of fruits and vegetables because they are carbohydrates.  These are the last foods you want to cut out because they pack the most health benefits with usually the least amount of calories per serving. So aim for 3 to 5 a day for tons of disease fighting vitamins and nutrients!

•                Start Your Day the Carbohydrate Way: Consuming a breakfast that is mostly carbohydrates will set you up for success throughout the day.  When we wake up in the morning, we have not eaten since the night before.  Our carbohydrate stores are depleted and our brain needs fuel to start functioning.  Choosing oatmeal, whole grain cereals, or whole grain toast or waffles will start you off with quality carbohydrates, giving you the best start to your day.

The way carbohydrates help you at breakfast is the same way they help you as an athlete.  Carbohydrates are the best fuel to have at your disposal before performing an athletic activity that is longer than an hour, or very intense, so make sure you are having quality carbohydrates two to three hours before your workout, practice or game.  

Carbohydrates aren't the enemy, rather they are your friend!  So show them a little love from now on and see your performance improve!

Fun Friday: Early Memorable Moments

With Cheer360 set to open its doors on April 13, 2013, staff find themselves filled with excitement that is equally matched by all those they come in contact with. In the short time Cheer360 has been readying for its grand opening, many lives have already been positively touched and memories created.

A staple of the Cheer360 program is to tailor training programs to the athletes they serve by working with coaches, parents and athletes themselves, to ensure no need goes unaddressed.  An outcome from this personalized programming by Coaches Kent and Shari, is a benchmark workout that is named for the team or group of athletes participating in it. The athletes will later on in their training be tested to see how their overall fitness has improved. To date, we have seen the Hauppauge Eagles, "Drop Down and Get Their Eagle On" by engaging in a circuit of deadlifts, box jumps, bosu ball squats and kettlebell thrusters. The Smithtown Bulls found the benchmark exercise of BATO (Bulls Are Taking Over) to be a circuit of bosu ball push ups, K-band jumps, box jumps and medicine ball thrusters. As Cheer360 opens this weekend, more benchmark programs will be created, more athletes will begin their training programs and more fun, creative and personalized workouts will be named by our coaches and athletes.

One other recent experience that had a memorable impact on Cheer360 staff and athletes, occurred during a recent educational talk on proper nutrition by Coach Shelbi. The topic turned to, "How healthy are energy bars?" The young athletes began through rapid fire, naming nearly, EVERY SINGLE energy bar and seeking
Coach Shelbi's nutritional nod of approval. It was a very informative and fun presentation that came to an end when the group broached the subject of candy bars!

In these early weeks, Cheer360 could not be more thankful for those athletes that have already signed up and begun challenging themselves to reach their peak fitness levels. As Cheer360 grows, we expect to share more and more of these memorable moments shared by our staff, athletes, coaches, parents and community.

If you had a memorable moment at Cheer360 please feel free to write us by commenting below or emailing Kristen@cheer-360.com. These memorable moments are shining examples of inspiration to all of us.

For more information about Cheer360 visit www.Cheer-360.com and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Cheer360 Grand Opening Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nation’s Only Strength, Nutrition and Mental Coaching Program for Cheerleaders

 

Cheer360 invites the community to attend its grand opening event scheduled for April 13^th, 2013 from 10am to 3pm located at 80 Lake Ave South, Suite 11, Nesconset, NY 11767

April 5, 2013

NESCONSET, NY:  Cheer360 is set to officially introduce cheerleading specific strength, nutrition and mental coaching services to the cheerleading community.  Cheer360 delivers a well rounded, 360 degree approach to the proper education and training needed to prevent and overcome sports related injuries, poor nutrition habits and mental stresses associated with cheerleading.

Co-Founder and Director of Educational Programming, Shari Tarburton says, “Cheer360 possesses the knowledge, experience and passion needed to teach the essential set of foundational skills cheerleaders need in order to live long, healthy and successful lifestyles.” 

With over 20 years of Cheerleading experience, Co-Founders Shari Tarburton and Kristen Perri understand the demands that are placed on Cheerleaders. More so, they know what these athletes need to succeed and have a lifetime of healthy being. In a sport filled with injuries, safety and injury prevention are main goals of Cheer360.

“Cheer360 treats Cheerleading as it should be, a multidimensional sport where Cheerleaders need to possess the flexibility of a gymnast, the mental toughness of a wrestler and the strength of a football player,” says Kristen Perri, Co-Founder and Director of Mental Fitness. 

Cheer360 announces the grand opening of its program set for April 13^th, 2013 from 10am to 3pm, located at 80 Lake Ave South, Suite 11, Nesconset, NY 11767. All are welcome to attend. Information sessions will be ongoing all day.

For more information about Cheer360, please visit www.Cheer-360.com or call: (631) 410-4360.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cheer360 is a cheerleading specific, strength, nutrition and mental coaching program run by certified, accomplished and enthusiastic fitness, nutrition and cheer professionals that educate athletes to achieve, maintain and perform at the highest personal, physical, nutritional and mental level possible. Located in Nesconset, NY, the Cheer360 program teaches skills that transcend sport and enrich one’s personal life.

MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT:  Arthur W. Perri, Jr. Office: 631-410-4360, Cell: 631-988-0766

Email: Arthur@cheer-360.com

When Cheerleading Ends

High school cheerleading is more than just promoting school spirit at football and basketball games and competing locally, regionally, and nationally from November through February.  If you sit in on a three hour practice, you will find that these athletes should be gaining something bigger.  Like all sports, cheerleading teaches skills that transcend to all aspects of a person’s life and future.

Teaching young athletes how to maintain an optimum level of wellness is just as important as teaching them how to jump, stunt, and tumble.  One of CHEER360’s goals is to promote healthy lifestyles not only during their cheerleading careers, but also throughout their entire lives.  Learning how to build and maintain muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility will reduce the likelihood of injuries now, as competitive cheerleaders, as well as in their futures.  The fitness related benefits that can be taught to teenagers are ones that can be carried throughout their college careers, adulthood and beyond. 

Having a regular fitness regimen in place improves one’s overall sense of well-being including body posture, endurance for daily activities, an increased self-esteem, and a decreased likelihood of developing lifestyle diseases. But, as much as we don’t want to think about this, at some point, a cheerleader’s career will come to an end.  Often times this leaves a previously active person struggling with ways to keep fit.  So why not start teaching these habits now to our cheerleaders in order to promote long, healthy, and successful lifestyles?  After all, other sports have been doing this for years!  

Our Website:www.Cheer-360.com

Like Cheer360 on Facebook! 

Follow Cheer360 on Twitter! 

Are You a Cheater?

The word “cheat” usually conjures up a lot of negative thoughts.  Whether it is cheating on an assignment or in a relationship, it is not a good thing.  But when it comes to being on a diet, the concept of having a “cheat” is one that people start out thinking “what a great idea!”

People wait for their allowable “cheat” times with mouths watering.  They think about all the delicious treats they will indulge themselves in, believing these indulgences at specific times will keep them on a healthy track for their “diet days.”Incorporating “cheating” into a diet plan is very popular in a lot of current diet trends.  The Paleo diet encourages cheating on the weekends or two days a week, while focusing on eating foods our earliest ancestors would eat (animal protein, fruits, vegetables, no gluten and no dairy) the rest of the week.  The new“fast diet” which encourages “intermittent fasting” says you can eat whatever you want five days a week, but can only have 500 calories on two other days.  The idea in both of these examples are the same, by giving people the right to eat “whatever” at certain times, they are more apt to stick to their “diet plan” as opposed to diets that have you watching what you eat everyday.

The problem is, cheating is a negative thing when dieting.  It usually begets more cheating because when you restrict yourself, you want things that you can’t have even more.  It is a big reason why people have difficulty staying on a diet and weight loss and gain can go back and forth.  Not to mention it hurts your metabolism by slowing it down, the last thing you want when you are trying to maintain a healthy weight.  The schedule of your life should not revolve around cheat days.  What if it is Wednesday and you want to eat a dessert when you are out with your friends after a game?  You have the right to eat that dessert even though it was not your “cheat” day.

Eating should be an enjoyable part of life that helps make you more equipped to handle your daily life and the things it can throw at you.  When the way you eat becomes intuitive, you are no longer restricted to a crazy diet with rules.  You will find yourself tuning into your hunger signals and being able to appease them without being unhealthy.

If some of this sounds familiar and you want to know more about intuitive eating, feel free to email me at shelbi@cheer360.com or visit our website at http://www.cheer-360.com.

Mental Game Coaching- What is it and why do I need it?

I would like to kick off the “Mental Monday” blog series by introducing myself, my name is Coach Kristen and I am a Mental Game Coach.  Usually when I tell people this I get the response “That sounds cool, but what do you do?” So lets clear this up!

All athletes play two games, a physical game and a mental game.  The physical game is what athletes train for every day at practice.  You practice the physical skills to be a better cheerleader; your stunts, tumbling, jumps and motion technique.  But what about your competition mind set?  When the pressure is on and you step on the mat are you 100% confident or do you start to doubt yourself and become nervous?  A Mental Game Coach trains your mind so you are a better athlete.

As a cheerleading coach I come across so many outstanding and talented cheerleaders who choke and crack under the pressure of performing on the competition floor.  They can perform elite skills 10 out of 10 times at practice but somehow when they put on the uniform, the lights turn up and the judges are there with pen in hand they lose their confidence.  If you are sitting there reading this and shaking your head yes, you already know why the mental game is as important, if not more then your physical game. 

A Mental Game Coach can teach you how to develop mental toughness, how to build focus and block out external and internal distractions, help to create calmness when under pressure, help to shake off mistakes and help to reduce mental errors.  As this blog progresses, I will cover many topics within the field of Sports Psychology and Mental Game Coaching. Topics will range from mental exercises, tips and much more. 

Cheer360

A Dream Becomes a Reality: The CHEER 360 Story

On March 1st, with a newly furnished key (a zebra printed one for the record), CHEER 360 opened the doors to more than just a 2,200 square foot training facility. CHEER 360 opened the doors to a future of endless and limitless possibilities.

For the preceding 8 months that led up to March 1st, CHEER 360 was just a dream. At a beach gathering among family and friends, the eventual founders of CHEER 360 were having an in depth conversation regarding what their passions were and what they most desired. Kristen Perri and Shari Tarburton, lifelong cheerleaders and current varsity coaches, with big smiles and excitement, spoke at great length how they would love to work with young athletes by providing them with a strong foundation of strength, mental and nutritional coaching. Three key elements that are needed to not only be a successful cheerleader, but to live a well-balanced, healthy and successful life. 

This idea quickly gathered momentum as research was gathered, support was well received and the energy never lost. Co-Founders, Kristen and Shari working with their respective husbands Artie (a business development specialist) and Kent (a certified personal trainer and one time cheerleader himself) found that no such program existed for Cheerleaders on Long Island--nor throughout the entire country. 

Knowing no such program existed, Kristen and Shari suddenly felt more empowered than ever to create a program that addresses the true needs of cheerleaders. When accounting for sports related injuries, including concussions, Cheerleading ranks among the highest. Not only is this population prone to sport related injuries, but additionally, the demographics of the sport are of high risk to having eating disorders. Combining these issues with the social pressures of being a young athlete, it was clear, that a solution is needed to meet the demands of these pressing issues.

CHEER 360 is no longer just a dream, it is a reality. With teams already signing up to participate in the sport's only strength, mental and nutritional coaching program, CHEER 360 recognizes the vital role it plays in shaping the lives of the athletes but the future of the sport of Cheerleading as well.

Since the zebra printed key opened the door to the facility, paperwork has been signed, specialized programming has been planned and equipment ordered and assembled. Much time has been spent preparing CHEER 360 to meet the demands and needs of its athletes. More so, a lifetime has passed as its founders have long been ready to share their dream with the world.

CHEER 360 is officially ready to continue this exciting journey with each and every one of you. Stay tuned and follow the CHEER 360 blog as it will regularly be updated with content specific to health and wellness, proper nutrition, strength and conditioning training tips and mental exercises. 

Our Website:www.Cheer-360.com

Like Cheer360 on Facebook! 

Follow Cheer360 on Twitter!