Great Activities in Breckenridge for Non-Skiers

 

Breckenridge, Colorado, has transitioned from a mountain mining town to a mecca of activities and attractions to suit virtually any traveler. Additionally, the city's renovation of its river area has added even more options for vacationers who are not interested in skiing. The following are a few of the most popular attractions for Breckenridge visitors:

Little River Golf Courses

With its incomparable natural beauty and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, few would arge that Little River is one of Northern California's treasures. It's also an ideal backdrop to a variety of courses that golfers of all skill levels will enjoy.

How physical therapy helps athletes

For a professional athlete, getting injured during a game or a practice can be a disaster. It can keep them from playing for anywhere from a couple days to a full season to their whole life, if they don't take care of it. Poor warm-up, poor training, or fatigue are all responsible for their fair share of nasty sports injuries. Sometimes it's none of those -- instead, something just goes wrong and a player falls or lands wrong. The question then is how to treat the injury.

While an injured non-athlete might be able to get back to their normal physical state by just waiting for the injured body part to heal, the stakes are a little bit higher for athletes, who push themselves further physically than much of the population. This means that often, some form of physical therapy or rehab is involved.

Physical therapy helps the athlete rebuild the necessary strength where they were injured. In some cases, it can prevent recurring issues or prevent permanent damage. A weak body part is susceptible to more serious injuries, so it's important to get the athlete back to full physical peak before they play again. This can be done with the use of exercises and stretches to build strength with the use of special therapeutic equipment.

The use of physical therapy depends heavily on the type of injury involved. The most common sports injuries are dislocations, sprains, strains, and swollen muscles, all of which have exercise specifically targeted toward healing them.

Athletes that find themselves doing the same motion all the time, such as tennis players or pitchers in baseball, may be at a greater risk for long-term repetitive motion injuries and can benefit from physical therapy exercises even before a major injury comes along. Conditions like tennis elbow and golfer's elbow are directly related to these motions, but the inflammation involved can be prevented or reduced with the use of physical therapy exercises.

Even after the injury has subsided, keeping up with the physical therapy exercises can prevent the injury from recurring or getting worse. Some athletes even visit physical therapists before any kind of injury has actually occurred. They then incorporate therapeutic exercises into their regular warm-up and stretching practices, which helps to strengthen potentially problematic limbs and joints.

For a injured athlete working with a physical therapist, they need to realize that healing with therapy will take time and dedication. Depending on the type of injury, it may be a long time before they are up to speed again, but the more faithfully they stick to their physical therapist's recommendations, the quicker they can expect to get back in the ga

Super Bowl Prep

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the biggest sporting event of the year is this weekend. You probably also know how much money Americans spend on TVs, food, and party supplies in preparation for the Super Bowl too since every major news station likes to make it their "big" story each year. And let's not forget about all of the news articles and blog post that share statistics of our eating habits during the big game. But in my honest opinion, the Super Bowl just wouldn't be the same if you aren't watching it on a big screen TV while eating copious amounts of food and washing it down with a steady stream of beer. If you agree with me on this, then I suggest whipping up one of these fan favorites to enjoy during the game:

Pretzel Bites

These little guys make for great finger food during the game and they cater to a large crowd since you can provide guests with a variety of dipping options such as mustard or queso cheese. The recipe states that the dough needs to rise for an hour so don't wait until the last minute for this one.

Tomatillo-Poblano Guacamole 

If you like guacamole and need to put together a last minute recipe you will be thrilled with this choice. It will only take you 30 minutes and is pretty healthy for you too! The guacamole goes great with tortilla chips or baked pita chips. View the recipe here.

Mini Pizza Pockets

 

Love pizza, but don't want to wait forever for delivery on one of the busiest days for the pizza industry? Then make these cute and easy pizza pockets! Another advantage of making it yourself is being able to vary the toppings so everyone can have their favorite kind of pizza.

Peanut Butter Cup Crack Brownies

If you agree with me when I say one of the best combinations in the whole entire world is chocolate and peanut butter then this is your new drug. Don't even think twice about making these delicious treats. Just do it.

PRO TIPS: Choosing equipment to fit your game

This article is focusing on trying to match up your bowling equipment for your game and how you play the lanes. All good bowlers must learn enough about their own game to know what equipment will allow them to play their own game. If you are a down and in player (more direct) in most situations you want to use equipment that will not force you to cross more boards than you are comfortable with. On the other hand you don’t want to select a ball shell so weak it does not pick up a roll soon enough. If you are a power player and you have a tendency to make your mistakes to the right you need to use a ball that will give you a little area to the right and not force you to point it up to the pocket. Be careful not to choose too big a ball or too much surface, cause it will force you to stand very deep and have to cover a lot more boards. Below are some examples of different balls. There are so many balls on the market today that there is no way to mention all of them. 

Balls with strong coverstock

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Rock On (Columbia 300) 
2. Monster (Brunswick) 
3. Vortex II (Ebonite) 
4. Trauma ER Recovery (Storm)
5. Heat II (Track)

Balls with medium coverstock
1. Gold Messenger (Columbia 300)
2. Command arc (Brunswick)
3. Violet 3D (Faball/Ebonite)
4. Erasit (Storm)

Balls with weak coverstock
1. Scout (Columbia 300)
2. Groove (Brunswick)
3. Nail (Faball/Ebonite)
4. Too Hot & El Nino Wrath (Storm)

In competition try to play your A-game. Don’t assume you can play the lanes the same way as someone else who has a very different game than you. If you are more effective the more to the right you play try to use bowling products that will let you stay in that area of the lane for a longer period of time before you are forced to move inside. The more you have to move inside and set the ball down in more oil the more you will have to use a strong enough ball that will recover (hook back), or more surface. 

All things considered you must pay a lot of attention to the lanes because they rapidly change because of the new aggressive cover stocks made today and you may need to switch to a weaker shell as the league night goes on. There are many times when a bowler who hooks the ball more will choose a stronger ball than a straighter bowler because they need to get much deeper and be assured that the bowling ball will recover. Try to stick to your A-game and learn to choose the right equipment for your style of play. In future articles I will cover some ball layout suggestions. 

Follow the links for additional Pro Tips:

How to stay calm under pressure

Learning how to grind IT out

Breaking out of a Slump

Top Five Grossing Football Movies

Super Bowl Sunday is bittersweet. It is always a great reason to spend the day with family and friends, but it also means the end of the NFL season. And since the college season ended a couple of weeks ago with another Championship for Alabama, what the heck are we supposed to watch? You watch football movies because until the NCAA tournament, ‘fake’ football is more entertaining than basketball. Be sure to check out the top five grossing football movies, including some of my favorites, to tie you over until March Madness!

Cover of The Blind Side

      1. “The Blind Side” (2009) is based on the story of Michael “Big Mike” Oher, played by Quinton Aaron earned $255,959,475. Originally a homeless boy, Big Mike becomes an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring family. “The Blind Side” also starred Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw.

      2. “The Waterboy” (1998) casted Adam Sandler as main character Bobby Boucher, a water boy for a college football team. Boucher moved from the sidelines to the field when his coach discovered his talent for tackling people larger than him! “The Waterboy” cast included Kathy Bates and Henry Winkler which grossed $161,491,646.

      3. “The Longest Yard” (2005) remake is about a long ago football star who lands in prison and is given the task of creating a team of convicts to face-off against the prison guards. Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds were cast in the film that made $158,119,460.

      4. “Remember the Titans” (2000) featured Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone, the newly selected African-American coach of T.C. Williams High School. The film based on a true story takes you through the ups and downs of the team’s first season as a racially integrated group.  Will Patton and Wood Harris also starred in “Remember the Titans” which earned $115,654,751.

      5. “Any Given Sunday” (1999) grossed $75,530,832 with a popular cast including Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz and Dennis Quaid. In “Any Given Sunday,” a third-string quarterback has a series of outstanding performances when he replaces an injured all-star. His performances makes the aging coach realize it’s time to reassess his game plan and outlook on life all while struggling with the pressure of winning from the team’s new owner.

Related articles

• The Best College Football Movies
• Offseason Tournament Ideas: What Would You Like To Vote On?

Working Out in the Winter

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Ahh if it was only summer…people would be out running around, enjoying the great outdoors, losing weight, staying healthy and moods would all improve. Alas, it is not summer, it is winter and it is cold, dark and terrible. As such, it is no secret that people's motivation to exercise and stay healthy fades away as fast as the warmth does.

I’m here to tell you, that despite the fact that its’ tough to get motivated, now is the time of all times that you must exercise. Allowing winter to take over and beat you this year can set yourself up for a very difficult year weight wise, as well as boost your body’s risk of getting sick.

So, bottom line, I know it’s tough, but do whatever you need to do to stay motivated to get your self up, moving, and exercising daily. It might be tougher than usual, but come summer you’ll feel really good about not having to play catch-up to look good in that bathing suit!

Related articles

• Latest Post from Fitness Tips for Women Blog, GetFitDaily.com,...

  ---

• 40 Reasons Why Your Diet Might Not Be Working

  ---