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Let's say that you're show up at your academy to train one day and as you're sitting on the side waiting for class to start, one of your teammates shows up, drops his bag on the floor, plops down in the chair, and says to you "I do NOT want to be here today!", what do you say to him? Do you call him a wimp for sitting on the sidelines whining prior to training? Or do you suggest to him that maybe he's burned out from training and needs a "mat vacation?"

From that one comment, I don't know which answer is the right one, but it would prompt me to ask my teammate some additional questions to determine if they're in need of a "mat vacation." And each week, I see and hear from grapplers that are burned out from training (happens to all of us) that don't recognize the symptoms.

So, after careful thought, I decided to create The Wise Grappler's "10 Signs You Need a Mat Vacation!" Checklist:

You need a "mat vacation" if:

1. You intentionally show up late for class, you're constantly looking at the clock the entire time you're in class, or you make up some fake excuse why you need to leave early.

2. You're tired even before the class or workout starts.

3. You have to talk yourself to going to train (or compete) from the time you wake up that morning until you actually get to the academy.

4. You start thinking about how cool it would be to just go straight home to relax and watch "24" instead of training.

5. You look for any excuse (e.g. taking your dog to get a teeth cleaning, I forgot to wash my kneepads and they stink, etc.) to get out of training.

6. Your body's sore all the time, even though you're not getting ready for an event.

7. You're happy when a holiday, special event, or tournament happens so that the school will be closed and you don't need an excuse to not go train.

8. You can't catch opponents with your go-to techniques because your movements and timing are off.

9. Classmates that you usually perform well against or dominate are kicking your butt all over the mat.

10. You dream about training in your sleep and, even there, you're getting your butt kicked!

When I look back at my grappling journey, I've experienced many of these signs and refused to take time off. For some foolish reason, I used to think it was better to train with a miserable mental state than to take time off and give both my mind and body a chance to rest. Once I discovered that taking a couple of mini-vacations (4-7 days off) during the year helped my grappling, I stopped fighting it and learned that taking a mental rest break is just as important (if not more important) than a physical rest break. And as a side benefit, the rest actually made me miss training and got me excited about going back to it.

The one thing that you have to look out for during your vacation is a drop in your cardio, but a week shouldn't have that much of an impact on it if you're in shape. And if it's a big concern, you can still do some type of cardio away from the academy to keep your wind from taking a complete slide.

So, stop making excuses for not training (e.g. your gi is dirty), take your "mat vacation", and then put yourself back on track to achieve your grappling goals!

Paul M. Greenhill, "The Wise Grappler", is the creator of The Wise Grappler System and author of The Wise Grappler Ezine, a weekly ezine that provides martial arts training and personal development tips for the older (over 35) and non-traditional martial artists. To learn more about "The Wise Grappler" and to sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit his site at http://www.ihateyoungpunks.com or contact him at paul@thewisegrappler.com

(c) 2007 Paul M. Greenhill

Healthy and perfectly set teeth certainly add to the beauty and grace of the human face. A perfect set of pearly whites is the key to an enchanting smile that can win over people. Apart from enhancing the beauty of the face, teeth perform a very important function that keeps our bodies healthy and in perfect working condition; the function of eating. Hence we certainly have innumerable reasons to take ample care of our teeth and protect them from all possible maladies like infections, cavities, decay and other problems. But, in case we are afflicted with any dental problems, a dental insurance policy will certainly help you overcome all your dental problems with ease.

Why does the need for a separate dental insurance policy arrive, if one has already taken a general medical policy? The fact is that it is not necessary that all health problems be covered under the general policy. Only a few common diseases that ail the human body may be included in the list, and most of the times the illnesses listed deals with ailments that afflict the complete body of the person, like influenza, an upset stomach, etc. Specific problems that affect individual body organs like the eyes, ears or teeth are mostly not included in the general medical insurance policy.

In order to deal with escalating dental care prices, it has become imperative for everyone to get insured under the dental insurance policy. Even a casual visit to the dentist costs quite a lot, and if you have to undergo a prolonged treatment, then it burns quite a big hole in the pocket. A dental insurance plan assists and encourages people to be more regular and prompt in their visit to the dentist, so that their dental problems, if any, can be discovered on time and their treatment started promptly so that their teeth can be prevented from greater damage.

The author is associated with UKs leading healthcare and medical insurance broker, Essential Health Ltd, which provides medical benefits, to its clients in UK and around the world, for Cancer, Medical insurance, Dental Insurance, Travel insurance, Sickness insurance, Financial protection, Life, Accident Insurance, Healthcare, Health insurance and even Term Assurance. She writes on various topics and latest news related to medical, insurance and most importantly on Cancer and latest developments related to its treatment.

Bowling has quite a few unique and special bowling accessory items to pick from. None of the bowling accessory items are really necessary but can make the sport more fun. Usually every bowling accessory can be found to borrow at your local bowling alley but, if you really are intent on making this a sport in your life, may want to spend some extra money on your own.

The first bowling accessory you might want to consider is your own pair of bowling shoes. Some may find it nasty to use a rental pair. This bowling accessory can be sized for your particular foot and also any problems you may have with it. You can also pick the materials this bowling accessory is made from right down to the bottom of the shoes.

The second bowling accessory you may want to get for yourself is a custom bowling ball. They come in all weights and colors. You can really be creative with this bowling accessory design. The holes of this bowling accessory can be drilled to fit only your fingers giving you a comfortable grip on the ball for better shots.

No bowling accessory is complete without having a shirt to match. Some of the leagues you may join have this bowling accessory as a required uniform. It may also be necessary to add the custom shirt bowling accessory to a special skirt or pair of pants to complete the uniform. Most of the time this bowling accessory is added to a loose pair of jeans or some other bottoms. The right bowling accessory for those wanting to look their best for the game will include all the shoes shirts, and balls in coordination with one another.

You might want to think of a pair of gloves as a possible bowling accessory purchase. They will protect your hands from blisters and also give you a firmer grip on the ball. The ball can be coated with oil used on the lanes so it might be a good idea to use the gloves to ensure that your hand does not slip. Out of all the bowling accessory items, this may be one of the most essential to the bowler.

The final and most needed of the bowling accessory items you can purchase for yourself is a bowling bag to carry the other entire items in. this bowling accessory also needs to be a coordination of the rest of the attire you have chosen. This special bowling accessory bag will have places for the shoes to reside, slots for gloves if you so choose, and can carry many bowling balls at once.

If you are serious about the game of bowling and want to enhance your game by purchasing extra bowling accessory items, make sure they are coordinated with the other. Each needs to be carefully customized to fit your personality and bowling style. It is so important for your bowling accessory items to be to your liking or else tour game will ultimately suffer. If you do not like your bowling accessory items, you will be less likely to use them.

Jordan Matthews is a work-at-home father with a 239 average who plays in local ABT tournament every weekend. His website offers some tips and tricks about all different facets of the sport of bowling, including bowling technique tips and more.

Any person who has been through pregnancy knows that any form of body stretching is quite painful as the pregnant person is carrying a living being within her. And though it takes 9 months to produce a little bundle of joy, this period is quite an experience.

Pregnancy massage can help get rid of pains and reduce stress during pregnancy. Muscle cramps, spasms and pains can all be done away with after a sound pregnancy massage. Massage also increases blood and lymph circulation, which goes on to reduce swellings that are experienced during pregnancy. Aside from that, it also relieves the stress that a pregnant woman feels on her weight-bearing joints the knees and the hips. And did you know that massage can also alleviate labor pains by strengthening the muscles that are stressed out to the maximum during labor? Of course, it also improves skin flexibility and makes the tissues supple. All this goes on to make the emotional job of the mother-in-law a lot easier.

Before a pregnant woman chooses a therapeutic massage therapist, she must investigate his credentials and check to see if the massage therapist is licensed and a "pregnancy massage" expert as well. Pregnancy massage is a specialized branch and needs some kind of special training, because the pregnancy massage must be safe there is no margin for error and no ordinary massage therapist will do when it comes to pregnancy massage.

Pregnancy massage differs from a regular massage in many ways. The massage therapist must know all about how the body functions during pregnancy and how pregnancy causes structural imbalances. A woman who is pregnant will lie in a different pose altogether as compared to a non-pregnant woman while receiving this massage. If the correct positions are not followed, then pregnancy massage can even harm the pregnant woman and her baby. Needless to say, that there are certain parts of the pregnant woman's body that must not be massaged.

Pregnant women, while receiving pregnancy massage, must always be in a semi-reclining position because it is considered safe for the child and comfortable for the mother. Props such as body pillows and pads must be put to use when the body position needs switching. These props provide a great degree of comfort during the massage. The table used for pregnancy massage must be a simple piece and fancy tables having holes in them must be avoided. If the pregnant woman is allergic to scents, she must tell the therapist to light any candles or spray any perfume. Light music must be played as enhances the experience of pregnancy massage.

The level of undress is a matter of personal choice and is best left between the pregnant woman and the massage therapist to decide. Some pregnant women prefer to undress fully, some prefer to wear lingerie and some prefer to be covered by sheets it's a matter of personal choice. The pregnancy massage must be gentle and must not make the pregnant woman uncomfortable in any manner.

The period of pregnancy is fraught with a lot of emotional and physical anxieties and therapeutic massage during pregnancy can relieve all the stress and make the pregnant woman ready for the wonderful event the birth of the child!

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More tips on How Therapeutic Massage Helps During Pregnancy with answers you need and want for Pregnancy and Massage.

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