Monthly Archives: July 2017

31st July 2017. Of all the racket sports out there, badminton might be one of the easiest to learn, yet it is immensely difficult to attain mastery over the mechanics. The irregular paths the shuttlecock can take as you lob it through the air, plus the intense speed it can gather when your opponent smashes a return shot, make it a fun and exciting challenge. It's also an excellent workout since you'll be hopping and darting all around the court for an hour or two. Attaining the skills you need on the court and the athleticism you hone along the way will require more than just time: you need the right equipment, too. The badminton shuttlecock is a standard piece of equipment, but rackets vary from person to person. Which one will be right for you? Whether you want to replace an old and broken racket or you're planning to pick up the sport for the first time, this is an important decision. Looking at a racket alone can't tell you if it will be a good fit, though. For that, you'll need

27th July 2017.Of all the sports, few are as simple to begin playing as football. At its most basic, all you need to start is the ball. Everything after that can be a matter of using your imagination. However, it is in fact very easy to go far beyond that. If you love the game of football, you probably spend at least some of your time hunting for a game to join. Do you organise a group of your friends occasionally to get together and play? Well, why not take it to the next level? Organising your own pub league or a regular game of five-a-side doesn't require a huge investment of time or effort. Where should you begin, though? Even if you know people who would be interested, you should undertake some thorough planning before you ever schedule your first game. With everything properly in its place, you can ensure that you and your friends have a blast. To help you get started, we'll examine the things you need to incorporate in your amateur league and some ideas for achieving an ideal

24th July 2017. Wouldn't it be good if you could walk into the back yard with the family and take part in a fun, wholesome activity that also doubles as a vigorous workout? With a trampoline at home, you could do just that. Kids love being able to bounce around, exploring the boundaries of their abilities as they soar into the air. Adults can design intensive workouts based around a trampoline to target many different areas of the body. With the right plans and a good sense of how to use trampolines safely, it can translate into one of the best workout tools for a family investment. Not everyone knows what to do right after purchasing a trampoline, though. For that matter, not everyone will have the means or the space to buy and store a trampoline. What options does your family have then? The good news is there are still ways you can get in a bouncy workout without breaking the bank. Before you know it, your kids will be begging for more time on the trampoline! So where should you

20th July 2017.When you need new swimwear, you could end up spending a considerable amount of time searching stores and trying on different articles. Once you finally do find the swimsuits that you love, though, how much thought do you pay to them after purchase? You put them on, dive into the pool, and do your laps for the day, and when you're done, you might just throw it over a chair outdoors at home to let it dry. Is that really the best way to approach swimsuit care? Unfortunately, the low maintenance approach isn't the best one to take. Over the long term, poor care can lead to a degraded quality and even deterioration of your swimwear. That could leave you in a situation where you should toss them in the bin and start shopping again! So how can you avoid that? Start by thinking of your swimwear as regular clothing. It needs washing and proper care just like the shirts and trousers you wear every day. Meanwhile, a thoughtful approach to the swimwear you purchase can make the

17th July 2017. In many ways, it is easy to discount running as a sport that only takes place primarily on flat ground. You see runners on footpaths, on designated tracks, and on the treadmill ? always relatively flat terrain. Sure, you might occasionally run up and down a road that goes over a hill, but that's all, right? For some, this is what makes it the perfect activity: you can zone out and focus in on just improving your fitness. For others, though, it could be a path to boredom and dissatisfaction. The good news is that there is another type of running you might not have heard about before. Called fell running, it owes some of its origins to the unique terrain found in the countryside of the UK. Fell running focuses less on a dedicated trail and more on tackling runs that also include a substantial altitude change. In other words, the farther you run, the higher up your feet will carry you. Fell running adds a unique challenge and could potentially have many other positive

13th July 2017.If there is one thing that is true about cyclists, it is that they are always on the hunt for the next challenge. Whether it's racing with friends or in a club, competing in a triathlon event, or just pushing to cut time, there's always room for improvement. Even those who only ride for fitness often find that developing new challenges is the best way to stay engaged. With that said, have you ever considered going for a century ride? A century is a single cycling trip that lasts for 100 miles. Some of these rides feature lots of organising and an event-like atmosphere. Others are simply a personal challenge. While that distance might sound like an impossible feat right now, it is something within almost any cyclist's grasp. The key, of course, is good training and thorough preparation. You could not set out on a trip tomorrow and expect to make it to the end. While those in peak physical condition might have the ability, it would not be as enjoyable as possible. By

10th July 2017.Taking care of yourself comes in many different forms. Going outside and heading out for a run or playing some sports will help you improve your athletic ability, it's true. Physical activities for the sake of exercising are really just one way to approach your fitness and, by extension, your general wellness. Remember that wellness embodies more than just your actual physical state of being. You can have a healthy body but poor wellness overall if you aren't also taking care of your social, emotional, and other needs as well. It's important we look at ways to care for our whole body and mind ? not just our muscles. Did you know that owning a pet can contribute a substantial amount to improving your wellness? It's true, and many studies have borne that out in comprehensive research. Empirical evidence suggests that pet ownership can have a startling number of positive effects on our lives. Whether you own a cat or a dog, keep fish, or invest your energy and time into

6th July 2017.Since time immemorial, humans have been challenging themselves in one of the most basic ways we know how: by measuring how fast and how far we can carry ourselves. We've even immortalised an ancient runner's mad dash to relay important news in our "marathon," a race that covers the 26.2-mile distance said to have been run millennia ago. The marathon is widely held to be one of the pinnacles of racing and running endurance; you might train for months to be able to complete a marathon successfully. Many people devote their entire running activity schedule to marathons and training. For some, though, running for hours in a marathon just isn't enough. They want to go farther, push their bodies harder, and cover incredible distances on foot. That was the birth of ultrarunning, also sometimes called half-marathon. It?s a sport where the runners stretch to the edge of human endurance in courses that span multiple marathon distances. What exactly is this sport, and from where

3rd July 2017.When you climb on your bike for a ride, do you yearn for a greater challenge? Maybe you are always setting tough goals for yourself, or racing against your previous route times. Perhaps you've even engaged some of your friends in some good-natured competition while cycling around town. Sometimes, just cycling for fun and fitness on your own doesn't entirely "scratch the itch" that you feel towards the sport. If you've ever watched a real cycling race on TV, whether it was a one-day event or a stage race like the Tour de France, maybe you wondered: Could I do that? How can you get involved in competitive cycling if you've never done it before? Is it something that only professionals should attempt, or would an amateur like yourself be welcome? While you might not have the stamina ? or the connections ? to secure a place in the Tour de France, that doesn't mean you're stuck cycling alone. In fact, with the right steps and proper preparation, you could start cycling competitively