We've come along way since exercising in 3 piece suits...

Cross-training is a theme that pops up often on Training Wednesday.  Usually, it’s an article touting another reason why you should cross-train, or new exercises to add to your workout, however today, we’re looking at cross-training in a different light; survival.

Michael Boblett in his article for the Huffington Post makes the point that being versatile as human beings not only increases our athletic capacity, but also is what distinguishes us from our ancestors.

Just another interesting thought to get you over the Wednesday workout hump!

Team H2O Audio Ambassador, Slater Trout

If you’re an aquatic athlete, chances are the strength and health of your shoulders are very important to you.  Whether you’re swimming, surfing, paddling or kiting, all of these sports depend heavily on the least stable joint in the body.

With great range of motion, comes high chance of injury.  But, with a few precautionary measures, your shoulders will be able to take whatever you throw at them.

As always, these are just suggestions.  Make sure to consult your doctor or trained professional before starting any new training regiment or treating injuries.

According to a recent study, stretching may not prevent injury.   USA Track and Field recently conducted the largest study of running, stretching and injury ever conducted.  Over 14,000 runners ages 13 to 60 were studied over the course of 3 months.  Stretching is so commonly linked to injury prevention that it took some time to even get the required number of participants for the study, seems that runners were wary of giving up their pre-run stretch routine.

The study found that static stretching had no significant impact on rates of injury or performance. However, there was support for the positive effects of dynamic stretching.  These are interesting findings given the prevelance and overall acceptance of stretching and yoga as a part of today’s workouts.

Read more about the study and findings and formulate your own opinion.

And here we thought going to the gym next door to our offices was "exercising at work"...

Exercises don’t have to be big to be effective, and a workout doesn’t always have to involve a bunch of gear and time.

If an array of meetings means you just can’t make it to your workout, check out these 7 simple office exercises.

Or even worse, if you’ve found yourself injured, try stepping up to the stool to help keep your body used to the “pounding” type stress encountered when running.

Greg Bennett runs with the Interval hat. No matter how fast you run or how much you sweat, the music won't stop and wires won't cross your arms.

It’s that time of year…the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder.  So for athletes that means moving your workout indoors, or find ways to do more in the fewer hours of daylight available outside.

Especially in the world of endurance sports, the idea of getting better results with less training time, is an interesting concept.  Less training means lower risk of overuse injuries and less chance of burnout.  An answer to the endurance training woes, may be to ramp up intensity and save some time.

Experiment with different intensities and times in your training and see what works best for you.