Working in the Workouts: Running the bases
My husband, a baseball editor for a national newspaper, taught our daughter how to say "pitching mound" when she was about 18 months old. We are lucky to have a field down the street. We drive by it every time we go somewhere in the car and every time we do, our daughter yells "pitching mound!" with gleeful delight.We've now started making treks on foot down to the field on a semi-regular basis. And our little girl, now almost three, is learning about the rest of the landscape covered with red dirt and grass and framed by two dugouts. She isn't skilled enough to hit yet. Not even off of a tee. But boy do we run those bases. Over and over. And we jump on them. And we cheer at home plate.
By the time we've walked there and back and run the bases a few times, I figure we got more exercise than most players do during a whole game. And it certainly didn't take nine innings to do it. Quick and easy workout, and the kid's exhausted. Perfect!
With there being so many exercises that target the abdominal muscles, it's really tough to pinpoint which are the best. Everyone's body is different, so that doesn't exactly help make it any easier. Still, there are some exercises that seem to stand out from the rest, either for their effectiveness in firming your midsection or simply because they are less commonly practiced. And sometimes, it's a combination of both of these reasons.
When I was a kid, I took gymnastics at a local ... gymnastics place (for lack of a better term). I eventually quit, deciding that baseball, basketball and football were more my things. Anyway, the one part of gymnastics I always missed was bouncing around on the trampoline. As the years passed, I've always been tempted to buy one, but for one reason or another never got around to actually doing it. This is a shame, really, because not only are trampolines a lot of fun, using them also burns a good amount of calories.
If there's one thing gyms have a lot of, it's machines. Some of the larger fitness facilities have so many machines that they look more like you'd build a car there than a new body. With so many different machine options available, though, it's sort of unfortunate that you're better off not using any of them.
I have vivid memories of frequently going to McDonald's as a kid and enjoying a Happy Meal. My metabolism revved like a jet engine at that age, so almost anything that made it down my gullet was used as energy and not stored as fat. Nowadays, If I still at McDonald's as often as I did back then, I'd probably have a body like Grimace.
Depending upon which type of
Looking to burn some fat before summer? If your current workout seems to be getting stale, torching calories with an intense resistance/cardio circuit training workout will have you ready to hit the beach in no time.
Looking to bring some balance to your workout? Using a Bosu ball may be exactly what you're looking for. Though I wouldn't exactly call Bosu balls a new thing in fitness, it is safe to say that are now becoming very popular in gyms across the country. This is good news for you; using a Bosu ball is a great way to make some old exercises new again, and to incorporate entirely new movements into your workout.
I adopted a 10-year-old boy last summer. Prior to that, I used to be quite organized. But since my son moved home, I swear that I've lost my mind. I constantly forget things. And I frequently say the wrong words in a sentence. Just yesterday I drove my son to a doctor's appointment that I thought was at 4:00 ... only to find out the appointment was actually at 5:00. I thank goodness that my head is attached to my body, because otherwise I don't think I'd remember to bring it with me. Luckily, I don't think I'm alone in this mysterious affliction. Most of my friends who are moms do the same types of things so we fondly (or not-so-fondly) refer to our forgetfulness as "mommy brain."
Having just written
Have you ever visited your parents house and stumbled upon a veritable time capsule in the attic? Old photos, mix tapes you made for your high school crush, and even old clothes -- items that you had all but forgotten about now stare you in the face, just begging to be taken with you on your instant trip down memory lane.
Love getting that runner's high? If so, why not try a runner's low ... followed by a runner's high ... and then another runner's low, etc.? Alternating between bursts of high-intensity and low-intensity activity -- commonly known as interval training -- is a proven way to quickly shed body fat and improve cardiovascular function.
This Mother's Day, be sure to thank your mom for everything she has given you. All the love, all the affection, all the attention one person could ever ask for. But, there may be one thing your mom has given you that, if you had a say in the matter, you may have respectfully declined: her overweight genes.
With the temperature on the rise these days, it may soon be time to break out the grill and officially kick off backyard BB-Q season. Generally speaking, hot dogs, hamburgers and the like aren't known for being the healthiest of foods. But, there are always little healthy switcheroos you can pull on your guests without them even tasting the difference. Turkey burgers instead of ground beef, whole wheat buns instead of those made from enriched flour ... that sort of thing. Still, even with your best intentions at keeping the 
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