• Swimming: Swimming is an absolutely awesome sport for your heart. It is also is a low-stress activity. It keeps you at healthy body weight, improves lung capacity, and builds muscles, all in addition to burning calories. Best of all, you can swi at any time of year at an indoor pool.

• Tennis: One hour of tennis burns 600 calories, putting it on par with jogging and cycling as one of the best aerobic activities. All the little sprints, pivots, slams, and serves in tennis also channel your strength and require you to exert energy in short but powerful bursts.

• Rowing: HFR has reported the near-endless health benefits of rowing, which range from effective weight loss, a low risk of injury, and increased muscle strength. Rowing can be done inside on a rowing machine, or, after some rowing practice, out in the great outdoors.

• Squash: Forbes has named squash the #1 healthiest sport in the world many years in a row. It burns calories, increases aerobic fitness, boosts flexibility, develops strength and power, and improves hand-eye coordination.

• Basketball: Not only is basketball an incredibly tiring game to play, but it strengthens your health on many levels. Our research shows that it increases spatial awareness, fosters decision-making capabilities, reduces stress, helps immensely with coordination, and develops confidence. For each hour of competitive basketball, a 165-pound person can expect to burn around 600 calories, while a 250-pound person can burn up to 900 calories.

• Cycling: The typical season for cycling takes place during May and June where millions of events and races take place every year globally. You don’t need to be trying to win the Maillot Jaune to get into this great sport. Cycling classes are fun and available everywhere. Cycling is a low-impact way to burn serious calories, but it also makes you happier and makes your brain stronger. Dr. Aurthur Kramer said of cycling: “Our research finds that after only three months, people who exercised had the brain volume of those three years younger.”

• Cross-Country Skiing: Nordic skiing burns more calories than any other form of exercise or sport — up to 1,122 calories per hour for vigorous mountaineering! Skiers are also about 40 percent fitter than physically fit individuals, suggesting that the full-body workout provided by cross-country skiing is uniquely effective.

• Running: Running is not just a young person’s sport: those who run regularly are less likely to experience bone and muscle loss as they age at the same pace as those who do not run regularly or at all. The bones grow and become stronger by responding to physical demands. It is also great for mental and overall physiological health. Running causes a release of endorphins to produce the famed “runner’s high.”

• Volleyball: Serve’s up! Volleyball makes our list for healthiest sports because it increases metabolic rate, builds agility, strengthens coordination, and boosts mood, Oh, and it also burns plenty of calories. Harvard Medical School reports a person can burn between 90 to 133 calories during a half-hour game of non-competitive, non-beach volleyball, depending on a person’s weight, while a competitive gym game of volleyball burns between 120 to 178 calories.

• Gymnastics: Gymnastics requires athletes to be flexible, strong, and in great shape. Each time a gymnast steps into the gym they are called on to use all of their mental and physical facilities to win the competition. That’s because participation in gymnastics does not only offer physical gains; it is beneficial for improving concentration and mental focus. Gymnastics allows children the chance to think for themselves, to stimulate their imaginations and to solve problems safely.

• A great form of anaerobic exercise: The short bursts of sprinting involved in a game of dodgeball can improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and pulse, improving circulation and burning calories. In this manner, dodgeball can constitute a form of interval training, with players running for brief periods of time.

• Increases agility and balance: Players running across a court don’t just run, they also have to dodge balls. This can improve agility as players adjust their bodies at a rapid pace. It can also help players improve their balance.

• Improves strength training: A standard dodgeball court is 30 feet across, and players must throw large balls a moderate distance to successfully hit members of the other team. This requires strength in the shoulders, back, abs and arms, and repeatedly throwing the ball can help build muscle endurance.

• Improves hand-eye coordination: Both ball dodgers and ball throwers have to have good hand-eye coordination. To successfully hit other players, throwers need to coordinate their throws not only with the other players’ current location but also with their anticipated location when the ball lands.

• Promotes weight loss: The object of the game is to avoid getting hit so you can stay on the floor and help your team. The longer you stay “alive,” the more calories you’ll burn. According to HealthStatus.com, a 155-pound person will burn 186 calories during 30 minutes of playing dodgeball.

• Improves flexibility: When trying to dodge the ball, you are constantly twisting and turning, bending up and down and jumping around. Over time, your flexibility improves, which can also carry over into daily activities as well.

• Stress reliever: You can feel a bad day slip away bit by bit with every throw. Also, it’s fun! Laughter is the best stress reliever, so get on the court, have fun and laugh out loud.
  

• Develops fast reflexes: Dodging a flying ball coming straight at you takes some really fast reflex skills. Working on your reflexive skills can be beneficial while practicing other sports as well.

• Builds teamwork: Working with your team to take down the opponents is a great way to not only learn and work with others but also gain leadership skills.

• Fun and uplifting: Dodgeball is also a fun way to meet new people or just enjoy a day of fun with friends and family. Adult leagues in your city can help you grow your social and professional network while staying active.

To see more of our Top 10 lists, click here.

Social Activity

Bocce teams consist of 1, 2, or 4 players. So whether you are going head to head with a friend or playing with a whole squad, bocce encourages coming together with friends. Social engagement contributes to increased quality of life and longer lifespan.

Strategic Planning

You can’t just chuck your bocce ball down the court the court and expect to win. More than just a game of brute strength, bocce requires you to calculate factors like velocity and distance. Engaging your brain while exercising helps stave off dementia and keeps you sharp.

Improved Coordination

Bocce requires you to muster up your hand-eye coordination before each throw. Practice releasing the ball it exactly the right moment in your release and try to get it as close to the jack as possible!

Relieves Stress

Wiling away a nice afternoon outside with some friends and light physical activity is a great way to relieve your stress levels. According to Dr. Lori Shemek, stress can be extremely toxic to our health and ages our brain. Exercise and social activity lower stress levels, keeping us younger and more alert!

Outdoor Time

Bocce courts are outdoors, making this the perfect game anytime the weather is nice. The sun provides vitamin D which aids in cell and down growth, inflammation reduction, and improved immune function.

Increased Confidence

Executing the perfect bocce toss is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Bocce is an accessible mode of competition for people of any age. As your game improves, you look forward to future matches and can walk away with a sense of satisfaction.

Light Cardio

You aren’t gonna burn as many calories playing bocce as you will in a game of sand volleyball. That being said, this mild form of exercise requires you to stay on your feet and to walk up and down the court after every round.

Flexibility

Bocce gets you bending and extending your arms to pick up and throw the ball. Flexing and moving your joints in this kind of light activity helps seniors maintain mobility and independence as they age.

Improved Mood

The American Psychological Association contends that there is a strong link between exercise and mood. Couple that with the benefits of being outside and positive impact of social activities, and it’s no surprise that you’ll leave bocce smiling.

Mindfulness

Think before you throw. Bocce causes you to hone your concentration and really live in the moment. You need to enter a zen-like state that focuses on the here and now, the weight of the ball and your target down court. This helps the worries of the day melt away.

• Rest your body and stretch: Take a break from sports, running, and other activities to give you muscles and bones a chance to recover. This allows your body time to heal any damage or stress that may have been caused to your shins. Start slowly, and increase your activity level and intensity over time, not all within a few weeks. Avoid sudden increases in your running routine if you are not used to running fast or long distance. The recommended amount of rest is 7 to 10 days.

• Ice your shins and massage: Applying ice to the affected area helps reduce the swelling and pain. The recommended amount of time of application is 15-20 minutes, about 4-8 times per day. After applying ice, make sure to use compression wraps if the lower legs are swollen. Elevating the legs and massaging them at night can also help the symptoms of shin splints.

• Use insoles or orthotics for your shoes: Flat feet are a cause of shins hurting. To prevent stress on your shins use shoe inserts or look for shoes that support your feet while running. If you know you have flat feet, it is best to consult an orthopedic for correct insoles in your shoes when running. Experts also recommend replacing shoes every 300 miles for better support. 

• Tart cherry Juice: Tart cherry juice is rich in various nutrients and antioxidants. They are similar to sweet cherries, which are darker in color and not as bright red as the tart cherries. Some of the powerful nutrients and vitamins in tart cherries are fiber, protein, vitamin A, C and K, manganese, and potassium. In this study, 54 runners were given 355 mL bottles of tart cherry juice or a placebo drink twice a day for seven days prior to a running event and on the day of the race. Researchers concluded that drinking this cherry juice for eight days reduced the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle pain among runners. 

• Don’t workout through the pain: If you are one to continue to workout through the pain because of the idea that it will become easier to endure the next time, do not do it! Your shins need time to heal. It is best to try one of the recommended remedies for the pain and incorporate a different (lower intensity) activity to your routine in the meantime. For example: try swimming, walking, or yoga to help your body stretch and recover. 

• Stay off the cement: Running or jogging on cement can hurt your feet if you are not used to it or trained to do so. Shin splints can be caused from the amount of force that your bones and muscles have to absorb from the ground and can lead to muscle fatigue and overuse. Avoid surfaces that are hard, uneven, or hills when running.  If you run often, consider adding low impact exercises to your routine to give your legs a break from the stress impact. 

• Ginger root: The ginger root contains various antioxidants and compounds that prevent stress and damage to your body. It has been proven that ginger root can reduce pain and inflammation due to its anti-inflammatory properties. In a study, it showed that participants that took 60 mg of ginger extract an hour before exercise resulted in significant reduction of pain. Therefore, to help with the pain it is recommended to cut 1 to 2 inches of ginger root into small pieces and boil it into a tea to drink before a vigorous workout.

• Consume almonds: Almonds contain various nutrients that can help the body in many ways. Almonds contain protein, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. For example, almonds contain magnesium, fiber, and vitamin E. Vitamin E helps protect your cells from oxidative damage which can reduce the risk of inflammation, aging, and diseases. In addition, one ounce of almonds provides 37% of the recommended dietary intake of Vitamin E.  

• Drink apple cider vinegar: This type of vinegar has a long history of home remedies because of its antimicrobial properties and nutrients. It can be used to treat things like sore throat, weight loss, reduce cholesterol, improve heart health, and clearer skin. It is recommended you dilute the vinegar in a cup of water before drinking due to its level of acidity. Therefore, mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar with a glass of water before exercising to help reduce the risk of inflammation and pain. 

• Vitamin D: When consumed, vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium; this aids in building strong bones. This vitamin is also known to contain anti-inflammatory properties that help with swelling and pain. The daily recommended amount for ages 1 through 70 is 15 mcg. Some foods that contain vitamin D are fish, fish liver oils, beef liver, yogurt, and orange juice. 

Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Polo:

Mental benefits: Riding provides an active avenue for keeping your brain exercised, and it offers excellent therapeutic qualities, as well. Simply being out and about and enjoying the great outdoors will boost your general well being and act as a great stress buster.

Emotional benefits: Developing a relationship and sense of trust between yourself and your horse is highly rewarding. Learning to control and care for an animal much larger than yourself can have a profound affect on your confidence and is a great feeling. Many horse owners feel their horse is somewhat of a kindred spirit in tune with their own feelings and emotions; more so than any human companion.

General physical benefits: Horse riding and playing polo develops balance and improves coordination and motor function. Hand-eye coordination involved in hitting a ball with a mallet while on a moving horse is greatly improved. Playing polo is a great form of exercise which has both cardiovascular and muscle conditioning benefits.

Upper body strength: Riding a horse while swinging a handled mallet also contributes to upper body, shoulder, and arm strength. Upper body strength is important to have because the upper body controls your ability to perform everyday activities such as reaching, pulling, pushing and lifting. Having a strong upper body improves your flexibility, mobility and range of motion. If your upper body strength deteriorates as you age, you are more prone to injuries, disease and a diminished quality of life.

Postural muscle strength: As the rider reacts to the horse’s movements to avoid becoming off balance, the deep postural muscles of the trunk and pelvis and the abductor muscles of the thighs are continuously being conditioned. Playing polo will strengthen all of the muscles in the center of your body, providing more power to your other muscles and reducing the risk of injuries during everyday activities and strenuous exercises. And, on top of all of that, strong postural muscles also support the lungs and improve breathing.

Calories: Although it may seem as though the rider is not engaging in any physical exercise, an hour of activity can burn similar calories to that of a 30-minute jog or cycle ride. Increasing the speed and ride duration will increase the intensity of your work out and burn more calories

Training: Training is not just for you but also for your horse. Maintaining body strength to remain optimal in the game requires not only practice in the game, riding the horse and personal exercise but also exercise and training for your horse.

Horse care: Feeding, grooming, bathing, stabling or putting your horse out to pasture isn’t an easy job, but it’s part of the whole package when playing polo. As you groom, clean stables, carry saddles, equipment or bales of hay you are also doing weight-bearing exercise that helps maintain bone mass. In the end you’ll find yourself in the outdoors burning calories without realizing it.

Outdoors: Being outdoors is healthy on its own; fresh air, sunlight and exposure to nature all contribute to a boost in the immune system. The  vitamin D from the sun contributes to strong bones and teeth and a healthy immune system. Lack of vitamin D can put you at risk for osteomalacia (soft bones) or osteoporosis (fragile bones).

Adrenaline rush: The rush of adrenaline in your blood from a full-speed horse ride signals your liver to break down glycogen and supply the body with fuel. This occurs when you are exercising and your muscles are running low on fuel, or when a sudden and unexpected demand of energy is required by the body in emergency situations.

To see more of our Top 10 lists, click here.

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Improves proprioception. Proprioception is defined as one’s ability to feel the position of different body parts and the effort that goes into moving them. In other words, when you hold your hand in front of your face with your eyes closed, you still know your hand is there even though you can’t see it. Skiing involves quite a bit of balance and coordination, and you must be conscious of the many slight movements and positions of your body if you want to ski well and stay on your feet. Proprioception weakens with age, so the more you are involved in proprioceptive activities, the less it will diminish.

• Strengthens bones and joints. Your knees must endure the tension and weight from your body as you turn and move quickly downhill, so they are being strengthened when you ski. In addition to strengthening your knees, your bones become stronger due to the weight-bearing impact on your legs. So not only are you having a fantastic time gliding down the slopes, but you are preventing knee damage, osteoporosis and increasing your proprioceptive strength.
• Boosts your mood. Skiing not only boosts overall happiness and well-being, but it is beneficial to an individual’s physical and mental health, despite the frequency or duration of the activity.
• Increases cardiovascular endurance. As an aerobic endurance activity, skiing can help an individual burn calories and lose weight. Beginners also can get a good cardiovascular exercise by working the heart and lungs from walking up the slope rather than using the ski lift.
• Strengthens lower body muscles. Because skiing puts you in a constant squat position, it works your inner and outer thighs, hamstrings, quads and glutes. You will be too distracted by the surrounding beauty or too focused on the slope in front of you to notice your legs burning, but we promise—you will definitely feel results the next day.

• Improves balance and core strength. Because you are constantly working to stay balanced while skiing, you core is engaged at all times. Plus, skiing challenges your balance and agility, helping you fend off slips and falls as you age.
• Promotes deep sleep. You will feel exhausted in the best way after trying a new sport, especially one that engages your entire body. After hitting the slopes, we guarantee there will be no scrolling the Internet before bed or staying up late—you will hit the pillow and enjoy a good night of restful sleep.
• Improves flexibility. A flexible body is going to be a huge benefit when skiing. By building flexibility, you can avoid muscle strains and sprains. A thorough, regular stretching routine that focuses on the core muscle groups will strengthen the abdominals, obliques and hips that are used in downhill skiing.
• Promotes healthy eating habits. When you wake up before a long day of skiing, you have to power up. At lunchtime you need to refuel, and at dinnertime you need a recovery meal. You will naturally be more conscious of your eating: more protein, healthy fats, less sugar, more fruits and vegetables, etc.

• Skiing can contribute to a sunnier outlook. Spending the day on a snow-covered hill or mountain, surrounded by natural outdoor beauty, will have you forgetting about the stresses of daily life. You’ll also benefit from the vitamin D exposure, which helps ward off seasonal affective disorder and boosts your mood.

Both Fury and Usyk have proven themselves as elite boxers with impressive skills and resumes. The 6’9″ Fury employs an unorthodox and elusive style, using his size, tactics, and ring IQ to outbox opponents. Nicknamed the “Gypsy King,” Fury has only one blemish on his record – a controversial draw against Deontay Wilder in their first matchup. Usyk, though several inches shorter, is a technical master with fantastic footwork and combination punching. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion effortlessly moved up to heavyweight and showed he can compete against larger men after dominating Joshua. Their contrasting styles should make for a highly tactical and entertaining fight between two of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world today.

Understandably, the Ring of Fire fight between Fury and Usyk is one of the most anticipated heavyweight title bouts in years. At stake is the claim of undisputed championship of the world at boxing’s premier weight class. With all four major titles on the line, the winner will cement their place as the true heavyweight kingpin. But more than titles are at stake – this contest will prove once and for all who currently stands as the best big man in the sport. Fury and Usyk have both dominated the division in recent years, but their styles have never clashed in the ring. Boxing fans all over the globe will watch eagerly to see the Gypsy King’s unorthodox attacks matched against the slick finesse of Usyk. The outcome of such a mega-fight could have ramifications across the entire sport and its legacy for years to come.

Squats: Most golfers know that when hitting their driver they have to hit up on the ball to hit further, but to truly maximize their distance off the tee it’s all in the legs. All of the top touring pros will squat down during their downswing and then use the ground to push up and increase their club head speed resulting in longer distances. Squatting puts most of the focus on the Gluteus Maximus but it really includes every lower body muscle including the calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps. It is also one of the best exercises for your core which makes it the all around perfect exercise to increase your distance on the course. Refer here for how to squat.

Deadlifts: Deadlifts are the godfather of full body movements, they workout every single muscle required to swing a golf club. They focus on the legs mostly but deadlifts also workout the lower back, core, grip strength and forearms. Deadlifts will help you with your explosive power and your overall sturdiness and strength. The deadlift must be performed correctly to have maximum effectiveness and to avoid injury. Please refer here for perfect form. 

Cable Oblique Twists: The golf swing is a rotational movement engaging the core. Oblique twists are the most similar movement to the actual golf swing, it works out all core muscles that help you rotate faster and with more power. This workout will not only allow you to swing faster but it will also train the muscles’ endurance. A full 18 holes on average takes about four hours and let’s be honest most of us are taking over 100 swings. Muscular endurance is important so every swing can have the same power behind it, it is so hard to know your distances when your swing becomes inconsistent. Refer here for perfect form. 

Dumbbell Shoulder Flies: This workout is perfect in helping to gain distance for two main reasons, muscle strength and muscle flexibility. This exercise can be performed with high or low weight depending on what you want to focus on. A high weight set is going to build that muscular strength by getting those tiny tears in the muscle fibers that will grow back stronger. A low weight set is going to allow for more range of motion and a better stretch on the muscle fibers this will result in a more flexible shoulder resulting in less injuries on the golf course. As for hitting it further, having more muscle flexibility will allow you to take a longer backswing meaning you can build up more speed in your downswing using the strength you have built up in your shoulders. Refer here for perfect form. 

Hip Thrusts: In almost every sport you will hear to drive your hips through the ball. This is not some cliché saying that coaches like to say, it truly is the best advice one can give to get more power in anything. Golf is no exception, they say the golf swing should be 80% hips and 20% arms, this is because your hips control your whole body. This is the reason why in soccer or basketball they tell defenders to watch their hips, because their body cannot go anywhere without their hips driving the movement. Upon attempting hip thrusts one will most likely be shocked by the amount of weight they are able to lift, your hips are constantly being used, even just walking you are working out your hips. So if you want to hit the ball farther, hip thrusts are a must. Refer here for perfect form.

Hip Adductors/Abductors: While hip thrust improves your horizontal strength, hip adductors and abductors are going to strengthen your lateral movements. Your hip abductors are located on the outside of your hips and they are what help you drive your legs outward. Why is this important? When you use the ground to gain more power behind your shots it is not only a vertical push up, you also need to drive laterally through the ball to really see that distance increase. This will increase what they call your “compression” of the golf ball which is the amount you deloft your clubs, this will increase your distance and make the ball fly straighter. Refer here for perfect form.

Lat Pulldowns: A strong and sturdy back is essential for distance in golf for two reasons, speed and injury prevention. A strong back will help you really rip through the golf ball, the latissimus dorsi or Lats help to pull things toward your body. This is important because on your downswing the follow through is just as important as the contact, so when one is able to keep their speed up all the way through their swing they will definitely see more distance in every aspect of their game. As for sturdiness, the golf swing is very aggressive on your back when trying to swing as hard as possible. For example, Tiger Woods rotated so well in his swing that even though he worked out every single day he still required back surgery, but that is how he was able to revolutionize golf and pave the way for people like Mcilroy and DeChambeau who drive the ball 400+ yards. Now I am not saying to throw your back out on every swing, but when trying to swing powerful, a strong back will prevent so much injury that it cannot be overlooked. Refer here for perfect form.

Bench Press: Of course if we talk about the back then we have to talk about the front. Just as the lats rip through the ball on the follow through, the pectoralis major or pecs are going to help you get a strong in-to-out push on the ball. Just like with your back, bench press will mainly prevent injury. Let’s be honest most players main concern in golf is being able to play, nothing ruins a beautiful day out on the golf course like a torn pec. A strong foundation in these major muscles makes a huge difference when it comes to longevity of health. Refer here for perfect form. 

Forearm Curls: Strong forearms are one of the most important aspects of powerful golf swings. Mainly when hitting out of the rough it is so important to have strong forearms so you can keep the clubface square and go through the thick grass easier. Strong forearms will also increase your distance and control with your wedges. Refer here for perfect form. 

Weighted Russian Twists: Another rotation exercise that is going to build the obliques, lower back, and abs. Similar to the cable oblique twists, this is going to increase swing speed and power because it replicates the golf swing pretty well. A great variation for this exercise would be to do it on a decline bench, that adds some difficulty and incorporates the “muffin top” or lower abs. Refer here for perfect form. 

Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Cross-Country Skiing:

• You get a full-body workout. Nordic skiing combines both a lower body and upper body workout, while simultaneously working both the “pulling” and “pushing” muscles of each region. The workout comes in the fact that you use your own locomotion to move through the terrain. Even muscles that don’t seem to be in use are actively involved to balance and coordinate the entire body.
• Burns lots of calories. Nordic skiing burns more calories than any other form of exercise or sport — up to 1,122 calories per hour for vigorous mountaineering!
• Improves cardiovascular endurance and health. Cross-country skiing is an excellent aerobic workout, and because no single muscle group is overstressed, the activity can be sustained for hours on end. Maintaining an elevated heart rate during exercise can strengthen and improve your heart’s capacity to pump blood efficiently and effectively.
• You have a higher level of physical fitness. Skiers are about 40 percent fitter than physically fit individuals, suggesting that the full-body workout provided by cross-country skiing is uniquely effective.
• It promotes social engagement. As cross-country skiing is easy to take-up and can be learned from a young age, it’s an ideal sport for family and friends to enjoy together.
• It helps relieve stress. Escaping town to the pine-forested wild provides you with some very therapeutic thinking time. The peace and tranquility that comes with snowfall is relaxing, helping you leave your stress behind, and give you a renewed sense of calm so you return home feeling refreshed.
• It’s highly functional. When you cross-country ski, you’re training your body to move in a way that it was designed to move. You’re teaching it to improve the process that makes you more capable in daily movements.
• It improves endurance. Forget energy drinks. Doing long-distance endurance sports like cross country skiing help improve your aerobic fitness, as well as running does, while making you feel ready to burst out of your skin with energy!
• Excellent form of cross-training. Cross-country skiing is a great way to prepare for summer sports; after cross-country skiing, muscles will be better prepared to manage the lactic acid they produce when they are used.
• Allows you to connect with nature. Cross-country skiing is a very pleasant way to enjoy the great outdoors on a sunny winter’s day and see the sights with friends — all while getting a good workout.

To see more of our Top 10 lists, click here.

• Physical Fitness: Between the running, lunging, and birdie hitting, playing badminton burns your body fat. An hour game burns about 450 calories, but it goes by fast because it’s fun.

• Develop skills that are transferable to other sports: Improves your speed, reflex, intelligence, and productivity. Badminton is a fast paced game. Since players need to be attentive and powerful all the time, the game increases your speed and improves your reflexes. Intelligence is also a factor since players must know how to deceive their opponents in every shot so they could win the game. Thus if you play badminton, it will help you develop your agility, strength and intelligence.

• Increased Muscle Tone: It’s fantastic for the legs: the quads, butt, calves and hamstrings. Your core muscles get worked, too. And of course the arm and back muscles on the side you hold your racquet are getting a workout.

• Psychological Benefits: Because badminton promotes physical fitness, it helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Exercise increases endorphins, which are the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, and has also been found to improve mood and sleep. Badminton is also likely to put you in a good mood because it’s a social activity.

• Social Health: You’ll need at least one opponent, but you can also play with a teammate and two other opponents. The social interactions of a game, combined with feel-good endorphins, will result in positive feelings after a session on the court. You will become part of a community and you can join a league if you really enjoy the game.

• Good for Overall Health: As with all forms of physical exercise, badminton can reduce or eliminate your risk for many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. It can also reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by reducing your triglyceride levels and increasing your “good” cholesterol.

• Bull Riding Just as an f1 driver risks his neck every time he straps up, a bull-rider exposes him or herself to danger every rodeo. Riders attempt to tame a 1,800-pound animal that has been prodded into seething anger. With no safety equipment and only a rodeo clown to draw away the sharp horns, bull riding is the most dangerous 8 seconds in sports.

• MMA MMA advertises itself as a less-dangerous alternative to boxing, because of the emphasis on grapples and take-downs, as opposed to pure face blows. Evidence corroborates that theory, but warns MMA fighters are more vulnerable than boxers to minor injuries and disfigurements, making the sport dangerous.

• Boxing An obvious inclusion on the list, practitioners of this martial art risk decreased brain function, particularly if they start boxing at an early age and have a long career. One study found that boxing caused “volume reduction in certain areas of the brain and reduced connectivity between the basal ganglia and other regions of the brain.”

• Free-climbing The invention of portable GoPro cameras has helped the world appreciate just how crazy this adrenaline-pumping sport is. Climbers scale vertical rock cliffs with nothing but their forearm strength and some chalk to keep them alive. Just one wrong move, one momentary lapse of judgment, can send a free-climber tumbling to their death. And, unfortunately, many high-profile climbers have been lost to the void.

• Hang Gliding Hang gliding, although exhilarating and freeing, is actually one of the most dangerous in-air sports possible. According to HSE, a U.K.-based watchdog group, the risk of death in a hang-gliding accident is 1 out of every 116,000 flights. Even the most experienced hang gliders are not immune to random gusts of wind which can easily force them to collide with mountains, causing them to free fall from high altitudes.

• Football American football has come under intense scrutiny in recent years for putting its players at risk for serious brain damage and head trauma. We’ve know about the risk for broken bones and bruised bodies since the earliest days of the sport, and in 2012 there were 394,350 football injuries in the US. But the emergence of information that football causes a risk for CTE, a degenerative brain disease similar to Alzheimer’s, is alarming.

• Rugby Some reports indicate that rugby has less risk for catastrophic injury than other full contact sports like hockey and American football, but it still exposes its players to a whole host of serious injuries and concussions.

• Auto Racing Breakneck speeds, sharp turns, and large masses of metal can equal tragedy for practitioners of this sport. While car safety has improved dramatically in recent decades, auto racing can still be a very dangerous sport and needs to be approached with caution.

• Skateboarding Favorite of adrenaline junkies, rebels, and some of the best athletes in the world, this high-flying sport blends athletic prowess and aesthetic finesse for jaw-dropping stunts. As skateboarders defy gravity and travel at high speeds, they risk bone fractures and concussions. We recommend safety equipment be worn at all times!

• Skiing This alpine sport puts skiers at risk of mountain or trees as they hurtle down at fast speeds. More dangerous courses require impossibly quick reaction times that, sadly, not everyone can make. That’s why one report called it the most dangerous sport in the world.

• Increased Cardiovascular Health: In a 2010 study in Denmark, women who played 14 weeks of soccer improved their cardio fitness by 15 percent. The type of running in intervals in a soccer match are actually better for heart health and weightless than just jogging.

• Increased Muscle Mass: In a 16-week study of twice-weekly 1 hour sessions, the average leg muscle mass increase was 11% in women. The number of capillaries per muscle fiber was increased by 18% and the activity of glucose and fat metabolizing enzymes were elevated by 11 and 9%, respectively.

• Increased Bone Density: On average, after the age of 40, women lose bone mass at a rate of .5 to 1% annually. In controlled studies, soccer increased a woman’s bone mineral density by an average of 2 to 3 percent; these gains from soccer translate to reversing bone aging three to six years.

• Lower Body Fat: Women who play soccer lose more body fat than runners because soccer engages both slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. The perpetual switching between the two during a match cause increased fat burning.

• Improved Coordination: Due to shifts between walking, running and sprinting, coordination is developed in soccer. Body coordination is improved through the complex movements like dribbling, turning and passing, which are performed at varying rates of speed and direction. Hand-eye coordination is improved when players either kick the ball or receive a pass from someone.

• Increased Cognitive Brain Function: Soccer helps increase skills in concentration, persistence and self-discipline because it is a fast-paced game that requires quick decisions on the field.

• Increased Social Interaction and Support: Most women cite time constraints as the main reason for not working out. However, being on a team brings women together in a supportive manner and makes them set aside time for physical exercise. Joining a team leads to more commitment and actually following through with fitness and health goals.

• Increase in Overall Health Benefits even if Training Starts in Adulthood: Researchers in Europe recruited more than 70 women ages 20 to 47 who had no history of playing soccer as children or teenagers. Two-thirds of the women were randomly assigned to either a running group or a soccer team. The rest served as a control group. For 14 weeks, the women in the active groups exercised by running or playing soccer for an hour a day just two days a week. The women playing soccer showed improved balance, muscle strength, and bone density.

• Increased Confidence: Building physical strength and endurance helps build confidence in a woman both on and off the field. A confident woman more aptly handles her life and career outside of the field. In several studies, women who feel physically capable demonstrate greater levels of self-esteem.

• Reduced Stress Levels: Focusing on a game both tactically and physically forces the mind to distract itself for daily stressors. Coupled with endorphins from the physical exertion leads to reduced stress levels in soccer players. Women players in a study said they feel more clear-headed after a match.

• To read about the general health benefits of soccer for both men and women, read our article here!

Full Body Engagement

Swimming is known for being an exercise that works the entire body with nearly all muscle groups being activated. This results in toning muscles, gaining strength and endurance, and improving total fitness.

Supports Heart Health

Swimming has been found to lower disease risk and improve cardiovascular health. Since swimming works the entire body, it requires increased blood flow to all muscles, making the heart pump more. Couple that with the fact that you are often holding your breath, and you have a recipe for a hardworking cardiovascular system. 

Low Impact on the Joints

Unlike running, biking, or other activities, swimming is done in a completely different medium — water! This allows for less impact on the body, specifically bones, and joints, making it an ideal form of exercise for those with arthritis, injuries, or disabilities. 

Burns Calories…FAST

Who doesn’t love burning calories efficiently? Swimming for a mile, which is 66 lengths of a traditional 25-yard lap pool, burns close to 400 calories. Compared to walking/running (100 kcals per mile) and biking (25 kcals per mile), swimming for exercise seems like a no brainer!

Exercise without the Sweat

Usually when you finish a heart-pumping workout, your body is drenched in sweat, but not with swimming. Being in a pool allows the body to remain at a constant, cooler temperature when compared to land workouts. However, it is important to stay hydrated because although you may not feel like you’re sweating, you’re still losing water!

Improves Sleep

Because swimming is highly aerobic, it requires lots of energy. Most adults find it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep from daily aerobic activities like swimming. 

Elevates Mood

Regardless of if you are swimming for distance or leisurely paddling through the water, swimming has been shown to improve one’s mood. Exercise, in general, has displayed mood-boosting effects and reduces anxiety and depression. Adding swimming to your weekly regimen will not only make you look good but make you feel good as well.

Can help during Pregnancy

Swimming during pregnancy has shown to help with complications and increases maternal physical and mental health. Many women report enjoying getting in the water during gestation as a way to relieve bone and joint pain due to the “weightless” feeling of floating in a pool. For more on this, check out our article: Reasons to Swim during Pregnancy.

Helps You Stay Cool

In these scorching summer months, it can be hard to stay cool. Taking a dip in the local pool, lake, or river can all be great ways to regulate body temperature on a warm day. Just be sure to practice water safety wherever you choose to dive in.

Fun for All Ages

Just like adults, kids love going for a splash in the pool. Get them involved in swim lessons, join a local summer swim league, or play games in the pool to keep them busy and active. It serves as a great form of exercise for them too!

Similarly, there are actually Health Benefits of White Water Rafting, a very adventurous and physical activity involving rafters to explore the wild river waters as they try to conquer nature’s challenges. 

Extreme sports can be thrilling and exciting, and when done with precautions, you could have a great time challenging yourself. Here are the health benefits of extreme sports. 

Extreme sports can train your mentality. Doing activities which requires you to have lots of courage and bravery will eventually teach you control; control over your fears and emotions. The Journal of Health Psychology explained that although extreme sports involve intense fear, the participant will eventually take part of the sports despite their fears, accept that a controlled future is not always possible, and move through these fears to participate fully in the sport. 

The journal further indicated that those who choose to participate in these activities despite their fears will move towards a greater understanding of oneself. 

Also, 9Honey described that extreme sports could train us to keep our cool during stressful situations. According to study reported by 9Honey, we all possess an amino acid called neuropeptide Y that assists with the regulation of anxiety and acts as a natural sedative. Researchers from Yale Medical School tested whether it is possible to increase neuropeptide Y by monitoring data for US Special Forces soldiers and Navy Seals — who have been conditioned to deal with high-level stress situations. 

9Honey explained that the researchers did discover that these soldiers possess higher amounts of neuropeptide Y than regular people. Thus, this suggests that one can be resilient through exposure to stressful experiences — such as, participating in extreme sports

Another benefit would be, extreme sports allow you to work different muscles in your body. According to Coast Water Sports With, with extreme sports, you tend to use your muscle in the most unusual way and work your muscle differently than you would daily, or in any light exercises. 

For example, paddle boarding uses almost every muscle in your body according to Health Max. Thus, paddle boarding also improves the balance and leg strength of the participants. 

Rock climbing on the other hand, not only tests your mental strength, but it also is proven to increase flexibility, strengthen muscles and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, Health Max indicated further. 

Another benefit worth mentioning is the healthy adrenaline.

 Extreme sports might trigger the fight or flight response. This type of adrenaline from extreme sports such as, snowboarding, bungee jumping, mountain climbing or biking, or river rafting could be a replacement of unwanted drugs or other risky activities, according to Teen Rehab. The adrenaline participants might receive could be the same level of adrenaline rush from unhealthy and unwanted activities, Teen Rehab further indicated.

As a matter of fact, according to Chron, many of whom participate in extreme sports actually claim that they do it for the rush — the adrenaline rush. The adrenaline rush itself is usually marked with faster heart rate, dilated pupils and change in breathing patterns. Afterwards it is accompanied by a release of endorphins and dopamine — a chemical which is associated with these feelings of excitement and pleasure.   

Those who take part, are reported to chase these feelings, which makes the sport a lot more fun and sees the pleasure of the sport as the advantage of aprtiicapting in the sport, Chron mentioned. 

Healthy sports have their own beauty for those who seek it for pleasure and excitement. A healthy lifestyle can be achieved in many different ways, including high-adrenaline sports. 

While this type of sport is not for everybody, Health Max did mention that physiotherapists highly recommended this sport due to its tremendous effect on joint mobility and heart rate. As of now, challenging yourself to do extreme sports — of course with safety measures — is worth giving it go – who knows you might benefit from it too.

Muhammad Ali on winning on the fight: “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the line, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”

Kobe Bryant on helping others rise to greatness: “The most important thing is to inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they do.”

David Beckham‘s quote on reacting to critics: “People react to criticism in different ways, and my way is definitely to come out fighting.”

Peyton Manning on being prepared: “There were other players who were more talented, but there was no one who could out-prepare me. And because of that, I have no regrets.”

Babe Ruth on “striking out”: “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”

Usain Bolt‘s quote on worrying about your performance: “Worrying gets you nowhere. If you turn up worrying about how you’re going to perform, you’ve already lost.”

Greg Louganis on making life better for others: “Never underestimate your ability to make someone else’s life better – even if you never know it.”

Michael Phelps on being the best: “If you want to be the best, you have to do things other people aren’t willing to do.”

Rory McIlroy‘s quote on trusting the process: “I kept telling myself this word, process. Focus on my process, don’t care about the result.”

Rafael Nadal on looking forward: “Enduring means accepting. Accepting things as they are and not as you would wish them to be, and then looking ahead, not behind.”

Enjoying these quotes from legendary male athletes? Check out our article on the top quotes from legendary female athletes!

Next, Tomjanovich would shine on the global stage as head coach of two Olympic games, 1998 and 2000. He successfully coached Team USA to Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000. Aside from that, Tomjanovich ranks 29th in all-time wins while coaching the fewest seasons of anyone ahead of him.

In January 2020, Tomjanovich was inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame…a well-deserved honor after decades of contribution to the Houston community- first as a player and then as a world championship-winning coach.

Everyone we ask, including professional players and coaches, are shocked that he is not already in the Hall of Fame.

This list was created by Samir Becic, author of the fitness book ReSync Your Life (4X number 1 fitness trainer in America) and HFR team.

• Boxing/ Kickboxing (640 cal/hour): Good upper body workout, coordination builder, and cardiovascular workout.
• Running Fast (800 cal/hour): Good for cardiovascular endurance training.
• Swimming Fast (900 cal/hour): although 200 meters of Butterfly stroke sprint can burn 100 calories in 3 minutes. It is the best full body exercise.

• Rock Climbing (740 cal/hour): Less cardiovascular but very good for building muscle strength and coordination.
• Cycling (700 cal/hour): it’s a great lower body, non-weight bearing exercise workout and cardio training but not much of an upper body workout.
• Racquetball (600 cal/hour): good cardiorespiratory training, coordination-building, and with the twisting and pivoting, builds core flexibility.
• Rowing (560 cal/hour):  builds up endurance, strength and muscle in your shoulders, thighs and biceps. The key to rowing is in the technique – coordinate the legs, back and arms to work simultaneously.

• Basketball (630 cal/hour): non-stop action is what makes basketball such a great cardiovascular exercise.  The shooting also improves hand-eye coordination.
• Tennis (560 cal/hour):  it demands speed, agility, strength and reaction time.
• Cross-country Skiing (480 cal/hour): Being in the snow already fires up your metabolism, and the varied terrain makes for a great interval workout.
• Ice Skating (500 cal/hour): Has all the great benefits of running without the joint stress.

• Swing Dancing (360 cal/hour): a fun, cardiovascular workout with a partner!
• Soccer (competitive) (800 cal/hour): a very high intensity running sport, it offers a great interval and sprinting regimen.
• Golf (250 cal/hour): walking with your clubs (no golf cart!)

Gender-neutral

Quidditch has been growing in popularity because teams include both men and women. Coaches have said they love how the sport makes equality the center of attention, and how it can also help trans people find a suitable team. Everyone can find a comfortable place to be themselves and improves mental health.

Improves your cognitive skills

One of the most important aspects of Quidditch is strategy. You have to keep in mind formation, timing, and the other team’s strategy to end up being the winner. The game keeps your brain constantly working on several things, which improves your cognitive skills.

Improves your cardiovascular health

Quidditch is a mix of different sports (we mentioned them above) and it shares some of their benefits too. In order to keep the game going, players have to run and dodge to avoid their opponents. Running is an aerobic exercise that not only helps reduce stress and improve your strength, but it is also good for your heart health. 

Helps with weight loss

Supposedly the sport can help you burn around 700 calories per hour, but it all depends on the type of effort you put in. Throwing balls, running, and blocking opponents can help you slim down and tone your body.

Makes you more creative

After all, it is a sport in which you act like you’re flying. Quidditch is based on the wizarding world so, of course, it keeps your imagination and sense of humor active so time will definitely fly by!

Indoor Soccer

The most popular sport in the world, soccer is also the perfect activity for college students to take up in their freetime. Indoor soccer is more fast-paced than its outdoor counterpart, and can be played at any time of the year. Soccer players also see a 15% increase in their cardio performance and lowered body fat.

Volleyball

Spike! Volleyball is offered in just about every rec center in the country and college is the perfect time to get into this amazing sport. Whether you play in a gym or an a sand court, volleyball builds muscular strength since you are in a squat practically the whole game. A game also expends as much aerobic activity as if you had run a mile! Plus, if you learn volleyball in college, you can jump in a pick-up game for every beach vacation for the rest of your life!

Ultimate Frisbee

Nothing is more quintessentially college than tossing the frisbee around the quad on a sunny afternoon. But if you want to take your disc tossing from lackadaisical to cut-throat competitive then you should join an ultimate frisbee intramural team. Be prepared to jump, sprint, and dive as you try to score a TD. This rec sport is easy to pick up but difficult to master. Practice often and see huge gains in your endurance, agility, and dexterity.

Racquetball

Racquetball isn’t just for professors. It is a fun and fast paced game played on campuses across the country. Take on your roommate or challenge a rando at the courts, and get a full body workout in along the way. Racquetball utilizes nearly every muscle group and is a great calorie burner. You run about 2 miles in an hour of play, burning between 600 to 800 calories. Just be careful where you swing your racquet.

Basketball

One of the most popular games in the entire world, basketball is a great pick-up sport for intramural college athletes. Most college gyms divide the courts between rookie and advanced players, so you can always be going against people your skill level. Just about every college in the world also has rec basketball league. If you join, expect to be able to burn between 600 and 900 calories every time you step out on the court. Also expect to get stronger and more disciplined. So put on your Jordans and go ball!

Crew

It’s 5:30 A.M. and the sun has yet to rise. You slip on a sweatshirt in your school’s colors and make your way down to the docks. You meet your teammates in the boatyard and carry your slender vessel to the water. As the sun rises, the only sounds are chirping birds and rhythmic splash of your oars as you glide through the calm water. After an exhilarating full-body workout, you still have an hour to grab coffee and breakfast before 8 AM classes start. If your school has a rowing team, join it!

Taekwondo

So there’s a way to learn how to defend yourself, increase your athleticism, make friends, compete against rival schools, and you can do it all for cheap in your school’s rec center??? There are plenty of health benefits to learning martial arts. They increase your self-confidence and improve your cardiovascular health. Taekwondo is the right martial art to learn for most. It focuses on throws, kicks, and blocks. Martial arts classes are expensive later in life, so take advantage of steep discounts during your college years.

Rock Climbing

Want to go climbing without the risk of ending up like James Franco in 127 Hours? Chances are your university rec center has the solution. Indoor rock climbing gyms are at schools across the country. Take advantage of it! Rock climbing builds upper body strength (especially forearm!), strengthens the core, and lowers body mass. Plus, it will increase your concentration and decision making. Those skills will come in handy in the classroom.

Ballroom Dancing

Stop watching the stars dance and start moving yourself. Dancing makes you nimble on your feet and burns crazy calories. Learn how to ballroom dance, waltz, salsa, or tango at your rec. Most schools offer lessons for cheap. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people and find potential dates. Also, you will be the star of any wedding or gala for years to come.

Spin Class

Pedal like a maniac to the backdrop of blaring music and a barking instructor! Soul Cycle classes run up to $30 bucks a session, but your rec center probably offers them for free. If you haven’t tried out this fun and challenging cardio experience, give it a try during  college. It is a low-impact workout, but can burn up to 1,000 calories.

• Agility Ladders: When it comes to being a good soccer player, one of the main things you have to focus on is your footwork. Handling the ball requires a lot of coordination with your feet as you move and are quick with it, and the best workout to help improve that is doing agility ladders. Agility Ladders allow you to increase your body awareness and coordination while also strengthening your joints, tendons, and muscles. This workout is done by setting up a ladder on the ground and running through it in various ways.  Doing agility ladders is a good cardio workout as well! Soccer players will always be doing this workout so that way they can maneuver the ball as best as they can.             

• Barbell Back Squats: Squats are a trend nowadays and are a big part of a soccer player’s workout routine. This squat strengthens the lower body and helps with better hip flexibility, quads, hamstrings, and calves. Unlike a standard squat, the barbell back squat requires a heavy weight over the shoulders that overloads the body into the squat and power up back into a standing position. It also increases testosterone and growth hormone for the muscles. This workout is best to give a soccer player full mobility in his lower body.

• Single Leg Hurdle Hops: Power is essential in any sport. When playing soccer, you also need to accompany power with speed. Single-leg hurdle hops are probably the best when working on strength and speed. This workout starts by setting up four six-inch hurdles that are spaced out evenly so that when one runs through, both power and speed increase. Power to make sure you can hop over the hurdle and not trip over it, and speed to get through the hurdles as quickly as possible. This workout demonstrates how soccer players need grace when it comes to power to be the most efficient they can be on the field.  

• Calf Raises: A minor but essential workout regarding a soccer player’s wellbeing. As with any sport, injuries are highly prevalent in soccer and can happen for multiple reasons. One of the most common injuries in soccer is shin splints; soccer players are advised to do calf raises as a preventative. Calf raises are one of many workouts that can help prevent shin splints, and it is also easy to do. Rest your hands on a wall, raise your heel so you’re on the tip of your toes, and hold that position for a few seconds. Merely doing this workout will help prevent injuries and allow soccer players to keep their bodies in good condition.

• Dumbbell Step Ups: The lower body is crucial to conditioning when there’s a big game coming up, and it’s important to be in top shape. Dumbbell step-ups are fantastic for a complete lower body workout as it exercises the legs, quads, hamstrings, thighs, and glutes. It works by standing in front of a box or bench while having a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Then with one leg, step up on the bench or box and lift your knee at a 90-degree angle lifting your whole body on top of the bench and keeping your other leg off the bench. It targets the hamstrings well, making them strong, stable, and well stretched out on the field.

• Plyometrics: Agility is heavily emphasized as the key to being a great soccer player. As we said before, power is essential in all sports. Still, soccer players must combine that power with many other things, such as speed and agility. Plyometrics is an exercise that is aimed at working on both explosive strength and coordination at the same time. This workout starts by setting up plyometric boxes in a row and then jumping on and off in different ways that require different types of movement. Plyometric training is crucial to soccer players because not only does it help with explosiveness and agility, but a study shows that ground time reactions are decreased, allowing soccer players to react to plays faster.   

• Medicine Ball Push Ups: Although soccer is mainly a sport that requires a lot of power and strength in the lower body, the upper body should not be neglected. Goalkeepers must have quick, explosive power when grabbing balls out of the air before hitting the net and blocking shots with their chest. The best way to work on these skills is doing medicine ball push-ups. These medicine ball push-ups work not only the chest and arms but also the shoulders and core. When doing these push-ups, your hands are resting on a medicine ball that requires you to stabilize your body so you don’t roll with the ball. This activates your core and shoulders to keep you in place.

• Barbell Rollouts: Soccer players must have a solid core to play at their peak. It is good overall for the body, but you must use your core in certain situations. For example, when blocking a shot or a direct free kick, you will need to be able to take a ball to the gut at some point. So, to have the best core possible for soccer, one of the best workouts you can do is barbell rollouts. Barbell Rollouts are a very grueling workout requiring a person to get a barbell, get on their knees, roll the barbell into them, and then roll it out while flexing their core. This may sound simple, but after doing this for a couple of minutes, your abs will start to feel the burn, but if you persist and keep doing it, you will have a rock-solid stomach that can take a blow. 

• Zigzag Sprint: In soccer, you must be able to run; there is no denying that. However, you also have to be able to run and change directions quickly. If you’re running across a big field, it’s going to take more than just speed for you to get across as fast as you can; you have to have agility. Many professional soccer players know this, so they practice multiple running workouts to keep them in shape. Still, one workout is very crucial to their performance on the field. Out of all the running exercises, the zigzag sprints are one of the most important. Combining speed with abrupt stops and turns builds speed, explosiveness, and agility, which are the foundations of making a great soccer player.             

• Turkish Get-Ups: Soccer players use more than just their lower body for playing. They need full body strength to keep their agility and speed going while turning their bodies in many directions. This exercise gives them the necessary power to play a great game. A goalie would need to do this exercise for good shoulder mobility and core strength. To do it properly, start on the floor with your back on the ground, your right knee bent, and your left extended out. Hold the dumbbell with your right hand and your left arm extended at a diagonal angle with your palm on the ground. Extend your right arm straight up parallel to your shoulder with the weight. Push your hips up, bend the left knee, and bring the leg in from behind. Your other leg should be up at a 90-degree angle in front of you. Then you will bring your body up from a lunge position and stand up with the weight over your body. This full-body workout is a great way to go to build the stability of a quality soccer player.

So when thinking about how some of your favorite players can accomplish some of those fantastic plays you see on TV, remember it’s not just about talent. It’s also hard work and dedication to fitness to be at their best physically.

As the 2018 World cup slowly comes to an end we want to take a trip down memory lane and shed some light on the top 10 goals. This has definitely been an exciting world cup as teams that were not expected to advance have managed to prove themselves and represent their countries very well.

Here are our 10 Faves:

Denis Cheryshev’s from Russia starts the game off with a beautiful goal against Croatia leading his team 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Benjamin Pavard from France scores an impressive right side goal against Argentina in round of 16 to help France defeat Argentina 4-3.

 Ahmed Musa fantastic goal against Iceland during their second game in the World Cup left the crowd screaming with excitement. After losing their first game to Croatia, Nigeria made sure to redeem themselves against Iceland.

Luka Modric showed just how talented his footwork was during Croatia’s game with Argentina giving Croatia a 2-0 lead.

Aleksandar KOLAROV – Costa Rica v Serbia – MATCH 10, Kolarov sent fans screaming in amazement with this sidekick that looked so close to touching the side netting but he got the job done.

Nacer Chadli Goal – Belgium vs. Japan. Belgium showed an excellent showcase of teamwork on the second half match against Japan.

Kevin DE BRUYNEl – Brazil v Belgium – MATCH 58. DE BRUYNE was able to shoot a clean shot scoring against Brazil after Romelu Lukaku was able to pass him the ball before falling to the ground.

Kylian Mbappe scored a remarkable goal against Argentina during round of 16 to give France a 3-2 lead. Mbappe at only 19 yr old has been doing an incredible job and is proving every game that he is truly one of the best players for France.

Luis Suarez a forward from Uruguay score an incredibly close contact goal against Saudi Arabia in match 18. Suarez has been very impressive in this year’s world cup, this is one of many great shots delivered by Suarez during this year’s world cup.

JESSE LINGARD (ENGLAND VS PANAMA)- match 30- Lingard delivered an impressive high kick shot against Panama and earning his team 3-0 score that contributed to  England’s win, finishing it off with a victory dance that is popular in the U.S.

https://youtu.be/RLKOtYEffjE

The HFR team and Samir Becic, author of the Harper Collins fitness book ReSYNC Your Life, and 4-time #1 fitness trainer in the world researched the World Cups most remarkable players and deciphered the fittest among them.

Here are the Top 10 Fittest Players that the 2018 FIFA World Cup in alphabetical order:

Antoine Griezmann

A post shared by Antoine Griezmann (@antogriezmann) on Sep 26, 2017 at 10:47am PDT

• Europa league winner while playing for the Spanish Club “Atletico Madrid”  
• Made is debut the French Professional club “Real Sociedad” in the 2009-2010 season where he performed extremely well scoring five goals in four games of the pre-season campaign
• Won the Euro 2016 Golden Boot award
• Has scored 79 goals for Atletico Madrid in his career with them  
• Has scored 40 goals for  Real Sociedad in his career with them
• Was awarded Euro 2016 Topscorer award
• A previous European Under 19 champion
• Most of his workouts are based around the Atletico Madrid pre-season training regime which  focuses on ball handling and stamina by doing drills such as toe touches with a soccer ball and multiple footwork drills
• You will see that Antoine Griezmann mainly gets his workouts from practicing his on the training field. Rather it’s him working on his side shots with Atletico Madrid or just working on his ball handling skills with the French team he is always wanting to do something related to soccer  
• He does he keep himself physically active with other fun recreational activities rather it be driving golf balls at the range or him shooting some free throws on the court    
• Antoine Griezmann diet mainly consists of healthy carbohydrates due to the high amount of energy that soccer requires
• Occasionally will enjoy some sweets every now and then
• Being French, he also drinks wines occasionally but only for very special occasions like his honeymoon   

Cristiano Ronaldo

Vencedores

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Jun 2, 2018 at 4:32am PDT

• Has won Ballon d’Or 5 times, World Player of the Year, Golden Boot, and World Club championship which are a few of the many awards that he has received while playing Manchester United and Real Madrid CF.
• He also received the Guinness World Record for the most goals in UEFA Champions League season.
• Ronaldo trains at the gym by starting off with a cardio based warm-up and then working out with a mix of cardiovascular training and weights, such as rowing and barbell squats, exercises targeting all body areas.
• Unsurprisingly, he eats well and regularly with a diet of high protein, whole-grains, and fruits and vegetables eaten in six smaller meals throughout the day.

Denis Cherysev

Hoy es día de descanso. Mañana nos ponemos las botas otra vez!! Сегодня выходной, бутсы только завтра наденем

A post shared by Denis Cheryshev (@cheryshev90) on Oct 4, 2016 at 6:29am PDT

• Winning the Sevilla FC Europa League in season 13/14 and Real Madrid Champions League 15/16, Cherysev shouldn’t be overlooked for he is lucky since he had a rough period in “Copa-gate” Euro 2016, but has proven to be a vital player for the Russian team with 2 Man of the Match trophies and 3 goals after two games.
• Besides participating in regular practice, Cherysev likes to surf on his down time which takes a lot of balance and core strength and train with a lot of cardio exercises, such as hurdle sprints and zig-zag jumping
• He is not one to stick to a strict diet so he balances his meals and indulges in a sweet treat once in a while

Edinson Cavani

Últimas actividades ”Winter Tour Qatar”. #VisitQatar Dernières activités ”Winter Tour Qatar”. #VisitQatar Ultime attività ”Winter Tour Qatar”. #VisitQatar Last activities ”Winter Tour Qatar”. #VisitQatar

A post shared by Edinson Cavani (@cavaniofficial21) on Dec 22, 2017 at 10:42am PST

• Edinson Cavani has won Ligue 1 Player of the Year,
• Has won Ligue 1 Top Goalscorer twice,
• Edinson Cavani was awarded CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qualification Top Goal Scorer 2018 with 10 goals.
• On fitness, Edinson Cavani can be quoted as saying “once you get to a professional level, being a footballer is like being a machine. You must look after your body, especially when preparing for the new season.”
• His training is similar to Neymar’s as they both play for PSG. On his Instagram, you’ll find training photos of him deadlifting, working on his core, or recovering with some cryotherapy.
• On his Instagram, Cavani can be seen cooking up a meal after a match win.
• The meal his high protein with plenty of colorful vegetables.
• While you may occasionally spot him enjoying a glass of wine, Cavani takes his nutrition just as seriously as he takes his training.

Jordan Pickford

Good day at @unit29fitness getting ready for Monday #Everton #sendthemin

A post shared by Jordan Pickford (@jpickford1) on Jul 12, 2017 at 6:10am PDT

• Pickford is a 24 yr old Goalkeeper for England’s soccer team
• Everton Players’ Player of the Season: 2017
• Everton Young Player of the Season: 2017–18
• England Under-21 Player of the Year: 2017
• Pickford made sure to watch what he ate in preparation for this World Cup.

Kylian Mbappe

@julienscussel @psg

A post shared by Kylian Mbappé (@k.mbappe29) on Apr 21, 2018 at 10:11am PDT

• At just the Age of 19, Mbappe is 1x World Cup Winner, 2x French Champion Winner, 1x French Cup Winner, 1x French League Cup Winner, 1x European Under-19 Champion.
• He is also Donating $500,000 USD of his world cup winnings to a charity called Premiers de Cordees, an organization that host sporting events for children with disabilities.
• During an interview with GQ Mbappe revealed how he manages to stay so fit.

• He starts off every work out with warm-ups to prepare his body
• He Then he Moves on to Some resistance training
• Then he Moves to advanced resistance training
• He cycles for cardio training at times  
• He practices balance training for coordination.
• Just like most members who thrive to be great Mbappe keeps his body toxins free. He does not have published diet plan that he goes by

Lionel Messi

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi) on Sep 19, 2017 at 3:36pm PDT

• As an Argentinian legend, Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or 5 times.
• Lionel Messi is a 4-time European Golden Boot winner,
• Lionel Messi is a World Cup Golden Ball Winner,
• Was a 4 time La Liga Top Scorer,
• Was a 5-time Champions League Top Scorer,
• Lionel Messi is a 2-time UEFA Best Player in Europe Award winner.
• Craig Friedman, who designs training programs for professional and elite athletes, believes that Messi, in order to maintain his speed on the field and ball-handling abilities, divides his workouts into linear and multi-directional speed.
• The workouts focus on movement preparation, plyometrics, and movement skills, featuring the following exercises: lateral bounds, 3-hurdle drills, and acceleration drills.
• After struggling with vomiting during games, the Argentinian switched to a plant-based diet that focuses on five key foods, water, olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables. After switching to this diet, Messi lost approximately 3 kilograms.

Luka Modric

Win before heading to the World Cup! Hvala Slavonijo… #CroSen 2:1 #IznadSvihHrvatska

A post shared by Luka Modric (@lukamodric10) on Jun 9, 2018 at 11:45am PDT

• One of the best players Croatia has,
• Luka Modric is a 4x Champion League Winner,
• Is a previous Spanish Champion
• Luka Modric is a previous Spanish Cup Winners,
• 2-time Spanish Super cup winner,
• 3-time FIFA World Cup Winner,
• 3-time Croatian Champion,
• 3-time UEFA Super Cup Winner,
• 2-time Croatian Cup winner,
• 7-time Player Of The Year.
• It’s easy to know which players stayed in shape when preseason training comes along. Modric has come a long way and did not slack during offseason because according to Mirror Sport UK he is a fitness freak.
• He is 5 ft 7¾ in or 172 cm and weighs 67 kg or 148 Ibs and despite his size, he pushes himself to earn the title as one of the best midfielders in his era.
• He shares himself on his personal Instagram page doing exercises like lifting weights, doing lots of field drills.
• Modric Eats a clean diet and lives a healthy life. He does not smoke and hardly drinks.

Neymar de Silva Santos Jr

Máximo respeito por ti ídolo @romariofaria

A post shared by Nj neymarjr (@neymarjr) on Jun 10, 2018 at 9:38am PDT

• Neymar de Silva Santos Jr is a forward for the Soccer team of Brazil
• Won four Player of the year awards straight
• Has 202 club goals from 346 appearances
• 53 goals from 83 international appearances
• Joined the youth side of Portuguese team Santos FC at age 11
• Made his debut for the Portuguese team Santos FC where he scored 14 goals in 48 games in his debut season winning him the “Best Young Player” Award
• Scored 70 goals and assisted 35 times in 134 appearances in his club career
• He led his club to their first Copa Libertadores title in 43 years
• In 2016 Rio Olympics Neymar led Brazil as the captain of the team and scored the only goal in the 1-1 draw between Brazil and Germany. He help take home the winning penalty in the shootout to win Brazil its first Olympic football gold medal.
• He first starts his workout by stretching and focusing on flexibility. Once he’s finished stretching he then averts his attention to strength building exercises such as squat jumps, rope skipping, hopping hurdles and short sprints. His second phase of his workout helps him focus mainly on his movement. Neymar starts the part of this workout by doing pillar steps, forward lunges and multi directional lunges.
• He also uses plyometrics to increase his fast twitch fibers which help him with speed overall
• When he goes to the gym he does a circuit which allows him to not only build muscle but endurance
• His diet consist of around 2600-3200 calories a day
• Divides his caloric intake into two main groups 60% coming from carbohydrates and 30% coming from protein with the last 10% coming from fats
• Mainly eats complex carbs to give him plentiful amounts of energy
• Avoids proteins that contain a large amount of cholesterol and fat
• Has multiple small meals a day to keep his metabolism going

Romelu Lukaku

Thanks for the support

A post shared by Romelu Lukaku (@romelulukaku) on Jun 8, 2018 at 12:37pm PDT

• As a Premier League Football and Belgian National Team star, Romelu Lukaku, at just 25 years old has been named a Europa League Top Scorer and been on an FA Cup Winning Team.
• Standing at 6’4”, Romelu has his size as an advantage. However, he continues to push his body to its limits to increase his power and pace using TRX cables, dumbbells, core exercises, plyometrics and reaction drills.
• He also uses ladders, short sprints with resistance bands, and longer sprints with a weight sled.
• In addition to the training he does with the team, he also trains five times a week at home. In a Youtube video with Nike Training, Lukaku claims that “you train how you play” a mantra that drives him to pushes him to train harder than his opponents.
• In his earlier years as a player, Lukaku struggled with junk food cravings and, during the summer would indulge in “burgers, pizzas, and everything[he] loves.”
• However, Lukaku now limits his red meat intake due to a belief that it has negative effects on his tendons.
• He has a chef who prepares him protein dense meals and sweet potato and porridge in the mornings.
• Now that he’s older, Lukakut claims to “try to be careful with food in general.”
• According to Samir Becic, founder of HFR, Lukaku needs to lose 10 lbs.

Honorary Mentions:

Ahmed Musa

There is no better way to describe my feelings for the club than this: “Thanks a lot for making the club a fun place to be. Your contributions to my success in football will forever remain in my heart. Many thanks for your support, guidance, and encouragement. I enjoyed working with you. Will not forget to say a big thank you to the coaches,my team mates the management and the fans. CSKA will always be in my heart .

A post shared by Ahmed Musa MON (@ahmedmusa718) on Jun 15, 2018 at 10:54am PDT

• Musa is one of Nigeria’s top soccer players and showed his ability to follow through on game two with Ice Land by scoring the remarkable shot that won the game for the team.
• He won the Russian championship three times,
• Was a previous Russian Cup Winner,
• 2-time Russian Super Cup Winner,
• Was a previous Africa Cup Winner
• As far as fitness goes Musa believes that fitness is very important to him as he opens up a fitness center in his home town Kano Nigeria.
• From his social media outlets Musa loves field practicing, running and light weight training
• Musa does not have a particular diet, he enjoys several of his native dishes but makes sure to stay clear from drugs and alcohol.

Ludwig Augustinsson

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

A post shared by Ludwig Augustinsson (@ludwigaugustinsson) on Aug 25, 2016 at 2:47am PDT

• European under 21 Champion,
• 3 time Danish Cup winner,
• 2 time Danish Champion,
• Swedish Cup winner.
• Augustinsson loves to train but emphasizes that having fun while exercising is when you are doing it right. To him, if it feels right then it’s good enough, like barbell deadlifts.
• Augustinsson also seems to have a high protein and carb diet by eating foods such as sushi and meat with potatoes

Harry Kane

3 points 3 goals #UCL #COYS #ChampionsLeague #hattrick

A post shared by Harry Kane (@harrykane) on Sep 26, 2017 at 2:14pm PDT

• Two time top scorer with the Premier League
• Two time top scorer with the Tottenham Hotspur
• Was named the Premier League of the Month six times
• Included in the PFA young player of the year three times
• Received the  Premier League Golden Boot award twice
• He won against Southend United by scoring a hat trick
• His weekly training regimen involves three-hour outdoor training sessions with additional gym sessions
• Play different sports like cricket, golf, and American football
• His gym sessions involve mountain climber push-ups, vertical jumps, plank pushups, leaning tower lunges, shoulder taps and many more workouts that he alternates between
• His diet starts with eggs brown toast and spinach in the morning
• For lunch, he has chicken breast with mixed vegetables
• Tries to focus on carb consumption during either during lunch or dinner
• Snacks on nuts, fresh fruits, or natural yogurt
• Makes sure he’s hydrated by drinking plenty of water

Isco Alarcon

Mañana empieza @laliga ! A por todas

A post shared by Isco Alarcon Suarez (@iscoalarcon) on Aug 19, 2017 at 4:15am PDT

• Isco has 4 Champion League Titles, 1 La Liga Title, 3 UEFA Super Cups, and 3 Club World Cups all under Real Madrid.
• He is known for his close passes and has scored 10 goals earning him 26 caps for Spain.
• Isco knows being is shape is very important so he works out in the gym a lot while training with things such as hurdle sprints.
• He also enjoys other activities such as swimming which is great for the legs.
• Isco likes to eat with his friends and family when he can. He eats balanced diet, however, will have a “bad” snack or two even while training.

Radamel Falcao

Mi princesa más pequeña

A post shared by Falcao (@falcao) on Jul 4, 2017 at 5:23pm PDT

• Radamel Falcao is a two time Europa League Top Scorer and the All-Time Top Scorer for Colombia.
• Falcao’s career hit a road bump when he injured his knee and was unable to play in the 2014 World Cup. However, in the two years following this injury, Falcao focused on his rehabilitation, working to return to his former glory.
• On his Instagram, he can be seen working on his balance and core with stability balls and TRX bands.
• Falcao plays for AS Monaco, a club that focuses on educating their players on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and how eating right can benefit their performance.
• The player’s diets are personalized by nutritionists and their blood is drawn to ensure that they are well hydrated and receiving the all nutrients that they need.

Xherdan Shaqiri

#XS23#hoppschwiiz#worldcup2018#elhamdulillah

A post shared by XS (@shaqirixherdan) on Jun 28, 2018 at 1:51am PDT

• Xherdan is a 26 yr old right winger for Switzerland
• Previous Champions League Winner,
• 3-time German Champion,
• 2-time German Cup Winner,
• 3-time Swiss Champion,
• 2-time Swiss Cup Winner,
• Previous Fifa Club World Cup Winner,
• Previous UEFA Supercup Winner,
• Previous German Super Cup Winner,
• 2-time Footballer of the year.
• By just looking at Shaqir you can tell he cares very much about fitness.
• Shaqiri is 5’7 159 lbs and has an impressive workout plan, from intense field workouts like lunges, pulls, plyometric jumps and many more
• It is obvious that he also never misses a leg day. We found this video of him showing a little of his workouts on Youtube
• There’s no exact reported diet but Shaqiri speaks about being responsible with the way he eats and knowing how to behave.

Takashi INUI

昨日、一昨日は休みで２連休でした(^^) 家族でSan Sebastián に泊まりで行ってきました ２日連続で海に入りました ちょっと冷たかったけど、気持ちよくて楽しかったー       泳いだり、久しぶりに山作ってトンネル作ったり、散歩したりゆっくりできて楽しい２連休でしたー 今週からリーグ開幕！！！ いい準備して頑張ります

A post shared by Takashi Inui／乾貴士 (@takashi.08) on Aug 15, 2017 at 4:40am PDT

• Was the Letterwinner of the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament in 2006
• At age 19 he signed with for the Yokohama F. Marinos of the J. League Division 1
• Was traded to the German club Vfl Bochum in July 2o11 and after an impressive season with the Vfl Bochum Takashi signed a three year contract with Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.
• Takashi played with Frankfurt for four seasons were he made 87 appearances and 9 goals
• On May 21 2017 Takashi became the first ever Japanese player to score against La Giga giants F.C Barcelona
• Takashi has 27 caps for his national team
• Was named in Japan’s starting 11 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
• Ever since his announced his debut to play for the La Liga organization his training regime has been modified to get him ready for that situation
• This involves footwork, sprints and agility training but although it maybe tiring Takashi is always happy to be working to play soccer as you can see in this instagram post  
• He also stays fit by doing recreational activities with family like swimming
• His diet is very generic in the sense that it replicates of what a lot of other soccer players are doing in order to achieve maximum performance. This involves a heavy focus on proteins, fats and most importantly carbs.
• Due to his activity level Takashi consume a plethora of carbs in order to give enough energy to make it through his workouts
• Only weighing 139 pounds he makes sure that his caloric intake is in balance with everything he his doing as well as body weight

As promised, here is my analysis of the teams before their matches in order to see if I can correctly predict the fittest team. Again, I do not follow football/soccer regularly nor am I an expert.

An average football/soccer player runs, on average, 7-9 miles a game. An average referee runs as much as 12 miles per game. Just being able to do this is not enough!

• France vs. Belgium: 52%-48% advantage France. Both teams are extremely fit and it’s really hard to distinguish, in certain fitness categories, who is fitter. Based on the 15 point criteria, here are the fitness advantages by country:
  • France-  cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, speed, agility, balance
  • Belgium- muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, power, and stamina
• England vs. Croatia: 52%-48% advantage England. Both teams could not be more opposite in their fitness advantages. Yet, they are displaying excellent fitness.
  • England- muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition (definitely the most athletically muscular team in the world cup), power, stamina
  • Croatia- flexibility, agility, speed

As promised, here is my analysis of the teams one day before their matches in order to see if I can correctly predict the fittest team. Again, I do not follow football/soccer regularly nor am I an expert.

An average football/soccer player runs, on average, 7-9 miles a game. An average referee runs as much as 12 miles per game. Just being able to do this is not enough!

• Sweden vs. England: Like I said in my previous predictions, England’s players have dominated in strength, strength endurance, stamina, and power. 51%-49% advantage England even though both teams are very close in my fitness criteria, I still give a small advantage to England.
• Croatia vs. Russia: 55%-45% advantage Croatia based on Croatia dominating in 8 of the 15 fitness criteria, 5 equal, and 2 advantage Russia just by a little.

An average football/soccer player runs, on average, 7-9 miles a game. An average referee runs as much as 12 miles per game. Just being able to do this is not enough!

• France vs. Uruguay: After detailed observation of both teams, I have calculated 55%-45% advantage France. The difference is based on France’s better power, agility, coordination, stamina, and speed. I must say that Uruguay has better fitness results than many teams in the Quarterfinals.
• Brazil vs. Belgium: 52%-48% advantage Brazil. This is based on Brazil scoring higher in speed, agility, coordination, stamina and Belgium scoring higher in strength, strength endurance.

Samir has been comparing the teams on their physical fitness after each match and feels he can predict the quarterfinal fitness levels of each team with 80% certainty. Samir has created a unique mathematical formula that is based on judging 11 different fitness components that were measured in previous games. This does not mean that each teams fitness level will remain the same throughout the tournament, each game will fluctuate based on performance…

Samir is the first fitness expert to analyze each country based on their fitness level in the World Cup 2018.

Stay tuned for Samir’s Quarterfinal Predictions, coming SOON!

*Note: Samir is not a soccer/football expert nor does he follow the sport regularly. His assessments are solely based on his analysis of physical fitness.

From Samir:

Fitness is a crucial part of every game and the European teams have not displayed improvement in their fitness levels since the last World Cup while the other countries have. The two exceptions to this are France and Croatia.

My analysis uses an 11 point criteria + 4 top secret ones including strength, strength endurance, body composition, cardio, flexibility, stamina, speed, agility, coordination, power, and balance.

Fitness analysis of Belgium vs. Japan AKA European boxing vs. Shotokan Karate and Brazil vs. Mexico AKA Brazilian Jiu Jitsu vs. Latino style boxing.

Belgium vs. Japan: My prediction was 54%-46% advantage to Belgium. But after the game, I would say 51%-49% advantage to Belgium.

– Romely Lukaku #9 on the Belgium team had 7-10lbs more weight on him then he should.

– The Japanese team had more explosive power and quickness.

– Based on my 15 point criteria, before the game, I had Belgium stronger in 9 out of the 15 and Japan in 4, 2 were even. After the game, my conclusion would be 8 Belgium vs. 7 Japan

Brazil vs. Mexico: I had 57%-43% advantage to Brazil before the game. After the game, I would give 55%-45% advantage Brazil.

-I gave Brazil an advantage in 11 out of the 15. 2 were equal, and 2 to Mexico.

– After the game, I would give Brazil 9 out of the 15, 2 equal, and 4 to Mexico.

– I suggest Brazil improve their physical strength and Mexico work on coordination and agility.

Sweden vs. Switzerland:
Before the game started I was giving Sweden 52%-48%. I was almost correct in my analysis.

Starting at the quarterfinals, I will post my analysis one day before each game. I will give my analysis of the teams one day in advance of their matches in order to see if I can predict the fittest team. Again, I am not a football/soccer expert, nor do I follow the sport.

Samir has created a unique mathematical formula that will be based on judging several different fitness components that were measured in previous games. This does not mean that each teams fitness level will remain the same throughout the tournament, each game will fluctuate based on performance. 

Samir is the first fitness expert to analyze each country based on their fitness level in the World Cup 2018.

Click here to read his analysis up to now.

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at his segment:

Samir has been comparing the teams on their physical strength after each match and is publishing the results on this page. Samir has created a unique mathematical formula that will be based on judging several different fitness components that were measured in previous games. This does not mean that each teams fitness level will remain the same throughout the tournament, each game will fluctuate based on performance.

Samir is the first fitness expert to analyze each country based on their fitness level in the World Cup 2018.

Here are up to date analyses:

• Portugal vs. Iran Fitness Analysis: This was the toughest game to judge from a fitness comparison standpoint. Throughout the game, Portugal and Iran had some moments when they were fitter than the other team in terms of agility, cardio, mobility, coordination, and team unity but never more than +/- 5%.As a European (probably the only one who does not watch soccer) I didn’t have a clue that Iranians were so good at football/soccer! Strength wise, both teams were good, slight advantage to Iran. Cardio wise, both teams were good. Coordination wise both teams were exceptional, slight advantage to Portugal. Team synergy and overall energy, both teams were exceptional.
  
  Even though as a European, I would like to give a slight advantage to Portugal, but my professional ethics obligates me to give both teams two thumbs up in regards to physical fitness.
• France vs. Denmark fitness analysis: Both teams didn’t display the fitness abilities that I believe they have. Cardio, mobility, coordination, strength, and team synergy were +/- 5% throughout most of the game and during a few occasions, 10%.The reason for this cautious behavior is because both teams know that they have been qualified for the next round of the World Cup and therefore probably wanted to minimize their injury risk, conserve energy, and avoid yellow and red cards.

  Both teams will need to step up their fitness tremendously in the next round! However, analyzing each player individually, I saw some very fit ones on both teams.

According to Samir, “The Colombian national team had approximately 25% better cardio fitness, 25% greater agility, 20% better coordination, and 15% more mental drive than the Polish team. On the physical strength aspect, the Polish were approximately 15% stronger. Combined together, the Colombians had an overall 20% better fitness level on average than the Polish team, which I think contributed tremendously to their victory.”

Starting Wednesday, June 27th, Samir will compare teams on their physical strength before each match and will publish the results on HFR Magazine. Samir has created a unique mathematical formula that will be based on judging several different fitness components that were measured in previous games. This does not mean that each teams fitness level will remain the same throughout the tournament, each game will fluctuate based on previous performance.

Samir is the first fitness expert to analyze each country before each match and compare them based on fitness level in the World Cup 2018.

The matches Samir will analyze based on the fitness level of the teams in Round of 16 will be:

Saturday, June 27th:

France vs. Argentina

Uruguay vs. Portugal

Sunday, June 28th:

Spain vs. Russia

Croatia vs. Denmark

The HFR team and our founder (and horse aficionado) Samir Becic, author of the book ReSYNC Your Life are sharing with you the 6 most read articles in the world on how horses impact health:

The Health Benefits of Horseback Riding

Top 10 Health Benefits of Owning a Horse

Top 10 Health Tips We Can Learn From Horses

Social and Mental Benefits of Horse Ownership

Top 10 Fitness Tips to Improve Horseback Riding

Study: Horseback Riding Linked to Increase in Hormone Levels in the Elderly

Despite Hurricane Harvey and not being able to play in their home park for several games, the Astros rose above it all and brought home the W for their city. They have also been sporting patches on their jerseys right above their hearts that say “strong”. This proves that this win wasn’t just for the Astros, but for Houston. We at HFR want to congratulate the Houston Astros for winning the World Series against all odds!

If you want to join the Astros in celebrating this victory, heading downtown Houston this Friday, November 3rd, at 2 p.m. The parade and Mayor Sylvester Turner will honor the players, coaches, staff, and families of the team. The parade will start on Smith St. at Lamar, proceed north on Smith, east on Walker, south on Milam, west on Pease, north on Smith, and ending at Lamar Street. Make sure you get there with plenty of time to park!

Samir Becic and the HFR Institute put in 500 man-hours to compile this list of the 10 most all-around fit athletes. The list started with hundreds of professional athletes from various sports and was eventually narrowed down to the fittest 10. The list, though difficult to narrow down, was a result of extensive research by the HFR institute.

“It’s not important who the fittest athletes in the world are,” Samir Becic said. “What’s important is that all the athletes spread the message of having a healthy lifestyle. With a healthy lifestyle, physical fitness, healthy nutrition, mental, social and spiritual balance, we can control, manage or completely avoid over 70% of all illnesses known to mankind.”

With all the marketing and press in the news, you’d have to be living under a rock to not know everything that’s been going on leading up to this big fight. If you are up to date, then you know that their press conference tour has been getting lots of attention from everyone. You also should know that half of McGregor and Mayweather’s success comes from their outspoken attitudes, not just boxing skills. Every day you see a new video on Facebook of Mayweather driving a new Bugatti, or McGregor screaming in his Irish accent about how Godly he is.

These two big personalities have been clashing at press conferences, getting a little too close for comfort as two people who claim to hate each other. McGregor has been much more outspoken than Mayweather, going on talk shows like “Conan” and ESPN’s “Sunday Conversation”. Mayweather doesn’t have to do much publicity since he’s coming out of retirement just for this fight. With all this drama going on, it’s going to be impossible to not watch!

Here is a breakdown of each athlete’s fitness profile, and how they measure up to each other in the world of health and fitness.

Floyd Mayweather, making our list at #8:

• Accomplishments:
  • First championship belt won in 1998 at 21.
  • Record 49-0, 26 knockouts.
  • WBC super featherweight champion, WBC lightweight champion, WBC light-welterweight champion, WBC light-middleweight champion.
  • He is a two-time winner of The Ring magazine’s Fighter of the Year award (1998 and 2007)
  • Three-time winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Fighter of the Year award (2007, 2013, and 2015), and a six-time winner of the Best Fighter ESPY Award (2007–10, 2012–14).
  • In 2016 Mayweather peaked as BoxRec’s number one pound for pound fighter of all time; as well as the greatest welterweight of all time.
  • In 2016, ESPN ranked Mayweather as the greatest pound for pound boxer of the last 25 years.
• Workout and Fitness:
  • A favorite pre-fight workout is shadowboxing.
  • Drill work includes sparring, speed & heavy bag, neck workout w/weights, 200 sit-ups, pull-ups, dips, jump rope, and 5-8 mile run.
• Diet and Nutrition:
  • Personal chef Quiana Jeffries said Mayweather only eats organic fruits/veggies and focuses on high levels of protein, low carbs, and no pork!
• Community Involvement:
  • Founded the Mayweather Foundation, which empowers and encourages community alliances, impacts youth leadership and strengthens family foundations through community development, entrepreneurialism, and education resulting in a healthier community.

Conor McGregor, making our list at #9:

• Accomplishments:
  • He is the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion and former UFC Featherweight Champion.
  • He has competed as a featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight.
  • Has fastest victory in UFC title fight history- 13 seconds into the first round.
  • Became the first fighter in UFC’s history to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously.
  • He is known for being the biggest pay-per-view draw in MMA.
• Workout and Fitness:
  • Does not adhere to a strict schedule, but as soon as he wakes up, he’s moving.
  • Said he is self-taught and nothing is done by the clock.
  • Does yoga every day and believes that balance is imperative- anything that doesn’t improve his core is not beneficial in his opinion.
  • Does jiu-jitsu.
  • Boxes.
  • Swims.
  • Jump ropes.
  • Lifts weights.
  • Dead hangs from objects.
  • According to him, however, his most valuable skill is intangible. “My belief is my best asset, and I have a stronger mindset than my opponent,” he says.
• Diet and Nutrition:
  • Drinks water first thing in the morning, even before coffee.
  • Tackled his sweet tooth by substituting his cravings with cinnamon instead.
  • Has a notorious “Eat Clean” diet.
  • His coach posted a picture of the fridge his McGregor’s house and the entire contents of it included: salmon, chicken, steak, fruit and veg.
  • No bread.
  • Doesn’t eat fast food.
  • Has said “I have a sweet tooth — that would be where I’d put on some weight out of fighting is somebody brings in a pack of cakes and coffee. But the majority, I’ll eat good-quality meats, good-quality greens, good-quality carbohydrates like sweet potato and butternut squash, and that is it.”
• Community Involvement:
  • Has done various appearances to raise funds for the homeless charities in Ireland.
  • In 2015 he donated €50,000 to two of Ireland’s homeless charities: Simon Community and Focus Ireland.

With two incredibly fit athletes, it’s hard to say who will win this fight. Are you ready to place your bets? Who do YOU think will win?

So now that TO is retired, he must be sipping rum drinks on his private yacht in the Caribbean, right?

That’s not exactly how it turned out. Like so many other professional athletes, T.O. filed for bankruptcy not long after he hung up his cleats. To the average American who makes less in an entire year than star players make in a single game, this is unthinkable. Yet Darrell Johnson, a sports and crisis management expert and founder of Ty Ryan Sports Group, says that it happens all the time. It’s the worst for black athletes, who Darrell claims are the most vulnerable to financial ruin. A shocking 90% run into financial trouble after they retire.

In an interview with HFR founder Samir Becic, he explained why that is, and how he thinks the problem can be fixed.

From Passion to Profession

Darrell started his career by helping athletes who found themselves in trouble. When professional athletes run into media scrutiny, they often don’t know where to turn. Darrrell discovered that he had a talent taking control of the situation and giving advice.

Soon, his passion grew into a profession. He started a crisis management program, but didn’t stop there. He had a vision for a new, all-inclusive type of agency, one that covered PR, marketing, law, management, and negotiation.

His service is in hot demand. Professional athletes often find themselves on the side of trouble, with many of the most visible 3% of athletes finding themselves on the wrong side of a drug or assault scandal.

So when they have a problem they have 48 hours to contact Darrell so that he can help them get out in front of it. He said that many athletes think the problem will just go away, that if they hide at home the media will move on to the next issue. That’s not the case. Darrell advises players to fall on their sword, or risk losing money after 5 years.

Taxes, Child Support, and the Apathetic Agent

While media scandals follow many athletes during their career, the harsh reality of bankruptcy is the real specter haunting retired pros. Hence, the original question: how can guys like Warren Sapp and Terrell Owens lose more money than most people will ever make? Is it even possible to spend 100 million on houses, cars, and clothes?

Lavish spending is part of the problem, but it doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story.  

Darrell explains that the main problem is that young African-American athletes who were raised in a family that never knew anything about financial investments are suddenly gifted a large salary at a young age. The agent gets his payout immediately, so he doesn’t much care what happens down the line.

Darrell explained: “3 years after African-Americans retire, 89% of them are broke. The reason is because they don’t get the financial advice that the white athlete gets. The white athlete chooses a white accountant, agent, and lawyer who understand his background.

But 9 out of 10 times theses agents don’t understand the African-American athletes’ background. It is up to the financial advisor and agent to come together to protect the guys future, but they don’t. They are not setting up trusts or nonprofit accounts.”

He went on to explain just how it happens. Imagine a young African-American guy who grew up in the impoverished 5th Ward of Houston. He’s never came from money, but has a real talent for football. All of a sudden he gets whisked off to Notre Dame on a scholarship. He experiences total culture shock, he’s in a stadium of 100,000 screaming fans and the first time in his life he has someone give him something.

Then when he goes into the NFL another white man gives him a contract, so he develops this trust. But he’s never advised on how to invest his money. They’re not educated about it, and they don’t have their money with someone who truly cares about them. Then they have to pay taxes in every state they play in (the “jock tax”), expensive child support payments, and endless friends and family who feel like they are owed a piece of the pie.

Reinvesting in Your Community

The great disparity led Samir to ask whether or not this problem wasn’t based in racial bias. Considering that the NFL is a hugely popular entity, why couldn’t they do anything to prevent the agents from going broke? The NFL says they set up financial education training, but it is often cursory and ineffective. Is there a solution to this problem?

Darrell had one solution: black athletes should give black agents a chance with their money. This will let them keep the immense wealth within the community, invested in trust funds and non-profits that give back. Darrell says that’s exactly what his agency does. He helps athletes with financial planning from day 1, setting up trusts and non-profit foundations in their name. The care of someone who knows the struggle and has the black athlete’s best interest at heart means that none of his clients have filed for bankruptcy. He hopes more African-American athletes will consider working with black lawyers in the future.

Samir concluded the interview by saying: “Darrell is a man who cared for people first and then turned that passion into a profession. But he always kept that care first.”

The athletes on this list not only achieved the impossible by winning a medal, they did so time after time, tournament after tournament. In honor of the upcoming Rio Olympics, we researched the 10 most decorated Olympians who have won more medals than anyone else.

• Michael Phelps– 22 Olympic medals: 18 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze
  • This team USA swimmer is off to his 5TH OLYMPIC GAMES this August as, undeniably, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 Olympic medals (and soon to be more judging by his Olympic trials).  
• Larisa Latynina: 18: 9 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze  
  • The reigning champion on the medal count until 2008- when Phelps knocked her off her throne- this Soviet gymnast competed in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 summer games. She still holds some serious records though: she is 1 of 3 women ever to win the same event in the games 3 times, and 1 of 4 athletes to have won 9 gold.
• Nikolai Andrianov: 15: 7 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze
  • This USSR gymnast competed in 1972, 1976 and 1980 summer games, winning more medals than any male gymnast to date. Once his Olympic career came to a close he spent his time coaching: from the Soviet Union’s junior national team to Japan to his home town’s gymnastics school.
• Ole Einar Bjørndalen: 13: 8 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze
  • This Norwegian is the single most decorated winter Olympian in history with 8 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze medal.  He has competed in 6, yes 6, Olympic Games: 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014. His sport of choice: the biathlon. Retired? Never.
• Boris Shakhlin: 13: 7 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze
  • Another Soviet gymnast, Boris Shakhlin competed before Andrianov’s time in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympic Games. He was known for his particular abilities on the pommel horse as well as the horizontal bar- an exercise that he was distinctly advantaged in due to his height. He retired when he turned 35 but remained close to the sport into his 60’s.
• Edoardo Mangiarotti: 13: 6 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze
  • An Italian fencer, Edoardo was the proud sporter of 13 medals. He practiced both the foil and épée styles of fencing. This Olympian had a whopping 4 (ish) decade athletic career from 1936 to 1960. Naturally, during this time he became the most decorated fencer in the sport’s history AND the most accomplished Olympian in Italy’s history.
• Takashi Ono: 13: 5 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze
  • A surely proud member of the gymnastics hall of fame, Takashi Ono competed in four Olympic Games: 1952, 1956, 1960, and 1964. During the  1964 games, he actually took the Olympic Oath at the beginning of the games in his home country; being a representative of all athletes participating to follow the rules of the games and honor the sportsmanship of the event.
• Birgit Fischer: 12: 8 gold, 4 silver
  • This Olympic kayak sprinter has competed under the flags of East Germany and Germany united during her appearances at the 1980, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 Games. After stepping away from her Olympic career, Fischer opened a paddle-training school. She still clutches the record for being both the youngest and the oldest Olympic paddler to get the gold.
• Dara Torres: 12: 4 gold 4 silver 4 bronze  
  • A highly contended competitor in 5 Olympic Games- 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008- Dara Torres has inspired older athletes to remain dedicated in “the hunt” for the gold. In her final Olympic appearance in 2008, she was 41 years old AND she won not 1, not 2, but 3 silver medals. She is the first U.S. swimmer to compete in 5 Olympics. You can’t look at her and not feel inspired.   
• Natalie Coughlin: 12: 3 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze
  • An Olympic three-peat, Natalie has swum in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic Games. In her early days at Cal Berkeley she became the first woman in history to swim a sub-minute 100 meter backstroke at the age of 19. In Beijing, she became the first female athlete to win 6 MEDALS in a single Olympiad AND have a repeat gold in the 100 meter backstroke.   

1. Beyonce will make an appearance at half time, but Coldplay are the main attraction.
2. The Fall of Rome: Super Bowl 50 will be the first Super Bowl to ditch the roman numerals.
3. The odds of a Broncos versus Colts Super Bowl were an infinitesimal 184/1 before the start of the season. Still better than Powerball odds.
4. At 39, Peyton Manning will be the oldest Quarterback to start in a Super Bowl.
5. This will be the first Super Bowl starring two quarterbacks that were #1 overall draft picks.
6. Panther’s QB Cam Newton is one win away from being the first player to win a Heisman Trophy, Associated Press NFL MVP, National Champion, and Super Bowl. Now that’s impressive.
7. More than 1/3 of the country tuned into watch last year’s Super Bowl. Even more saw Katy Perry and the Left Shark, who drew 118 Million viewers.  Oh, and apparently the Left Shark’s low-energy performance was a shrewdly calculated move.
8. On Super Bowl Sunday, Americans will drink 325.5 million gallons of beer and devour 1.25 billion chicken wings. Behind Thanksgiving, Super Bowl is the biggest day for food consumption of the year. So not healthy. Make sure to visit Health Fitness Revolution to find some recovery tips come Monday.
9. This year’s commercials are the most expensive ever. It costs $5 million for a 30 second spot. Tickets to the big game aren’t cheap, either. $6,500 is the lowest you’ll pay to get in.
10. The Super Bowl will be broadcast in over 34 languages.

John Beeden, 53
Sport: Rowing
Accomplishment: First to Row Solo Across the Pacific Ocean

• John Beeden, 53, became the first person to row solo across the Pacific Ocean from North America.
• The British man departed from San Francisco on June 1, 2015 and arrived in Australia on December 27, a 209 day journey.
• He rowed an average of 15 hours a day for a total of 7,400 nautical miles. Resupply boats would drop food off for him when his supply ran low.
• Beeden endured all the dangers of the open ocean. He was stalked by sharks, almost overturned by a whale, and battered by storms. At times his boat was pushed back hundreds of miles by the wind, lengthening his journey and providing extra physical and mental challenge.
• Beeden has also rowed across the Atlantic Ocean.

Maryana Naumova, 16
Sport: Powerlifting
Accomplishment: Bench-pressed 330lbs

• 2015 was another record-shattering year for powerlifting prodigy Maryana Naumova. The Moscow teen holds over 18 world records in weightlifting.
• This March, Maryana Naumova bench-pressed 330 pounds at the Arnold Classic Tournament, the girls’ world record. 330lbs not only gives her the record for strongest girl ever, but puts her in an elite echelon that even few adult men ever reach.
• The “princess of the barbell” has drawn admiration for her weightlifting and criticism for her political activity; she has visited controversial locales such as Syria, North Korea, and Eastern Ukraine.

James Lawrence, 39
Sport: Triathlon
Accomplishment: Completed 50 Ironmans in 50 days

• An Ironman is a triathlon consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, followed by a marathon.
• James Lawrence did an Ironman every day for 50 straight days. He started in Hawaii, moved on to Alaska, then preformed one in each of the contiguous 48 states.
• Ate 4000-6000 calories a day while training and 8,000 calories a day while performing the marathon.
• Lawrence preformed this extreme display of fitness to raise awareness about childhood obesity. Lawrence said “the reason we’re obese is because not many people are preparing food anymore. We’re in a society of fast-paced, instant-gratification attitudes, so a lot of people aren’t taking the time to do home-cooked meals anymore.”

George Hood, 57
Sport: Fitness
Accomplishment: Held a plank for 5 hours and 15 minutes 

• Former Marine and DEA agent George Hood shattered the world record for the longest hold in an abdominal plank position.
• Most workouts call for one minute planks, but Hood stayed in a plank position for a total of five hours 15 minutes and 15 seconds.
• The former record was held by Beijing police officer Mao Weidong. In 2014 Weidong held a plank for four hours and 16 minutes.

Nik Wallenda, 36
Sport: Acrobatics
Accomplishment: Walked across the spinning Orlando Eye

• The acrobatic daredevil Nik Wallenda walked at dizzying heights across the spinning Orlando Eye.
• Using his practice well-honed sense of balance and abdominal strength, Wallenda preformed this dizzying walk.
• Wallenda has also walked across a 1,800 ft. tight rope stretched across Niagara falls.

Tommy Caldwell, 36 and Kevin Jorgeson, 30
Sport: Free-climbing
Accomplishment: First-ever to climb the difficult Dawn Wall  

• The two rock climbers scaled the 3,000 foot face of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley. The Dawn Wall is widely acknowledged to be the most difficult climb in all of rock climbing.
• The duo took 19 days to finish the gravity-defying task. Without any special equipment, they had to rely on only their hands and feet to scale the nearly blank mountain face.
• Food had to be brought up to the climbers on ropes, and they slept in tents hanging vertically off the cliff of the mountain.
• “I seriously doubt if this project could be completed alone. It’s such a huge undertaking. And it’s so easy to get crushed under that weight,” Jorgeson said. “But when you have a partner, it changes everything.”

Jessica Ennis-Hill, 29
Sport: Heptathlon
Accomplishment: Won world title just one year after giving birth 

• A women’s heptathlon consists of seven events: 100 meters hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin throw, 800 meters. The first four events are preformed on day one, the remaining three on day two.
• Ennis-Hill, a 2012 Olympic Champion, won the 2015 Women’s Championship after giving birth just one year ago.
• Not only did Ennis-Hill win the gold, but she amassed an impressive 6,669 points, leaving the second place finisher more than 115 points behind.
• “Only a handful of women have celebrated a world title after giving birth, and the majority of those have come in endurance races, where pregnancy may confer some benefits. But in the heptathlon? Never. In fact many sport scientists I spoke to after Ennis-Hill announced she was pregnant last year privately doubted that it could be done.”

Simone Biles, 18
Sport: Gymnastics
Accomplishment: First woman to win three gold medals, back to back, in the all around portion of the Gymnastics Championships 

• The young gymnast cleaned up at the 2015 Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow. Her gold medal wins at the competition moved her total count to 10.
• Her floor routine, balance beam performance, and pole vault  left the audience stunned as Biles flawlessly executed difficult flips at dizzying speeds.
• Fans are anticipating a huge performance from Simone Biles at this year’s Olympic games in Brazil.

Hidekichi Miyazaki, 105
Sport: Sprinting
Accomplishment: Oldest competitive runner

• Miyazaki entered the Guinness Book of World records as the fast man in the world in the over-105 age group, after sprinting a 100m dash in 42.22 seconds. The centenarian claims that he has scored even better times in practice.
• The elderly Japanese man took up running at 90. He attributes his longevity and high fitness levels to daily exercise and eating in moderation.
• “I can’t think about retiring,” said Miyazaki, who will compete in the Japanese masters championships next month. “I have to continue for a few more years, to show my gratitude to my fans.”

Anders Fannemel, 24
Sport: Ski Jumping
Accomplishment: Longest ski jump ever 

• The Norwegian ski jumper shattered the world record for longest-ever ski jump on February 15, 2015. He sailed an amazing 251 meters (825 feet) through the air.

The funeral service was held at Lakewood Church, in the same building where Malone once played as a member of the Houston Rockets from 1976 to ’82, when it was known as The Summit. The eulogy was given by former teammate and mentee Charles Barkley, who referred to Malone as “dad”. According to the Chronicle, among those in attendance were Malone’s former teammates on the Rockets, Rudy Tomjanovich, Calvin Murphy, John Lucas and Major Jones, as well as Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks, with whom he won the 1983 NBA championship in Philadelphia. They were joined by former NBA players Dominique Wilkins, Ralph Sampson, Clyde Drexler, George Gervin, Artis Gilmore, Alex English, Tracy McGrady and Health Fitness Revolution founder Samir Becic.

Ralph Sampson said of Malone “Basketball was his specialty, but life was his calling. If you meet somebody like that, you gravitate to him. He was never up. He was never down. He was just Moses.”

https://youtu.be/uRFVfv4A2-4

As of early August, Anna Watkins officially came out of retirement for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.

Watkins said when her kids were younger she was happy to be at home with all of the “mommy hormones.” As her kids grew older, Watkins started to think of ways to fill the time and all of a sudden rowing jumped back to the front of her mind.

She compared the road to get back into rowing shape post-pregnancy similar to coming off an injury.

“It’s quite hard to find the balance of going at it constantly and taking care of your joints because all of your ligaments are so loose from not working out for so long,” Watkins said.

The training and nutrition regimen

With Watkins recovering from her pregnancy, her initial training regimen started with humble roots about six months ago: 20 minutes of skipping rope on the back patio, small intervals on the rowing machine, core exercises and some moderate circuit training.

After two months of building stamina, she increased the duration of her workout time to an hour with a regimen consisting of daily running, conditioning, light weights and the rowing machine.

Fast forward to her current training program: 3-4 hours daily of exercise with an ideal goal of two hours on the water and two hours in the gym. Her goal is to get to the boathouse every day, which can prove difficult when juggling time for her children.

“[Getting back into Olympic shape] really taught me to be time efficient,” Watkins remarked over toast and eggs, a well-timed snack between her two training sessions for the day.

Though the Olympic rower diet is notorious for its high-calorie needs (4000 – 5000 calories daily), Watkins eats at a lower caloric level. Ultimately, she hopes to shift the weight she gained from her pregnancy to muscle mass.

Watkins said it’s a blessing and a curse not to be on the full Olympic diet: on one hand it leaves her with less fuel than her training partners; on the other she isn’t struggling to find ways to get all the fuel in.

“It feels like you’re eating all day; a lot of the rowers try to drink the calories by bringing protein shakes with them on the water,” Watkins said.

Her diet rules are relatively simple: carbs before the workout and protein afterwards.The simplicity is both for her benefit and her family’s.

“It’s all kid-friendly with foods like pasta, stir fry, risotto, and homemade pizza,” Watkins said.

Her absolute favorite treat after a long and hard day is her husband’s special toad in the hole – a traditional English dish composed of a Yorkshire pudding with sausages in it; she quickly went on to add that this is only a treat for special occasions.

Paired with incredible weight training and steady aerobic activity, Watkins has tirelessly prepared herself for the rowing trial at the end of October. She knows it will be a challenge but she’s excited to see where she can go. Only time will tell if she is back in her prime condition for the Great Britain Olympic Team Trials in March.

Article by Claire Foster

HFR determined the top 10 summer global sports to watch during the summer. Whether you’re in town, looking to travel, or bound to stay home or at the bar to catch games, these events are sure to draw huge crowds and create connections wherever you are!

Here are the Top 10 global sports for the summer:

• Association Football / American Soccer –  Played by over 250 million players in more than 200 countries, football (or soccer in the U.S.) is known as one of the most popular sports globally.
  • Biggest event is the FIFA World Cup (FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association; in English: International Federation of Association Football) World Cup.
  • The men’s competition was last watched by an estimated 600 million people total in 2014 and the 2015 women’s peaked at 22.86 million TV viewers in the U.S. for the U.S. vs. Japan finale, becoming the highest viewed soccer event in the U.S.
  • The World Cup takes place every four years and features both women’s and men’s leagues.
  • Soccer is dominant in South America, Europe, and Africa but is also a major sport in the U.S., India, Australia, China, Japan and Canada. Soccer also holds some of the highest paid sportsmen such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.  Soccer is typically played year-round, but the FIFA World Cup tournament typically takes place in the month of July.
• Tennis –  Originating in England, Tennis has been gradually rising to becoming one of the top global sports.  Most of the popular competitions taking place from May to September, including the the U.S. Open, the French Open and Wimbledon (the other major event is the Australian Open, which takes place between January and February).
  • Tennis is most popular in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America.
  • Tennis also holds some of the world’s highest paid athletes seen during the biggest tennis event, Wimbledon.
  • Wimbledon is one of the top 10 most watched events in the summer with players representing more than 40 countries.
• Swimming – This sport not only qualifies as a great summer sport because of how crisp and refreshing the water is, but also because swimming is ranked as the second highest sport of interest in the Summer Olympics.
  • The competitive season takes place from April to September,
  • Swimming is most commonly known in the U.S., South America, Asia, and Europe.
• Golf – Rising in fame as a global sport during the Ryder Cup between the U.S. and Europe, many of the most popular golf tournaments takes place between April and August.
  • The Fedex Cup has made this sport popular with winners acquiring a $10 million prize.
  • Golf is not only gaining popular interest in the U.S. and Europe, but also Japan, UK, Australia and South Korea.
• Cycling – With the Tour de France finale rating as one of the top events watched globally, cycling has gained popular interest around the world.
  • The most popular interest lies in Europe with the major Tours taking place in Spain, Italy, and France, and can also be classified as a summer sport in Australia, Mexico, . There is minor popularity in the U.S. and Asia.
  • The typical season for cycling takes place during May and June where millions of events and races take place every year globally.
• Track and field –  Along with swimming, track and field is also a popular summer global sport due to the Summer Olympics.  During the Summer Olympics, track and field has been noted as top-watched sport worldwide.
  • With the season taking place from May to August, track and field has the highest popularity in Europe, Asia, and South America, but has risen to be a major sport in the North America.
• Boxing – Although matches take place year- round, boxing has been challenged at the Summer Olympics every year.
  • Boxing is a major global sport with world champions ranking in from every continent, however, the majority of the popularity is in Japan, Russia, the U.S., the U.K. and Mexico.
  • This sport hosts some of the most popular athletes such as Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather and is rapidly gaining popularity worldwide.
• Baseball – Although baseball has the most popularity in two major countries (the U.S. and Japan), baseball has also been deemed as a major sport in other parts of the world such as: Europe, and South America.
  • Although American baseball’s big event, the World Series, typically takes place in the fall/winter, the majority of the baseball season begins during the summer in the months April to to October.  It has also been noted that MLB and Nippon League are two of the highest attended leagues in the world.
  • For tournament-styled baseball, consider watching the Little League World Series. The series features the youth of the world, ages  representing both the U.S. and other countries from various regions of the world, including Asian-Pacific, the Caribbean, South America, Europe-Africa and several others.
• Horse racing – With the most interest being in the U.K., Australia, U.S., and Japan, horse racing, to non-horse racing enthusiasts, has been known to be a gambling sport, but, it is an entertaining summer sport, no doubt.
  • The popular time for horse racing falls between March and June with major events taking place sole where the sport is very popular.
  • The Melbourne Cup, the Grand National, and the Kentucky Derby are three of the biggest horse racing events that take place annually.
• NASCAR – Although the majority of the popularity for this sport lies in the U.S. where it originated, NASCAR has been recently gaining popularity in European countries, and also Canada and Mexico.
  • The Sprint Cup the final major event for the NASCAR season, taking place from May to November.

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Builds healthy habits – No one expects to eat three cheeseburgers and fries and then go out and set a personal record at a track meet. Coaches encourage athletes to eat properly before and after races. You perform better and feel better when you have proper nutrition during training. A healthy diet allows you to perform to the best of your abilities, so when you are running track you tend to have a more healthy diet.
• Promotes teamwork – Track is an individual as well as team sport. How you perform affects the team, especially in situations such as relay races. All four members are equally important in the race. Each plays a role in the team’s efforts to win. If even one runner does not perform at his best, the whole team may suffer or have to compensate to make up for his weakness.
  In addition to this team bond at track meets, friendships are formed during practices. Runners are expected to train daily and have to endure workouts together. This forms bonds that help make the team stronger.
• Ensures fitness – Running improves your cardiovascular fitness, as well as decreases your risk of a stroke or heart attack. If these habits are started at an early age, then you are more likely to incorporate them in your daily activities. Running also burns fat and increases muscle tone. An estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years are obese, according to the CDC. These statistics only reinforce that running through an organized source, such as track, can improve a participant’s life, not just health.
• Life benefits – Every athlete has an understanding of each sport. In running you will learn commitment, dedication, and discipline. Also you will learn to acknowledge your team opinions and strategy. True athleticism teaches you hard work and makes you a better good example to anyone.
• Sharpens coordination – The uneven surface combined with obstacles such as rocks and tree roots can make trail running quite difficult. However, runners who regularly run on these types of services, quickly learn to maintain better control over their bodies to prevent tripping and stumbling while running. Running on a flat surface such as a track can also result in improved coordination because it forces the body to work together to keep the runner upright and traveling in the correct path. Those who run regularly typically move more fluidly than those who do not run or engage in any type of regular exercise.
• Psychological benefits – Most significantly runners typically report being happier and feeling less stressed than their counterparts who do not run or exercise regularly. Running actually has the ability to alter an individuals moods because endorphins are released while running. These hormones create a sense of euphoria often referred to as a runner’s high and can result in an improvement in the runner’s mood. The act of running allows the individual to focus on the task at hand instead of being worried or stressed about work, family or other stressors. Additionally, running can be very challenging on the body which can result in the individual feeling a sense of accomplishment by completing the run which shifts the focus of his attention from negative stressors to a sense of pride and accomplishment.
• Slow down aging – Those who run regularly are less likely to experience bone and muscle loss as they age at the same pace as those who do not run regularly or at all. The bones grow and become stronger by responding to physical demands. People who run on a regular basis are continually taxing their muscles and their bones so the bones are stimulated to remain stronger and do not as easily weaken with age.
• Fun – Being a member of a track team, whether you are in middle school, high school or college, is fun. You are surrounded by like-minded people with the same goals. Plus, you are not limited to running events. Instead, you use your body in ways you might not in various other sports and activities. The thrill of soaring through the air as you jump over a high bar, or the rush of energy you experience as you use your strength to hurl a discus, will keep a smile on your face throughout the entire school day as you wait patiently to practice your new sport.
• Improves confidence – Racing your body to its greatest potential and crossing the finish line is an empowering experience. Your confidence improves as you trust your heart, lungs and muscles to keep up with your demands. When you race around the track, you depend on no one but yourself, which increases your self-esteem. As your run times improve or your jump heights increase, your confidence grows. This improved self-confidence has a positive impact on other areas of your life, such as academic performance, personal relationships and applying for jobs. Plus, when you exercise, you reduce stress and maintain a healthy weight, which also improves your self-esteem.
• Become a good sport – Running track is a character-building experience. Your coach will push you and motivate you to your limits, and give you tips on how to beat the competition – but you won’t always win. Even with your goal-setting and practicing, you encounter disappointing losses. The loss cannot be blamed on one athlete; you work together as a team. During times of disappointment, you learn to be a good sport as you are humbled, but also motivated to try harder next time. This positive attitude also carries over to your wins; you can be proud but not boastful about your wins, as you have empathy for the losing team.

Health Fitness Revolution compiled a list of the top 10 marathons you aspiring Pheidippideses should participate in, spanning four continents and including countries with rich histories. If you feel the need to drop your pace and take a walk while on your race, don’t feel guilty about it and instead, find inspiration in the sights around you to keep going.

BMW Berlin Marathon: Berlin, Germany

The annual BMW Berlin Marathon is a race all major athletes and amateur runners participate in equally. Established in 1974, the course runs a total distance of 42.195 kms. This marathon is known for veteran runners setting many world records, and is also a favorite to many runners because of its flat and even surface and the beautiful, mildly autumn temperatures. The Berlin Marathon lasts for a total of two days which includes inline skating, marathon courses, power walking, hand biking, wheelchair riders and a children’s marathon.

Tokyo Marathon: Tokyo, Japan

The Tokyo Marathon is an annual event in Japan and is also one of the Six World Marathon Majors (just like the BMW Berlin Marathon!) The Tokyo Marathon is actually split into two different marathons. The Tokyo International Marathon which takes place during even-numbered years and the Tokyo – New York Friendship International Marathon, which takes place during odd-numbered years. Unlike other marathons, the Tokyo Marathon started off being one of the most popular marathons starting off with over 25,000 runners in 2007 and nearly 36,000 runners in 2012. The course runs through the main tourist attractions within the city.

Virgin Money London Marathon: London, UK

The London Marathon is the third largest running event held in the United Kingdom. Given its popularity, the course starts from three different locations, but ends at The Mall of London. The London Marathon also holds a world record as the largest annual fund-raising event in the world raising over 47.2 million pounds for charity (approx. $72.5 million).

Boston Marathon: Boston, Massachusetts

The Boston Marathon is one of the World’s oldest, largest and most successful marathons run to this day and is also ranked as the world’s best-known road racing events.. It is also another one of the marathons listed on the Six World Marathon Majors and is also celebrated as a major American event. The course runs through eight cities and towns: Hoopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston, but what makes this marathon a tough course are the Newton hills. The hill follows a 150 ft. drop all within a half mile stretch which makes it harder for amateur runners to run down from. The race holds marathons for both men and women runners as well as men and women’s wheelchair. Though it’s a tough run, it’s definitely an experience for everyone.

Big Sur International Marathon: Big Sur, California

The Big Sur, as you may have guessed, is a truly big event in California. In addition to the marathon itself the event also includes a 21 mile race, a relay race, a 5k run, and miscellaneous walks. This course is known to be particularly challenging due to the smattering of hills and various elevations. What makes this a favorite for all the runners is the mile marker entertainment and refreshments which not provide water stations, but fresh fruits as well.

Great Wall Marathon: Tianjin, China

The Great Wall Marathon is an annual event held on one section of the Great Wall of China called Tianjin. Apart from the main marathon, there is a 8.5k fun run (which replaced the 5k and 10 k races in 2013). The Great Wall Marathon is known to be one of the world’s most challenging marathons because the entire course is on stone bricks and includes a lot of stepwork with runners climbing and coming down steps.

Marathon de la Baie du Mont Saint- Michel: Cancale, France

This is one of the most beautiful marathons to run and may be the perfect course for amateur runners due to its level surface. The course runs through several cities but consistently maintains a view of the Mont Saint-Michel the entire way. The course even runs through a town next to a beach giving you a picturesque view and refreshing air to breathe. If you are a beginner in the game, this marathon is sure to get you hooked.

The Big Five Marathon: Limpopo, South Africa

The origin of the name came from the famous five animals of Africa: the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. These animals are known as ‘The Big Five Game animals’ because they are known to be the most difficult animals to hunt throughout the continent. The course of the marathon runs through lion territory, giving you a slight rush for all you adrenaline junkies out there. Safety, however, is not an issue as the entire course is monitored by helicopters and armed rangers. You’ll even run through the Savannah Deserts, and though breathtaking in its golden allure, can be particularly deadly due to the pairing of its own dry heat and your own elevated body temperature. If you’re a runner who loves taking big risks, then this one is definitely for you.

Athens Classic Marathon: Athens, Greece

The Athens Classic Marathon dates back to 1972 and is one of the toughest races to embark on. The uphill climb starts at the 10 km mark and ends at the 31 km mark – that’s 21 kilometers (about half the race!) fighting a grueling uphill battle. The finishing point is at the Panathinaiko Stadium, which also served as the finishing point for the Olympics Marathon. If you are a history enthusiast, the course also winds down to a path where it passes the tomb of Athenian soldiers, where, if you know your Ancient Greek history, may play pretend soldier and supplicate the Pagan gods for added strength.

Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris: Paris, France

The Paris Marathon is best known for being one of the fastest courses to get through because of the flat surface and is also known as a test running race – where runners test their readiness for other upcoming races. The course runs straight through the beautiful city of Paris, providing you the opportunity to experience the beautiful views of the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower while on the course. If you are an amateur runner and a romantic, this is a great course to test your abilities and knock Paris from your travel list.

If you’re looking for more marathons to run – especially more domestic ones in the U.S. – check out these top 10 American marathons to run.

Check out more of our top 10 articles!

Set A New PR (Personal Record) With Proper Nutrition

• Choose foods that are iron-rich – Eat more dark meat and pair the iron foods with a source high in vitamin C, such as orange juice, strawberries and other citrus fruits.
• Decrease intake of high-fat content dairy – Make the switch from whole milk to 2 percent, 1 percent or skim milk. If you have a sweet tooth for ice cream, choose low-fat options and even substitute ice cream for frozen yogurt.
• Make wise snacking decisions – Adopt the idea that you should eat only to for nutrients and to be filled. That said, avoid mindless and emotional eating, which means dropping corn chips and cookies from your diet. Replace your snacks with nuts and trail mix, which are great sources of vitamin E. The National Institute of Health says vitamin E protects the body from cell damage caused by free radicals and can prevent and delay the onset of cancer and heart disease. Consume pineapple – one cup of cut pineapple contains 77% of the daily value of manganese, a mineral that contributes to the formation of connective tissue, bones blood clotting factors and sex hormones, and is a factor in antioxidants that fight free radicals.
• Boost carb intake by increasing fruits and vegetables – Contrary to the carbohydrates-hate of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the carbs and sugars found in fruits and vegetables are a triathlete’s main source of energy during the middle of a race. It’s critical the athletes builds a proper store for these nutrients so the muscles can constantly feed off this energy. The day before a race, load up on cards to build a large energy store in your muscles.

Mix Up Your Workout For Maximum Performance

• Engage in Pilates and yoga – Pilates and yoga stretch the muscles and promote balance by testing core stability, two key components commonly forgotten in a triathlete’s training regiment. Stretching your muscles will ensure elasticity and delay muscle soreness, while have a firm, balanced core builds the foundation of you body, from which the rest of your muscles will draw strength from.
• Challenge your muscles with weight training – While triathlons primarily test the cardio, endurance, stamina and fortitude of their competitors, athletes should not neglect muscle workouts. Studies have shown that long-distance runners have improved their race times via light weight training; cyclists pedaled an average of three to four extra miles before fatigue began to set in; and swimmers were able to navigate churning waters with ease. For you triathletes over the age of 35, definitely consider adding weight training to your workout regimen as the human body reaches peak muscular strength in their 20s and 30s. From there, it goes downhill, as may your triathlon performance.
• Is your core hardcore? – Core stabilization is a key component of every part sports, athletic activity, and athlete, and it is especially important in the triathlon. Having a strong core helps build the foundation for your hips, spine alignment and even your extremities. helps you maintain a tight streamline in water, provides a comfortable position while cycling, and gives you added strength during your run.
• Build a training program – and stick with it! – World-class triathletes swear by the routine they create and feel that the pattern helps to build a structure to measure progress. For some budding triathletes, the information can be overwhelming especially, if you’re looking for something that best suits you and with race day quickly approaching. While it may be suitable to experiment with one or two training programs, see if you can create your own based on your body’s current standing, where you want to be, and how soon race day is. Adjust things like diet (cutting back on some foods, incorporating more nutritious ones, even scheduling exact fluid intake), and determine workouts based on distance, heart rate, pace. Compare and base your program with where you are compared to where you want to be. Switch up workouts to vary between interval and distance training in cardio, and maybe even specify days for muscle focus, including what workouts to do and when. It all depends on you – just make sure you stick with it and adjust only if you’re not meeting your own deadlines.
• Join a triathlon training club – Adding a social aspect to training makes the workout all the more enjoyable. Having support network of people fighting for the same goal will spark motivation and incentive within you, giving you the mindset to constantly improve, keep up with the herd and even set pace. As a result constantly bouncing challenges off one another, you’ll be able to continuously improve your physical and mental capacity.
• Jump for the stars with plyometrics training – Strength training does not always mean weight training, but that by no means negates the importance of plyometrics. Your legs are launch point for the rest of your body, so engaging in plyometrics will give you a boost in leg strength while building your endurance. Box, lateral, ski and squat jumps as well as burpees are all body-weight exercises you can do that will definitely give you jelly legs at the end but will provide you the muscular fortitude you need on that last stretch to the finish line.

With hundreds of professional sports out there and thousands more professional athletes to choose from, Samir Becic and the Health Fitness Revolution team put in 500 man-hours to compile a list of the 10 fittest American athletes. The list started with hundreds of professional athletes from various sports and was eventually narrowed down to the fittest 10. The list, though difficult to narrow down, was a result of extensive research by the HFR team.

The research included various analyses of the demands, strengths and weaknesses of the different sports each athlete hails from. Furthermore, we took into account personal habits, such as on and off-season training regimens, diet and nutrition intake, and their involvement in promoting health and fitness in their communities.

“It’s not important who the fittest athletes in the world are,” Samir Becic said. “What’s important is that all the athletes spread the message of having a healthy lifestyle. With a healthy lifestyle, physical fitness, healthy nutrition, mental, social and spiritual balance, we can control, manage or completely avoid over 70% of all illnesses known to mankind.”

We weighed several statistics including:

• stamina
• endurance
• cardio training
• strength
• flexibility
• mobility
• training regimen
• diet and nutrition intake
• and promotion of sports, physical fitness, healthy living and community involvement

Without further ado, here is Health Fitness Revolution’s list of the 10 fittest American female athletes:

1. Serena Williams

 

“I’m scared of failure all the time, but I’m not scared enough to stop trying.”

Accomplishments:

• WTA Player of the Year- 2002,2008
• ITA Women’s Singles World Champion- 2002, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014
• Won Australian Open – 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009,2010, 2015
• Won French Open – 2002, 2013, 2015
• Won Wimbledon – 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010,2012
• Won US Open – 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012,2013, 2014
• Olympic Games Gold Medal- 2012

Workout and Fitness:

• Enjoys mixing up her workouts, including running, biking, elliptical and dancing.
• On-field training consists of a lot of sprinting and running across the field to build on her stability and leg moves
• Swims to strengthen back and lungs
• Core workout  featured on The Nike Training Club app.

Diet and Nutrition:

• Prefers to call diets a “lifestyle change.”
• Enjoys southern food especially during the holidays
• Consumes carbs and proteins prior to match
• Watches portion size for all foods
• Loves home-cooked traditional meals like gumbo, seven-bean delight, roasted chicken with garlic and vegan sushi.
• Consumes a raw foods, green juices and smoothies.

Community Involvement:

• UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
• Founded a Secondary School in Kenya
• Over the years Serna has supported a lot of charities like Build African Schools, Hearts of Gold, World Education, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Small Steps Project, Great Ormond Street Hospital, UNICEF and many more
• Did a Charity Event for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake

2. Abby Wambach

 

“People do this to live a healthy lifestyle and that’s exactly the type of life I want to promote”

Accomplishments:

• 2-time Olympic gold medalist.
• 2012 FIFA world player of the year.
• Plays in the women US soccer team since 2001.
• 6-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award.
• Currently stands as the highest all-time goal scorer for the national team.
• Holds the world record for international goals for both female and male soccer players with 184 goals.
• Competed in four FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.
• Competed in 2 Olympic tournaments.
• She is known for scoring goals with diving headers.

Workout and Fitness:

• Loves lifting
• Exercises to build strength, speed and agility.
• Doessupersets and 1 minute rest between sets:
  • Hang clean: 4 sets x 5 reps
  • Split push up jerk with physioball plank with leg raises combo: 4×5 each, to develop power and stability on both sides of her body.
  • Back squad with box jump: 4×5 each
  • BOSU ball squat to dumbbell front raise with BOSU ball Reverse Fly Combo: 4×5
  • Medicine ball oblique rotation with Medicine ball sit-up throw: 4×5

Diet and Nutrition:

• Loves cooking.
• Breakfast: Solid smoothie or eggs.
• Lunch: Always has a sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread. She makes them a different every time.
• Carbs are a huge part of her diet.
• Immediately after training, Wambach consumes protein and carbs for recovery.

Community Involvement:

• Done philanthropic work for the Epilepsy Foundation and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
• Joined teammates Alex Morgan and Hope Solo in a Bank of America charitable campaign at the Chicago Marathon and donated $5,000.00 to the Juvenile Diabetes Association.
• Became an ambassador for Athlete Ally, a nonprofit organization that focuses on ending homophobia and transphobia in sports.

3. Lindsey Vonn

 

“When you fall, get right back up. Just keep going, keep pushing it.”

Accomplishments:

• American World Cup alpine skier on U.S. Olympic Ski Team
• One of only two female skiers to ever win four World Cup championships
• Won gold in the 2010 Winter Olympics downhill race
• Won seven World Cup season titles in downhill racing

Workout and Fitness:

• Trains 6–8 hours a day for 6 days a week, even off-season
• Daily workouts include squats, sprints, dead lifts, ab exercises, balance exercises, step boxes, planks, endurance cycling, tight-rope walking and reaction training
• Enjoys horseback riding, playing with her dog, hiking, biking, fly-fishing, tennis

Diet and Nutrition:

• Eats fresh and prefers to cook her own meals
• For quick protein and carb-rich meals to fuel her training, she opts for almond butter and pumpernickel bread as substitutes for peanut butter and white bread sandwiches
• Drinks 13 glasses of water a day to maintain hydration
• Typical breakfast for Vonn includes a coffee, 3 scrambled eggs, and fruit salad
• Average lunch consists of a salad topped with nuts, dried fruit and  balsamic vinaigrette dressing, in addition to a grilled chicken breast and steamed veggies
• For takeout dinner, Vonn may order a pasta dish like spaghetti bolognese
• Snack on almonds or half a bar (or less) of chocolate to curb hunger cravings

Community Involvement:

• Established the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, a charity that promotes female empowerment to young girls
• Honorary ambassador to the 2018 winter Olympic Games

4. Ronda Rousey

 

“I’m scared of failure all the time, but I’m not scared enough to stop trying.”

Achievements:

• 1st and current UFC women’s bantamweight champion
• Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion
• Undefeated in Mixed Martial Arts
• Became 1st woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo in Beijing 2008
• #1 pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world

Workout and Fitness:

• Works out 2 to 3 times a day with a variety of workouts such as:
  • Strength & Conditioning
  • Swimming
  • Striking
  • Grappling
  • Wrestling
  • Judo
  • Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Diet and Nutrition:

• 8 a.m: Two teaspoons oat bran, two teaspoons chia seeds, two teaspoons hemp seeds
• 10 a.m: Train
• 11:45: Post-exercise smoothie
• 12 p.m: Farmer’s scramble: one whole egg, plus two egg whites, two sides of turkey bacon
• 4 p.m: Snack: one apple, one-fourth cup raw almonds, one-fourth cup raw cashews
• 6 p.m:Train. Post-exercise smoothie
• Before bed: Chamomile tea

Community Involvement:

• Teamedupwitharmbar nation to raise money for multiple causes
  • Raised $2,900 to send 5 students and a teacher to AAU Judo nationals
  • Raised $2,700 to help injured female boxer Frida Wallberg
  • Raised $1,072 raised to fund blind judo artist Mike Larson
  • Raised $1,225 to benefit St. John’s Baptist church

5. Kerri Walsh

 

“Passion is a huge prerequisite to winning. It makes you willing to jump through hoops, go through all the ups and downs and everything in between to reach your goal.”

Accomplishments:

• Four-year first-team All American while at Stanford University (1996-1999)
• Final Four MVP in 1996
• Co-National Player of the Year in 1999
• Three-time Olympic gold medalist (Athens, Beijing, London)

• Three-time World Championships gold medalist  ( Rio, Berlin, Gstaad)
• World Championships silver medalist in Rome

Workout and Fitness:

• Harness Sprints – 10 reps x 10 yards.
• Lateral Harness Single-Leg Drive Across Body – 1 x 10 yards.
• Lateral Harness Sprints, focusing on high knees, both sides – 1 x 5 reps.
• Face-Down Sprints – 1 x 5 right leg, 1 x 5 left leg.
• Lunges – 4 x 30 around the track. Walk for 30 seconds to recover between sets.
• Quick jumps 10 reps x 3 sets
• Tuck jumps 3 ¼ jumps, 3 ½ jumps, 3 full tuck jumps x 4 sets, rest 30 seconds in between
• Skater jumps alternate jumps for 30 seconds x 2 sets focusing on length of jump, x2 sets focusing on height

Diet and Nutrition:

• Eats every 3 hours to build on metabolism
• Works with a nutritionist to ensure that she receives the essential fuel for her workouts, her favorite saying is “to feed the rainbow of colors”
• Always makes sure she has a good breakfast such as multigrain waffles with almond butter and agave
• Prefers consuming simple carbs when working out
• Consumes protein after her workouts for muscle repair, such as protein shakes with whey protein and fresh berries
• Enjoys salads and salmon with goat cheese on top

Community Involvement:

• Founded the Chase the Stars Foundation in 2004, which promotes programs and events that directly improve quality of life for children and health
• Supporter of the Lenovo Hope Fund which supports the growth and creation of new businesses in challenged areas around the globe

6. Allyson Felix

 

“I always want to give more than I gave yesterday”

Accomplishments:

• First woman ever to win three 200m world titles in 2009.
• 2012 Olympic gold medalist
• Two-time Olympic 200m silver medalist in 2004
• 2011 World Outdoor 400m silver medalist and 200m bronze medalist
• Three-time Olympic relay gold medalist

Workout and Fitness:

• Allyson trains for 4 1/2 hours a day, 6 days a week
• Training consists of cardio on the track in the mornings, weight training in the afternoon
• Training includes resistance and plyometric workouts

Diet and Nutrition:

• Diet high in high calories and high in protein for intense training
  • Consists of chicken, fish and fruit
• Consumes about 3000 calories a day

Community Involvement:

• Traveled to Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda with Right to Play- an Olympian founded humanitarian organization- to promote  the development of health, education, and leadership skills through the use of sports
• Visited Lebanon and Palestinian territories to work with the kids

7. Katie Ledecky

 

“Go to that place, have a great swim. Whatever happens, happens. Have fun and enjoy it because there is no guarantee that you’ll ever be back there again.”

Accomplishments:

• Won four gold medals in Barcelona’s World Championships for the 400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle and 4×200 m freestyle relay races
• Won five gold medals at the Pan Pacific Championships for freestyle races (200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, and 4x200m.) where she set four meet records including the 400m freestyle and 4x200m relay.
• First to win four gold medals at a single Pan Pacific Championship
• Won her first Olympic gold medal in 2012 in the 800m freestyle
• Her first gold medal won her the 2012 Best Female Performance of the Year and Breakout Performer of the Year awards
• In 2014 she set two new world records for the 800m and 1500m freestyle, beating her two previous world records

Workout and Fitness:

• 2012 meet warm-up consisted of: 800m swim, 600m pull, 400m kick, 200m drill, 200m drill tempo work at race pace
• 9 workouts a week
• Swims about 60-70k yards a week
• Example swim set: 10×300 freestyle descending, stroke count 125’s, 800 prep set, 3 rounds of 4×100 descending to 1000 pace, 200 sprint pace, 200 easy

Diet and Nutrition:

• Fruits and vegetables are her favorite source of energy
• Before morning practices, she typically eats light foods, such as toast and an apple, and then has a full breakfast after practice.
• Snacks on healthy foods before every practice
• Dinners often include pasta, chicken, or steak

Community Involvement:

• Participated in a school-led social action program that would help the community every other Wednesday
• Worked with Bikes for the World, an organization that collects bikes and sends them to developing countries

8. Gabby Douglas

 

“Hard days are the best because that’s when champions are made.”

Accomplishments:

• 2012 Olympic gold medalist in individual & team
• 2011 World Championship gold team member
• 2012 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year
• First African-American athlete to win the all-around individual gold medal

Workout and Fitness:

• Targets specific muscle groups through strength exercises including chin-ups, sit-ups, planks, and leg lifts
• Stretches before and after training
• Practices jumps on the trampoline
• Constantly practices floor, beam, and bar routines to perfect her technique
• In the gym 6 days a week

Diet and Nutrition:

• Brings healthy snacks on-the-go like Greek yogurt, granola bars, berries and veggies
• Drinks plenty of water to stay hydrated with her intensive exercise routine
• For lunch and dinner she often eats a lean meat and stir-fried fresh vegetables, especially greens

Community Involvement:

• Partnered with Citi Field to inspire kids from the YMCA to reach for their goals and to strive for a better education
• Participated in the Stand Up to Cancer Telethon

9. Candace Parker

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”

Accomplishments:

• 2 time USA basketball olympic team gold medalist
• WNBA- Los Angeles Sparks- 1st pick in 1st round of WNBA draft
• 2x WNBA MVP, 3x WNBA All star, WNBA All Star MVP, WNBA Rookie of the Year, USBWA College player of the year
• 1st woman to dunk in NCAA championship, 1st woman to dunk twice in one college game, 2nd player to dunk in a WNBA game.
• Voted 2009 Teen Choice Award recipient of favorite female athlete

Workout and Fitness:

• Focuses on movements that are useful when playing basketball.
• Core, lower body, stretching, and explosive jumping techniques are her focus.
• Played soccer in younger years, actually wanted to be a pro soccer player.  Stayed away from basketball because of her older brother (Anthony Parker’s) success in the NBA.
• Believes that this helped her with quickness and foot speed.  This is an important skill for someone of her size to be quick.

Diet and Nutrition:

• Has four meals a day, especially when practicing twice a day
• Pre-practice breakfast of oatmeal or waffles.
• After practice: has ham, egg, cheese sandwich with fruit and juice.
• Lunch: pasta based dish
• Dinner: “Big meal” is lean protein (usually baked chicken) with broccoli or carrots, and a starch. (sweet potato is her fave)

Community Involvement:

• Involved in D.A.R.E, Loaves & Fishes, and the Ronald McDonald House.

10. Misty Copeland

 

“You can do anything you want, even if you are being told negative things….stay strong and find motivation”

Accomplishments:

• First African-American soloist for the American Ballet Theatre
• Awarded first prize at the age of 15 in the ballet category of the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Awards
• Received the 2008 Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts
• Named National Youth of the Year Ambassador for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2013
• Appointed by Pres. Obama to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition
• Wrote a bestselling memoir entitled Life in Motion, a story of her struggles in ballet
• Named one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people
• Under Armour spokesperson

Workout and Fitness:

• Cross-trains with swimming and pilates during off-season
• Rehearses ballet from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm

Diet and Nutrition:

• A pescatarian so seafood is usually her dinner
• Eats light during the day; lunch often consists of salads or sushi
• Consumes fruits and nuts to keep her energized

Community Involvement:

• Copeland is a national ambassador for the Boys & Girls Club
• Spokesperson for Project Plié, the American Ballet Theatre’s diversity and outreach program that aims to bring classical ballet to every community with every ethnicity

Honorary Athlete

BETHANY HAMILTON

“Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.”

Considering she lost her arm in a shark attack at the age of 13, overcoming what could have been a broken spirit, she still continued to compete. She found the strength to come back and win many championships in surfing, and all of that with one arm. Can you imagine how difficult this is, to surf with one arm, and maintain your balance? That’s why Health Fitness Revolution is honoring Bethany Hamilton as one of the most unique athletes in the United States and in the world. She’s earned this.

Achievements

• Surf ‘n’ Sea Pipeline Women’s Pro 2014: First Place
• Billabong ASP World Junior Championship 2009: Second Place
• Rio Surf International 2009: Third Place
• Roxy Pro Surf Festival 2008: Third Place
• T & C Pipeline Women’s Pro 2007: First Place
• O’Neill Island Girl Junior Pro tournament 2005: First Place
• NSSA National Competition 2005: First Place
• 2004 ESPY award for Excellence in Sports Performance
• Open Women’s Division of the NSSA 2002: First Place

Workout and Fitness

• practicestheEgoscue method to compensate for the lack of a left arm, including exercises such as:
  • standing windmills
  • static back reverse presses
  • wall sits for two minutes per rep
• Uses a suspension trainer- a piece of equipment made of nylon straps that pits body weight against gravity to work the body in different resistance planes
• Runs about two miles on the beach at least once a week, or takes her dogs on hikes
• Will surf from 2 t0 8 hours per day (weather permitting!)

Diet and Nutrition

• consumes an organic, balanced diet
  • includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, organic meats
  • drinks lots of water
  • loves salad
• avoids foods made with hydrogenated oil and fast food
• avoids sugary foods, but tames cravings witth dark chocolate, unsweetened agave, and honey
• promotes portion control
• believes once you dedicate yourself to nutritious diet, you begin to crave the healthy lifestyle
• personal website has her own healthy recipes

Community Involvement

• Founder of Friends of Bethany, which provides support for shark attack survivors and amputees worldwide by presenting inspiring life stories through movies, projects, and activities.
• Supporter of Surfaid, which alleviates human suffering in the Mentawai Islands through community-based programs
• Involved in the Women’s Sports Foundation, an organization which advances the lives of girls and women through sport and physical activity
• Supports World Vision, an organization that tackles causes of poverty throughout the world to help children and their communities reach their full potential

What about our male counterparts? Check out our top 10 fittest American male athletes.

How do your favorite Americans stack up against the rest of the world? Check out our top American and international athletes.

Read more of our articles on Churches

The research included various analyses of the demands, strengths and weaknesses of the different sports each athlete hails from. Furthermore, we took into account personal habits, such as on and off-season training regimens, diet and nutrition intake, and their involvement in promoting health and fitness in their communities.

“It’s not important who the fittest athletes in the world are,” Samir Becic said. “What’s important is that all the athletes spread the message of having a healthy lifestyle. With a healthy lifestyle, physical fitness, healthy nutrition, mental, social and spiritual balance, we can control, manage or completely avoid over 70% of all illnesses known to mankind.”

Our list placed tennis professional, Novak Djokovic on top. “Djokovic is a great example of how an athlete should be- not only physically talented, but also conscious of what happens off the court. I believe he is currently the fittest athlete in the world,” said Becic.

See our article on why Novak Djokovic is the fittest male athlete.

We weighed several physical statistics including:

• stamina
• endurance
• cardio training
• strength
• flexibility
• mobility
• training regimen
• diet and nutrition intake
• and promotion of sports, physical fitness, healthy living and community involvement

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

1. Novak Djokovic, Professional Tennis Player

 

“I think luck falls on not just the brave, but also the ones who believe they belong there.”

• Accomplishments:
  • Twice named US Sports Academy’s Male Athlete of the Year
  • ATP Player of the Year
  • Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia
  • 8 Grand Slam titles: 5-time winner of the Australian Open, 2-time winner of Wimbledon, 1-time winner of the US Open winner
• Workout and Fitness:
  • Warm-up consists of explosive stretches and resistance band work
  • Workout includes fast-paced exercises with focus on plyometrics, reflex movements and balance.
  • Off-season training includes implementing yoga.
• Diet and Nutrition:
  • Breakfast:
    • Coffee or tea, grapefruit, gluten-free bagel with low-fat cream cheese, eggs
  • Lunch:
    • Salad, grilled lean hamburger, gluten-free bread, iced tea or coffee
  • Snack:
    • String cheese
  • Dinner:
    • Salad, oil and vinegar dressing, salmon prepared with lemon, brown rice and vegetables
  • Dessert:
    • Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
• Community Involvement:
  • Raised $1,400,000 for early childhood education
  • Founder of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, dedicated to creating a lasting change in the lives of Serbian children in need by promoting healthy eating, early education, constructive parenting, and becoming involved in exercise and sports
  • Leader of a campaign against child labor
  • He is also a UNICEF Ambassador in Serbia
  • Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award

2. Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimmer

 

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”

• Accomplishments:
  • Youngest member on the US Olympic team at age 15
  • Broke the world record in the 200 meter butterfly in 2001 at the age of 16
  • 2003: Phelps won 4 gold medals, 2 silver medals and broke 5 world records at the world championships in Barcelona
  • 2005: Phelps won 5 gold medals and a silver at the world championships in Montreal
  • 2007: Phelps received 7 gold medals in the world championships
  • From 2004-2012, he won 22 medals at the Olympic Summer Games in Athens, Beijing and London—18 gold, two silver and two bronze—and setting the record for the most medal wins by any Olympian
• Workout and Fitness:
  • Works out 6 hours a day 6 times a week, incorporating both swimming and dry-land training
  • Weight training, cardiovascular conditioning, and swims a minimum of 50 miles a week
  • Balance between weight training and body-weight training
• Community Involvement:
  • Founded the Michael Phelps Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthy and active lifestyle, especially for children

3. Usain Bolt, Olympic Sprinter

“Know what it is you want and do whatever it takes to get it.”

 

• Accomplishments:
  • Jupiter Award for work with United Way Jamaica
  • First Olympian in history to win both 100m and 200m races in world record times.
  • 6 Olympic gold medals
  • 8 gold medals in the world championships and 2 silver medals
• Workout and Fitness:
  • 90 minutes daily – focusing on his core and back
  • He focuses his time not on building muscle but rather building his explosiveness with leg extensions and hamstring curls
  • 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest – three sets of each of the following: leg raises, side sweeps, reverse crunches, side plank clams
• Diet and Nutrition:
  • Daily protein intake consists of saltfish for breakfast (traditional Jamaican dish)
  • Chicken for lunch, and pork for dinner. His carbs include pasta, rice, and potatoes.
  • Diet contains 60% protein, 30% carbs, 10% fats.
  • One of Usain’s nutritional secrets is yams – a good source of vitamins C and A
• Community Involvement
  • Founded the Usain Bolt Foundation
  • Focuses on providing a healthy and safe environment to children in need
  • Also creates educational and recreational opportunities throughout the Kingston community
  • Supports Small Steps Project (humanitarian organization)

4. Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Professional Boxer

“A true champion will fight through anything”

 

• Accomplishments:
  • First championship belt won in 1998 at 21.
  • Record 47-0, 26 knockouts
  • WBC super featherweight champion, WBC lightweight champion, WBC light-welterweight champion, WBC light-middleweight champion
• Workout and Fitness:
  • Favorite pre-fight workout is shadowboxing.
  • Drill work includes sparring, speed & heavy bag, neck workout w/weights, 200 sit-ups, pull-ups, dips, jump rope, and 5-8 mile run.
• Diet and Nutrition: 
  • Personal chef Quiana Jeffries said Mayweather only eats organic fruits/veggies and focuses on high levels of protein, low carbs, and no pork!
• Community Involvement:
  • Founded the Mayweather Foundation, which empowers and encourages community alliances, impacts youth leadership and strengthens family foundations through community development, entrepreneurialism, and education resulting in a healthier community.

5. Roger Federer, Professional Tennis Player

“There is no way around the hard work. Embrace.”

 

• Accomplishments:
  • Ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals
  • Won 17 Grand Slam Single Championships
  • Has participated in 25 Grand Slam finals – 10 of which were in a row.
• Workout and Fitness:
  • Federer enjoys having various combinations of workouts to pique his interest
  • Weight Training: 3 sets of 7-12 reps
  • Interval training consists of sprints and endurance runs
  • Muscle training:
    • Quads: lateral lunges with twists; jumps, sometimes with jump ropes
    • Upper body: various workouts including a medicine ball
  • Active in several other sports, including golf, soccer, and skiing; also enjoys cricket, ping pong, and fishing
  • Prefers training in extreme intervals with long breaks in between. In fact, he even sleeps 10 hours a day!
• Diet and Nutrition:
  • Follows a strict, nutritious diet rich in fiber; meals and snacks are evenly spaced apart
  • Pre-match workouts consists of a high-carb, low-fat and low-fiber meal for maximum performance on the court
  • Consumes lean protein in his diet to rebuild, repair and regorw his muscle tissues
• Community Involvement:
  • Founded the Roger Federer Foundation, which aims to provide children with the opportunity to have a good education

6. Cristiano Ronaldo, Professional Soccer Player

“Your love makes me strong, your hate makes me unstoppable.”

 

• Accomplishments:
  • UEFA Best Player in Europe
  • Ballon d’Or (European Footballer of the Year)
  • FIFA World Player of the Year
  • 4-time European Golden Shoe award winner
• Workout Routine: 
  • Gets lots of sleep, goes to bed early
  • Workout consists of a combination of cardio (running and rowing) and weight training to ensure that workouts target all areas of the body and increase both strength and stamina
  • Considers cardio as key for building up endurance and stamina and staying trim. Aims for cardio workouts at least 30 minutes in length, gradually increasing the number of sessions over time
  • Listens to his favorite music when working out to keep him motivated (hip hop & reggae)
  • Daily workouts lasting approximately 3-4 hours each
  • Workout includes squats, box jumps, broad jumps, jumping lunges, and lateral bounds
  • Completes up to 3000 sit-ups per workout
• Diet and Nutrition
  • Drinks plenty of water
  • High protein diet with whole-grain carbs
  • Enjoys meals with fish; will order a steak with salad when eating out
  • Lots of fruits and vegetables
  • Cut out alcohol
  • Avoids sugary foods
• Community Involvement
  • Supports many charities, including UNICEF, Save the Children, and World Vision
  • Participated in raising funds for the reconstruction of Aceh, Indonesia after 2004 earthquake and tsunami
  • Donated $83,000 to pay for 10-month old Erik Ortiz Cruz’s brain operation in 2012

7. LeBron James, Professional Basketball Player

“You have to be able to accept failure to get better.”

 

• Accomplishments:
  • 11-time NBA All Star
  • 2-time NBA Champion
  • 4-time NBA  MVPs
  • 2-time NBA finals MVP
  • 2 Olympic Gold Medals
  • Led Miami Heat to a 27-game winning streak – the longest winning streak in NBA history
  • No. 1 draft pick in 2003; 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year
• Workout and Fitness:
  • Ices back and feet prior to workouts
  • 30 minutes of combines stretching and yoga
  • Various gym and ball-on-the-court workouts
  • Off the court workouts consist of pilates reformer, boxing, cycling, sprints
  • Cool-downs consist of stretching, as well as actively stretching throughout the day
• Diet and Nutrition:
  • Meal 1, 6:25 a.m.:  Whole wheat bagel with 1 tbsp of peanut butter, 1/2 cup of strawberries, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese
  • Meal 2, 9:30 a.m.: 1 cup orange juice, 1 banana, 1 scoop protein powder with 1 cup of low-fat milk
  • Meal 3, 12:00 noon: Lean roast beef with whole wheat bun, lettuce, tomato, 2 tbsp of mustard, low fay cheddar cheese and 1-cup of low-fat milk.
  • Meal 4, 2:30 p.m.: 1/2 cup of blueberries, 1 cup low-fat natural yogurt, 1/2 glass of milk, 1 granola bar.
  • Meal 5, 6:00 p.m.: 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup milk, 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup  low-fat strawberry yogurt, with optional 1-2 tablespoons of honey.
  • Meal 6. 8:30 p.m.: 1 1/2 cup small broccoli, 1/2 cup rice, 1/3 cup
• Community Involvement:
  • Founded the LeBron Family Foundation
  • Is active in Wheels for Education, Boys and Girls Club and the I Promise Network

8. Wladimir Klitshko, Professional Boxer

“You have to learn the opponent psychologically – inside out – and mental strength is one of the important makers. You’re either gonna break it or make it.”

 

• Accomplishments: 
  • Reigning Heavyweight Champion, holding WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO,and The Ring championship titles.
  • Ph. D in sport science
• Workout and Fitness:
  • Recently launched a fitness program focused on total body performance.  The app matches a workout regimen and nutrition plan to the user.
• Diet and Nutrition: 
  • Loads up on carbs the week before competition. He eats a lot of oatmeal and pasta, and red meat for iron. He says this helps him perform at his highest levels.
  • Does not consume meats any less than 6-7 hrs before a fight
• Community Involvement: 
  • Supports Laureus Sport for Good Foundation & UNESCO
  • Charities focus on at-risk youth,children, education, human rights,literacy, poverty, and sports.

9. Lionel Messi, Professional Soccer Player

“I am never satisfied. I always push my limits and I always try to get better every day.”

 

• Accomplishments:
  • Often considered the best player in the world and rated by some in the sport as the greatest of all time
  • Messi is the first soccer player in history to win four FIFA/Ballons d’Or, all of which he won consecutively, and the first to win three European Golden Shoe awards.
  • With FC Barcelona, Messi has won seven La Ligas, three Copas del Rey, six Supercopas de España, four UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups.
• Workout and Fitness
  • Has two different workout regimens: one for linear speed, another for multidirectional speed
  • Both workouts consists of bridges, lunges, skips, stretches and plyometrics
  • Linear speed workout focuses on acceleration drills
  • Multidirectional speed workout consists of shuffles and hurdles
• Diet and Nutrition: 
  • Eliminated processed foods and replaced them with foods rich in vitamins (cereals, veggies, fish, olive oil) according to Messi’s nutritionist Giuliano Poser
• Community Involvement: 
  • Founded the Leo Messi Foundation, which provides opportunities for disadvantaged youth
  • UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador with focus on global children’s rights
  • Helped Newell fund construction for a dormitory and new gymnasium in Newell’s Old Boys youth academy
  • Donated €600,000 towards the refurbishment of the oncology unit at Victor J. Vilela Children’s Hospital in hometown Rosario, Argentina; donations also paid for doctors to travel to Barcelona for training
  • Teamed up w/ Serena Williams for 1/11 (number of children worldwide unable to attend school)

10.Stephen Curry, Professional Basketball Player

“We have to have the mentality that we have to work for everything we’re going to get.”

 

• Accomplishments:
  • As of June 16, 2015, Curry has made 381 3-pointers in the 2015 season (286 regular season; 95 post-season)
  • 2015 MVP and two-time NBA All Star
  • In his 6th seasons as a guard for the Golden State Warriors, he led the team to the best season in the franchise’s history with 67 wins
  • Curry is considered by many basketball enthusiasts to be the greatest shooter of all time, having set the shooting record at Davidson College and at the Southern Conference
• Workout and Fitness:
  • Has several workouts depending on focus
    • Weighted Lunge Series: moves arms in arch motion with each lunge, carrying weights in each hand; lunges out to sides to strengthen lateral movement muscles
    • Shooting Series: Ball catcher hoop- must make at least 100 clean shots
    • Hand-Eye Coordination Series: Dribble while training eyes on bouncing tennis ball
• Diet and Nutrition Intake:
  • Curry and his wife both believe in maintaining a clean and organic diet. A typical day’s worth of meals may consist something like:
    • Warm cinnamon apple oatmeal
    • Saffron salmon
    • Roasted brussels sprouts and pears
    • Salmon burger
    • Caprese salad
    • greek yogurt
• Community Involvement:
  • Started the Dell and Stephen Curry Basketball Camps

Honorary Fittest Athlete in the World

Michael Schumacher, Formula 1 Driver

“I’ve always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there’s only a slightest chance.”

Since Michael Schumacher’s skiing accident on December 29, 2013, the 7-time Formula 1 world champion has been fighting for his life and I have kept him in my thoughts. I grew up in Germany and Michael was a living legend and inspiration to people everywhere said Samir Becic, 4-time world’s best fitness trainer. This accident affected me in a way I had not anticipated – it brought to mind my own vulnerability. Considering that Michael Schumacher is fighting for his life, and he’s not giving up, and considering he was one of the fittest Formulate One drivers in the history of the sport, the Health Fitness Revolution team is honoring him as the honorary fittest athlete in the world.

Michael, get well soon!

• Accomplishments:
  • Seven-time Formula One World Champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time
  • He was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year twice
  • He holds many of Formula One’s driver records, including most championships, race victories, fastest laps, pole positions and most races won in a single season – 13 in 2004 (the last of these records was equalled by fellow German Sebastian Vettelnine years later)
  • In 2002, he became the only driver in Formula One history to finish in the top three in every race of a season and then also broke the record for most consecutive podium finishes
  • According to the official Formula One website, he is statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen
• Workout and Fitness:
  • Michael Schumacher trained up to six hours a day for improving his physical strength, reaction time and coordination
  •  The sports training concentrated on improving his physical strength, his reaction time, his coordination and flexibility
  • Is a legendary workout freak who became quicker, stronger, and fitter than his competition by outworking them in the weight room
  • Spent hours in the gym honing himself into a lean, light and strong performance athlete, with a combination of endurance training and core strength exercises
• Diet and Nutrition Intake:
  • A journalist once said that his interview with Schumacher was interrupted every 45 minutes by Michaels’ nutritionist, who would hand him his next handful of calorie-controlled, nutritionally-balanced mixed nuts and berries
  • Formula 1 drivers know the importance of a strict diet and fitness, which can sometimes be a matter of life and death. An F1 nutritionist says that drivers must eat proteins (meat — even better if white — eggs), carbohydrates (pasta, bread), vitamins and fibers (cereals, fruits, vegetables). They should of course avoid too much fat, carbohydrates and alcohol.
  • Michael has his own health instructor and dietician who help him in charting out the right diet plan and regulating his carbohydrate and protein intake.
  • During race weekends he eats food with lots of carbs like pasta and bread. This helps in keeping the energy levels up.
  • Before and throughout a race he drinks lots of water to avoid dehydration. A F1 driver loses about 3kgs of weight in every race
• Community Involvement:
  • The former Ferrari driver is a Special Envoy for Education and Sport and donated €1.5 million to the organization
  • In a 2002 interview with the organization he explained his dedication to funding projects: “I really want to help the ones people don’t know about. Nowadays, certain projects attract lots of donors. Then there are others you never hear about. Those are the ones I’m interested in.”
  • He also once told F1 magazine that: “It’s great if you can use your fame and the power your fame gives you to draw attention to things that really matter.”
  • In 2002, Schumacher funded the construction of a school in a poor slum in Dakar, the capital of the West African state of Senegal
  • In 1997, Schumacher opened a clinic for child victims of the Balkans War. The clinic provides artificial limbs for amputees as well as psychological support.
  • In 2002, he funded the construction of a ‘Palace for the Poor’ in Lima, Peru which caters for homeless children and provides education, food and medical treatment for street children.
  • Along with his two sons, Schumacher’s bodyguard lost his life in in the 2004 Tsunami following the Indian Ocean earthquake. Schumi donated over €7 million in aid which meant that he gave more money than many individual countries, sports entities and organizations.
  • Schumacher is also known to support UNICEF and Childline, as well as road safety campaigns.

Health Fitness Revolution by Samir Becic Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, to make the world a healthier, fitter place, please donate!

Samir Becic, 4 times Number 1 Fitness Trainer in the world and HFR’s  “Top 10 Health Benefits of Playing Water Polo:

• Burns calories – When you play water polo, you are guaranteed a non-stop, fat-burning workout. While in the water, you are not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool, as it is one of the main rules of the game. This means your legs must be kicking constantly, treading water, in order to keep your upper body above water so that you may continue play the game. This constant movement burns calories and helps lead to weight loss.
• Cardio workout – All of this movement gets your heart pumping! To ensure proper heart health, one must partake in cardio workouts for at least 30 minutes each day. Getting your heart pumping higher than its resting rate each and every day in order prevents heart-related illnesses, repairs damage and can whip your heart back into shape. Water polo is an excellent way to do cardio training because of the constant exercise you partake in.
• Full-body workout – No part of your body sits still during a water polo game. You tread water with your legs, contort your body with your core, and you reach, catch, and throw with your arms. Muscle groups throughout your entire body are engaged, and with repeated activity they gain increased strength.
• High-resistance- The properties of water allow you to stay afloat in it, but they also mean that you have to exert quite a bit of energy to move against it. This extra resistance against your movement causes you to push your body against the flow of the water, and combines a cardiovascular workout with a strength workout. If you play water polo often, your body will easily tone right up!
• Builds endurance – As an intensive workout, water polo pushes the athletic boundaries of the player and increases their stamina and endurance. This is beneficial because it allows you to exercise for longer without becoming exhausted, making you a stronger athlete. One study conducted in 2001 found that taking part in exercises that increase endurance even has the ability to reduce oxidative stress.
• Cooling effect – Exercising in the water is a great choice because it keeps your body from getting overheated, which leads to feelings of exhaustion. Therefore, water polo, swimming, and other aquatic exercises allow you to exercise your body thoroughly without giving up. This provides for long, fulfilling workouts.
• Teaches strategy – In water polo, it is necessary to strategize with your team in order to overcome your competitors. Putting this into practice builds your mental strength, which will benefit you in all areas of life and reduce the stress you experience in the work environment and in your personal life.
• Injury prevention – Another great benefit of water sports is that water acts as a cushion for the body. Even when a player gets knocked around or dives hard for the ball, there is no hard surface to fall against, and the water prevents strain on the joints. Water polo is one of the only high-impact sports in which the injury rate is low, despite the vigor of the sport.
• Team sport – You are way more likely to come to practice when all your friends are there waiting on you. Team sports build accountability and make your exercise patterns much more regular. Regular exercise that fits into your daily circadian rhythm has large benefits for your metabolism, which burns fat and increases your overall health and fitness.
• Stress relief – Playing water polo, beating your legs to stay above the surface and throwing the ball with all of your upper body strength, you will literally feel the tension float away from you. Over time, your mental aggression grows physically in your body, making you feel tight and uncomfortable. Intensive exercise is one of the only ways to release this tension and water polo is a great source of this exercise.

For more of our top 10 health benefits, click here!

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Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Physical development – Children who participate in sports develop stronger muscles and bones, and the stronger you are, the less likely you will suffer from physical injury. A New Zealand study conducted in 2006 suggested participating in physical exercise before and during the onset of puberty helps reach peak bone mass, enabling them to develop stronger muscles and bones that will be the foundation for future growth.
• Aids in weight control – Several studies have shown that childhood obesity is a growing problem in our society. Playing sports, however, will keep children active and aid in the fight in combating this problem. Having a controlled weight leads to happier children and decreases the risk of diseases that comes from being overweight in their lifetimes, such as heart disease and diabetes.
• Improves endurance: Participating in sports improves cardiovascular endurance. Increased cardiovascular health decreases the risk for heart disease which is the number one killer disease claiming almost 800,000 lives in 2011, according to the CDC. Having an increased endurance allows athletes to reach their full potential in sports but most importantly, will keep their heart healthy.
• Builds character – Playing sports at a young age enables children to participate in social interactions and build skills such as teamwork, leadership, and responsibility as they learn to work with others to achieve a common goal. This type of setting allows children to develop and practice different mental and moral qualities they acquire from their surroundings on the field, at the school and at home.
• Boosts self-esteem – Being part a of a team with similar goals will increase the child’s value of their self. What they contribute to the team – whether it be in leadership positions or in fulfilling important roles – will ultimately contribute to the boost in their self-esteem and their confidence. There are numerous studies that support the impact of youth sports on self-esteem. In fact, one Swiss study found that adolescents who participated in sports clubs viewed their health and their body image positively.
• Strengthens perseverance – Athletes are often placed in adverse situations on the field, both during game days and practices. During these high-pressure moments, the children learn to persevere through those challenges, and because there are so many of these moments in sports, the child will learn to quickly adapt to these situations and take them in stride. Practicing perseverance at a young age with this kind of adversity will lead to better coping skills, and critical thinking and application skills in life when they are met with bigger challenges.
• Develop teamwork skills – Teamwork is a skill you are going use for years to come, so it is important to learn the basics early. Youth sports provide children important lessons in team dynamics. Everyone must work together to achieve their goals, and sports allow children to sort through each others strengths and weaknesses to decide what  strategy works best for the team.
• Teaches discipline – Playing sports require athletes to be disciplined in tactical, mental and physical aspects. In order to succeed in sports you must have self-restraint, and behave in a controlled and precise manner. Good discipline translates to life situations in order to achieve goals and reach their fullest potential.
• Promotes healthy competition – While naysayers like to claim youth sports are becoming too competitive, it is inevitable that as they grow, children will face competition in school, the workplace and their personal lives, so they must learn how to interact in competitive environments. Participating in sports will teach children how good sportsmanship and that trying your hardest  will often yield great results.
• Provides guidance – As youths, children haven’t experienced nor learned what adults have, and because of this, children require guidance to make the right decisions. While parents and guardians are the ultimate mentors, participating in youth sports also gives athletes the opportunity to meet positive people, such as coaches and parent volunteers, who will guide them as they grow. Some examples of mentors include coaches and parent volunteers. In a study conducted by Big Brothers Big Sisters, children are 52% less likely to skip school if they have a mentor and 46% less likely to use drugs. There are tons of things out there to distract the impressionable youth, but sports gives them focus and people to make sure they stay on track.

Despite which sport your youth decide to participate in be prepared by having him or her some protective gear in stock. Click the image below to purchase your youth’s gear today.

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Develops agility – Leaping, spinning, stopping, bending, jumping, sprinting and running are just some of the moves the body has to make in a game of squash. As such, the sport requires and fosters its players to be nimble. Doing these movements conditions squash athletes to be agile in being able to quickly stop, start, and change direction. Squash teaches quickness and equilibrium around the court, especially the power of the first explosive step and challenges speed by forcing you to move quickly while maintaining a strong and balanced position, which is required to hit a ball hard and accurately.

• Sharpens hand-eye coordination – Squash promotes good hand-eye coordination as repeatedly seeing the ball and adjusting your body and hand so you can hit it back under competitive stress forces the body to hone in on target and destination. The coordinated control of eye movement, hand movement and the processing of what you see to guide one’s reach boosts accuracy and promotes finesse of movement. Since hand-eye coordination tends to decrease when we stop participating in activities that foster this type of coordination, squash is a premier sport to ensure your coordination abilities are well-developed.

• Compels flexibility – Since the constant movement – particularly movement outside typical range of motion – is so often required in a game of squash, your joints and ligaments are able to stretch, promoting elasticity and blood flow in the body. If you can make a save by covering a good portion of the court with a deep lunge and a stretch of your racquet, you can save yourself energy and decrease your chance of missing the ball. Constantly playing squash will improve your flexibility, ensuring your muscles get the most stretch out of every game.

• Pinpoints concentration – From the very start of the game, your eyes are sharply fixated on the ball at all times. Focusing where it hits and knowing where and how it will bounce back ensures mental and visual concentration, while your other peripheral vision concentrates on  your opponent’s movements in hopes of catching them off guard.

• Imposes strength and fitness: Playing squash helps you gain power and the ability to apply force. In this case, it’s applying the swing of your racquet to hit the ball as hard, fast and accurate as you can. The strength required in a game of squash will help you tone your legs, arms and abdomen while the cardio involved in the face-paced game of squash will also help maintain a healthy weight. Using your lower and upper body muscles at the same time paired with the intensity of stop-and-sprint movements can burn a ton of calories – an average of 500 calories in 30 minutes.

• Boosts cardiovascular health: Squash has you running, jumping, leaping, and diving for the ball so your heart and lungs are working at peak efficiency. An intense game of squash will keep your heart rate up at all times, making your heart muscle stronger as more blood pumps to the brain and the rest of your body.  This boost endurance and stamina as more oxygen is supplied to the muscles.

• Coaches social skills – Because you need at least one other person to play squash, many squash centers and clubs offer friendly tournaments and games to ensure that those who are interested in squash have someone to play with, allowing squash players to meet and compete with one another. Gyms and clubs have a friendly environment which can provide players opportunity to make new friends.

• Improves self-confidence – After a game of squash, players develop a sense of accomplishment and confidence, regardless of whether or not you won the game. Knowing one has competed to the best of their physical ability – especially in a game so intense as squash – enables a boost in self-esteem and a feeling of sureness characterized by certainty of ability.

• Ensures mental well-being – If you are a beginner at squash, your practice is 95% physical and 5% mental. Once physical conditioning is improved, practice becomes 95% mental and 5% physical. Instead of focusing on catching your breath and not missing the ball, you can now focus on game strategy. Concentrating on the ball, your opponent and your surroundings will boost your mental alertness and spatial awareness.

• Alleviates stress – Squash acts as a wonderful stress reliever, especially after a particularly demanding day. If your’re feeling angry or frustrated about work, home life or whatever else is grinding your gears, a round of squash can help you “squash out” those negative feelings by taking out all your anger on the court as you slam the ball as hard as you can against the wall. What comes next is a feeling of satisfaction and relief as your negative energy is used up for physical energy in the game.

You might need some things before playing squash. Click the image below to check them out on Amazon!

If you enjoy squash try:

Top 10 Benefits of Racquetball, Cricket, Handball, Volleyball, Ping Pong, Badminton and Tennis

Read more of our Top 10 Articles

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Cardiovascular training: Cardio exercise strengthens your heart muscle and improves lung capacity, which you definitely get from running around the field. Batters running the bases, outfielders running to catch a fly ball and catchers chasing a foul ball all get short bursts of cardiovascular exercise.
• Strong arms: Swinging a baseball bat, throwing the ball and catching the ball are good ways to build arm strength and improve joint flexibility. Throwing the ball and swinging the bat involve all the muscles of the arms, including the biceps, triceps and the muscles of the chest and shoulders.
• Strong legs: Baseball recruits all of the major muscle groups in your legs. Moving laterally, throwing and squatting down to retrieve a ball engages your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles. Running, in particular, is not only a good cardiovascular workout, but also ideal for toning and building up your leg muscles.
• Hand-eye coordination: Pitching the ball and batting requires a great amount of hand-eye coordination.
• Burn calories: Swinging, running, catching and even walking to and from the dugout are exercises that may amp up your metabolism and burn calories.  According to MayoClinic.com, a person who weighs 160 pounds can burn 365 calories an hour playing baseball.
• Stress relief: Getting involved in a game of baseball develops mental focus, concentration and refreshes the mind from everyday distractions.
• Benefit for youth: Kids who take part in youth sports like softball and baseball are more likely to live longer, have fewer health issues, avoid substance abuse and attend college.
• Overall fitness: According to the Sports Fitness Advisor website, a professional baseball player tends to be lean, with a body fat percentage of between 8 and 9, and able to run 60 yards in less than seven seconds.
• Sunlight: Baseball is typically played outdoors, where players are exposed to sunlight, which is a great natural source of vitamin D. Sufficient amounts of daily vitamin D intake are crucial for your body to be able to absorb and metabolize calcium and phosphorus.
• Sharpen the mind: Making split-second decisions on which is the correct strategy to implement on a certain play can help keep the mind sharp and alert.

Read our article on the Top 10 Health Benefits of Softball

Read more of our TOP 10 LISTS

• Total body workout: Martial arts are a high-aerobic workout that uses every muscle group in the body. Your stamina, muscle tone, flexibility, balance and strength will all improve through martial arts.

• Healthy lifestyle: Due to the total-body nature of a martial arts workout, tons of calories are burned during every class. However, you’ll also find that your natural eating signals become better regulated, so food cravings will disappear and you’ll eat less as a result.

• Self-confidence: Due to the goal setting, positive encouragement and respect for values that are part of all martial arts programs, the greatest benefit usually reported by martial arts students is greater self-confidence. You become more comfortable in all situations – whether you’re in danger or simply doing a task that takes you beyond your comfort zone — and you’ll discover you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

• Improved cardiovascular health: Research has found that the only real way to improve the status of the cardiovascular system is by participating in activities that stress the heart, such as martial arts.

• Weight loss: A one hour session of moderate intensity martial arts can burn up to 500 calories.

• Improved reflexes: Research has found that by participating in martial arts, you not only improve your reflexes while performing the activity, but actually experience faster reaction times during all activities of your life. This is very important in a number of daily activities, such as driving.

• Focus and stillness: As Bruce Lee pointed out, behind the punches, kicks and knees, a true martial artist learns to sit with himself and see where his weaknesses are. As a martial artist, you will learn what it is to be still, challenged and focused.

• Teaches great morals and values: Martial arts wisdom has it that after consistent practice, one becomes less impulsive and aggressive towards others. The Shaolin moral code, for example, comprises 12 ethics, 10 forbidden acts and 10 obligations. Patience, insight, and calmness are considered pre-requisites of good Kung Fu. This reminds students of the right attitude, frame of mind, and virtues to strive for inside and outside the studio.

• Muscle tone: By participating in martial arts, you can greatly improve the amount of muscle mass you have in your body. The higher your muscle mass, the higher your metabolic demands will be, and subsequently the more calories you will burn each day, thereby helping prevent obesity and promote weight loss. High levels of muscle mass also lead to increased agility, thereby preventing falls as you age.

• Better mood: Researchers have found that participating in a regular exercise routine is one of the best ways to improve your mood. Performing martial arts is not only a good way to relieve stress and frustration, but may actually help to make you happier. The endorphins released by physical activity appear to be active in your body for as many as four hours after exercise.

Below are a few items you may need to help you practice martial arts depending on what kind of martial arts you are doing. Click the images to see more on Amazon!

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• Physical fitness: Between the running, lunging, diving and ball hitting, playing badminton burns fat at approximately 450 calories per hour. This kind of cardiovascular workout can help keep you in tip top shape, especially if you’re looking for a good alternative cross-training exercise.

• Develops athleticism: The fast-paced nature of the game increases your speed and improves your reflexes. Intelligence is also a factor since players must know how to deceive their opponents in every shot.

• Increased muscle tone: Playing badminton builds and tones the quads, glutes, calves and hamstrings. In addition, your core muscles, arm and back muscles get a workout as well.

• Psychological benefits: Because badminton promotes physical fitness, it helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Exercise increases endorphins, which are the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, and has also been found to improve mood and sleep.

• Social health: You’ll need at least one opponent, but you can also play with a teammate and two other opponents. The social interactions of a game will result in positive feelings after a session on the court. Joining a league can also help you become part of a community.

• Good for overall health: As with all forms of physical exercise, badminton can reduce or eliminate your risk for many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. It can also reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by reducing your triglyceride levels and increasing your good cholesterol.

• Flexibility and muscle strength: The more you move, the more flexible you become, especially in a sport like badminton where swinging and reaching are required. In addition to improving flexibility, players also gain muscle strength and endurance.

• Mobility: As we age, mobility becomes limited, but staying active can help prevent these problems. Keeping mobile lubricates your joints, preventing arthritis and similar conditions from developing.

• Weight loss: Badminton can also help with weight control because of its fat-burning and metabolism boosting qualities. Combined with proper diet, optimal weight loss may be achieved.

• Decrease risk for diabetes: It can decrease the production of sugar by the liver and therefore can decrease fasting blood sugar. In fact, one study from the Diabetes Prevention Program found that exercise decreased the incidence of developing diabetes by 58% even better than medication.

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Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Better work ethic: Even though teams play only one game weekly, they practice five days a week. That means that as long as you make a commitment to put in the hard work during the week, the success and results will show on game day. Instilling this kind of work ethic helps players improve their skill level and learn the plays.
• Stress relief: Adrenaline rushes from playing football help with stress release, so players are more calm and less prone to depression and aggressive behavior in life outside the field.
• Overall workout: The intensity and range of movements involved in the game, including kicks, twists,turns and throws, provide better overall exercise, according to a series of studies. The sustained, stop-start nature of the game helps to build long-term fitness and burn fat, as it mimics interval training.
• Mental health: Football is great at helping to maintain a healthy level of endorphins and can make moods more stable. People suffering from symptoms of depression and anxiety can often use exercise to help alleviate symptoms and naturally lift dark moods. Football also promotes social integration, which also adds its own feel-good factor.
• Teamwork: Selflessness, cooperation and teamwork are what most youth football coaches emphasize to bring their teams together, so they can function and play together efficiently and effectively as a group. These lessons carry over into daily life at school, work or with friends.
• Cardio: Football at any level requires a great deal of running, jumping and quick changes of direction. The game is an excellent form of aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
• Interval training: Football combines periods of slow and fast movement with added bouts of sprinting. This makes the heart work at different paces and not just at a constant elevated level. This mimics interval training, which is a more effective way of controlling body fat and increasing overall fitness.
• It’s an enjoyable activity: With the excitement of the game itself, people sometimes don’t even notice that they are also getting a good workout. This will stop them from getting bored and giving up, which is what most sedentary people give as their main excuse for not exercising.
• Cardiovascular health: Since football always keeps you active and moving, this adds great benefits to engage your cardiovascular system, increased longevity, as well as reduced susceptibility to heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and other chronic disease.
• Increased bone density and mass: Football players are usually required to have a high protein and carbohydrate diet because the sport is so vigorous and requires them to be strong. The strength training exercises help with increased mass and bone density, which reduces the risk of bone and joint related diseases as you get older.

Below are some football gear you will need next time you hit the field. Click on the images to see them on Amazon!

https://youtu.be/tV9lCudiHX8

Rudolph “Rudy” Tomjanovich, Jr. is an American retired basketball player and coach who coached the Houston Rockets to two consecutive NBA championships. He was an All-Star forward for the Rockets during his playing career. He is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers.

In 1998, Tomjanovich volunteered to coach the U.S. men’s senior basketball team at the FIBA World Championship in Greece. Despite the absence of NBA players due to contract negotiations, Tomjanovich guided the hastily assembled group of CBA players to the bronze medal. In light of his outstanding service in coaching at the 1998 Worlds and his stellar professional resume, Tomjanovich was tabbed to coach the U.S. men’s senior team at the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney, Australia. The U.S. Team won the gold medal with an 8–0 record. On February 15, 2006, Tomjanovich was named director of scouting for USA Men’s Basketball.

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Flexibility: Flexibility is a primary factor in gymnastics. Increasing flexibility can also be an effective aid to the reduction of injury, preventing people from forcing a limb to an injurious range of motion. By learning movements and combining them in a routine, the gymnast can attain greater flexibility and greater control of the body.
• Disease prevention: Participation in gymnastics can help maintain a healthy body, which is key to preventing numerous health conditions such as asthma, cancer, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Being involved in gymnastics helps encourage a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity and eating a well-balanced diet.
• Strong and healthy bones: Participation in weight-bearing activities — including gymnastics — can develop strong, healthy bones, which is important to develop at a young age. As we age, we inevitably experience a decrease in bone mass every year. Building strong, healthy bones at a young age can help reduce the risks of developing osteoporosis later on in life.
• Increased self-esteem: A study conducted by researchers at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School have indicated that children who participate in physical activity like gymnastics are likely to have better self-esteem and self-efficacy.
• Daily exercise needs: The American Heart Association recommends children participate in 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Adults age 18 and over should participate in 30 minutes of exercise at least five days per week. Participation in gymnastics helps meet the exercise recommendations set forth by the American Heart Association.
• Increased cognitive functioning: Participation in gymnastics does not only offer physical gains; it is beneficial for improving concentration and mental focus – an important aspect of anyone’s life. Gymnastics allows children the chance to think for themselves, to stimulate their imaginations and to solve problems safely.
• Increased coordination: Gymnasts do not react with as large a “startle response” to sudden imbalances as non-gymnasts. By applying this conditioning outside the sport, people become better equipped to avoid hazardous situations by quickly identifying them and naturally correcting body alignment when walking, standing or jumping, etc.
• Strength development: Gymnastics produces, pound-for-pound, the best athletes in the world. Gymnastics uses almost exclusively body weight exercises to build upper body, lower body, and core strength.
• Discipline: Gymnastics instills a sense of discipline. Each student must have the self control to make corrections when a coach asks them to, and they must also have the self discipline to stay on task when a coach is working with another gymnast.
• Social skills: At all ages, gymnastics provides an opportunity to develop social skills. Younger children learn how to stand in line, look, listen, be quiet when others are talking, work and think independently, and how to be respectful of others. The older kids learn how to set a good example for the people who look up to them and become role models at a young age.

Here are a couple of items we feel may benefit you while participating in gymnastics. Just click the image and add it to your cart on Amazon.

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Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Capoeira:

• Stress reduction: A regular capoeira practice does wonders for relaxing the mind and body. The exercise boosts endorphins, which puts you in a better mood in no time.
• Strength: Capoeiristas are always moving around on their hands with handstands, rolls, poses, etc. This makes a marked improvement on upper body strength. Also, so many of the movements require one to engage the abs and core strength. Capoeira training causes one’s body to cope with the rigors of the ridiculous movements. The movements inherently build slow and quick twitch muscle fibers, enhance breathing and blood flow, build flexibility, build hand and eye coordination, balance and much more.
• Flexibility: Some capoeiristas are on par with serious yoga practitioners in terms of their flexibility. But even those who moderately improve their flexibility lower their risk for injury and increase their everyday mobility.
• Cardio and stamina: Many times athletes from various sports are surprised when they feel winded from a capoeira workout. This is because capoeira uses muscle groups and cardio fitness in unique ways. Intense capoeira practice can require enormous amounts of energy. This, combined with constant repetition of movements and techniques, makes capoeira a valuable cardio exercise that can boost endurance.
• Overall fitness: Capoeira will improve your strength, flexibility and stamina, thus improving your overall fitness. It may take a while to become fit, but once you start to take capoeira seriously you can become the picture of fitness.
• Gain confidence: If nothing else, capoeira is perfect for instilling a sense of pride and confidence in anyone who practices. Not only will you feel stronger and more courageous once you become comfortable in the jogo (game), you’ll find confidence in knowing that you are unique among your peers because you can do things they couldn’t imagine doing.
• Live authentically: Capoeira is a total body, mind and emotional expression. It involves one’s whole authentic person. As one grows more confident in the martial art, he or she also grows more confident in the ability to express one’s unique voice.
• Meet new people: When you join a capoeira group, you become part of a family. You will meet people from your own city and all over the world through capoeira events and practice. Capoeira is at once a widely communal and a deeply individual experience. You will gain the ability to do things that most of the general public could never dream of. And in doing so, you will discover a true sense of uniqueness.
• Learn a new language: You may not become fluent (though that’s always a possibility), but there is no doubt that you will come to understand and perhaps speak a bit of Brazilian Portuguese.
• Learn about a new culture: Capoeira is deeply connected to Africa and Brazil. In a time when many martial arts are reduced to aerobic workouts and cookie cutter dojos, capoeira maintains all of its roots and traditions.

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Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Provides total body conditioning: Unlike other sports, softball is an activity that requires multiple skills, and therefore provides total body conditioning. Running, swinging, fielding and throwing all require a coordinated effort from numerous muscles throughout the body.
• Anaerobic benefits and strength: Every single action in softball is an explosive action. Hitting, throwing, quick lateral movements, jumps off the bases and others are all explosive. In addition, softball players need throwing power and acceleration power. A base in overall body strength and maximal strength is also important; it serves as a foundation to build muscular power. Some muscular endurance is also beneficial, especially for pitchers.
• Upper body development: The arm and shoulder muscles play a significant role in the softball swinging and throwing motions. The rotator cuff, triceps, biceps, forearms, deltoids and other major upper body muscles are central muscles for being able to swing, pitch and throw with power.
• Mid and lower body conditioning:  The power generated during batting comes from the legs and the core. The oblique muscles on the sides of the abdomen are major contributors to the rotational elements of the swinging and throwing motions.
• Requires increased flexibility: Overall flexibility is important in softball, but it is especially important to increase flexibility in the tight areas. Some of the common tight muscles or muscle groups among softball players are hamstrings, hip flexors, calves and chest area (pectoralis minor, more specifically). This tightness greatly increases the risk of injury, so it is important to stretch and stay flexible.
• Burns calories and fat: The average player burns around 300 calories per hour of play.
• Improves self-esteem: Players involved in sports like softball generally feel better about themselves, both mentally and socially. Practicing, improving skills and gradually achieving goals help build confidence, reduce stress and make them more resistant to social pressure. Often, lifelong friendships are formed on the field as the girls learn to trust and rely on each other.
• Mental benefits: Playing sports does more than whittle your waistline and firm up your calves. Research shows that you can reap mental health advantages from playing sports, too. Whether you like the single-minded focus of running or walking, or prefer the camaraderie of a softball team, you’ll feel better if you play sports.
• Teaches teamwork: Working with coaches, trainers and teammates to achieve goals is great practice for the real world where teaming up with others to meet goals are keys to success.
• Develops leadership skills: People usually receive more benefits than they expect from participating in sports. They get attention and respect that they may not receive elsewhere, and participation provides them with opportunities for leadership and socialization, as well as the development of skills for handling success and failure.

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• Builds strength: Rugby is a great sport for boosting upper body strength, with strong arms needed for tackling and throwing, and muscular strength required for this contact sport. It develops the leg muscles because running and battling in scrums need powerful leg muscles.
• Improves flexibility: Agility is key, with the feet and hands requiring sudden changes of direction and pace. The constant twisting and sudden dodging can also help with flexibility.
• Cardio: Improves the body’s cardiovascular system by building a strong heart and lungs that are better able to deliver oxygen to muscles faster. The constant running and sprinting across the field can give you a really good cardio workout because of the increased heart rate and interval training.
• Increased self-confidence: Rugby offers teenagers increased confidence and self-respect, as the ultimate character-building sport. It fosters courage, fitness, team effort and togetherness, bringing together boys and girls from all backgrounds.
• Increases in bone density: Regularly playing rugby will increase your bone density because exercise imposes stress on the bones, thus stimulating the deposition of calcium along the line of stress. By improving the density of your bones, you are less likely to develop osteoporosis in later life.
• Builds discipline: Rugby requires a high degree of preparation, and through participation in structured training and playing a regular game schedule, rugby can develop key mental skills of self control and discipline.
• Stress reduction: The release of endorphins while playing the game is enough to lift your mood and help aid a better night’s sleep. Through triumphing over a challenging situation during the game, players build resilience to stress and are often able to better tackle problems off the field.
• Helps build resilience: The resilience and ability to persevere through pain and adversity for the greater good is a key skill developed on the rugby field, and a characteristic that serves rugby players throughout the rest of their personal and professional lives.
• Improves mental state: Rugby, like most team sports, is able to give participants a sense of purpose and a place within the team. In addition, the sense of camaraderie with teammates can be an important part of helping individuals move towards a more positive frame of mind. Physical activity can be a huge aid to any mental health treatment regimen.
• Develops speed and endurance: Regularly playing and training for rugby will not only increase your speed in running but will also build your endurance.

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Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Field Hockey:

• Great cardio workout: Hockey is a form of cardiovascular exercise, and whether you’re skating or running, your body benefits from the activity. Because of the start-stop nature of the game, where quick bursts of running are broken up by periods of rest, you enjoy even greater cardio benefits. Alternating vigorous activity with moments of recovery, known as high intensity interval training, can burn more calories.
• Builds muscular strength: Field hockey also provides a strength-training workout, with the core and leg muscles being developed in particular. The sport can lead to enhanced muscular strength, as well as improvement in athletic performance.
• Improves coordination and balance: Having quick reactions is a must during game play. In field hockey, players must pass and receive a ball that is traveling quickly across the field. Developing these skills can lead to improved overall balance and agility, as well as better hand-eye coordination.
• Promotes weight loss: Field hockey helps reduce excess body fat. The fast pace of the game requires short bursts of energy that helps burn calories and boost your metabolism. Each player burns an approximate number of 0.061 calories per pound, per minute.
• Improves breathing: The constant use of energy and muscular strength help in the development of the cardiovascular system. Pumping of sufficient quantities of oxygen through the blood helps improve breathing and cellular activity.
• Builds teamwork: Playing with a team of 11 people develops the spirit of teamwork towards successful achievement of goals and victory.
• Boosts endurance: The constant practice and sprinting across the field throughout a game can gradually increase your stamina. This not only helps on the field, but also in everyday activities and other exercise routines.
• Enhances mental strength: Exercise itself can improve your mood because of the endorphins that are released, easing feelings of depression, stress and anxiety. Field hockey provides all these benefits and demands good decision-making and strategy, which can be transferred to both personal and professional life.
• Improves communication: Playing hockey involves the verbal and nonverbal communication of messages through eyes and gestures, as players communicate during a fast-paced game. This leads to the overall improvement in the communication skills of the players. And the better the communication, the better a team’s chances of winning.
• Improves speed: Field hockey not only helps strengthen the cardiovascular system, but it also helps increase your speed and stamina. Fast footwork and agility on the field can be beneficial in everyday life, especially as you age.

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Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Increased heart rate: Dirt bike riding increases your heart rate in a way that is comparable to jogging or low-level endurance exercise. An average ride should bring your heart rate into the mid-130s, while a particularly strenuous ride, incorporating jumps, hills and other obstacles, can bring your heart rate into the mid-150s.
• Increased strength: While dirt bike riding places you on a motorized device, a significant amount of body strength is still required to turn, lift and operate your bike. You use your quadriceps, hamstrings and other leg muscles while riding over uneven terrain, and arm strength is required to lift your handle bars when going off jumps and pushing your bars back down on your landing.
• Balance:  Using your leg muscles while riding will help keep you balanced as you accelerate up and down hills and over jumps. As your body braces against bumps, it will tighten its various muscles to keep in balance.
• Endurance: The amount of continuous time spent on your dirt bike will help improve your cardiovascular health by improving your endurance. If an average ride on a dirt bike is an hour or more, you will be engaging the muscles in your legs and arms as well as increasing your heart rate continuously throughout the ride. Simply operating the pedals and hand gears for an hour or more will provide sufficient exercise.
• Get outdoors: It allows people of all ages to get up and get off their couches and go outside. The sunshine and fresh air helps relieve stress and provides nutrients that help your body function at an optimal level.
• Burn calories: Keeping the motor bike in balance through all the different jumps and bumps itself uses up different parts of the core, arm and leg muscles. This will help to burn calories and give riders a slight burn in major muscle groups.
• Brain stimulation: The mere act of riding will activate the pre-frontal areas of the brain, and those who ride a motorcycle more often can improve cognitive functions. Researchers have noted a definite difference in the level of brain stimulation in those who ride a motorcycle regularly and those who have not been on their bike for some time.
• Provides varied versions of gym exercises: Balancing an off-road vehicle is like sitting on a stability ball. Controlling the handlebars – especially through the terrain – is like doing bench press and seated rows or upright rows. Standing up and down would be like squats or deep knee bends. Standing on the pegs is like doing toe raises.
• Staying healthy: To most people, motorbiking may look like it does not require as much physical effort, but once you get on the bike, you will see that it requires a lot of core muscle as well as arm and leg muscles to do the many different tricks and jumps.
• Good posture: Posture really does make a difference in riding ability, and once riders realize that, they want to maintain the best posture possible. This choice, while made simply to improve performance on the bike, can help become a healthy habit off of the bike, too.

If you like dirt biking, read our article on the the Health Benefits of BMX

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Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Helps burn fat and calories: The fast pace of the game requires short bursts of energy that help burn a huge number of calories. Each player burns about 0.061 calories per pound, per minute. This amounts to a huge loss of body weight in the long run.
• Develops the cardiovascular system of the body: The energy and muscular strength required in hockey help in the development of cardiovascular system, which supplies the muscles with oxygen. Pumping of sufficient quantities of oxygen helps to improve the breathing and cellular activity.
• Metabolism boosting: Because of the start-stop nature of the game, where fast skating is broken up by periods of rest, you may get to enjoy even greater cardio benefits. This pattern mimics high intensity interval training, which can burn more calories and boost your metabolism.
• Is a full body workout: Playing hockey is an excellent way of developing the leg muscles, such as the hamstrings, calves and hip flexor muscles. It also aids in developing the endurance of triceps, forearms and shoulder muscles.

• Enhanced muscular strength: The enhanced muscular strength gained from hockey can reduce the risk of injury, improve bone strength, strengthen connective tissues and increase muscle mass. All of these contribute positively to a healthier, stronger body that is less prone to injury and has improved overall function.

• Develops hand-eye coordination: Playing hockey involves the coordination between the hands and the eyes. It also improves the spontaneous responses and reactions of the players during the game. Practicing this game aids in developing coordination abilities, improves hand-eye reflexes and  improves agility.

• Improved body coordination and balance: In ice hockey, players must pass and receive pucks that are traveling quickly across the ice, and field hockey players must do the same with a ball. In either version, players must react quickly in order to accurately respond to or make a play. Developing these skills can lead to improved overall balance and agility, and hand-eye coordination is also positively affected.

• Develops the spirit of team work: Playing with a team of 11 people develops a sense of teamwork as everyone works towards successful achievement of goals and victory.
• Improves communication: Playing hockey involves the communication of messages through eyes and gestures. Being able to effectively communicate with a teammate in the middle of a fast play not only leads to success on the ice, but it also leads to the overall improvement in the communication skills of the players.

• Brain boost: Exercise itself can improve your mood because of the endorphins that are released, easing feelings of depression, stress and anxiety. As a form of exercise, hockey provides this benefit, but there’s an added brain boost that comes with the sport as well. Hockey demands good decision-making, and honing these skills on the ice or field can also be transferred to everyday life.

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• Burns calories and fat: During a 20-minute game, the player runs approximately 3,650 feet, according to U.S. Olympic training center. In one hour of play, the player runs more than two miles and burns between 600 to 800 calories. Playing racquetball regularly will decrease body fat levels and maintain healthy weight.
• Strengthen bones and muscles: A weight-bearing exercise, racquetball makes your bones and muscles stronger, while slowing bone loss. You can develop and maintain muscle tone throughout your body as you use all your major muscle groups in a racquetball game.
• Good for heart health: Because you’re in constant motion, racquetball benefits your most important muscle — your heart. One hour of play is equivalent to running 2 miles.
• Improve balance, coordination and flexibility: In order to run across the court and dip low to hit that returning ball, you need balance, coordination and flexibility. You may stumble and miss that shot in your first game, but through practice, your hand-eye coordination and balance improves. You use a wide range of motion in racquetball, forcing your body to stretch, in turn increasing your flexibility.

• Improves hand-eye coordination and mental agility: Besides the musculoskeletal benefits, racquetball improves mental clarity and quickness by making quick and strategic decisions. It helps with neural adaptation by stimulating a faster connection between brain and muscle movements, which improves a player’s reflexes even off the racquetball court. Hand-eye coordination and eyesight are enhanced as well.

• Offers both aerobic and anaerobic benefits: The endurance aspect of racquetball improves the body’s aerobic capacity, while the short bursts of quick sprints improve the anaerobic capacity.

• Works the whole body: Racquetball taxes nearly every muscle group, including the lower body for running, the core for balance, and the upper body for hitting and controlling the ball.
• It’s fun: Racquetball is fun and competitive, and it will make people return to the court as often as they can. A sport you enjoy is a strong lure to get moving on days when you’re tempted to skip your fitness regimen.
• It’s social: Friendships are formed through racquetball. When you play against an opponent or with a partner on a doubles team, you start finding other racquetball players in your area, and your social circle grows. This will guarantee you’ll always have a workout partner to make your exercise fun!
• Reduces stress and lowers other health risks: Any physical activity can reduce stress by increasing your endorphins, but racquetball can especially erase your worries. When you’re caught up in the intense back-and-forth of racquetball, you’re not thinking about the day’s problems or tomorrow’s to-do list. Regular physical activity through racquetball can reduce or eliminate your risk for many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Racquetball can also reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by reducing your triglyceride levels and increasing your “good” cholesterol.

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Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

Full body workout:  Unlike some sports, playing tennis is a brilliant workout for the entire body. You use your lower body for all that running, stopping and starting, jumping and crouching. And  The action of hitting the tennis ball, whether it’s single or double-handed, means that your trunk does a lot of work as well, in particular your shoulders and upper back.

Improved aerobic and anaerobic health: Tennis increases your oxygen intake while playing, increasing your heart rate and helping your blood deliver oxygen and nutrients to all your muscles. It also aids in the development of numerous capillaries and capillary beds within the muscles so that your muscles can have a greater blood supply and flow. This helps in your muscles perform at a higher level and fatigue at a slower rate. It also helps in maintaining anaerobic health, which allows the muscles to use oxygen in a better way more efficiently and provide quick bursts of energy spurts for explosive power and quick, reactive movements.

Burns calories and fat: Running, swinging, reaching, pivoting — tennis can be a real workout with the right opponent. It’s a whole-body sport, and you can burn a lot of calories because you’re constantly on the move. In fact, for many people, playing tennis can actually burn more calories than other popular types of physical activity, including leisurely cycling, weight lifting, golfing, dancing or playing volleyball. As a result, playing tennis regularly has been shown to help reduce body fat. Singles tennis can burn between 400-600 calories an hour. That’s not bad for a recreational sport that’s both fun and can be played by just about anyone.

Improves bone health: Playing tennis isn’t good for your muscles alone; it has a positive impact on your bones as well. Exercising regularly can increase your peak bone mass and can slow the rate of bone mass loss over time. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), bone mass peaks around age 30 and begins to decline after that. You can maximize your bone mass prior to that age through exercise, and continuing to exercise after 30 can slow the rate of bone loss. The NIH names tennis as one of the weight-bearing activities well suited to building strong bones.

Heart healthy: Tennis great Tennis legend, Bjorn Borg, accurately characterized a tennis match as “a thousand little sprints.” The quick anaerobic movements the sport demands burns fat, increases your heart rate and promotes higher energy levels. A typical tennis match can last anywhere from one to two hours and at intervals that are optimal for improving cardiovascular health, which is essential for lowering your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

• It provides a full body workout:  Apart from the aerobic benefit, the fast paced game of handball helps to build up muscle tone and strength. All of the jumping, turning and slamming means most muscles are getting a vigorous workout.
• Increases cardiovascular endurance: The court is 40 meters long and 20 meters wide, so players can run several miles during each 60-minute game. This helps increase the heart rate and boost aerobic endurance.
• Teaches agility: Develops agility of hands and feet, with sudden changes of pace and direction required. Accuracy is also crucial. Many people compare handball to golf. Both are extremely challenging to play well, because they involve striking a small ball with a great deal of precision.
• Keeps you fit as you age: Hall-of-Fame NFL quarterback George Blanda credits the sport for keeping him fit and effective well into his 40s.
• Improves mental focus and self-confidence: Being successful is 95% mental and 5% physical. You have the conditioning and game strategy, now you have to make sure that you stay calm under pressure and keep yourself focused on the right things. You have to believe in yourself and have the self-confidence to play your own game rather than your opponent’s when you’re under pressure.
• Heart healthy: Provides the body with a good cardiovascular workout, feeding more oxygen to the muscles via the bloodstream. The constant running up and down the court ensures that the heart is vigorously pumping throughout the match.
• Calorie and fat burning: A University of Utah study showed handball to be superior to racquetball–a sport that’s no stroll in the park–in all four of the fitness indicators that were measured: calories burned per hour (751 vs. 644), average heart rate (164 vs. 137), average oxygen uptake (30.1 vs. 25.8), and average ventilation rate (85.9 vs. 70.9).
• Develops hand-eye coordination: Learning to anticipate where the ball will end up isn’t easy. Timing and technique are everything.
• Teaches you to be balanced and agile on both sides of the body: Handball develops and sustains muscles on both sides of the body because you use both hands. Developing coordination and power in your non-dominant, or “off,” hand takes time, but if you don’t become semi-ambidextrous, your opponent is certain to exploit your weak side. This is the hardest part of handball to pick up, but also what sets it apart.
• Unlike many sports, handball can be played and for a lifetime: It’s a relatively injury-free sport. Most injuries that do occur are muscle strains in the shoulder, elbow and back, but those are avoidable if you follow a basic conditioning, strengthening and stretching program.

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Whether you are out shooting hoops by yourself, playing a game of pick-up basketball or on an elite competitive team, basketball is a great way to get fit and stay in shape. In fact, even President Barack Obama plays the game on a daily basis as part of his fitness regimen. Below, we’ve listed a few reasons why playing the game of basketball could help you stay healthy and fit along with links to a few basketball essentials you may need.

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• • Burns calories: Running, jumping and quick lateral movements done in basketball provide a significant amount of aerobic exercise and can burn a great deal of calories. For each hour of competitive basketball, a 165-pound person can expect to burn around 600 calories, while a 250-pound person can burn up to 900 calories.
  • Great for cardiovascular health: Basketball can help you develop cardiovascular endurance, depending on how many times play stops. Keep moving and you’ll keep your heart rate up. Building endurance can help keep your heart healthy, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke later in life.
  • Develops concentration and self-discipline: Like every other sport, basketball has rules to follow, and breaking them can result in penalties not just for you, but for your team. Practicing self-discipline helps one become more competitive yet fair and clean in their game and focused in succeeding.
  • Builds bone strength: Jumping and other physical demands of basketball help develop and improve bone health. The stronger your bones, the less likely they are to break. Weight-bearing physical activity causes new bone tissue to form, making bones stronger. Bones and muscles both become stronger when muscles push and tug against bones during physical activity.

• • Better motor skills and coordination: Free-throw shooting and jump-shooting are particularly helpful for training hand-eye coordination. Rebounding missed shots is another skill that requires a great degree of full-body coordination. The third basic basketball skill, dribbling, requires a finer degree of coordination. When first learning basketball, dribbling trains the hand-eye coordination; once that skilled is mastered, a player will no longer look at the ball while dribbling and the skill will become a pure motor coordination task.
  • Strength training: Basketball provides an excellent full-body workout and can help develop useful, lean muscle. In this physically intensive contact sport, basketball players are highly reliant on effective body positioning and the ability to maintain that position when an opponent is pushing against him. Playing good defensive basketball can develop your deltoids, traps, neck, lower back and core muscles. Strong legs aid in shooting and running, while the finer movements such as dribbling and shooting are good for strengthening your arms, wrist flexors and hand muscles.
  • Improves spatial awareness: Spatial awareness is knowing where your body is in space and time. Ever wonder why a cat always lands on its feet? Body awareness. It helps keep you in balance.

• Mental development: Basketball requires a wide range of physical skills, but it is also a fast-paced mental game. Research on the mental aspects of basketball has revealed that players must develop a great deal of attention to quickly and accurately process what’s happening on the court and make effective decisions with the ball and on defense. During a fast-paced game, you must train yourself to constantly observe your teammates and opponents and evaluate what course of action to take in response to their actions. This can translate to helping you make quick decisions on the job and in other real-life situations.
• Reduces stress and boosts the immune system: Decreasing your stress will help you focus and have more energy to complete tasks. Playing basketball and other sports helps reduce stress and gives players the opportunity to socialize. People who are social are less likely to have depression, and also tend to have a stronger immune system.
• Enhances confidence: Basketball truly improves anyone’s confidence. Making good shots and being a part of a good team can increase your self-esteem and help gain more confidence. A confident person has more faith in his or her skills and can face life with a better disposition.

Health Fitness Revolution by Samir Becic Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, to make the world a healthier, fitter place, please donate!

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Burns calories: A lacrosse field is 110 yards long and 60 yards wide; running through a field this size is a high-impact aerobic activity. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 160-pound person burns 533 calories per hour performing high-impact aerobics. A lacrosse game typically lasts one to two hours, allowing players to burn hundreds of calories per game. Continuously burning off excess calories is one of the best ways for players to either lose excess weight or keep their present weight under control.
• Increased mental acuity: It takes discipline to play lacrosse, as the tactics and skill development needed take time and persistence to develop. Not only will players develop mental discipline, but they also reap the benefits provided by regular exercise, which has been shown to improve mental performance, mood and performance in school/work.
• Improves cardiovascular endurance: Each player’s heart and lungs must be strong enough to play a full game without getting tired, and like all organs, the heart and lungs adapt to the demands placed on them. Players build cardiovascular endurance during practice and games. Each time a player runs up and down the field, his heart and lungs get stronger and his stamina increases.

  

• Increased agility: Lacrosse games involve continuous running and sprinting, as well as throwing and catching the ball while on the run or changing direction. A few of the most important skills developed through lacrosse are fast footwork and a high level of quickness and agility. Improved reaction times are also a benefit, which can carry over into daily life when split-second decisions must be made to avoid an accident or a fall.
• Is a full-body strengthening workout: Lacrosse works virtually every major muscle in the body. Swinging a lacrosse stick and throwing a lacrosse ball work muscles in the upper and lower arms. Cradling, a technique used to maintain control of the ball using a lacrosse stick, also requires arm strength and range of motion. The consistent running works the leg muscles. Players bend up and down and from side to side when chasing and catching lacrosse balls, and these movements work the core muscles.

• Builds endurance: Lacrosse combines the skills of basketball, soccer and hockey into a fast paced, high endurance test of strength and agility. With a playing area roughly the size of a football field there is a high demand for speed and strength. The training is rigorous and focused. Dedication is required to succeed. Struggling physically also helps build a person mentally. Pushing through and making a goal builds confidence and commitment. The hard work that goes into this sport helps develop a strong character, one that will benefit a person for years to come and help them endure other things in life unrelated to the game.
• Socialization: Team sports are an excellent way to teach social interaction and how to work with others. Lacrosse teaches teammates to set goals and accomplish those goals with the help of others, a vital real-world skill. Overcoming obstacles within a team is also a good way to develop lifelong friendships.

• Coordination: One area where lacrosse players benefit is in the training of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Catching a small ball in a cupped net, especially in the middle of a game, is much more difficult than it looks. Combine running, jumping and blocking, and you have a recipe for coordination that will benefit players for a lifetime.
• Good for mental health: According to Fitness.gov, those who engage in intense physical activities for prolonged time periods can relieve the symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety and depression. Such activities can also promote stress relief and minimize the effects of stress-related ailments, such as insomnia. Playing sports encourages peer interaction as well, which reduces feelings of isolation and can improve a person’s overall mood. Also, the feelings of accomplishment associated with learning a new skill and winning a game can improve a lacrosse player’s self-esteem.
• Teaches discipline: Devoting time to a team sport teaches the power of productive habits. The work that goes into the game, including regular practice, teamwork and giving it your all, teaches the value of adopting habits that are beneficial. Regular practice, healthy eating, getting enough rest, overcoming mistakes and failure – all of these habits can be learned through lacrosse.

To see more of our Top 10 lists, click here.

Health Fitness Revolution by Samir Becic Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, to make the world a healthier, fitter place, please donate!

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Promotes healthy body composition: Rowing can help maintain a healthy balance of fat mass and fat-free mass in your body. If an analysis of your body composition indicates that your body fat is high, rowing can be a good way to burn off fat, as it is predominantly an aerobic sport. In fact, you can easily burn up to 600 calories per hour.
• Enhances cardio-respiratory system: Rowing enhances your lung’s ability to provide oxygen to the blood, heart and the rest of your body. A lack of cardio-respiratory fitness is closely linked to heart disease. The good news is that improving your aerobic fitness can be done in short intervals, so it does not take too much time out of your day. All you need is 30 minutes of steady state exercise – or 10 minutes of high intensity intervals – in the boat or on the rowing machine.
• Offers low impact exercise with high results: Both competitive and recreational rowing are unique in comparison to most sports because they exercise all of your major muscle groups. Everything from your legs, back and arms are engaged while rowing. In addition, rowing is a low-impact sport. When executed properly, the rowing stroke is a fairly safe motion, providing little room for the serious injury often found in contact and high-impact sports.
• Promotes weight loss: Competitive rowers expend almost twice the number of calories on a 2,000-meter course as a runner in a 3,000-meter steeplechase. However, since rowing is low impact, you will not experience the same wear and tear on your body and joints as you would if you were a runner. Plus, you build strength in your upper body and core.
• Helps the heart: Cardiovascular training involves any activity that requires the use of the large muscle groups of the body in a regular and uninterrupted manner. Rowing is one of the few non-weight bearing sports that exercises all the major muscle groups.
• Builds muscle strength: The primary muscles that rowers work are the quadriceps, the large muscles in front of your thighs. These muscles are necessary for extending the knee, and they also serve as hip flexors, which allow you to make powerful leg movements. As your quadriceps become stronger, activities and exercises such as walking, jogging, lunges and squats can be done more efficiently and with greater strength.
• Reduces stress: The consistent and rhythmic activity associated with rowing, combined with being outdoors on the water, has an unparalleled impact on reducing stress.
• Stabilizes the body: Rowing in a boat requires the stabilizer and neutralizer muscles to fire up. Those same muscles might help to avoid a fall or help keep you from hurting your back when lifting a child or a heavy box awkwardly. Your core, or trunk, becomes stronger and better prepared to handle off-balanced movement.
• Improves muscle and joint mobility: Rowing conditions many different muscles and joints without straining them, making this exercise ideal for those with arthritis or osteoporosis. The muscles and joints experience a wide range of movement during rowing, which will eventually minimize stiffness and increase flexibility. If you live a sedentary lifestyle or become stiff after long periods of inactivity, loosen your muscles and joints by rowing at a moderate pace for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Offers a full-body exercise: A rowing machine works the lower and middle back, hamstrings, calves, gluteal muscles and biceps. Rowing works more body parts than most cardiovascular machines, and it provides a low-impact exercise that people of various fitness levels can complete comfortably.

Maintaining a healthy mind and a healthy body are essential components to living an allied healthy lifestyle, which is why my Health Fitness Revolution team and I decided to pair two of the most popular, yet complementary activities into a single message.

Take a moment and imagine this – a person with both the brilliance of Garry Kasparov and the physical genius of Bastian Schweinsteiger. I am not saying that every human being should be both – what I am saying is that every human being has the potential to fulfill an ultimate purpose of their existence.

Top 10 health benefits of playing soccer:

• Increases Aerobic Capacity: Running at any intensity for 90 minutes requires a high level of stamina. Therefore, soccer players often have a tremendous amount of aerobic capacity- being able to go from walking to sprinting and have a fast recovery to do it again, and again, and again.
• Improves Cardiovascular Health: The average player runs 5 to 7 miles in a full game. The constant walking, jogging and running helps keep the players’ heart rates up, providing excellent cardiovascular exercise. This constant movement helps players strengthen their hearts, resist plaque build-up in the coronary arteries, reduce their blood pressure and burn excess calories.
• Lowers Body Fat and Improves Muscle Tone: Soccer is a great sport for burning fat because it works the muscles and your heart in different ways. Soccer builds more muscle mass and burns more fat by recruiting both slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. As a general workout, soccer playing burns more calories than typical workouts because players are forced to switch between using the aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways.
• Builds Muscle Strength: lower body strength is required for kicking, jumping, tackling, twisting and turning and also forms the foundation for explosive speed. Upper body strength is required for shielding the ball, holding off opponents, throw-ins and also contributes to overall power and explosiveness. Regular soccer playing builds strength by using the whole body.
• Increases Bone Strength: In general, bone density decreases as people get older. The repeated weight-bearing loads on the body during a soccer match are an excellent way to increase the strength of our skeletal frame. Maintaining fitness through soccer throughout a lifetime is a great way to keep bones strong.
• Teaches Coordination: due to shifts between walking, running and sprinting, coordination is key to soccer. Body coordination is improved through the complex movements like dribbling, turning and passing, which are performed at varying rates of speed and direction. Hand-eye coordination is improved when players either kick the ball or receive a pass from someone. The better the coordination, the better advantage in a match.
• Promotes Teamwork and Sharing: While fitness goals are generally very personal, we can all benefit from sharing common goals with others who push us towards them. The lessons that players learn on the field translate to the rest of their lives and the camaraderie teammates share in unparalleled. The ability to work with others to reach a common goal is powerful when related to everyday life- in other words, join a team!
• Increases Cognitive Brain Function: Soccer helps increase skills in concentration, persistence and self-discipline because it is a fast-paced game that requires quick decisions on the field. Even when the tempo appears to slow down, players are constantly looking for territorial advantages, trying to position themselves to receive a pass or to defend an area the opponent may attack.
• Increase Confidence and Self-esteem, and Helps to Reduce Anxiety: Building physical strength and endurance helps build confidence in a player both on and off the field. Confidence and self-esteem not only impact sports performance, but also performance in school, career, family life and friendships. Also, as with all forms of exercise, the feel-good endorphins released into the body after a match are major stress and anxiety reducers. Several studies point to exercise as being a highly effective treatment for depression and anxiety.
• Anyone can Play, Anywhere: Soccer is not an expensive or prohibitive sport. All that is needed is space and a ball. It is a relatively simple sport to catch onto and is played mostly outdoors, which we already mentioned as being healthy here.

Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Chess:

• Promotes brain growth: Games like chess that challenge the brain actually stimulate the growth of dendrites, the bodies that send out signals from the brain’s neuron cells. With more dendrites, neural communication within the brain improves and becomes faster. Think of your brain like a computer processor. The tree-like branches of dendrites fire signals that communicate to other neurons, which makes that computer processor operate at a fast, optimal state. Interaction with people in challenging activities also fuels dendrite growth, and chess is a perfect example.
• It exercises both sides of the brain: A German study indicated that when chess players were asked to identify chess positions and geometric shapes, both the left and right hemispheres of the brain became highly active. Their reaction times to the simple shapes were the same, but the experts were using both sides of their brains to more quickly respond to the chess position questions.
• Raises your IQ: Do smart people play chess, or does chess make people smart? At least one scientific study has shown that playing the game can actually raise a person’s IQ. A study of 4,000 Venezuelan students produced significant rises in the IQ scores of both boys and girls after four months of chess instruction. So grab a chess board and improve your IQ!
• Helps prevent Alzheimer’s: As we age, it becomes increasingly important to give the brain a workout, just as you would every other major muscle group, in order to keep it healthy and fit. A recent study featured in The New England Journal of Medicine found that people over 75 who engage in brain-games like chess are less likely to develop dementia than their non-board-game-playing peers. The saying “use it or lose it” certainly applies here, as a sedentary brain can decrease brain power. All the more reason to play chess before you turn 75.
• Sparks your creativity: Playing chess helps unleash your originality, since it activates the right side of the brain, the side responsible for creativity. One four-year study had students from grades 7 to 9 play chess, use computers, or do other activities once a week for 32 weeks to see which activity fostered the most growth in creative thinking. The chess group scored higher in all measures of creativity, with originality being their biggest area of gain.
• Increases problem-solving skills: A chess match requires fast thinking and problem-solving on the fly because your opponent is constantly changing the parameters. A 1992 study conducted on 450 fifth-grade students in New Brunswick indicated that those who learned to play chess scored significantly higher on standardized tests compared to those who did not play chess.
• Teaches planning and foresight: One of the last parts of the brain to develop during adolescence is the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for judgment, planning and self-control. Because playing chess requires strategic and critical thinking, it helps promote prefrontal cortex development and helps teenagers make better decisions in all areas of life, perhaps keeping them from making an irresponsible, risky choice.
• Improves reading skills: In an oft-cited 1991 study, Dr. Stuart Margulies studied the reading performance of 53 elementary school students who participated in a chess program and evaluated them compared to non-chess-playing students in the district and around the country. He found definitive results that playing chess caused increased performance in reading. In a district where the average students tested below the national average, kids from the district who played the game tested above it.
• Optimizes memory improvement: Chess players know that playing chess improves your memory, mainly because of the complex rules you have to remember, as well as the memory recall needed when trying to avoid previous mistakes or remembering a certain opponent’s playing style. Good chess players have exceptional memory performance and recall. A study of Pennsylvania sixth-graders found that students who had never before played chess improved their memories and verbal skills after playing.
• Improves recovery from stroke or disability: Chess develops fine motor skills in individuals who have disability or have suffered a stroke or other physically debilitating accident. This form of rehabilitation requires the motion of chess pieces in different directions (forward, backward, diagonally forward motion, diagonally backward motion), which can help develop and fine tune a patient’s motor skills, while the mental effort required to play the game can improve cognitive and communication skills. Playing can also stimulate deep concentration and calm, helping to center and relax patients who are experiencing different degrees of anxiety.

Before we get into the benefits, add these items to your Amazon cart with just one click. We are sure after reading the benefits you will be ready to play.

Here are the Top 10 from Samir Becic author of the fitness book ReSYNC Your Life (4X number 1 fitness trainer in America) and HFR team.

• Increases Aerobic Capacity: Running -at any intensity- for 90 minutes requires a high level of stamina. Therefore, soccer players often have a tremendous amount of aerobic capacity- being able to go from walking to sprinting and have a fast recovery to do it again, and again, and again.
• Improves Cardiovascular Health: The average player runs 5 to 7 miles in a full game. The constant walking, jogging and running helps keep the players’ heart rates up, providing excellent cardiovascular exercise. This constant movement helps players strengthen their hearts, resist plaque build-up in the coronary arteries, reduce their blood pressure and burn excess calories.

• Lowers Body Fat and Improves Muscle Tone: Soccer is a great sport for burning fat because it works the muscles and your heart in different ways. Soccer builds more muscle mass and burns more fat by recruiting both slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. As a general workout, soccer playing burns more calories than typical workouts because players are forced to switch between using the aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways.
• Builds Muscle Strength: lower body strength is required for kicking, jumping, tackling, twisting and turning and also forms the foundation for explosive speed. Upper body strength is required for shielding the ball, holding off opponents, throw-ins and also contributes to overall power and explosiveness. Regular soccer playing builds strength by using the whole body.
• Increases Bone Strength: In general, bone density decreases as people get older. The repeated weight-bearing loads on the body during a soccer match are an excellent way to increase the strength of our skeletal frame. Maintaining fitness through soccer throughout a lifetime is a great way to keep bones strong.
• Teaches Coordination: due to shifts between walking, running and sprinting, coordination is key to soccer. Body coordination is improved through the complex movements like dribbling, turning and passing, which are performed at varying rates of speed and direction. Hand-eye coordination is improved when players either kick the ball or receive a pass from someone. The better the coordination, the better advantage in a match.

• Promotes Teamwork and Sharing: While fitness goals are generally very personal, we can all benefit from sharing common goals with others who push us towards them. The lessons that players learn on the field translate to the rest of their lives and the camaraderie teammates share in unparalleled. The ability to work with others to reach a common goal is powerful when related to everyday life- in other words, join a team!
• Increases Cognitive Brain Function: Soccer helps increase skills in concentration, persistence and self-discipline because it is a fast-paced game that requires quick decisions on the field. Even when the tempo appears to slow down, players are constantly looking for territorial advantages, trying to position themselves to receive a pass or to defend an area the opponent may attack.
• Increase Confidence and Self-esteem, and Helps to Reduce Anxiety: Building physical strength and endurance helps build confidence in a player both on and off the field. Confidence and self-esteem not only impact sports performance, but also performance in school, career, family life and friendships. Also, as with all forms of exercise, the feel-good endorphins released into the body after a match are major stress and anxiety reducers. Several studies point to exercise as being a highly effective treatment for depression and anxiety.
• Anyone can Play, Anywhere: Soccer is not an expensive or prohibitive sport. All that is needed is space and a ball. It is a relatively simple sport to catch onto and is played mostly outdoors, which we already mentioned as being healthy here.

Health Fitness Revolution by Samir Becic Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, to make the world a healthier, fitter place, please donate!

Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:

• Increased Stamina and Endurance: the constant running across the field helps to increase stamina.
• Balance: balance is also something one can improve through this sport because of the utmost concentration required while playing cricket.
• Flexibility: learning to move freely is something that comes with practice in cricket, thus improving on flexibility of an individual.
• Coordination: when catching or throwing the ball, a cricket player improves his hand eye coordination
• Cardio: Cricket includes a lot of throwing and sprinting across the field, which is a great cardiovascular activity.
• Improved Motor Skills: Bowling, batting and catching the ball require gross motor skills. These are such activities that make the large body muscles to work.
• Social Skills: it’s a great way to interact with people and its also a great way to learn to cope with winning or losing. Cricket matches can last several hours, and within that time one must work with the team in a cooperative manner to develop and initiate game strategies and win the match.
• Muscle Toning: like any other sport, cricket also helps with gaining and toning your muscles.
• Physical Fitness: all the sprinting and bowling requires you to be constantly up and running, which increases your physical activity level.
• Team Building: it is a team sport. Eleven players must work together for several hours on the field, utilizing strategies to defeat the other team. Children playing cricket learn cooperation and other social skills, while building a sense of pride and accomplishment when their team wins. Even adults can enjoy the opportunity to foster friendships outside of the office. Victory is all the sweeter when shared.

To see more of our Top 10 lists, click here.

Assistant Professor Matt Bowers found a significant negative relationship between overall creativity and hours spent playing organized sports. He also found a significant positive relationship between overall creativity and hours spent on unstructured sport activities.

The study conducted consisted of 99 students who were in their upper-division undergraduate and graduate students. The students ages ranged from 19 to 33. To determine the link between organized sports and creativity researchers used two instruments to measure the data collected. The instruments used are Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA) and a childhood leisure activities questionnaire. The ATTA test assesses the skills of creativity an individual possesses by their ability to produce unique, relevant ideas and their ability to embellish those ideas with details. The childhood leisure questionnaire documents context-specific sport and leisure participation rates.

The research showed that there is a 14% difference in participants’ overall creativity could be attributed to the amount of time they spent playing an organized sport and informal sports.  Participants in the study who spent about 2,000 hours playing organized sports throughout their young adult life saw a 10-point deduction in their creativity from the mean of 67. The participants who only spend about 1,200 hours playing informal sports saw a 10 point increase in their creativity rather than a 10 point deduction like the children who spent time playing organized sports.

Creativity is important to incorporate as part of a healthy lifestyle because it allows individuals to express their emotions. It is important to be able to express emotion because bottling them up is unhealthy. This article isn’t to say that organized sports is bad but it high-lights the key that you need to allow children to be creative and allow them to express themselves.

Original story published on University of Texas

Most people have a favorite sports team, or even several. Whether it is football, baseball, basketball, tennis, boxing or soccer you enjoy, as the temperatures outside change, so do the sports seasons – bringing a renewed sense of excitement, hope, and fun social settings.

In reality, sports fans are the ones who are not getting physical activity, healthy nutrition, and the benefits from living an athletes life. Instead, in stadiums and parties across America, they are exposed to copious amounts of beer, fried foods, refined sugars, fatty meats and other unhealthy and processed concessions. It is extremely hard – almost impossible – to find healthy, balanced options at professional sports venues. Considering that sports are associated with healthy minds, healthy bodies, healthy spirits, this contradiction is not serving our society in the best way, especially our children, who are the future of our country.

How many billions of dollars are the NBA, NFL, MLB, FIFA, WWE, and NHL making off of unhealthy promotions at the expense of our health? I’m sure the gentlemen in charge are aware of this and still pursue the same bottom line. Because it comes down to the fact that two-thirds of a facility’s concession revenues come from hot dogs, peanuts, and that the margin on drinks is the highest at over 90%.

What we, here at Health Fitness Revolution find alarming is that most sports have sponsors that are fast food, soda, and junk food companies. The 2012 London Olympics were even partnered with McDonald’s and for this year’s World Cup, FIFA’s partners include soda giant Coca-Cola, while its sponsors include fast-food firm McDonald’s and beer company Budweiser!  Which brings us to ask the question: are professional sports making us fat?

According to the Department of Nutrition at the University of São Paulo’s School of Public Health in Brazil, yes. It says such sponsors “represent a direct attack” on worldwide efforts to reduce consumption of unhealthy food and drink in order to tackle increasing obesity rates. Since 1980, the rates of worldwide obesity have almost doubled. In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults were overweight or obese. As of 2012, more than 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese.

Obesity costs America $190 billion annually in added medical costs and America’s favorite pastimes should be conscious of not contributing to this further. Considering that our founder Samir Becic was a professional athlete, he understands that these leagues can be doing more to promote health and even says “Professional sports can be a driving force for healthy lifestyle in the United States.” Here is how:

• Of the fast food sponsors – promote the healthy options available on their menus
• Get more health-conscious sponsors
• Offer healthier options in the venues – more grilled, lean proteins, complex carbs etc.
• Displaying the nutritional value of all food and drinks in large so that patrons know what they are really consuming
• Promote physical activity among the sports fans – so that they are not only fans, but are a part of a healthier agenda
• Motivate vendors to sell healthy foods – since they work on commission, offer them a higher commission structure for healthier foods.
• Motivate athletes to promote healthy lifestyle.

“With physical fitness, healthy nutrition, and spiritual, social, and mental balance, we can manage, control, or completely avoid 60-70% of chronic illnesses”- Samir Becic

HOW MUCH FOOD IS CONSUMED ON SUPERBOWL SUNDAY ?

• 8 million: Total pounds of popcorn consumed.
• 28 million: Pounds of potato chips consumed.
• 11.8: Depth, in feet, of guacamole consumed if it were spread across the football field.
• 293,000: Number of miles of potato chips, laid end to end, consumed during the game.
• 1 billion: Number of chicken wings consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.
• 325.5 million: Gallons of beer drank by Americans that day.
• 493: Number of Olympic-sized swimming pools that could be filled with all that beer.
• 20%: Increase in ant-acid sales the Monday after the game.
• Fans spent $2.37 million on soda.
• Dominos delivered 11 million slices of pizza.

Here are Health Fitness Revolution’s Top 10 Fitness Tips for Golfers.

• Work the core muscles: In golf you are constantly using your core muscles to get a good drive on the ball. The stronger your core muscles are, the further you will be to drive the ball.
• Strengthen arm and back muscles: While the core muscles are key, the arm and back muscles must also be strong and in shape.  You do not want them to fatigue while you are out on the course.
• Stretch: You need to make to stretch, especially your hips and shoulders. You need to be able to get a full range of motion on your swings to get the best results on your drive.
• Drink water: It gets hot on the course during the summer and being dehydrated will not only affect your physical game, but it will also affect the mental aspect of your game.
• Do cardio: Playing an entire 18 holes can be draining and there is a lot of walking going on. Make sure you are doing some sort of cardio training a couple of days a week so you do not fatigue.
• Eat a balanced diet: Playing 18 holes can take 4 or more hours so you need to have a diet that will give you energy and keep you energized while you play. Not only that, but a bad diet will make you feel lethargic after a while and not only will your scores suffer, but you will not enjoy yourself nearly as much.
• Get a good warmup! You need to make sure to warm up your legs, hips, upper body and core muscles. You will be taking a lot of swings over the course of a game of golf and want to reduce the risk of injuries.
• Have good posture: Not only will a good posture help you with hitting the ball, but it will also keep you from getting fatigued and even possibly from getting injured.
• Work out the leg muscles: The force behind a good drive comes from the core and lower body muscles not from the arms!
• Mental training: Golf can be very taxing mentally, make sure you keep your mind active when you are not playing so you can maintain and improve the amount of time you can focus.

Here are the top tips from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic that one can receive from wrestling:

• Anyone can do it! Wrestling has different age groups and weight classes to make it fair for everyone involved. The sport does not discriminate against how old someone is or their weight. There is an age division and a weight class for everyone!
• Mental skills: With wrestling one can learn how to overcome many obstacles and challenges that will make them mentally stronger and prepared to take on the world. Some of the skills one can acquire from wrestling include: self-reliance, self-confidence and self-discipline. A wrestler will also learn to develop sportsmanship and respect for their opponent. Every wrestler will lose at least once (if not many times!) in their career and this teaches them to always be respectful and be a good sport. Losing will also teach the wrestler to always remain humble.
• Total Body Workout: In wrestling, a person works out their entire body all at once. The constant pushing and pulling motions work the entire upper body, and since many motions are in a squatted position, the legs get worked as well. Wrestling also requires a great deal of core strength for balance and short, explosive movements when trying to secure a takedown and a great deal of flexibility when fighting off an opponent’s takedown and turn attempts.
• Cardiovascular:  A wrestling match is six minutes of non stop action, so a wrestler needs be in excellent cardiovascular shape. During a practice and in matches, wrestlers use all of the major muscle groups in the body – making wrestling is a great way to get physically fit.
• Increased Cardiovascular Endurance: The more a person wrestles, the more they develop both functional strength and cardiovascular endurance. Many wrestlers do not just stop after practice, they will often get in an extra run early in the morning or later on in the evening to get in even shape and help them make a certain weight class. Since wrestling employs all of the major muscle groups in the body, the heart will have to pump blood to all these muscles at a fast rate. Lung capacity will also greatly increase due to having to make so many short, explosive movements and being in high intensity, non-stop action for six straight minutes.
• Proper Nutrition: Proper nutrition is a very important aspect of wrestling since there are weight classes. A wrestler must eat healthy all the time and drink enough water throughout the day to properly manage their weight. Eating healthy and staying hydrated also helps the body recover from the long grueling practices and high intensity matches.
• Burns A LOT of Calories: One six-minute match of wrestling is said to burn around 400 calories. A wrestler can expect to wrestle no less than two matches a day at a tournament so they will burn around 800 calories in just 12 minutes! An average wrestling practice will last between one and a half and two hours, in that time frame an athlete will lose an average of 1,000 calories!

• Muscle Toning: There’s a misconception that water skiing is all about the lower body, but it’s simply not true. Water skiing uses every muscle in your body! It develops your posture, your shoulders, and your arms become quite strong in order to hold on to the rope.

• Increased Balance and Core Strength: Getting up on the skis- and staying up- require you to develop both your balance and core strength. You have to have a lot of strength to prevent the waves from sweeping you away!

• Resistance Training: Water skiing forces you to hold yourself up and keep going using resistance. It works core muscles, arm muscles, leg muscles, and all the muscles around them. It’s also a lot safer than using free weights which can strain your muscles.

• Easy on the Joints: Water skiing uses just about every muscle in the body without wearing down joints because it’s all body weight resistance in free range of motion.

• Promotes Strong Legs: Tones up your legs fast. They absorb the energy of crossing the bumpy wake behind the boat, control your direction and are bent in a half-squat throughout, giving you particularly strong quads.

• Meditative Aspect: Being on the water, much like in sailing, can have a calming effect on the mind and forces you to focus on the task at hand, forgetting about the day to day stresses and worries. Not to mention that the endorphins from being active will keep you happy and healthy!

• Calorie Burning: an hour session on water skis can burn about 400 calories.

• Overall Health: As with all forms of physical exercise, water skiing can reduce or eliminate your risk for many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. It can also reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by reducing your triglyceride levels and increasing your good cholesterol.

Here is Health Fitness Revolution‘s list of the Health Benefits of Playing Handball:

• Improves arm muscles and upper body strength.
• Develops agility of hands and feet, with sudden changes of pace and direction required.
• Boosts the body’s flexibility.
• Improves mental focus and self-confidence.
• Provides the body with a good cardiovascular workout, feeding more oxygen to the muscles via the bloodstream.
• Great Cross-training for Other Sports: Whether your primary sport emphasizes endurance, agility, coordination or quickness, handball will maintain or improve on what you’ve got.

Along with the calorie-burning benefits, playing racquetball has proven to be a total body toner that enhances flexibility. Whether you’re an accomplished athlete, an aerobics-class regular or just starting a fitness regime, here are Health Fitness Revolution‘s reasons as to why you should play racquetball:

• Strengthen Muscles and Bones: racquetball makes your bones and muscles stronger, while slowing bone loss because it is a weight-bearing sport. Because you use all your major muscle groups during a game, it helps both develop and maintain muscle tone throughout your body.
• Cardiovascular: Because you’re in constant motion, racquetball benefits your most important muscle — your heart. One hour of play is equivalent to running 2 miles. Your heart rate increases and maintains at 70 to 80 percent of its maximum.
• Improve Balance: Much of the game is sprinting short distances and diving for the ball, which will strengthen your core and improve your balance. All it takes is falling over a few times and your body will adjust!
• Improve Coordination: Because the game is so fast-paced, your hand-eye coordination will increase over time.
• Improve Flexibility: You use a wide range of motion in racquetball, forcing your body to stretch, in turn increasing your flexibility.
• Reduce Stress Levels: Any physical activity can reduce stress by increasing your endorphins, but racquetball can especially erase your worries. When you’re caught up in the intense back-and-forth of racquetball, you’re not thinking about the day’s problems or tomorrow’s to-do list. Shedding the day’s tensions can lead to daily improvements in energy and optimism in all that you do!
• Good for Overall Health: As with all forms of physical exercise, racquetball can reduce or eliminate your risk for many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Racquetball can also reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by reducing your triglyceride levels and increasing your “good” cholesterol.

Health Fitness Revolution by Samir Becic Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, to make the world a healthier, fitter place, please donate!

• If you see a big gab between the heel imprint and the ball imprint, you have a High arch, which means you may underpronate (land on the outside of your feet), which can cause too much shock to travel up your legs. Look for a neutral or cushioned shoe.
• If you see a Normal arch: You probably have few foot or pronation problems. A neutral shoe is your best bet.
• If the imprint left behind is even and  visible from heel to toe, you have a Flat arch, which means that you likely overpronate (your feet turn inward too much). Try neutral or stability shoes.

Here are Health Fitness Revolution‘s tips to finding the perfect shoe for your activities and workouts:

• Bring your own socks: the ones you wear while running or walking. If you wear orthotics, bring those, too. Shoes need to fit with the orthotic inside and you’ll be able to really gauge the perfect fit you’re after.

• Shop toward the end of the day: Feet swell over the course of the day; they also expand while you run or walk, so shoes should fit your feet when they’re at their largest.

• Ask for Help:  If you’re in a specialty athletic shoe store, ask the sales associates for help, most are trained to point you in the right direction and have heard a lot of feedback on the models they carry from previous customers.

• “Breaking Shoes in” is a Myth: Running and walking shoes should feel comfortable right away. Walk or run around the store a bit to make sure they feel good in action.  If they are already painful, they most likely aren’t the right shoe for you.

• Use the rule of thumb: There should be about 3/8-1/2 inch between the front of your big toe and the end of the shoe – about a thumb’s width. Your heel should not slip out when you walk. You should also be able to freely wiggle your toes in the shoes.

• Understand the bells and whistles: Some models of running shoes look like they’re designed for space travel, but a lot of those crazy looking features actually serve a purpose. Clear inserts, filled with gel, Freon, or air, provide extra shock absorption, as do those springy-looking things. These features are especially good for people who tend to get heel pain, and not so good for people whose ankles twist easily, as shoes with extra cushioning tend to provide less traction.

• Get a good quality shoe: Good-quality running and walking shoes are fairly pricey – and usually worth it. A $15 shoe will not be as good as an $80 shoe. But you’ll pay a premium for super-fashionable styles or those associated with a celebrity – and they won’t be any better for your feet.  So go for a good quality shoe that will keep you healthy and active!

• Know when to replace them. The average pair of running shoes should be replaced after about 350-400 miles of use. Better yet, go by how your shoes look and feel. Once the back of the sole is worn out or the shoe feels uncomfortable or less supportive, it’s time to get a new pair.

Here are some reasons why you should try Rock Climbing:

• Overall Muscle Tone: Rock climbing is a great exercise because it targets muscles in the arms, chest, back, and even the legs in one workout.

• Weight Loss: Coupled with healthy nutrition, rock climbing is a great way to lose weight. Rock climbing at a moderate intensity for around one hour will burn around 400 calories.

• Improved Cardiovascular Health: One of the most important exercise benefits associated with rock climbing is the effect on your cardiovascular health. Rock Climbing will keep your heart healthy because it is considered a full-body workout.

• Develops Lean, Endurance Muscle and Core:  Climbing develops lean, endurance muscles (the same muscles used by marathon runners). It strengthens core muscles better than exercise routines designed to focus on that particular region. The core stabilizes the body, and leads to a stronger, less injury prone body.

• Great Cross-training for other Sports: It complements and boosts performance in other sports- Climbing assists by further developing the primary muscles needed for the sport, as well as the secondary muscles which benefit it, but which are not adequately developed in the practice of it. 

• Improves Mental Health:  Exercise boosts your serotonin and endorphin levels which are good for mood and mental health. Rock climbing requires problem solving skills and a great deal of concentration. As you climb, you must analyze the footholds and handholds and decide your each and every move. Because of the amount of concentration it requires, sport climbing can become very meditative. This meditative state can improve your mental health as you train your brain to concentrate and problem solve.

• Improves Coordination and Neuro-motor skills: Rock climbing requires you to coordinate your mind with your muscles. Every rock-climbing move offers a novel problem-solving challenge, presenting the climber with a different set of potential handholds and footholds to use.

• Many Other Life Aspects Benefits:
  • Decision Making
  • Visualization
  • Problem Solving
  • Goal Setting
  • Planning
  • Concentration
  • Determination
  • Self Confidence
  • Stress Relief
  • Sense of Achievement
  • Spatial awareness
  • Motor Skills

Now findings from the ICD Sports Safety Registry, published inCirculation, provide vital new information about this important topic. The registry, which was performed with the assistance of patient advocacy groups, included 372 ICD patients between 10 and 60 years of age who participated in sports more vigorous than golf or bowling. The most common reasons for having an ICD among people in the registry were long-QT syndrome in 73 people, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 63 people, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in 55. 60 subjects were college age or younger who took part in competitive sports.

The main finding of the study was reassuring: not one participant died, needed to be resuscitated or suffered a severe arrhythmia-related injury while playing sports during the average of two and one-half years that patients were followed in the study. In addition:

• 77 people had 121 shocks during the course of the study,
• 40 people had at least 1 inappropriate shock,
• 36 people had shocks during competition or practice,
• 29 people had shocks during other physical activity, and
• 23 people had shocks during rest.

The study authors discussed the complex effect of ICDs on quality-of-life in this group:

The registry was funded by the ICD manufacturers Boston Scientific, Medtronic and St. Jude Medical.

As published originally in Forbes