Boost your performance – Run harder while avoiding injuries

Whether you’re running on a treadmill, or running through the park, running is not only a great way to improve your physical health, it’s also one of the most effective cardiovascular workouts you can do in a short amount of time. But, although running hard is good, running smart is better. By focusing on some small improvements to your running style, as well as your running form, you can save energy, avoid injury, and maximize your workouts!

1. Keep your abdominal muscles tight! Your body’s core, which are made up of your abdominal muscles, are what keep you standing upright. While running, contract your abs so that you maintain good form (i.e. keep your chest up, and your shoulders over your hips). But, this doesn’t mean you flex them continuously while running. Instead, warm them up by doing some jump squats prior to your run. That will help tighten your abs up to prepare for your run, while also stretching your legs to warm them up as well.
2. Keep your stride length shorter – your feet should land beneath your hips. If you’re “reaching” with your legs while running, you’re running the risk of injury – both from muscle strain, as well as unnecessary pounding by hitting the ground harder during your stride.
3. As soon as your feet leave the ground, make your toes point toward your shins, and land on the balls of your feet. Running injuries are made worse when your heel strikes the ground, as that basically acts as a brake, slowing you down and creating stress. Flexing your toes so your feel “roll” when they hit the ground not only conserves energy, it decreases the striking force your feet & knees will feel.
4. Keep your shoulders back, and your shoulder blades pulled down toward your back pockets. And, let your arms move from your shoulders as you run- this saves energy and helps keep you aligned properly, avoiding injury.
5. Keep your hands lightly cupped. Many runners “make a fist” – all this does is create tension in your forearms and shoulders. So, this means – don’t carry a water bottle or your iPod in your hands. Instead, get an inexpensive armband holder for your iPod, get a cheap hip belt for your water bottle, or put them on your treadmill’s console (like the one on the True Fitness ES9.0) – and run empty handed. This helps to keep your torso from rotating while running, as keeping your form straight allows you to conserve energy, and avoid shoulder stress.

One way to learn the best way for your feet to hit the ground properly is to…run barefoot! Running barefoot teaches you how to strike the ground more naturally, with force transferred more evenly throughout your body. Start out once a week on a soft surface like grass or sand, alternately jogging and running in 1 minute intervals for up to 30 minutes.

And, if running outside in Arizona heat barefoot sounds a bit too hot – and painful – instead, try running on a treadmill from Fitness 4 Home Superstore! With treadmills that feature cushioned decks, and consoles with built in workout programs – you can maximize your workouts from the comfort of your home! Contact Fitness 4 Home Superstore to learn more about our treadmills!

Lemon Garlic Sea Bass with Sweet Potato Fries

Looking for a quick, healthy, high-protein meal? Try this recipe for Lemon Garlic Sea Bass with Sweet Potato Fries! Easy to make – great for at home, or informal get-togethers!

Lemon Garlic Sea Bass

1 Lemon

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Pinch of cayenne pepper

4 6-oz. sea bass filets

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp Peppers & Rogers Group

¼ tsp salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

In a zip-top bag big enough for the fix, squeeze the lemon and add the garlic, red pepper flaces, and cayenne pepper. Shake the bag to mix the ingredients, add the fish, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the paprika, cumin, salt & pepper. Rub this blend into both sides of the filets.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the filets, flesh side down, and cook for 6 minutes. Flip and cook for another six minutes.

Makes 4 servings (Per Serving: 210 calories, 32g protein, 3g carbohydrates, 7g fat | 1.5g saturated fat)

Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

2 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut sweet potato in half lengthwise, then cut each half into four wedges. Toss wedges with oil, salt & paprika, and lay them out on a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes until brown on the outside, and tender on the inside. Makes 4 servings (Per Serving: 110 calories, 2g protein, 19g carbohydrates, 2.5g fat | 0g saturated)

Protect Your Health This Summer by Hydrating! from Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Summer is in full swing and we know you probably have some plans to spend some time outdoors for some fun in the sun! We'd just like to take the opportunity to remind you to be careful. Activity and exercise in the heat (especially the desert!) can be hazardous to your health if you do not prepare yourself properly.

When you exercise on a hot day, your body needs to send blood to both the working muscles and your skin so that you can increase loss of heat. This "competition" causes less blood to be distributed to both places and can cause problems including heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Certain people, especially older adults and young children, are more vulnerable to the effects of heat and humidity. If you suffer from any of the following conditions, you should take extra precautions:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Obesity
• Infection and/or fever
• Hyperthyroidism

If you feel dehydrated, are wearing heavy clothing or taking particular drugs (alcohol, amphetamines, diuretics, blood pressure medication), or are in a new climate to which you have not yet acclimated, you may also be at risk.

Take precautions to prevent heat illness in hot environments. When heat and/or humidity are extremely high, it may be better to put off your outdoor exercise or activity until it cools down.

Here are some general precautions you can take to prevent heat stress or heat illness this summer:

• Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing
• Take more breaks during days that are hotter than those of which you are accustomed
• Avoid activity during the hottest part of the day
• Drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout
• Allow at least eight days to acclimate to a new hot or humid environment
• Avoid alcohol and drugs, such as stimulants, that are known for dehydrating your system or are indicated as unsafe for use in the heat
• Beware of the early signs of heat stress including dizziness, cramps, clammy skin and extreme weakness
• If you do not tolerate heat or humidity well, try exercising indoors in an air-conditioned environment on extremely hot or humid days

Additionally, in the Arizona heat, your body dehydrates far faster than it does in cooler weather, and for your body to operate at full efficiency during exercise, you need to be well hydrated. And, when it comes to exercise, remember the rule “Drink Before Your Thirsty!"

Here are a few tips to help incorporate more water in to your daily routine:

1. Carry water with you everywhere. You'll drink it if it is there.
2. Add lemons, limes, and even cucumbers to change it up.
3. Keep it cool/cold. You'll burn more calories as you body tries to warm it up.
4. Alternate every other glass of what you typically drink with a glass of water.
5. Try cutting your fruit juices with water. You won't even notice the change.
6. Drink an entire glass of water before every meal.

Be safe, stay hydrated and have a great summer!

Product Spotlight: Tuff Stuff AXT-4 Free Movement Gym

Through and exclusive deal with Tuff Stuff, Fitness 4 Home Superstore has purchased all remaining model year inventory of this amazing gym so we can offer it to you for only $1,495 (63%-Off MSRP). This is by far the best buy we have ever made in our company history. Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity to own one of the finest home gyms available at an absolutely unbeatable price.

The AXT-4 Free Movement Gym offers 360-degree rotational "free-form" press arms with independent movement allowing the user to define the exercise motion. This innovative design simulates lifting free weights while providing safety and ease of use.

Additional features include a patented leg extension, seated leg curl, chest supported row, lat pull-down, mid-pulley for crunches and low pulley for seated rows, curls and inner-outer thigh.

The AXT-4 can also be outfitted with an optional Hi-Lo Pulley System, Leg Press, Inner-Outer Thigh or Ab-Back attachment.

With Tuff Stuff's Lifetime Warranty you are assured of the highest standards of quality and a name that you can trust for reliability and support.

Help Prevent Childhood Obesity by Fitness 4 Home Superstore

In this day and age, going outside to play just seems like something we used to do when we were kids. Biking, roller skating and hide-n-seek are becoming a thing of the past and being replaced by things like watching television, playing Guitar Hero, and surfing the net. Sadly, children are becoming more sedentary and they spend longer amounts of time in front of a screen and less time doing physical activities. As a result, kids are heavier than they’re ever been and child obesity is of great concern.


Prior to the digital age, children were eager to go out and play, unknowingly engaging in physical activity that burned off the calories they consumed in meals and snacks. Full of energy and eager to use their imagination, children played games for hours on end with their friends, begging for just a few more minutes before they had to return to their homes to have with their families.


Those days are quickly becoming a thing of the past. The lives of children are changing and there is a considerable difference between then and now. In fact, some kids loathe going outside to play. They spend hours upon hours playing video games or watching television, and more often than not, eating their breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in front of it. Their energy is gone and replaced by a lethargic feeling brought on by excessive amounts of junk food eaten between meals. This unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle doesn’t have to be a reality for your children.


Get them involved in physical activity! It not only keeps childhood obesity at bay, it will make them feel better and have more energy to do the things they love to do.


Your health is important to you. You probably work out or exercise on a daily basis and eat foods that help you maintain your fitness. Why not involve your kids? If you find that you’re going for a walk in the evenings just to get some exercise, bring your kids along with you. Not only will everyone get some exercise, but you’ll also be able to spend quality time together. It may be a struggle to get the family on the same page at first, but after awhile they’ll all look forward to it.


Maybe your kids prefer to play video games like Madden ’07 or NBA Shootout. If that’s the case, get them outside for some more family fun. You can toss around a football or have punt/pass/kick contests. Play a pickup game of basketball or see who has the best shot with a game of “horse.”


Your kids can also workout with you at home. If you already have fitness equipment like a treadmill or a bike, you can teach your kids how to use them - as long as they’re supervised! They can even watch their favorite television shows while they exercise.


All of these things, combined with good eating habits, will keep you and your family healthy, happy and fit. With a little planning and a little motivation, you’ll be able to spend more time with your kids and help them fight obesity at the same time. They’ll thank you for it later!

Product Spotlight: PaceMaster Treadmills

Built on their new heavy-duty platform, the Gold Elite VR, Gold Elite Fold-Up VR and Platinum Pro-VR treadmills feature PaceMaster’s new dual microprocessor digital control system allowing countless programming options and accuracy down to a single heartbeat. Programmable User ID’s combined with our Personal Trainer and Virtual Reality Course Workouts provide exercise experiences unattainable through outdoor exercise. The Tri-Flex Impact Shock Management System plus maintenance free belt deliver years of comfortable,worry-free performance.

What happens when a treadmill is greater than the sum of its parts? When all its cutting-edge technology is focused to help you meet your fitness goals? It becomes more than just a treadmill. It becomes a PaceMaster. And, they are now available at Fitness 4 Home Superstore!

Fruit Kebabs w/ Lemon-Lime Dip

Give your kids a healthy snack that they will enjoy! These fruit kebabs are quick, easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

4 oz. low-fat, sugar-free lemon yogurt
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest
4 to 6 pineapple chunks
4 to 6 strawberries
1 kiwi, peeled and diced
1/2 banana, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 to 6 red grapes
4 wooden skewers

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lime juice and lime zest. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Place 1 piece of each fruit onto the skewer. Repeat with the other skewers until the fruit is gone. Serve with the lemon lime dip.

Serving Size: 2. Fat: 1g. Calories: 160