Athlete in the Game of Life

09/27/2025

Why is Playing Youth Sports Beneficial for More Reasons Than Trying to Get a Scholarship?

"Increasing evidence shows that participating in sports has benefits above the physical effects, including improved mental and social health, improved social interaction and self-esteem, fewer depressive symptoms, and reduced stress (Eime et al., 2013; Jenkin et al., 2018; Moeijes et al., 2018). Further, research has demonstrated that the academic performance of children and adolescents is linked to physical activity (Dyer et al., 2017)." - National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Sports Performance Certification

This does not mean an 8-year-old has to specialize in one sport. On the contrary, play multiple sports at a recreational level until hitting adolescence.

Playing sports on a team contributes to social emotional learning and the evidence I mentioned above. Your child benefits cognitively and physically regardless of the sport they play.

I played soccer, baseball, and basketball on recreational levels before deciding on soccer only in eighth grade. Meeting kids across different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds gave me an appreciation for having a variety of friends throughout my life.

What sports did you play as a kid and teenager? What leadership and social skills did they teach you?

09/22/2025

Does it Hurt to Turn Your Head After a Long Day Staring into Your Screen?

Leaning into your computer and devices can be detrimental to normal rotation of your head. This is a symptom of forward head position (FHP).

"For healthy individuals with normal head and neck posture, approximately 50% of CS rotation occurs between the first cervical vertebra (C1) and the second cervical vertebra (C2) (Mercer & Bogduk, 2001). Advanced stages of FHP can cause compression in the upper CS, which can significantly reduce the ability of C1 to rotate around C2." - National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification.

I know after long days at my desk, I feel tight and that I cannot get the normal rotation of my head. You are not alone if you feel this also.

It's important to keep your screens at eye level to avoid this neck pain. How are your screens set up?

As your FHP worsens over the months and years, it can cause other health problems like persistent headaches and shortness of breath. Are you noticing these now and think it's normal fatigue?

How many hours a day are you staring down into your screen?

09/13/2025

Way back in 2007, Nancy White found her calling to help people honor a healthy lifestyle and empower them financially. Inspired by her mother's vibrant legacy, Nancy became the The Healthy Cells Chick.

In this episode, Nancy shares her insights and experience about daily physical activity and exercise, why stress is associated with the top 6 killers of Americans, the importance of good sleep nightly, and that lean muscle mass is not just for people under 40. You definitely need to tune in!

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Way back in 2007, Nancy White found her calling to help people honor a healthy lifestyle and empower them financially. Inspired by her mother's vibrant legacy, Nancy became the Healthy Cells Chick. In this episode, Nancy shares her insights and experience about daily physical activity and exercise,....

09/11/2025

😐 What is the 3rd Most Common Type of Pain for Americans?

Neck pain is the third most common type of pain for Americans. It is also one of the four main causes of disability throughout the world (Hoy et al., 2014). Roughly 2/3 of the population will experience neck pain in their lifetime.

A major cause of neck in today's society is forward head position (FHP), and you're likely experiencing it now reading this post.

The FHP can be considered a malalignment of the head and neck where the head protrudes forward forcing the lower cervical spine to flex and the upper cervical spine to extend in an attempt to keep the head upright. FHP may cause abnormal stress to the cervical vertebrae, lengthening the anterior (front) neck muscles, and shortening the posterior (rear) neck muscles.

Another term for FHP is "tech neck" because we are all staring down at a screen for hours each day.

Share about the pains in your neck and shoulders you have after a day looking down at your screens.

09/04/2025

Elite pro athletes stay motivated through a variety of techniques helping them overcome losses, injuries, and being traded or cut. Adversity surrounds everyone at all levels personally and professionally. Preparing for the bumps in the road keep the mole hill from becoming a mountain.

In this episode I talk about a few of the techniques and philosophies professional athletes use to stay at the top of their respective games. It is not a one-size-fits-all formula, and you can blend as what works for you. Some techniques focus on the end goal, others on steps in the process. Listen and share how you can up your mental game for your career and life!

Listen, subscribe, and like The Peale Appeal Podcast, .

Elite pro athletes stay motivated through a variety of techniques helping them overcome losses, injuries, and being traded or cut. Adversity surrounds everyone at all levels personally and professionally. Preparing for the bumps in the road keep the mole hill from becoming a mountain. In this episod...

09/03/2025

🤔 What Parts of the Upper Body Account for 1/3 of Workday Injuries?

A. The head and neck
B. The arm
C. The chest

The answer is B, the arm. Here's why according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Corrective Exercise Certification text:

"Musculoskeletal injuries to the elbow, forearm, and wrist account for approximately 1/3 of all workday illnesses, approximately 25% of all sports-related injuries involve the wrist and hand. If an individual lacks optimal stability and mobility at the shoulder, the elbow and wrist will likely demonstrate static malalignments (altered length-tension relationships and joint arthrokinematics), abnormal muscle activation patterns, and dynamic malalignments. Many conditions afflicting the wrist are considered overuse due to the repetitive positions of either flexion or extension."

What this means injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome stem from overuse and poor posture sitting at your desk. Stretching your overly tight biceps and forearms multiple times per day can help you reduce your risk of these types of injuries.

Take a look at how your positioned now at your desk. Does it contribute to this statistic of workday injuries?

08/30/2025

"Stand up straight!" "Stop slouching!" Do you remember your mother telling you these things? I know mine did. Good advice to us as kids, like a lot of it, we didn't listen and now look at us hunched into our cell phones!

In this episode I talk about five postural influences that affect how we present ourselves. Similar to muscle imbalances, your posture is influenced by what you do on a daily basis: sitting, standing, kneeling, etc. What are these influencers and what can you do about them? Listen to this episode and see how many of the five affect how you sit and stand each day.

Subscribe, like, and listen to The Peale Appeal Podcast, .

"Stand up straight!" "Stop slouching!" Do you remember your mother telling you these things? I know mine did. Good advice to us as kids, like a lot of it, we didn't listen and now look at us hunched into our cell phones! In this episode I talk about five postural influences that affect how we presen...

08/28/2025

In my career I have worked with clients going through various cancer treatments. Exercise oncology is scientifically proven to improve outcomes and reduce your chances of readmission to the hospital. Watch this short episode to learn why maintaining your fitness levels is crucial pre, during, and post treatment.

Watch the inspiring story of how a Cancer Exercise Specialist played a key role in preparing his cancer patient clients for their treatments and long-term su...

08/26/2025

Are Kids More Out of Shape and Heavier Today than Years Ago?

"Scientific evidence suggests that children and adolescents need resistance training today more than ever (Behm et al., 2017; Faigenbaum et al., 2016; Faigenbaum et al., 2019; Granacher et al., 2016; Laurson et al., 2017; Lesinski et al., 2016; Ryman Augustsson & Ageberg, 2017).
Today’s adolescents are substantially less strong than their counterparts from three decades ago (Laurson et al., 2017). The term pediatric dynapenia is used to describe the widespread loss of muscle strength and power that was once thought to impact only elderly individuals (Faigenbaum et al., 2016; Faigenbaum et al., 2019).
Today’s youth athletes have lower muscle strength than a few generations ago, which negatively impacts their sports performance. There are several factors underpinning this reality." - National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

If you have children or grandchildren in their pre-teens and/or adolescents, encourage them to eat healthier and put down the device to play outside. This isn't about playing organized sports and sports specialization. Move more and eat less, is the goal for everyone!

08/23/2025

Ever wonder why one side of your body is stronger than another, or you have difficulty lifting your arms over your head or bending at the knee to pick something up from the ground? These are called imbalances, and you’re not alone. We all have them, even if you workout regularly, but why?

In this episode I talk about the five major causes of muscle imbalances and give examples of how you may have them. They are all related and you may be surprised to learn how! This information can definitely help you understand what is happening in your body today! Nobody is immune to imbalances, not even me.

Subscribe, listen, and like The Peale Appeal Podcast,

Ever wonder why one side of your body is stronger than another, or you have difficulty lifting your arms over your head or bending at the knee to pick something up from the ground? These are called imbalances, and you’re not alone. We all have them, even if you workout regularly, but why? In this ...

08/19/2025

🏋 Resistance training exercises that concentrate on increased connective tissue strength, neuromuscular coordination, joint stability and mobility, and movement quality are crucial for reducing injury risk and building resilience.

Resistance training leads to improvements in muscular endurance, maximal strength, power, and speed, all of which underpin performance in a myriad of sports. It can also reduce the risk of acute sports injuries like anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures and chronic injuries like tendinopathies (Lauersen et al., 2018).

Additionally, acquiring a solid foundation of stability and muscular endurance is recommended before progressing to more advanced forms of resistance exercise.

If you're only doing cardio, you're barely scratching the surface of what your body needs.

08/16/2025

Imagine yourself scoring the winning point, sinking the winning putt, or making the winning play to end the game! We've all had those images in our heads.

Before your favorite athlete steps on the field, they spend hours practicing and training. You can reap the same benefits by training like them. In this episode I give you actionable tips to improve your cognitive function and physical fitness. Use these tips to take your career and physical health to a championship level.

Subscribe, listen, and like The Peale Appeal Podcast, .

Imagine yourself scoring the winning point, sinking the winning putt, or making the winning play to end the game! We've all had those images in our heads. Before your favorite athlete steps on the field, they spend hours practicing and training. You can reap the same benefits by training like them.....