I seek a sustainable plan for fitness after 40: physical health and feeling “whole” for the 2nd half of my life. I want to feel great, look my best, keep getting happier, and live long. Of course. But how to really do it? We all face—and can powerfully answer—the same questions… 1. Exercise: What do...Continue reading
Category: Sports
When Losing Is Actually Winning
Dear Mr. Dad: My kids are 9 and 11 and they’re fortunate enough to be good at almost everything they do. But if something comes up that they don’t pick up immediately—whether it’s a sport, a board game, an art project, or something else—they tend to get frustrated and quit. How can I get them...Continue reading
Virtual Reality: Diagnosing, Simulating, and Treating Concussions
Recently, there’s been a push to prevent head injuries associated with contact sports. While sports organizations have instituted rules to prevent such injuries, there’s another approach that appears to be even more effective: Virtual reality (VR) headsets, which are being used to diagnose head injuries, including concussions. Just this year, the NFL acknowledged that repeated...Continue reading
Everyday Olympians
Greatness comes in many forms, and this is certainly one of them! Who are your favorite Olympians this year? Gosh, what a panoply of miracles, upsets, world records and letdowns! Maybe it’s the once-in-a-lifetime-stars like motorized Michael Phelps, soaring Simone Biles or unstoppable Usain Bolt. Possibly, it’s the silent but seriously talented home grown Brazilian beach volleyball players Bárbara Seixas and...Continue reading
Sports, Concussions, and Traumatic Brain Injury, Part III
You Might Be Tough, But Your Brain Isn’t! People feel the risk of injury outweighs the gain of winning a starting position on a team, a game or even a championship. Well, that’s not true when it comes to your brain and it’s great to see many athletes are finally speaking out about their falls...Continue reading
Sports, Concussions, and Traumatic Brain Injury, Part II
The Effects of Concussions The following Monday afternoon I went to football practice and sat with the team in the locker room to review the game film with the coaches. The head coach stopped the film after the kickoff and said, “The coaches and I have never seen a player run so fast down the...Continue reading
The Frightening World of Sports, Concussions, and Traumatic Brain Injury, Part I
Why I Quit Playing Football Thirty years ago, I abruptly quit playing high school football while my team was preparing for a playoff game in which the winner would advance to the 1985 New Hampshire Division I-High School Football Championship. My teammates and coaches were upset at me and confused as to why I just stopped...Continue reading
Surgery and Steroids: The Price of Being Super Human
In today’s world, the difference between success and failure is measured in milliseconds not minutes. Striving to be better, faster, and stronger, pushing the limits of human endurance… becoming super human. To reach such heights is difficult to achieve, let alone maintain. This pressure to achieve super human levels leads some to use steroids. Despite...Continue reading
Five Ways to Build Each Other Up
We make decisions that affect our health all day long — when to go to bed, how many drinks to have, whether or not to exercise, and so on. Our choices are often influenced by the people around us. For example, if your partner wants to skip the gym, you might want to follow suit....Continue reading
Should Athletes Abstain from Sex Before the Big Game?
Pregame rituals are just as much a part of athletics as strength and conditioning. One such pregame ritual stopped me in my tracks. The New York Times article, “No, Sex Please. I Have a Game Tomorrow” was published after Seattle Seahawks Quarterback; Russell Wilson declared he would remain celibate during the 2015 NFL season. The theory is that athletes...Continue reading