Take Me Out to the Ballgame and Into A Fit Game

It is that time of year again. Yes, it's Opening Day across the country, when America’s favorite past time kicks off its season of bats crackin’ and families cheering.

So as parents, kids, groups of friends and co-workers purchase their tickets and plan their outings, there are some fit tricks we can learn from these elite athletes. While we do not necessarily have all day to train and perfect our bodies for a sport, a few moves can help us improve our health and well being.

First, let’s think about posture and hand/eye coordination.

According to baseballconditioning.com, “Standing correctly is one of the biggest things to get right. You should stand up straight with the body weight being equally distributed on the feet. The feet should be shoulder width apart. When the ball is coming the person should lift up his front foot up a few inches then slide it forward towards the pitcher. The timing has to be just right and your hands should be one on top of the other when swinging the bat.”

Besides hitting and standing, there are other total body conditioning moves that are required for optimal performance.

According to LiveStrong.com, “A baseball player's training program should supply power and explosiveness for hitting, strength for throwing, speed for running, and quickness and agility for playing the field.”

Below are some baseball-inspired workouts you can do at home. These are moves that can help you with upper and lower body strength as well as core conditioning.

Medicine Ball Woodchop

Stand with a ball in your hands, arms extended overhead to the right side. Stand with your feet hip distance apart, left knee slightly bent, left heel off the floor.

Slowly rotate your trunk as you pivot your feet and swing the ball downward. Swing it back up and repeat until set is complete on right side.

Repeat exercise on the other side.

Medicine Ball Squat Press

Start with your feet placed wider than hip distance apart and knees slightly bent. Hold the ball with arms bent in front of your chest.

Slowly bend down into a squat position while pressing the ball straight out in front of you.

Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times.

Medicine Ball Tricep Extension

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hold a medicine ball behind your head with your elbows bent and pointing forward.

Keeping elbows tight against sides, straighten your arms until the ball is high above and directly over your head.

Return to start position and repeat.

Band Lat Pulldown

Hold band overhead with arms straight up. You can adjust hands closer to increase tension.

Contract the back and pull the band out while bringing the elbows towards the rib cage. Decrease tension slowly, while raising arms back up.

Repeat.

Band Bicep Curls

Stand on the band and hold handles with palms facing out. Keeping abs in and knees slightly bent, bend arms and bring palms toward shoulders in a bicep curl.

Position feet wider for more tension.

Return to start and repeat.

Band/Upright Row

Step on band securely with both feet.

Hold handles in an overhand grip and row upwards, bringing elbows to shoulder height.

Repeat.

Pilates Crisscross

Lie on your back with your hands behind your lifted head and your knees above your hips.

Extend your right leg out straight and inhale as you lift up and twist your upper body until your right elbow touches the left knee. Exhale as you hold the position.

Inhale and and switch sides by bringing your left elbow to your right knee while simultaneously extending the left leg.

Repeat 6-10 times.

Pilates Saw

Sit up tall with your legs extended and open slightly wider than hips’ distance. Flex your feet and push your heels out from under you.

Reach your arms out to the sides at shoulder height horizontally and lengthen as if reaching toward either side of the room.

Inhale and pull your navel up and into your spine, reaching the crown of the head towards the ceiling.

Begin to twist from the left, making sure the right hip stays grounded. Move your head and chest towards the right leg, reaching your left arm just past your baby toe. Your pinkie finger should just brush the baby toe as if it were a saw.

Deepen the exhale as you reach from the crown of the head and work to bring the chest even closer to the thigh. Inhale and draw your body up initiating the movement from your abdominals.

Repeat 6-10 times.

Online References:

“Baseball Training Exercises – BaseballConditioning Exercises.com. Baseball Conditioning Exercises. Web 2 April 2013.
http://www.baseballconditioningexercises.com

“Training Exercises for Baseball – Livestrong.com.” Livestrong. Web 2 April 2013.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/455846-training-exercises-for-baseball

Joanne Sgro-Killworth is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training.

Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area with her husband and son, where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.

Reviewed April 3, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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• Obesity
• Adult Living
• Fitness