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Gymnastics Articles by Karen GoellerKaren Goeller CSCS (1,224)    Karen Goeller CSCS    Gymnastics Stuff Ballroom Dance: An Unlikely Recipe for Physical Rehabilitation, One Step at a Time…Posted Tuesday, November 10, 2009 (14 days 1 hour ago.) Viewed 33 times. Fractures, herniated discs, and post traumatic stress were just a few of the problems I faced after an accident. I was devastated when I could no longer work. I was in pain all of the time from the damage to my spine. For the first 6 years after my accident I listened to the doctors " don't lift anything over 5 pounds Don't irritate the nerves in your spine." After years of going to physical therapists, pain centers, neurologists, and orthopedic surgeons I took matters into my own hands. I already had vast knowledge of exercise and knew what triggered my symptoms. I began to experiment with body weight exercises and light dumbbells. I made some progress, but I still had terrible pain every day. When I began to write my Swing Set Fitness books I performed some of the swing exercises and I was shocked at how much I was able to do. Swing Set Fitness helped me with upper and lower body strength. I finally started to feel ALIVE AGAIN. I made tremendous gains with strength and with my overall well-being, but I was looking for something more. I needed a physical activity that would help with low body coordination and balance, but it had to be safe for me. And it had to fit my personality. Was there such a thing? When I saw " Dancing with the Stars" I was curious as to whether I should give ballroom dance a try. I knew there would be limitations with my spine. I took ballet for many years, was a gymnast, and a gymnastics coach since 1978. I was definitely no stranger to movement. As I watched the stars dance I saw some things that would not work for me, but I also saw enough that made me say, " Why not?!?!" I still had to be careful in order to prevent more damage to my spine, but I NEEDED to try this. It would be the first time I have attempted movement in a non-controlled environment. All of my physical rehabilitation from the accident was in controlled environments such as physical therapy offices or my own home. I knew taking a ballroom dance class would be very risky because the movements would be decided by my dance partner and my environment would not be controlled. A bump from another couple or a fall could cause serious problems to an already damaged body. So I took the chance knowing that I could stop dancing and leave the class if necessary. The backwards walking was a real challenge for me. I did not have the coordination, speed, or balance for most of the basic steps I attempted. And dancing on a crowded dance floor was truly nerve racking. I was terrified that I would crash into someone, but I had to trust my dance partner to guide me safely. I got through the first class and went in for a second, third, and fourth. It was a challenge, mentally and physically. The ballroom dance classes have been amazing physical therapy for my low body. And even better, there was moderate rather than intense pain after most of the classes. And here's a thought... I would not perform that many low back kicks (back extensions), leg (quad) extensions, or hip flexor contractions during any single exercise session. And who would want to count that high when exercising! I had no idea how great the fox trot, tango, and waltz are for improving low body strength and coordination until I started to learn them. And it is a different strength than ballet or other forms of dance. Ballroom dance has provided the missing component to my low body physical rehabilitation. After taking about ten classes I have noticed that my balance has improved and I am more coordinated. Physical therapists should consider assigning ballroom dance to some of their patients for low body coordination, balance, speed, and strength. The reaching back with the foot for the backward step is a similar motion to a low back kick (hip extension). As the female transfers her weight and propels her body backwards, she performs quadriceps and hip flexor contractions. And ballroom dance is sure to help people with posture. When a previously active individual is at a plateau in physical rehabilitation, ballroom dance just might be the best therapy. So who do I recommend for ballroom dance in New Jersey? Check out All Star Ballroom in Brielle, NJ. The owner, Jim Hempen, was a highly successful competitive dancer and is a great instructor. I also recommend Nola Jones who teaches in Freehold, NJ. She has tremendous experience and is a wonderful teacher. And what physical therapist do I recommend? Give Michelle Wolpov, owner of Game Shape, a call. Michelle has tremendous sports and physical therapy experience. Game Shape is in Manalapan, NJ. By Karen Goeller, CSCS www.KarenGoeller.com www.Legs-Plus.com 
Permalink Comments (0) After an Injury... Gymnast's Success StoryPosted Thursday, October 15, 2009 (39 days 16 hours ago.) Viewed 50 times. Here's a young gymnast's success story after a severe injury. KC was a client of mine for over one year, four months of that were spent recovering from an injury. This young athlete came to me as a frail little girl and one year later she was a strong athlete. KC went through a remarkable physical and mental transformation in that year. KC was in an accident that caused both the radius and ulna to be fractured, one was compound. It was a difficult situation for this child because she was i n a full cast, half cast, and then brace, a total of well over three months of her young life. And that was during the summer! KC was extremely active despite the injury, camp, outside play, and training with me. KC handled this ordeal extremely well, she was a trooper! Each week, twice a week KC trained with me to maintain her strength and rehab her arm so that she would be able to compete in her sport by the next competition season. Besides doing plenty of conditioning for the uninjured areas such as her legs and core, KC did visualization training and some upper body movement. KC's doctor chose not to send her to physical therapy, but there was a step by step process necessary to get KC from the injured state to competition ready. That step by step plan is not something her coaches knew how to implement. I helped KC with her rehab each step of the way. I sent notes to KC's doctor with each visit she had and received responses that helped us move to the next step of training. Here's how it went... When KC was in the full cast, the cast itself was the resistance for upper body movements. KC performed movements that kept her upper body in shape without disrupting the injured area. Once KC was in the half cast we had permission to train on her elbows, in a plank position. That opened up a whole new world for KC. By that point KC was performing protractions in the plank position, with her feet on the floor and even with her feet elevated to nearly a handstand. (The elevation trained her shoulders more.) At that point KC was allowed to hold a light piece of cardboard so she learned how to perform certain movements that were later performed with dumbbells or a toning bar. KC progressed so rapidly and we were all thrilled! When KC was finally out of the half cast and into a brace, her doctor allowed some weight bearing, but on her fists. We then moved to a push up position on her fists and again, so much progress in so little time! In no time, KC was walking in the push up position with her feet on a scooter. The forward and backward walks simulated skills in her sport and involved nearly every major muscle group in her body. With this weight bearing exercise her arm built some bone density, getting closer to 100%. We trained like this until the final doctor's appointment. At the final appointment the doctor was very pleased with KC's progress and left the final step to KC and me. When would she return to FULL competition training? We continued to make steady progress, increased intensity, and in the end followed our gut. It all worked! KC was healed and back into full training with confidence that her arm was healed. Through this ordeal, there was a careful and steady progress that led to KC's success. KC is now a stronger person, both physically and mentally as a result of her severe injury. Her mom, doctor, and I worked as a team each step of the way to help KC with her transition from an injured little girl to becoming a strong athlete. Injuries are horrible, but KC was a trooper. She came to training, worked hard, and made progress each week. KC is truly a SUCCESS story. Let me help your daughter return to her sport from an injury, progress faster in her sport, or increase confidence. I offer sports conditioning, private gymnastics training, and gymnastics clinics for teams in NJ. Call me at 888-496-8749 to let me know how I can help your athlete gain strength, improve flexibility, or return from an injury... Visit www.BestSportsConditioning.com for more information and to read the testimonials from clients.
Permalink Comments (1) Social Media and AthletesPosted Monday, September 14, 2009 (70 days 14 hours ago.) Viewed 34 times. Lots of Pressure on the Athletes Over Social Media... There seems to be a great deal of pressure on athletes to use social media such as twitter and facebook during games. The people that are putting this pressure on the athletes are not aware of the huge safety risk this may pose. Most people have never reached the level of competition that a professional or college athlete has reached. Therefore, they cannot possibly understand the level of focus necessary just before and during each game. Yes, athletes and teams should be using social media, but the players and coaches SHOULD NOT be using anything of the sort immediately before or during games for SAFETY reasons. Maybe they can have an administrative person from the team keeping fans happy with real time updates. After the games and on days the athletes do not play the athletes and coaches should use social media to keep fans interested, informed, and up to date. I cannot stress enough that just before and during the games the athletes and coaches MUST FOCUS on the game. IT'S A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. I've been coaching since 1978 and have seen athletes get distracted and then injured. After seeing distractions and minor bumps and bruises, I had parents agree they will not call for their child's attention during practice or competition for SAFETY reasons. And each athlete agreed that they would not interact with any spectators during practice or competitions. The reason is because it takes away from their concentration. Anything that causes an athlete to lose focus can cause an accident. So with all of your discussions on this topic please keep ATHLETE SAFETY in mind... By Karen Goeller, CSCS www.KarenGoeller.com
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