Thursday, July 16, 2009

Start Running


Use this training guide from Hal Higdon to get started. If you're already a runner try one of his training programs for 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon races.

Running continues to grow in popularity. More and more people are taking up the sport. More people are running 5-K races. More are running marathons. An even larger number simply run for fitness and never go near a starting line, or win a race T-shirt.
There are many good reasons. Running is simple and inexpensive. It’s a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You’ll look better and have more energy if you learn to run.

30/30 Plan: Here’s a simple 30/30 plan to get you going, featuring 30 minutes of exercise for the first 30 days. It is a routine similar to one that Chuck Cornett, a coach from Orange Park, Florida, used with beginning runners.

1. Walk out the door and go 15 minutes in one direction, turn around, and return 15 minutes to where you started: 30 minutes total.
2. For the first 10 minutes of your workout, it is obligatory that you walk: No running!
3. For the last 5 minutes of your workout, it is obligatory that you walk: Again, no running!
4. During the middle 15 minutes of the workout, you are free to jog or run--as long as you do so easily and do not push yourself.
5. Here’s how to run during those middle 15 minutes: Jog for 30 seconds, walk until you are recovered, jog 30 seconds again. Jog, walk. Jog, walk. Jog, walk.
6. Once comfortable jogging and walking, adapt a 30/30 pattern: jogging 30 seconds, walking 30 seconds, etc.

Follow this 30/30 pattern for 30 days. If you train continuously (every day), you can complete this stage in a month. If you train only every other day, it will take you two months. Do what your body tells you. Everyone is different in their ability to adapt to exercise. When you’re beginning, it is better to do too little than too much.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Turn up the music and DANCE!


You don't have to be a professional dancer to get a workout dancing. Just by turning on some music and dancing away a 150 lb. person can burn up to 150 calories in just 30 minutes. The best part is you don't have to pay for a dance class or go to club to shake it, you can do it in your home behind close doors with no one watching. Make a playlist of your favorite tunes for 30 min. or just turn on the radio. If you need a little inspiration, just think back to some classic 80's movies like Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Flashdance, Fame, Footloose, etc.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Top 6 Fitness Myths and Truths

If you're taking the 30 Days of Fitness challenge you may have asked yourself one of these common myths of fitness lately. Have you heard any of these myths before?

You can take weight off of specific body parts by doing exercises that target those areas. Women who lift weights will bulk up. If you can’t exercise hard and often, there’s really no point. Performing abdominal exercises will give you a flat stomach. You will burn more fat if you exercise longer at a lower intensity. No pain, no gain!

Get the truth here from Sparkpeople and don't forget 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week can reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Click here for more info.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Go to the library


You can find many great workouts at the library. Surprised? Search here for hundreds of videos from ballet, step aerobics, to tai bo (remember Billy Blanks?). Checking out a video (or a few) is a great way to vary your workout especially for those with limited time because you can do them at your own convenience and not the gym's schedule. Bonus, they're free too unless you don't bring them back on time. Head to the library today!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Frisbee Golf



Creekside park in Holladay (1660 E. Murray-Holladay Rd 4800 S.) is one of the few places to have a frisbee/disc golf course. The best part is that it's free to play! All you need is a few frisbess. Take your family or your friends out today and try it. Here's some general info about the game.



Getting Started Playing Disc Golf
The rules are quite similar to the rules used in the game of "Club Golf", including the matter of courtesy. It is only fair that your opponent’s turn to throw be without distraction, just as you would like it to be for yours. Do not throw your disc until you are sure its flight or landing, will not distract another player.
Tee off order on the first tee will be by mutual arrangement or by flipping discs. The printed side is heads and the odd man should be first. Tee off order on all subsequent holes is determined by the score on the previous hole. The player with the lowest score tees off first.
A marker disc is used to mark every throw and should be a special disc, like a pocket mini disc model that is not used in normal play. The thrown disc is always left on the lie, (where it came to rest,) until the marker disc is placed on the ground directly in front of and touching the disc. The thrown disc is then picked up.
Proper foot placement when throwing will require some practice. The foot that you put you weight on when you throw, i.e., the "plant" foot, must be as close as is reasonable to the front line of the tee or to the marker disc: in no case ahead of the line or disc, or more than 1 foot behind the line, or disc. The other foot can be any place you choose as long as it is no closer to the hole than the rear of the marker disc.
Follow through, (stepping past marker disc after throwing), is allowed on any throw except when putting, (any throw where the rear of the marker disc is within 10 meters of the hole). Falling forward to keep your balance after a putt is not allowed. This infraction is called a falling putt.
If the disc is stuck in a tree or a bush more than 2 meters above the ground, the marker disc is placed exactly beneath it and it is carefully removed from the tree. You have also just added one throw to your score. This is called a penalty throw. You may now proceed; however, take extreme care not to damage the tree or bush, or reshape them in any way to improve your throwing conditions. Some courses have "out of bounds" areas; or for the safety of the players. Observe the boundaries carefully and try to stay out. If your disc is "out-of-bounds" , i.e., you can see "out-of-bounds" area between the edge of your disc and the "inbounds" line, place your marker disc "inbounds" at the place where your disc went "out-of-bounds" and give yourself a one throw penalty. Again, please be careful of natural vegetation.
Water hazards are to be avoided because your disc will sink! If, however, you have been so unfortunate as to land in the water, play it like you do the "out-of-bounds" throw, and don’t forget to take a one throw penalty. If the disc is touching any shore above the water , it is "inbounds". Standing water or mud on the course that is caused by sprinklers or rain is not considered "out-of-bounds" and the disc may be relocated to a dryer area no closer to the hole with no penalty.
A mandatory dog-leg is sometimes used to keep players out of alternate-use areas or to make a particular hole more difficult. It is normally designated as such on the tee sign. The arrow indicates the side and direction the disc must pass. If your disc goes on the wrong side, it can be thrown back on either side of the dog-leg and then passes as the arrow indicates.
Unfortunately, there are usually litterbugs found on every disc golf course. Hopefully, everyone else will get the idea sooner or later.
Basic Disc Golf Terminology
Tee Pad - The location or designated area in which the first throw of the golf hole is suppose to take place from. Tee Pads are typically be made of concrete or rubber. A portion of a side walk or a utility marker flag or spray painted box may also be used as a tee pad.
The Basket - Born of the original tone pole, the game of Disc Golf advanced rapidly with the invention of “Steady” Ed’s Pole Hole or “Basket” as it is commonly referred to by disc golfers. Once a disc comes to rest in the trapper basket, the hole is considered complete.
Throw - The act of advancing the disc towards the basket. This can be accomplished by many different throwing styles; Backhand, Forehand, Rollers. Each throw is counted towards the player’s score.
Lie - the spot where the disc comes to rest. This is often marked by a mini-disc marker.
Par - like in ball golf, each disc golf hole has a posted par. The par is the desired number of strokes that a player would need to complete the hole. To the competitive disc golfer, every hole is a par three, making the total par for 18 holes always 54. This serves to simplify the game.
Drive - any throw off of the tee pad, or a throw from the fairway designed for maximum distance.
Approach - usually the second shot of a hole, designed to place the disc within putting distance.
Putt - The final throw(s) of the hole aimed at getting your disc to come to rest in the trapper basket. Any throw within the circle ( 10 meter radius).
Ace - known as a hole in one in ball golf. An ace occurs when a player makes their first shot, or drive, into the basket. One of the unique practices in disc golf is to have all participants in the ace group or all spectators sign the "ace disc." Aces are more common in disc golf than ball golf as the top pros boast as many as 100+ aces in their careers.
The Circle - This is what helps defines a true disc golf putt. If a player is throwing his/her disc at the basket with in a 10 Meter or 30 Ft circle of the basket, they must follow an addional set of putting rules defined by the PDGA. Basically if you’re in the circle, your disc has to come to rest in the basket before any part of your body touches past the mini marker towards the basket. Failure to do so can lead to a “falling putt” penalty stroke.




Check out this website for more info.




Saturday, July 11, 2009

Workouts on the Web


If you're short on time and looking for a quick workout or just need some new ideas, get online and try some of the many exercises here from the Utah State Department of Health and Check Your Health from KUTV 2News. You can pick which muscles you would like to work on, do some cardio or find some team/family activities. Check it out today!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Baseball/Softball Fields

Don't be just part of the croud anymore. Get out and play!

Several parks in the county have baseball or softball fields. If a field isn't scheduled for a league game then it is available for public use on a first come, first serve basis. Contact the park office for league schedule information at 801 483-5473. Take your family out for your own ball game today.


Here is a list of Salt Lake County parks with baseball or softball fields:
Big Bear - 9695 South (Onyx Lane) 930 East
Big Cottonwood Regional - 4300 South 1300 East
Canyon Rim - 3100 South (Grace Street) 3250 East
Creekside - 4800 South (Murray-Holladay Road) 1664 East
Evergreen - 3425 South (Evergreen Avenue) 2230 East
Harmony - 3700 South Main Street
Hunter - 3600 South 6000 West
Magna-Copper - 8941 West 2600 South
Millrace - 5400 South 1150 West
Olympus Hills - 4500 South 3131 East (Stratton Avenue)
Riverview - 5840 South 700 West
Southridge - 5051 South 4015 West
Sugar House - 2100 South 1350 East to 1600 East
Tanner - 2760 South (Heritage Way) 2695 East
Union - 7360 South 700 East
Valley Center - 4013 South 700 West
Valley Regional - 5100 South 2700 West
Vista - 4900 South 1950 West