Weight gain during the holidays is something we would all like to have better control of. We want to enjoy ourselves with friends and family, but what are the ways we can do that while minimizing the ill-effect it may have on our health and fitness goals? Here are ten practical tips you can use this holiday season to ensure you enjoy yourself AND you take better care of yourself. Enjoy and share with your friends and family! 

No one plans to be injured from a bike crash, but when it happens you want information to help you in the days ahead. The following protocol is what I am used based off my doctor’s recommendations and my experience as a strength coach. Your individual needs will vary from mine quite possibly especially if you had additional soft tissue or orthopedic trauma other than the clavicle. Your primary goal going into surgery is to have your body prepared to handle the procedure and general anesthesia. Here are a few of my tips for getting to your surgery date ready to tackle the road ahead. 

What if I told you that the way you were breathing could affect how well you perform in your sport or influence whether or not you incur a training injury? Let’s take a closer look at breathing mechanics and how they might contribute to your performance. 

Most of us see cravings as a sign of weakness, something we need to overcome to maintain good health or our ideal weight. But cravings can actually be a good thing if we know how to interpret them.

We are trying something a little different here at Peak State Fit by offering a review of the Squat University podcast featuring Jill Cook on the subject of tendon pain. We enlisted licensed physical therapist Raechel Bugner to listen to the above mentioned podcast and offer her professional recommendations based off her experiences treating endurance athletes. I suggest you listen to the podcast first and use Raechel’s tips to apply to your triathlon, cycling or running training program. Of course, consult with your coach and or physician first! Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Today, I want to talk about 8 plants you can eat that will help you ward off the effects of anxiety and depression.

First, let’s understand that scientists have discovered multiple nutrients that they believe help fight mental disorders including antioxidants, omega fatty acids, zinc, B vitamins, magnesium, and selenium.

We’re going to talk about these but in general, I could write you a prescription that said “eat more plants” and you would be set…if you followed my advice.

Have you ever wondered why you are attracted to certain types of exercise? Do you need a thrill through risk-taking activities? Competitive sports or races? A solo trek on a trail or in the weight room? Do you feel your best with endurance exercise like running, swimming and biking? When you get stressed, do you have a physical outlet?

Perhaps one aspect of this attraction is a proclivity to certain activities based on your natural ability. If you are good at something, you are more likely to be consistent with it and enjoy it. However, there is another aspect that is more physiologically unconscious. Our brain may be directing us through a “craving” for certain activities to balance our neurotransmitters. 

This interactive exercise will give you a clear visual picture of where your life is thriving – and what areas could use a little more work.

As athletes, we train our bodies for hours each week seeking a competitive edge—but we often neglect our minds. Meditation, in the simplest of terms, is one approach to training your brain. Living more mindfully in our fast-paced society can help you with everything from performing better during training and racing to simply decompressing with greater relaxation for improved recovery.

Our bodies are our responsibility to nurture and protect. They are ours and ours alone! Is there any greater responsibility than the one we have to honor the vessel we have been given to move through this journey on earth? NO! So, let’s move beyond the misconception that size doesn’t matter. Yes, we should embrace the body we have and live in a state of gratitude not shame, but our responsibility to take care of our vessel lies solely upon each one of us.

We often hear athletes express being ready for their “off season”, or being “burned out” on racing and training. This is a natural progression, but changing the rhetoric of “off season” to something more pragmatic and purposeful is also something I would like to discuss in this article. A “transition season” or “post-season” is meant to provide time for the body and mind to recover, refresh, refocus, and refine skills in other areas of fitness and overall health. This will help you come back to the specific training with a better foundation, improved durability, and a healthier mind. 

Not only does this direct the focus for an athlete to yield positive results, but has an incredible effect when leaders can perpetuate positive thought with their peers and athletes. My experience working with Tim, Lauren, Meg, and the entire Team USA Staff was nothing but positive, and the athletes felt that too. Anyone who has traveled for racing knows that along with the obvious stress of racing, being in a new country comes with its own set of challenges: cultural differences, logistical and planning variables, and other perceived differences in a new place (even as silly as not knowing what certain road signs mean) might throw a wrench in athletes’ mental preparation.

My biggest takeaway from this week has been my realization of the power of positivity. Athletes are incredibly invested in themselves, yet this can come as a detriment too as we are also our own worst critics. Each athlete racing here in Denmark has taken time out of their lives and schedules to embark on a journey around the globe to race. This presents a sense of purpose and importance that is exciting, but can be also be overwhelming. Everyone here is also racing on the world stage, which can ignite nerves, fear, self doubt, and anxiety. In order to reach your potential, having a level head and a good attitude is a must.

A movement assessment allows health and fitness professionals to observe imbalances of muscle strength, muscle recruitment, and joint range of motion. The results from a movement screen are used to determine corrective strength and flexibility exercises individual to your needs. It is possible to conduct your own movement screen with a keen eye, mirror, and possibly a second set of eyes from a friend or coach. Use the exercises and steps below to determine your limitations.

It seems as if I fly with a bicycle at least 20 times a year! One thing I’ve come to realize: knowing the “ins and outs of flying with your bike” pays off over time, so I hope this helps those of you who are embarking on a bicycle adventure in a new, and far off land in the near future!

Outdated schools of thought would suggest that lactate is the culprit for fatigue and eventual muscle failure. However, lactate has an under-appreciated role in athletic performance. Many think of “lactate threshold” as the ability to tolerate lactate in the muscle. From a general chemistry perspective, the difference in “lactate” versus “lactic acid” requires a basic knowledge of acids and bases.