Finding the right type of running shoes.

To avoid injuries like joint pain in your knees, ankles, hips, shin splints, foot pain and bruises it’s invaluable to find the right running shoes. Did you know that just one foot contains 26 bones, 33 Joints, 112 Ligaments and a swirling network of tendons, nerves, and blood vessels?

All these parts work together to help balance, support, and propel you forward as your run. There is no more valuable area of a runner’s body than his or her feet. During a 10-mile run, your feet will strike the ground roughly 15,000 times, with a force three to four times your body weight. That’s a lot of pressure on your poor feet. To avoid a myriad of injuries (joint pain to your knees, ankles, hips, shin splints, foot pain, bruises), it’s invaluable to find the right running shoes. But with over 100 different running shoe manufacturers out there – which one do you pick? Which ones are right (or wrong) for you? Full Story →

A delicious peach, apricot smoothie recipe

1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 carton peach yogurt
1 can apricot nectar
2 teaspoons honey

Place all in blender and process until smooth.

For more great smoothie recipes, check out the fitness reference smoothie recipe thread.

5 golden rules to fitness!

Rules Of Fitness #1. Getting your protein.

All else is secondary if leanness and muscularity are your goals. If you don’t get your protein, you don’t get hard muscles. BUT, if you don’t get your carbs than all you get is lean and a bit tired until your body starts using fat as fuel. This doesn’t mean no carbs though, but they should be secondary because their main function is to produce energy and most folks get more than they need already. Most likely with the north American diet, your fat needs are well taken care of (except essential fatty acids but that’s another topic!)

Full Story →