Jeffrey Seymour asked:


One of the largest factors that several youth deal with today is in relation to their self-esteem. Several suffer by looking at themselves as not good enough. This may range from seeing their body image in the wrong light to seeing their mental states as not quite right. There are ways to help youth with their self-esteem. By suggesting and supporting things like sports, you will be certain to decrease their chances at unhealthy activities from a low self-esteem.  

It is known that when children enter into school, they will generally have a high self-esteem. More than eighty percent of children in the first grade will start out by thinking highly of themselves and believing that they can do anything. By the time these same children reach the fifth grade, the attitude towards themselves and the self-esteem has dropped to about twenty percent. By the time children graduate from high school, the amount that has a high self esteem is at a low of five percent.  

Along with the low self-esteem come things such as drug use, early sex, and failure with steps towards a career. At the same time, it is also being found that those who play sports are less likely to take part in these activities. Instead, those who play sports are more likely to develop a higher self-esteem and participate in positive activities. Because the children and youth are being challenged to succeed, and encouraged to continue through the use of a team and the sport, they are able to develop a better insight towards their own self-image.  

The idea of self-esteem in sports has become such a major component of the sports, that several areas are now committed to giving more youth activities outside of school specifically to battle low self-esteem and offer alternatives for success. It is being found that no matter what type of physical activity or sport the youth participate in, it is helping to build them into better adults with a more positive outlook on whom they are.  

If you notice any type of anxiety, depression, or negative reaction from your child, their self-esteem may need some help. If you want to make sure that they graduate from high school feeling good about their accomplishments, then you can enroll them in a physical activity to help out. By doing this, you will be able to give them another option away from the negative outlook that they may have.



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Mike Singh asked:


In order to reduce the risk of injury while exercising it is important for one to have flexible joints and toned muscles. This can be achieved by doing simple stretching exercises that form the basis of most workout routines.

The main goal should be to attain a wide range of motion and exercise according to your body type and fitness levels. There are several ways to achieve this goal.

One way is to do a short warm up before starting any routine. This helps to keep the joints and muscles flexible and more elastic while at the same time also enables a safer and higher intensity workout.

Cold muscles often tear or get stretched leading to acute pain so it is always recommended to do some stretching exercises before beginning any vigorous exercise. Even ten to fifteen minutes of basic stretching exercises or low impact jogging is enough to get the joints and muscles toned.

There are different kinds of stretching exercises which can be very useful. Static stretching is the more old fashioned stretch which involves stretching the arms, trunk, legs or neck and holding them for around 30 seconds. Dynamic stretching and ballistic stretching on the other hand involve more vigorous weight assisted or bouncing style stretches where extra force might be applied.

Dynamic stretches can even include holding your arms out sideways and twisting them from left to right across the front of the body and repeating for 30 seconds. Another interesting technique involves the use of a short bar that is placed across the neck with the support of the shoulders. The hands should be placed on the bar and then the body is bent slowly to the left and then the right so that the head is moved towards the edge of the foot.

For abdominal exercises, using a large rubber ball is very effective. One should lie backwards on the ball and slowly raise the arms above the neck and repeat 10 times. If you want to loosen the pressure on the hamstrings then you can lie on your back and raise one leg upward and stretch. You can even take the help of a towel by wrapping it around the leg that is outstretched and pull the ends toward you slowly.

If you want a full back stretch, lie on your back and bring both knees to the chest. Clasp both hands around the knees and gently rock your body so that when you roll forward your feet hit the floor and when you roll backwards your head touches the floor. Repeat this exercise at least 10 times.

In order to tone the groin muscles you can also make use of a large rubber ball. Place one knee on the ball and slowly rotate the ball backwards and forwards just a few inches away from your body.

Touching your toes is an excellent warm-up exercise to stretch the leg and back muscles. However, people who suffer from problems pertaining to the lower back should first consult an experienced physician before attempting these exercises.

The key to flexible and supple joints and muscles is to do stretching exercises at least a few times a week. This will not only help to decrease the risk of injury but will help you attain maximum flexibility.



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