Sport Archives - Xtra Bold

Jack Elway says sleep is crucial in the career of a college football player

March 16, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

Take a look around any college football field and the levels of skill between each player will most certainly be very different. Something that will remain constant is the physique of the players though. This is something which is a prerequisite of the sport and without the correct body, any player looking to make a break in the sport really is on a hiding to nothing.

This is something that Jack Elway knows all about, having played at the very highest level for a number of years.

Something that is often misunderstood about this sport is what is needed to get into said physical condition. While nutrition and of course a solid training regime are crucially important, something that often slips under the radar is your sleeping pattern. In short, far too many of us don’t get enough sleep, and Elway says this is a huge problem for a professional athlete.

Bearing this in mind, let’s now take a look at some sleep suggestions you can bear in mind in a bid to improve this element of your lifestyle.

Make it your priority to sleep more than six hours a night

In truth, the amount of time you sleep every night should be much longer than six hours, but it’s at this point that an interesting study enters the equation.

It was found that individuals who sleep less than six hours per night actually have the same reaction time levels as someone who has 0.05% of alcohol in their blood level. Considering the fact that this level is enough to get you pulled over by the police for driving under the influence, it’s certainly something that will affect your performance on-the-field significantly.

The power of napping

Naps aren’t something which are commonplace in every country, but those that do embrace it swear by the results.

From an athlete’s perspective, one only has to take a look at Mo Farah to see how napping boosted his performance. He revealed that he took an afternoon nap when he moved his training camp abroad, to a climate which experienced much more daytime sunshine.

Following the Farrah example, the benefits are quite clear for all to see.

Blue light warnings

This is something you might have read in the past, but its importance means that it most certainly should be reiterated.

While mobile phones have transformed the way in which we approach modern-day life, from a sleep perspective they wreak havoc with us. Every time you use your phone, it will emit blue light. This blue light is quite important, as from the perspective of your brain it mimics the natural light that we are used to seeing during the day.

This means that if you turn to your phone just before going to sleep, you are immediately telling your brain that its daylight. This causes all sorts of hormones and chemicals to be released in your body – all of which signal to your brain that you should be waking up, and not sleeping. Suffice to say, it impacts the quality of your sleep emphatically.

Top 5 Reasons You Need to Learn Bow Hunting

November 1, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Source

Think about the following scenario.

You have been on a boat and a storm capsized the boat. Before the boat overturned, you noticed an island close by you could swim to until someone can find you. You go into survival mode you need to survive. What weapon will you grab your hunting rifle or your bow?

Excellent question as the bow is the most valuable asset you can have to survive. Sure, you can grab your rifle but the likeliness is the bullets disappear. The bow is perfect you can use it to hunt and retrieve the arrows.

With this in mind, Optic Gear Lab is here to give you the top 5 reasons you need to learn bow hunting. Survival is the main reason, but there are others.

5 Reason you should take bow hunting

You may not plan to become a survivor, but learning the skills to stay alive is important. The chance you will end up on a deserted island in your lifetime is slim. Learning survival skills is not a priority on peoples list.

Many prefer lying relaxed at home and when the time comes to sleep, they roll over. If you are here reading this the chance is that you want to learn to survive.

As mentioned before the unthinkable could happen and you need to find food to stay alive. There are times you need stealth. This is where the bow is your best friend. Learning the art of archery is an important skill for hunting and tracking.

Therefore, without keeping you waiting here are 5 important reasons why bow hunting is important.

You’ll never Face Starvation

Sure, you can survive with the canned food you have with you but you still need meat. With a bow in your hand, you will not look starvation in the eyes. You can hunt different game from large animals to fish found in the lake.

If you are not skilled at hunting fish with your bow, you always have your arrow to use as a spear.

You’ll become Dedicated and Patient

First, you will become patient sitting for hours waiting for your food takes time and loads of patience. You become dedicated and know you need to find food to survive. Getting up early in the morning to hunt and waiting is not an easy task.

It is up to you to develop a drive to stay alive. Another thing you learn is to get yourself organized.

This is important if you plan taking bow hunting as sports. You learn to lay out your gear way ahead of time making sure you have everything before heading into the wild.

You learn to observe your surroundings

When you are out in the wild, you need to be aware of your surroundings at all time. Observation is an important skill you must learn to have. Animals are sneaky critters and silence is your best mechanism to find food. Taking bow hunting as a survival technique teaches you to expect the unexpected and teaches you to observe your surroundings.

The bowstring can serve different purposes

With your bow, you can hunt, but with your bowstring, you can use it for different purposes to stay alive. You can use it in the wild to make a snare to trap small animals. You can start a fire with your bow or use it with other sources available to create things. The important thing is not to damage the string and you need to use it sparingly.

They are great DIY projects

The great thing about bow hunting is you do not need one available you can make it yourself. All you need is hardwood to make the bow and cattails or straight sticks to make the arrows.

You can find stone chips to make the broadhead or glass if you have one available. However, finding string could be a challenge. The best string you can make from strong plants, vines, or threads of your clothes.

Wrapping it up

With a bow in your hand, you can hunt different prey or make your own supplies you find outdoors. The bow is the best weapon for accurate long-range damage. With practice, you will shoot an arrow from 50 out to 100 yards away. The bowstring you can use for different hunting situations and survival purposes.

So are you interested in getting a bow or do you already have one? If you already have one, it is time to get yourself the best bow accessories. With the right bow accessories, you and your family will be ready with the best survival plan. If you do not have a bow yet, think about learning archery and how to make your bow and arrow work for you.

About the author: Mike is a passionate hunter and his favorite grounds are Alaska and British Columbia. He’s also an expert in hunting gear and he is one of the most reliable resources when it comes to choosing the right tools for the job. He also writes for OpitcGearLab.com

How Adrenaline Junkies Can Use Modern Technology

September 13, 2017 by admin 1 Comment

Source: Pixabay

There is nothing better than the sweaty hands, lump-in-your-throat feeling of excitement when you’re about to do something risky. The quickening of the heart rate beforehand is almost as good as when the risk pays off – and then you need to go back and get another dose of that adrenaline. Reading that, most will be thinking of sky-diving, diving from some rocks into the crystal-clear ocean – but few will think that that risk can be captured through modern technology, even when simply sitting at your laptop. Risk-taking, especially in the modern-day world, can be done anywhere. Here’s how to leave your dreaded comfort zone sometimes even from the comfort of your own home.

Roulette for Pulse-Racing Spins

An easy way to feel the adrenaline at home with technology is through online gaming. More specifically, roulette. Roulette is one of the most popular aspects of the casino experience – and one of the most adrenaline-causing. That’s all due to the sensation of the wheel spinning and the ball bouncing past the slot that could end up making you a millionaire or not. But you don’t need to go to the casino to feel the adrenaline with roulette. Roulette games from 32Red, for example, offer the same excitement-inducing experience as players can choose how they want to play – with the slightly differing house advantages of French and American roulette on offer, as well as the classic version. The higher the house advantage, with some variations on 32Red, the greater the risk, for those who want to raise the stakes even higher. However, for those wanting to lower the risk, 777 offer low-stakes roulette, which lowers the chances of losing, but also limits the amount to be won. And mFortune Casino offers a 24/7 UK call centre for those who want to feel the personable elements of casino games.

Virtual Reality Adrenaline Junkies

The power of virtual reality can also mimic the feeling of chasing that adrenaline fix and feeling some risk – just in a different way. For example, going Virtual Reality skydiving allows people to feel the same wind through their hair and feelings of weightlessness without actually having to hop on a plane and cruise to 35,000 feet. The North Face store teamed up with Jaunt VR, a creative VR development company, in order to create VR experiences of climbing Everest live in their stores. The experience can’t compare to the real thing, but it can be a necessary fix before the next risky adventure. Technology can enhance physical experiences and mimic them in such a way that the feelings they elicit can be the same. Psychologically speaking, people can feel as though they are taking risks, without actually having to take any risks. Some of the 360-degree videos of death-defying scenarios can also elicit similar responses. Granted, these might not be as good to experience as the real thing, but they show just how much technology can do for us – and how it could potentially be made better.

Source: Pixabay

Escape Rooms

Not quite from the comfort of your own home, but technology can be used to create risk through the panic of being trapped somewhere and the fear that surrounds particularly scary escape room scenarios. Escape rooms offer a chance for people to try to solve puzzles in order to escape from a room in a time limit. With technological features, 4D feelings, and high production values, the adrenaline junkie can be tricked into thinking they are actually in a difficult scenario. Some throw guests into the role of spy, some ask them to escape from a demonic lair. For some this may pale into comparison to other more adventurous pursuits, but imagine the fear of looking foolish in front of people you know by being unable to escape. The risk comes from the competitive edge that escape rooms offer – especially if done with similarly competitive friends, or even work colleagues.

2017 is the age of technology and the way almost everything is done can be changed in order to benefit from this. Why not add being a risk-taking adrenaline junkie to that list. The technological ways of chasing that thrill come with the added comfort that the risk may feel the same, but will be considerably less dangerous.

Improve Your Stamina with Martial Arts Training

May 19, 2017 by admin 4 Comments

If you are looking to improve your stamina, then there is only one thing that will have a guaranteed effect on it and that is martial arts training. It has been proven that people that undertake this line of training will see a natural increase in their stamina and as a result this will lead to them being overall better and having an overall better sense of confidence and able to go longer without getting winded. There are several ways that this is so important in helping to improve your stamina as this article will lay out, you will see an increase almost immediately.

There is one very important thing that you need to keep in mind when talking about stamina and that is that there are two kinds that martial arts will help to improve. The first of these is that of cardiovascular and the other is muscular. When we work out, we will get winded just from the mere act of exercising our bodies. The rate at which this happens is known as stamina and the more that we workout, the more we will get winded and the faster that this will happen. Martial arts will increase this for most people and will increase the amount of activity that we can do before we will get winded.

The other side of things equals the amount of exercise that we can do that will lead to our muscles begin to get worn out from the exercise. Doing martial arts will increase the amount of this and will mean that you can do more activity with a lower amount of your muscles beginning to hurt and feeling tired. Many of the exercises that are associated with martial arts are designed to help and increase the level of activity that can be undertaken and thus makes a person able to do more exercise with a lower amount of feeling tired or sore.

There are an increasing number of places that are offering training in the martial arts as more and more people are beginning to see the advantages to this for their workout routines. Many places are beginning to incorporate this into their workouts along with other forms of cardio to help and increase the overall amount of activity that a person can do.

Martial arts for the purpose of increasing stamina will be one of the things that more and more people will want to look into as this becomes even more popular over the next few months and years. More and more people will be picking up on this craze and will be making full use of it in their day to day workouts. Overall, martial arts are a very healthy and productive way to help and increase the stamina of a person who has been dealing with a lower than desired stamina. Taking just a few of these classes will bring an all important aspect to the area of being able to workout longer and more intense all without getting as tired as you once might have.

Contact Sports & Protecting Your Smile – What You Need to Know

January 28, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

In countries where contact sports are popular, like Australia, the UK and the US, the importance of wearing a mouth guard when playing contact sports is well-known. Every year thousands of people of are rushed to an emergency dentist in Fremantle, some of whom were wearing mouthguards at the time of the accident.

While mouth guards are never going to be completely infallible (there are times when the mouth guard gets knocked out before contact occurs), it suffices to say that they’re the best option we have. If you want to protect your smile, you need to wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports and this includes training, as accidents can happen at any time.

I Wear Braces, Do I Need a Mouth Guard?

If you wear braces, you need to wear a special mouth guard to protect your teeth as well as the braces that are improving your smile. People who wear braces are at greater risk of injuries to the lips and gums than other people due to the dental work, so don’t take any chances with your smile and the work that you’ve had done to improve it. Mouth guards for people with braces are different in several ways, such as:

These braces are bigger, softer and more comfortable
They provide better cushioning and support during contact

A mouth guard is a great investment in your dental health whether you wear braces or not, though if you do and you’ve spent a lot of money improving your smile, you have even more reason to wear a mouth guard.

The Risks to Your Teeth and Smile

Playing contact sports like rugby without a mouth guard puts your teeth and your ability to flash a beautiful smile at great risk. Visit fremantlesmiles.com.au to get a good idea of the types of emergency treatments available if you’re not sure of the risks that playing contact sports without a mouth guard poses! There are three categories of dental fractures that you’re at risk of, which are:

Ellis I fractures – These fractures only affect the outermost layer of the tooth and aren’t usually sensitive to the touch.
Ellis II fractures – The second category of dental fractures are sensitive to the touch as well as air exposure. There may be visible signs of damage to the tooth also.
Ellis III fractures – The worst kind of dental fracture, these fractures involve damage all the way to the core of the tooth, which is a part of the tooth that can get infected.

You don’t want to suffer a dental fracture as this could cause long-term dental health problems, so always wear a mouth guard when playing any kind of contact sport at school, at club or with friends.

To sum things up, contact sports are a leading cause of dental injuries and many people are unable to smile the smile they’d love to show the world because of the dental damage they’ve sustained. To protect your teeth and ability to smile, always wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports.

Smart Trampolines Promote Active Screen Time

December 6, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

Trampolines are a favorite past-time for adults and children alike on any continent and trampolining has even been part of the Olympic Games since 2000! However, the traditional model can be a very dangerous backyard item. The standard metal coil springs and exposed frame are within inches of the jumping area and can cause pinching and other injuries, and without a net enclosure surrounding the trampoline, users can easily bounce themselves off and fall to the ground.

Springfree Trampoline, featuring the tgoma game system, has created the world’s first smart trampoline, a design dedicated to your child’s health and safety. Dr. Keith Alexander redesigned the traditional trampoline from the ground up to create a safer and more enjoyable trampoline for the whole family. His research proved that in the US alone over 100,000 children a year were sustaining injuries from playing on traditional horizontal spring-based trampolines. As an inventor, he knew he could design something far superior and infinitely safer for children all around the world.

The Springfree design utilizes flexible composite rods instead of traditional metal springs. Both the rods and the metal frame are positioned below the jumping mat so that coming in contact with either injury zone is eliminated thereby significantly reducing the possibility of injury. It also features an incredibly shock absorbent SoftEdge mat and, with the addition of the FlexiNet, provides a full 360-degree safe jumping area. It is important to find the right trampoline with enclosure model, and so be sure to do your research! The FlexiNet enclosure features flexible composite rods that bend and absorb the jumper’s energy to aid in fall prevention, as opposed to traditional models that feature rigid steel poles that offer an additional impact zone and the risk of further injury. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, over half of trampoline accidents occur on the mat, and thanks to this design revolution, these statistics are being curbed.
Springfree has also recently partnered with tgoma, a game system that provides a unique outdoor digital game experience which helps to get kids outside and away from sedentary play indoors. Providing the world with the first smart trampoline on the market, tgoma offers games that are fun and effective physical workouts for children and adults, that also incorporate learning and healthy competition. However, the tgoma system is not just about playing games. Its rich platform allows you to track your activity, set goals, participate in events, and compare your high scores with other jumpers all over the world.

The best trampoline companies are backed by industry awards, which is why Springfree Trampoline, featuring the tgoma game system, won a 2016 Digital Design award at the Australian Good Design Awards. The fact that they also do not outsource any of the stages of their construction and only use components that have been rigorously tested on-site has also won them US and Global quality and design awards.

Providing a safe jumping experience while leveraging technology to transform “screen time” from an isolated, sedentary activity to an active, engaging experience for the entire family, this smart trampoline offers an exciting new option for American families.

10 Things More Deadly than Snowboarding

February 9, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

So you are afraid to glide down a hill strapped to a Plexiglas board shaped like a skateboard at 30 miles per hour? Snowboarding may be your new favorite activity after hearing about these ten common activities that are more deadly than snowboarding. The team over at https://www.pryers.co.uk/ did some research and discovered that these ten activities have more deaths per million associated with them than snowboarding published on Sport Home’s latest blog post http://www.sporthome.co.uk/10-things-more-deadly-than-snowboarding/ Some of them may surprise you, a summary of the highlights are below and beneath that is the crazy infographic with the confirmed stats!

Skiing and snowboarding average 1 death per million while playing computer games beats this average at 1.5 deaths per million, followed by Waist Training with 1.6 deaths, walking down stairs with 5 deaths per million, cycling at 7 deaths per million, and dancing at 10 deaths per million.

Those first five activities may seem minimal, but these next five should get you thinking.

Insect Bites and Stings – Insect attacks cause 18 deaths per million on average usually from allergic reactions to these common pests’ venom. This is in addition to the many insect related hospitalizations that are successfully treated.

Hiking – So you think you are keeping fit hiking those mountain trails? Maybe so, but with 63 deaths per million dying from hiking you better stay on your toes.

Canoeing – 100 deaths per year are attributed to canoeing. So whether you are an expert or a novice it is certain that you should do this activity with a partner to ensure a healthy outdoor experience.

Walking Down the Street – This daily activity that is done by millions of people ever day without a thought leaps to the number two spot on our top ten with 1,420 deaths per million.

Sleeping – And in the number one spot on our top ten more dangerous activities than snowboarding is sleeping with 125,000 deaths per million. Although it is not actually sleeping that will kill you; this statistic is more about the different conditions that can happen while you sleep such as blood clots, sleep apnea, SADS, SIDS, Heart Attacks, and Cardiac Arrest.

Now that you know the facts, it’s time to stop fearing those more adventurous activities and get out there and explore life; living it to the fullest.

infographic

Your Waistline & Wallet Will Thank You When You Switch To A Pay-As-You-Go Gym

December 6, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Every year, it’s the same thing. You set a goal to lose some weight and gain some muscle, so you sign up and commit to a year-long contract with your local gym. The automatic monthly payments are set up, and your break in your membership with gusto. You’re at the gym for 50 minutes, 5 days a week, and you love it. You’re starting to feel good about yourself again, but then something happens. A big project at work, an illness that lingers, or a family emergency – it doesn’t matter what it is, but it’s ruined your routine and you can’t fit the gym back into your schedule.

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Did you forget about those monthly automatic payments? The gym certainly didn’t, and it will continue to reduce your bank account until your contract is up – whether you’re using their facilities or not. Then a vicious cycle starts. You feel stressed about the wasted time and money as your fitness goals are pushed out of reach until finally you decide you’ll wait until next year to get back on track. A new year is and a new start. But as this isn’t the first time you’ve promised yourself this, you know that your new start will only last for so long until you end up paying for something you don’t use. If your relationship with gyms is like this, then it’s time you forget about contract-based fitness and check out a new model. Pay-per-use fitness centres take away the stress of long-term commitment.

Unlike traditional gyms, pay-per-use facilities don’t lock you into memberships. They don’t operate using contracts (besides a general health waiver), as they know this model doesn’t encourage fitness. They’ve made it so that you only ever pay for the visits you actually pay them, so should your job overtake your spare time and you can’t make it to the gym, you won’t be penalized. Knowing you won’t be charged or judged for missing a few weeks definitely makes returning to the gym easier.

Getting fit is stressful enough without the added anxiety of being locked into an expensive contract. When you reduce the pressure a traditional membership puts on you, you’re actually doing yourself a favour in the long run. You’ll be freer to improve your health, tone your muscles, and prolong your endurance. Add to that the benefits that you’ll see from the state-of-the-art fitness equipment and the trained and friendly fitness staff at a pay-per-use facility and you’ll be healthier than ever.

If you’re interested in finally breaking free from the cycle, check out Striation6.com to learn more. As the leading pay-per-use fitness centre, Striation 6is your answer when you have to leave behind traditional gyms. Replace them with a pay-per-use fitness centre and both your wallet and waistline will thank you.

Jack Elway says sleep is crucial in the career of a college football player

Make it your priority to sleep more than six hours a night

The power of napping

Blue light warnings

Top 5 Reasons You Need to Learn Bow Hunting