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Ten Sports Movies to Get You Motivated!

FitSugar — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:30:00 -0700

I had so much fun when I asked you guys about your favorite motivational sports movies. Better yet, I got a lot of great ideas for new films to watch, as well as some forgotten favorites. If you're looking for a little motivation, look no further than these 10 sports-centric movies.

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Speak Up: What Sports Movie Motivates You Most?

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0700

While I was getting all choked up about A League of Their Own, I started thinking about how motivating a great sports movie can be. Whether it's a weepy figure-skating story (Ice Castles, anyone?) or a classic baseball flick like Field of Dreams, sports movies can be emotionally riveting and highly entertaining. So speak up and tell me: Which sports-centric film motivates you the most?

Get Motivated: Remembering Pitcher Dottie Collins

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:00:00 -0700

A League of Their Own always makes me teary-eyed. Not only is it a funny, bittersweet, and touching sports movie, but the true story behind it - of the short-lived All-American Girls Professional Baseball League - is incredibly inspirational. Even watching the fictional movie, I'm always moved by the idea of so many talented female athletes playing together and capturing the nation's imagination during a difficult time.

I got all teary again this weekend, when I read that AAGPBL pitcher Dottie Collins recently passed away at age 84. Not only was Collins an incredible ballplayer (in 1948, she even pitched until she was four months pregnant!) but she was also instrumental in creating the Baseball Hall of Fame's exhibit on the women's professional league. Without her, we may have never learned about this very cool period in history. To find out why, and to see one of my favorite moments from the movie, read more.

According to the New York Times obituary of Collins:

The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., had been considering an exhibition on women and baseball during the mid-1980s, but, as Ted Spencer, its chief curator, recalled in an interview, it had little material to display until Collins approached him.

“When I connected with Dottie, the ball started to roll,” Spencer said. “If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know where it would have gone.”

In 1987, Collins helped form an association of former players in the All-American league. She drew on her contacts to provide the Hall of Fame with memorabilia from the league, spurring creation of its Women in Baseball exhibit in 1988. Now an enlarged, permanent collection, the exhibit inspired the 1992 Hollywood movie A League of Their Own, a reprise of women’s pro baseball during World War II.

Cool, right? I guess we have Collins to thank both for pioneering women's professional sports and for making sure the AAGPBL wasn't lost to history. One of my favorite scenes in A League of Their Own is actually when all the women reunite at the Hall of Fame exhibit dedicated to them. I just got all choked up again watching it, so view with caution, then share your thoughts below.

Photo Courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library and Source

Class Act: Cardio Theater

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:47:52 -0700

One way I beat boredom while doing cardio inside is to watch movies. I'll start one and watch about 30 minutes or more, and then the next time I work out, I'm excited to continue where I left off in the flick. I'm lucky to have a machine at home I can walk or run on, but if you don't, check out Cardio Theater. Fitworks health clubs offer a huge room with cardio machines in front of a 15-foot theater screen, so you feel like you're at the local cinema, not at the gym. You can watch movies, TV shows, or sports games, and it makes the time go by so fast. Cardio Theater is included in the price of the membership at their Cincinnati, Akron, Cleveland, Dayton, Ohio, and Northern Kentucky area clubs. If you don't live in these areas, I'm sure it'll be just a matter of time before other fitness clubs catch on. Tell me, would you want a Cardio Theater at your gym?

Fit Tip: Coach a Youth Sports Team

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:30:00 -0700

Lately we've been seeing Reese Witherspoon throwing the softball around, both preparing for a movie and playing with her kids. Even if you don't have kids of your own, coaching a youth team can be a great way to get in shape and feel good at the same time.

Even though you're not actually on the team, you'll run around plenty when trying to keep a team of teens or kids in check. You might want to try coaching a sport you played in high school, but you can also sign up to help coach a game you've only played recreationally. Many local teams can always use coaches, even if they aren't super experts.

So check out the volunteer opportunities at the National Alliance For Youth Sports or your local YMCA. Better yet, enlist a friend to coach with you, so it becomes a social activity, too.

Flynet

5 Treadmill Gripes - and 5 Solutions

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:30:22 -0800

I'll admit that I'm kind of annoyed that the colder weather has forced me to move my runs inside. I prefer jogging in the fresh air, and there are many reasons I hate the treadmill. I'm sure you can relate, so here are five easy ways to make your treadmill time more fun and enjoyable.

Gripe	Solution
It's way too boring.	Staying in one place can have its downfalls, so make it fun by listening to a book on tape, learning a language, watching a movie or TV show, perusing a magazine, or listening to a great running mix.
It's too loud.	You can't stop the noise, but you can prevent yourself from hearing it by getting a set of good noise-isolating headphones like these Ultimate Ears Metro F1.2 ($70). They'll block out all outside noise, including the annoying guy next to you trying to pick you up.

To see the rest read more.

Gripe	Solution
It's too repetitive on my body.	The great thing about treadmills is that you're in control of the speed and the incline. So mix it up to feel different effects on your body. If you don't want to futz with the buttons, many newer treadmills offer built-in interval workouts. Select a workout from the list and it'll make you feel more like you're running outside than just running on a hamster wheel.
I don't believe the readout.	When using your own treadmill or one at the gym, you get accurate readings of the time, distance, and how fast you're moving, since these are simple functions the machine can figure out by using the clock and the speed of the belt. When it comes to calories burned, if there's a place you can enter in your weight, then the calorie readout should also be fairly accurate. To be sure, you may want to get a heart rate monitor or the Nike+ Sports Kit.
There's no place for my water bottle or magazine.	If your treadmill doesn't have a rack or water bottle holder, you can buy these separately. A Cardio Caddy With Bottle Holder ($25) can keep track of your water, iPod, or remote control. You can also purchase the Up'n Over Rack ($25). It's made of clear plastic and fits over the treadmill display so you can read your book and also peek at how long you've been walking.

Source

Spirit of the Marathon: Playing One Night Only

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:30:00 -0800

I have said in the past that if you are aching for fitness inspiration, you should go watch a marathon. Well, if you can't make it to an actual race, you must see the documentary Spirit of the Marathon. It is playing one night and one night only, Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m. at theaters all across this fair nation of ours.

Here is how the filmmakers describe the movie:

Spirit of the Marathon is the first ever non-fiction feature film to capture the drama and essence of the famed 26.2 mile running event. Filmed on four continents, the movie brings together a diverse cast of amateur athletes and marathon luminaries.

As six unique stories unfold, each runner prepares for and ultimately faces the challenge of the Chicago Marathon. More than a sports movie, Spirit of the Marathon is an inspirational journey of perseverance and personal triumph; a spectacle that will be embraced by runners and non-runners alike.

I'm inspired just reading the blurb! After watching the trailer, I was moved almost to tears. To watch the trailer, just read more.

To find a theater near you that is screening the movie, click here.

Source

Parkour: Movie Chase Scene as Fitness Philosophy

FitSugar — Sat, 26 May 2007 02:00:00 -0700

You know if The New Yorker is covering a burgeoning fitness movement, the fitness movement must be a bit highbrow. You also know if the movement is French, there must be some existentialist philosophy involved. Parkour is taking the sport of exercise to a whole new level.

David Belle created parkour as a teenager in the mid 90's in a suburb of Paris. A restless spirit, he found regular sports and gymnastics overly complicated (too many rules) as well as boring and pointless. Ahhh...the ennui of youth. Parkour is a verbal riff on the French word "parcours" which means “route,” and it is a quasi commando system of leaps, vaults, rolls, and landings designed to help a person avoid or surmount whatever interferes with his or her route. If you saw Casino Royale, then you experienced an amazing parkour run as Bond chases an assassin through, in and around an active construction site. For me, this scene was the most exciting part of the movie and I was even more excited to learn that the scene was based on activities of real people (don't know if I should use the word "real" here since the men and women that participate in parkour seem almost superhuman) not Hollywood.

Philosophically, parkour requires both physical and mental strength. One slowly works up to jumping from extreme heights, challenging the body more as it acclimates to the landing. One also has to confront the fear of the challenge, but with a heavy dose of realism. Participants of parkour love and respect life, in fact they often imagine that their workouts may some day save them if they are ever chased by some sort of criminal element.

Parkour, like extreme sports, is truly difficult to describe. I found a commercial David Belle made for television station BBC One. While it is edited and cannot be considered "true" parkour, at least by the strict definitions of those that participate in the sport, this clip will give you a taste of what it is all about. Want to watch it? Then read more

If you want to read up on Parkour, you can find the entire article No Obstacles by Alec Wilkison on the New Yorker website.

If you are interested in learning more about parkour here in the states, check out this web site AmericanParkour.com.

Source

Dodgeball? A Workout?

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Okay, I'm having major PE flashbacks here. Dodgeball was definitely not my favorite sport as a child, but Dodgeball, the movie definitely sparked my interest in the sport as an adult.

I just found out that Crunch Fitness Gyms offer Dodgeball 101 classes.

Dodgeball is back folks! You get a great cardio workout from all that running around, ducking, and throwing balls. Playing this fast-paced game as an adult is much more fun, since now you have more throwing and aiming skills, not to mention upper body strength and speed. I always end up laughing my ass off, so it's a great way to relieve stress. Plus, since you are playing a game you forget that you are working out.

You're interested now, aren't you? To find a Crunch Fitness Gym near you, check out this map of gym locations.

Fit's Tips: If you're even more into it, you can also join a local Dodgeball team or league. Check around in your area to see where they're offered (try the YMCA), so your team can start practicing for the 2007 National Dodgeball Championship.

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