sport – Hello Doctor

5 Olympic athletes share their secrets on how to win

January 13th, 2020 by Content Editor

You have your goals written down and may have even worked out your strategy to achieve them. Yet, doubts that you’ll fail to achieve them are still lingering… just like every other year. Urgh.

Instead of wallowing, take your preparation up a notch and take some advice from the best in the business.

Here are some lessons from five Olympians on how to finally bank those goals.

Focus on commitment

Instead of focusing on the big looming end goal, committing to daily, smaller goals that will get you there is less daunting.

You’re also more likely to stick to smaller changes.

To focus on your commitment and make changes you should:

Set realistic goals. For instance, if you want to lose 10kgs, don’t give yourself a month to achieve it.
Choose something more realistic like losing a half to 1kg per week.
Don’t eliminate, replace. If you must remove certain things to change a behaviour, replace it with something healthier. Eliminating something you like or enjoy without a replacement can lead to obsession, leaving you back to where you started. For example, if you’re cutting out chips, swap it for a healthy snack like fruit or popcorn.
Devote 15 minutes to your goal every day. 15 minutes a day doesn’t sound like much, but it’s 15 minutes closer to your achievements. Carve out time for your goals each day. For example, write a few pages of your novel, do a mini workout or prepare your weekly planner.

Train hard, turn up, run your best and the rest will take care of itself.”

—Usain Bolt, gold-medal runner

Seek knowledge, not results

If you focus on results alone, your motivation will eventually wane. In other words, if you see positive results you’ll be fuelled to keep going. And if you aren’t seeing positive results, you may throw in the towel. On the other hand, concentrating on improving, exploring and relishing in the excitement of learning will keep you motivated. Focus on the journey and not the destination. This way, you’ll improve along the way and eventually reach your goal.

“Failure I can live with. Not trying is what I can’t handle.”

—Sanya Richards-Ross, gold-medal track and field athlete

Be a dreamer

Want to know the best way to ditch negative thoughts? Use your imagination and think about positive outcomes. Often, negative thoughts cause your motivation to dissolve. Fill yourself with positive energy by picturing the best outcomes. Replace bad thoughts with positive ones. You could do this in your mind or even try writing them down in a journal. Think: “I can do this”, “I will be successful”, “My hard work will pay off”.

“Don’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the further you get.”

—Michael Phelps, gold-medal swimmer

Find your purpose

We all need encouragement to get us through, whether it comes from within or from others. This could be a loved one, a group you belong to, or even a poster of your role model on your bedroom door. Your purpose for trying to achieve your goal is encouragement. Know exactly why you’re trying to achieve your goal and how it will benefit you. For instance, if your goal is to exercise more, appreciate WHY you want to do this, so that the journey will be meaningful.

Whether it’s for your health, to lose weight or to simply look better, know why you’re grinding.

“We have the can-do factor, and us doing what we do I think inspires people to just try that little bit harder, whether they are able-bodied or disabled.”

—Lee Pearson, gold-medal para-equestrian

Get rid of distractions

Let’s face it, there are many things we’d rather do than hustle to reach our goals. But, distractions mean time wasted. For instance, that one-hour show that comes on every day at 5pm, is an hour you could have used to work towards your goal. To get rid of timewasters, make a list of them and hold yourself accountable to not do them. To make it easier for yourself, add a reward. For example, recording or downloading your favourite show to watch over the weekend.

“When I’m racing, I’m thinking about my own race. I’m not thinking about anybody”

– Caster Semenya, gold-medal and middle-distance runner

References:

How to stop chafing

January 23rd, 2019 by The Hello Doctor Team

Chafing is always a risk, especially in summer. Here’s how to prevent and treat this common problem.

Chafing is a type of skin irritation that can go from mild to extremely painful within minutes. It happens when skin continuously rubs against skin, clothes or other surfaces.

The inner thighs, underarms, ankles and nipples are all prone to chafing, especially when you’re participating in sports activities. If you’ve ever done a long run or hike, your feet and/or ankles probably chafed at some point, leading to painful blisters.

Heat, moisture, poorly fitting clothes and shoes, and excessive or unusual exercises all increase your odds for chafing. When your skin is moist because you’re sweating on a hot day or running in the rain, you can quickly chafe to the point that your skin breaks and starts to bleed.

Chafing is a problem for athletes

Chafing is a major problem for professional runners, cyclists and other athletes. In fact, research among marathon runners showed that the most common skin-related issues were:

Blisters and other injuries from repetitive friction (0.2-39%)
Jogger’s nipple (2-16.3%)
Chafing and abrasions (0.4-16%)

Jogger’s nipple comes from friction between a runner’s shirt or underwear, and their nipples. It’s particularly common among women who run without bras and men who wear shirts made of coarse fibre. While chafing itself isn’t serious, it can lead to infection. So, it’s important to manage it quickly.

How to prevent chafing:

Dress lightly, especially on warm days, so that you can move with ease.
Apply talcum powder or petroleum jelly to chafing-prone areas.
Use a good antiperspirant under your arms.
Wear clean, dry clothing, as dried-up sweat and dirt may irritate your skin.
Wear the appropriate clothing and shoes for the activity you’re doing: a good sports bra, soft, moisture-wicking fibres to train in, and make sure your clothes and shoes fit properly.
When you’re running or hiking outdoors, take care not to get your shoes wet.
Drying powders used on the feet can increase your risk for chafing and blisters. Opt for good-quality socks instead.
When you go hiking, wear two pairs of socks made from different fabrics to reduce skin friction (nylon anklets combined with woollen socks work well).
Use commercially available patches or tape to cover your nipples during jogs and runs.
Lose weight if you’re overweight to reduce your risk for chafing, especially between the thighs. It may also help to wear spandex shorts under your dresses and skirts.
If you feel that your skin is starting to become irritated during an activity, stop what you’re doing.

Treat chafed skin:

Clean the area with gentle, unscented soap and water.
Dry the area thoroughly.
Use petroleum jelly, nappy rash cream or antiseptic ointment to relieve the irritation and prevent the chafed skin from drying out.
Once your skin has healed, apply talcum powder or petroleum jelly to the affected area to prevent further chafing.

References:

Sports to suit your body type

November 30th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

As you grow older, your body develops into a shape that’s mainly dependant on your genetic makeup. This lets you know what kind of body you will have, and how well it will work.

To know which sports you’re likely to excel at, it’s best to know which body shape and type are the best fit for certain activities.

From a scientific point of view, there are three main components of how your body is built. These are: body type, body size (height and weight) and body composition (body fat percentage).

To maximise the advantages of your body type, you need to identify your body type. Then, you can focus on the optimal exercises your body needs, and which sports would be perfect for your body type.

Sporting genes

Physiologists have defined three main body shapes: endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph.

Endomorph

An endomorph has a pear-shaped body with some fat on the body, upper arms and thighs and are well adapted to building strength. Most endomorphs have a higher percentage of body fat than the other types, thanks to a slower and endurance-orientated metabolism. They have to watch what they eat though and work a little harder to maintain an ideal body weight and a toned body.

They excel at:

Rugby (in the front line where bulk is useful or as a short and quick scrum half).
Weightlifting and super-heavyweight boxing.
Long-distance swimming.
Cross-country.
Rowing
Shot putt, discus and hammer throwing.
Wrestling

They also need to take care of their joints because of the extra pressure from the excess weight and muscle. Instead of jogging, rather cycle, row or swim to stay fit.

Mesomorph

This body shape is the classic V shape that has narrow hips and a wedge-shaped body. Mesomorphs are known as “genetically gifted”. This type responds well to cardio and resistance training and with the minimal body fat it carries; it could excel at most sports. Mesomorphs gain or lose weight easily which allows them to easily adapt to the needs of the specific sport. Male mesomorphs have the classical V-shaped body with broad shoulders, muscular arms and legs, a narrow waist and minimal body fat. The female mesomorph has an hourglass figure and is slim and trim.

They excel at sports focussed on endurance, speed, resistance, flexibility, strength and cardio:

Figure skating.
Artistic gymnastics.
Bodybuilding
Soccer
Rugby
Hockey
Cricket
Tennis
Golf
Swimming
Athletics, especially sprinting and triathlons.

Ectomorphs

Ectomorphs are usually medium to tall and slender with a thin physique. They have a very fast metabolism and are slow to gain weight and muscle. Because they have a delicate frame, strength and power-focused sports may leave them susceptible to injuries.

This type excels in endurance-type sports like:

Marathons and triathlons.
Gymnastics and ballet
Tennis and squash.

Although ectomorphs struggle to gain weight, they need to follow a healthy diet because low levels of body fat can be damaging to their health. Female ectomorphs are especially at risk and could develop iron deficiencies and menstruation problems.

It’s possible that you could have the qualities of more than one body type. You may be an endomorph with some mesomorph characteristics or vice versa, or you may be a mesomorph with some ectomorph characteristics or vice versa. It’s best to know which sports suit your body type to give you the maximum physical benefits.

References:

Serena played tennis while pregnant – should you?

April 14th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Serena Williams’ hinted pregnancy has taken twitter by storm this week, and although it may be good for publicity, is exercise good for her baby?

The tennis player posted a picture of herself on Snapchat yesterday (19 April), with the caption ’20 weeks’. This means she was pregnant when she won the Australian Open in January. So, what would the doctor have to say about this?

“Generally speaking, pregnant women can play tennis early in pregnancy. In fact, the cardiovascular activity is good for mom, and as a rule of thumb: what’s good for mom, is good for baby. However, later in the pregnancy, it can be difficult to play – for obvious reasons. More importantly, though, there are real risks to the baby,” says Dr. Albert Viljoen.

You needn’t do what Serena did, but do something.
It’s important to remember that Serena’s body is used to the level and intensity of her sport. She didn’t suddenly pick up a racquet when she fell pregnant: this baseline condition of the body determines what you can do while you’re pregnant.

So, moms-to-be, before you take up a new sport, ask Hello Doctor. If you don’t have a high risk pregnancy, you should be able to do most exercises. Sports that are generally discouraged are those that put you at risk of falling, like skiing, mountain biking, gymnastics, surfing, trail-running or horseback riding.

Beyond your own health, exercise can also improve the health and brain development of your baby. For some ideas on what exercises you can try, have a look at the exercises you can do when you’re expecting.

Which type of sport suits YOU?

January 25th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

It’s a fairly common question – what exactly IS the best type of exercise? Runners are lean, but sometimes too skinny, cyclists have huge legs but small arms, cross fitters are strong all over but, well just a little bit scary. So which one is it? Ask a dozen physiologists which exercise is best, and you’ll get a dozen wildly different replies. So, we’ve done our best to narrow down your options:

Continue reading “Which type of sport suits YOU?”