Holidays - Feast or Fitness? WHY NOT BOTH?!!
holidays, fun run, fitness, diet
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Next Thursday is Thanksgiving in the U.S. For most people, Thanksgiving conjures up visions of pumpkin pie, turkey and high school football. But for runners, Thanksgiving morning usually begins with a race. It's a great way to burn calories BEFORE the big Thanksgiving feast.
Thanksgiving rivals the Fourth of July as the busiest race day of the year. In Massachusetts, there are dozens of races planned across the state. Ironically Plymouth, Massachusetts, the home of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, does not host a Thanksgiving Day race.
The variety of races held on Thanksgiving is unmatched by any other race day of the year. There are cross-country style races, traditional road races, beach runs, events that award pies to all finishers and events that offer a post-race party with music and libations. Whatever your race tastes, chances are you will find an event that suits you.
Most Thanksgiving Day races are relatively short in distance, allowing you plenty of time to travel to grandmother’s house for dinner afterwards. Many offer kids events and walks so the entire family can participate.
It’s also important to think about the purpose of Thanksgiving…to give thanks. Most turkey trots raise money for really worthy causes like feeding hungry families around the holidays. It easy to g's et caught up in all of the Thanksgiving hype and forget that we really do have a lot to be thankful for and there are many people who aren’t as fortunate.
Plus there’s the most obvious reason: if you’re going to eat a huge meal you should exercise to make up for the extra calories. Participating in a Turkey Trot is also a great way to start a new healthy holiday tradition with your friends or family. When you go for an extra slice of pie, instead of saying ‘so what it’s Thanksgiving’ you can say ‘I can eat whatever I want because I trotted for a good cause today.’
And how man... read entire entry
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on 11/17/2008
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6.2
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Want to Help Kids Improve Academically? GET THEM MOVING!!
kids, activity, cognitive developmen, fitness, free play
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Want to help your kids do better in school ? Get them moving. That’s the message from a growing field of research linking physical activity with better academic performance.
At a time when many schools have reduced or eliminated gym classes and recess, experts say the worry goes beyond the childhood obesity epidemic.
The concern is no longer JUST that kids face obesity and health risks down the road.. Research indicates that inactive kids might not do as well in school as their fit peers
In one of the latest studies in this field, researchers found that middle-school students who performed best on fitness tests — which gauged aerobic capacity, strength, endurance, flexibility and body composition — performed better academically as well.
Experts speculate that exercise may boost academic performance in various ways, including: burning off pent-up energy and allowing kids to pay attention better and focus on their work; boosting self-esteem and mood; and increasing blood flow to the brain, helping with memory and concentration.
Studies in older people have found that cognitive function is significantly better among those who are active. Now we're seeing data that shows the benefit of activity in children's cognitive development too!
Some educators say they notice a difference, too. In a nonscientific poll, teachers noted that kids' alertness and attention span improve after short breaks that include physical activity.
Organized sports not always the best answer
So if your child’s school is lacking in PE and recess, should you hurry to sign your kid up for sports? Not necessarily. While sports certainly can help kids to shape up, regular free play — at the playground or your backyard — may work just as well or even better. Coaches in competitive sports obviously give the most play time to the most skilled players. Sitting on the bench for most of ... read entire entry
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on 10/6/2008
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29
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Bouldering - Great High, Great Workout!
bouldering, climbing, horizontal, quads, outdoor fitness
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There's something about climbing. That rush you get from defying gravity and other laws of nature, the surge of strength you feel from pulling yourself up a vertical surface and hanging like a spider.
It may be more down to earth than mountain climbing, but bouldering, the art of traversing a large rock as opposed to climbing up a cliff, will give you the same top-of-the-world feeling of accomplishment -- and a heart-pounding, muscle-pumping workout, to boot.
It doesn't take a mountain of specialized gear, either. In fact, the gear list is feather light: Shoes, a chalk bag and chalk are all you need. And if you suspect there's a nascent Sir Edmund Hillary in you who needs a little prodding, bouldering is also a great way to gauge your interest in taking on vertical challenges of the higher kind, without a huge investment in time, either.
Use the following tips to make your transition onto the rocks even faster.
Think before you act. Bouldering is as much mental as it is a physical. Before you begin, survey the rock and visualize your route. Select the most efficient path, one that won't waste effort, and try to stick to it. That said, it's also important to be flexible. If you find you picked a less-than-perfect path once you're on the rock, stay calm and find another way. The problem-solving inherent in bouldering helps strengthen the mind as well as the body.
Use your legs. Despite what you may have heard, you don't need tremendous upper-body strength to be a good climber. Certainly, a strong back, shoulders, arms and core will help you keep a hold of the rock and support yourself as you move across the surface. But remember, the real power is in the legs.
Your quadriceps are among the strongest muscles in your body and will provide the bulk of the strength you need. Focus on pushing with your legs as you pull with your arms, with all your muscles working in harmony and your power stemm... read entire entry
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on 9/7/2008
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4.2
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Brain fitness: you workout on a regular basis, but have you given any thought to your brain?
brain fitness
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Not long ago, most scientists believed the brain became “hard-wired” during childhood, and that there was little you could do to improve its function once you entered adulthood. Not anymore. The scientific community now accepts that the brain retains its plasticity—the ability to rewire itself for better function—throughout life. Here are some "exercises" you can do to keep your brain as fit as your body.
The task: Add some dark chocolate to your diet.
The reason: When you eat chocolate you activate the systems in your brain that pump dopamine, an important brain chemical. These systems enable learning and memory, and help keep your brain sharp and fit
The task: Go on a guided tour of a museum or another site of interest. Pay careful attention to what the guide says. When you get home, try to reconstrucft the tour by writing an outline that includes everything you remember.
The reason: Research into brain plasticity (the ability of the brain to change at any age) indicates that memory activities that engage all levels of brain operation—receiving, remembering and thinking—help to improve the function (and hinder the rate of decline) of the brain.
The task: Choose a song with lyrics you enjoy but don’t have memorized. Listen to the song as many times as necessary to write down all the lyrics. Then learn to sing along. Once you’ve mastered one song, move on to another!
The reason: Developing better habits of careful listening will help you in your understanding, thinking and remembering. Reconstructing the song requires close attentional focus and an active memory. When you focus, you release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a brain chemical that enables plasticity and vivifies memory.
The task: Sit in a place outside your house, such as on a park bench or in a café. Stare straight ahead and don’t move your eyes. Concentrate on everything you can see without moving your eyes, including in y... read entire entry
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on 4/15/2008
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5.3
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Why Should I Crosstrain?
crosstraining, fitness, workouts
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After years of running the same course at the same distance, not only had my muscles reached a plateau, I found I was rather bored doing the same routine.
Crosstraining works muscle groups that have been neglected by an athlete stuck in a single-exercise rut and adds variety and interest to your workouts.
It’s a great way for any level of exerciser to make sure they get a well rounded workout, to challenge your body in all directions, to reduce the risk of injury, to see faster results, and TO AVOID BOREDOM!!
If you are dedicated to having a fit and healthy body, it is important to vary your exercise routine whether you are a beginner or a professional. Learning a new skill or strengthening neglected body parts opens up a new world of possibilities. After months of the same workout, your body becomes efficient performing the same movements; rather than continuing to improve, you will simply maintain. So to reduce the risk of overuse-injury, expand your training. Challenge yourself, and I guarantee you will see an improvement in both your mental and physical fitness. It's spring! Now's a great time to get outside and try something new and fun.
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on 3/22/2008
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9.4
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