Home Gym Essentials 101

Life at home during this pandemic has proven to be quite chaotic. We all have been trying to figure out a way to navigate through this new way of life. Working from home for long hours with virtually no social life beyond our family members has left us astray. We aren’t even connecting with our colleagues and seniors who we met daily at work.

What’s more? Staying on top of our fitness routine is getting tough, especially with public gyms and fitness centers shut through these times of social distancing and self-isolation.

In these unprecedented times, it’s easy for fitness to take a back seat. However, with some commitment and smart work you can maintain a fit body and mind from the safety of your home. How? Set up a workout corner or a home gym!

Aug142019

10 Exercises that Strengthen the Muscles You Use for Dancing

Aiming to become the next Misty Copeland or Isaac Hernández means dedicating hours and hours of your time towards training. There’s no one answer that will give you the skills and muscle memory you need to transform into an instant prodigy, however there are a number of exercises you should be incorporating into your daily workout routine to better prepare yourself for those tricky moves and seamless Grand Jetes.

May022018

Cycling Facts You Should Know

Cycling was first introduced to the public in the 19th century with the advent of draisines and velocipedes. Today, the bike family includes road bikes, cyclocross bikes, mountain bikes, fitness bikes and other types. Much more than a hobby, cycling is an effective way of incorporating an exercise routine into your daily schedule. It has since been more than just a sport – it is a lifestyle for many people. It also goes without saying that cycling has a positive impact on the well being and overall health of the cyclist.

Dec192012

I’ll Need a Bigger Helmet: Biking in Boulder

This will be a quick one, mainly because we had long days and have an early day tomorrow, but also because I don’t have much to say about this, or perhaps I actually do and want to prevent an all out rant.

Essentially, again today on the way home from work I almost got hit by a car… in the sidewalk. I’m a responsible bike rider and good on my bike. I ride it at least 4 days a week, typically more. Some days I only ride it 2-3 miles to and from work but some days, doing multiple jobs, I can ride up to 12 miles a day. These are all commuting miles, on a mix of flat and graded terrain, typically sidewalks and roads. I have an old Trek mountain bike that has been transformed into a commuter bike and I custom fit it to meet my needs.

It has a 17″ frame, and some extra grooved tires for the snow. It has trigger gear shift capabilities that work relatively well and old but reliable brakes. It has a loud bell, a retractable steel grocery basket that fits onto the mountain rack on back, that I use as a makeshift splash guard. I have a decently comfortable seat that is locked to the frame with a wire lock. I keep my heavy duty u-lock attached to the frame and I use a large thick black bell dome helmet. I have all my reflectors in place, plus a flashing or steady rear led red light in addition to my steady or flashing led headlights.

Even with my ability and all these flashing lights, I almost always get hit day or night and it happens in the crosswalks! I come from an area where drivers have a tendency to lack patience and manners, but they are extremely efficient in terms of keeping traffic moving but also very aware of the stop signs, lines, lights and pedestrians.

Many of the drivers in Boulder are the opposite and it’s been tough to get used to it, but that’s not the issue. The issue comes with how bike friendly the actual city of Boulder is! There are crosswalks for pedestrians and bikers that have flashing lights and announce to slow down and stop, and there are bike lanes everywhere.

So every day I happen to be riding in the bike lane, or on the sidewalk if there aren’t any and someone almost hits me in that safe area! It’s because many of the drivers here happen to think that the stop line is for your back tire or the back of your car! Then they usually try to make some apologetic gesture, knowing that if they hit me, they would be in a big trouble, legally. So please, be considerate of pedestrians, be efficient but aware, and recognize the fact that your automobile is a powerful weapon if not handled properly.

Let’s keep our streets and sidewalks safe for everyone! Biking is a physically and mentally rewarding activity and although I may not like the snobby cyclists that wear racing gear and use $5,000 bikes to commute, I enjoy biking to work everyday. It is great for the environment, which I care much about, and it’s a decent leg workout if done correctly. Plus, it always wakes me up before I get to work on the early cold days. I love riding through the snow in the mornings here when the powder is untouched.