This can be accomplished by years of practice, the right equipment, personal coaches and even more practice. But what if there was something that was preventing a golfer from performing optimally?

Research confirms the importance of postural balance on effective biomechanical results. That’s right, good posture lets your muscles and joints work better. Think of it this way:

If you head is too far forward (your earlobe should be in line with the front of your shoulder) it will throw off your balance because more weight is in front of your body. This is usually accompanied by “rounded shoulders” where your chest muscles become tight and cause your shoulders to move forward and your back muscles to become stretched and weakened. All this can cause your calf muscles to tighten up because they are trying to keep you from falling over.

What can this mean for your golf swing?

Imagine getting into your golf stance. Focus on what your calves and toes are doing. Are they working to keep your body from going forward? If that is happening, can you imagine how that is taking away from your swing and accuracy? As soon as you swing your body has to adjust so you can keep balanced.

The problem is that many people with poor posture are used to this and don’t even realize that it is occurring. Because many of us are used to it, it is hard to associate it with poor performance (or other problems like headaches, back pain, neck pain and the like).

What about the case for the “stiff” neck, or the neck which has lost its full and normal range of motion?
Here’s an exercise for you. Gently pull your shoulders back and turn your head to the left as far as comfortably possible. You should be able to see somewhat behind your shoulder (without cheating and moving your shoulders forward). Do the same thing on the right side.

Is your range of motion even? Do you feel any neck pain or tightness? Normal active range of motion turning for your neck is 70-80 degrees. Anything less may suggest that you have a muscle or joint issue.

Now keep your head facing straight ahead and turn your torso so that your left shoulder is in line with your chin. Do the same thing for the right side. This is the same as the first exercise, but this one resembles more of a golfer’s swing. Can you see how an issue with your neck can affect your swing?

This usually translates into the ball not going as far and also a less accurate shot because your arms and elbows pulling more to compensate for the decrease in neck movement.

You can take the above example of decreased motion or pain in your neck and apply if to your low back:

Get in your golf swing stance and pretend hitting a ball with your golf club. Hold your position after your follow-through and look at the position of your knees, hips, low back and torso. As you swing your chest is facing one direction, and when you are done hitting the ball did you notice that your chest was facing the opposite direction?

This also contributes to distance and accuracy. This is why it is very important for your joints and spine to be working properly for maximum performance, not to mention decrease in injury rate

All the personal coaching, practice and expensive equipment in the world are not enough to compensate for these types of issues.

What can be done to fix them?

1. Improve/restore range of motion. This can be done with gentle and appropriate stretching exercises. Believe it or not, you can stretch the wrong way.
2. Improve function. This is accomplished by specific strengthening exercises that not only make your muscles stronger, but train them in the way needed for them to increase function and performance.
3. Get your joints moving better.
4. Stabilize your foundation. There might be an issue with the arches in your feet that is causing everything else to become imbalanced.

Some of this can be accomplished on your own, but the question you must ask yourself is: “Am I doing this right?” There is a fine line between the right way — which will give you positive benefit — and the wrong way — which will do nothing but waste time, cause frustration or even worse injury or decreased performance.

A chiropractor can help you with the 4 steps above. We are trained to increase joint mobility, improve your body’s function, stabilize and balance your muscles and joints, improve range of motion and get your body working as efficiently and optimally as possible.

Chiropractic care is very safe, effective and affordable, and the improvements are measurable.

If you would like a free assessment of the above 4 goals feel free to give my office a call.

Antonio Marotta D.C. is a Clifton Park chiropractor.

For more information:

• Marotta Health and Wellness Chiropractic, 939 Route 146 Suite 230, Clifton Park, 357.3347
• Dr. Marotta’s Facebook page
• The importance of a well-aligned body to your golf game

They’re also often the maneuvers that cause the bumps and the bruises during practice.

That’s why the Albany Figure Skating Club is trying to raise the money to purchase a jump harness for the Clifton Park Ice Arena.

“When you’re training kids, it helps them so much,” said coach Glenn Ziehnert, who works with the skating club in addition to running Ziehnert Skating School. “They’re able to get their jumps so much quicker and so much safer.”

The Albany Figure Skating Club is competing for a $5,000 Pepsi Refresh Project grant to buy a jump harness for the Clifton Park Ice Arena.

“A lot of kids wind up getting frustrated and drop out,” said Vincent Smentkowski, who is leading the club’s fundraising efforts.

That’s why Ziehnert — whose skaters have competed in the Olympic trials — calls a harness an essential piece of coaching equipment.

The only problem is a harness costs close to $5,000 to buy and install, and with the economy still hurting, fundraising is going slow.

Enter Pepsi.

This year the soft-drink giant decided to skip Super Bowl ads and instead use the money to provide $1.3 million a month in grants to be awarded by web voting. The skating club is competing for 1 of this month’s 10 $5,000 Pepsi Refresh Project grants. (Pepsi also offers $25,000, $50,000 and $250,000 grants.)

Just making the ballot was an accomplishment. The online submission process opens at midnight on the first of each month, and the spots go quickly. It took the club 3 tries to make it this far.

“The first month I tried to apply all of the spots were filled by 4 minutes after midnight,” Smentkowski said. “I had to learn how to time it.”

Although the Albany club is buying the harness, it will be available to all of the figure skaters training at the ice arena.

“The Clifton Park facility is great, but unfortunately this is one item they don’t have,” Smentkowski said.

The harness uses cables and pulleys to hold the skaters while they are practicing their jumps.

“The coach essentially winds up lifting the students in the air,” Smentkowski said.

Ziehnert said with a harness skaters can start learning jumps as young as 5.

“When they’re little it’s a fun thing for them,” he said. “They think it’s like flying.”

To vote for the grant:

For more information:

• Pepsi Refresh Project
• Albany Figure Skating Club
• Clifton Park Ice Arena, 16 Clifton Common Blvd., Clifton Park, 383.5440
• Ziehnert Skating School, 265.4242

The event is part of the town’s National Night Out festivities, where residents of all ages can meet some of our local first responders and learn more about emergency agencies in town.

University at Albany men’s basketball coach Will Brown will lead basketball skills clinics for the kids. Special guest announcer WNYT sports director Rodger Wyland on hand to call the action.

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police will have specialty equipment displays and K-9s demos. Local fire departments and ambulance squads will provide safety tips and bring equipment for the kids to explore.

Other attractions include:

• The town’s Fire Prevention Bus, a mobile classroom that teaches children and adults about fire prevention and safety in the home, and emergency preparedness materials from the town’s Citizen Corps;
• The Southern Saratoga YMCA will provide a giant bounce house to entertain the kids;
• Entertainment by the Shen Robotics Team’s Battling Bots.

Prizes for the free-throw contest will be awarded in each age group for boys and girls. All participants in the contest are asked to preregister and arrive early. Registration forms are available online at the town’s website, at Town Hall, the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library and all town day-camp sites.

For more information:

• Clifton Park Town Hall, 1 Town Hall Plaza, Clifton Park, 371.6651 x230

When the bike riders of the Brain² Project rolled into the school’s parking lot, the students were given bike helmets courtesy of Martin, Harding & Mazzotti. Brain Squared — Bike Riders Avoiding Injuries 2 Noggins — was formed to teach children the importance of wearing helmets while bicycling.

Okte was 1 of 4 elementary schools on the 14 riders’ 63-mile route. The bicyclists also stopped at Altamont Elementary, Pashley Elementary in Glenville and Jefferson Elementary in Rotterdam, distributing helmets and bike safety information at each stop.

An Okte second-grader gets her new bike helmet adjusted by one of the Brain² Project's 14 bicyclists.

The organization wanted the students and their parents to know that every year 400,000 children under 15 are treated in emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries and 300 of them die. While helmets can reduce the risk of brain injuries or death by 85%, only 15% of children wear a helmet while biking.

“I have been involved in enough crashes throughout the course of my cycling career to know and appreciate the value of wearing a helmet,” said Scott Neff, the event’s other co-coordinator.

Neff even recruited coworker Todd Murray to join the group making the ride. The 2 of them recently completed the Ride for Missing Children in Utica.

“Doing the various charity rides is probably the easiest way to keep training because you always have an event coming in a few weeks,” said Murray, who normally rides 50-70 miles a week depending on the weather.

Murray said he is about to begin training for September’s 100-mile Capital District Ride for Missing Children. By doing the rides, he has come to know a lot of the other riders.

“Half the people here I know from other rides,” he said, “even the volunteers.”

One person he didn’t know was Jennifer Ceponis, a transportation planner with the Capital District Transportation Committee. It was the first time she had done a ride like this.

“We have a bike safety campaign called Capital Coexist,” she said, “so it seems like a really good way for us to get involved.”

While Ceponis said she is more of a recreational and commuting bicyclist, she was enjoying the ride.

“It’s a little faster than I’m used to,” she said, “but it’s a good time.”

For more information:

• Brain² Project
• Capital Coexist
• Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, 1222 Troy-Schenectady Road, Niskayuna, 862.1200
• Okte Elementary School, 1581 Crescent Road, Clifton Park, 881.0540

“We’re VLTs (video lottery terminals) away from being the top of the heap,” he said. “But we need a governor that will make it happen.”

Making it happen — keeping racing alive at Saratoga, the nation’s oldest track — happens to be huge for the area. The horse-racing industry provides more than just summertime jobs and tourism to the community. Its members have been very generous in helping local charities.

Gary Contessa, New York's top horse-racing trainer the past 4 years, will be 1 of the honorary chairs for the second annual Unbridled Affair. The gala is a fundraiser for CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services.

This year CAPTAIN hopes to have almost double the attendance. The event will feature a live auction, a silent auction, catering by Hattie’s Restaurant and entertainment by Soul Session. Just like last year, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will be the auctioneer.

In fact, Lukas is responsible for the event. AnaMaria Bonar, president of CAPTAIN’s board of directors, was a guest in his box at the track during the 2008 Saratoga season. Between races, he asked her about what she did, and she starting telling him about CAPTAIN.

“He said, ‘I’m a great auctioneer, and I would love to do an event with you,’” Bonar said.

She was stunned. One of horse racing’s biggest names just volunteered to help her charity. After getting approval from the board, the gala was on. No one knew what to expect, but no one dreamed it would be the hit that it turned out to be.

“The day after my phone didn’t stop ringing,” Bonar said. “Lukas called to tell me how much everyone enjoyed it. He said (trainers Todd) Pletcher and (Nick) Zito were ticked off that they weren’t invited.”

For CAPTAIN, the money raised was huge. But even bigger was raising awareness of the charity.

“As one of my duties, I shook hands with people when they were leaving,” Bonar said. “So many people said, ‘Wow, we had a great time. What’s CAPTAIN?’”

CAPTAIN is a Clifton Park-based nonprofit offering services for youth and families in Saratoga County and the surrounding areas. The services it offers include: help lines for elementary schoolers and teens; a runaway and homeless youth shelter; mentoring for at-risk students; family assistance; a food pantry; afterschool programming and homework help.

“I’m proud to be associated with this group,” Contessa said. “There’s kids out there that we can reach, and I’m very, very pleased to be a part of this group. I’m honored.”

For more information:

• CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services, 5 Municipal Plaza Suite 3, Clifton Park, 371.1185
• Contessa Racing
• National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, 191 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs, 584.0400
• Hattie’s, 45 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs, 584.4790

What would you think if I told you it wasn’t true?! Running and jogging isn’t as bad as people say it is — that is, if done correctly.

Running is a natural movement for us. The reason why it leads to joint damage and wear and tear is because most people do it the wrong way.

Our joints don’t act as the shock absorbers as we run; our muscles and tendons do. Many runners run on hard pavement and pound their heels into the ground as they run. This is not a natural movement, and it is this way of running that causes problems.

If your heel strikes first when running you are utilizing bad biomechanics, and that shock from the heel translates up your leg into your knee, low back and even neck.

So what is the correct way of running?

First off, let’s address running shoes. Our feet were not made to be enclosed all day.

There are 26 movable bones in each foot with 20 muscles telling them how to move. When we wear shoes our bones move differently (restricted). That altered movement causes problems all over the body.

When the foot and ankle move differently (less) then the lower leg and knee have to move differently. The aberration continues as the thigh, pelvis and spine have to move differently. This is where problems such as knee pain, hip pain, arthritis, sacroiliac pain, low back pain and more can occur.

Think of it this way:

Have you ever known someone who had a cast on their arm? After a few weeks you start to notice that the arm gets weaker and the arm (muscles) actually shrink. This is called “disuse atrophy” and is caused by the muscles not doing what they do best — moving and working.

Now think of a shoe. It is very similar to a cast. It goes around the foot to protect it, and thus restricts movement. Eventually you get “disuse atrophy,” which can show up as fallen arches.

Ideally running should be barefoot and on softer ground. Why barefoot? Well, your feet are made to endure absorbing shock. As I stated earlier, its the muscles that absorb the shock, so when they are restricted or atrophied they don’t work as shock absorbers and your joints have to take over.

Running should start with the toes or ball of the foot touching the ground first. In fact, your heel doesn’t even have to touch the ground. This is something that is harder to accomplish with shoes on.

I know that running barefoot outside isn’t very safe, so what are your options?

1. Run inside on a treadmill.
2. Wear special running shoes with toes, such as Vibram FiveFingers.

Running can be very healthy and enjoyable if done correctly.

Running barefoot or with funny shoes on might seem a little strange, but only because it is out of the “norm.” The first time you run barefoot you will feel muscles hurt that you never knew you had — because you never used them before.

Give it a try; see how it feels. You just might enjoy running a little more.

Antonio Marotta D.C. is a Clifton Park chiropractor.

For more information:

• Marotta Health and Wellness Chiropractic, 939 Route 146 Suite 230, Clifton Park, 357.3347
• Dr. Marotta’s Facebook page
• Barefoot Running May Be Better For You

The Albany triathlon team has some wonderful leaders who are ready to inspire women to try and achieve. They are Clifton Park’s Kristen Hislop, Niskayuna’s Molly Grygiel, Saratoga Springs’ Aurora Lamperetta, Waterford’s Rachel Knaggs, Scotia’s Paula DeVantier, Cohoes’ Jenn Kendrick and Albany’s Colleen Cahill.

Clifton Park's Kristen Hislop, Niskayuna's Molly Grygiel, Saratoga Springs' Aurora Lamperetta, Waterford's Rachel Knaggs, Scotia's Paula DeVantier and Cohoes' Jenn Kendrick are the leaders of the LUNA Chix Albany Triathlon Team.

The team will work out and support each other while also fundraising for LUNA’s nonprofit partner, the Breast Cancer Fund. You will see the LUNA Chix at events like Southern Saratoga Y’s Anyone Can Try triathlon, the Hudson Crossing triathlon, IronGirl Syracuse and Crystal Lake triathlon.

There are 3 weekly Monday rides in Saratoga County. A 9 a.m. ride leaves from the Saratoga YMCA, a 9:30 ride leaves from Lakeside Farms overflow lot in Ballston Lake, and a 6 p.m. ride leaves from Old Dater Farms.

LUNA Chix Albany Triathlon team will be holding an open to the public open water swim clinic on May 16 from 7-8:30 a.m. at the Southern Saratoga YMCA pool. There will be a chalk talk, wetsuit demos and in-the-water drills. Bring a swimsuit, goggles, cap and towel. Stop at the front desk to sign a waiver, then head to the pool.

Women who attend a LUNA Chix workout or clinic will receive coaching support, camaraderie and LUNA products. The events are free and are open to women of abilities.

To join the LUNA Chix email list, email Kristen Hislop at kphislop@yahoo.com.

For more information:

• LUNA Chix Albany Triathlon Team
• Albany Triathlon Team’s Facebook page

The 100×100-foot park has approximately 20 pieces of concrete and modular skate equipment for both skateboarders and inline skaters and is the Capital Region’s only skate park with 2 euro gaps.

The season runs through Oct. 31. Membership fees for the 7-month season are $60 for Clifton Park residents and $180 for nonresidents.

Residency is defined as living with the town’s official boundaries. Memberships must be purchased at town hall; they will not be available at the action park.

Daily rates — available only during staffed hours — are $6 for residents and $12 for nonresidents.

Residents will be given preference over nonresidents if the park is crowded, however, nonresidents who purchase a daily pass will get at least 4 hours of skate time, barring inclement weather.

The skate park opens its 5th season as fewer options exist for skaters in the Capital Region. In the past year, skate parks in both Saratoga and Schenectady counties have closed. Membership and daily rates have remained the same at the skate park since its inception in 2006.

Membership forms can be downloaded from the town’s website and are available in the Office of Parks, Recreation and Community Affairs at town hall. You must register in person to verify your
signature and to pick up a membership sticker.

Acknowledgement of park rules and a waiver must be signed by all participants. Parents of participants under 18 may sign in person or send in a notarized parental signature.

The Clifton Park Action Park is located behind the Clifton Park Center mall off of Clifton Country Road.

Between now through June, the park is open 4-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-9 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. In July and August, it will be open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 7 days a week. For September and October, the park will revert to its spring hours.

For more information:

• Clifton Park Action Park
• Clifton Park Office of Parks, Recreation and Community Affairs, 1 Town Hall Plaza, Clifton Park, 371.6667

Not only that, but Melissa Grattan — who owns Make It Fit, a personal fitness training company — brought along a dozen members from her company’s Boot Camp Challenge classes. That was OK with her husband.

Participants in the Southern Saratoga YMCA's indoor triathlon do their 15 minutes of cycling in the spinning room.

In all, 110 people competed in the indoor triathlon. Participants swam for 15 minutes, cycled on a recumbent bike for 15 minutes and ran for 15 minutes. Standings were determined by adding the total distance completed in each of the 3 events. Greg McIntyre finished first in the men’s competition, and Kristen Hislop topped the women’s field. Melissa Grattan finished 18th among the women, and Matt Grattan was 25th in the men’s division.

“It feels good, but it was hard,” said Darcy Oelsehlager, who finished 36th in the women’s division as part of the Boot Camp Challenge group.

“It’s a great event for people who are good athletes but have never done a triathlon,” Southern Saratoga Y executive director Stacie Peugh said. “It gives them a taste of what it’s like.”

It could be a taste of things to come for many of the competitors from the Boot Camp Challenge.

“We all want to do the Pine Bush outdoor triathlon in July,” said Melissa Grattan, who — like many of her trainees — has never done an outdoor triathlon.

For a lot of the participants, the swimming portion was the toughest challenge.

“The swimming was difficult because we don’t train in that,” said Tom Amell, who finished 16th among the men as one of the Boot Camp Challenge participants. “But I think we had a good showing.”

To help run the indoor triathlon, the Y relied on 50 volunteers — such as 10-year-old Cameron Severance, who counted laps during the swimming competition. He arrived at the Y at 7:40 a.m. along with his parents and stayed until noon.

“I just wanted to help,” he said.

Top 3 finishers: Men — 1. Greg McIntyre, 2. David Newman, 3. Ronald Richards; Women — 1. Kristen Hislop, 2. Sonya Pasquini, 3. Sally Drake; Team — 1. Dye Tri’ing, 2. Love Bugs, 3. Acorn Appraisals.

For more information:

• Complete results
• Southern Saratoga YMCA, 1 Wall St., Clifton Park, 371.2139
• Make It Fit, Clifton Park, 366.1901

A statement from a July 1998 issue of The American Journal of Medicine states the following: “Conservative calculations estimate that approximately 107,000 patients are hospitalized annually for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-related gastrointestinal (GI) complications and at least 16,500 NSAID-related deaths occur each year among arthritis patients alone. The figures of all NSAID users would be overwhelming, yet the scope of this problem is generally underappreciated.”

How many people know this? How many people in the U.S. alone take these medications daily? It used to be recommended to take low-dose aspirin to prevent heart disease even if they had no previous history of the condition. Though these recommendations have recently changed, some medical doctors still feel the benefits outweighs the risks.

Why is it not a good idea to take NSAIDs when you have injured your body? Plainly stated, NSAIDs delay the healing process of bones, soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons), the gastrointestinal tract, etc.

NSAIDs are widely used to treat athletic injuries. NSAIDs are very efficient against pain, early muscle recovery and injury in sports to allow faster return to the game. But NSAIDs do not promote healing of bone fracture, tendon and ligament injuries. For sport performance purposes, NSAIDs actually do not help at all, but the side effects of prolong intake can worse the sports performances. (See: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in sport.)

Other research explains why NSAID use should be avoided in cases of injury and healing.

Doesn’t it make sense that when you are injured you need to heal? The faster the better, right? Improper healing or delayed healing often leads to chronic pain cycles, fibromyalgia, improper scar tissue formation, reinjury, instability of joints, unbalanced muscles and the like.

There are alternatives to NSAID use. The first thing to address would be the cause of the pain. (Pain is nothing more than a symptom of something more serious.) Many times the cause of pain is something physical in nature, and therefore responds to a physical medicine such as chiropractic care.

Chiropractic care is more than just “cracking bones.” Chiropractic helps to:

• Realign the formation of scar tissue, so that it does not impede proper joint/muscle movement;
• Restore normal movement and function to your joints and muscles;
• Provide neurological stimulus, which in turn stops the pain cycle and induces your immune response (healing);
• And much more.

Often times people who undergo chiropractic treatment get great results in little time. Their pain decreases, their range of motion increases, their muscular tension diminishes, their immune system gets stronger, and they feel great!

Antonio Marotta D.C. is a Clifton Park chiropractor.

For more information:

• Marotta Health and Wellness Chiropractic, 939 Route 146 Suite 230, Clifton Park, 357.3347