Much like roasted turkey is a vital component of Thanksgiving dinner, a strong core is essential for total-body health. Our workout of the month for November, which is a roundup of some of our favorite core exercises from past workouts, focuses on strengthening your midsection, which translates beyond enhanced sports performance to benefit normal everyday activity.

Self Myofascial Release (SMR) or foam rolling is a technique that focuses on improving the neuromuscular and fascial systems in the body that can be compromised by poor posture, repetitive motions, or dysfunctional movements, thus creating muscle spasms that ultimately lead to adhesions (more commonly known as knots).

Basketball season gets back into full swing this month. To celebrate, October’s Workout of the Month is all about helping you improve your conditioning on the court. This workout focuses on developing aerobic endurance and also mixes in strength training and agility, honing in on the muscles used the most when playing ball – legs, shoulders, chest, and core – to make you the go-to person on your squad.

Few things are as cooling – and tasty! – as a scoop of your favorite ice cream on a warm day. If you tend to purchase ice cream at your local grocery store, you may have noticed that pints have changed over the last few years, trending towards “healthier” alternatives that make us feel less guilty about enjoying this frozen treat.

As the sunny season ends, our summer body efforts tend to go with it. Don’t fall off the wagon; instead, switch into a higher gear with this month’s workout featuring the kettlebell.

Thanks to social media, there seems to be an increased focus on building your backside. With that goal comes the quest for better, more creative glutes exercises because sometimes you need a break from squats. Not that squats don’t train your glutes, it’s just that they don’t fully isolate them, and unless you have excellent hamstring flexibility, many times squats end up being more of a quad and back exercise.

 

I can swim! It took me over 31 years to be able to say that short three-word phrase – 25 of those basically due to my fear of water – but I can finally call myself a swimmer.

 

Obstacle course race season is in full swing. Last month’s workout used various tools to get OCR newbies and vets in top shape for race day, so in this month’s workout, we narrow things down quite a bit and rely solely on the TRX to build power, strength, and muscular endurance.

Congratulations! You have taken the leap and signed up for your first Obstacle Course Race! Don’t panic, you’re going to do great. However, now may be the time to turn up the heat on training. Not only will you need to prepare your body for the challenge ahead, but you also need to know a little more about race day. Elite Personal Trainer and Spartan Certified SGX Coach Nancy Couper has you covered answering some FAQ’s.

For the last few weeks, it seems as if everyone has been glued to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Even for non-soccer fans, it’s hard not to be impressed by the athleticism of the players and how they are able to perform on the field.