If running seems to be too tiring for you, start out with biking! By biking first, you will be able to build up some of your muscles and stamina, and maybe you will be able to run what you bike in some time. Today I had the opportunity to bike over 20 miles on Connecticut's Air Line Rail Trail. The Air Line Rail Trail is a scenic and peaceful 50 mile stretch across eastern Connecticut, through the towns of East Hampton, Colchester, Thompson, and more. This ex-railroad track trail is absolutely fantastic. There are 1000s of these types of trails across the...

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Sitting in volleyball or track practice, I cringe when I hear the word being spoken, "Hills." A dreaded word. On a run, on a bike ride, hills are menacing; they are threatening. They loom in front of me, and only seem to grow as I get closer. Yet, as inherently evil as they may seem, there is a reason my coaches include hills in our training: hills are a valuable tool to include in one's exercise in order to improve one's overall performance. Why to Run Hills: After adding hills to your routine you should soon find yourself feeling stronger, quicker, and...

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Summer is here, and you are ready for a great workout. Yesterday we shared some ideas for warming up and cooling down during summer workouts.  Today we have some suggestions from Trent Nessler, managing director of Baptist Sports Medicine in Tennessee, for exercising when it is hot outside. The first thing that Mr. Nessler noted was that workouts need to be planned according to the weather, "Depending on the heat index, your workouts should be tailored accordingly.  This may mean exercising early in the AM or in the evening when the heat index is much lower.  Or, it may mean that...

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One of the hardest things for any child or teenager to overcome is the humility in attempting and failing an activity in front of friends and peers. Intensive studies have shown that the two greatest things keeping kids from exercising are the television and the lack of knowledge about sports and physical activities.

As time goes on and technology becomes more and more a part of our society, younger generations begin to rely more on electronics and computers for entertainment. Some of those younger children even choose to remain indoors every day as opposed to playing outside. Part of...

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I remember at the start of my summer vacation I woke up at 8 a.m. determined to go for a run. Sure enough, I took a three mile route, and 27 minutes later I was back home. I decided that I would make it a goal to do the same thing 6 out of 7 days a week for the entire summer (I need to be in-shape for my volleyball team try-outs). The next morning, I got up and took a new route. The morning after that, I took another route. The problem is, in my neighborhood, going for a...

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