New Equipment Goes Easy On Joints

There is some great new equipment available that you need to see.

An article in the Wall Street Journal recently highlighted some of these new items that can do two things for you. First, mix up your routine and work muscles you're probably not accustomed to working. And second, help you reduce impact on muscles, tendons and joints that can be subject to injury if you're not careful.

I've recently experimented with the TRX equipment that our gym has recently acquired. It provides a great workout.

Check out some of these new products and how they might help you.

Keys To Staying Motivated

Short on time this week - so I'll get to the point.

Fitness magazine recently featured a great article with tips that will help keep you motivated toward your workout routine. The article provides some information about certain cues you can use that are easy, but not so obvious, to help you stay on track.

Take a look to see if these strategies could be helpful to you.

Runners Seeking More Thrills

We're all looking for something a little different from time to time.

There's nothing wrong with "shaking things up a bit", but these runners take it to an extreme. Check out this article from USA Today about runners who take to the mud, trails, mountains, hills and rivers to get a little extra in their efforts.

In Iowa, I'm always amazed at the number of people who participate in the Living History Farms Race. It is a true "cross country" race that travails fields, fences, creeks and other obstacles. Not exactly my way of running, but this event has sold out in the past.

If you're seeking a new running experience, perhaps this article provides some food for thoughts.

Core Exercises For Bikers

Are your abs and back struggling to lift you over those hills on your bike?

There is no doubt the muscles in our legs are the keys to success in biking, but your core muscles are very important as well.

Check out this post from Dimity McDowell on www.active.com that shows a great core routine you can use to strengthen those back and ab muscles.

As we move into the off-season, now is a great time to focus on building your strength in these areas of your body.

Lesson Learned About Fuel

We often forget about how important "fuel" for our bodies can be when we're doing endurance activities.

This post on the Run To The Finish blog is a reminder to pack the water bottle, sport gels or jelly beans needed to get you through your activities.

We tend to think that overeating or drinking prior to an extended workout will make our stomach upset. The opposite is true. This is an especially important reminder for newbies. If you're going to be involved in activity for more than an hour, you will at least need water (particularly if it's warm).

It won't hurt to make sure you eat a good meal and properly hydrate several hours prior to extended activity.

Another key point to remember - use your training activities to experiment with the appropriate nutrition. You don't want to get to "race day" and try something new. Now THAT can lead to getting an upset stomach.

You Can Be A Part-Time Vegetarian

A number of people are adapting to more part-time healthy eating habits.

Part-time vegetarianism is gaining popularity for many people. The practice involves cutting meat from your diet on certain days of the week. For example, I have a number of friends who do "Meatless Mondays". No meat on Mondays at all. This is a very healthy and gradual approach to exploring vegetarianism.

Check out this post from Jen Mueller at the DailySpark blog to learn more about how you can incorporate vegetarian practices into your routine on a part-time basis.

Running As We Age

Fitness doesn't get easier as we age.

While many of us are still passionate and competitive, we're more susceptible to injury as we get older and work to maintain a strong workout schedule. Running is particularly difficult as the impacts leaves you open to knee, joint, IT band, ankle and other injuries.

So what do you do? The Runner Dude blog has some good answers. You can stay competitive by doing some exercises that are specific to making your upper and lower body stronger . . . and less susceptible to injury.

Take a look at these core exercises that will help you in your efforts to keep running jinury-free.