McConnell Running Club members posed on a recent running day. Kids from 2 to 12 have been running again this summer with coaches Jeff McGonnell (back left) and Courtney Spear (back right).

The McConnell Running Club’s last official summer running day is this Friday, Aug. 24, at 7:45 a.m. A total of 24 kids have participated in Running Club this summer, coming out twice a week on Tuesday and Friday mornings. Read the full story

What’s the best way to re-hydrate after your workouts in the summer heat? It depends on how long you exercise, according to the experts. The longer you’re out on the bike or the running trail, the more you’ll need carbohydrates and electrolytes. LINK: Aug. 14, 2012, Washington Post, “Hydration: Water vs. sports drink”

Not so long ago, movement was built into daily life by sheer necessity. People walked because the car wasn’t an option. They got their food from gardens they planted themselves and drew water up from a well. Without modern distractions like television and computers, kids spent long days outside running and swimming and playing active games. Who wants to be cooped up inside with nothing to do? Well obviously, things have changed and daily movement has become something much more intentional. And not always easy to accomplish! Read the full story

The Cornelius Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture Department (PARC) offers several ways to get fit this spring, including cardio tennis, a couch-to-5k running program, and boot camp. Which one is right for you? Read below for details. Read the full story

CORNELIUS - The Cornelius PARC Department, through the Lake Norman Tennis Academy, will be offering Cardio Tennis for adults this spring.  All levels of play are welcome in the program.

The class is designed to give participants a great workout while hitting lots of tennis balls.  The music will pump them up and keep them moving.  Fun, fast paced drills will help with footwork and conditioning.

The class schedule is:

• every Monday morning from 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. starting March 12 until May 7 (No class April 2) OR
• every Tuesday evening from 6:40 – 7:40 p.m. starting March 13 until May 8 (No class April 3).

WANT TO PLAY?

The cost is $72 for either eight-week session, with a $10 additional fee for non-residents.  Click here to register online.

For more information about tennis offerings for youth and adults, visit www.cornelius.org/parc or call 704-892-6031.

Today we introduce our newest columnist, Sarah Matchett. A certified cycling coach who works with Cool Breeze Cyclery in Mooresville, she’ll be writing monthly on fitness and training-related topics.

Nothing like a winter bike ride to put color in your cheeks.

Every year when the cold, wet North Carolina February weather sets it, I’m tempted to move all my fitness and training inside.  Let’s face it, treadmills, cycle trainers and indoor driving ranges are awfully nice when the thermometer plunges.  And temperatures aside, any athlete—from competitive to beginner—knows the value of a structured indoor workout.

But working out inside never feeds my soul, puts the color in my cheeks, or just makes me happy to be alive the way an outdoor bike ride with friends does.  That’s true even in February.

In actuality, there’s no such thing as too cold if you know how to prepare. It’s true for kids who want to stay out in the snow, and it’s true for athletes who want to stay outside to train! Here are some tricks for staying outdoors – and fit – all winter: Read the full story

Runners have a variety of theories about winter training, such as the idea that you burn more calories in cold weather or it’s easy to get dehydrated. Triathlete magazine interviewed John Castellani, a physiologist at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Mass., so help separate the truths from the lies.

LINK: “Does Winter Running Burn More Calories?”

The Lake Norman YMCA, at 21300 Davidson Street in Cornelius, will hold an open house Saturday, Jan. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m.

For those who haven’t already seen it, guests on Saturday can tour the Y’s newly renovated fitness facility that opened last month.

The interior of the wellness center, complete with new equipment and better lighting. (YMCA photo)

The center features:

• Larger, brighter and more open workout space
• New and improved Life Fitness strength equipment
• Panoramic views of Lake Cornelius
• Precor TRM 885 Cardio Equipment, including top-of-the-line commercial treadmills, private viewing screens, touch screen consoles, heart rate monitors, integrated Footplant Technology and Ground Effects impact control
• Stay Healthy fitness tracking technology available with all equipment

Open house visitors will be able to try the new fitness equipment, participate in group exercise demonstrations, meet staff members and familiarize themselves with the other facilities and services offered at the Lake Norman YMCA.

All community members are invited to attend.

The interior of the wellness center, complete with new equipment and better lighting. (YMCA photo)

Lake Norman YMCA members last week got a first glimpse of the Y’s newly renovated fitness center at a grand opening reception Wednesday, Dec. 21. The center opens just in time for those New Years resolutions.

The entrance to the wellness center. (YMCA photo)

Named for Robert and Louise Cashion, the center was about 15 years old before the upgrades, that took about 3 months to complete. The center features:

• Larger, brighter and more open workout space
• New and improved Life Fitness strength equipment
• Panoramic views of Lake Cornelius
• Precor TRM 885 Cardio Equipment, including top-of-the-line commercial treadmills, private viewing screens, touch screen consoles, heart rate monitors, integrated Footplant Technology and Ground Effects impact control
• Stay Healthy fitness tracking technology available with all equipment

See more photos of the wellness center below. Read the full story

Frank Giancarli opened his Training Ground of Davidson this summer. He worked on a runner on the Village Green after September's after the Run for Green (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Frank Giancarli knew Davidson would be the perfect place for his new business, Training Ground of Davidson, because of what he saw around him. “People here are so fitness focused,” he said. “The difference between Davidson and other places is you’re always seeing people walking or biking on the street.” Read the full story