Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/86698
Vitalityfitness health DALLAS (MCT) — Abigail Moriearty was 5 when she watched Nastia Liukin win all-around Olympic gold in 2008 and decided that's what she had to do, too. Now 9 and the winner of a gold, silver and fifth- place finish in national championships, Abigail, of Allen, Texas, is more driven than ever. "I feel like I'm flying," she says after an impres- sive gymnastic flip at World Olympic Gymnas- tics Academy in Plano, Texas, where Liukin once trained under the watchful eyes of her father, Valeri Liukin, the facility's owner. Abigail likes to linger on the sidewalk out- side the building after practice and look up at the large posters of Liukin and fellow champion Carly Patterson that don the entrance doors. "That will be me up there," she says softly on a warm September after- noon, grasping her wood- en practice blocks as she extends into a handstand before returning to earth and wrapping her arms tightly around the blocks as she heads to her car. Gymnastics can help inspire a child to stay fit. It's great exercise, as long as parents understand the risks, according to experts at Stop Sports Injuries, a Rosemont, Ill.-based cam- paign launched by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medi- cine and other medical organizations in 2010. More than 425,000 kids ages 6-17 were hurt while participating in gymnas- tics from 1990 to 2005, with 67,810 in 2011, according to the U.S. Con- sumer Product Safety Commission. The average age of those injured was 11, and 82 percent of the injured were girls. Even so, for children, gymnastics ranks well behind bicycling, basket- ball, football, baseball and Tips to keep young gymnasts safe & Stretch shoulders and strengthen legs MCT photo Abigal Moriearty, 9, is tossed in the air by partner Raquel Mejia- Trujillo, 12, during practice for their acrobatic gymnastics routine in Plano,Texas. soccer among the leading causes of sports injuries, according to the National Safe Kids Campaign and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Abigail's doctor, Richard Rhodes, orthope- dic and sports medicine doctor for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medi- cine, says he sees interest in gymnastics peak in his patients around the Olympics and expects sign-ups to be particularly strong with a new team of American gymnasts win- ning the gold. "Any time the Ameri- can teams do well, it gets a lot of youngsters excited," he says. Some experts worry about traumatic injuries, such as head and spinal damage. Dr. Sabatino Bianco, a neurosurgeon at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, says he's treated athletes who have attempted unfortu- nate flips and somersaults, particularly on trampo- lines. (The Consumer Product Safety Commis- sion lists trampolines as seventh among the top Rent Special $500 OFF Special A Retirement Community for the Active Senior Citizens EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY 750 David Avenue, Red Bluff • 527-9193 first month rent! ◆ Warm & Friendly Staff ◆Recreational Programs ◆Scheduled Transportation ◆Private & Formal Dining Rooms ◆ Three Nutritious Meals Daily ◆ 24 Hour Secure Environment ◆ House Keeping Services ◆ Independent Living ◆ Private Apartments activities that send kids to emergency rooms, behind basketball, bicycling, foot- ball, soccer, baseball and skateboarding.) Many injuries can be prevented with careful conditioning, training and safety mea- sures, including those trained as spotters to catch athletes before they fall, experts say. er, are hard to prevent even with the best care, Rhodes notes. Abigail sprained a wrist on a bad landing in June that took more than three months to heal. Olympic champion McK- ayla Maroney fractured her left tibia Sept. 9 when she fell on her uneven bars dismount during the sec- ond stop of the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastic Cham- pions. Some injuries, howev- simple stress leave gym- nasts vulnerable to injuries in the ankles, feet, lower back, knees, wrists and hands, they say. These injuries are rarely severe at the outset, but if untreated they can lead to chronic pain and bone fractures. They can be of particu- lar concern for growing children who run the risk of damaging growth plates with prolonged exercise that requires lifting or impact in the critical years before puberty when bones mature, Bianco says. By Karen Voight Chicago Tribune (MCT) This is a great yoga pose, allowing you to stretch your shoulder muscles and build leg strength simulta- neously. If your shoulders are tight, use a strap to begin. As you progress, you may eventually be able to inter- lace your fingers behind your back. Abigail practices three times a week, which is about as much as kids should do, Rhodes and Bianco agree. Overuse and Engaging in multiple sports is not only better for the body in preventing overuse, but can generate additional pathways in the brain that lead to a more complete cerebellum, Bianco says. 1. Stand with your feet 3 to 4 feet apart. Hold a strap with your left hand. Rotate your left leg to the left, toes pointed to the left. Turn your right foot slightly in. Raise your left elbow behind your head, use your head to push your elbow back. Inwardly rotate your right shoulder and bring your right hand behind you in between your shoulder blades. Holding the strap with both hands, move them as close together as possible until you feel a stretch in your right shoulder. 2. Inhale, lift your chest and, on an exhalation, bend your left knee. Keep bending your knee until it is directly above your ankle with your under thigh paral- lel to the floor. Be sure you distribute equal weight over both legs. Pause for 3 to 6 breaths. To come out of the pose, press down with your left heel and straighten your left knee. Release your left hand from the strap and repeat on the other side. Tuesday, October 9, 2012 – Daily News 7A Abigail follows that advice; her mother was driving her to her other passion, ballet, after gym- nastics. redbluff.mercy.org www.redbluff.mercy.org Community Basic Life Support 6 pm-10 pm 10/9 Columba Auxiliary Scrub Sale Waterbirth Class Weekend Childbirth Class Bag City Leather Sale 529-8026 10 am -4 pm 10/17 & 7 am-2 pm 10/18 Warde-McAuley Meeting Rooms 736-1326 6:30 pm-8:30 pm 10/10 Columba Education 6 pm-9 pm 10/19 9 am-3 pm 10/20 Warde/McAuley 10 am - 4 pm 10/30 & 7 am-2 pm 10/31 Main Hospital Hallway www.redbluff.mercy.org 529-8026 529-8026 736-1326