Blog 23

*Interviewed Mariah Caputo from North House.

Wednesday at the beginning of lunch.

1) Not sure what she wants to do for senior topic. Wants to do something. Needs to learn to prioritize, she says she is busy from school and cannot think of anything she’d be able to stick with for the year.

2) Still needs to find solid project idea in order to start service learning. However, she has a car, allowing her easy transportation to complete service learning once she has an idea.

3) She is not nervous for the topic dedication. Although, she hopes to learn how the project can be organized throughout the year. Organization might be a key factor in helping her decide her final topic. Once she sees the 2012 senior projects, she will learn about the organization and decide which topic she could use year long.

4) She is really adamant on how to choose her final project. She wants something practical. Although she is not supposedly nervous, she seems concerned about how to choose and what must come from the senior project. I told her that her project can be just about anything if she is willing to take her time and put a little dedication into it. I suggested things like cooking and film, as well as sharing my EQ. With this, I hope she understands how simple the topic selection of the senior project is.

Interview 4

Am going to see if I can find a Cal Poly kinesiology student or teacher to interview.

1. Lately I have been interested in Nutrition and athletic performance. What are some mistakes most athletes make regarding nutritional needs?
2. How do you feel nutrition effects athletes that are serious or recreational? Could you name any specific sources that might help me understand nutrition a little more?
3. How might you describe the relationship between nutritional needs of athletes and the condition of the food industry today in which everything is virtually inorganic and unhealthy? What might be the best solution for an athlete with nutritional needs who wants to go all organic?
4. How should an beginning athlete tackle a new diet? Are general nutrition guidelines for each athlete to follow regardless of sport?
5. I am currently reading a book titled "Running and Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind." Being that the majority of my research has been Internet based fitness articles, I decided to try and get more research from different sources. The book refers to the connections between physical and psychological drive. How would you best explain the balance between the two?
6. Do you think there should be a balance between a strong mind and a strong athletic capacity? In other words, could an athlete thrive off having a strong willpower?
7. In regard to the above statement, do you think there is a correlation to meditation and other forms of relaxation and sport? If so, how would meditation be applied to sports?
8. In a previous interview, I had discovered exercise is potentially "addictive," in which if a regular exerciser does not engage in exercise, they become depressed. With this said, there are also certain studies that refer to exercise as only a quarter of overall well being. The other 3 parts being emotional, social, and psychological. Have you ever heard anything similar to this and its so called influence on overall well being? If so, how well is it supported?
9.  How well do you think modern athletes know about what happens to their bodies in exercise?
10. In addition, do you think there must be a basic knowledge of how exercise works on a cellular level  (ATP, nutrients in the blood, etc.)? Can a serious athlete work without this knowledge?
11. In today’s busy society, what might be the best way to have more people engage in healthy exercise?
12.What is your definition of an athlete? Can the term athlete apply to anyone?
13. Of the athletes that you know, how many do you think have been injured due to too much exercise? Do you think there is a general law athletes could follow to exercise more and still get injured less (proper posture, sleep, etc.)?
14. I like to consider myself a recreational runner. I am currently in my 6th semester of cross country and want to try and keep running as I age. I have had recurring discomfort in my knees. Would you happen to know the difference between "recreational" and college level athletes? Is it more than just training? With that said, might I be a more efficient runner with experience and no training as opposed to someone with no experience and training?
15. I have a tendency to exercise without planning it. This also includes going out for random bike rides in the middle of the day. Given this, would the smartest choice be to try and keep up physical fitness and develop healthy habits such as hydration, nutrition, and sleep. Or would I just need to plan everything out?
16. How essential do you personally think physical fitness is to endurance exercises?
17. In addition, how important do you think stretching is to the body after, and especially before exercise?
18. How well of a role do you think time management plays in training and exercise?
19. Do you think it is common for someone who was once an athlete to be interested in kinesiology based careers (PT, coach, personal trainer, etc.)?
20. What do you think is most important for an athlete to prevent injury?

Blog 11

1. How fast does a "healthy" or generally fit person recover from injury opposed to that of someone who is not so fit?
2. Generally, when an athlete comes to you for an injury, do they know why the exercises work prior to their schedule? In other words, does it seem they have a knowledge of their anatomy?
3. Of these three, which do you think occurs most in athletes:
-injury does to overworking the body,
-injury due to unproper form, and,
-injury due to accidents or trauma?
4. How important is a balanced diet in recovery?
5. Would you advise any athlete (recreational or professional) to have some guidance in their sport, whether it'd be training or prior experience under a trainer?
6. There are reports saying stretching does not prevent injury, but has no change at all (sometimes even increases chance of injury). How do you decide how to incorporate stretching into a patient's plan?
7. Do you ever get patients who come back after completing therapy telling you they have a different injury in the same relative spot? If so, are the injuries more dramatic and significant due to the previous injury?
8. How does an athlete's definition of fit differ from that of an athlete from a different sport? How much more difficult can it be to be fit or more than one sport?
9. Nutrition plays a big role in any kind of exercise, as it acts as a fuel source. Is it possible to actually be injured from wrong eating habits? How dramatic are the results?
10. What would you personally think would be the best solution to preventing any kind of injury?

Blog 5

I do not yet have a specific person for my 2nd interview, as I just got into my service learning. I hope to be getting a person from my sports medicine class I can interview.
Questions:
* "I am working on a senior project. I decided to do mine on orthopedic physical therapy. I chose this because I hope to live an long active lifestyle. Is there a certain mentality that P.T's seem to match? What might I need to in the coming years to make sure I maintain this career and ultimately, my health?"
* "How much of an active person might you describe yourself? Would you say it's a good idea for anyone interested in an active lifestyle to consider a profession surrounding kinesthetics?"
* "What was your dream career coming out of high school and beginning to think about career opportunities? Have you always wanted to be a therapist? If not, what made you decide it was just what you wanted to do?
* "Does your job change the way you look at health now (nutrition, proper exercise, keeping up with the most recent health benefits)?"
* "Do you ever feel stressed out over your job or do you find it easy (in a way that you can stand working your job) to do?"

Blog 2 (Edit)

1) I chose to interview two physical therapy patients. Both were family, the first being my grandma with a torn meniscus, and my uncle with a broken fibula. I chose to interview my grandma because of her knee injury and my fascination with the knee, being that it is a vital joint in almost all activities. I had hoped an interview with my grandma would come handy in understanding the knee. She did not really know professional terms, but had given me contacts with pro therapists and notes from her several therapists. As for my uncle, I wanted to get someone who, like me, had recently (within a few years) started running and our anatomies would be similar. Interviewing him gave me insight on the effects of healing through an athlete's perspective, since healing is generally quicker for those in shape.

2) For my grandma:
* "What are some of the things you've learned about yourself (Knee anatomy, etc) through your therapy?"
* "How important did you think this was for you? Would you say this is an important profession to study?"
For my uncle:
* "Did they explain the term and the importance of your exercises and how they worked with your body?"
* "How important did you think your therapy was?"
* "What have you learned through your experience in therapy?"
* "I consider myself a recreational runner. However, I honestly don't think I am not very up to date with anatomy as I probably should be, considering the pains from running and my tendency to go out for random runs. Do you think Physical Therapy/Sports Med. would be a sufficient topic to devote my senior year to, considering the fact that I wish to stay active?"
* "Regarding the above question, do you think it would be wise for anyone, even people who don't enjoy a whole lot of exercise, to understand anatomy and injuries before they do any kind of exercise?"

Blog 2

a) I am going to be interviewing Brian Chavarin, who happens to be my step dad's cousin. I hope to interview him because of the fact that he is closer to the family and I know that he would be happy to answer any questions as best he can.
b) * "When did you decide you would stay in Physical Therapy?"
* "How does it affect the way you live now (exercising, healthy living, etc)?"
* "How happy are to say you are a Physical Therapist?"
* "What was the hardest thing you had to overcome in order to become a Physical Therapist?"
* "What was the worst day at your 'job' like?"