Archive for October, 2009
Next Generation Tennis Shoes
When you were a kid you had at least two pair of shoes. One pair was your “good” one your mother referred to as your “dress shoes” while the other pair was your “everyday” shoes most probably of athletic nature. These shoes specially designed for sporting activities were given the generic name “athletic shoes” which is still considered a category that consists of running basketball and tennis footwear.
Originally introduced as part of the sporting apparel athletic shoes are now worn as part of a casual look. Going for a walk running across the shore or playing outdoor games are examples of the instances that people of all ages select to wear them. But how did all begin and why do more and more different types of athletic shoes being produced?
It is much more than the supply and demand curve but it all comes down to that. Modern sneakers have beginnings in various sports shoes. One ancestor is the expensive British upperclass footwear of the late 1800s used for lawn tennis cricket croquet and at the beach. While at the turn of the twentieth century football and baseball players wore essentially the same shoe type as before the leather hightopped laceups with leather soles and cleats the need to have footwear that provided a good grip onto the ground was the reason why a variety of lightweight shoes were introduced.
Special shoes that would allow runners to move and lead to positive results like increasing their speed and thus their competitiveness were ordered. Thus as the need for greater speed increased so did the athletic shoes’ number and styles. By refining and improving the shoes’ traction sportswear companies created a subcategory in sports apparel; the shoemaking industry that is now worth billions. The sneakers’ demand emerged as athletes drew spectators to games and scientists invented new ways to accelerate human limits and improve athletes’ scores.
The dictionary defines the athletic shoe or sneaker as “a sports shoe usually made of canvas and having soft rubber soles; also called tennis shoe.” As today uppers can be of leather nylon canvas plastic or combinations of these and the shoe bottom surface has come to include any type of natural or synthetic rubber soles tennis shoes are not equivalent to any other type of athletic shoe types. Sure the term “tennis shoes” has become a generic term for athletic shoes but this should not give the wrong impression to people that all sports shoes are the same or that one should wear them interchangeably regardless of the game/sport played.
Running shoes on a tennis court for example are a sprained or broken ankle waiting to happen. Running shoes are built with a thick soft heel to maximize cushioning for straightforward heeltotoe foot impacts. Playing tennis is all about sudden starts and stops as well as moving quickly from side to side. The trouble is that during extreme stopping cornering and pivoting if the sneaker’s outsole is too rigid the tennis player loses contact with the playing surface which results in a loss of footing.
In addition since runners do not usually move sharply sideways while “on the run” the running shoe sole is totally unsuitable for the sideways movements a tennis player makes.
From Keds which were the first tennis shoes in 1917 to today’s extraordinary designs and expensive advertising budgets shoemakers continue to design shoes with an eye towards accommodating various types and shapes of feet. When one adds to this equation the trendy variety of styles the outcome speaks for itself. There is always an option available for our feet will feel comfortable while playing a friendly match of tennis.
About the writer: Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Tennis Recreation and Games
New Rules Of Exercise
If youre lifting weights the same way you did when you were at school its time for a change. Forget the vanity muscles. Think strength and cardiovascular fitness. Your new goal: roughly 50 cardiovascular exercise including warm up 40 weights and 10 stretching. Heres an easy program to get you started.
Monday
10 minutes on aerobic exercise running skipping tennis or swimming at a comfortable pace 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate.
10 minutes of upper body strength training. Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps of the following; bench press military press lat pull downs biceps curl and triceps extension.
15 minutes of aerobic exercise at a slightly more intense pace 70 to 85 of your maximum heart rate.
5 minutes of stretching. Pay attention to back and hamstring muscles. Hit both areas with a simple two step stretch. Lie on your back and draw your knees to your chest. Hold for 60 seconds. This stretches the lower back. Now put both feet flat on the floor knees bent and raise your left leg straight up toward the sky. Hold for 60 seconds then repeat with the right leg. Do three reps of each stretch.
Wednesday
Do three circuits hitting the weights from both the Monday and Friday workouts. Do eight to 12 repetitions of each lift moving quickly between sets.
Friday
This is the same as Mondays workout except your 20 minutes of strength training will target the lower body. Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps of the following; leg extension quadriceps leg curl hamstrings and abdominal crunch.
About the writer: Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu.
Nascar Safety Accessories And Restrictions
Nascar was always criticized for the lack of safety ordinances in its races. But since 2001 after a series of accidents killed many peak drivers including the illfated lastlap wreck of Dale Earnhardt Nascar had to disengage and modify its position on this. It has now begun to bring in safety devices and accessories.
The Seat
The Seat has evolved over the last few years. The seat in a racing car is designed to contract and distribute the impact over a greater part of the body in case of a wreck. The rib cage is one area where the force of a crash can get centered. Another area is the shoulder. This will contract the impact and it will not get centered on one particular area which can often be fatal.
Harnesses
Now Nascar has updated its norms and the HANS device is now mandatory. Earlier the Hutchens device was all that was required. But since the accidents the norms have converted.
The Seat Belt
A very fundamental accessory when it comes to the safety of the driver. In Nascar the sixpoint seat belt is utilized. In this system two straps come over the drivers shoulder and two come over the waistline. One strap even comes up between the legs of the driver.
The Restrictor Plate
This is a very important accessory that reduces power on the racing circuits. This is placed in between the carburetor and the intake manifold. It confines air flow and subsequently power as well. Since this addon was made mandatory in highspeed racing circuits like Daytona the speeds have reduced considerably.
Today in order to see high speeds the spectator has to go to certain race courses where the restrictor plate is not required. In such race courses high speeds like 230mph have also been achieved. But the restrictor plate has become a mandatory part in most race circuits by Nascar.
Barriers
The new S.A.F.E.R Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barriers have been put in across most Nascar race courses. This will absorb a lot of zip from the car in case of a crash. This is much better than a concrete wall which does not absorb any energy at all. There are some other types of softer walls and barriers as well. Cellofoam barriers are also very popular. The PEDS system which involves the use of small cylinders inside bigger ones is also a popular form of barrier.
Compression barriers were also used in earlier times. This involved the use of soft materials like tires over the walls and then covering it up with a soft surface. This guaranteed that the walls came back to their original shape as soon as the impact was over.
About the writer: This author is a HUGE fan of NASCAR licensed merchandise