No Muscle

Here's a letter I got and the letter I replied back.  I hope you enjoy and learn something new!

Dear Katy Ice, 

I am writing you, because my coach wants me to start building more muscle and I can't seem to do it.  Nothing seems to work and its getting me mad and frustrated which is making my play bad.

I am working really hard at strengthening my whole body, but I never have time, because I am always at soccer practice.  My muscle isn't evening out.  I try doing exercises that I don't work out in soccer.  I have tried so many different things.

I also tear muscles at weird places.  I don't even know that well how to strengthen them.  I am very confused on what to do.  I want to be stronger, but I don't seem to get stronger.  Can you please help me figure out what I need to do to be a better athlete?

Sincerely, 

No Muscle

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Dear No Muscle, 

You are doing great at trying to work out muscles that you don't work out in soccer.  Eventually and hopefully soon you will start seeing a difference.  Sometimes it takes a while for muscle to show after you workout, but one day you'll be like, "Wow! I have muscle!" 

In sports you workout muscles you never knew you had.  Many of those muscles get stronger just from playing.  They get stronger, because you are always working them out.  In soccer you get lots of leg strength, because you are always using your feet and leg strength. 

To get that better muscle try picking up a new sport.  Maybe have your soccer team do recreational softball or another summer sport, but if they don't do it you still  should.  You will build muscles that have never gotten a workout like that and playing other sports helps you with your main sport.  You definitely will become a better athlete from it. 

If you don't want to do another sport play games that use your hands in soccer and go out and shoot hoops with a friend.  Always be doing something that gets you a workout.  You will be building your muscles and it will help them from tearing.  Make sure you are stretching before and after games too. 

This will also help you from tearing muscles.  When you tear a muscle you won't be able to play any sports or do workouts for a while.  Then once when you have recovered you will need to work on streghthing that muscle.

I hope your muscles will be showing improvement soon and I hope this info helps!  Also, don't ever be afraid to try something new, you may find out you like a lot. 

Sincerely, 

Katy Ice

Sore Body

This was a letter I got and the letter I wrote back.  Many people have this problem and I think that this will help them out a ton!

Dear Katy Ice, 

Have you ever felt super sore after a workout and the days after? I am asking this question, because after I go to the gym I feel super sore the next day.  It makes me sluggish around work and hurt each time I walk. 

I have tried to eat more protein after I workout and ice my injuries.  My injuries never seem to hurt as bad as the rest of my body, the next day.  I have also tried to lower the intense rate of my workouts, but nothing seems to work. 

What do I need to do in order to keep from feeling that sore the next day?  Do I need to eat better or not break a sweat?  I am truly in need of your help and hope to find out what I need to do to help my body. 

Sincerely, 

Sore Body  

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 Dear Sore Body,

I have gone through what you are going through a ton.  I would do an intense workout and the next day I would be super sore.  Sometimes I  would even be sore from playing in a soccer tournament.  I started asking my coaches what should I do to help keep me from being sore.  They said " You need to stretch more."

Stretch?  I thought that was so weird to stretch after I exercise.  I started trying it and it made me feel less sore.  I made sure to stretch out my whole body very good.  I made sure I felt lose after I stretched and that my injuries were taken care of.  I also made it a habit to eat protein right after each workout.

You also need to stretch before you work out. When you stretch before a workout make sure that your muscles have been warmed up first.  Make sure have made a slight sweat then start stretching.  Try doing dynamic stretching.  That is where you are doing stretches that keep you moving, it's better for your muscles.  Stretching before a workout is not nearly as important as stretching after one.

I also made it a habit to eat protein after a workout.  I eat protein after my workouts because, when you work out bits of your muscle break off and protein restores your muscle.  It will help keep your muscles strong and healthy.

You might still get sore muscles after, but stretching and eating protein should help them out a ton.  I hope this works for you and don't be afraid to keep doing intense workouts! 

Sincerely,

Katy Ice

Lindsey Drake

          A few days ago I interviewed Lindsey Drake.  She is a high level college athlete and has learned a lot about needing to be healthy.  She is an amazing athlete and wants people everywhere to learn that eating healthy and exercising make a huge impact on your life.  Below is the interview I had with her, I hope you guys learn something new from it!

 Q: When did you decide you needed to start changing your unhealthy habits?

A: I decided in my senior year of high school.  I knew that if I wanted a scholarship I needed to do everything I could to be a great athlete.

Q: What made you decide to do that?

A: My coach, family, and nutrition teacher.  They were always teaching things about health and that got me excited about eating healthier.  For example my coach would say that we would need to eat protein after we workout, then my nutrition would teach us a recipe with lots of protein in it.  Those type of things were so cool and I started doing them.

Q: What was the hardest part of the switch from eating unhealthy to eating healthy? Why?

A: The hardest part of the switch for me was not eating chocolate.  I love chocolate and it was really hard for me, but now instead of it being an everyday sweet it's a once month sweet.  Now it's lot more special to me now, and it's more enjoyable.

Q: When you eat unhealthy how does it make you feel?

A: When I eat unhealthy I feel sluggish and tired and just not happy, because once you go from that feeling of eating healthy to unhealthy it makes you literately sick to your stomach eat unhealthy. 

Q: What are some tips on making the switch as easy as possible?

A: Start by never buying those unhealthy foods again.  It ends up saving time and money when you don't go through the unhealthy isles in the store.  Then start cutting out one thing at a time.  For example I started by saying every Sunday what food or drink I am never going to eat or drink again or limit.  The first week I  said, "I am never going to drink soda again." Then it's like dominoes from there.

Q: Did you start exercising when you started eating healthier or before that? Why?

A: I had actually been exercising before I started eating healthy, because I thought that was all there was to it.  I thought that all you need to do is exercise.  Then I learned in my nutrition class that your body needs nutrients to help you exercise and  to function properly. So when I started eating healthier the change was incredible.

Q: What  are some quick and easy exercises?
A: Any exercise that does not require equipment are the easiest and super quick.  For example jumping jacks, crunches, sit-ups, and push-ups are all forms of exercises that do not requiere any equipment.  There are so many to do and if you keep moving and changing what exercise you do for at least ten minutes a day, the change is incredible.  You'll be stronger, happier, and in-shape.

Q: What is the best thing to do after a workout?

A: The best thing to do after a workout is to take care of your injuries and eat something with lots of protein.  You want your muscles to recover after a workout and when you eat protein it replenishes your muscles, because during the workout parts of your muscle break off and protein fixes that.  You care for your injuries, because you want them to get better not worse?

Q: Does being an athlete have advantages to help stay healthier?

A: Athletes have a huge advantage over other people, because they have the pressure that if they aren't  on their a game they're going to lose".  So they have lots of motivation and if they don't have that then they are not going to do well as an athlete.

Q: How does a team help each other to stay healthy?

A: We help each other with encouragement and a little bit of competition.  My team, for example, will have competitions on who can go the longetst without sweets or who can  visit the gym the most and even who can do push-ups the longest.

Q: How could people at home have that same kind of encouragement?
A: They can get through their friends and family.  If they don't have any friends or family they can find a trainer, coach, ect. who will help them stay on their a game.

Q: What are some temptations that tempt you when you go home?

A: The biggest one is over eating during the holidays and avoiding they candy cupboard.  It's super hard when something you love is right there in front of you and you can't have one bite.  It is also hard when your family says one more bite won't hurt, but eventually they will all learn one way or another.  For me avoiding that was difficult, but I found ways to avoid those problems like hiding the candy so no one could find it and standing my ground.

Growing Up...

           When I was growing up I had a hard time learning to eat healthy.  I would eat the fast food instead of packing my own lunch.  Then I learned how to eat healthy and it was incredible. I felt so much happier and energetic after starting to eat healthier.  The reason why I chose to eat healthy, well you're just going to have to keep on reading.
            When I was in 8th grade I decided to take a nutrition class.  I thought being a athlete it would be good to learn some good ways to eat healthy.  Some of my friends were taking the class and it was going to be fun. 

            I was a really picky eater and some of the food we made was not on my thumbs-up list.  Some of it was really gross, yuck.  But we made some that was really yummy and that started to encourage me to eat healthier.  I started mixing onions and peppers in with red potatoes and eating that for lunch.  I took an apple instead of a bowl of chips and I started being happier.  It was an amazing change, but there was still a problem.

            I really like chocolate and we have a bowl of chocolate and it is so easy to take a piece and eat it.  I mean it's right there in front of you, what else do you do.  So, I would be eating healthy meals, but eating lots of chocolate after them.  I knew it was wrong. 

            Then I decided to start eliminating sugary foods from my diet.  I cut out soda one week, then fruit candies, then ETC.  Then I came to chocolate.  It was super hard at first then self-control came in and it was super easy.  I stuck to either one small sweet a day or none at all.  It made me feel even better than before.  The difference was amazing, I could run faster, stay in shape easier, and do so much more than I could.
            I learned from this experience that it is hard to get healthy and that once you set your mind to something you can do anything you want to.  With a little self control and a little bit of hard work and dedication your sure to rise above the crowd and achieve your goals.