Skullcandy is a brand-name in music listening devices, including headphones, earbuds, MP3 players, hands-free devices and more. Founded in 2003, the highly-successful Skullcandy company was founded on the principle of creating portable audio equipment suited to an active, athletic lifestyle, with a particular emphasis on sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. Skullcandy's products are aimed at action sport enthusiasts but have reached a much wider demographic -- appealing to sporty and non-sporty types alike.

Sold in over 40 countries worldwide, Skullcandy products are known for their unique, hip hop-inspired design and their versatility throughout a variety of activities. Their ear buds are particularly popular, having been dubbed the "world's coolest ear bud" by CNN Money.

Female age 14-18 – 1,800 (sedentary), 2,000 (moderately active), 2,400 (active)
Female age 19-30 – 2,000 (sedentary), 2,000-2200 (moderately active), 2,400 (active)
Female age 31-50 – 1,800 (sedentary), 2,000 (moderately active), 2,200 (active)
Female 51+ –1,600 (sedentary), 1,800 (moderately active), 2,000-2,200 (active)

Male age 14-18 – 2,200 (sedentary), 2,400-2,800 (moderately active), 2,800-3,200 (active)
Male age 19-30 – 2,400 (sedentary), 2,600-2,800 (moderately active), 3,000 (active)
Male age 31-50 – 2,200 (sedentary), 2,400-2600 (moderately active), 2,800-3,000 (active)
Male 51+ – 2,000 (sedentary), 2,200-2,400 (moderately active), 2,400-2,800 (active) How Many Calories Did I Burn?

Bocce: Not just for aging Italian men anymore. Photo: Eric Perrone, Flickr

Even those of us with the healthiest habits can get thrown off course on a holiday weekend. Too much eating and drinking paired with a lot of sitting and chatting can totally derail your diet. However, with the slightest amount of planning, you can mitigate the damage (at least a little bit).

Take bocce, for example. The D.C. Bocce League (whose motto is "Our balls are harder") allows people of all ages (yes, young folks play bocce, too) to get together and be, well, somewhat active. Definitely more active than, say sitting in a lawn chair. Or a bar stool. Or the couch.

The game, for those of you who are unfortunate enough to be unfamiliar, is an ancestor of bowling that initially became popular when soldiers in ancient Rome tossed stones to stave off boredom between battles. It now consists of tossing a two-pound ball toward a small white ball across a lawn. No, you're not going to work up a sweat, but it'll burn more calories than the 12-ounce curls you'd planned on.

I challenge you to sign up for a race this year. Ideally, in a distance you've never done. I don't care whether you plan to run it at breakneck speed or want to intersperse some light jogging with walking, but set a goal. And then, get yourself some support.

No, I'm not talking about proper undergarments (although, that's pretty important, too). I mean support for your training. You might have friends who will train with you, or a local running team you can join. But, if you don't, Active.com has several online teams you can train with.

Choose Rookie Runner (which takes you from the couch to your first 5k), First Marathon, First Triathlon, or Bye Bye Baby Weight. Each category has a coach and several runners who are blogging about their training, so you're never alone in your training. And, they have training plans you can download (for a price).

So, what do you say? Will you sign up for a race this year? Let me know in the comments what you plan to run!

Source

If you missed our daily postings this past week, we invite you to take some time to catch up on our prior week's news and gear up for a new week of healthy living information and inspiration.

Bringing your workout inside for the winter or too frugal to hit the gym? Liz has an excellent list of 10 DVDs you should be shopping for. And she knows, because she's tried out each one.

Don't kick that coffee habit just yet! Laura has five good reasons to enjoy caffeine (happiness! and sex!) ... as long as you drink it in moderation, of course.

Think you're too busy for that workout today? President Obama worked out on Inauguration Day. If he had time, so do you.

Is skinny in? Maybe, says Fitz ... if you like to hide behind small trees. If not, then maybe you should shoot for healthy and active instead.

Get fit for free, says Martha, and exercise during commercials. Here's one to start with -- the plank.

Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke put on 33 pounds of muscle for his role in The Wrestler. Find out how he transformed his body in seven short months.

The Office's Angela Kinsey compares breastfeeding to running a marathon (when it comes to losing the baby weight, at least), but Jacki's not so sure. What do you think?

Virtual smoothies aren't very nutritious, but Maggie says that The Wonder-Juice Machine game has great smoothie ideas ... and relieves stress at the same time. Who knows, maybe you'll discover a new favorite recipe!

Bob Greene thinks you should skip the bedtime snacks and after quitting them for a whole week, I have to agree. What about you? Could giving up late-night treats help you shave off a couple of pounds?

Holy cow, you guys! You lost 68 pounds last week in our America Takes it Off: Shrink a Size challenge! Only 36 to go, and we know you can do it!

Have a great week, everyone!

It only stands to reason that the more fit your child is, the more adept they will be at their sport of choice. But fitness affects more than your child's skill on the field ... fitness can affect academic performance as well. It might even promote brain cell growth.

In today's day and age where phys ed classes are practically a thing of the past and video games bogart our kids' attention spans, it's important to encourage physical activity. Signing your kids up for team sports is a great way to promote activity while helping them build confidence and social skills. But day to day activity is just as important, so get outside with your kids and get them moving.

Source

If you're training for a race, chances are you have some sort of game plan. Unless you're like me, of course -- I read the game plan, take it into account, and then do something that suits me better. Perhaps that's why I'm not competing for top spots in most races.

Still, whether you follow a training plan closely or do your own thing, it's important that you find a way to train that allows you to improve, yet avoid injuries. And who better to learn from than a man who is still running some of his best times at the age of 52?

Tom Ryan, 52, completed a 5K in just over 16 minutes last year. By running smarter, not longer, he's remained injury free, and he shared his tips with Active.com. Check out the gallery for a few tips on how to have a perfect week of training, and see the full article for specifics on training for your chosen distance.

Source

Once, I was at my son's school during recess and noticed that (other than a few exceptions) it was mostly boys playing kickball and girls sitting in small groups around the jungle gym chatting and playing cats cradle. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but I was reminded of it the day when I read an article about how young and old females aren't as active as males.

Researchers from Liverpool John Moores University followed 10 and 11-year-old children during recess and found that boys tend to engage in more active play than girls. On the flip side of the coin, another study found that women over age 70 are less likely to be active than men.

It's important for everyone to be active. But it's certainly important for girls (during the formative years when their bones are growing) and older women (who need to maintain bone density) to be physically active.

Source

It's not just the cold weather that causes some of us to be a bit more sedentary during the winter months -- for some folks, it's the lack of goals. I have to admit -- I run a lot harder when I have a race coming up, but in most areas, there aren't many races going on this time of year.

Of course, not training as hard means I should eat less ... but that doesn't always happen. And that, my dears, is one reason why so many of us pack on pounds during the winter. However, Active.com has a list of 10 ways to manage your weight in the off-season.

For example, talking to a nutritionist can help you determine your energy needs during this slower time of year, and keeping a food diary will help you keep track of exactly how much you're eating. And, one of my favorite suggestions is to mix up your workout -- try a new class at the gym, take up your friend's offer of playing flag football or hit the (indoor) pool. You just might find a brand new love!

Source

Take your push-ups to the next level and add an awesome abdominal workout to them as well. Fitz and her handsome crew demonstrate a few cool moves to take your training up a notch.

To view more fun videos, recipes and other quick tips from degree experts on health and fitness ...

If you ever purchase fresh fish, you absolutely need to check out this video from the Active Health Network on SportsHelathExercise.Org. Chef Laurie divulges the sneaky tricks used to disguise bad fish and guides you on how to choose the good stuff. Watch this quick clip and save yourself from ingesting bleach. Yeesh!

To view more quick, fun, and functional tips and recipes from degreed experts ...

Source

My grandmother used to say that the more important word in "hard lesson" is the second one. Life sends tough -- sometimes seemingly insurmountable -- obstacles our way. It's our responsibility to pull whatever good can come out of those difficulties.

Sheryl Crow faced one of the biggest obstacles anyone can encounter when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Two and a half years ago she underwent a lumpectomy and radiation to treat her illness. Today, she remains cancer free.

Crow walked away from her battle with cancer with an important life lesson in hand. She says that breast cancer helped her put herself first in her life. That's an example we all can learn from. Many of us put our health on the back burner in favor of more pressing commitments. But what could be more important than your well-being?

Source

If stress, tension and anxiety have been bugging you, yoga pro Stacy McCarthy will teach you a quick and simple technique for instant stress relief. Check out more great mini fitness videos at The Active Health Network.

Source

I spent many of my summer vacations as a little girl visiting SeaWorld. I loved it so much that I almost pursued marine biology. The thought of riding Shamu was and still is more enticing to me than flying or any other magical act. So, bringing my family of four to SeaWorld last week was a no-brainer. This time, though, not only was I in search of fun ... I decided to dissect the park and find out how it fared in the healthy living department. Could we leave more fit than when we arrived?

I've done this experiment before at other major theme parks and vacation destinations and these are the things I look for.

• Is there an opportunity to be physically active?
• Is healthy food readily available?
• Will I and other guests be inspired to do and be better?
• Is the vacation fun?

Here, I focus on physical activity.

Source

Martha recently posted about whether or not parents should be notified if their children are overweight. A recent user question on Momtourage shows that some doctors are doing just that. ... and I think it's a good thing. The parent asking the question is wondering if they should even be concerned that their child is overweight because they feel that their child is active and happy.

Some children are clearly, unmistakably overweight. But for other kids, it isn't always easy to tell. After all, kids go through growth spurts and they grow at different rates. But if a medical professional expresses that your child is indeed overweight, it's time to take action.

As parents, there are many things you can do to help your child live a healthy lifestyle and maintain an appropriate weight.

Source