The 5 Things You’ll Do Today That Will Mess Up Your Back Tomorrow

One minute, you feel invincible: You’re squatting heavy, tossing bags of mulch, helping the lovely passenger in 12D hoist her bag into the overhead compartment. The next, your back barks, leaving you hunched over. Researchers at the University of Sydney recently studied 1,000 patients to pinpoint some of the most common triggers of acute back pain—those sudden, sharp spasms that seemingly occur at any time and can leave you laid up for days. Read the full article for Men’s Health.

The Top 10 Cancer Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

If you found a lump on your body where there wasn’t one before, you might proceed to freak out. Doctors call this an “alarm symptom,” or a sign that should put patients on high alert for cancer. Yet when British researchers recently surveyed people who had experienced 10 of these types of signs, about half of the participants didn’t see their docs. Some people brushed the symptoms off as inconsequential, while others feared what they might find out. Read the full article for Men’s Health.

How Not to Be a Head Case at Your Big-City Race

You’ve spent your training runs loping along tree-lined trails or quiet back roads with your herd. But one day, you find yourself on a city street inside an immense crowd of unfamiliar beasts. Music blares, crowds roar, and you have to fight your way through a veritable obstacle course to reach your destination. Add the pressure to perform and months (if not years) of preparation and expectation, and you have the perfect description of a big-city race—and a potential recipe for a major mental meltdown. Read the full article for Runner’s World.

10 Exercises You Hate The Most—And What To Do Instead

weights-652486_1280It’s bound to happen at some point during your workout. The moment you always dread: Your instructor or workout DVD announces that it’s time to do your LEAST favorite move. You know, the one that always makes your back ache, your knees hurt, or makes you feel like the most uncoordinated person in the room. (We’re looking at you, squats, planks, and burpees.) Read the full article for Prevention.com.

6 Ways Your Health Suffers When You Stop Working Out

Just as a good training program builds you up, falling off the workout wagon can have the opposite effect—sometimes almost immediately. Experts call this phenomenon “detraining,” and its consequences can weigh even heavier than the gut you see in the mirror. Fortunately, the condition is fully reversible, as long as you get your butt back to the gym. Read the full article for Men’s Health.