Sports & Fitness Articles


Good Sports PERHAPS ONLY in the U.S. would the "integrity of baseball" or any sport be the focus of political speeches and front-page newspaper articles. Surveying the massive press coverage of the congressional hearings March 17 on steroid use in Major League Baseball, Representative Bernie Sanders (1-Vt.) wondered why issues of health care and poverty don't receive the same attention. Still, Sanders was quite happy to join other members of Congress in questioning some star players and in scolding officials for ignoring the use of performance-enhancing drugs. He understands that precisely because baseball and other sports have an outsized role in this country, the ethos of sports matters a great deal. [more]	Fitness Extra Plyometric workouts (in which you train your muscles to develop explosive speed) are a great way to build power, but they can also leave you sore. Fortunately, a new Ohio State study says there may be a way to make plyometrics less of a pain. In trials, researchers found that people who performed plyometrics in swimming pools made the same strength gains as people performing the exercises on dry land, but with significantly less muscle pain. In addition to boosting leg and knee strength, plyometric drills, such as jumping on and off an underwater platform, may increase sprinting speed as well. [more]

Fitness Secrets LOOKING for new ways to get fit or to get moving? Is your schedule so busy that you're not sure how you can keep it all together--family, health, career and fitness? Well, here are some fitness secrets from an Atlanta executive, a mother-to-be in Chicago and from one of the music industry's brightest stars. Each offers tips that could work for you. [more]	Flying Fitness Flying was once a pleasure, but no more. It can be quite stressful. We put up with long security lines, hauling luggage, small seats and curious meals plus long periods of immobility and exhaustion. There are numerous health issues to face while flying, but today we will take a different tack: keeping fit during the flight. Hydration and muscle activity are the two key elements to focus upon. [more]