Physical Health Therapist

Everything You Need to Know About Fitness — and Why It’s About Way More Than Hitting the Gym What does it mean to be fit? Finding a discrete definition is somewhat difficult. According to the dictionary, fitness means: “the quality or state of being fit." (The definition of “fit” is: “sound physically and mentally.") ( 2 ) If you find those words somewhat vague, you’re not alone. And that’s sort of the point, according to exercise experts. Fitness doesn’t have to mean that you’re an ultra-marathoner or that you can perform one pull-up or one hundred. Fitness can mean different things for different people. “For me, fitness is first and foremost about feeling good and being able to move without pain,” says the certified strength and conditioning specialist Grayson Wickham, a New YorkCity–based physical therapist and the founder of Movement Vault, a mobility and movement company. He explains that true fitness is about feeling healthy and being in sufficient shape to do...

Surprising Ways to Burn Calories This Summer Why spend your summer exercising indoors at the gym when there are so many fun activities you can enjoy outside? Doug Schnitzspahn, editor in chief of  Elevation Outdoors  magazine in Boulder, Colo., spends his days focused on outdoor activities for his Rocky Mountain readers. When he’s not at the office, he’s taking advantage of the mountains in his backyard — cycling, trail running, mountaineering, and chasing after his two young children. Schnitzspahn’s top picks for calorie-burning activities this summer include: Mountain Biking “As a workout, it takes a lot of energy to climb up mountain trails,” says Schnitzspahn. “But it’s good interval training, and you get a great payoff on the way back down.” Interval training alternates short bursts of intense activity with stretches of lighter activity, and it can really boost your calorie-burning power. Schnitzspahn adds that mountain biking helps develop reaction sk...