From the playground to the boardroom, sport has an affect on most of our lives. Whether we play the occasional game of tennis, take a skiing holiday in winter, casual home exercises for belly fat, watch the kids play football or compete at professional level, most of us have our favourite sport.
Right or wrong sporting icons are role models for the general community so whether we realise it or not, sport touches most of lives in one way or another even if it's just zipping off to Monavie to buy the latest in exercise apparel.
Sport builds character whilst teaching us teamwork and instilling the importance of commitment and fair play - qualities that will benefit us in other areas of our lives, too.
The achievement of goals through hard work, motivation, and training, mixed with a healthy dose of talent and skill is the mark of a true winner.
It's a sad fact that the current 'win at all costs' trend undermines the original and true ethos of sport. A new, seriously dangerous game has developed - a game that can have fatal consequences. That game is 'doping'.
This website is intended to give the public access to as much help as possible on banned substances under IOC rules, and will regularly update Product and Professional lists to give the Athlete as much chance as possible to protecting themselves from taking a banned substance. Any queries will be dealt with either under "FAQ's" or via contact with a local Professional adviser. A list of these is available on the website and will be regularly updated. However there is no substitute to informed advice from Doctors and Pharmacists who have detailed knowledge of the Drugs involved. Guidelines are clear and laid out in another part of this website.
Exercise, of the right sort, can make an enormous contribution to a person's well-being, but exercise of the wrong sort can be painful and harmful to health. It's amazing to think what's happening to the body during vigorous exercise.....the heart rate may rise to around 3 beats every second, pumping 5 gallons of blood every minute around the body.
Blood flow may be up to thirty times faster than at rest and the oxygen used by muscles may be 100 times resting values. For the unfit and over-zealous these changes can present a serious risk to health. So the level of exercise is very important. But how do we know how much is good for us - or what might be too vigorous?
Assessing physical fitness can help health and fitness professionals to advise and prescribe safe and appropriate, graded exercise programmes tailored to each individual. Regular fitness monitoring will not only help keep a measurable check on improving fitness levels and facilitate programme updates....but also provides strong motivational feedback, encouraging the individual to continue with their new healthier lifestyle.
There are many options out for anyone looking to lose weight, increase muscle mass or simply push their bodies to their peaks. Some people choose to spend hours in the gym, others enjoy running long distances, but a growing number are beginning to choose more unique ways of improving their physical health. Read more.
Few things are taken for granted more than range of motion and the freedom of movement, and unfortunately there are many people who experience the slow loss of both these joys over time. While aging inevitably slows down and limits everyone, an unlucky many are affected by the cruel condition of osteoarthritis. Known also as degenerative arthritis, and degenerative joint disease, this affliction causes the slow but steady deterioration of articular cartilage and subchondral bone. For those suffering from the condition, treatment does exist though; one of the most successful treatments is joint pain injections. Read more.