Wellness
Nutrition
Simple Recommendations for a Healthier Heart
February is American Heart Month in the United States, aimed at bringing attention to a national effort to prevent one million heart attacks in the United States. Simple choices in diet and exercise can have a substantial impact on your overall heart health by improving overall cardiovascular function and decreasing cholesterol and tri-glyceride levels. For […]
Motivation
Ask an Expert: Fitness for New Moms
Question: As a new mom, there are days I can barely get a shower, let alone eat right and exercise. Do you have any tricks to help me lose the baby weight, while still caring for my newborn? — Julia Congratulations on your new family member! While it may seem like the baby weight takes forever to […]
Wellness
Post Workout Soreness (or DOMS)
The term “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness” (or DOMS) is usually seen as the bane of new exercisers, but even experienced athletes know that changing up your workout routine or intensity can result in some serious pain for the next few days. If you’re recovering from your first tough workout, you might be wondering how to […]
Wellness
Five Benefits of Pool Workouts
While triathletes already understand the benefits of a pool to balance out workouts, nearly all of us can benefit from including pool workouts in our training schedules. You can always head for open water during the warm months of the year, but most communities also have more convenient options year round. Check around for a […]
Coaching
Fitness Trackers: 4 Reasons to Start Tracking
It’s an amazing world of health, fitness and technology. Fitness trackers are more than glorified watches. They allow us to tune into our bodies, improve our health and fitness, and connect with an inspiring world of social activity. Simply put: data is power. I remember my first fitness tracker. It was a watch the size of a brick […]
Wellness
Horizon Elite Bikes
Exercise bikes are a great addition to your fitness routine and can be used as a form of cross training, to help recover from an injury, or simply a low-impact, yet high-performance way to burn calories. There are three main types of exercise bikes, all of which can be found in the new Horizon Elite bike […]
Coaching
Warm Up and Cool Down Basics
Jumping directly into (or out of) a tough workout isn’t the best approach. Abruptly starting your workout can leave your brain and body craving a bit of transition time. Cooler weather and slippery conditions can also make you vulnerable to injury and fatigue immediately after your workout. So what are the smartest ways to start and end your […]
Wellness
Exercise at Work
Even if you’re getting in regular workouts, there are a lot of reasons to build more fitness into your day and yes, exercise at work. Research is demonstrating that spending your day sitting may undo some of the good from your daily workout and if you’re struggling to fit in your workouts, building in a […]
Wellness
Ask an Expert: Best Way to Wash Workout Clothes
Help! I recently rewarded myself with some new workout gear for sticking to my training plan and they’re already getting stinky! Do you have any advice on the best way to wash workout clothes to keep them smelling fresh? -Lindsay Rewarding yourself with some new gear is a great idea! And keeping them smelling fresh? […]
Motivation
Ask an Expert: Fitness Advice for Busy Parents
Q: Do you have any advice for busy parents who want to make fitness a priority? I feel like I’m struggling to fit everything in—eat right, exercise, keep up with my kids, etc. But with work, after school activities and our weekend obligations, I’m finding myself struggling to even get the laundry done. Good for […]
Wellness
Simple yoga moves for morning and evening
Nothing beats the energy of a group class coupled with the instruction of a knowledgeable teacher–but attending a daily yoga class is out of the question for most. However, just by investing a short block of time in the morning or evening, you’ll find that fitting in a short practice that will provide you with […]
Wellness
Exercising safely in the heat
The summer season comes with longer days and more frequent outdoor exercise activity which means whether you’re riding your bike with the family or training for a half marathon, it is wise to understand how the heat and humidity affects your body. Let’s take a look at the signs and symptoms of heat illness and […]
Wellness
Are you at the mercy of your genes?
We are, in many ways, subject to the genes we were born with. In the fitness world especially we tend to think of our genetics as limiting factors, either for the good or bad. When we struggle with specific trouble spots, we blame genetics. Conversely, when someone has little-to-no difficulty gaining muscle or excels at […]
Wellness
The perks of workout buddies
It wasn’t until she was 60 that Ginny Hlavenka, of Holmdel, NJ, got in shape. “I never thought exercise was for me. I found it boring and could never stick with it for more than a few weeks at a time.” Until her friend invited her to tag along at a water aerobics class. “The […]
Wellness
Are you functionally fit?
In your everyday life, how often are you required to do something that even remotely resembles a bench press? And even though they are all the rage in the fitness world right now, how useful is a muscle-up to the average person? This line of thinking has lead to the growth of functional fitness. This […]
Wellness
Get up to ward off diabetes
Do you sit down for more than four hours each day? If so, it’s time to get up! Recent research suggests that the more time you spend sitting, the higher your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a dangerous condition marked by high blood sugar levels. It’s the fifth leading cause of death […]
Wellness
Exercise and fibromyalgia
Conditions that cause pain in your joints and muscles can lock you into a terrible loop. Often sufferers are afraid to exercise out of concern that it will worsen their pain. Unfortunately, the lack of exercise will usually make their condition more difficult to bear. Fibromyalgia, which affects 5.8 million Americans, is just such an […]
Wellness
How to talk to a friend who is sick
Anyone who’s dealt with a serious illness knows how it goes….you’ll bump into a friend you haven’t seen in a while who has heard about your situation and they’ll ask “How are you?” Even if you answer “Fine,” they’ll then lower their voices an octave and say, “No, how are you really?” Or you tell […]
Wellness
Reasons to watch less TV
We all grew up hearing about how too much TV was bad for us. It was killing our braincells or destroying our eyesight or making us socially awkward. Despite all these warnings from our childhood, the average American still watches about 34 hours of TV every week,with another three to six spent watching recorded shows. […]
Wellness
5 Fitness books (you didn't know were about fitness)
Athletes understand the value of cross-training, but did you know that cross-reading can be just as valuable? Some of the best insights into your training will come from experts in other fields. If you’re looking for something to read this spring, try one of these fitness classics from other sections of the library. Bonus points […]