Bike Riding Turn Signals

I remember in Driver's Ed class learning the "official" bike turn signals: arm outstretched straight = left turn; arm in an "L" position (right angle at the elbow, fingers pointing to the sky) = right turn. BUT TRUST ME, most automobile drivers (and many bicyclists for that matter) are not going to remember what an "L" arm signal means! Clearly, some government official decided that the signal for right turn had to be different than left turn without considering the realities of the road.

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Century Bike Rides for Beginners

Whether you?re an expert or beginner cyclist, it's part of the fun and challenge to take your participation in your sport to the next level.

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How to Start Running Your First Time

Of course, we all know how to run. But for those contemplating their first 5K or 10K race this year, or even those who want to take their fitness walking up to the next level, there are a few good tidbits to keep in mind. (Click here for our post on best marathons for beginners.)

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Good news for personal trainers and yoga studios like CorePower

Core Defined

Today's Wall Street Journal article about the importance of core strength training hit home for me. I have been urging my husband to do more stretching and core strength training to help his posture, and this article offers support for my efforts.

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Are you a healthy parent? Part Two: Way of Life. Be a role model.

This is a timely topic -- maybe because First Lady Michelle Obama has made it so. How can we be more healthy as families? It must start with us -- the parents.

In our first post, we cited some interesting statistics/anecdotes about healthy living.

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Jim Kaese Discusses Olympic Travel with USA Today

It's all Olympics for the next two weeks. USA Today contacted us to get our take on traveling like an Olympian throughout the year:

Read story here

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Healthy Parenting. Part One: Food

We introduced this topic in a recent post, where we readily admit that defining "healthy" is not easy. We are exploring the topic in the context of four categories. The first is food.

Above all, before anything else, we think it is imperative to:
1. Get educated about food
2. Get the "crap" out of the house
3. Be patient.
And if you aren't sure what the "crap" is, see #1 above.

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Good Time to Try Snowshoeing

With all the white stuff piling up in the eastern third of the country, this weekend is a prime time to try snowshoeing. Rentals are easy to find and are inexpensive. Best of all, the snowshoe learning curve is basically non-existant--clumsy folks need not worry. No wonder the activity tops the "Fastest Growing Sports" lists.

According to Snowsports Industries America, snowshoeing burns an average of more than 600 calories per hour. Even more impressive for those looking to maximize their workout, snowshoeing burns 45% more calories than walking or running at the same speed.

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Are you a healthy parent? Do you encourage healthy living for your child? INTRO

There is no easy answer to this question; but there are two ways to try:
1. Be a positive role model for your children.
2. Educate your child about healthy living.

So what is healthy living? While I'd really like to rattle off a nice, succinct definition, I can't come up with one. It's too complicated! In my mind there are four general ways to think about healthy living:

Food
Exercise
Sleep
Way of Life

We will explore each of these in four parts over the next week.

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Different Bike Workout - No pedal straps

Finding a computerized bike in a hotel gym without pedal straps is a pet peeve. Any bike provider--health club, hotel, community center, etc.--should offer working straps attached to both pedals.

BUT, if you ride a stationary bike often and want to spice up your pedaling a bit, try removing the plastic straps and go through your entire workout strapless. You will notice that your toes, ankles and calves, must work a little harder on the upsweep and your quads must push a little more on the down.

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