develop specific muscles and skills that will make a difference on the field. A number of special tools have been developed that will do just that. They are simple, easy to use and highly effective. And it’s not just football players who will benefit. Soccer, basketball, baseball — athletes in any sport that requires agility, power and speed can use these devices.
 
Speed Chutes

(leg strength, stride length and frequency)
 
With most resistance training you are standing or sitting still. Speed chutes bring running into the mix because you are pulling an open parachute behind you. Not only does it build leg strength, but it helps develop explosive speed — just what a running back wants when he hits the hole. The chute itself attaches to an adjustable belt. Run with resistance, then flip the Velcro® patch to release the chute and get that “shot-out-of-a-cannon” feel. Speed chute training is easy to do by yourself and the device is simple to use and store — just fold it up and take it with you.
 
Quick Ladders (foot speed, agility, coordination, overall quickness)
 
This device doesn’t strengthen your muscles, it helps you use them better. The 10-yard ladder with 18-inch squares allows for a variety of agility drills (backward, forward, sideways, in-out, hop scotch, etc.) that promotes a wide

range of foot movements. Do them at the beginning of a workout, after warming up, because fresh muscles will help mobility.
 
Reaction Belts (reaction time, lateral movement)
 
In these drills two athletes face each other, wearing waist belts with a Velcro strap that attaches to the other person. One player then moves and fakes, trying to detach the strap, while the other player must be quick enough to follow so the strap stays in place. It quickens reflexes and improves stop-start ability — ideal for a defensive back.
 
Shoe Weights (Knee lift, jump height, speed and agility)
 
Here’s another device that combines resistance with speed. Unlike old fashioned ankle weights, modern designs wrap and distribute the weight around your foot, providing more balanced strength training. You can use them during training, or build strength as you walk around in your daily routine.
 
Speed Hurdles (feet placement, quickness, speed, running mechanics)
 
These small hurdles can be adjusted to 6- or 12-inch heights, allowing for a variety of exercises. All of them put a premium on quick movement of the feet and knees — a critical athletic skill. Football, basketball, baseball, soccer players and more can benefit from speed hurdle drills.
 
Lateral Resistor (lateral movement, change of direction, first step quickness)
 
This device is as simple as it is effective. A cord stretches horizontally on the inside of each ankle, making it harder to move side to side. By maintaining proper body position as you move side to side you will strengthen the muscles for rapid foot movement in any direction. It’s especially effective in improving hip flexibility and strengthening groin muscles.
 
COMFORTABLE WORKOUTS
 
We’ve all heard the adage “no pain, no gain.” Still, you can improve comfort during a workout with Under Armour compression clothing. This tight knit material offers several advantages:
 
The compressed design helps keep muscles relaxed
It also helps your muscles recover after the workout
You stay drier because the knit technology and microfiber design helps wick sweat away from your skin
Some designs feature anti-microbial properties to help reduce odor
 
High compression clothes aren’t just about comfort. There is significant academic research that shows performance benefits from wearing high compression clothing compared to looser fitting garments. In one study volleyball players were tested on a series of vertical jumps. While high compression shorts didn’t influence their jumping power, they were able to better maintain power during repeated efforts because their muscles didn’t get as tired.
 
-Laces Out
 
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The countdown to kickoff has begun, and for our football-mad country that’s good news. The cheerleaders are practicing their routines, the groundskeepers are preparing the stadiums, the concession stands are stocking up, and the football players are taking hits on the practice field.

Summer football practice begins soon for many high school and collegiate teams. For most teams, full contact will begin a week or so after the start of conditioning, and with it will come the potential for injury. Given summer’s

high temperatures, dehydration can be a problem as well. While mandatory protective gear and strict enforcement of league practice rules help prevent most injuries, additional equipment can further protect body parts that are exposed even when wearing full equipment, while undergarments designed for hot weather can help keep things cool.

The Armor for Under

Some of the most common football injuries result from a lack of protection. Hip pointers, for example, are caused by a direct blow to the edge of the pelvis and can be very painful. Stingers are the result of pinched nerves and can be both painful and immobilizing. Because the chest area and upper abdomen aren’t well protected by

mandatory equipment, a hit to this area can compress unprotected flash against the athlete’s ribs, causing painful bruising. And while shoulder pads provide some collarbone protection, fractures of this relatively fragile bone are common and painful.

Dunham’s carries padded undergarments for football that are designed to cover the gaps in a player’s protective gear. These high-tech garments, available from both Under Armour and Shock Doctor, move like a second skin, yet provide enhanced full-time protection. Of minimal weight and bulk, they don’t encumber the athlete.  Many professional athletes use protective products made by these suppliers.

Shockskin undergarments from Shock Doctor feature a patented system of integrated fabric and foam. Shorts are available with as many as five pads and in regular or extended thigh length. Shirts are available with up to five pads. Protective foam in both garments is positioned to help prevent the most common injuries.

Under Armour’s MPZ Armour Girdle is built with light, strategically placed padding to add extra lower-body protection. Padded shirts can provide enhanced rib cage protectio and some models grip mandatory external pads to keep them in place.

In addition to padded undergarments, Dunh

The NFL and the American Cancer Society have been widely successful in raising awareness and money for research since they paired up prior to the 2009 season. The NFL has launched post-game auctions where fans can purchase authentic game-worn Pink items from their favorite players and other items in the line of Pink merchandise.  In fact, NFL fans can get their schools involved, schedule a mammogram, and learn more about the disease in general all from the NFL.com Pink page at NFL.com/pink.

With so many women affected every year, the NFL and Reebok have taken the lead in promoting awareness by providing athletic gear to not only the NFL, but to football enthusiasts looking to make a statement against breast cancer.

“Reebok and Reebok Performance gloves initially went to the NFL with a request to put Pink gloves on [the] field to support breast cancer research and those affected by the disease, in 2008,” said JR Fabry of Saranac Glove Company.  “Knowing this issue touches almost everyone in some way, Reebok and Reebok Performance Glove choose to make a difference with the NFL.”

Wearing Pink products not only helps raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer, but it also makes a tremendous statement to others. Consumers can know that they’re helping because Reebok donates a portion of the profit from Pink sales in support of finding a cure.

“Wearing pink products offers the wearer the ability to outwardly show support for those affected by breast cancer and also at the same time know their purchase is supporting a great cause,” Fabry explained.  “Reebok will donate a portion of each sale to the American Cancer Society, to help find a cure for this disease.”

If you’ve been surprised with the widespread amount of Pink gear on NFL sidelines in 2010, there’s even more in store for the 2011 season. Reebok will now be offering several different types of gloves that the players will also be wearing between the lines.

“Reebok Performance Gloves will introduce the official pink glove of the NFL for 2011 The Fuel,” Fabry said.  “Players will wear the gloves as well as other Reebok glove styles in the Pink color way during the entire month of October, in support of finding a cure for breast cancer. More pink product will be on the field this season than any season to date, thanks in part to the NFL and Reebok’s partnership.”

Dunham’s Sports will be a full supporter of the fight against breast cancer along with the NFL and Reebok by supplying fans with two types of Pink gloves, the Fuel and Mayhem.

“Dunham’s has chosen to fully support the pink initiative and carry both pink style gloves worn by the Top NFL players,” Fabry said. “The styles include the NFL Equipment Fuel and the NFL Equipment Mayhem.”

For the NFL fan looking to make a statement against breast cancer while helping the American Cancer Society research this deadly disease, Dunham’s is the place to go. For your new pair of Reebok Pink football gloves or questions regarding the Pink program, visit your local Dunham’s.

In 2010, more than 207,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer were projected to develop in American women.  If breast cancer hasn’t touched you personally, it likely has touched someone close to you or someone you love.

But thanks in part to the efforts of walks, advocacy programs and the like, there were more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States in 2010.

-Laces Out

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