Monthly Archives: June 2017

29th June 2017.When most men think of swimwear, the standard pair of swim trunks we all see at the beach is what comes first to mind. However, is that really the extent of what men can choose from for swimwear? Far from it; in fact, there are a variety of types suitable for a similar range of situations. The material that these swimsuits are made of differs too, and that matters more than you might think. Whether you plan to swim solo for fitness, compete in a race, or you're just going on holiday, you should know your options. What should you look for when shopping? The answer will depend largely on what you intend to do in the water, and where you are planning to swim. The pool is a much different environment than a lake or the ocean, and competitive swimming demands much more than a dip in a hotel pool. It might even be wise to purchase more than one swimsuit to allow you to maintain a sporty wardrobe for any occasion. With that said, let's begin by looking at the different types of men's swimwear out there. Each of these has its pros and cons, and it's there where you can start narrowing down your choices.

What's on the market for men's swimwear?

If you've just Googled around, you've probably seen a tonne of different names for swimwear. Trunks you know ? but what about jammers, rash guards, and other strange terms? When you get down to the details, it's not so complicated. What's important to know is that generally speaking, swimwear differs mostly in the cut and how tightly it fits your body. Let's break down the most common terminology. When you think of swim trunks, you might think of a garment that closely resembles shorts you'd wear outside the water. That's true, but they can also be much shorter ? ending near the middle of your thighs. Others can come down to your knees. These are a good general-purpose option. A sub-type of trunks, board shorts are also longer but tend to much

26th June 2017.When school lets out for the holidays, no one is more excited than your children. It's an opportunity to spend time away from educational responsibilities, to relax, and to have fun. Every parent wants to ensure their kids don't spend the holidays cooped up indoors the whole time, however. With the allure of video games and electronic devices stronger than ever, it's important to encourage physical activity. The summer should be a time for fun, but that doesn't have to mean sitting indoors and avoiding the hot weather. That's where you come back into the picture: your goal should be to create plenty of opportunities for active fun and exercise. The key is in the way you present the activity. Taking your kids for a run is a hard sell; organising a game with some of their friends is something to excite any child. With that in mind, what are some of the best activities you can engage in with your kids over their holiday? There's no shortage of variety available ? and you should use your imagination, too. To help you start planning, here are eight ideas you can use and adapt for your family. Before you know it, your kids will clamour for the chance to go outside and play with you.

1. Football is an easy classic everyone loves

For the ultimate summer fun with a low cost to begin, you can't beat football. Play in your backyard or a local park; if you have some green space to kick around the ball, your kids can have a blast. Organise an actual game with some friends, or just have fun practising kicking the ball around. You could even simplify the game down to "keepaway." Whoever has control of the ball must keep it away from everyone else. That often leads to plenty of joking, laughing, and running around. At the end of the day, your kids will be totally worn out but jubilant. The best part of using a football is the ability to return time and again to this game throughout the holidays.

22nd June 2017. For children and adults alike, field hockey is a fun, exciting, and physically demanding sport. As a game with small periods of inactivity punctuated by rapid bursts, it's not unlike football or even its cousin, ice hockey, in some respects. However, field hockey is a unique pastime, and it brings with it many similarly unique challenges. Whether you enjoy playing the game yourself or you have a child who wants to practice the sport, you'll always need to start with the basics: equipment. The good news is that unless you intend to play the goalie, there isn't much special gear you need. You will need a stick, though ? and that's the most important part. A professional field hockey player can feel as though the stick is merely an extension of their body. Anyone who has watched a practised drag flick or a goal scored with finesse knows that good stick control is essential. With the wrong stick, you can feel awkward or even unable to control the ball. So, what should you look for next time you head to the athletics store? Let's break down the various components of the field hockey stick and discuss what you should know. By the end, you should have a good sense of which stick will be right for you.

Know the jargon before you go shopping

Before we start, do you understand the names of the various parts of the stick? There can be a lot of technical terminology thrown around, especially by veteran players. A quick refresher on what's what can help you understand what to look for as we discuss sticks. For example, the wrapped upper portion of the stick is often called the grip or handle by players. It can also be called the shaft, however, and shaft length

19th June 2017. Summer is the perfect time to gather the family together for fun and activities together. Whether you go on holiday or stay at home, there are endless opportunities to engage with your kids in exciting ways. With school out, they will probably have tons of energy to burn. So why not plan for an enjoyable physical activity? Not only will everyone get to enjoy fresh air and the outdoors, but you'll appreciate knowing the activity has positive health benefits, too. So, what activities are ideal for the whole family? Consider hiking. At first glance, a family hike might seem like a strange idea ? but think about it on a deeper level. Not only is it an opportunity to spend time in the great outdoors, but it can be quite a demanding exercise, too. What if you don't want to put your family through their paces? That's fine too ? hiking can be as strenuous or as easy-going as you like. That flexibility, combined with the fact that opportunities are everywhere, is what makes it the perfect activity for your family this summer. How do you transition from saying "Let's go hiking!" to actually hitting the trail? Let's look at how to do just that.

What makes hiking such good family exercise?

Before we tackle the how, let's tackle the why first. Isn't hiking just walking on a path? At its most basic, yes, that is true. You might find a "hike" along a shady forest path to be a relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Even that amount of physical activity can have benefits for your body. Hiking goes far beyond just a basic walk, though. It isn't like walking on the road or a paved footpath, where there is a smooth and even surface underneath your feet. A major part of hiking's challenge comes from varying terrain ? both regarding surface features and elevation changes. It might sound easy on paper, but after half an hour of stepping over roots and slowly going higher, you'll find

15th June 2017. As far as seasons go, spring is one of the best ones for running. Unfortunately, it doesn't last forever. When the spring starts to turn into the summer, runners need to take note. With hotter temperatures, the changing conditions demand a change in your habits, too. Summer is also the time when we most often go on holiday ? so how will you stick to your usual running habits when you go away from home? It's not all about challenges, though; the summer brings some good news for runners, too. Tired of going on your daily run in the dark, or not having enough daylight at the end of the day? The lengthening days of summer will help with that. How should you prepare your body to face the challenges of summer running? From acclimatising to planning around potential disruptions to your schedule, there are many things you can try. You'll also want to take the time to learn about the heat index and how to work around the weather. Grab your water bottle, it's time to get ready for the year's next big set of seasonal challenges. Before you know it, the crisp air of autumn will be here again.

Beat the heat: how to handle the hotter weather

How can you adjust yourself to the warm weather? When you notice the temperatures start to rise, it's hard to do more than continue with your usual pattern. It's only when the thermometer consistently registers higher temperatures that you need to think carefully. Once summer arrives in full and it becomes difficult to run at your usual effort, pick a day to begin your conditioning. Perform your normal run on this day, but do so at about 75% of your usual effort level. Go lower if it helps you feel more comfortable. Then, over the next one to two weeks, slowly ramp back up to your usual pace. The slow change inherent in

12th June 2017.Treat your bicycle with love, and it will carry you as far as you ever want to travel. This advice is something every cyclist knows, whether you ride for fun or fitness. Every cyclist also knows the frustration that accompanies a sudden mechanical failure: a broken chain, a flat tyre, or worse. You may even carry a repair kit with you on every ride already, just to be on the safe side. The fact is, regular maintenance can reduce the number of breakdowns you experience. A part of that maintenance is cleaning. The environment you ride through can have a damaging effect on your bike. By mitigating the most common effects of wear and tear, only the problems most difficult to avoid will crop up in the future. If you only know how to change a chain, the idea of doing, even more, maintenance could seem daunting. Don't worry, with the right tools and the right approach; you can tackle all the regular care your bike needs. Below, we'll go over what you need to start and how often you should conduct maintenance and cleaning. Don't be afraid to pop in to your local cycle shop and ask questions, either. Those are the questions any enthusiast loves to answer. Let's begin by going over the gear you'll need to gather first.

The tools you need for bicycle maintenance

If you've ever worked on your bike out on the road, you know it's frustrating to hold it steady in the right position. So if you plan on doing bike maintenance at home, your first purchase should be a bike stand. It provides an easy place to stash your bike during all the maintenance tasks you need, and your hands will remain free throughout your work. It makes every form of maintenance much easier to perform. Regarding basic tools, you'll want both a wrench set as well as Allen keys of varying sizes. Raid your drawers for screwdrivers, but be prepared to buy smaller ones as well. Pliers ? both needle nose and special chain pliers

8th June 2017. Swimming is a fun activity beloved by children all over the world. Whether splashing in the ocean or a small pool behind the home, it's an excellent way to beat the heat while burning plenty of energy. For kids, that type of engaging physical activity is critical for their development both now and into the future. It's often not hard to interest a child in swimming, but parents have considerations beyond their child's level of interest. There is the matter of their skill in the water, of course. Beyond that, though, is something a little more basic: their swimwear. For adults, swimwear is often an aesthetic or highly functional choice. Kids don't need a highly-engineered bodysuit designed for fast performance in the water. They need comfortable, safe, and functional swimwear that works in a variety of situations. Many children will have the opportunity to swim at school, for example; choosing swimwear for such an occasion will be very different than purchasing some for a holiday trip. So how should you go about this task? What features are out there, and what swimwear is best for different situations? Let's look at that now and lay out the basics of buying proper swimming gear for your kids.

Comfort and fit: the first priority

Few things can sour a child's excitement for swimming as much as an uncomfortable swimsuit. Young children especially often make their displeasure of clothing they don't like well known. With that in mind, comfort should always be your goal when shopping for kids? swimwear. However, that doesn't mean you need to compromise on a good fit, either. It's a balancing act. What should you look for to avoid? For girls, be mindful of the tightness of shoulder straps. As an essential part of practically all types of swimwear for girls, these straps often come

5th June 2017.Do you spend every day of the work week in a rush, waiting for the chance to relax in the evenings? That is the reality for a growing number of people around the world today. Unfortunately, this lifestyle is not very conducive to exercising every day. It's often a matter of cutting an important item out of your schedule or compressing the whole day into an even bigger rush. As a result, a trend has emerged where individuals look to cram in all their weekly exercise on the weekends. Known as "weekend warriors," there's no shortage of them in gyms, on bikes, and in the pools every weekend. Is this a good lifestyle to lead, though? In other words, can you spend five days of the week being relatively inactive and still see benefits or better health from exercising on the weekend? The answer is more complicated than you might think. In this article, we'll take a general look at being a "weekend warrior" and discuss the evidence for and against this lifestyle. Of course, for some people, it's the only option available! We'll also discuss how to get the most out of your weekend workouts for those who decide to try this approach.

The benefits of working out on weekends

The emergence of the weekend warrior phenomenon has led to several studies attempting to determine its impact on fitness and overall health. You don't have to work out only on weekends to fall into this category. What matters is the frequency, length, and intensity of your workouts. If you're only working out in one or two sessions with moderate to high intensity, then you would be a part of this group. So, is it good for you? The research says yes ? if you're doing it right. It's important to meet the right activity thresholds to unlock the most benefits. You probably need about an hour of high-intensity cardio exercise in each session, or several hours of exercise at a slower, more moderate pace. In one study, participants

1st June 2017. Technology is an incredible asset when it comes to improving one's athletic abilities. Advancements have led to safer exercise methods, more effective gym equipment, and even digital ways to track your exercise. With the ubiquity of smartphones, almost everyone has millions of "apps" at their fingertips every day. Have you ever stopped to think about the potential value hiding inside of all the fitness apps out there? From apps filled with yoga poses to guided workout efforts, you can transform your phone into your very own personal trainer. For runners especially, these apps can provide tremendous benefits, whether you're just starting out or you're already a veteran. Wait a minute, though. How will you have time to pull out your phone during a run and constantly check it to use an app? The good news is that you won't need to do that: instead, these apps often rely on interaction before and after your daily runs. Others encourage you to keep going even when you feel like quitting. So, is it worth installing some of these apps to help improve your running ability? Let's first consider why you'd want to use them in the first place. After that, we'll go over five of the best apps out there and who will gain the most from them.

Why running apps are so helpful

The main advantage to using an app is simple: it provides you with a computer's powerful abilities while you focus on running. Tracking distance precisely is difficult without a GPS-enabled phone, and it's all but impossible to manually count your steps as you run. With apps, you can access a host of features and functions that allow you to train more efficiently. For example, in some of the apps we'll discuss, you can view the route you ran after you finish a session, this enables you to see how much ground you covered as well as how fast, which is valuable information