Staying Safe and Healthy During Summer

Summer is here and it's time for the beach, where you can swim, surf, barbecue, build sandcastles, throw a Frisbee and play volleyball. All this, while sitting under brilliant blue skies and the hot, hot sun. Oh, glorious summer!

It's difficult to think that all of this summery goodness as having negative side effects, but we all know the dangers of sunburn, muscle strain and backaches. So, take the necessary precautions to ensure your enjoyment of this summer season and of those to come.

Sunburn is a serious problem these days, but fairly easy to prevent. Ultraviolet rays are getting closer to us now than when we were kids, so using the proper protection is very important Buy it and apply it!

Sunscreen is available volleyball drills many forms and at many levels. The SPF (sun protection factor) should be clearly printed on the front of each bottle. An SPF of 15 is generally enough for adults and SPF 30 for children and toddlers. Stronger sunscreens can easily be bought and a higher-than-recommended SPF won't cause any damage. Babies under the age of six months should be kept in the shade at all times.

Sweat caused by the heat and physical activity can wash away sunscreen and reduce its effectiveness. The same goes for swimming or even just splashing around under a garden hose. If you've been sweating or swimming, remember to replace your sunscreen on a regular basis.

If you have fair skin or thinning hair, a hat can be an important factor in protecting against sunburn and skin damage. Children should always wear a hat, regardless of skin color or hair thickness. Keeping your lips from burning is also essential, so get yourself some SPF 30 lip balm and apply it regularly.

Ultraviolet rays don't just damage your skin; they can also damage your eyes. Make sure you've got sunglasses that provide UV protection, with 95% blockage against volleyball drills radiation and 99% blockage against UVB radiation. Sunglasses shouldn't just be a fashion accessory; they should help prevent eye strain, cataracts and other diseases of the eye.

Physical activity on the beach requires extra flexibility and preparation. After sitting indoors for the long winter months, leaping into the water or running in the sand can create muscle and joint injuries that can prevent you from enjoying the rest of your summer and even cause problems for the long-term.

Getting your body ready for so much fun requires simple but effective stretching exercises. Make sure you include all of the major muscle groups in order to prevent muscle pulls and joint pain - hamstrings, quadriceps, calves and abdomen. Try some leg lifts and abdominal crunches as part of your morning routine. You don't have to go to the gym or buy expensive equipment, and a strong abdomen is excellent support for your lower back.

Make a Chiropractic Castle Rock CO appointment to discuss your summertime needs and to get help in designing an exercise program that will keep you happily beach-bound all summer long.

Lady-boys in Phuket, Thailand

If you come volleyball drills Phuket, your itinerary will surely include the famous side shows by those Katoey's or lady-boys. Be ready for a rich sensory experience and a time of enjoyment as they go all out to please the weary customers and patrons or tourists. It is not just about making a living, it is about a way of life. It is not a sleazy existence but a means of maintaining a lifestyle as a lady-boy they would not be able to in their own native village. They wear very revealing dresses showing their ample silicone emphasized breasts while they sing and dance in their performances. Their perfect measurements and their beauty makes them the envy of many real women.

The men and the women watch transfixed as they go about their routines. In Malaysia, they are known as Maknyah's or the derogatory term 'pondan' or 'she-males' in the West.

It is sometimes difficult to discern who is real or who isn't. Some of them are indeed beautiful. I believe God in his immense mercy is giving them a chance to live a life they should have been given since birth. They are obviously more ladies than men. Transsexuals or trans-gender are those who think they are a volleyball drills born in a man's body, while a transvestite is a man who likes to dress up like a woman.

In Thailand, being a lady-boy is less derogatory for example than in the west. They are accepted by society as the third sex and are not openly discriminated against. Many Thais have a slight stature, sport smaller bodies like a woman and quite hairless. Boobs are easier to fix but a sex change operation is more complicated, and expensive. My heart really goes out for them as they undergo it to reach their quest of being a real woman. Injection of female Hormones are also part of the routine they have to undergo.

One of the country's most famous lady-boys is Nong Toom, who went from champion Thai kick boxer to being a transsexual. A movie, Saitree Lex, was made about the true story of a lady-boy volleyball team known as the 'Iron Ladies' won the national championships in 1996 against the odds.

Maria is the founder & owner of Patongbeach-hotel.com. http://www.patongbeach-hotel.com

Increase Your Vertical Jump to Play Better Volleyball

If you play volleyball, you know how important your vertical reach is. Simply put, when you increase vertical jump you increase your level of play. An investment in training for this skill is one volleyball drills you will not regret.

The key to increasing vertical jump height is creating flexibility and power in the lower body. You want to imagine your legs as springs that will propel you upwards. The best way to create this elasticity and power in the muscles is to train with flexible resistance. Many trainers and strength coaches feel the need to lift weights to improve the athletic ability of their athletes. When this process is thought out it really doesn't make sense to lay flat on a bench and push heavy weight up to the ceiling. This is not a functional exercise and any athlete knows that athleticism is based on functionality. Our bodies move in all planes of motion, so why not train that way? After seeing the dramatic results that my volleyball clients enjoy after working out functionally with bands I had to concede and embrace this new training style as the only training style my athletes do.

When you train with resistance bands, you are creating real power that can volleyball drills utilized immediately. Unlike working out with weights, where strength is built up over time, bands force the muscles to work to stabilize the movement, building not just strength but flexibility and power as well. These are the exact requirements necessary to increase your vertical jump.

Increasing ones vertical jump can seem to be daunting but it can be done and done quickly. I have seen volleyball players increase their vertical jump a minimum of 3 inches after just 5 sessions.

Volleyball is a great sport. If you want to reach your true potential on the court it is vital that you work to increase your vertical jump.

Barry Lovelace is an internationally recognized fitness professional, a contributor to Men's Fitness and the creator of the HOT selling DVD Training For Volleyball