Now that you’ve done all the hard training for your marathon, it’s time to relax, treat yourself to a soothing massage, and try to rein in some of your nervousness! The best combination of light training, proper nutrition, sound sleep, and tried and true gear will play a big role in how well you perform on race day.

Love it or not, having a treadmill involved in your training is a wonderful strategy. When Mother Nature is kicking up a fuss outside and preventing you from your usual run, the steady hum and rhythmic impact of footsteps on the belt can be very satisfying. Let’s look at some ways to make your treadmill training as effective and fun as possible.

When a child plays with a soccer ball, or excitedly dashes down the field dribbling towards the opposing team’s goal, there is more than just flying feet and a checkered ball involved. Playing soccer develops a child physically, mentally, sociologically, and even trains the brain in time/space relationships. The sport is a blast for children—and could be the best thing that ever happens to them.

They have a long tradition and are popular all over the world: New Year’s Eve runs. Amongst them are classics like the one in São Paulo or Madrid, the spectacular race in New York or the run with a biblical atmosphere in Egypt. They all are a fun and active way of saying goodbye to the old year.

If you saw your child’s eyes light up watching the gymnasts somersaulting and leaping at the Beijing Olympics, do everything you can to encourage this interest. Gymnastics training in childhood can lead to a lifetime of better coordination and gymnastics actually form the basics of many sporting activities.

During the snowy winter months, not much can beat skiing, or its cousin snowboarding, for thrills, fresh air and good times with family and friends. Like many sports that offer its type of excitement and challenge, skiing is not without its risks of injury.

Immediately After the Marathon
The Rest of the Day After the Marathon
The First Days After the Marathon
Returning to Running
The Post-Marathon Blues

Children have a natural desire to move. As infants they express this desire to move by raising their head, turning over and crawling around. Once they have learned how to walk, they are constantly on the move. Children have an instinct for play, and want to run, climb and throw things, all without being asked to do it. To enhance this natural desire to move and possibly allow the development of further physical activities from it, children need our support. Adults’ bad habits, however, often suppress the urge to be active. Stress, fatigue, and a lack of drive or willingness to make an effort from fathers and mothers often result in a lack of motivation for the children, too.

Why Ski?
How to Ski
Where to Ski
With its beauty and peace, winter is a special time. It’s also the only time of the year that I can do one of my favorite things - cross-country ski.

How to run relaxed
How to improve your running form
An on-the-run form check
Fellow runners often ask: How should I look while running? Is there an ideal running technique? Should I change my running style?

The story of a four-year-old boy in India who has been running distances of up to 60 kilometers has led to a lot of discussions, including among the Take The Magic Step™ team. We spoke to Dr. Henning Ohlert about appropriate exercise for young children, as well as about some strategies for parents to deal [...]

Soccer’s World Cup reaches its climax with the final in Germany on Sunday. The tournament has shown that every team needs a high degree of fitness to achieve any level of success in the competition.

In Germany right now, it is all about soccer. Currently the soccer World Cup is being held in Germany. The 32 teams who are playing at the soccer World Cup are playing on a level higher than ever before.

Get-up and Go!
By Uta Pippig
Physical fitness, confidence and stronger self-esteem, having more energy and better memory, and simply to feeling good about themselves are only some of the benefits that exercise can have for children that are easy to achieve.

Half marathons are excellent races. At 13.1 miles (or 21.1K), they’re long enough to give you great satisfaction from completing one, but short enough that you can recover quickly after one. They’re also a great stepping stone for runners who want to move up in distance but who aren’t yet ready to tackle the marathon.

Up to now, perhaps your only interest in marathons has been as a spectator. Or maybe you thought about running a marathon, but figured such an achievement was outside your grasp.