Monthly Archives: August 2016

If the strength of the health and fitness sector is anything to go by, many of us want to improve our health and overall level of fitness. With all of the positive health benefits that modern medicine associates with regular exercise ? not the least of which is a longer life ? it's natural to want to become more active. Unfortunately, as we all know, that's much easier said than done.

Motivating yourself to make a change in our often sedentary lifestyles can be a real challenge. How many New Year's resolutions have slipped into the past unfulfilled? Instead of struggling to stick to regular exercise on its own, what if you motivated yourself with the "fun and games" that are sports? As a main component of your exercise, sports, and especially team sports, can have huge benefits.

Of all your options, basketball is the ideal choice. From its humble beginnings to its now globe-spanning popularity, it remains at its core an extremely athletic, active, and demanding sport. Not

There's a lot to be said about the exciting nature of the sport of tennis. With its enormous popularity around the world, many tune in to watch matches on TV. However, there is another sport that ? while smaller than tennis ? is much more exciting: badminton. In the game of badminton, the feathered shuttlecock provides a much more unstable and unpredictable projectile in flight than a tennis ball. The amount of strokes and moves required to control a shuttlecock and score points fully is staggering. Mastering the game takes not only excellent hand-eye coordination but good physical fitness, too.

Pro badminton players need exceptional arm strength for smashing shots as well as quick and nimble legs to dart

 In today's world of high calorie dense processed foods and less than ideal eating habits, we're always trying to find ways to beat back the fat. Our constant search for the means to lose weight and stay fit is what sustains a very expansive fitness industry around the world. From supplements to electronic and high-tech pedometers, there are many products and fads out there -- all claiming to have the best way to burn off all those calories we consume every day.

Unfortunately, we don't always do our homework as we should. This can lead to confusion and uncertainty about what actually works and what does not. Lately, there has been a popular thought spreading that taking 10,000 steps a day is an excellent way to work towards better fitness. Using this goal as a target, they say; you can become more active and eventually healthier. While being more active is great, walking isn't exactly strenuous aerobic exercise. Will 10,000 steps a day really be all you need to work towards better f

From the invention of cycling to its popularization across the world, people have always enjoyed the simple pleasure of riding a bike. It was a natural step to transform that pleasure into something greater: the pursuit of physical fitness. There's no denying that riding a bike can be a challenging and very rewarding way to exercise. Millions of people all over the world tackle the challenge of maintaining or developing their physical fitness by using bicycles. Whether you're just trying to shed a few pounds, or you're training hard for a race, you're likely to be asking yourself one major question: what's the best way to cycle? How can I maximize the gains I get from the energy I spend? Two major choices confront you: will you tackle real terrain with the wind in your face outdoors, or will you power through the kilometers on an indoor exercise bike? At first, it's not easily apparent which of these two methods is the superior one, if at all. What are the significant differences between,

Of all the sports and forms of exercise that exist in the world, few are purer than running. What's more natural than using the power of your body to propel yourself as fast or as far as your legs can carry you? From the incredible speed of short distance runners to the undying endurance of the marathon fan, people run for all kinds of reasons. You may choose to run because you like to push yourself as hard as possible, or you may do it just for basic fitness.

Either way, you know what it's like to search for any edge you can find. How can you shave those next few seconds off your time? What's the best way to train and boost your endurance? Fancy running shoes and training regimens aside, it can come down to one simple question. Is it better for you to run outside, or will a treadmill be the better option? Ask friends who run and you're likely to get different and firmly held opinions every time. What's the science behind this question, though?

Understanding the benefits

At the end of a long and tough workout, you might feel exhausted, but you're also probably feeling accomplished. After all, it means that you got through the day's fitness goals successfully. Of course, when you wake up the next morning and all of your muscles are aching and sore, you might not feel quite so accomplished. While stretching before and after your workout can help to prevent some soreness; it isn't the cure-all it might seem to be. Instead, there are other ways you can not only combat muscle soreness, but you can also relax and gain other pre and post-workout benefits. Have you ever thought about spending some time in a sauna or steam room? Some gyms incorporate steam rooms for the use of their members, so you may already have access to one.

While steam rooms are moist, saunas are a dry heat; despite this difference, the benefits to both are roughly the same. When should you visit the sauna, and when should you avoid it? How can it help you feel better after a workout

From the spread of bicycles through the 19th century to their boom in popularity in the early 1900s, people have been coming up with new and inventive ways to give them purpose and have fun. From sightseeing to long distance bicycle racing to just basic transportation, bicycles play a significant number of roles in cultures around the globe. Of course, bicycles are also an excellent tool for personal fitness as well. Anyone who's ridden some distance on a bike can tell you what a cardio and leg workout it is! However, for a variety of reasons, many women do not turn to cycling in the same numbers as men. Statistics about bike usage in the USA, for example, frequently show that far fewer women go biking than men. Why not, though? In fact, there are plenty

4th August 2016. We all know that to lose weight, we need to burn more energy than we consume. We also all know that that means focusing on fitness. We have to exercise to offset the calories we consume. Unfortunately, most traditional exercises aren't always the most fun for those who aren't already athletically focused. If you don't feel like lifting weights, and you don't enjoy running, how are you going to get the process of physical fitness started? Luckily, there are plenty of other fun activities you can use as a gateway to working towards greater physical fitness. Believe it or not, but flying a kite actually offers various benefits as an exercise activity. You can burn more calories spending an afternoon flying kites than you might expect! From trekking to a good spot to fly your kite to the way that it works out your core muscles, it's an excellent reason to get out of doors more often and explore the world. You might even be able to interest your friends in joining you.

When the summertime settles in for a few long months of hot weather, it's only natural for practically everyone to want to go for a swim. Spending time in the cooling water is fun, relaxing, and an excellent way to escape from the heat. Of course, swimming is good for you, too; after all, it might even be a part of your regular fitness routine already. Spending all your time swimming in the pool can be a little boring, though, and it's not always the biggest challenge. With so many other bodies of water out there to explore, why not try out open water swimming? Whether you take a plunge into the ocean or a drive down to your favorite lake, it's a very different experience.

Open water swimming is both fun and popular, and it's usually not difficult to find a place to go, especially if you live near the coast. More than just going for a dip, though, swimming in open water provides a different set of challenges to your body than a pool does. Whether you're trying to work on your fitness