The Context Machine

Lately, I’ve been receiving a lot of questions referring to the latest studies and research findings, and one question that I receive most queries about concerns the role that stretching plays as part of the warm up.

Currently, there seems to be a lot of confusion about how and when stretching should be used as part of the warm up, and some people are under the impression that stretching should be avoided altogether.

This is a very important issue and needs to be clarified immediately. The rest of this article is dedicated to dispelling some common myths and misconceptions about stretching and its’ role as part of the warm up.

What has Science got to say?

Most of the studies I’ve reviewed attempt to determine the effects of stretching on injury prevention. This is a mistake in itself and shows a lack of understanding as to how stretching is used as part of an injury prevention program and the warm up.

Stretching and its effect on physical performance and injury prevention is something that just can’t be measured scientifically. Sure you can measure the effect of stretching on flexibility with simple tests like the “Sit and Reach” test, but then to determine how that affects athletic performance or injury susceptibility is near impossible.

One of the more recent studies on stretching supports this view by concluding;

“Due to the paucity, heterogeneity and poor quality of the available studies no definitive conclusions can be drawn as to the value of stretching for reducing the risk of exercise-related injury.” (The efficacy of stretching for prevention of exercise-related injury: a systematic review of the literature, 2003, Weldon)

To put the above quote in layman’s terms; there hasn’t been enough studies done and the studies that have been done are not specific or consistent enough. For the most comprehensive assessment and conclusion of research done on the affects of stretching I suggest you have a read through the following article, “The Truth about Stretching.” http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/resources/articles/stretching-truth.htm

The Greatest Misconception

Confusion about what stretching accomplishes, as part of the warm up, is causing many to abandon stretching altogether. The key to understanding the role stretching plays can be found in the previous sentence. But, you have to read it carefully.

Stretching, as part of the warm up!

Here’s the key: Stretching is a critical part of the warm up, but stretching is NOT the warm up.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that doing a few stretches constitutes a warm up. An effective warm up has a number of very important key elements, which work together to minimize the likelihood of sports injury and prepare the individual for physical activity.

Identifying the components of an effective and safe warm up, and executing them in the correct order is critical. Remember, stretching is only one part of an effective warm up and its’ place in the warm up routine is specific and dependant on the other components.

The four key elements that should be included to ensure an effective and complete warm up are:

1. The general warm up

This phase of the warm up consists of 5 to 15 minutes of light physical activity. The aim here is to elevate the heart rate and respiratory rate, increase blood flow and increase muscle temperature.

2. Static stretching

Next, 5 to 15 minutes of gentle static stretching should be used to gradually lengthen all the major muscle groups and associated tendons of the body.

3. The sports specific warm up

During this phase of the warm up, 10 to 15 minutes of sport specific drills and exercises should be used to prepare the athlete for the specific demands of their chosen sport.

4. Dynamic stretching

Dynamic stretching involves a controlled, soft bounce or swinging motion to force a particular body part past its usual range of movement. The force of the bounce or swing is gradually increased but should never become radical or uncontrolled.

Please note; dynamic stretching carries with it a high risk of injury if used incorrectly. Dynamic stretching is more for muscular conditioning than flexibility and is really only suited for professional, well trained, highly conditioned athletes. Dynamic stretching should only be used after a high level of general flexibility has been established.

All four parts are equally important and any one part should not be neglected or thought of as not necessary. All four elements work together to bring the body and mind to a physical peak, ensuring the athlete is prepared for the activity to come.

So what conclusions can we make?

Stretching is beneficial, when used correctly. However, as with most activities there are rules and guidelines to ensure that they are safe, and stretching is no exception. Stretching can be extremely dangerous and harmful if used incorrectly.

Remember, stretching is just one very important component that assists to reduce the risk of injury and improve athletic performance. The best results are achieved when stretching is used in combination with other injury reduction techniques and conditioning exercises.

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Article by Brad Walker. Brad is a prominent Australian sports trainer with more than 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry. Brad is a Health Science graduate of the University of New England and has postgraduate accreditations in athletics, swimming and triathlon coaching. He also works with elite level and world champion athletes and lectures for Sports Medicine Australia on injury prevention.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to forward it to others, make it available from your site or post it on forums for others to read. Just make sure that this paragraph and URL are included. For more information and articles on stretching, flexibility and sports injury, visit The Stretching & Sports Injury Newsletter at; 101 Stretching Exercises

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The Erawan Shrine stands majestically in glittering gold at the
busy junction of Ploenchit and Rajadamri Roads in the heart
of downtown Bangkok. Every day, thousands of devotees both
Thai and foreigners pray at the shrine to seek blessings,
fulfillment of dreams, success in personal lives and careers.

What was the origin of the Erawan Shrine and its legend?

Thais believe that there’s a deity or god residing on every plot
of land. Before construction of any structure on the land, a
ceremony must be held on an auspicious date to lay the
foundation so as to appease the deity.

When the project is completed a permanent shrine consisting
of a spirit house, housing the chosen deity, is erected at an
auspicious location on the plot of land. This accounts for the
spirit houses in the gardens of many Thai houses.

In 1953, work commenced to construct the Erawan Hotel some
50 metres behind the present location of the shrine. The
required ceremony of appeasing the land deity was duly
conducted.

However, the project was dogged by delays and mishaps that
spooked the rural Thai construction workers to the point of
halting their work completely.

The hapless contractor turned in desperation to the advice of a
well-respected astrologer, who discovered that the foundation
stone of the building was not laid on an auspicious date.

To reverse the tide of misfortune, a shrine had to be
constructed to honour the god Brahma. The shrine was
inaugurated at the junction on 9 November 1956, a date
carefully chosen this time.

Many foreign visitors tend to refer to the deity as the four-faced Buddha. This
is a misnomer. Brahma is a four-faced
Hindu god worshipped in Brahmanism, a religious system
under orthodox Hinduism. The Thais call Brahma, Than Tao
MahaProm or Phra Phrom.

The shrine was named Erawan after Brahma’s
three-headed elephant. The construction of the hotel proceeded
without any further delays and the building was soon finished.

Word of the power of the shrine spread far and wide and the
legend of the Erawan Shrine. was born. Thais and foreigners,
particularly tourists from SE Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong
flocked to the shrine to seek the blessings of Brahma.

When the international 5 star Hyatt hotel chain took over the
original Erawan Hotel and rebuilt it, the Hyatt management
wisely retained the Erawan Shrine and adopted the name
Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.

It doesn’t pay to tamper with matters that can’t be completely
explained by the laws of logic.

In late 2004, a new boutique mall opened up just behind the
shrine and yes, it adopted the name Erawan Bangkok.

The Erawan Shrine retains its aura to this day and remains a
Bangkok legacy that pulls thousands of faithful worshippers.

The Erawan Shrine popularly known as the
Four faced Buddha is a favorite with visitors
to Tour Bangkok Legacies a
historical travel site on people, places and events that left their
mark in the landscape of Bangkok. The author Eric Lim, a
free-lance writer, lives in Bangkok Thailand.

The single most important thing to consider is that the fly line must match the weight on the rod it is to be use on. Due to the many manufactures and wide range of fishing conditions there is an almost endless selection of tapers and variations. Fly lines basically come in level, double, weight forward and shooting tapers. I am sure everyone has their opinion on this matter, as to what is the best overall line. You will have to decide which taper is best suitable for your fishing conditions. Fly lines come in ether a floating or sinking or a combination of the two.

Weight Forward - This is by far the most popular line and used by most people that I go fishing with. As the name suggest the weight is in the forward section of the line. The weight of the line is usually measured in the first 30 feet. Generally this line will permit longer casting distances. This taper is an excellent choice for windy conditions or long distance casting. If you are fishing in tight casting situations be aware that this line is hard to roll cast.

Double Taper - These lines have a 6 foot to 10 foot tapered section at each end of the fly line and have a long level section in the middle of the line. This line will give you a more delicate presentation of your fly. Not a very good choice for windy conditions or long distance casting but an excellent choice for roll casting. A double taper line can be reversed, making this an economical choice as you can use both ends.

Shooting Tapers - These lines while they are great for making very long casts, lack the delicacy needed for general all-around fly fishing. The line, due to the weight in the front of the line, can spook the fish when it hits the water. This line is harder to control for a beginner. Also since the back end of the fly line is thinner than standard fly line, it has a wicked tendency to coil and get knotted up. For beginner anglers, a shooting taper fly line is not recommended. A shooting taper fly line works well to make very long distance casts and fish in windy conditions.

Level Taper - A level taper fly line has absolutely no taper and is of uniform weight and width for its total length. While theses lines float extremely well they are the most difficult to cast and handle. Beginner anglers should stay away for this taper of line.

The best overall fly line for a beginner would be the weight forward, as you gain experience you can try the different tapers and see what feels best to you.

The most important rule of this system that you should never break is that once you have reached your goal winnings for that day, YOU QUIT AND WALK AWAY.

The first step in using this system is to set a value of how much you wish to win each day. As a rough rule, the safest figure is 5% of your total bank.

This is purely down to you. The higher the % the more risk you have of needing to “top up” your bank with more funds.
So for this example we say you have a bank of £1000, and therefore require our winnings each day to be £50. (Of course it could be just a bank of £100 and your target winnings be £5, it’s up to you and the size of your pocket. remember your in this only to win!)
This system relies on the fact that in all of the days race meetings that at least 1 favorite will win one of the races. There are usually 3 or 4 race meetings each day 6 of 7 races per meeting. This means across the country there are in excess of 20 races and if just 1 out of the 20 races the favorite wins, YOU’RE A WINNER. As you can imagine the chances of not a single favorite winning out of the 20 races is very small. In the last 9 months of using this system, I have never witnessed a day where that happened.
To ensure you always choose the favorite of each race, you will need to either open an account on line. Such as www.paddypower.com or you must go to your local bookies and check the odds in the last 15-10 minutes before a race. Newspapers do like to give you their suggested favorite; however these will not always be the excepted and agreed favorite.

So here’s the horse racing system…

1. In the first meeting of the day you currently have a bank of £1000 and you wish to win £50. Locate the favorite for this race, take its odds “to win” and then calculate how much stake you need to put down in order to win £50. Let’s say the favorite is 7-4. In order to win £50.00 you will need to place a bet of £28.57.
This can be worked out by dividing 4 by 7 (7-4 odds) and then multiply it by 50 (£50)
If this horse wins you are now £50.00 up. CONTRATULATIONS, YOU’RE A WINNER.

Now follow the most important rule of the day and quit for the day!

2. If the horse doesn’t win, don’t despair, go on to the next race, but this time in order to be £50 up for the day, you need to win back the 28.57 you lost in the last race plus an additional £50 for your on target winnings. A total of 78.57. Let’s say for the next race, the favorite is at 4-1. So to win 78.57 you will need to place a bet of 19.64.
This can be worked out by dividing 1 by 4 (4-1 odds) and then multiply it by 78.57 (£)
If this horse wins, you have recovered the £28.57 you lost in the first race, plus the additional £50 target. CONGRATULATIONS YOU ARE A WINNER.

Now quit for the day!

3. If the horse doesn’t win, again don’t despair, simply go on to the next race following the same procedure as in 2. Remembering that in order to be £50 up for the day, you will need to win back the 28.57 you lost in the first race and the 19.64 in the second race, plus the additional £50. Target winnings, giving a total of £98.21. The favorite in the next race is 2-1. So to win £98.21 you will need to place a bet of 49.10.

This can be worked out by dividing 1 by 2 (2-1 odds) and multiplying it by £98.21.

If this horse wins; you have now recovered the 28.57 you lost in the first race and the 19.64 in the second plus the additional £50. Target. CONGRATULATIONS YOU ARE A WINNER.

Now quit for the day!

If the favorite didn’t win again, simply continue with this method remembering to up your stake to ensure you win back all your losses as well as your targeted winnings until the favorite does win.

As you can see the more races that take place where the favorite doesn’t win, your loses become more and more, therefore meaning you need to place a larger stake on the next race to win back your loses. This is why it is suggested to only place 5% of your bank.

Of course no system is 100% guaranteed to win every time and we do not give this guarantee either, but you will agree that the odds of not a single favorite winning any of the races around the country in one day is as close to impossible as you can imagine.

Of course you can check out our system by looking at the previous results to see how good it really is! Just check the results in the national press and you will see that a favorite will win at least 1 race in 1 of the race meetings, every day!
Try this out for yourself for a few days without actually gambling any money. Simply put, if a favourite wins, you win.

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The oak furniture was indeed a cruel mistress, for it was only pleasing to look at, but quite uncomfortable to sit in. The gnarled arms dug into my wrists, and without cushions, the back and seat of the chair would start to hurt after a while. It truly was an ancient device of torture. Or so I thought. One night, as I lay asleep in my bed, I was abruptly awoken by a creaking downstairs. I fumbled in the dark for the light switch and hurriedly put my dressing gown on. As I edged my way down the stairs, I was greeted by a sight I couldn’t have possibly imagined in my wildest dreams, because to be quite honest, it was just too weird. The chair was moving. That and it had eaten the dog, whose festering carcass lay just a few feet away. The smell was rancid, as soon as the acrid copper tang of the blood passed through my nostrils to hit the back of my throat, I tumbled over, gagging. I rose to my feet, gasping for breath as the chair came at me, baring what I presumed to be its fangs. I tumbled backwards and kicked simultaneously, launching the chair into the burning log fire, which - for some reason - was actually lit. I laughed maniacally as the chair burnt to “death” in the flames. I then went back to bed.

Past life regression should unearth the reasons why we have issues with individuals in our current lifetime or why we are apprehensive of certain things. You have brothers around you in your current lifetime that you should have remarkably known before, just imagine being capable to learn what happened and what your relationship was to them at that time and clear blocks that plague you in your current time and even identify talents and bring them into your present time. Past lifetime regression, aka PLR, is eye-opening. Unearth the issues in your present life with Past Life with AnneJirsch.com.

When you are having a past life regression, also known as PLR, session you regress to the lifetime you most need to know about in your current time. This is awesome and will clarify a large deal about your current lifetime and help you to move forward with a greater understanding of yourself, your life and the people around you.

You should also ascertain why you are the individual that you are, now that is brilliant. If you delight in nature perhaps you were once working on a farm, if you enjoy to travel maybe you were a traveller. Instead of minimising our strengths we should acknowledge each of them.

Each respective experience is brilliant and unique. Others have unearthed places they had lived in before and ?knew? where to go.

Did you have any power problems at your house? Has your refrigerator stopped working during the night? Do you have qualms about food that was in the freezer?

If this happens, don’t worry because there are easy to follow instructions for food safety.

If the food has warmed at all, whether thawed completely or just to room temperature, discard it immediately. If your food has been setting out for more than a couple of hours, it needs to be thrown out.

Largely thawed food that is still cold should be cooked immediately. Foods that have been cooked may then be consumed or refrigerated for later use.

The food can be refrozen if there are still ice crystals visible on it. If you do not have a freezer available, throw it in a cooler and add dry ice. These items will need to be cooked, because your freezer will not offer the same longevity that a normal freezer would offer.

Once food starts to show off the markings of freezer burn they need to be thrown out immediately.

You can’t avoid sudden power outages caused by storms or accidents, but you can be prepared to deal with the results.
If your existing fridge or freezer has seen better days, the best advice that anyone can give you is you invest in a new one. A new American Style fridge freezer is a great option if you have the amount of space needed. This can really make the difference to any kitchen. A variety of American refrigerators and freezers from many suppliers are listed on this site.

When you get to your retirement period you do not have to get out your pension at that instance. As an option, you can make up your mind to delay procuring a pension until the age of 75 & if you do so you may well find you get a more well-paid offer. It is branded as income draw down.

When you are somewhere aged between fifty and seventy five years old you are permitted to postpone the possession of your pension annuity from one of a number of insurance corporations. Instead, you are allowed to extract up to one-hundred-and-twenty percent of the pension that could have been purchased by means of the Government Actuary rates, & leave the remaining capital invested for when you demand it. On your side, all you have to do is to ensure that you buy a pension annuity by the point you get to seventy five years old.

Significantly, what would come about if you decided to take the income drawdown option, and then departed this world? If this did arise then your current companion or dependant(s) would have three choices: either receive a lump amount, take away tax at thirty-five percent, or persist with financial deduction, or getting an annuity pension with the money. Your existing companion has until they reach 60 to postpone the control of an annuity, though no financial benefits are allowed to be given in the interim period.

Why get income draw down? Well first & foremost because it can mean you will earn a superior wage from your particular pension by doing so. Secondly, you are able to select specifically when you purchase the pension annuity, this means that if you give up work at a point in time when the annuity rates are low, waiting may perhaps be a clever option. If the outstanding resources climb as anticipated, then jointly with the truth that the annuity rates grow with age, you might ultimately be able to acquire an improved pension than you possibly would have obtained at the outset.

What’s more, it also means that when you depart this life your wife/husband or those responsible are taken care of economically, because they are lawfully entitled to the residual stocks, as highlighted before.

There are risks as a result though. If investment performance on the remaining funds is poor, the level of retirement salary provided could reduce. And it’s crucial to be aware that there is no promise that the pension bought will in the end be more than the amount that could have been paid for at the beginning. Acquire Independent Pension Draw Down advice at www.firstplacefinancial.co.uk.

What if a trusted friend were to tell you about an investment where you could not possibly go wrong…what would be your reaction? And what if there was a virtual mountain of credible information that supported the investment claims…wouldn’t you be inclined to take advantage of the opportunity and not miss out on the rewards? Although the answer to these questions seems apparent, when it comes to investing in our health and quality of life we often choose to ignore what obviously works. Take for example, exercise…

Physical fitness may be the ultimate investment opportunity. Think of it this way. If you are willing to make the commitment (investment), you will feel and look healthier, have an abundance of energy, be more self-confident, more productive and discover a more joyous and fulfilling life. These are rewards that money cannot buy and the substance of high quality living. And, the investment of exercise becomes even more attractive when you consider that there is absolutely no down-side risk. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. How much better can it get? How many times can you remember ever having a better offer? The honest answer is probably never, and yet many of us fail to act on this extraordinary opportunity. We simply choose to procrastinate or ignore the proven benefits of exercise!

Here are a few reasons that sometimes inhibit our willingness to “step out” and make a change or take a chance:

- Sometimes our vision gets clouded. We lose tract of what is really important. When this happens, it’s time to forget the trees and look at the forest. Try to focus on exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Sometimes we get so caught up in the detail that I forget where I’m going.

- If we look at the “big” picture, it can seem overwhelming. And the bigger the task, the more overwhelming it can seem. Break the task apart into smaller pieces. Want to lose 50 pounds? Go for 10 pounds, five at a time! Need to start an exercise program? Begin with short, simple exercises and slowly expand your routine. The absolute worse approach to exercise is to overdo it when first starting the program. We seem to have this all or none mindset where we end up killing ourselves the first few times out. We end up stiff, tired, disillusioned, and then quit. Moderation is the key.

- Have you ever not wanted to start something for fear of failure? Take the first step and acknowledge the fear, then the next step will come easier. Fear of the unknown scares us so much we don’t want to even begin. Once fears are acknowledged, they usually quiet down. Taking the first step allows us to go past the fear and on to the next step.

- Sometimes we start to think that a task is unpleasant or boring. Just like any other activity, this can also be true for exercise. There are days when we just plain lack the enthusiasm and motivation to continue. It’s part of human nature. On days like these focus on ‘why’ you are doing it. Think about all the people you care about and who may need and rely on you. What would happen if you became ill or disabled and was unable to work for a period of time, or worse, if you were out of the picture completely. How would things change? If something happened tomorrow, how would your family or business manage without you? What do you want your life to be like in the future? There are many tasks or chores we do, that we may not like, but are necessary to live a happen and productive life. Focus on the bigger picture.

- Indecision can be defeating, but doing “anything” is better than doing nothing. There are no wrong choices and very few choices that can’t be undone or done again. Can’t decide on a particular exercise program or routine? Pick a few exercises and start with something simple. If you don’t like it, go on to the next exercise.

- When you lack the confidence to start something new, take a deep breath and try to figure out why. Are you hesitating because you really lack the skill or is it just imagined? If it’s real, try to find out where to gain the skills you need or find someone with the right skills who can help. In the case of exercise, finding a qualified personal fitness trainer can sometimes do the trick, but be wary…some PFT’s are overzealous and tend to start newcomers on programs that are too strenuous.

- Life just seems too busy to find time for some activities. Large, uninterrupted chunks of time are very hard to come by. And if we’re honest, when they do come, we’d rather do something totally pleasurable! Exercise has to become part of your routine. It can’t be an option. Make it a high priority just the same as your career, and other areas of interest. You will be surprised at how easy exercise becomes when approached this way!

- Have you ever subconsciously (or otherwise) invited distractions so that you have a “good” reason not to get something done? Sometimes it’s the simple things like answering the phone or sitting down to watch that “one” TV program, that distract us. When you find yourself doing this, take control of the situation and make a conscious decision to do what you are avoiding.

To reap the benefits of exercise, or any other health related endeavor, you must agree to become a willing participant. This will require due diligence on your part. And remember, as you embark on your mission you are investing in something near and dear to your own heart…your life and a future of healthy living.

Author: Arnel Ricafranca

Arnel Ricafranca

Fitness Expert/ Master Trainer

Founder of Fitness VIP

Located in Randolph and Stanhope NJ

http://www.fitness-vip.com

AskArnel@gmail.com