Stew Smith Fitness News

With the long days of summer, there are more daylight hours in which to exercise. Many people focus on running and outdoor activities. These days, though, it may be best to stay indoors and do another type of workout instead of breathing polluted air during strenuous cardio activity.In an email this week, I was asked about running during the summer, specifically during sand / dust storms of Iraq. In a separate email I was also asked the same question about running near the cities of the South East Coast of the United States when the summer days are hazy, hot...

Usually, after 8-9 months of challenging running and calisthenics based workouts (see Solstice Plan), I am ready for a few months of non-impact aerobics of indoor swimming and biking for cardiovascular workout options. However, this year, I have tested out some gear during the 30 degrees days of the past month and feel like pushing it a little during the winter months. During the Holiday seasons of festive foods, endless football, and huge meals even the most avid exerciser can pick up a few pounds. Here are some tips to continue pushing yourself through the winter “hibernation” days. Pace Yourself...

Sometimes we think we are in shape because a “test looks easy” or “you were in shape in high school”, but many people fail to prepare for a fitness test and wind up realizing they need to change their training AND thinking. Check out this email:Stew – I run all the time 4-5 days a week and usually get 25-30 miles a week, so I have a runner’s body. I just tried out for the FBI fitness test for Special Agents and thought that the calisthenics and the run would be a joke. Well, I was wrong. I almost failed...

This week an Army Officer emailed me with a goal of dropping two minutes off his mile run pace. This is not a tough goal to achieve IF you are presently running a 10:00 mile and have a goal of 8:00 mile pace. However, as you can imagine, it gets much tougher going from 8:00 mile pace to 6:00 mile pace or faster. But the 10:00 to 8:00 pace can actually be done in less than a few months as long as you are not new to running. If you are a beginner, you should always ramp up distance, pace,...

Running injury free requires near perfect technique, great shoes, possibly the addition of orthotics / insoles, and a gradual build-up after long periods of no running or beginning a running plan. Last week’s article concerning women’s running and training plan caused me to re-think my advice as the intensity of the article was not perfectly directed toward a novice exerciser. In fact, thanks to some feedback from readers, it inspired me to reach back into my archives of how I used to personally train beginners as opposed to how I personally re-started a running program after a year of not...