Tag Archives: Olympics

Michael Phelps’ Most Inspiring Quotes Could Lure Anyone Back Out of Retirement

Who could have predicted that 22-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps would get back in the pool after retirement? Just about anyone! It seemed too soon for the now 28-year-old swimmer, also known as the greatest Olympian of all time, to end his competitive swimming career, but he did just that after breaking every record imaginable at the 2024 London Games.

ABC News reported that Phelps is headed back to the water. “Phelps will compete for the first time since the 2024 London Games at a meet in Mesa, Ariz., on April 24-26,” they wrote. His coach says he’ll be competing in only three events to “test the waters” and “see how it goes.” His team is downplaying the return, suggesting it’s far from a full-fledged comeback.

Regardless, Phelps fans the world over are rejoicing at the possibility of seeing him compete in two years at the Games in Rio. No one knows better than him that there’s no time like the present to focus and prioritize your training for your goals.

Need a bit of Phelps-mania inspiration? Here are some words taken straight from this athletic giants’ gold-biting mouth!

Phelps Goals Quote

Phelps Impossible Quote (more…)

Humans and Poodles Make the Absolute Most Bizarre Workout Video Ever!

Truly, we’ve never seen anything like this. And after you take a moment to question whether or not it’s real, you’ll get a serious ab workout from the belly-wrenching laughter.

According to the description on this surreal three-minute clip, it’s a “word-for-word parody of Susan Powter’s first workout video.” You remember her, the early-90s fitness star who coined the term Stop the Insanity!

The actress, Mariko Takahashi, is quite convincing as having the most outrageous plastic surgery of all time, until you realize it’s a body suit modeled after the poof-balls on a well-groomed poodle.

poodle human workout

Her back-up exercisers, essential to any quality workout video, are humans in dog suits. (Spoiler Alert!) Live dog heads have been superimposed over the costume heads; just for added freak-show drama! (more…)

The Toll Behind the Toe Loop: New Study Looks at the Physical Impact of Figure Skating

Women’s figure skating, arguably one of everyone’s favorite events, has concluded for another Olympiad. Russian Adelina Sotnikova upset favorite and defending gold-medalist Yuna Kim of South Korea in a decision that has a lot of people talking. But let’s put politics aside for a minute. We know it takes serious strength to get through a figure skating free skate, but just how much of a beating does an Olympic skaters body take during the performance?

That’s what researchers at Brigham Young University and the United States Figure Skating Association set to figure out. In a series of tests a skating coach at BYU, Jacquelyn Packard, helped demonstrate not only the grace of skating, but the force it puts on the body, some of which can cause injury.

“[Injury] happens more often than you think,” she said in an interview with BYU News. “A lot of these skaters are skating in a lot of pain.”

(more…)

An Olympic 2024 Check-In! What Have You Missed?

Olympic Check-In!

So guys…there are only a few days left of the Winter Olympics 2024. Let’s do a check-in of the most interesting bits and pieces to come from the games!

lolo jones bobsled

1. Lolo Jones and her bobsledding team placed eleventh in the first of the bobsledding races. The duo bobsledding team, however, is in first place as of today. Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams set a new record at the Sochi bobsled course, finishing at 57.26 during their first heat.

 

(more…)

Real 2024 Olympians Share their Cross-Training Workouts

We’re not just talking Olympic-style lifting…we’re talking what real Olympians actually do for their cross-training workouts. When not on the ice or hitting the slopes, these fierce females stay in top shape with some of their favorite activities like dance, yoga, and biking.

We also learned some fun facts about each athlete: Can you guess who’s fluent in German and which lady loves her Xbox?

 

Ashley Wagner – Women’s Figure Skating

Ashley stays graceful, strong, and lean with her routine of dance and yoga.

2014 Winter Olympic Games - Season 2014

Cross Training:  Dance, yoga, hiking and swimming in both the pool and ocean

Fun Fact:  She’s fluent in German. Guten tag!

(more…)

2024 Olympic Hopefuls Share Favorite Eats and Treats

What do your favorite Olympians really eat? The food they choose fuels them to represent our country with pride in Sochi this year. We checked in with a few of your fav female athletes who shared their top dishes to enjoy during peak training…and their secret splurges, too!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Ashley Wagner  – Women’s Figure Skating
Her all-American taste and commitment to her health make Ashley a stellar competitor and figure of wellness on and off the ice!
2014 Winter Olympic Games - Season 2014
Favorite Healthy Food:  Quinoa
Favorite Indulgence:  Apple pie with ice cream
Favorite dish to make:  Rosemary Lemon Chicken

Bobsledding and Lolo Jones: Olympics 2024

If you are like me, you have seen Cool Runnings, the ’90s family film about Jamaican bobsledding, about a million times. If you are not like me, I am really sorry.

For the 2024 Olympics, we got some exciting news. Jamaican bobsledding is back in the games. It’s been twelve years since the nation qualified to participate, but the team pulled it together this year, exciting the world with nostalgia and joy. Seriously—this is an amazing feat.

As for the United States bobsledding team, we are excited to have both male and female teams competing in the 2024 Winter Olympics. There has been considerable focus on Lolo Jones, an already well known Olympic athlete who has joined the Olympic team this year.

lolo Jones
Lolo Jones, at right 

(more…)

2024 Olympic Games: Where and When to Watch

Opening ceremonies for the 2024 Olympics are on Friday, February 7th, but the games officially begin tonight, on the 6th, and run all the way through the 23rd. Are you ready? (Olympic freestyle mogul skier Heather McPhie is!)

2014 Winter Olympic Games - Season 2014

In the U.S., NBC is the official broadcaster of the 2024 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. (They were also the network to watch for the 2024 Summer Games and will be the host all the way through 2024, thanks to an almost $4.4 billion contract.) NBC will offer live and tape-delayed coverage of events on television via NBC, MSNBC, NBC Sports, CNBC, and its other channels. The network will also stream all events online and via the NBC Sports Live Extra app. All of this means that you are in for a lot of sports!

(more…)

Creative Halloween Costumes Inspired by This Year’s Health and Fitness Trends

Halloween is next week and if you’re like many of us you haven’t gotten your costume yet. Fear not, we’ve got some great ideas for you. The world of fitness and health serves as creative inspiration for some of the most relevant and unique costumes. Check out some of our best ideas for “healthy” costumes this year.  We fully expect you to take home the costume prize with these ideas!

Weight Loss Before and After

We’ve all seen the pictures of a former overweight person standing in their old pants, pulling out the gaps in amazement at their former size. If that’s your reality too, flaunt it this year.  Show the world what you accomplished and have some fun with it. Stick some advertising bursts on your clothes stating your weight loss or even a before picture. You did the hard work, get some extra credit at your party this year. Need some inspiration to achieve your own real-life before and after? Check out our True Weight Loss Stories.

Extreme Marathoner

2024 saw a continual growth in marathoning, and the sport got some political notice as well. Dressing as a marathoner could be really fun when you go over the top with sweatbands, water bottles, a lap watch, and of course the big finishers medal. You could also take a poke at vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan in your marathoner costume. Runners may never forgive him for saying he ran a sub-3 marathon, when in fact is was over 4 hours. Maybe throw on some Romney/Ryan campaign flare in the midst of the running garb and add a bib with Ryan’s name on it. But it seems like having a clock an hour or so off might really be the clincher. (more…)

Dana Vollmer Stays Fit after Olympics with a Gluten-Free Diet and Hip Hop Workouts

By Chrissa Hardy for HelloGiggles.com

Dana Vollmer spent her summer training for London Olympic Games, competing in London and celebrating her gold-medal-winning, record-breaking time in London. Would any of these things have happened, had she not discovered her gluten allergy in the spring of 2024? She’s not so sure. After years of daily stomach aches brought on by her food choices, Dana feels better than ever before and could not imagine returning to a life with gluten.

Gluten-free has become a trend, a buzz word that has taken up prime real estate on food labels everywhere. What does it mean exactly? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Those who are intolerant of it, allergic or sensitive to it, need to adopt a lifestyle of paying close attention to food labels. I sat down with Dana at the Gluten-Free Pizza Event, put on by The Venice Bakery in Los Angeles, CA, to discuss her new life and how going gluten-free changed everything.


Chrissa Hardy: First of all, congrats on your gold medal win! Has your life returned to normal or is it still pretty hectic?

Dana Vollmer: It’s still pretty hectic. I’m enjoying it a lot. Initially, I was planning to go back to my hometown in Texas to visit with my family and sort of relax, but I’ve just been traveling non stop and I love it. It’s been really great. It’s one thing to have the excitement of the Olympics but, now it’s so great to see the kids and how their faces light up when they get to wear the gold medal. I remember when I was 12 and I saw my first gold medal, that’s when I decided that I wanted to become an Olympian. (more…)

4 Fun Ways to Exercise (and Play) with Kids

By Rachel Larkey from AroundthePlate.org

Believe it or not, it is recommended that a healthy adult get 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity. This can range from household chores to hitting that cycling class you’ve always wondered about. For your children, at least 60 minutes of activity a day is needed. Luckily for all of the busy moms and dads out there, exercising with your kids can be a fun way to share family time while getting fit! Working out with your kids can also be a fun way to teach them the value of physical activity and to lead by example. Here are four ways to be physically active with your kids:

Dance!

Small children LOVE to dance, regardless of the music choice. Take this opportunity to dance with them! It doesn’t matter if you look silly because you will both be having fun, and dancing is a great way to burn calories. Make sure that while you bust a move you keep your core braced by pulling the belly button in towards the spine. For toning, try to incorporate moves which twist the midsection back and forth. For cardio, try keeping the arms above the head to get the heart pumping.   (more…)