February Newsletter 2019

OVAC UPDATE

Very excited about the strong start to 2019! I hope people are getting comfortable and enjoy the new colors throughout the club. The new equipment is also great and I hope everyone has been able to try them out! We are adding the final touches which include new fans in the cardio room along with a new shade structure for the outdoor stretch area. We are really working hard to make OVAC the best club in Ventura County!

We had a great Chili Cookoff last month on the tennis courts. Fun was had by all.

I hope everyone has a great February with awesome exercise along with a little rain!

See Ya at the Club!
Ryan

KIDS CLUB VALENTINE’S SPECIAL

Purchase a Kids Club punchcard in February and receive an additional FREE hour of childcare.

Offer expires February 28, 2019

TENNIS NEWS

Saturday January 26th saw OVAC’s 1st Annual Mid-Winter Chili Cook-Off and Tennis Mixer. Members and guests played social doubles on a postcard-perfect Ojai afternoon. That was followed by a fierce chili competition. 8 delicious varieties of chili were offered up by our tennis chefs and in the end Peggy and John Russell easily outdistanced the field to take home the top prize. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Just a reminder to please be considerate of others and tidy up the courts and common areas around them after playing. Thanks!

 

SWIMMER OF THE MONTH

KERRY ELLISON

How long have you been swimming?
65 Years…I was a water bird.

What’s your favorite stroke?
The “Butter Frog” (butterfly arms breast stroke kick)

What’s your favorite distance/event?
Definitely the 400 IM…..(laughs)

What was your most memorable achievement so far?
The One Hour Swim when I did 4000m.

Do you have a goal for this year?
Get my 4000m in the hour swim again.

What’s your favorite workout?
50 X 50 on :50

What else do you like to do?
Bicycle

What’s your favorite after-swim snack?
Cliff bar.

LOOKING FOR OLD PICTURES OF THE CLUB POOL

Do you have or know someone who has old pictures of the Club pool? We are looking for these pictures for an article on the history of the club. If so, please email Elin Cheverez [email protected]

 

CONGRATULATIONS DOLPHIN CLUB SWIMMERS 

EAT RIGHT, SWIM FASTER – A NUTRITIONAL GUIDE

By Abby Knox
Excerpt from swimswam.com

Getting your nutrition right is key for athletic success. The right meal and snack choices every day will significantly improve your performance in training and competition. You will be able to train harder for longer, recover quicker between swim practices and, most importantly, race faster at swim meets. Not only that, but you will stay healthier throughout the season, which means fewer training days and competitions missed through sickness.

Carbohydrates are the essential fuel for high performance athletes
As an athlete, carbohydrate is your body’s preferred fuel, especially for high intensity swimming. Eating carbohydrate foods at regular intervals throughout the day will top up your muscle fuel and allow you to push yourself harder in training. All of your meals and snacks should be based on carbohydrate foods. However, not all carbohydrate foods are created equal. The quality of your carbs counts! Good quality carbohydrates will energize you, promote good health and help you perform at your best. Good carbohydrate choices are whole grain breads, whole grain breakfast cereals, oats, pasta, brown rice, quinoa, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweetcorn, chick peas, beans, lentils and fresh fruits.

Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth.
Your body also needs a regular intake of protein for ongoing muscle repair and growth. It is not necessary to consume high amounts of protein as any excess protein will not turn into more muscle, but will be burned as fuel or stored as fat. Each of your meals should include a moderate serving of lean protein, the size and thickness of the palm of your hand or one-quarter of your plate. For snacks, include some protein with your carbohydrate food. Convenient, easy protein sources for snacks are milk, cheese, yogurt, boiled eggs and nuts.

Pre-Training Nutrition
Your pre-training meal or snack depends on how much time you have before your training begins, what foods you tolerate and your personal preference. Your meal or snack should always contain mainly carbohydrate to top up your muscle fuel which will allow you to push yourself harder and get the most out of your training session.

The more time you have before training, the more protein you can include in your snack. Some good pre-training meals and snacks include:
2 hours before training: Toast and boiled eggs, or a sandwich with ham or chicken, or a baked potato with cheese and beans, or a rice bowl with lean meat and veggies.
1 hour before training: whole-grain cereal and milk, or granola and low-fat yogurt, or toast with a small amount of peanut butter and jelly or a homemade smoothie made with fruit and yogurt.
30 mins before practice as you don’t have much time to digest your food, choose a light carbohydrate snack such as a banana, or a granola bar, or a bagel, or raisin bread.
Always include a drink with your pre-training snack so that you start practice hydrated.
A good pre-training snack will not only increase your energy levels but will increase your concentration and desire to work hard, which will make your coach very happy!

Post Training Nutrition
Eating as soon as possible after training (especially during the first 30 minutes) is the key to starting your body’s recovery process. Missing this prime recovery window will reduce your ability to optimally refuel and repair your muscles. This is especially important if you have two training sessions in one day.
Aim to eat a quick snack within 30-minutes of finishing training. The snack should contain mostly carbohydrate (40-80g) with some protein (10-20g). The snack should be low in fat to speed up digestion which refuels your muscles quickly. You should also include some fluid with your snack. Low-fat flavored milks (like chocolate milk) and smoothies made with low-fat milk or yogurt are great, convenient options. They check all the boxes for your carbohydrate, protein and fluid needs! Some other good post training snack options include:
• Granola Bar and cup of low-fat Greek yogurt
• Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich
• Honey sandwich and 2 boiled eggs
• Low fat cheese and crackers plus fruit
• Sports Recovery bar (check the amounts of carbohydrate and protein on the wrapper)

Remember, eating a pre and post training snack will help you to train harder and recover quicker so you can train hard again the next day. Being able to consistently train hard will mean you will gain more benefit from your training and swim faster at meets!

 

SPINE ARTICULATION IN PILATES

By Georgia Cotsis

Working on the spine articulation in Pilates is one of the reasons why people tend to feel taller after a Pilates class. The concept of moving one vertebrae at a time focuses on engaging the core and allows us to be aware of the connection between the abdominals and the spine at the same time. This causes us to lengthen and stretch the spine CORRECTLY. Especially if you are tight through any part of the back, this is a great exercise to practice. There are many ways to articulate the spine. From standing to rolling down to the toes, from laying on the back to rolling over the legs, and from using the equipment…there are multiple ways of perfecting this movement that works for you.

Look into this and feel free to drop in to my Mat Pilates class Fridays at 10:30am, and also sign up for a Free Private Pilates Session with me in the studio located to the left of the front desk.

Enjoy!

ABDUCTION TO STRENGTHEN YOUR GLUTE MEDIUS

By Danielle Wommack, Fitness Director

Hooray, the Hip Abduction (and Hip Adduction) machine is back in the upstairs gym. But, what are some other hip abduction exercises that you can do to target the gluteus medius muscle?



Having a strong gluteus medius muscle can not only prevent or alleviate pain in your low back, hips, knees and ankles by improving your body’s stability, but it can even assist your gluteus maximus to function better. In addition to helping to create a great looking backside, you can prevent injury, run faster, and move more weight in the gym.

Try including some of the following moves in your warm up to target your glutes for faster results:

Fire Hydrants: Start on your hands and knees. Raise your leg out to the side with the knee bent 90 degrees. Slowly raise your leg until it is parallel to the ground. Keep your core tight and lift from the hip. You should feel the outside of your hip and glute working to left the leg. Hold at the top for 1-2 seconds and then lower back to the start position. You can also do a straight-leg variation to add difficulty





Side Balance With Forward/Backward Taps: Set up with one knee on the group and your hand on the ground out to the side in line with your knee. Straighten out the top leg. Then lift this straight leg up until it is parallel to the ground and move it slightly backward before lowering it down to the ground. Lift the leg back up again and bring it back through the start position and slightly forward, tapping your toe on the ground in front of you. Think of drawing a rainbow with your foot as you go back and forth with your leg. Make sure to go slow and to pause at the top to really feel it in the hip/glutes.