Dare You To...

Spring is here!  Well, almost.  Now that the sun is shining and it's (maybe?) getting warmer, I dare you to go outside!  Get some sunshine!  Make yourself some vitamin D!  Have fun!

I've got a LOT coming up on the blog for this spring/summer, and although I'm SO eager to share with you some new dares I've taken on, I want to make sure I do 'em right and gather sufficient information for you first.  Sooo... For now, there's TONS of interesting stuff, as always, to learn from on other websites.  The last "features" post was a bit nutrition-heavy, so this one will be more diverse.  Enjoy!


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Speaking of going outside, taking your routine outside could benefit your workout!
The New York Times "Well" blog describes studies suggesting that getting outdoors
could help "reluctant or inconsistent exercisers."

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One way to take your elliptical/biking workout outdoors is with a Street Rider! MizFit demonstrates the learning curve required …

I first heard the expression "dynamic stretching" early on in my fitness career, back when my only workout was a Jillian Michaels video, viewed for free on Exercise TV On Demand.  My limited exercise experience before that included playing soccer and softball, as well as gym class's dreaded Mile and occasional weight room rotations.  Suffice it to say, I didn't know much.

What Jillian Michaels taught me in her 30 Day Shred was that we warm up the body with movement, throughdynamic stretching.  That is, we open up our joints and wake up our muscles by moving our bodies through a range of motion, rather than holding a static stretch (like those we did in gym class) before our workout begins.  Save those static stretches--holding a pose over many seconds or longer--for when the workout is complete.

I still hear Jillian's voice like it was just yesterday...  Here's an example from a different, more recent video of hers, but the idea is the same:


You get the idea.

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