That seemingly harmless injury might be something more serious. For athletes, being sore is like a badge of honor, a lingering, slightly uncomfortable stiffness that reminds you how hard you pushed your body in your last workout. Whether it was the extra 10 pounds you were able to bench press, the new pretzel-like pose you finagled your body into, or the fifth mile you were able to squeeze out in your morning run, soreness (for the most part) means your muscles, strength and endurance are increasing. But for individuals committed to a regular fitness regimen, that perceived soreness can quickly turn disastrous. You push yourself through the pain, and then suddenly, it happens—a sudden jolt rocks through your muscle fibers, followed by a debilitating injury that forces you out of your exercise routine for days, weeks or even months. So how can you tell the difference between what is just simple soreness and what is actually serious? “Soreness and pain or injury are two completely different things,” stresses Daphnie Yang, ISSA-certified personal trainer and creator of …

First time trying indoor cycling? Here’s how to get started. Indoor cycling classes can be a wee bit overwhelming between the dark room, loud music, figuring out how to set-up a cycling bike and learning how to clip your cycling shoes in and out of the pedals. We covered the basics in Indoor Cycling 101, and now we are here to help with bike set-up. Proper bike set-up can make your next spin class both injury-free and more enjoyable. BYKlyn Master Instructor Kat Piola gives us the lowdown on how to set up your indoor cycling bike. 1. Remember to set up from the back to the front  Adjust the seat, then the handlebars. 2. Use your hips as a guide The seat should be about hip height. Stand right next to the saddle. Place your hands on your high hip bones and/or lift your knee up to hip height to get an idea of where the seat should line up. 3. Try sitting on the bike Clip into the pedals and bring your foot/pedal …

Running — be it on a treadmill, on the trail or in the city streets — can strike some serious anxiety into the hearts of the uninitiated. We promise: running can be a lot of fun, once you can work through (or embrace) the burning lungs and heavy legs. As a sport, running offers a lot of pretty excellent benefits for the body. It’s a full-body workout, activating the upper body, lower body and core; it improves strength, stability and agility; it builds cardiovascular endurance; and it can be useful for promoting a calm mindset and clear thinking. Technically, running is a lot more than just charging headlong towards the horizon: there is technique, planning, strategy and training tools that can help make running more enjoyable and more beneficial. There are also terms and tools every seasoned runner can pull out at the drop of the phrase ‘fun run’ to demonstrate their prowess: knowing the vocabulary can help you sound (and feel) like a pro. To give you a little burst of speed towards your …

The buzzwords you hear in pilates class, defined! Our bodies speak the language of movement during class, but what about our minds when it comes to all the terms we hear during class? If you’re experiencing a bit of a language barrier when it comes to your Pilates classes, you’re not alone. Bookmark this article on pilates terms and read it on your commute to the gym or the night before your next class for a serious level-up in your fitness knowledge! We’ve explained all of the common pilates terms below. Abduction:   Movements that take your limbs away from the center of your body. Adduction: Movements that bring your limbs closer to the center of your body. Anterior: This refers to your front side, and all the muscles that work to support it and move your limbs toward it. Barrel: This is an apparatus that helps develop proper breathing techniques and train the spine for correct posture. It looks just as it sounds, like a barrel of hay! BEAM: This is an acronym that refers …