Sunday, February 12, 2017

Obesity in Children

By Emily Goltz

Hi everyone! Today, I will be talking about obesity in children. I learned about this subject while I was in my kinesiology class last semester with Dr. Pontifax. Personally, I think it is a big factor in the world today and can easily be explained and talked about but is very hard to control and reduce in our society.

There are three main theories to why people become obese. It has to do with your genetics, the environment around you and your behavior with family and friends. First off, most genetic theories have a 25% chance of the possibility of becoming obese.The Thrifty Gene Theory explains that some individuals are protected against starvation through more efficient fat storage and lower metabolic rates. Therefore, fatter individuals are more likely to survive if there were to be a scarcity in food. Saying this, there is a big difference between starving and dieting. With dieting, you are usually cutting out certain food groups or reducing the amount of food intake. With starving, the lack of food makes it so that your body breaks down muscle instead of fat. Another way genetics is a factor of obesity is people have different levels of adipose cells which are fat cells. They rare also known as a hormone known as Leptin. Leptin regulates your food intake and your metabolism. In obese individuals, there is usually a higher level of circulating leptin. The higher amount of fat cells found in the body means there is a usually more weight found on the person as well.

Many times, you inherit the traits your parents introduce you to. If one of your parents is obese, there is a 50% chance you will be as well. If both of your parents are obese, there is a 80% chance of being obese. Parents are the ones who feed you and teach you the importance of nutrients and healthy living. They are the ones that introduce you to their comfort foods which them become your comfort foods. If you grow up in a poorer family, the chances of becoming obese increase. Many times, parents can't afford foods rich in nutrients and that are healthy so they have to resort into purchasing foods that will get the family through the week and have a higher chance of being malnutritions. Usually, there are three times as many supermarkets in wealthy neighborhoods. Another reason is that in some schools and neighborhoods, there are no after-school sports available to children. There is also the possibility of an unsafe neighborhood where it isn't safe to let children play outside without an adult supervision.

With behavioral contributions, there are two theories that go along with it. Food consumption and physical activity are the two biggest factors. In the past few years alone, the amount of cheap fast food places have increased dramatically. Families have found it easier to eat out rather than cook the meals. With eating out, many times you can feed a whole family for a low amount of money with large portions. Children eat twice the amount calories today than they should be. The percentage of healthy food being consumed by children to teenagers has decreased. For a drink, children now go for the soda that is high in calories and sugar. Physical activity has also decreased dramatically. Most of the time, the only physical activity a child will get is in school only a couple of times a week. More schools have started increasing the amount of physical activity required in the school week but most children do not participate in after-school activities.

References:
"Introduction into Kinesiology" Dr. Pontifax. KIN 173, Module 2.4 Energy Balance.

Prompt 7: Stretch or No Stretch?

By: Regan Tarrow

There has been controversy on the effects of stretching before exercising. Exercising consists of warm-ups, work-outs, and cooling down. A major topic on exercising is if stretching is necessary before exercising. I found two sides to the argument, let's see which one you decide is the best.


Stretching Before Working Out:
Stretching before working out can have many benefits to the well-being of your body. It can increase the flow of oxygen. Stretching before working out can increase the oxygen in the blood in order to reduce the risk of muscle tightness. Muscles need to be a sufficient use of oxygen in order to reduce aches and pains. Longer workouts can also be a benefit to stretching before exercising. Stretching helps loosen the muscles and tendons so that you can burn calories for a longer period. Stretching awakens the muscles in your body to provide maximum flexibility, making it easier to work out at a longer pace. Stretching also protects injuries from occurring during your work out. Stretching improves coordination before a work-out which can prevent muscles from ripping or tearing. Lastly, stretching before exercising can improve the energy level of the body. Movement helps the blood flow in muscles. A sufficient amount of blood flow in the brain increases the levels of energy.

No Stretching Before Working Out:
First, stretching is not the same as warming up before a work out. Warming up includes some slight jog, walking, slow cycling, or light aerobics. This warm-up gives your body time to adjust so that the breathing rate, circulation, and heart rate increases to supply blood to the muscles. Stretching does not work in the same way. Stopping a warm-up in order to stretch can cancel out the warm-up. After warming up, if you stop to stretch your body is back at rest making the muscles cold. Also, stretching does not prevent injury. Anybody can get hurt during a vigorous exercise whether or not they stretched before. Now stretching after a work-out is beneficial. It provides flexibility and the relaxation of muscles after a strong exercise routine. It can reduce cramping and eliminate lactic acid. Lactic acid builds up during a work-out which can result in the soreness of muscles. Stretching helps relieve the lactic acid out of the muscles because of the relaxation. Overall, stretching after exercising is a natural process of cooling down the body.

References:
"5 Major Benefits of Stretching Before and After Workouts - :." 5 Major Benefits of Stretching Before and After Workouts - :. Michelle, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.

Nichols, Nicole . "4 Reasons to Stop Stretching Before You Exercise." SparkPeople. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.


Saturday, February 11, 2017

Skeletal Anatomy Basics

By: JT Lenga

Hello again readers! This week I have another anatomy post for you. This is something I learned during my Foundations of Kinesiology lecture, with Dr. Pontifax. It was a rather short and interesting subject. The skeletal system, like all other body systems, is very complex. Initially, I thought this topic was pretty simple when we first went over it in lecture. However, as it went on, I became confused on some of the major concepts and laws of the skeletal system. Eventually, I was able to understand what Dr. Pontifax was talking about, and I believe the exam section with this topic went particularly well for me.

For the sake of keeping it simple for those of you who are less knowledgeable about the human body, I did not include these major skeletal system concepts and laws. I will keep it simple to ensure that I don't bore any of you.  Hopefully, you will find this segment on the skeletal system interesting and you enjoy learning about it.

To begin, the skeletal system has five major functions. Our skeleton supports us against gravity, protects our soft tissue, provides us with a basis for movement, mineral storage, and the formation of new blood cells. The body has 206 named bones.  Each of these bones belong to one of two groups, the axial or appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton forms the axis of the body. It includes the bones of the skull, vertebral column, and the rib cage. The bones of the axial skeleton are involved with protection, support, and carrying other body parts. The appendicular skeleton makes up the bones of the upper and lower limbs and attach to the axial skeleton. These bones are all involved with the locomotion and manipulation of our environment. There are four main types of bone in the human body - long, short, irregular, and flat bones. Long bones are much longer than they are wide, and consist of a shaft and two expanded ends. Long bones are not classified by their size but their shape. These bones make up the limbs, wrist, and ankles. Short bones are roughly cubed in shape. Making up the bones of the wrist and ankles. Flat bones are thin, flat, and usually a little curved. Flat bones are made up of the sternum, ribs, and most of the bones of the skull. The irregular bones are complicated shapes that do not fit into any of the above categories. These include the bones of the hips and vertebrae. Regardless of the type of bone, all bones are made up of some sort of arrangement of compact and spongy bones. Compact bone is a dense solid outer layer. Spongy bone is more of a honeycomb configuration of flat needle-like projections.

Here is a video and a diagram of the skeletal system for more in-depth information.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8x6tZI2hVI 




In a nutshell, that was a quick overview of the skeletal system.  As mentioned, it is a complex bodily system when you look at all the concepts and laws.  Although I did not delve into all the concepts and laws to spare you, I am hopeful that you learned something about the skeletal system that you were not aware of prior to reading my blog.


References
"Coordstudenti: Human Skeletal System Diagram". coordstudenti. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
"Human Skeletal System". YouTube. N.p., 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
Pontifax, Matthew. "MSU - KIN173 - Foundations Of Kinesiology - Spring 2017". Education.msu.edu. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.


Thursday, February 9, 2017

Muscles and Their Function

By: Nick Izzo

Hey folks, today this blog will deal with types of muscle, their function and their structure. All of the human body’s muscles fall into three categories. There is smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and skeletal muscle. All three serve very important functions in the body and are essential to life.

First we will discuss smooth muscle. Smooth muscle is involuntary muscle. It is controlled by the autonomic nervous system which, in short, is the part of the nervous system that is responsible for the control of bodily functions not consciously directed. Smooth muscle is mainly found in the digestive system like the stomach, intestines and bladder as well as the walls of blood vessels. There’s also cardiac muscle. This is also controlled by the autonomic nervous system but also the endocrine system. The endocrine system is a collection of glands that create hormones to regulate your metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, reproduction, and sleep. The cardiac muscle is found only in the heart, so quite essential to our daily life. Then another very important muscle that has a plethora of information on it is skeletal muscle. Its primary function is to convert electrical signals to mechanical movement. Skeletal muscles create the ability to move, keep upright while standing or in a chair, force production for breathing, and also helps you shiver. Now, the structure of skeletal muscles can be very complicated. All skeletal muscles have connective tissue coverings. The mechanical movement of the muscle strains the connective tissues which results in a transfer of force to the tendon resulting in bone movement. Skeletal muscle itself is surrounded by epimysium. Inside of the epimysium is the perimysium which takes a bundle of muscle fibers and surrounds those. Then even deeper, each muscle fiber in those bundles has endomysium surrounding it. Each individual fiber is a single muscle also known as a myocyte. So in short, many tiny single muscles create what we call a muscle.



Muscles are a fascinating component of the human body. Without them, quite obviously, we would not be able to function how we do now. They have a lot more to their structure than you would think and every single part of their build up contributes to their ability to function in the way they do.

References:

“MSU- KIN 173 – Foundations of Kinesiology – Spring 2017”. Education.msu.edu. N.p., 2017. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Occupational Therapy With Down Syndrome

By Regan Tarrow

It has always been an interest of mine to work with children in the kinesiology field. I am really not sure what I would like to specialize in, but I am considering working with persons with down syndrome. In high school, for a semester, I took community service where every day I worked with down syndrome students with math. I learned so much in that course that will always stick with me throughout my life. The friendships I made with the students meant a lot to me as it did to them. Teaching them to work harder and watch their faces when they finally understand is priceless in my book. In curiosity, I looked up exactly what occupational therapists do while helping children with these disabilities and was really surprised with how interesting it is.

Occupational therapists work with persons with down syndrome to help them master independent skills such as feeding, clothing, and activities that involve playing with others. Motor skills is taught to insure that they have the right coordination and endurance while going into these kind of activities. OT's can also help with school performance skills like cutting paper, drawing, and printing. Occupational therapists really have such an impact with their lives when it comes to real life activities. Occupational therapists can also help these mothers in the early stages of having a baby with down syndrome with feeding problems because of the weak muscles in their cheeks, tongue, and lips. In school-aged children, occupational therapists help with the understanding of routines. They teach them the importance of what should be done first to last. Zipping a coat jacket, cleaning up after activities, and handwriting is something most people don't realize is very important to learn.

After looking into this specialization, I find it very interesting at how much of an impact they have on the lives of these children. It is very important for these children to develope independence, self-care, and motor skills in their lives. Working with children is rewarding to an occupational therapist because the progress that the child goes through really means everything to them.

References:
Bruni, Maryanne. "Occupational Therapy & Down Syndrome." Occupational Therapy & Down Syndrome - National Down Syndrome Society. NDSS, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.

Yamkovenko, Stephanie. "The Role of OT With Persons With Down Syndrome." Aota.org. AOTA, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.

Prompt 10: Recognizing the Truth of Personal Training

By: JT Lenga


This week, I was browsing YouTube and came across a ridiculous video about personal trainers. After watching the video, naturally I was disgusted by it, considering I am a Kinesiology Major and a former personal training client. I decided to do some research on personal trainers, through the internet, to see just how wrong this video is about this field and to expand my own knowledge.


The video shows a big muscular man (the trainer) meeting an attractive female client at the gym. When the trainer first greets his client he is immediately very touchy with her. Throughout the video, he is constantly feeling up her body in a very non-professional way, and as he does this, he maintains a very creepy look on his face. In one scene, he is shown feeling the client's glutes, and in another he is sniffing her hair. These are just two examples of this trainer's antics.






Personal fitness trainers are "typically" people with a passion for being healthy. Both men and women are able to become personal trainers. Trainers are expected to have the knowledge skills and abilities of making a safe and  effective fitness program. They instruct you on how to reach your fitness goals. A trainer's scope of practice includes knowledge of human anatomy, an ability to design workout programs tailored to individuals, client assessment, making a program safe, a desire to help clients through appropriate methods, ability to motivate others, and a dedication to maintaining their personal integrity and their own health. In order to begin working in this field, all personal trainers must pass an exam validated by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. There a variety of different preparatory classes and programs offered to help achieve certification. A few examples are NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), ACE ( American Council on Exercise), and ISSA (International Sports Science Association).


Now that we have an understanding of what a personal trainer is and what they do, let's dig into what is wrong with the video. A trainer does not necessarily have to have a body builder-like physique. This is a common stereo type in this field. The trainer is also shown getting a little too personal with the client. The code of ethics and professional practices of this field states that "sexual misconduct on the part of the trainer is an abuse of professional power and a violation of client trust. Sexual contact or a romantic relationship between a trainer and a current client is always unethical". Throughout the video, the trainer is shown grabbing at the client in an inappropriate and unethical fashion. This is a perfect example of an unethical and stereotypical view of personal trainers in modern society.


Researching personal training for you guys this week was extremely enjoyable for me! I have a very large respect for personal trainers. As I said above, I am a former client of personal trainer, Chris Schild. He had worked with me for years. I was at a point in my early teens where I had little confidence in myself.  Chris helped me reach my goals and gain back my confidence through motivation and hard work. If it wasn't for him, I would not be as involved in exercise, and I probably would not be majoring in Kinesiology. It was through his guidance that I know what I do today about exercise.  He Is one of the many people who motivate me everyday to work harder.


Below are links you may find helpful.  These include links to the certification schools, and Chris Schild's website, Bodywithinfit.


Links: 


References
"NCSF Certified Personal Trainer Code Of Ethics : NCSF". National Council on Strength and Fitness. Web. 3 Feb. 2017.
"The Role Of A Personal Trainer". National Federation of Professional Trainers. N.p., 2016. Web. 3 Feb. 2017.





Saturday, February 4, 2017

Skeletal Muscle Adaptation to Exercise- Strength vs. Power

by Emily Goltz

Many times, strength and power are characterized to be the same thing. Yes, they can be related to each other but for the most part, they are very different things when it comes to exercising. For an athlete, it is good to have both strength and power.

When you talk about strength, we are talking about a muscle or group of muscles creating a maximal force against a resistance. This means that when you work out, it will only allow for you to do a small number of repetitions to measure the amount of strength you're body can handle. One- repetition is referred to be the standard for a strength assessment. It tests for the greatest resistance that can be moved through the full range of motion in a controlled manner.

With power, you test for the amount of work you can get done in a set amount of time. You want to exert a quick force. Power has to do with the maximum amount of times you can do an exercise in the time you have. The formula given for power is the force times the velocity that you put out. 

Both strength and power can be expressed with absolute and relative terminology. Absolute refers to the  actual external load while relative is the external load in terms to an aspect of body weight. If you want to compare on the same person, you use absolute values. If you want to compare different people, a relative value is made. This being said, when you compare men to women in strength and power, most of us will say that men are stronger because that is what we have always been known to say. In truth, when it comes to strength, yes men are stronger. But when we compare power and a force of a person, there is no difference between men and women.

“MSU- KIN 173 – Foundations of Kinesiology – Spring 2017”. Education.msu.edu. N.p., 2017. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.