Small Bike Adjustments Make Difference

Every now and again, something doesn't feel quite right as you ride your bike.
This could mean a variety of things - an injury, a clothing or equipment issue or anything.

This post from the Frayed Laces blog shows how small adjustments can make a big difference riding your bike.  The writer uses video to show how a minimal tweak to the bike made a big differencebased on some shoulder discomfort she was experiencing.

Taking your bike in for a tuneup early in the season or just having one of the experts take a look at your fit is probably a worthwhile trip . . . particularly if you've noticed something you don't like.

Going to take some time off from posting for a bit for the holiday.

What To Do With Old Running Shirts

My wife poses this question quite often.

I have in my possession way too many of these shirts.  In fact, my drawers often overflow with them. However, I enjoy keeping memories of the various race events in which I participate.

There's only so much room. Every so often I have to go through them and clean up.  Blogger Christine Luff has some some ideas on what to do with these shirts when you get through your drawers and clean them up.  Donate them, use them as rags and more.

Next time you clean up those shirts, here are some good suggestions as to what you can do with them.

A Little About Anitoxidants

I must confess that before today, I knew very little about antioxidants.
You hear they are good for you, often found in berries, etc.  However, beyond that, I was never really sure why they were a good thing.

Reading a guest post on the Carrots 'N Cake blog, I learned a little more about the beneficial aspects of antioxidants.  The writer of the Alex Eats Green blog uses her "seventh grade teacher hat" to share why antioxidants are unique to plants and positive for humans. Check it out.

5 Key Core Moves

Here are some really tough core moves.

Check these out from http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.%20moves_that_are_missing_from_your_core_workouts fitness/yoga expert Jill Miller. 

These will help your abdominals!

Genetics In Child Obesity

It makes me sad to see children with obesity issues.

Promoting healthy eathing and activity habits to your children is perhaps the best strategy toward avoiding problems with obesity.  But . . . what about genetics?  Fortunately or unfortunately, genes can play a big role determining childhood obesity.

USA Today recently profiled the findings of a study from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Scientists have discovered gene variants that play a critical role in the propensity toward obesity in children.

If genes play a role in your child having issues with obesity, help them avoid these problems by continually promoting the value of smart diet and fitness activities.

Some Running Tips

There are a variety of ways to make yourself a better runner. Exercises to improve form and mechanics, special stretches, interval workouts and more will help you run your paces better. This post from www.active.com features a variety of articles from running experts that will help you bring down your times. Take a look.

Don't "Not"

All too often, we say we "are not" fill-in-the-blank-here. Think about it - why is that we regularly make the claim "I'm not . . . ." I'm not fast enough, I'm not in good enough shape or I'm not ready. These are all common "I'm not" statements we make, particularly about our training efforts. Kristin Armstrong writes how to shift your language to be more positive in a blog post for Runner's World. It's amazing how a slight shift to "I am" can make a difference in the attitude through which we communicate. We should be good to ourselves and use language that establishes a positive spin in our lives toward our fitness activities.

Work Out With Your Kids

May 1 - 7 was National PE and Sport Week. The point of celebrating this week was to get parents more engaged in the process of motivating their children to exercise. Hopefully, you took some time during this week to encourage your children to participate in some physical activity. But do we really need a special, designated week to encourage our children to live healthy? I'm always encouraging my sons to participate in physically demanding activities. They are generally receptive to the message. Despite this, it's always important to continue reminding them about the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. The Fit Mom's Blog featured a post on this week, but let's hope we don't need a national reminder to keep our kids busy.

"Criss-Cross" Cycling Workouts

Here's a workout that will get you moving on the bike. Check out Gale Bernhart's post on www.active.com to get into a cycling workout that will really raise your lactic acid threshold.

Health Incentives Seem Like Good Idea

Offering employees a reason to stay healthy seems to make sense. If you consider that many employers will save money in insurance premiums by offering lower-cost incentives - that makes sense. Additionally, offering employees an incentive for good behavior that tney may be interested in taking up also makes sense. Most people want to diet, exercise and take on other healthy initiatives, but sometimes they need a push. And at the end of the day, most employers want healthy employees. Julie Appleby recently wrote about this concept in USA Today. The article talks about employers offering health incentives to employees and determining what they will pay (or save) in their health insurance premiums based on their healthy or non-healthy behaviors. This seems like a good idea to me.

Speaking Of Eliminating Injuries

What does a doctor and triathlete say about treating sports-related injuries?

Funny you should ask, because a gentleman who is both a physician and a triathlete has just written a book about this topic. Read this profile about Dr. Jordan Metzl's book, "The Athlete's Book of Home Remedies", from USA Today and find out.

With Metzl's experience, he's well-qualified to make his statements. He's very big on rehabilitation and strengthening the area of injury while not spending too much time on the couch.