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FLYWHEEL’S NEW FACEBOOK FEATURE SHOWS WHICH FRIENDS ARE COMING TO YOUR SPIN CLASS

Social booking makes meeting your pals for a ride even easier.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/24/2013 at 10:30AM | No Comments

Flywheel’s gone social, folks. The already-super-high-tech Spinning studio, which features fancy bikes that give you lots of data read-outs and a TorqBoard that shows you how you stack up to other riders in your class, just debuted a new online-registration feature that allows you to see which of your Facebook friends are signed up for your upcoming classes. The so-called “social-booking” feature basically takes the whole making-workout-plans-with-your-friends-over-email stuff out of the equation.

From Well & Good NYC:

When you book a Flywheel bike, you can also elect to connect to Facebook.  If your Facebook friends are in your class and they’ve opted in, too, their profile pictures will pop up in the circles that correspond with their bikes, explains Flywheel CEO Jay Galluzzo. Both sides have to opt in to see each other.

So yes, it takes some coordination up front, but at least this way you don’t have to tell your friend to book the fifth bike from the left in the third tier, if she wants to sit next to you. Now, she’ll be able to see exactly which bike you’ve reserved. The new online system works at both the Center City and Bryn Mawr Flywheel locations.

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THE CHECKUP: 50 BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES YOU CAN DO ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

Say goodbye to your "I don't want to work out" excuses.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/24/2013 at 7:30AM | 1 Comment

• You don’t need a gym full of equipment to get a good workout. Here are 50 exercises that use only your body weight to tone you from head to toe. [Greatist]

• Eat less to save your brain—no really. A new study found that restricting calories could keep your brain healthier longer, by slowing nerve-cell loss. [Prevention]

• Want: fresh-pressed watermelon and basil juice. Click through for the recipe. [Health]

• I’m sure you’ve heard runners talk about “hitting the wall.” Or maybe you’ve hit a few walls yourself. Learn how to overcome those awful mental plateaus once and for all. [Runner's World]

• Oh, wow. The teen birth rate is down by half since 1991, according to new government data. [HealthDay]

Photo: Shutterstock

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10 BEST INSTAGRAM PHOTOS FROM PAINE’S SKATE PARK’S OPENING DAY

A peek at Philly's new Paine's Park skateboard park.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/23/2013 at 1:45PM | No Comments

For a project that was more than 10 years in the making—skateboard enthusiasts first started advocating for a place in Center City to call their own back in 2002—it’s no wonder crowds (and pro skateboarders!) turned up in droves at yesterday’s ribbon cutting for Paine’s Park, the new skate park along the Schuylkill River Trail near the Art Museum. Here, the best 10 Instagram photos from opening day.
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ICK: YOUR PURSE MIGHT CONTAIN MORE GERMS THAN A TOILET

Ladies, you've got to read about this new study.

Posted by Kelly Godzik on 5/23/2013 at 10:21AM | No Comments

A purse is like another limb to us ladies, and after reading this study I might start sanitizing mine more often. Either that, or I’m switching to a brown paper bag to carry all my earthy belongings.

A study conducted by British company Initial Washroom Hygiene found that on average, one in five handbags contain enough bacteria to “pose a threat to human health,” and 20 percent of handbags have more bacteria than the average toilet. Yikes!

Since bags are rarely cleaned and in constant contact with a plethora of surfaces, they become a playground for bacteria. Leather bags, in particular, are a big culprit for housing bacteria because their soft, porous texture soaks up germs like a sponge. What’s more, the study revealed that the dirtiest product carried within a purse is hand cream. So in other words, nothing is safe.

Before you freak out, there’s an easy remedy: Just be good about washing your hands and sanitizing the inside of your bag frequently. Antibacterial wipes and handbag cleaners should work just fine. And of course, a few spritzes of Lysol certainly can’t hurt.

Photo: Shutterstock

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THE CHECKUP: 25 SALADS THAT WILL ACTUALLY FILL YOU UP

Really!

Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/23/2013 at 7:20AM | No Comments

• If you typically steer clear of salads—or relegate them to the appetizer course—because you think you can’t make a whole meal out of them, think again. Here are 25 fill-you-up salad ideas. [Prevention]

• Need some inspiration? Read about Alana Hadley who runs 110 miles a week and has PR’d at 1:16:41 for a half marathon. Oh yeah, and she’s 16 years old. [New York Times]

• Ick. You may never order a whiskey sour again after you see how maraschino cherries are made. [Buzzfeed]

• Meet the newest face-transplant patient: a Polish man named Grzegorz, who received a face transplant just three weeks after a workplace accident left him critically injured. Click over for photos. [Associated Press]

• I repeat: Lay off the sodas, people. A new study found that adults who drink at least one sugar-sweetened drink a day are at a slightly higher risk for kidney stones than those who don’t. [Reuters Health]

Photo: Shutterstock

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THE CHECKUP: 4 WORKOUTS THAT PREDICT YOUR RACE FINISH TIME

Have a goal finish time in mind for your upcoming marathon or 5K? These workouts will show you if you're ready.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/22/2013 at 7:30AM | No Comments


• If you’ve heard of the infamous Yasso 800s, you know what a benchmark workout is: one that comes just prior to race day to help you gauge your readiness, hone your speed and boost your confidence. Complete one of these four workouts, designed for marathons, half marathoners, 10Ks and 5Ks, and you can say hello to your next PR. [Runner's World]

• Mark this day in history, folks: I’m about to tell you something good about sugar. A new study found that sugar injections may help ease knee pain. [HealthDay]

• Appealing to the Chipotle lover in me, this: six fruit tacos that use summer’s best, all-natural sweet treats. [Blisstree]

• Four body washes that’ll clean your skin and … lift your spirit? [New York Mag]

• I like the sound of this: the Ultimate Metabolism-Boosting Workout. [Health]

Photo: Shutterstock

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SUNSCREEN GUIDE 2013: ONLY 25 PERCENT OF SUNSCREENS ARE ANY GOOD

The Environmental Working Group released its latest Sunscreen Guide, which parses 1,400 sunscreens currently on the market.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/21/2013 at 2:00PM | No Comments

The Environmental Working Group released its seventh annual Sunscreen Guide this week, looking at the safety and efficacy of on-the-market sunscreens and ranking the best and worst. This year’s survey revealed that only about a quarter of the more than 1,400 tested products “offer strong and broad UV protection and pose few safety concerns,” according to an EWG press release.

Interestingly, the FDA’s sunscreen labeling guidelines finally kicked in this year, barring manufacturers from using misleading words like “sunblock,” “sweat-proof” and “water-proof” and imposing standards on sunscreens that claim to offer broad-spectrum protection. However, EWG found that even with these regulations, the “analysis of 750 beach and sport sunscreens found that the new FDA rules have not led to dramatically better sunscreens than those offered in previous years.” Womp wooooomp.

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NEW JUICERY OPENS ON SOUTH STREET

Check out the new digs at Sip-N-Glo.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/21/2013 at 12:30PM | No Comments

Heads up, juice fans: There’s a new fresh-squeezed watering hole on South Street. Sip-N-Glo opened up shop yesterday at 932 South Street, across from Whole Foods. The store’s marketing rep tells me it’ll be in soft-opening “preview” mode for the duration of the summer, with a grand opening set for early September. Sip-N-Glo is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday except Tuesday.

Foobooz has the full menu here, which includes seven juices and seven smoothies. The Bees Knees smoothie has my mouth watering: banana, spinach, honey, cinnamon, Greek yogurt and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. What’s catching your eye?

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MEN’S HEALTH RANKS PHILLY 88TH OUT OF 100 ON BEST CITIES FOR EXERCISE LIST

Do you buy it?

Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/21/2013 at 11:21AM | No Comments

Note: I had to pull up several sources to even begin to understand where Men’s Health got its data for its Best Cities for Exercise list, which ranks 100 U.S. cities according to how “contagious” their fitness culture is. Bear with me on this one: The list came from a comment made by Jeffrey Hallam, a Ph.D. and founder of the University of Mississippi Center for Health Behavior Research, who said that a region’s overall “attitude” toward health and fitness could have an impact on an individual’s attitude toward those things. In other words, if people around you are prioritizing exercise, there’s a good chance you will, too.

“In Portland, Oregon, many people bicycle or walk everywhere, and there is a social expectation that others should bike or walk,” Hallam said. “But in Mississippi, that expectation to be physically active isn’t as strong.”

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THE CHECKUP: HERE’S WHEN TO WORK OUT FOR THE BEST NIGHT’S SLEEP

New research on work out timing could mean big things for your Zzzs.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/21/2013 at 7:30AM | No Comments

• This seems simple enough: Work out in the morning to sleep better at night, a new study finds. [Runner's World]

• Did you know duct tape can remove warts and help fend off blisters? It’s true. Here, 15 duct-tape hacks for the health-and-fitness set. [Greatist]

• Stock up on fish oil, people. New research found the supplement could offset some of the bad health effects of junk food. [Men's Health]

• New York Mag dives deep (deeeep) into the world of public, shame-based dieting. [New York Magazine]

• If your workout wardrobe is in desperate need of some color, may I suggest a pair of these super-bright sneaks? [Blisstree]

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