Health and Fitness

Merrell Proterra Sport Low Profile Hiking Sneaker Review

The Merrell Proterra Sport is a unique shoe. It’s part of the M-Connect line of minimalist footwear from Merrell, but if you were to line up most of the shoes in a row with the Proterra, it would look like a game of “one of these things is not like the other.” Until you put it on, it doesn’t look much like a minimalist shoe. But when you start moving, you realize the beefy look on the outside is hiding a low profile hiking sneaker designed to give you a minimal feel while still protecting your feet. How does it work? Read…

Health and Fitness, Reviews

Merrell Road Glove 2 M-Connect Minimalist Shoes Review

I had the opportunity to check out Merrell’s M-Connect line of minimalist shoes recently. They were kind enough to send me three pairs of their shoes to get to know the line, and while all three are part of the M-Connect lineup, each has its own unique styles and benefits. Of the three, the Merrell Road Glove 2 is the most minimal choice. How does it stack up? Read on for the full review to find out! There isn’t much to the Road Glove 2. The upper material is quite thin, and the sole is quite flexible. It does take a…

Health and Fitness, Outdoors

Hypothermia Warning Signs – The Monday Mile

Over the last week I have heard a few stories about runners getting into a bit of trouble with the elements, and reflecting on how hard it is to interpret hypothermia warning signs … when you are the one who has gotten into trouble. One veteran runner had a ‘stomach emergency’ mid-run which led to too much exposure, and the inability to get warm. Fortunately there was a nearby gym where he stopped and called his wife to collect him. He noticed that he had a hard time operating his phone, and while driving home she remarked that the scary…

Health and Fitness, Reviews

Getting Fit with MyFitnessPal and GAIN Fitness

I have a confession: I am out of shape. Up until this past fall, I was doing great. I was running consistently, eating right, everything was great. But we sold our house, temporarily moved in with my parents, and are buying another house, all while juggling everything else in life. It’s been more than a little overwhelming, and I feel like I need to refocus and tune up before I lose any more fitness (or gain any more weight!) Running is always a reliable triple threat for me; I lose weight, feel stronger, and get mentally clearer. But my stressful…

Health and Fitness, Reviews

Merrell M-Connect Line of Running Shoes Brings Natural Movement and Adventure to Your Feet

When’s the last time you walked outside barefoot? It’s fun to be in your bare feet and feel the texture of the ground and the way your feet move differently without shoes. But while it’s possible to run and hike barefoot, and some people embrace that wholeheartedly, many of us prefer to strike a balance between barefoot and big clunky “traditional” running shoes. Merrell’s M-Connect line of minimalist shoes is designed to give you everything-the feel of being barefoot, but the protection of shoes. They have a variety of models, from very minimal to hiking-oriented. Merrell was kind enough to…

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness

Workout Indoors with BodyWeight Exercises – The Monday Mile

Last week I had a day where I planned to go out for a run, but the conditions were too icy, so I was home after about 2.5 miles to avoid possible injury. I already had myself warmed up and wanted to get in a workout, so I did the next best thing – an indoor bodyweight workout! Within a half-hour I had done a great workout that had me dripping with sweat and exhausted – and no equipment required! After years of everyone thinking you needed some expensive equipment to get a decent workout, folks are starting to realize…

Health and Fitness

Super Bowl Snackin’ – Plenty of Healthy Choices or Guilty Indulgences

Even though my family aren’t huge football fans (and lost our reason to care about the game itself two weeks ago), we enjoy using the Super Bowl as an excuse to have an ‘appetizer fest’. Our spread runs the gamut from fresh veggies to Buffalo wings with everything in between – so there are opportunities for healthy choices and decidedly UNhealthy choices. At the top we have a ‘one serving’ image of chips and seven-layer dip, which is part of the latest ‘This Is One Serving’ series from Greatist looking at Super Bowl snacks. Those guides are always an eye-opening…

Health and Fitness

It is Cool to Run in an Arctic Blast!-The Monday Mile

This past week was a deep freeze for much of the northern and eastern parts of the country. In our area the temperature when I went out for my morning runs was sub-zero on four days, only creeping up to +2 on Friday. Adding in wind-chill, morning temperatures in the dark were about -10 to -15 degrees F. If you believe my Facebook timeline, I am clearly insane for going out running in these temperatures. And while I am not complaining as the morning temperatures are predicted for 20s and 30s this week, I was never too cold last week,…

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness

Here Are Just Some of the Other Benefits of Sex

Sex is great because … well, if I have to explain THAT then I probably can’t help. But aside from the obvious benefit of being sex, there are numerous health benefits … and the folks at Greatist have detailed them out with links to some of the studies. Here are a few: • It can ward off the cold and flu • It can improve overall physical fitness • It decreases risk for heart disease * It lowers risks during pregnancy Head to Greatist to check out the full list, along with all of the links to the studies and…

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness, Outdoors

The Monday Mile – Too Sick to Exercise?

One of the keys to a fitness routine is … making it a routine. That means doing it on a regular basis, and for most people it means setting up a time pretty much every day when you can make it happen. For me it is 4AM runs, for others it is a post-work stop at the gym, and others have their own way of getting it done. But what if you are not feeling great? Should you still work out, or are you better taking a day off? Here are five quick thoughts: 1. If you have a fever,…

Health and Fitness, Reviews

Garmin ForeRunner 10 Still Going Strong All Winter Long

Since I reviewed the Garmin ForeRunner 10 back in mid-October, the YouTube video has continued gathering comments. So I figured it was time for an update. You can see the Garmin peeking out above between my two thermal-tech layers and gloves. You can even glimpse the toll all of the salting and slush are taking on my beautiful new bright orange running shoes! Quick summary: the Garmin ForeRunner 10 is an amazing running watch that is precise and reliable, and only the 5-hour battery time is a drawback. What have I done since the review? Finished training for the Corning…

Editorials, Health and Fitness

Lance Armstrong’s Offenses Transcend Cheating, Are More About Abuse and Coercion

Last summer, I wrote about Lance Armstrong saying that he gave into the “need to be seen as better than all others that they are willing to go to any length – and take any number of people with them – to feed their ego-trips and need for adulation. Including cheating, and conspiracy, and use of drugs that have shown long-term health effects, and so on.” In his interview with Oprah he more or less confirms ALL of that … but as Carly pointed out, his motives were very likely not particularly pure. In terms of the interview itself, some…

Health and Fitness

Withings Introduces New Smart Kid Scale

It seems like the newest leap in technology is connecting everything. We’ve connected ourselves through smartphones, our homes through appliances, and now we’re even connecting our babies to our smartphones. Withings has moved baby technology beyond baby monitors to a new “Smart Kid Scale” that lets you track how fast your baby is growing and gaining weight. I am a bit torn about this concept. On the one hand, it’s a great way for parents to visualize how their child is growing and best monitor their size and weight. On the other, there’s a point where we obsess too much…

Editorials, Health and Fitness

Why Lance Armstrong Deserves That Lifetime Ban Despite His Confession

I never really gave Lance Armstrong much thought before this summer’s news of lifetime bans and sanctions for doping. It was shocking to see some of the reports and the depth of performance enhancing drug use that had penetrated professional cycling. As much as it shocked some people (or confirmed the suspicions of others), professional runner Lauren Fleshman has a more personal view as a fellow athlete. Her response to Lance’s confession, and rumors that he is only confessing to get his ban on competing lifted, is an insight into how much of a dirty shadow Lance casts over professional…

Health and Fitness

Even if the Science is Murky, ‘Meatless Monday’ is Worth Your Effort

Choosing a dietary plan can be challenging, because sometimes it seems that for every bit of ‘nutritional science’ that tells us one thing, there is at least as much counter-evidence. No carb, all-carb, low-fat, loads of fat, Paleo, South Beach, Vegan, all-juice and on and on … it makes it very difficult to know what to do. Here is one thing I will suggest – join the ‘Meatless Monday’ campaign. Why? Let me get back to that in a bit … In terms of making healthy changes there are some easy things – a while back we looked at our…

Editorials, Health and Fitness

LED Ice Cubes Signal It’s Time to Stop Drinking

There are many devices and tools that connect to your smartphone. Likewise, there are many fine apps that let you track your food, drink and activity. However, if you require LED ice cubes to alert you that you’re en route to a blackout, perhaps you need help, and not a text from your drink? If the novelty of such an item amuses you, though, don’t worry: it does exist. I’m trying to be fair here, but if I landed in the hospital after drinking too much, my response would emphatically not be to invent a complex ice cube that nagged…

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness, Outdoors

Minimal-ish Shoes Trickle Down to Target

One of the big knocks on minimal running shoes is that the prices are anything but minimal. Most of the big brand name shoes cost around $100 a pair, which can feel steep for a slab of rubber and some cloth for the upper. But like all trends in fashion, designs do eventually trickle down to cheaper names. Target’s C9 by Champion offers all sorts of great athletic wear at low prices, and they’ve expanded that to shoes that look suspiciously like the Reebok Realflex, a popular transitional/minimal shoe! Target is calling it the “Champion Premier” line, but the shoes…

Health and Fitness

iHealth Brings Out Monitoring Tools for Your iBaby

My friends with kids all marvel at how instinctively their children grasp iOS. They seem to easily master the touch interface and love playing games. The folks at iBaby have a few ideas to get your child started early on integrating smartphones into their lives … even in utero! The HeartSense won’t be out for a few months, but the video monitors are available now. The price and features are in line with other video monitors, but being able to control and watch them on your iPhone brings the experience to a whole new level! It makes me wonder what’s…

Events, Health and Fitness

Why Is Garmin the Gold Standard in GPS Watches?

My first day on the CES floor, I saw the Garmin booth. I bypassed the various dedicated GPS units, and headed right for the display of Forerunners in all their glory. Along the way, I was stopped by one of Garmin’s reps, and when I explained how excited I was to see their booth because “I love Garmin!”, he laughed and said “You must be a runner, people always say that because of the Forerunner.” We had a good laugh, and he showed off their various new watches. I was deeply in awe of how much smaller and sleeker each…

Editorials, Health and Fitness

New Weight Loss Method, the Built-In Stomach Pump

When I think of a stomach pump, it is usually in the context of someone ingesting poison or excessive alcohol, and an EMT or ER pumping the stomach as an extreme health measure. Apparently now a company called Aspire Bariatrics has developed a ‘minimally invasive’ system that seeks to replace ‘gastric bypass’ surgery and offer an alternative way for people to lose weight. According to the company: With Aspiration Therapy, patients “aspirate” (drain) a portion of their stomach contents into the toilet after each meal through an endoscopically-implanted tube, reducing the number of calories absorbed by the body. [snip] The AspireAssist…

Health and Fitness, News

Binge Drinking Is Now a Bigger Problem for College Women

At this time each year high school juniors are starting to look at colleges and high school seniors are starting the brutal post-application waiting period. At this point many parents have started having talks with their kids about exercising personal responsibility in college when it comes to studying, drinking, driving and sex. One important talk is about the dangers of ‘binge drinking’, which is consuming quantities of alcohol more rapidly than normal with the express purpose of inebriation. It is defined as drinking “as four or more drinks for women, but five or more drinks for men within a three-hour…

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