January 27, 2024

Winter Layers: Cold Outside Warm Inside

 

CLICK ABOVE FOR SHOPPING LINKS

Don’t let a little cold weather stop you from going out for a run or enjoying your other favorite outdoor activities. Winter can be one of the most beautiful seasons to train outside when you have the right gear. We’ve got the layers you need to stay warm, dry, and looking good out there!

 
LEFT COLUMN: TRACKSMITH BRIGHTON BASE LAYER $88; ARC’TERYX ESSENT WARM HIGH-RISE LEGGING $140; NIKE INFINITYRN 4 GORETEX $185; MIDDLE COLUMN: SMITH MOTIVE RUNNING SUNGLASSES $185; THE NORTH FACE WOMEN’S MASHUP INSULATED JACKET $130; SMARTWOOL SMARTLOFT VEST $185; RIGHT COLUMN: HOUDINI 100% LAMBSWOOL TOP HAT $70; CRAFT HYBRID WEATHER GLOVE 39.99; DARN TOUGH WOMENS ELEMENT 2-PACK (1 ANKLE & 1 CREW) MERINO SOCKS $40

 

January 24, 2024

Sport Illustrated: 1954-?

 

 

Back in 2013, for another blog called SPORTOLOGY, I did a story on the SI VAULT, a treasure trove of Sport Illustrated covers. As a creative director for sports and fitness publications, I found it an incredible library and resource for inspirational sports imagery.

Sports Illustrated covers celebrated the joy of sport. They captured the greatest athletes of all time with such an intimate point of view, they felt like a son or daughter’s framed picture on the mantlepiece. They invited the reader in to find out more. Even the most intimidating of competitors let down their guard. Read More

 

January 20, 2024

Sneaky Boots

 

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From city streets to mountain trails, out for a walk or on the run, take on the elements this winter in these hybrid sneaker boots.

LEFT COLUMN: THE NORTH FACE WOMEN’S HALSEIGH THERMOBALL™ LACE WATERPROOF BOOTS $159; CANADA GOOSE MEN’S JOURNEY BOOT LIGHT $750; MERRELL AGILITY PEAK 5 ZERO GORE-TEX® 1TRL $230; CONVERSE CHUCK TAYLOR ALL STAR LUGGED WATERPROOF WINTER 2.0 BOOTS now $99.97

RIGHT COLUMN: DECKERS X LAB MAX 40 SPSK MID $280; SALOMON ELIXIR MID GORE-TEX HIKING BOOTS now $157.50; NIKE CITY CLASSIC PREMIUM WATERPROOF BOOTS now $123.97; HOKA KAHA 2 GTX $240

 

January 19, 2024

Paris 2024: One to Watch

 

 

Speedo just announced the newest member of their team, American swimming sensation Arabella “Bella” Gabrielle Sims. This exciting collaboration between Speedo and Sims brings together one of the most iconic swim brands with a rising star in competitive swimming in an exciting lead up to Paris 2024.

Already an Olympic Medalist and World Champion, Sims was one of just four high school athletes to make the 2020 U.S. Olympic team, winning a Silver medal in the 4×200 Free Relay at age 16. She has won multiple World Championship titles since then, as a member of the Gold-Winning 4×200 Free Relay team at Budapest’s 2022 World Aquatics Championships, and also winning silver in Fukuoka at the 2023 Championships in the 4×100 Mixed Freestyle Relay and Women’s 4×200 Freestyle.

Sims will now be representing Speedo in the brand’s cutting-edge swimwear and accessories in her upcoming competitions. She will be racing in the latest evolution of Speedo’s pioneering Fastskin® LZR® Valor 2.0 swimsuit developed by Speedo’s Aqualab® research and development facility, and engineered from Lamoral® Space Tech.
Read More

 

January 15, 2024

Pumped Up Pilates

 

 

WEEK 2 OF 52 WEEKS OF FITNESS:

PILATES MEETS STRENGTH TRAINING AT VAURA PILATES, TOP; RE/GEN METHOD, BOTTOM

 
According to ClassPass, Pilates was the most popular workout of 2023, overtaking strength training as the number one choice of fitness enthusiasts. There are countless Pilates fitness studios across the country — many of which we have featured like SLT, SolidCore, Club Pilates, and Lagree Fitness – with classes on a Pilates reformer machine or a variation thereof. All are slightly different, but at their core is core – core strength that is.

A few new studios have popped up on the fitness landscape like Vaura Pilates and Re/Gen Method that combine the popularity and benefits of Pilates and strength training into one workout. It’s a new approach to Pilates and a new approach to strength training. Though there is an emphasis on core work, core strength alone is not the end goal. Maintaining your stability and form on the Reformer as you slide the platform and pull the straps against the resistance of the spring makes Pilates classes a total body workout. These new classes add weights into the mix for added difficulty and results.

Vaura Pilates is a new Australian import that just opened in NYC, and I took their first class opening day. Billed as an “athletic” Reformer class, Vaura mixes dumbbells, a weighted ball, and the traditional Pilates ring into moves on the Reformer. Every class is different and each teacher encorporates the equipment in their own way. My instructor, for example, integrated upper body dumbbell moves like bicep curls, triceps extensions, and shoulder presses into lower body moves like lunges and squats on the Reformer. Read More

 

January 10, 2024

adidas x Bumble

 

 
It’s a match! adidas Training and Bumble have unveiled a partnership to tackle gymtimidation, a barrier to training which can impact athletes at all-levels.

To better understand next-gen training attitudes, a study was commissioned by adidas on the effects of intimidation in the gym that found nearly one-in-three have avoided the gym completely as a result. The driving factors include fear of being judged, not being confident in how machinery works, uncertainty on how to push to the next level, and no one to workout with.

When looking at ways to combat these feelings, seven-in-ten say a gym partner helps overcome feelings of discomfort and intimidation, with six-in-ten likely to be more motivated, and half even going more often. Read More

 

January 5, 2024

Jitter-Free Jolts

 

 

Pop into almost any 7-11, CVS, or convenience store, and you’ll see the refrigerated section filled with assorted flavors of Celsius. The top-selling energy drink on Amazon, Celsius has taken over the market from brands like Red Bull, Monster, and other sugar and caffeine enhanced energy drinks that once dominated the market. While this “natural” energy drink still contains 200mg of caffeine, almost twice the amount in a cup of coffee, the boost in Celsius comes from the alternative plant-based ingredients like Guarana and Green Tea, which offer other health and fitness benefits as well. Plus Celsius contains no added sugar.

In addition to Celsius, there are other naturally caffeinated, low or no sugar energy drinks on the market, promoting sustained energy and mental focus without the caffeine jitters. Accelerator Active Energy, endorsed by football and Swifty fan favorite Travis Kelce, also gets its caffeine boost from Guarana and Green tea, along with Yerba Mate, a thermogenic blend said to boost metabolism and burn more calories.

 

“Many energy boosting, focus-inducing beverages on the market today do contain the same amount of caffeine that you would find in a cup of coffee,  but the addition of ingredients that calm the nervous system reduce the ‘jitters’ associated with caffeine, and therefore can make the user feel more focused”

-Sarah Herrington, MS, CNC, CPT 

 

Other energy drinks have added adaptogenic and nootropic ingredients like Ashwagandha, Gaba, and L-Theanine, known for their cognitive and relaxation enhancing benefits.  Adaptogens support the body’s response to stress, including the stimulation from caffeine, while nootropics elevate cognitive function such as memory, focus, and mental clarity. Drinks like BioLift, Kin Spritz, and MTE have been formulated and are marketed to promote those benefits. Read More

 

January 1, 2024

52 Weeks of Fitness! Tennis Everyone?

 

 

Welcome to Week 1 of 52 Weeks of Fitness! Unlike my usual January marathon of 31 Days of Fitness, with a different sport, workout, or wellness activity every day, I’m stretching it out through the year with one new thing every week. That’s 52 different health and fitness activities in the year to come. We’re kicking it off with tennis. The first major of the year, the Australian Open, starts next week and I’m tuning up my game…

While everyone has been talking about Pickleball, tennis is alive and well, and you’re never too old to learn. Group adult instruction programs and classes like Drill & Play and Cardio Tennis are offered for all levels at almost any tennis club, at many of which you don’t need to be a member to join a class. It’s a fun and social approach to the game, with a non-stop format that makes it a great workout too. Read More

 
 

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