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This week’s release from FitLabPGH is a video podcast designed to help you step on the path to healthy, happy feet…because healthy feet help you move more. We’ve talked about healthy feet…and healthy footwear…before…and our sister podcast Moving2Live has several episodes worth checking out on the subject…including:
-Our 2-part interview with Dr. Ray McClanahan, DPM, Natural Podiatrist and inventor of CorrectToes (released 3/13/19 and 3/27/19)
-3 episodes featuring Dr. Samantha Wood, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS…physical therapist, ultra runner, Spartan competitor, and more (released 9/27/17, 10/11/17, and 7/17/19).
Check out the interviews at www.Moving2Live.com for useful foot health information. If you have foot pain or an injury, PLEASE consult a qualified professional…but if you’re just looking for some general foot health tips…we have a few for you in this video.
Tip 1: Be aware of your calluses….and find the balance between protection and pain. Too little callus…risk of blisters…too thick callus…risk of pain. A google search for “callus remover” will provide a plethora of DIY options…but use caution, and common sense, and consult a podiatrist if necessary.
Tip 2: Spend time barefoot…or in minimal footwear, like a pair of Bedrock Sandals. https://bedrocksandals.com
Tip 3: Spread Your Toes. Tip 3(a): Consider Vibram Five Fingers…in moderation…to let toes work independently. Tip 3(b): Consider ToeSocks. Ben is a fan of the wool ToeSocks from Injinji. They let toes splay and work independently…and you can use them with your existing shoes. Tip 3(c): Consider CorrectToes…with or without shoes…over time, they may reverse the effects of cramped footwear. https://www.correcttoes.com
Tip 4: Avoid uncomfortable shoes! For Ben, that means Altra Running shoes for longer trail runs/hikes…usually the Lone Peak or Timp…for shorter hikes, casual walking, and balance play, that means Carson Footwear. Ben is a Carson Footwear ambassador. Use coupon code CFA202018Ben for 15% off your purchase at www.CarsonFootwear.com. Ben’s latest hack to his Carson Footwear shoes? The addition of their rock plate insert for a little more protection/stability on rocky trails. https://www.carsonfootwear.com
Take home message: If your feet hurt, you’re not likely to move…so take steps toward healthy feet…but when you make changes, start small, go slowly, and listen to your body…and, as always, consult a professional as needed! We’ll be back next week with a micro workout for healthy feet. Until then, check out www.FitLabPGH.com for podcasts, movement tips, and lifestyle hacks.
Contact Info for FitLabPGH:
Email: fitlabpgh@gmail.com
Twitter: @fitlabpgh
Instagram: @fitlabpgh
We update via Facebook too!!
Movement Tips and Lifestyle Hacks – YouTube channel (posted on Instagram too)
Did you know FitLabPGH partners with Zihmer Law Firm for a Movement is a Lifestyle television show on PTCT7- available on YouTube- Movement is a Lifestyle
Fill out our FitLabPGH Features

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FitLabPGH Podcast is doing something a little different this week. Instead of releasing a new podcast episode, we’re bringing you a video podcast…encouraging you to Share the Trail…Summer is (unofficially) here…if there could POSSIBLY be an upside to the pandemic, it’s that more people are getting outside and making movement part of their lifestyle…we want you ALL to enjoy movement on the trails…so today’s video podcast includes a few tips to help minimize the squabbling (on social media and in real life) between walkers, runners, and cyclists on the trails…
Tip 1: Share the Trail. The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) encouraged people to #ShareTheTrail before there were hashtags! Trails are not your private property…be a good neighbor…do your part to help all trail users have a positive experience.
Tip 2: Be aware of your surroundings…whether you’re walking or cycling, be alert, and be courteous to other trail users. If you want to listen to music…or to the FitLabPGH podcast…limit yourself to one earbud…or keep your ears open with AfterShokz Trekz headphones…and if you’re thinking about keeping your ears open by playing your music on speaker…resist the urge…please…share the trail, not your music.
Tip 3: Give warning (and space) when passing from behind. A friendly call out (or ring of a bell) prevents surprises…and giving space prevents collisions…if you’re riding in a group, please pass single file….and be aware of oncoming “traffic”…please don’t be the cyclist that causes walkers/runners to jump off the trail. Side note, if you’re being passed, please do your part to share the trail…keep right, and if you’re part of a group, close ranks or go single file. Tip 4: If you stop, step off the trail…with your bike…or stroller..or dog…or child. Take time to enjoy the scenery and wildlife…or to text pics to friends…but leave the trail clear for others.
For more healthy lifestyle ideas and inspiration, check out the FitLabPGH podcast – we release a new episode (almost) every Sunday.  See the website for subscription options, and check out the archives…with over 150 episodes (and counting) to choose from, they might lead you to your new favorite activity. Make a plan that includes movement and time for rest and recovery…do your best to stay safe…and wash your hands!
Contact Info for FitLabPGH:
Email: fitlabpgh@gmail.com
Twitter: @fitlabpgh
Instagram: @fitlabpgh
We update via Facebook too!!
Movement Tips and Lifestyle Hacks – YouTube channel (posted on Instagram too)
Did you know FitLabPGH partners with Zihmer Law Firm for a Movement is a Lifestyle television show on PTCT7- available on YouTube- Movement is a Lifestyle
Fill out our FitLabPGH Features form to be a FitLabPGH featured mover…or fill one out for your 4 legged movement partner (dog, cat, goat or horse!!)
Check out our sister podcast Moving2Live concise but interesting podcasts for the movement and exercise professional and amateur aficionado.
Attribution for Intro/Exit Podcast Music:
Marathon Man by Jason Shaw from the album Audionautix: Acoustic,

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Doug Petrick (in his own words): I teach High School Physics and coach Cross Country, Indoor Track & Field, and Spring Track & Field at Upper St. Clair High School. I am happily married to my wife Kinley. We have 3 fun kids- Kaia (12), Kenzie (8), and Declan (6). I like to teach, coach, run, write, consume podcasts and connect with others that have similar interests. I am also the USC XC TF Coaches Clinic Director.
We previously interviewed Doug Petrick for the FitLabPGH Podcast episode released 12/2/18; here’s the link: https://www.fitlabpgh.com/2018/12/02/podcast-4218-doug-petrick-upper-st-clair-hs-xc-track-coach/
Show Notes: Doug Petrick, – contact info:
E-mail: dpetrick76@gmail.com
Website (Coaches Clinic): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/online-event-2020-usc-cross-country-track-field-coaches-clinic-tickets-101428246616
Twitter (Doug): https://twitter.com/DougPetrick1
Twitter (Coaches Clinic): https://twitter.com/ClinicUSCXCTF
Doug Petrick was recently on the Final Surge Podcast; here’s the link: https://blog.finalsurge.com/final-surge-podcast-episode-155-doug-petrick/
Links mentioned in the Podcast:
Upper St. Clair School District (PA)
https://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us
Once a Runner, by John L. Parker Jr.

Wharton Health – Rope Stretching
https://www.whartonhealth.com
Coach Paul Vandersteen, Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville, IL
http://www.neuquaxctf.com/staff.html
Coach Dennis Barker, Nova Classical Academy, St. Paul, MN
http://www.coachbarker.com
Kelly Kuhn, MPT, Kelly Kuhn Physical Therapy, PA
https://www.kellykuhnpt.com
Contact Info for FitLabPGH:
Email: fitlabpgh@gmail.com
Twitter: @fitlabpgh
Instagram: @fitlabpgh
We update via Facebook too!!
Movement Tips and Lifestyle Hacks – YouTube channel (posted on Instagram too)
Did you know FitLabPGH partners with Zihmer Law Firm for a Movement is a Lifestyle television show on PTCT7- available on YouTube- Movement is a Lifestyle
Fill out our FitLabPGH Features form to be a FitLabPGH featured mover…or fill one out for your 4 legged movement partner (dog, cat, goat or horse!!)
Check out our sister podcast Moving2Live concise but interesting podcasts for the movement and exercise professional and amateur aficionado.
Attribution for Intro/Exit Podcast Music:
Marathon Man by Jason Shaw from the album Audionautix: Acoustic, licensed under an Attribution 3.0 United States License. Available at 

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Lindsay Gibson (in her own words): I founded the Women’s Adventure Club in September 2019 with a mission to create opportunities for women to connect with nature and other like-minded people and to push past their comfort zone through new experiences.  
Prior to Pittsburgh, my family and I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for seven years. During our years in the Last Frontier I experienced so many wonderful outdoor adventures. I learned how to alpine ski, nordic ski, and fatbike in the snow. Learning these activities in my late 30s meant that I was reaching beyond my comfort zone. Today, these are some of my most beloved ways to experience the natural world.  I know the magic of going outside your comfort zone and trying new things, despite age. 
Leaving Alaska was difficult for all of us, but I was determined to find a connection to the outdoors in our new home. Settling in the Sewickley area, I began to see that there is a different mindset and a different culture in regard to outdoor recreation. My time adventuring in the outdoors of Alaska had been a huge source of purpose, joy, peace, vitality, and the feeling of being connected to something bigger. I felt compelled to share this with women here in our area. 
To date (April, ‘20) we have had 35 adventures to include alpine skiing, snowshoeing, skeet shooting, biking and hiking.  It’s been so rewarding for me to see how being in the outdoors has contributed to women’s wellness, confidence, and happiness. 
Special thanks to my Alaska friends for being such an important part of my experiences in the wilds of AK. 
Thank you to Joe from REI Pittsburgh. Your enthusiasm and support of my endeavors to open the natural world to the women in the WAC is appreciated more than you could ever know. I’m so grateful.
Thank you to Fern Hollow Nature Center for being the Women’s Adventure Club’s first partner. 
Thank you to my husband for believing in me and my children for being my favorite adventurers. 
A huge thank you to the members of The Women’s Adventure Club for trusting me. I love sharing time on the trails with you. I sincerely hope your experiences in the great outdoors will be as transformative for you as they have been for me.
 Show Notes: Lindsay Gibson, Women’s Adventure Club, Contact Information:
E-mail: thewomensadventureclub@gmail.com
Website: https://www.adventureclubsewickley.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womensadventureclubsewickley/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womensadventureclub/
Links mentioned in the Podcast:
Menachem Brodie, Human Vortex Training
First FitLabPGH Podcast interview via Zoom, released 10/8/17; Link: https://www.fitlabpgh.com/2017/10/08/podcast-42-17-menachem-brodie-human-vortex-training/
Dr. E (Ernesto Gutierrez, MD)

Home

Check out the episode of our sister podcast, Moving2Live, featuring Dr. E, released 4/15/20; Link: http://www.moving2live.com/2020/04/15/dr-e-of-highway-to-health-show-living-ageless/
Bear Run Nature Reserve, PA
https://trails.dcnr.pa.gov/trails/trail/trailview?trailkey=509
John Muir Trail, CA
https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/john-muir-trail/
Go Ape, Pittsburgh (North Park)

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FitLabPGH Rituals for a Sense of Normalcy
In this stressful time of COVID-19, Stay-at-Home Orders, and Social Distancing, the FitLabPGH Podcast is doing something a little different today…we’re bringing you a video podcast with a few suggestions for creating rituals that help create a sense of normalcy and may help with stress management. Take home messages: 1) instead of focusing on what you CAN’T do, try focusing on what you CAN do to feel more joy in your life; and 2) as evidenced by the videography, try not to take yourself TOO seriously. Our tips are detailed below. Have any tips for creating a sense of calm and normalcy? Please share with us in the comments!
Give a listen to the audio, or check out the YouTube video
Tip 1: Create a morning ritual. FitLabPGH listeners know for Ben, his morning ritual is espresso. Other ideas: a cup of tea, a few minutes writing in a journal, watching the birds outside your window. Anything that makes you feel as if you’re starting off the day on the right foot.
Tip 2: Create a nightly gentle movement practice. You can call it a mobility routine, a stretching session, yoga, or spending time on the floor with dogs…the idea is to signal your body that it’s time for rest and recovery…to activate the parasympathetic nervous system…this MAY result in improved sleep quality and a higher EliteHRV “morning readiness” score
Tip 3: Take a mid-day moment of silence. Use noise cancelling headphones if necessary to find 5 minutes of quiet. Focus on your breathing and releasing stress from your body.
Tip 4: Add an activity to your movement toolbox that is relatively disruption-proof. Injury or illness can disrupt ANY movement activity, but strive to have something in your routine that resists outside disruption. Perhaps it’s a home yoga practice, or a suspension trainer in your garage, or a go-to bodyweight workout, or a walk in your backyard with the dogs. We’re fans of including time in nature under this tip, if you can do so safely. Basically, it’s good to have at least one way you can keep moving…whether your traveling…or trapped at home.
For more healthy lifestyle ideas and inspiration, check out the FitLabPGH podcast – we release a new episode (almost) every Sunday at www.FitLabPGH.com and on Spotify and YouTube – see the website for subscription options, and check out the archives…with over 140 episodes (and counting) to choose from, they might lead you to your new favorite activity. Make a plan that includes movement and time for rest and recovery…do your best to stay safe…and wash your hands!
Contact Info for FitLabPGH:
Email: fitlabpgh@gmail.com
Twitter: @fitlabpgh
Instagram: @fitlabpgh
We update via Facebook too!!
Movement Tips and Lifestyle Hacks – YouTube channel (posted on Instagram too)
Did you know FitLabPGH partners with Zihmer Law Firm for a Movement is a Lifestyle television show on PTCT7- available on YouTube- Movement is a Lifestyle
Fill out our FitLabPGH Features form to be a FitLabPGH featured mover…or fill one out for your 4 legged movement partner (dog, cat, goat or horse!!)
Check out our sister podcast Moving2Live concise but interesting podcasts for the…