SNEWS best fitness reads from around the web

What did the SNEWS team read this week that other fitness insiders might find interesting? Read on to find out.

• We read over and over again how children are getting less active and more obese every year, but how do the rest of us stack up? How do Olympians stack up? NPR has the answer in this story. It’s pretty interesting how the athletes differ between as far back as 1912 to 1929 to 1998 to today. They have helpful infographics, but overall it seems like Olympic athletes today are taller and a big bigger than they have been in the past.

• If your potential customers still are looking for a reason to work out regularly, direct them to this story in the Journal News, about how we are trained to do jobs and learn facts but rarely are trained on how to handle adversity and our emotions. The only thing that comes close is exercising regularly, which can teach patience and perseverance.

• Water exercise isn’t just for senior citizens anymore, according to this Los Angeles Times story. More and more young fitness buffs are turning to water workouts to keep fit while putting less stress on bones and joints. There are even water Zumba and water ballet barre classes. Maybe we’ll see more accessories for your stores in this category soon?

• All we read about these days is how bad people’s eating habits are, but there are just as many bad habits among the thin folks as among the bigger folks, as proved by Dr. Drew Pinsky, who admitted to having what people call “exercise bulimia” or an obsession with excessive exercise in order to stay slim. We should all strive to find a happy medium between the two ends of the bad habit spectrum.

• We don’t care that the Olympics are over, we are still reading how these phenomenal athletes are able to keep up those tremendously sculpted bodies. Turns out rhythmic gymnasts use something that you are, or could be, selling in your store: hoops. A few months ago the American Council on Exercise said that hula hooping was just as effective as other cardio workouts, such as elliptical training. Plus, it’s portable. Especially the Fitness Em’s Cardio Hoop, which has weighted pieces that can be arranged to increase the intensity of the workout. 

• This story in the Express-Times is like a bonus SNEWS reads. It includes links to stories that talk about different workouts to try for burning calories and avoiding boredom. Plus, it offers a few nutrition tips like a popcorn recipe that’s healthful and the best exercise to start your day.

• It turns out forgoing exercise and choosing a donut over some eggs and lean turkey bacon can do more than make you a little thicker — it can also make you less productive at work, according to this Huffington Post story. The article recaps a study published in Population Health Management that said eating unhealthy foods is linked to a 66 percent increased risk of low productivity, and skipping exercise is linked with a 50 percent increased risk of low productivity.

• We like stories about remarkable people, so naturally we loved this Chicago Tribune story about Joan Creviston, a personal trainer who has suffered 90 percent vision loss yet runs a great online and group training business. She said she’d rather focus on what she can do, rather than what she can’t do. Great lesson to learn. 

• We all know firefighters are fit and after watching Ryan Sutter and his partner Johnny LoFaro (both firefighters) kick ass every day at the Gore-Tex TransRockies Run last week, we’re wondering how we can get more of that firefighter fitness going on. Check out this Tahoe Daily Tribune story about what it takes to be a firefighter, fitness-wise. We know for sure there’s a lot of StairMaster StepMills involved in training and testing.

• Luckily for you, more people want to start an exercise regimen these days and with increased exercise comes an increased need to properly hydrate and replace electrolytes lost during activity, according to this Wausau Daily Herald story. So perhaps your customers might need to know a little something about proper hydration and electrolyte replacement.

• Who doesn’t want to look cute while exercising? We know we always do, even if it’s Zumba on the Wii in the living room or an hour on the elliptical in the bedroom. So we were happy to read this New York Daily News story that talks about the fitness trends for apparel these days. We found, in addition to this article, that showing the sports bra is in, and so is ultralight, ultrabright apparel.

Have you read anything interesting you’d like to share with us? Maybe we’ll include it next week’s column with a little shout out to you. Send a link to the story with the subject line “SNEWS Reads” to be considered.

–Compiled by Ana Trujillo