Fitness Reads: Updates on fitness trends, plus links to heartfelt stories from Boston

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

• Many of us in the fitness industry are runners. On Marathon Monday in Boston, instead of joy, terror filled the hearts of spectators and runners as bombs tore through the crowds near the finish line. This CNN article link is constantly updated with information. We’ll leave you with one last thought, from our marathon-running hearts to yours, something we read in a Tweet: “If you want to defeat the human spirit, marathon runners are the wrong group to target.”

• For Competitor Editor in Chief Brian Metzler, the sport and recreational activity of running didn’t matter on Monday. Everything else ceased to matter except one thing: that people were OK. But now, days later, he says the running community owes it to itself to get out there and run in order to begin the healing process. Read Metzler’s moving piece on ESPN.

• Boston is still fresh in everybody’s minds. Especially those who were there when it happened. This first-person account by Women’s Running’s Kara Deschenes chronicles her experience, from being stopped a few miles from the finish because of the bombs to worrying about her husband, who was a mile ahead of her. She gives us a glimpse into the horror runners felt, worrying about their loved ones who were waiting for them at the finish line.

• Let’s change the subject. It’s no secret CrossFit is blowing up. Whenever there is a new trend, naysayers want to hate on it. What are CrossFit haters saying and how can you respond to them? Check out this Box Magazine story for the top three rebuttals.

• We have a signature “green smoothie” we make right after long runs: Spinach, banana, strawberries, Greek yogurt. Yum. According to this Fit Life TV story, we’re consuming our smoothie at an optimal time. After a workout, on an empty stomach and at breakfast are some of the best times to consume a smoothie. Check out the story for more tips.

• With the heavy drinking holidays like Cinco de Mayo and the Fourth of July coming up, check out this story from the Active Times that says working out after a bender can reverse the brain damage you did by getting wasted in the first place. So go ahead and have your fun, just get in your workout to keep your brain cells healthy.

• Just a few weeks away from our first 50K, we’re not feeling entirely prepared because we haven’t been running hours and hours daily like traditional fitness logic would have us do. But after reading this story in Forbes, we think our shorter, more intense workouts might get us through the 31 miles coming up. The story discusses the rise of high intensity interval training and why it’s so good for your customers.

• Attracting America’s aging population as customers is a good move, but you also have to educate yourselves on what they need and how they make purchasing decisions. Start with this Reuters story that talks about how for the baby boomers, fitness isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” endeavor. Each person needs something different.

• Last week we had an allergy attack so bad we thought we’d caught the flu. But as soon as the snow started falling, our symptoms magically disappeared. When we read this post on Fit Sugar, we realized we were committing a few of the mistakes that make allergies worse, including exercising outdoors when allergens are at their worst and not wearing sunglasses, which also protect you against the pollen.

• We plan to fill out this IHRSA survey as soon as we finish writing. IHRSA is calling on all attendees of the trade show to give their opinions on how this year’s Las Vegas show went. Click here to give your feedback.

Did you read anything interesting this week? Email it to us because we want to read it too!