Stew Smith Fitness News

The Importance of Smiling and Laughing During Stressful Times While there are moments to be serious and focused on getting things done, there will be times when laughter and smiling can help you mitigate the hormonal effects of high physical and mental stress.  Here is a video intro I did the other day prior to a LIVE QA session about the topic, as Hellweek was getting underway: Could a Smile Be the Simplest Biohack for Feeling Better? It sounds almost too easy to be true, but science suggests that even a deliberate smile can give your brain and body a...

Try this drill next time you are at the pool Repeat 3-4 timesTread / no hands 2-3 minutesStretch/foam roll 2-3 minutes The Frog Pose Series / Tread Protocol  Hips, knees, and ankles need to open up to produce a good egg-beater kick. If you grew up as a land athlete/lifter/runner, your hips, knees, and ankles may need some mobility work. It takes about 2-3 weeks to see the results of stretch/mobility exercises. Be patient with the new drill and you will feel a difference after your first session of mixing in the frog pose stretches and treading combination.  Here is...

Workouts Can Be Life-Changing - What Are Some of Yours?  Where it all started in 1981 At 12-13 years old, with a concrete set of weights and a bench, I started on what became a life-changing journey into lifting weights and exercising with a goal. Previously, the early years of activity were seasons of recreational sports and pick-up games with neighborhood kids, and simply playing outside. What started out as basic workouts of 3 sets of 8 reps of a mix of isolation and compound lifts laid the foundation of fitness that has evolved just about every decade of my...

GLP-1 drugs have been making headlines as a breakthrough in medical weight loss. Many obese people need these drugs to jumpstart the weight loss process, just to make moving easier again. These drugs offer a logical step for millions who struggle with weight loss. Now, I am neither for nor against these drugs, but seeing the secondary effects of these drugs on both dining and fitness training is something to be prepared for. GLP-1 popularity is rising rapidly, affecting not only individual health journeys but also how people address fitness and eating at home and at restaurants. People are eating...

How Effective Recovery Strategies Enhance Successful Physical/Mental Performance Stretching/Moving Post-Workout is Just One of Several Pieces of the Puzzle Fitness Training and athletic competition place significant demands on the body, leading to physical stress and fatigue. The ability to recover quickly from these activities is usually the difference between success and failure, or pain and injury. While these challenges are part of the physical preparation and athletic journey, they ultimately pave the way for improved performance, provided the body is given the opportunity to recover properly. Establishing a well-rounded after-exercise recovery plan is essential for maximizing the benefits of training...