low cable row

These are 5 pre-paddle stretches to do before going out on your stand up paddle board.
1. Lat Stretch
2. shoulders/triceps
3. Hamstrings Stretch
4. IT Band Stretch
5. Figure 4 Stretch
For more info, go to http://www.suptrainer.com Distributed by Tubemogul.

At the 2010 Battle of the Paddle Stand Up Paddle Race. Jon Ham from http://www.Suptrainer.com talks with Pete from Waterman's Sunscreen about how skin protections keeps your hormones and body functioning correctly during outdoor athletic events.
Stress Hormones, Sun Protection and Athletic Performance
One of the more misunderstood and under rated benefits of utilizing a proper skin protection plan is increased athletic performance. Sun exposure is caustic to the skin, the largest organ in the human body, and the body's immediate reaction to this type of invasion is to react as if under stress.

When under stress the body produces stress hormones, including Cortisol. These hormones play an important role in our natural fight or flight response by signaling blood vessels to dilate and blood pressure to rise in preparation for dealing with whatever is causing stress.

This is great if one needs to make a quick get away, but for an athlete in the middle of competition the release of stress hormones can be detrimental to performance; inflammation of the digestive tract contributes to digestive problems and inflammation of the airways contributes to asthma and other respiratory problems that will negatively affect performance. More over, visible inflammation of the skin commonly referred to as Sunburn takes blood away from vital organs and muscles where it is needed most during competition. All of which affect the body's ability to maintain stable energy levels and consistent performance.

By using a proper protection plan, including protective clothing, an athlete can stave off the inevitable release of stress hormones more affectively and maintain peak performance for longer than without.

The Skin
The skin is the largest organ in the human body, serving as a protective barrier between the body's internal environment and the outside world. It controls our temperature and protects us from environmental influences, but its ability to protect itself against the harmful effects of the sun's UV radiation is limited.
Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 1 million skin cancers are diagnosed annually. Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of skin cancer. More than 250,000 cases are diagnosed each year, resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths each year. One in 5 Americans and one in 3 Caucasians will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. More than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure. A person's risk for skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns.

UVA/UVB radiation
What is radiation? The sun gives off ultraviolet radiation that is divided into categories based on the Wavelength.
UVC - 100 to 290 nm (does not penatrate the earths atmosphere)
UVB - 290 to 320 nm
UVA - 320 to 400 nm
UVA - UVA was once thought to have a minor effect on skin damage, but now studies are showing that UVA is a major contributor to skin damage. UVA is a high-energy wave that penetrates deeper into the skin to do its damage. The intensity of UVA radiation is more constant than UVB without the variations during the day and throughout the year. UVA is not filtered by glass. UV-A can be further subdivided into UV-A I, or far UV-A (340-400 nm), and UV-A II, or near UV-A (320-340 nm).
UVB - UVB affects the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, and is the primary agent responsible for sunburns. It is the most intense between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm when the sunlight is brightest. It is more intense in the summer months accounting for 70% of a person's yearly UVB dose. UVB does not penetrate glass.

Skin Types
Everyone has a different skin complexion genetically determined largely by melanin content. To simplify the huge variation in the different types of skin, all people are categorized into one of six Skin Types (based on the Fitzpatrik Phototype Scale).

Depending on your skin type, you have more or less natural Sun protection and susceptibility to sun-induced skin damage. People with lighter hair and fairer skin (therefore with a lower Skin Type value), are more at risk of developing both Basal Cell Carcinoma and coetaneous Malignant Melanoma (Elmets et al, 2001). Knowledge of your Skin Type is vital in determining your safe period of sun exposure calculated with the UV Index for that day. It is also required to calculate how your safe period of sun exposure is extended with the applicable SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of the sunscreen that you are using. Below is a list to help identify your skin type and aid in determining your sunscreen needs.