Athletes

The leaves are falling and soon enough, so will the snow.  Now is the time to prep for your favorite fall and winter activities.  *(From an article I wrote for Athleta chi)

Remember how quick and agile you were as a child?  You ran flat out on the playground, darting and dodging the other kids in games of tag.  You were having fun, but you were also building valuable sports skills.

Turn the terrain around your neighborhood into the ultimate gym.

One of my favorite workouts is what I call "terrain training." Terrain training is simply taking advantage of whatever type of terrain you have and using it to your advantage. So for example, in the mountains, I like to make my way up a hill and use the downhill to slalom the pine trees (and sliding on their needles) to mimic skiing. Or using a dry riverbed for intense drills, by loading my legs and springing boulder-to-boulder. Other types of terrain training can involve grassy knolls, urban steps and sandy beaches. This is the first post in a series about terrain training - how to scout it, how to create workouts for maximum benefits, and how to keep it safe.

I just got back to my desk after slipping out for an hour of fun, adventurous butt-kicking (my own). Whenever I have had a little too much fun or strayed away from my healthy lifestyle, I don't fret about it, I take care of it right away (really, I do!). So this morning, after a weekend of catching up with girlfriends, eating and drinking a tad too much, I head for the hills – Nordic Walking Poles in hand.

Nordic skiers are among the fittest athletes on the planet and walking poles are a cross training tool used by competitive Nordic skiers to stay in shape in the off-season. Here are some workout ideas for you...

Turn your runs (and walks) into a full-body blasting adventure! Follow these simple steps to increase your fitness without increasing time spent on the trail.
 
I just came down off the mountain. Clothes drenched. Fully fatigued. Happy! Today marks the official kickoff to summer and the longest day of the year (and the hottest!), nearly 80-degrees! What did I do? I hit the Coastal Trail on Mt Tamalpais for a trail run. Well, not your average trail run, I call it the 60:10 (sometimes I call it the 30:10). The 60:10 includes sixty minutes of cardio, and 10 strength/toning exercises; however, not the kind of exercises you'd expect!

Urban workouts are a blast and easy to create.
 
Here is a workout that I taught in a local San Francisco park, near the new Athleta store, on Fillmore.
 
For the full workout, complete with a printable take-along menu, follow the links at the bottom of the page.