Kids, Rocky Balboa and The American Heart Association have been jumping rope for decades and, might we add, there have been some pretty serious advancements in the sport. Did you know that there is a National Double Dutch Foundation? Or that Jump Rope Sprint is trying to get entry into the 2012 Olympic Games in London?

So to start off 2011, jump on the bandwagon (pun intended) and try out any of the amazing routines that can be found on the web. Too excited to search?  We personally like this one for its intensity and fun. However, any high-speed jumping style will do. Just throw on the playlist below and shake that weight!

Are we missing some hoppin’ tunes? Reply in the comments with your jump rope-worthy tracks.

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There are tons of YouTube clips that show crazy bike tricks and awe-inspiring rides.  However, these films rarely capture the essence of riding a bike as adeptly as this, Andrea Dorfman’s Thoughts on My Bike.  The film’s narrative poem articulates that magical “wind-in-your-hair” feeling of freedom that takes years off our spirits and brings joy to our hearts.  It’s a feeling that’s not just for neighborhood kids – I’ve found more joy in bike riding as a grown up in a city than I ever did in a cul-de-sac.

Whether or not you agree with Dorfman’s view of the economic and climactic challenges that current and future generations face, you cannot argue with her assertion that a bike ride truly is therapy in motion, a place of new appreciation for the world around you and a source for inner peace.  So, before winter brings its winds and its chills

Let’s dust off our bikes, put our wheels to the ground
Let’s take to the streets; let’s make our hearts pound

*filippo*/flickr.com

The Weather Channel is reporting that 50 million people are in the path of one heckuva winter storm.  Indeed, there is a Nor’easter a brewin’ and residents of states from New Jersey to Massachusetts are soon to find themselves under a heavy blanket of snow.

With bountiful snows come bountiful opportunities to burn calories while having a blast.  For those of us not accustomed to living in a veritable winter wonderland, seeing the huge piles of fluffy white snow can make even shoveling seem appealing.

That being said shoveling is probably the least fun way to be active this weekend.  Sledding, snow angels, and snowman building are among the wonderful array of snowstorm activities that one can undertake.

However, if you really want to do a snow day justice, get together your friends and family, build some forts, and start an old school snowball fight.  Between the dashing, ducking,  and chucking you are sure to get a ton of much needed holiday exercise and have a great time doing it.  Plus, whether your 9 or 79, nothing beats a well-placed snowball for a winter giggle.

As serious suppliers of expert advice on all things active, we are posting a video that shows off the finest snowball fighting technique south of the Arctic Circle.  With a little guidance, you might just be able to wing one like Uncle Mike.

May you find happy exhaustion among the snowflakes this weekend!

What can we learn from Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Derek Jeter?

Well for one, we can learn about how good Jordan Brand products look on them and wonder how much they were paid to star in this spot.

Second, we can learn about how we are not alone in our daily challenges, as even professional athletes experience what we might call “road blocks”. These can range from actual physical road blocks to mental and emotional road blocks, i.e. the night before you first 20 mile training run or thinking about what the heck you are going to make with that huge head of cabbage you bought on sale last week.

These athletes make their modest income based upon the fact that they are the best in the world at what they do, even though they have the occasional outburst (see 0:22 on video). They experience the same frustrations we do, albeit in different forms. This video shows you how they take that frustration and turn it into success.

Keep working hard, and you too could “Be Like Mike”.