Physical Health

Have you ever wanted a mentor or coach to just lay it all out for you? You know, just tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear. Well, for you runners, I have training tips from a USATF coach and race director who will do just that.

Allow me to introduce Coach Lowell Ladd, a USA Track & Field certified coach and race director for the Gettysburg North-South Marathon and the Gettysburg Blue-Gray 1/2 Marathon in Gettysburg, PA.

Lowell is a full-time online coach through his company, 2L Coaching Services, and his philosophy centers on helping “people find/set goals and work towards those goals so that they have some purpose in this sport.”  He “has worked with hundreds of athletes all over the world of varying ability levels as an online coach, including multiple All-Americans and one NCAA national champion.”

Lowell’s accolades don’t end with his coaching either. He’s an NCAA All-American himself, finished in the top 10 among Americans in the Boston Marathon in 2002 and 2003, and won the 2008 and 2010 Harrisburg Marathons (along with a few others). Clearly, Lowell walks his talk (or runs it?).

Now, with that introduction out of the way, let’s get to Coach Lowell’s tips. That’s why you’re really here.

Oh, and if you’re in the Gettysburg, PA area, make sure to sign up for the Blue Gray half. I’m doing it again this year because it’s such an awesome event and very well-organized.

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Want to lose fat around your midsection and lose that muffin top? You’re in luck because I have exercises to tighten your core in 20 minutes per day right here.

Hey, if you want to change, you have to commit to it. Right?

Pick one of these exercise routines and just work your butt off. Instead of making excuses, make a plan!

We want to see your before and after selfies! Now, let’s start sweating!

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What are the best workouts for pregnant women?

With my wife pregnant right now, she needs ways to keep herself active without overdoing it. Sure, it’s much easier to avoid working out while pregnant. After all, your body is under intense pressure as it is — and it’s exhausting!

However, she feels it’s important to try and stay as fit as possible. It makes her feel better about herself, it’s good for the baby, and it helps her to be able to lose weight faster postpartum.

So, I wanted to share the workouts she found as examples of things all women can try. I asked her to do the research to see if these are viable options.

Try them all and see what works for you!

Related articles to fitness and pregnancy:

• Preparing to run for the first time
• 7 Instagram accounts for fitness motivation
• How physical health and financial health are related

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Look, I think it’s great that you’re training for your first 5K. However, if you haven’t run a mile since high school — or never run period — it’s not as simple as jumping off the couch and hitting the road.

Well, it is in theory. But, there’s much more involved to prepare you before you line up on race day.

Running isn’t something you just go and do on a whim. It takes dedication. So, if you’re not up for missing a football game or the latest episode of The Bachelor, then forget it. You might as well stay on the couch.

That said, if you’re ready to put the damn video game controller down, let’s get started. Below, I outlined basic, but necessary steps to get you from thinking about being a runner — to actually getting that finisher’s medal around your neck.

The hard work begins now. So, stop reading if you’re too scared.

Related articles to training for your first 5K:

• How to run your first 5K like a pro
• How to start running today
• The shoes and gear all newbie runners need
• Link between financial health and physical health

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What’s on NFL players’ workout playlists? That’s a question many football fans have it seems. We enjoy having a connection with our ‘heroes’ and it can be exciting to share a common bond (no matter how small).

In that vain, I did a little research to find some of the top songs on NFL players’ workout playlists. We have the likes of John Jenkins, J.J. Watts, D.J. Fluker, Audie Cole, Richard Sherman, Terrance Knighton, Von Miller, Brandon McManus, Dane Fletcher, Chandler Jones, and even Russell Wilson and Tom Brady.

Now, picture this. You’re in the off season or training camp, pumping iron or doing conditioning runs. Or you’re about to come out of the tunnel to thousands of screaming fans on any given Sunday.

Pick that song below that will pump YOU up!

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As I considered writing about these top 10 best half marathons in the United States, I knew I had to recommend some that I ran.  I mean if I just threw up a list of a bunch of races that I had no experience with, what fun is that?

Instead, I’ll confess upfront that I ran the Blue-Gray Half Marathon in Gettysburg in 2016, the Trenton Half in 2015, and the Delaware Canal Half was the one I actually trained for the first time in 2014.  As for the Philly Half, I didn’t run the half marathon course, but I did run the marathon course.  So, there are similarities.

What I believe you will enjoy about these races listed here is that they have a mixture of beautiful scenery, a challenging course for runners of all ability levels, and just a fun racing atmosphere.  It is races like these that you train to begin with.  The energy level on race day at these events makes you feel like a true athlete (and that’s because you are).

Now, let’s just right into it.  Here are the top 10 best half marathons in the United States of America according to yours truly!

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One of the things I enjoy about running the community.  Runners are incredibly supportive of one another.  And social media is an endless source of running inspiration.

I included the 9 Twitter accounts below because they provide consistent content that promotes individual runners, the ups and downs of training and racing, and the running community at-large.  If you’re a runner, I believe they will give you the push you need to keep going when the training miles get long.

And if you aren’t a runner yet, but would like to be, use what these amazing people do as the inspiration to hit the pavement or trails.

Either way, make sure to follow all these Twitter accounts for the running inspiration you need.  When you’re done, lace up the shoes, get out there, and rack up the mileage!

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When it comes to fitness motivation, social media is never in short supply. There are countless Facebook pages and groups, Twitter accounts, Pinterest boards, and Instagram accounts dedicated to keeping you inspired.

And rightfully so. Working out and getting in shape is hard. It’s a mind game that you are playing with yourself.

We all need a little motivation in our lives. No matter what the challenge may be that we face, knowing that others are dealing with the same thing is important to each of us. After all, we humans are social animals and we like to know there are others in our “pack.”

With that said, I compiled a list of 7 Instagram accounts that inspire me to perform my best. I may not always live up to that hype, but it’s not from lack of fitness motivation. That’s for sure.

Start following these accounts and you’ll see what I mean. Enjoy!

Related articles to fitness motivation:

• How Jay sparked his weight loss transformation by running 10Ks
• Steve uses accountability to keep himself focused on staying healthy
• Try these military workouts to jump start your fitness
• How to start running today

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Are you courageous enough to try a military workout? Even though I’ve run five half marathons and one marathon, these workouts are incredibly intense.  After looking at what some of the basic training routines require a person to do, it is no wonder the United States has the best military in the world.

The training is second to none.

Now, I haven’t tried these myself yet. Frankly, aside from the running, they’re pretty intimidating and I doubt I could get through even half of one session!  That said, it would be fun to give them a try.

I have 6 military workouts below that you can try at home. Here’s how it will work.  I’ll provide a portion of the workout below along with the resource article.  This way, if you like a particular military workout, you can check out where to get the full routine.

See if you have what it takes. Let’s go, plebe!

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