ActivAided Blog

5 Pittsburgh 5ks You Need to Run This Fall

You’ve braved the heat all summer, sweating buckets to log your weekly mileage. You bought new shoes for the new season, and now you’re dying to see all the hard work pay off. Luckily for you, fall in Pittsburgh is not only beautiful, but it is also a great time to challenge yourself with countless local races! As the leaves are falling, cut serious time off of your personal best by running some of these great Pittsburgh 5ks. Richard S.…

Under the Microscope: Plantar Fasciitis

They’ve been walked on, beaten down, and generally ignored. But when it comes to keeping you healthy, they are truly the unsung heroes of your body. Of course, I’m talking about your feet! They support your entire body weight for hours each day and have a quarter of all the bones in your body, so don’t they deserve a little more attention? Pain in the feet is a definite buzzkill for a runner and has the potential to derail months…

Maintaining Proper Posture As You Age

It is safe to say that good posture can keep you looking youthful as the years go by, but the benefits of maintaining your bone health are much more than skin deep. As we’ve discussed in the past, proper posture can do wonderful things for your body. When you maintain correct posture, your bones, joints, and muscles are at their most efficient. It can boost your confidence, mood and appearance, all of which are closely linked with good mental and…

The Dos and Don’ts of Trail Running

Summer is coming to an end, and it’s time to break away from air conditioned gyms and treadmills and step back into the great outdoors. What better way to make nature your newest workout partner than by taking a shot at trail running? Getting off the treadmill can put a spring in your step; studies have demonstrated improvements in mood and motivation during outdoor workouts compared to being indoors. Off-road running can be enjoyed by athletes of all experience levels,…

Avoid Crash Diets on the Road to Health

It’s hard to peel your eyes away from ‘miraculous’ celebrity weight loss stories, but whether they attempt to sate cravings, skip meals, or omit solid food entirely, all of these plans share one characteristic: they aren’t sustainable. Luckily for them, celebrities have entire teams willing to help them lose weight quickly and safely. You and I, on the other hand, could be taking serious health risks by resorting to crash diets. With some diets stripping out vital nutrients and others…

High Intensity, High Reward: Getting Started with HIIT

The 1970s are long gone, so why are you still running for hours and hours every day? Though many endurance athletes rely on high-volume training for their sports, they are mentally taxing and can cause prolonged stress on bones and joints. In contrast, the popularity of shorter, more intense workouts has increased dramatically with the rise of training programs like Crossfit and P90X. What sets these training methodologies apart is their focus on fast and fierce bouts of effort with…

Flip-Flop Your Footwear for Better Posture

First, let’s just get it out there: We love flip-flops. They’re stylish, casual, and when it’s nice out, it feels great to let your feet enjoy the weather too! Now, the hard truth: Flip-flops and posture just aren’t friends. Those 2-for-$5 specials you might find at variety and convenience stores can be especially hard on your feet and back. Unlike sneakers, flip-flops offer poor support for your arches and heels, and do a pretty bad job absorbing impact as well.…

Protect Your Heart in the Summer Heat

All winter long, you probably dreamt of the summertime and the joy of exercising outside. The problem? The heat of summer puts added stress on your body. With temperatures reaching the 80s, 90s, and sometimes higher, your heart can face some serious strain when you exert yourself outside. Your body uses two processes in order to deal with the extra heat: radiation and evaporation, both of which require the heart to work harder. Heat naturally moves from warm areas to…

3 Ways to Combat Back Pain on Your Summer Road Trip

Summer is finally here! At last, it’s time to dedicate your weekends to warm, sunny days at the pool, adventures in the great outdoors, and long road trips to exciting destinations. Unfortunately, traveling to many vacation spots requires sitting in a car (or on a plane) for a bit longer than your back can handle. As we’ve discussed in the past, sitting all day is a surefire way to invite back pain into your life. Being sedentary often leads to…

Why You Should Get Excited for OpenStreetsPGH

Last month at the OpenStreetsPGH inaugural event, over 15,000 Pittsburghers came out to play on Penn Avenue and Butler Street. The city was alive with people cycling, dancing, running, hula hooping and unicycling. This movement transforms 3.5 miles of roads into a car-free, city-wide playground spanning from Lawrenceville to Market Square, inviting everyone to get moving on one big open street. It’s a truly unique occasion, with the intention of making Pittsburgh a healthier, happier place to live. Car-Free Travel…