It’s impossible not to see a potential link between some of the consequences of remote and virtual learning schooling for kids. “Kids will fall behind” academically and miss out on socialization are among the common concerns of parents. But often overlooked is the lack of physical activity school-aged children are facing. Kid doing fitness exercises at home in her room Parents need to know the importance exercise has on kids’ development. They also need the tools to implement age-appropriate exercise that includes movement breaks during virtual learning and active play. And yes, there is a pla ..read more

Many parents sign their kids up for a sports team at an early age. And this is a great way to add in socialization and work on motor skills. However, kids can lose interest in their sports team as they grow. Kids need the motivation to stick with a sport throughout their adolescence. While parent support is important for encouraging exercise and organized sports participation, too much pressure often leads to burnout on the child. This is one of the reasons why kids want to quit the team. Remember that exercise for youth should be fun! When looking at motivation and what this means for kids in ..read more

When parents think about the exercise habits of their children these thoughts probably only start in middle school. It’s at this time where there are a variety of sports and clubs available. The child might want to try something new or join a team with their friends. But why isn’t physical activity encouraged more for toddlers? According to the National Association of Sports and Physical Education, children should get at least 60-minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each day. There are also guidelines for infants and toddlers, toddlers recommended to get at least 30-minutes physical activity ..read more

I’ve been thinking about love. Specifically self-love and just how hard it is at times as a new mother. Thanks to pressures from society, woman often value worth as it relates to their size and weight. Then add it the gained pregnancy weight and the slow rate that it comes off. When you think of a “mom bod,” chances are it’s a soft, squishy belly, leaking breasts, messy bun hair, and bags under the eyes from lack of sleep. With so many changes including the physical that comes along with being a new mother and it’s easy to feel self-conscious. And the more you loose self-esteem, the more you s ..read more

A young man sprints along the straightaway of the track. I imagine that his mouth reveals a grimace but I can only see the focus in his eyes. I wonder how he can breathe while wearing a mask. I walked across the lanes surprised to see so many people strolling and jogging on the track. I am puzzled as to why one group of people that I assume are family wear their masks. We are outdoors and others are more than six feet apart. Some prefer to side on the line of caution. This what our new world looks like. I walk across the lanes to the center turf field, the runner in me longing to quicken my s ..read more

Running is a full-body workout that engages various muscles in the body. However, it’s the muscles from the hip flexors down that are powering the movement. But there is one muscle than often goes ignored that runners need to strengthen more to keep muscles balanced, remain injury-free and further have the power behind their performance. Introducing the anterior tibialis. The anterior tibialis is located on the front (anterior) part of the lower leg, running on the outside or lateral surface of the tibia bone. This muscle is responsible for dorsiflexion or the movement when the foot bends upwa ..read more

As much as we all are missing the gym, (goodbye child care while I work out) it seems like a whole new world has opened up for fitness lovers: the realm of at-home workouts. Always around but often ignored by some, there is a major rise in the amount of content and types of workouts to do while home. And working out at home is a must for busy moms. The big advantage here is being able to exercise on YOUR time, whether that’s before the kids wake up or while they are playing or watching a movie. Expect to be interrupted a few times, but this fitness lover loves the fact that my kids see me work ..read more

How do you run? It’s simple: with one foot in front of the other, increasing the speed faster, faster, the hips allowing the legs to move like a wheel. Running a natural movement. It’s what we did playing as a child and what our primal ancestors did for survival. Running is in our blood. It’s like riding a bike, you can’t forget how to do it. But a common question new runners ask is am I running “right?” It does take proper mechanics when it comes to running efficiently for speed and safety for preventing an injury. One of the most common things beginner runners ask is how exactly to run corre ..read more

This mom loves eating as much as she loves working out. And when it comes to my pre- and post-workout snacks, a smoothie is often my go-to. This is why I fell in love with the BlendJet. It is perfect for busy moms like myself who are often on-the-go or looking to reach for something healthy. The BlendJet is a portable blender that allows consumers to take their protein shake or smoothie with them. It allows doubles as a way to make baby food when not at home! It’s about the size of a water bottle with a base, coming in at 3 x 3 x 9 inches. This makes it compact so it can easily fit in a gym ba ..read more

Light As A Feather To Fly Fast There is one thing to know about the new Brooks Hyperion Tempo running sneakers: it just might be one the best shoes to race in. If you want to run fast, you need to train to run fast. But running fast feels effortless in these shoes. They are are light as a feather, yet responsive. And it is designed to help you fly fast to the finish line of any run. Put these shoes on and the first thing a runner noticed is how ultra lightweight they are. Run in them and immediately notice how well they perform when it comes to energy efficiency. The cliff note version of ..read more