Spring brings to mind rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, and resurrection.  According to Wikipedia, “During early spring, the axis of the Earth is increasing its tilt relative to the Sun, and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm significantly, causing new plant growth to ‘spring forth,’ giving the season its name.”  This time of year is the perfect time to spring forth with a new exercise routine. Changing your workout is important to avoid boredom, overcome plateaus, and achieve new levels of fitness. Here are some ideas for... Read More

Don’t be too hard on yourself. It takes baby steps to get back to a fitness routine, so try to be kind if you don’t achieve all that you desire in a workout.  Americans are conditioned to think if a little bit is good, a lot must be better.  When it comes to exercise, the truth is that some is better than none.  Embrace the some and set goals for more. Try something new.  Have you been thinking how cool it would be to try that Tabata class?  The fall is a great time to start a new fitness routine because many programs are starting new classes and offering classes for new students. Find... Read More

Everyone who has worked out in a fitness center or Crossfit class, with a personal trainer or on your own, read an article or even talked with a gym rat – knows about the core. “Strengthen your core,”  “Work on your core,” “Feel it in your core.”  But what does it mean to say you are working your core? The core is usually used interchangeably with your abs, but the core is much more than just your abs. Think of your core muscles as the central link in a chain connecting your upper and lower body.  The muscle groups that make up your core include the rectus abdominis, erector spinae... Read More

This year was a crazy one, with a tumultuous election cycle, protests, shootings, issues of sexual assault on college campuses — it was a year to remember. Some important things happened that informed our health habits.  These events will have impact on our lives and our health now and in the future.  Here are some of the 2016 news stories that have and will shape how we think about well-being. The Good News Panera Bread goes clean.  Panera Bread vowed last year to serve only “clean ingredients” by the end of 2016. that vow involves removing artificial preservatives, sweetener,... Read More

Perhaps you’ve heard that sitting is the new smoking?  Sitting all day is not good for our health.  We’ve actually known this, from a public health perspective, for over 60 years. Back in the 50s, researchers studied men (yes, not much research done with women in those days) who had jobs that required them to sit, compared to those who were standing or walking during the work day. The study showed that the rates of illness and early death were highest among those who were the least active. As we are now a society of desk jockeys, it makes sense that scientists would revisit this... Read More

Dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins are neurotransmitters that regulate our happiness.  A neurotransmitter is a messenger of neurologic information from one cell to another.  Being in a positive mental state has significant impact on our motivation, productivity, and wellbeing. Did you know you can intentionally cause neurotransmitters to flow? Let’s take a look at each one and how you can activate them to make yourself happy. Dopamine motivates us to take action toward goals, desires, and needs, and gives a surge of reinforcing pleasure when achieving them. Procrastination, self-doubt,... Read More

It’s long been known that improving your physical fitness is associated with living a longer life. Studies show that past age 65, your walking speed at your natural pace is a surprisingly reliable predictor of survival. The study looked at the natural gait speed of more than 34,000 participants age 65 and older from nine previous studies. These studies followed outcomes for 12 years or more, in which time almost half of the participants died. They found a consistent effect of how long people lived and whether they had a faster or slower gait speed. Those who walked naturally at 2.2 miles... Read More

Jack moved to Boulder four years ago after growing up in Buffalo, New York, a much different atmosphere. “The people here are so active, and don’t look at you funny while running around in short shorts,” Jack comments on the people of Boulder. He was drawn to Colorado for the outdoors, and loves exploring new hiking trails and getting lost in the mountains. Along with the physical exercise, he enjoys tasting all the beers Colorado has to offer, although he can’t choose a favorite because he doesn’t want “any breweries to kick him out.” The laid back ambiance of Boulder helps him... Read More

What is it that makes it so challenging to peel oneself off the couch and workout? Who are these crazies who jump out of bed at 5 a.m. and run in the cold, crepuscular morning hours? Or who get in a power hike after work when the rest of us want nothing more than to go home and veg. What powers these people, and how do we bottle it? It seems like it should be enough to merely want to exercise—to want to look better; to want a more toned body; to want to control high blood pressure or diabetes; to want to be healthier. But, as anyone who has chosen the couch over the treadmill can attest, wanting... Read More

The history of rock climbing and bouldering had its genesis with mountaineering and alpinism in the late 18th century, although climbing rocks had been a feat accomplished long before. In the 14th century, a Native American tribe called the Anasazi drilled holes and carved stairs into rock cliffs in Chaco Canyon, but it wasn’t until 1786 with the first ascent of Mont Blanc, that the ‘modern era’ of climbing truly came into being. The history of Boulder’s rock climbing and bouldering history began a little over one hundred years later in 1896 when a group of Boulder Hikers formed the Rocky... Read More

Exercise can seem daunting, exhausting or downright impossible if you are busy…and who isn’t busy? Time and gym access are the two biggest excuses Americans cite for not working out.  Research conducted at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, suggests that taking the stairs 30 minutes a week can give our body adequate exercise for good health. Stair climbing is a rigorous activity and previous research has found climbing stairs can burn calories two to three times faster than just walking. In the McMaster study, 17 healthy men, average age 64, were asked to walk, lift weights, and climb... Read More

The benefits of yoga are many! Researchers found that yoga outperformed aerobic exercise at improving balance, flexibility, strength, pain levels, menopausal symptoms, daily energy level, and social and occupation functioning, among other health parameters. Whether you are long time yogi or new to the practice, there are some fun new ways to experience yoga, that might boost the benefits. Goat yoga. There are many positives to having contact with animals. The act of petting or being near goats will produce an automatic relaxation response. There are many mental benefits of practicing yoga with... Read More

An Ebio major by day, slam dunk champion by night. Meet Mak, my neighbor and current SlamJampalooza winner. Mak moved to Colorado from Alaska to attend CU Boulder and hone his mini-hoop skills. Every opportunity he gets, Mak travels around the world to scuba dive and fish. If you were to ask Mak how he would describe himself, he would say he’s a mix between Shaq and Aquaman. An opportunist by nature, there is no doubt Mak helps make Boulder the intriguing place we can all call home. Thanks Makane!  Read More

Boulder is a pretty interesting name for a city, don’t you think? Both a pronoun and a noun gives it a fairly unique affect. I was thinking about the reasoning behind of the name of the city, deducing (incorrectly) that it must have been named for some of the world class bouldering found around the Flatirons and in the surrounding area. But after some digging, I discovered that it was thought to be named after Boulder Creek, the thirty-mile creek flowing through downtown and outwards from the Rocky Mountains. There is no real consensus on this matter however, and very little information on the... Read More

“Running clears my head and is a great way for me to relieve stress. I try to get out every day for either physical or mental reasons. I love it because it gives me a freedom unlike anything else. I can zone out completely or focus on certain issues and work it out in my head. Most importantly, beer tastes that much better after a solid run.” Thanks for the insight Josh!  Read More

There is no perfect diet for everyone, in spite of what you might have heard.  It seems the human body can adapt to almost any diet and survive, even thrive!  Consider the diet of the Inuit, the people indigenous to polar locations such as Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Theirs is a mostly meat diet, and yet they are a hardy population who consume few to no vegetables in their diet. In the US, experts recommend a diet largely focused on healthy grains, fruits and vegetables.  Most Americans don’t get the recommended 5 servings per day, and even fewer eat the 5-9 servings that is considered... Read More

  “Eat less, move more” is a mantra I’ve heard and advice I’ve given many times over the years.  While both calorie intake and physical activity are important factors in weight loss, which one is more important? Physiologically speaking, weight loss and gain revolve around the concept of calories in, calories out. In a nutshell, we lose weight when we eat fewer calories than we expend. Conversely, we gain weight when we eat more calories than we expend. Many of us have been advised to add physical activity to our weight loss plan to increase our calorie burn and improve... Read More

Lyle moved to Boulder three months ago for the outdoors and the weather! He graduated from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. He visited friends in Boulder often before moving here and fell in love with the mountains. His favorite activity is to “run and also get lost on hikes in the woods.” He’s still figuring things out in Boulder, but his best advice is to “always pack a beer on hikes.”  Read More

Did you know that only 8% of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions achieve them? Typically, the reason they fail is the lack of a plan to ensure success.  Most resolutions are vague like “eat less”, “lose weight” or “exercise more”.  These are admirable goals, but they don’t offer a tactical strategy for execution or, more importantly, a plan for failure. In order to establish a successful goal, you have to think through how you will accomplish your goal.  Instead of a New Year’s resolution, how about a SMART goal for 2016? Specific – Lose weight is not a specific... Read More

Whether blazing his own trail or following someone else’s, Dakota is always moving forward. He frequently partakes in trail runs and 14er expeditions, hoping to combine the two this upcoming summer. Dakota’s passion for the outdoors reaches all facets of his life, though. Spearheading a plan to install a community garden/ learning landscape, he will be the first person to implement such am environment on CU Boulder’s East Campus. Although he was born and raised in the Midwest, Boulder and the mountains are home to this outdoor enthusiast. Thanks Dakota!  Read More