STAYING IN SHAPE FOR BASEBALL
Resting on a yoga mat, workout equipment surrounds an open laptop displaying an exercise video off of YouTube. Many have begun focusing on their health during quarantine and starting to workout more routinely. Chloe Ting, a YouTuber, has become a popular resource for workout routines. (Photo by Avery Witherbee)
MAINTAINING FITNESS As the weeks go by, people have begun to find a new normal. A new way to learn, not leaving the house as often-- it’s all so new. Though finding ways to keep everyone physically healthy is just as important as keeping your mental health up. “I encourage others to take time to work out,” senior and dancer Grace Lindstrom says. “It allows me an outlet to get out all the frustration with what’s going on with the virus.” Keeping your physical health up is good for the athletes during this off-season. Staying in shape will help ease the transition back into the season. “I’m an athlete and there is nothing worse than
going back to your sport and being completely out of shape,” sophomore soccer player Makenna Davis said. Taking a small portion of the day to workout will help keep the brain focused and healthy. “Working out in times like this benefits me by mentally and physically making me stronger,” Lindstrom said. “Sitting around all day everyday on my phone or watching Netflix isn’t healthy.” (Brief by Abby Martinez)
AT HOME WORKOUTS 1: HIILT (High Intensity Interval Training) Find any exercise that causes you to move around a lot. Perform this exercise as hard as you can for about 30 seconds and rest for about 15-30 seconds. Repeat as many times as desired. The goal is to increase your heart rate as much as possible then bring it back down. 2: Yoga
Uses breathing techniques, exercise and meditation to help improve health and happiness. You can find yoga videos on youtube or just simple stretching alone can help reduce the stress your body and mind has.
3: Cardio in the neighborhood
Simply walking, jogging, running or biking as long as desired in the neighborhood to get your heart pumping and muscles moving.
PAGE BY LIY TALIAFERRO AND ABBY MARTINEZ
4: Ab variations
Variations of abs can be done anywhere in the house. Simple crunches, russion twist and different types of planks are just a few of the many easy ways to keep in shape. Do these once or twice a day and you’ll be good to go.
5: Arm and leg workouts
Workouts such as burpees, squats, and pushups are all very useful to keep your body active. Also, using common household items, such as chairs and books, can help add variety and intensity to these workouts. You can simply use a chair to add levels and increase the intensity for pushups. Books are a good thing to use as simple weights for most ab workouts you do, like abdominal twists. (Content by Abby Martinez)
With spring sports being canceled, athletes are now focusing on staying in shape for next season. Because baseball is a sport that uses many skills, there are a lot of things these athletes can work on. “Staying in shape helps you keep your stamina and that is very important for baseball,” sophomore Dominic Henning said. First, a balanced, good diet will help athletes tremendously. It will help you build muscle which is very important for any sport. It will also keep you healthy. “You want to make sure your body has all of the right nutrients it needs to function and play a sport,” Henning said. For baseball players, there are many ways to stay in shape and keep their skills sharp. One exercise is the drop lunge. The drop lunge improves flexibility in the hips and glutes. Another exercise is mini-band lateral walks. To do this, place a band above the knees and move to the right by pushing with the left leg and moving. Once a set amount of reps is done, move to the left by pushing the right leg. According to FHN’s athletic trainer Jackée Hill, cardio short-shorts are a good way to stay in shape. 30 to 40 yard sprints will help with speed while 10 to 20 yard runs help with acceleration. A simple jog every day will help with building stamina. Squats and leg workouts are also very important exercises to do while trying to stay in shape. “[These exercises] are similar to when sprinting base to base and take offs from each base,” Hill said. “Squats help create a strong base and strength through quads, hip flexors and extensors,and hamstrings.” Shoulder work such as horizontal front and lateral raises help maintain a 90 degree angle for pitching and throwing. It is important to not forget about hitting drills. The one-handed hitting drill helps find flaws in an athletes swing. To do this drill, grip the bat with the bottom hand and place the other hand on the opposite hip. From there players would swing as if they have both hands on the bat. This drill will help build forearm strength and improve the two-handed swing. Fielding exercises such as taking ground balls or fly balls will help keep fielding sharp. A fast hands drill will also help with fielding. With a partner, athletes will play catch and get the ball out of the glove and throw it back as fast as they can. A bare handed ground ball drill that is similar to taking regular ground balls can also be done. Fielding, throwing, and hitting drills mixed with eating healthy will help to stay in shape during the offseason. (Brief by Abby Akers)
SPORTS | 05.06.20 | FHNTODAY.COM
13
