There are some baby foods that I will not touch with a ten foot pole, like the veggies! The fruits on the other hand I can

handle. With that being said there are a few baby/toddler foods that I LOVE!  At the top of my list Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits snacks.

The Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits snacks are 100% free-dried fruits.  A serving is 1/4 cup with 25 calories,  0 grams fat, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams sugar, and 0 grams protein, no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. They are available in Strawberry Banana, Apple, and Strawberry Pineapple.  These snacks are an are an awesome addition to your morning cereal, your yogurt snack, a homemade snack mix, or all by themselves!

I also like to eat the Gerber Graduates Fruit Puffs. You can also find the Target brand of the Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits snacks and the Gerber Graduates Fruit Puffs in the baby department of some Target stores (I found them at the Webster location) for a bit cheaper (I did not see them online).

Oh, and did I mention I LOVE them, so YUMMY, even for adults!

After tweeting this little tidbit I got a reply from the folks at @MapMyRun about a new software  - MapMyMountain!  Wow is this cool!  The big bummer is the local mountains are not in the list!  Maybe they can add them?  PLEASE!!!!

Flexibility is the range of motion of a joint. Good flexibility allows the joints to move to desired positions with the least amount of stress and injury.  There are many factors that affect a person’s flexibility including:

Age - flexibility tends to decrease with age
Gender - women tend to have greater flexibility than men
Body Temp - the warmer the muscle is the more flexible it tends to be (think of taffy)
Body Composition - increased body fat tends to decrease flexibility
Type of Joint -flexibility is joint specific, so you could be can be flexible in one joint and at the same time lack flexibility in another
Body Condition- previous injuries can decrease flexibility
Activity Level - more active people tend to have greater flexibility than sedentary people

Flexibility can be increased by stretching. Flexibility has many benefits including:

Decreased risk for injury
Increased sport performance
Increased circulation
Reduce stress
Improved posture
Improved balance and coordination
Improved dexterity
Reduced post exercise stiffness and soreness

It is never too late to start a stretching routine to improve your flexibility. Here are a few guidelines:

Warm up - remember warmer muscles are more pliable
Do not bounce - just hold it
Use good form - body alignment
Avoid Pain - find the position where you feel the stretch, but not so far that you feel pain

Here are a few skiing specific stretches: Glute Stretch ( this one can also be done seated in a chair with one leg crossed), Standing Hamstring Stretch, Standing Quadriceps Stretch, Hip Flexor Stretch, Calf Stretch, Adduction Stretch, Abduction Stretch, Spine Rotation, and Lower Back Stretch.

Skiing as with many sports requires strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, and agility.
Today I want to talk about strength!

Sport specific training is important for participating in and improving your performance at any level from novice to expert. When you go skiing and your body is not in it’s best shape, you will most likely be sore the next day or two, but you will also increase your risk for injury.  The most common skiing injuries are  joint injuries (knees, hips, ankles).  By training you will build strong muscles and stabilize your joints, lessening the risk of injury.  Skiing is a total body workout, but it is particularly intense for your lower body and core muscles. I want to focus on your abs, hip flexors, glutes, lower back, quads, hamstrings, calves, and ankles.

Here are a few exercises for those ski muscles: wall sits, squats, squat jumps, lunges, walking lunges,  fitness ball hamstring curl, low bridge with leg raise, basic ab crunch, dumbbell step up, calf raises.

Stay tuned for tips on skiing endurance, flexibility, balance, and agility!