own to a plank on your forearms and elbows. Make sure to tighten your glutes, pull in your pelvic floor and keep your back flat. Hold f

RIO DE JANEIRO -- White tape peeking out from under the red sweat band on his injured left wrist, Rafael Nadal was back in action Sunday, playing his first match in 2 1/2 months.And he was back at an Olympics for the first time in eight years.He was not, Nadal insisted after a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Argentinas Federico Delbonis at the Rio de Janeiro Games, back at full strength, however. And he will not, he also insisted, discuss the problematic tendon sheath in his racket-wielding arm for the rest of the event.My wrist is not perfect. My wrist needs more time, the Spaniard said. If it was a `normal tournament on the circuit, I wouldnt be here. My wrist is not perfect. It isnt 100 percent.Nadal won a gold medal in singles at the 2008 Beijing Games, but he missed the 2012 London Olympics because of a knee injury that also forced him out of the U.S. Open later that season.Theres only one chance every four years to experience an Olympic Games. Its something unforgettable, said Nadal, who carried Spains flag during the opening ceremony. I missed the last one in London, so I didnt want to miss this one.As a former No. 1-ranked player and a 14-time Grand Slam champion, Nadal is one of his sports central figures, so his health is a significant topic in tennis. It was a key subject on a wind-swept, star-studded second day of competition in Brazil that later saw top-ranked Novak Djokovic lose in straight sets to 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.The 2012 singles gold medalists, Serena Williams and Andy Murray, both won in straight sets.During Williams uneven 6-4, 6-2 elimination of Australias Daria Gavrilova in the main stadium, winds that reached 25 mph caused delays of about 2 hours on the eight smaller courts. Murray beat Serbias Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-2 in less than 1 1/2 hours.Neither Williams nor Murray had played since winning Wimbledon titles a month ago. Both played doubles later Sunday alongside older siblings -- and both lost. Williams and her sister Venus are three-time gold medalists as a team but lost an Olympic doubles match for the first time, beaten 6-3, 6-4 by the Czech Republics Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova. Murray and his brother Jamie wasted five set points in the second tiebreaker of a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (14) exit against Brazils Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa.Nadals contest Sunday was his first since he surprisingly showed up at a news conference at the French Open wearing a blue brace on his left wrist and announced he would be withdrawing from the clay-court tournament he has won a record nine times.A question about the wrist arrived early in the English portion of his post-match session with reporters Sunday, and when the Spanish portion began with a query about the same topic, Nadals response started with a smile and these words: I said it in English, and Ill say it again in Spanish.He made clear both times that he didnt want to address the subject the rest of the way in Rio.Nadal appeared a tad tentative in the early going against Delbonis, a fellow left-hander who is ranked 43rd, but eventually displayed confidence with his heavy-topspin forehand, producing half of his 14 winners with that stroke.Along the way to breaking for a 3-2 lead, Nadal smacked one down-the-line forehand winner, then threw a big uppercut and yelled, Vamos -- eliciting a loud roar from spectators. There was a nearly identical celebration, and crowd reaction, when the match concluded.Nadal played cleanly, making only 15 unforced errors, while Delbonis made 31.Indeed, the one thing that truly bothered the third-seeded Nadal on this day (aside, perhaps, from the wrist questions) were the on-court digital scoreboards behind each baseline. Early in the match, Nadal complained to chair umpire Carlos Ramos that the readout made it tough to see the yellow tennis balls during points.ITF spokesman Nick Imison said the brightness was adjusted during the match to accomodate Nadal.You cant play, Nadal said, when youre losing sight of the ball.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrichAir Max Plus Ingrosso .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Scarpe Air Max2 Light Scontate . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. http://www.airmaxitaliascarpe.it/ . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Air Max 200 Uomo Bianche . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Air Max 270 Scontate . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington.Three-time Olympic gold medalist Heather Mitts retired from soccer in 2013, then moved on to the next challenge: starting a family with husband A.J. Feeley. A lifelong athlete, she knew she wanted to continue working out throughout her pregnancy. Its a part of who I am, she says.When she became pregnant with her son, Connor, in 2013, less than a year after the London Games, she was able to do CrossFit until she was six months along, plus Pilates, elliptical work and running until two days before delivering.With her second pregnancy, it wasnt so easy. Living in the suburbs with a toddler in tow, she looked around and found she just didnt have as many options.When I was playing soccer, it was my job, she says. It was the first thing I would do every day. But as a mom, it can fall to the bottom of your list. I needed something I could do at home.But she wanted more from her training than what she could find online. She had struggled with diastasis recti, a separation in the abs experienced by as many as two-thirds of women during pregnancy, and she knew it was crucial to focus on safe core strengthening moves.Ninety percent of women arent even aware they have it and can actually make it worse by doing the wrong exercises, she says.And so, Mitts partnered with sports physiologist and fellow University of Florida athlete Shannon Grady to develop a plan of exercises she could do throughout her pregnancy to prepare her whole body for birth and beyond. For Mitts, it paid off.?I felt amazing, even toward the end of the pregnancy. I had a lot of energy, no back pain, and I was shocked at how quick I was able to get back in shape afterwards, she says.Mitts was so inspired by the knowledge she gained that she created aa series of workouts for pregnant athletes on her website, HeatherMittsEmpoweredPregnancy.ddddddddddddcom. She shared four of her favorite core moves with us:Modified side plankLie on your side with knees bent at 90 degrees. Raise your hips and torso off the floor, supported by your forearm with your shoulder over your elbow. Actively engage your core, and keep your hips lifted to form a line from the top of your head to your knees. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, aiming to build up to a minute. Lower and switch sides. Do three reps per side.Prone plank with ballStarting with your fitness ball behind you, lower your hands to the floor for support and lift the tops of your feet or shins onto the ball. Come down to a plank on your forearms and elbows. Make sure to tighten your glutes, pull in your pelvic floor and keep your back flat. Hold for 15 seconds, then slowly come off the ball.Prone plank on ball with knee tuckGet into a plank position on your forearms with the tops of your feet or shins on a ball. Raise your glutes, and draw your knees toward your belly. Keep your core engaged and back straight. Straighten knees and roll ball back to plank position. Aim for 10 to 15 reps.Side plank with leg raiseLie on your side, knees bent and upper body in a plank supported on your forearm and elbow. Keeping your core engaged, including your obliques, extend your top leg straight and lift. Lower your leg, keeping it extended, and repeat. Do 10 reps, and switch sides. If raising and lowering is too difficult, start by holding your leg at the top for 10 to 15 seconds and work up to the lifts. ' ' '