makeitbetter

Water with lemon or lime. Tea. LaCroix, or the local grocery store equivalent. Once in a while, Crystal Light.

We like Fage Greek Yogurt too. My wife mixed it with a packet of Hidden Valley Dip Mix, Original Ranch Dip. It was great as a vegetable dip, a substitute for sour cream in multiple recipes, and in sandwiches. My current favorite is mixing the plain yogurt with sliced fruit, chopped nuts and honey.

Black bean chalupas - tostada shells topped with black beans (mashed), grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, avacado and greek yogurt or light sour cream. They're quick, easy and tasty.

It's my understanding a side cramp, or stitch, is caused by shallow breathing. The most common reason is running too fast. Try running slower so you can practice breathing more evenly and deeply.

It sounds like shin splints. I had a recurrnig problem with them and thought I'd have to give up running. It doesn't have to be the end. Let it completely heal before you run again. Ice helps. Ibuprofen helped me. Stretching before and after definitely helps me too. If you haven't already done this, try getting fitted at…

I don't wash mine because they don't feel the same after they're washed. I suppose hand washing and air drying could work better. I alternate shoes to let them completely dry out before wearing them again.

Take it slowly if you feel any pain. I strained my right bicep doing chin ups in February. I thought it was minor because it felt better in a couple of hours. Two days later, the pain came back when I got back on the bar. I ended up waiting 6 weeks before it was completely pain free on the bar. In the meantime, I was able…

I try to keep it at a max of 90 seconds rest between sets. If I can keep good form, then I'll try resting for less time. I think you're using a good rest time for size and strength.

My wife has foot problems too. You can try a recumbent stationary bike. It's the kind you sit in like a chair.

Your sore knees could be due to bad form.For example, when doing side lunges, your knee shouldn't move forward towards your toes. Instead, your butt should move back like you were going to sit down, allowing your knee to bend without moving forward. I noticed my wife made this mistake while doing the video with her one…

I don't know about the itching, but drinking plenty of water and stretching should help the spasms.

My wife's carpal tunnel syndrome would sometimes give her tingling in her pinky and ring finger.

Log it as circuit training.

You can find Level 1 on YouTube and try it before you buy it. That's what we did. The compound exercises work multiple muscle groups to maximize results. The video shows modified/easier exercises, but you can modify them even more to work your way up to the harder versions. For example, do push ups against the wall or…

Your leg muscles wont get bigger from running/walking on the treadmill. You would have to lift weights for that. At most, you may get better defined (not bigger) calf muscles.

cinnamon and honey

If you're at home using a chin up bar, you can put one foot on a chair. This works the same as someone holding your foot. Use that foot to lightly push your weight up. Use your foot less as you get stronger. You can also try using elastic bands, stretching from the bar to your bent knee. The bands help you start the pull,…

My whole family loves this recipe. We saw it on an episode of Next Food Network Star last year, and tried it that weekend. It's my favorite way to eat broccoli now. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/roasted-broccoli-with-parmesan-recipe2/index.html

A short stride isn't a bad thing. I shortened my stride when I had recurring shin splints. It helped a lot! I found that I run slower with a shorter stride. I'm still tweaking my stride, but I'm pain free and I enjoy running again.

I use Philips SHS3200 head phones. They're like ear buds but they have a thin piece rubber/plastic that wraps around the back of your ear. Tried several pairs of ear buds and they always fell out. Don't have that problem anymore with the ear wrap head phones.

bump

You can build up strength for pull ups with: inverted body rows (a horizontal pull up, feet resting on floor or chair), negatives (a reverse pull up - jump up on the bar so your chin is over the bar then slowly lower yourself), and assisted pull ups (with a machine, with bands, or with one foot on a chair). You can also…

My wife just bought Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. It sounds like what you are looking for. The DVD is affordable for most budgets, and you already have the equipment (mat and dumbells). You can find the Level 1 workout on YouTube, and try it before you buy it. She covers proper form/technique to avoid injury, and her 30…

I like the idea of getting fitted at a running store then buying the same shoes at a cheaper store/place. I was planning on doing that for my next pair of running shoes. They can get expensive. I shop for the best price on everything else.

running on empty by jackson browne

I agree that you could benefit from strength conditioning for your arms and shoulders. It certainly wouldn't hurt. First, I think you should examine the way you pick her up and talk to an orthopedic doctor about it. He/she can give you the best advice about preventing injury/soreness. It sounds like you may be holding her…

Nice post! Useful information for more than beginners. I'm running another 5K this Saturday, and this post reminded me to check a few things on my list.

Great results chrisanderson2! Would you mind sharing your routine? I also do body weight training and I'm ready to increase the difficulty. I like the results I've achieved so far and so does my wife.

I haven't tried the sleeves, but I did have recurring splints. Nothing worked, until I changed my stride. I shortened my stride because my foot was landing too far out in front, landing on the heel. The shorter stride allowed me to land closer to mid-foot. I helped a lot! I also changed shoes to account for my right foot…

I like CardioTrainer by Noom Inc. I think it might be available for Android only. I tried RunKeeper and Endomondo, but I liked CardioTrainer better for tracking my running (treadmill and outdoor) and working out.