"Every day is a game day"

August 17, 2016 tommi paavola

When you woke up this morning, did you feel READY for the day and its physical challenges?

If you asked me that question today, I would have said YES. But then again, yesterday I would have said NO. What was the difference? Did something suddenly happen to my fitness level over 24 hours?

The difference lies between Preparedness and Readiness.

You might have prepared (=trained) for the big day for a long time, but it is just part of the equation – you also need to be READY, when the gun goes off or the whistle blows? The Olympians in Rio at this very moment know this paradox all too well. You can be ‘prepared’, but not ‘ready’, when it matters the most.

Preparedness and Readiness are terms made more understandable and scientifically available by scientists behind physiological tracking systems such as Omegawave. Omegawave tracks various physiological systems and their readiness at the given moment. To give you a quick illustration, here is my result from yesterday and the day before.

The Windows of Trainability give you an idea of which systems are ready for development and which ones require more recovery before they are ready for a new developmental stimulation.

The concept and the principle of Preparedness vs. Readiness is a great help in optimizing each training session, whether you have access to technology or not. Just understanding the fact, that sometimes (maybe often) recovery is your best workout for getting better. And learning that sometimes (maybe often) the athlete who is more READY wins. And you can almost always improve Readiness, even when its not possible to improve Preparedness. Here is my Omegawave reading 25 minutes apart with some relaxation in between, both before the workout. While understanding that sometimes technology can give us false readings and assumptions, I would always prefer the latter state to build fitness and performance on.

As the founder of EXOS performance Mark Verstegen would say: “Every day is a game day”.

Get prepared and be ready!

Tommi the Trainer

A guided journey into moving better

November 12, 2014 tommi paavola

Life is a journey, and so is discovering better movement. It is a journey of striving forward towards a goal or goals. On our path we will encounter a few obstacles and hopefully a lot of successes. I have certainly had a journey with some of each. Even the challenges and the struggles have had a landmark of great importance as part of the process.

As a movement coach I want to guide my athletes towards their optimal capacity in sports, and in life as well. This requires constant study and reconnaissance of the terrain in between the start and the destination. The terrain is never the same and I need to have solid principles in my backpack, skills and experience to navigate through the changing environment. I carry my compass to keep me directed, my map to determine my current location and my knowledge of human function as my eyes in observing the movement. I rely only on equipment I know how to use and I also want to travel light. This allows me as a guide to be free and more precise and efficient in my task of taking my athlete to their desired destination.

Where are you in your journey of movement?

Which direction are you heading?

What is keeping you from destination? Got lost in the 'Valley of Nagging Pain' or stuck in the 'Marsh of the Forgotten Fun'?

Enjoy the journey my friend!

Tommi the Trainer

Barefoot running and training tips

January 29, 2010 tommi paavola

New studies are being published on barefoot running. If you have decided to give it a try, proceed with a lot of caution and keep this tips in mind from Daniel E. Lieberman and his team.

At Discover Movement we believe that barefoot training is very beneficial. However, we are hesitant to recommend "long-distance" barefoot running to our athletes due to potential risks involved. Read for yourself what the very latest studies suggest.

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/index.html

Forefoot striking barefoot or in minimal footwear requires you to use muscles in your feet (mostly in the arch) that are probably very weak. Running this way also requires much more strength in your calf muscles than heel striking because these muscles must contract eccentrically (while lengthening) to ease the heel onto the ground following the landing. Novice forefoot and midfoot strikers typically experience tired feet, and very stiff, sore calf muscles. In addition, the Achilles tendon often gets very stiff. This is normal and eventually goes away, but you can do several things to make the transition successfully:

Build up slowly! If you vigorously work out any weak muscles in your body, they will be sore and stiff. Your foot and calf muscles will be no exception. So please, don’t overdo it because you will probably injure yourself if you do too much too soon.
Start by walking around barefoot frequently.
First week: no more than a quarter mile to one mile every other day.
Increase your distance by no more than 10% per week. This is not a hard and fast rule, but a general guide. If your muscles remain sore, do not increase your training. Take an extra day off or maintain your distance for another week.
Stop and let your body heal if you experience pain. Sore, tired muscles are normal, but bone, joint, or soft-tissue pain is a signal of injury.
Be patient and build gradually. It takes months to make the transition.

If you are currently running a lot, you don’t need to drastically reduce your mileage. Instead, supplement forefoot or midfoot striking with running the way that you normally ran before beginning the transition. Over the course of several months, gradually increase the proportion of forefoot or midfoot striking and reduce the proportion of running in your old style. Use the same 10% per week guideline in increasing the amount of running you do forefoot striking.
It is essential to stretch your calves and hamstrings carefully and regularly as you make the transition. Massage your calf muscles and arches frequently to break down scar tissue. This will help your muscles to heal and get stronger.
Listen to your feet. Stop if your arches are hurting, if the top of your foot is hurting, or if anything else hurts! Sometimes arch and foot pain occurs from landing with your feet too far forward relative to your hips and having to point your toes too much. It can also occur from landing with too rigid a foot and not letting your heel drop gently.
Many people who run very slowly find that forefoot striking actually makes them run a little faster.

Source: http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/index.html

About the Company Discover Movement

October 15, 2009 tommi paavola

- Educates sport and fitness professionals on applied biomechanics, exercise physiology, movement pattern development and functional training modalities.

- Utilizes different forms of multi-media and computer technology to teach and interact with the student. For example in 2009, created total of 28 weeks of online educational modules to 300 participants including physical therapists, fitness professionals, physicians and sport coaches.

- Develops evidence-based practical applications and tools for physical educators, sport coaches and exercise professionals.

- Created “Movement Skill Development for Young Athletes”, a program that is being used by over 1000 youth sport coaches. - Publishes articles regularly and participates in academic discussion in regards to human movement.

- Lectures on topics such as Movement skills & Motor Learning and Applied Biomechanics, for example in 2008-09 presented in an international conference of Motor Learning in the University of Jyväskylä on Movement Skill Development