Monthly Archives: May 2018

In recent years, most fitness "fads" and crazes have been variations on themes we've already seen before: new exercises based in the pool, the latest type of dance fitness, or some kind ofspin on yoga. While not every fitness fad is truly good for your approach to wellness, they can be a valuable tool in the fight against boredom, the biggest enemy for any fitness-minded individual. As we progress into 2018, the latest innovations gaining in popularity have become clearer and easier to spot. One of those is a fitness experience called Prama, not so much a class as it is an exercise experience.

At first glance, with the brightly painted squares of numbers on a Prama room's walls and floors and the prominent black light usage, it looks more like a scene out of TRON than it does a room in a gym. Watch people dashing back and forth around the room for a few minutes, though, and the strenuous workout it is becomesapparent in no time. Is this something you should consider taking pa

Did you know that running shoes as we know themaren't much more than 200 years old? While it makes sense that the modern trainer or "sneaker" as we know it wasn't always around, many people are surprised to learn that competitive running wasn't widely popular until the mid-1800s. People certainlystill ran and perhaps even raced each other in the more distant past, but there was little organisationand certainlyno concerted effort to develop footwear that was especiallysuited to running. That all changed in 19th century England as running emerged as a sport in its own right, paving the way to today's world full of marathons and runners in every country.

Those first running shoes are a far cry from the high-tech productions we wear on our feet today. In fact, if you were to look at photos of some of the earliest examples we have, they seempractically nothing like the shoes of today! The goal has always been the same, though: to protect the foot during running, to provide enough

A road bike is simplyone of the best ways to get around andexercise at the same time. Not everyone has access to good mountain biking trails or the desire to tackle that toughterrain every day. A touring bike won't be the best option if you want to improve your fitness or even commute to work, either, as their design focuses on rides over a short distance and for leisure. Where do you go once you've chosen to buy a road bike, though? There are a lot of elements to consider, and depending on your budget, a new bike can come with a hefty price tag. Avoiding buyer's remorse and the frustration of making a return or exchangemeans equipping yourself with the right information to start.

Heading into a bike shop without any research or preparation can be an overwhelming experience, though, and it can leave you at the mercy of a pushy salesperson. For that reason, it's best to spend some time thinking about what you need from a bike and how much you can afford to spendon this

Everywhere you look today, itseems as though another exercise craze or fitness fad is hittingthe market and sweeping up millions of people eager to improve their health and lose weight. While some of these crazes can be good for someone's short term wellness, they often aren't sustainable as a long-term routine. Dancing in a Zumba class once or twice a week is greatfor your cardiovascular health, for example, but it isn't doing anything to improve your strength or help you gain mastery over your muscles. For that reason, it's important to look outside the box for other ways to improve.

One of the latest "fads" attracting more attention by the hour is something called "functional fitness" — but it isn't reallya fad at all. Instead, it's all about basic activities that you can do as exercise, rather than a dedicated sport such as running or swimming. As more individuals begin to talk about participating in functional fitness, which usually takes place outside of a class setting, you

With obesity on the rise and other health issues becoming more common, it’s more important than ever to begin encouraging children to participate in and enjoy physical activity from a young age.All kids have naturally abundantenergy that they best expressthrough play, and in many cases, it’s effortlessto use exercise to achieve multiple goals at once. Swimming is perhaps one of the best methods for achievinga passion for fitness while offering a good outlet for energy because it doesn't seem like exercise to them. Whether you're instructing swim lessons for children or there is a pool accessible to students at your school, getting the kids in the water helps contribute to their future wellness.

When the end of the school term approaches or when the last lesson with your group of swim students finally appears on the calendar, it's a good idea to consider letting your pupils relax and have some fun. Instead of just allowing for a complete free swim period, though, you can come up

Cycling for fitness is necessarily different than cyclingas training for a race or another pursuit. A racer's approach is often very hardcore, with multiple days of hard riding every week and a lifestyle focused aroundthe bike. For those of us who hop on to lose calories and develop our bodies more generally, we don't need to take the same strict, high-levelapproach as these athletes. However, that doesn't mean we can't learn plenty about how to improve our workouts by observing and considering what racers do to improve. One of the things you'll often hear moreseriouscyclists talk (and complain) about is the hill repeat: going back up and down a hill repeatedly.

If you dread tackling hills during your ride and try to avoid them, the first thing you might ask is "Why?" It sounds awful, and in truth,it can definitelybe a challengingand demanding exercise. However, athletes wouldn't work it into their routine if there were no benefits to be gained from participation. So, what do yo

For more than a few runners, the marathon is their highest goal — the most challenging task they want to be able to achieve at least once in their running "career." For others, it's a type of hobby: they structure their entire year around marathon training, hoping to make it into a few races here and there. Whatever your reason for deciding to run the fabled 26.2 miles, there is a wealth of opportunity worldwide to take part in some truly incredible running experiences. Marathon organiserslong ago learned that it wasn't enough to simply stake out a course of the appropriate length and send runners off at the starting line. To keep people engaged and motivated, you need something special along the way.

Today, thousands of marathons occur all around the world every year, and many of them boast of scenic landscapes, unique events before and after the race, and a very friendly atmosphere. Are you thinking about taking a journey to participate in a marathon? Picking out a special ev

Few sports, save for the more recently developed MMA and UFC leagues, offer the same level of thrill and tension for spectators as boxing. From the moment the first bell rings to signal the start of the match to the last round, boxing is all about technical skill, power, and stamina. Everything from the way a boxer moves his or her feet tothe way they defend and throw punches requires carefulpractice and endless hours of conditioning at the gym. It's a tough sport, no doubt, but one that appeals to individuals who love a personal challenge and want to put their skills to the test in a big way.

Everyone must start somewhere, though, and this raises a question that more and more parents ask every year: is boxing appropriate for my child? It's entirelydifferent from basketball, football, and even the heavycontact of a sport such as rugby, and youth boxing leagues aren't as widespread as they once were. There's a reason for that: the evidence on whether children should play this

For the uninitiated, rugby and American football can look remarkably similar to one another. Yes, some differences are immediately apparent — rugby is much more often a "free for all" compared to the rigidly structured plays one finds in the National Football League in the USA. That said, the similarities aren't a coincidence: both sports share a common ancestor, a sport developed by the British in the 1800s. Over time, the two games diverged, the modern rulesets emerged, and both pursuits developed their own passionate and dedicated fan bases. Today, rugby remains far less popular in North America than in other nations around the world, and American football is largely just that: American.

Even so, there are plenty of intriguing similarities to note between the games alongside their differences. Are you curious about how the mechanics of the two games compare? From the size of the playing field to the way scoring works and

For parents everywhere, raising healthy children is a primary concern. How do you create an environment in which they can truly thrive and grow up to be healthy and fit? It starts by fostering an atmosphere where exercise isn't seen as something to dread or to avoid, but as something to embrace and enjoy as a fun part of living. Relying on physical education classes in school or local sports to fill in the gaps isn't always the best option, though. In fact, one of the best ways to encourage your children to keep exercising is to get involved with it yourself! If you lead by example, you may find it's much easier to motivate kids to stay active.

That’s the reasoning at work behind one of the growing fitness trends becoming apparent in 2018 — the rise of family fitness classes. Group exercise itself is nothing new, of course, but this unique spin on the concept is more about bringing whole families together to explore opportunities to exercise. Not only is it a great way to bui