This is the third in a three-part series on mountain biking. Today is a report on some of the best places to ride in Arizona and what to look for in your area.

Skier/mountain biker/adventurer Adam “O.J.” Schinness has been all over the country and beyond on a mountain bike.
In Arizona, where Schinness currently lives, here are three of the best places he recommends to ride for different levels of mountain bikers.
Papago Park (near the Phoenix Zoo) for beginners — “You get the feel of mountain biking with some good trails, but there are no huge mountain hills to climb,” Schinness said.
San Tan Mountain Preserve, for intermediate to advanced — “There is some great scenery and it’s a challenging course,” he said. “It’s really a picturesque trail.”
South Mountain, for advanced — “The lower part is OK for beginners, but there are long climbs up into the mountain for advanced riders,” Schinness said. “There are still parts I can’t make it down. There’s a 15-foot cliff I’m not sure if anyone’s rode down — I’ve been tempted, but I haven’t tried it.”
Rides in your area —There are mountain bike courses all over the country. To find a course in your area, check with friends if they know people who ride, inquire with bike shops or even try to search on the Internet to find mountain bike courses where you live.
Mountain biking is a great way to cross train and experience a thrill different from traditional road biking. Just be careful and try to learn all you can from experienced riders like Schinness.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

This is the second in a three-part series on mountain biking. Today standout skier/mountain biker/daredevil Adam “O.J.” Schinness offers tips for beginners.

There are mountain bike trails in every state in the country and they provide great cross training when combined with your treadmill, exercise bike and weightlifting routines.
According to veteran outdoors athlete O.J. Schinness, mountain biking is a sport just about anyone who can ride a bike can do. Depending on someone’s fitness level and experience, there are various difficulty levels for courses they can try.
For someone just starting out, it’s very important to get the right kind of bicycle, Schinness said.
“Some bike stores will tell beginners they should get a mountain bike with full suspension, but you really only need a hard-tail bike with front suspension,” Schinness said. “Even as someone who’s rode for a long time, I Still like it (with just front suspension). You don’t lose any of the power going to the back wheel (as is the case with full suspension).”
When it comes to foot pedals, don’t go for the elite level too quick there either.
“There are basic pedals, where your foot floats; intermediates where the toes go inside straps; and then advanced with clip-ins,” Schinness said. “I would recommend for any beginners to get pedals with the toe straps — not the clip-ins.”
With the clip-in pedals, it’s a lot tougher to get your feet out quickly when you start losing your balance.
“You can get power pulling up with straps or clip-ins, but it’s a lot easier to tip over with clip-ins,” Schiness said.
When it comes to braking, Schinness said the front brakes provide the most power.
“Don’t be afraid to use the front brakes, even going down a hill,” said Schinness, dispelling the myth that it’s more common to go flying over the front handle bars if you use the front brakes. “Keep your weight centered on the bike, but be ready to lean back if you have to break hard going down a big hill.”

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

This is the first in a three-part series on mountain biking. Today is a report on my introduction to the sport with standout skier/mountain biker/outdoor adventurer Adam “O.J.” Schinness.

During the winter months many people train indoors on an exercise bike. Recumbent, upright and spinner bikes are great ways to build up your endurance and muscles.
Now that the weather is nice, lots of people take their biking outside.
Road bikes are the most popular ride, but if you’re willing to get a little adventurous and want an added thrill then give a mountain bike a try.
On a vacation to Arizona last week I had the pleasure of being taken on a mountain bike adventure in the San Tan Mountain Preserve led by guide Adam “O.J.” Schinness.
A longtime skier and mountain biker, Schinness took our group on an intermediate level course that provided quite a thrill. I had only previously rode on flat road and rails to trails courses, along with a few basic mountain bikes as a kid long ago.
I managed to squeeze in a couple more mountain bike rides after riding with Schinness and must say I’m hooked. It’s a great way to cross train, while also enjoying the sun, scenery and up-and-down thrills of a mountain bike.
Schinness has mountain-biked throughout the U.S., especially Arizona and Colorado. He’s also rode in Australia and New Zealand.
I asked Schinness what he likes the most about the sport.
“I’m a skier and I really got into (mountain biking) to rehab my knees after skiing all winter,” said the 36-year-old Schinness, a Chardon, Ohio, native who’s a manager in the health-care field. “There are a lot of similarities to skiing and that’s probably what I love most about the sport.
“They’re individual sports where you always have room to grow. You’ll never get too good.”
Schinness proved that during the day we rode with him. At one point on the trail, my brother, Bryan, challenged him to try to ride a trail branch to the top of one of the San Tan peaks.
The 1/4-mile, all up-hill switchback trail was plenty steep and despite his best efforts Schinness had to get off the bike and push a couple times. When he got to the top he was barely visible, he took a couple pictures with my camera he was carrying and then proceeded to ride back down in impressive speed for such a descent.
“That was a pretty tough trail,” Schinness said with a smile. “It was a rush to ride it, especially on the way down.”
Although I wasn’t about to ride up the expert part of the trail, nor could I have, I took on the rest of the course and had my adrenaline on full-go during many twists and turns through the hills and rocks.
Riding a top-quality mountain bike with front and back shocks that I’d rented, we rode for over and hour under the hot Arizona sun. Afterward I was glad to take a break after a unique workout I’d gladly do again and again.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

There are two places where I’ve almost never seen anyone act anything but friendly: Church and a bike trail.
The first one is no surprise, as a church naturally puts people in a loving, peaceful mood.
But, a bike trail? You know what, people are in a naturally loving and peaceful mood there, too. Riding a bike out in the open, fresh air is enough to cleanse your spirit, too.
With the weather getting nice outside, if it’s been a while since you’ve been on a bike give it a try.
Riding on a bike trail, whether it’s a flat rails to trails type or mountain bike course, is a great experience whether you go solo, with a friend or on a family outing.
For an investment of anywhere from a few hundred dollars or more, a great experience is just a bike pedal away. Make sure to purchase a bike helmet as well – it’s better safe than sorry.
Your bike will pay itself off in a matter of months compared to the price of doing lots of other things.
Riding a bike is something people of just about any age can do. Bike riding is a lot easier on the joints than running, too.
You can start out easy and build up your confidence and endurance on the bike in no time.
Depending on how into it your are, you may want to add a small pack to store items on the back of your bike and invest in a pair of padded bike shorts as well.
In Ohio where I live there are countless beautiful bike trails to pick from, many of which are converted rails to trails courses that are flat and easy to ride. They offer great scenery at the same time.
My dad is almost 70 years old, and knows he’s not exactly the first guy I’d call to play on my men’s slowpitch softball team.
But because he’s always worked out and kept in good shape, riding a bike together is a sport we can both get a great workout in together. We routinely go on 15-20 mile rides.
It’s a great activity to do together and most people we encounter on the trail offer a warm hello or tip of the cap.
And when we take a bike ride together, it leaves me in a good move for days to come. The bike trail is an experience everyone should try.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

Blue-collar workers are naturally going to have a strength edge over white-collar people as their jobs are almost always more physically demanding.
If you have an occupation that requires you to lift, pull and adjust heavy objects day after day, you are also performing functional strength training.
To develop even better strength, engage in an exercise program away from the job as well.
Although a blue-collar worker is already likely strong, a strength program outside of work will be the perfect complement to their job. It can also prevent injury by counter-balancing lifts you might perform on the job and further strengthening the core muscles.
Depending on the extent of the physical demands of your job, you may be pretty exhausted after work.
If you are doing that much work during the day, then you will require a shorter workout than white-collar workers who burn very few calories during the day.
Still, a good stretching program, light to moderate weightlifting regimen and time on a cardio machine a few times a week will put your blue-collar strength over the top.
If your job allows it, you can try to incorporate strength training into your work day, too. For example, if you have to lift giant sandbags at work try pressing with one arm, or taking two 30-pound packs of shingles at a time up the ladder instead of one. Do little things that test and push your strength at work, too.
It may take a bit of time to get used to working out after, or perhaps before, a hard day on the job.
However, with time you’ll find what kind of program works for you and go from there.
And the results will make you better off – both on the job and especially away from it when you look and feel like a million bucks.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

For people with a desk job, staying fit can be especially challenging.
Not only do you not burn many calories typing computer keys or sliding around a mouse, but you can actually harm your body as a slave to the desk too long.
Stiff backs, carpal tunnel and creaky necks are just some of the hidden hazards of the white-collar world.
Here are seven tips to stay fit while you’re at your desk job:
1. Set up an open work area – Make sure your space is large enough to have a full range of motion. Arrange frequently used items close enough that you don’t have to strain to reach them.
2. Get a good chair! – With as much time as you’ll spend in your chair, make sure it is comfortable and supports your back properly. Adjust your chair so you can reach your keyboard properly.
3. Laptops – It’s much better for your posture to set your laptop on a desk instead of typing on your lap.
4. Desk – Pick a desk that fits your build and work needs comfortably.
5. Lighting – Proper lighting of your computer monitor and office can greatly reduce strain on your eyes. Center the monitor at a proper distance from your chair and take frequent breaks from staring at the screen. A tip for office lighting is to keep the overhead lights dimmed to avoid glare and use a brighter desk lamp for close-up work.
6. Take stretch breaks – Last, but possibly most important, is to take frequent breaks. Even if it’s just stopping to get up and walk to the drinking fountain, or stand and stretch every 20 minutes, this will help you from becoming overly stiff and help avoid a back strain. Take walks every half hour or hour, or at least stand and stretch.
7. Hold your own office workout – Get little workouts in when you can, whether it’s walking to work instead of driving, walking to lunch or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Stand and do spine twists and toe touches when possible. Find a wall and stretch your calf muscles.
If you really want to take it to an extreme, and you can handle it and the boss will let you, try sitting on an exercise ball while you’re at the computer for some portions of the day. It will work your stomach and back muscles.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

Exercise can be a great tension reliever, but sometimes when it’s crunch time it’s not possible to go for a run around the block, throw some weights on the barbell or jump on a treadmill.
For the readers of athomefitness.com, here are five food and drink choices to help you rid stress:

1. Omega-3s – The fatty acids found in fish and tuna or also tablets you can buy help block the rise of stress hormones in your body.

2. Carbs – Try eating raspberries, blueberries or any other kind of berries if your feeling stressed instead of unhealthy choices like candy or ice cream. The carbs in berries increase the level of tryptophan, which is an amino acid that makes the mood-improving chemical serotonin.
Complex carbs like whole-grain pasta and whole-grain cereal also bring about slow releases of tryptophan

3. Vitamin C – Berries and other fruits are also great sources of Vitamin C, which helps keep the body’s stress hormone – cortisol – from going on the rise.

4. Vitamin B – The aforementioned tryptophan conversion to serotonin is helped by vitamin B. This vitamin also is essential for maintaining healthy brain cells and nerves.
Vitamin B6 is found in foods like nuts, while B12 is in meat and dairy products. Many people also recommend taking Vitamin B supplements.

5. Folic acid – Another great way to reduce stress is by making sure to get folic acid in your diet. Asparagus and wheat germ – put on your yogurt or in recipes – are excellent source of folic acid.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

The weather’s getting nicer just in time for the annual spring rite of passage known as March Madness.
You know, the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament, which opened today for the field of 64. If you haven’t filled out a bracket at one time or another at school, the office or among friends, then chances are you know someone who has.
The No. 1 seeds this year are Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky and Duke.

If you’re looking to change your workout up a little bit and haven’t played basketball in a long time, why not dig the ball out of a closet, pump some air back into it and go hit the court.
I certainly wouldn’t recommend jumping into a 5-on-5 game right away if it’s been a while since you’ve handled the rock, but here are four fun ways to get a basketball workout in:

1. Shoot-a-round – Just get the ball, warm up a little and shoot baskets by yourself. If you haven’t played in a while, you’ll probably get a decent workout just by chasing down your errant shots. This will help break up the grind of your usual workout program.

2. Play “Around the world” – Start with a layup, then make a shot from each spot around the perimeter. Start with the baseline, go to the right wing, top of the key, left, wing and finally the other baseline, Then, end it with another layup.
You can go around the world by yourself, or play against a friend or relative, alternating turns. When we used to play this, we’d also have a “chance” where after a miss we got a second shot in a row to make it, but had to go back to the beginning if we missed.

3. Play “P-I-G” (or for the longer version play H-O-R-S-E) – Most people know what this game is. The first player makes a shot and the next person in line has to duplicate it or else they get a letter. The first one to spell out PIG or HORSE loses, To really throw off the other guy (or girl) call swish or bank.

4. Play “One-on-one” – Find a buddy to play one-on-one against. You’ll get a more brisk workout, but it won’t be as tough as running up and down in a full-court game.

Make sure you stretch out well before and after- and start out slow!

Now go enjoy the March Madness – both the games on TV and your own basketball experience on a local court. By the way, my two national champion picks on brackets I filled out are Kentucky and West Virginia.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

Any type of exercise is generally better than nothing, but did you ever stop to think about how well-rounded your strength training regimen really is?
It is great to build up your body with exercises that isolate certain body parts, such as bench press, squats and bicep curls.
However, it’s also a good idea to mix in some functional strength training, which works multiple muscle groups on different planes instead of just the legs, or just the chest, or biceps.
There are lots of functional training tips out there to strengthen your legs and core, but not as many that address the upper body.
Fear not, through research and my own personal training experiences, here are four excellent functional training tips to work out the upper body:

1. Try a functional trainer – Functional Trainers have increasingly gained popularity as they are often less expensive than Home Gyms and take up less space. Functional Trainers have weight stacks on their
base, too, but the main difference is in the cable systems that come with different shaped handles. They provide more options for working out and because the cable does not have to follow a fixed plane more sports specific routines can be implemented.
For instance, a golfer can hold the cable handle and simulate his or her swing. A baseball or softball player can grip the cable handle and mimic a throwing motion. There are hundreds of different movement possibilities for a Functional Trainer.
You can even incorporate an exercise ball into your workout, sitting on it and pulling the cable handle toward you at a variety of angles.
However, these machines can also be harder to use and some people aren’t sure if they’re following the right motions. It’s important that they ask questions when contemplating buying a Functional Trainer and have correct information on how to use them.

2. Combined curl/press – Stand with a balanced stance and perform a biceps curls with a dumbbell, then at top of curl rotate the weight and do an overhead press. This is a dual functional lift that at the top can mimic activities like reaching up to lift something off a shelf or storing away luggage in an overhead plan bin.
To really burn the biceps, do three curls for every one overhead press.

3. Combined medicine ball squat/overhead press – To change up the above exercise, hold a weighted medicine ball or other heavier object and do a squat. Rise back up and then lift the weight overhead. It’s important to keep your back straight when doing a squat – think “front legs” as you rise back up. Don’t go past parallel on the squat. This exercise strengthens your legs, glutes, lower back, arms and shoulders.

4. Dual stair climb/curl – Here’s another exercise that can even be done by someone on a tight budget. Use the stairs in your own home or apartment building to get a workout. Climb the stairs and while doing so perform alternating dumbbell bicep curls.
You’ll strengthen your arms and legs and also get an aerobic workout.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

To build a strong core it takes a lot more than just doing ab exercises.
Abdominal exercises such as sit-ups and crunches are highly publicized, but the truth is that the abdominal muscles play a limited role overall in core strength.
A functional approach to training your core is the only way to strengthen the many other muscles in your torso and ensure an overall strong, stable midsection.
There are lots of functional ways to build up your core muscles, but here are four of the best:

Exercise ball – Use an exercise ball to not only perform traditional ab crunches, but other stretches and as a base for many traditional lifts.
You can use an exercise ball as the bench or seat to do many standard lifts, such as dumbbell bench presses, curls, pushups, etc.

Kettle bells – Following a kettle bell workout plan will not only firm and build your overall muscles, but will especially strengthen your core because it’s engaged nearly the entire time while using kettle bells.

Dumbbells – There are many dumbbell exercises that will strengthen the core muscles, such as side bends and even on press lifts the core will be engaged.

Use your own body weight – Finally, use your own body weight to stretch and build your core. Pushups, the Plank, squats, back extensions and lunges are some great examples of core-strengthening exercises.

The core is at the ccnter of everything we do. So take care of your core and it will take care of you – and remember it takes a lot more than just ”ab work” to build a strong midsection.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net