It’s Winter Olympics Week on FBG!
Credit: © VANOC/COVAN
The 2010 Winter Olympic opening ceremonies aren’t until next Friday, but that’s not stopping FBG from getting the excitement started now! We’ll be bringing you tons of exciting and insider Olympic content to get you primed for the 16 days of Winter Olympic heaven. From three mini FitStars with some Nike athletes who are poised to go for gold to an inside look at what Olympians nosh on to an Olympic playlist and a sneak peek at the athlete’s apparel, we’re taking you behind the scenes in Vancouver. So pull up your laptop and get ready to feel patriotic!
The FBGs have long been fans of the Olympics. Back in ’08, Erin declared her love for the Olympics, as they help push her at the gym when the going gets tough, and Tish will DVR and watch every second of the Flying Tomato. I personally am a huge fan of ski jumping (have you seen those jumps?!) and luge (serious dare devils). And I’d be remiss to not admit that I really enjoy the figure skating and its drama, too. ‘Cause let’s be honest, watching the Olympics is like watching really good, inspiring and sometimes heart-breaking reality TV. Reality TV at its finest.
For those of you in cold-weather climates who are pumped to watch the games next week, we thought we’d break down five of the sports in terms of calorie-burn with an indoor option for you snowbirds to play along. You know, just in case you want to go out there and work out like an Olympian. After all, it’s darn near impossible to not be inspired after seeing all those world-class athletes!
Feel the Olympic Burn!
Ice Hockey. Ice hockey is one of those sports that works both the lower and upper body, making it a pretty dang good workout. An average woman can expect to burn about 250 calories for 30 minutes of batting the puck around! If you’re not good on skates, you can replicate this type of burn and activity by doing a few sprints followed by some quick jabs and squats. (And the jabs are to use the upper body. I know that the Olympics isn’t like the NHL.)
Snowboarding. Snowboarding is fantastic for the core. It’s like combining a Bosu ball with a snowy mountain—you have to constantly keep your balance. In fact, a 150-pound lady can burn 480 calories an hour by weaving down the mountain. For those not within reach of the white stuff, you can replicate the benefits of snowboarding by lunging off and on a Bosu. You’ll get the balance workout, and your legs and cardio system will be workin’!
Ski Jumping. Talk about needing powerful legs! Ski jumpers are known for their explosive power. This sport is a little hard to calculate calories on because people rarely do it for an hour, but if you count carrying your skis to and fro plus jumping, an average woman can burn about 475 calories an hour. Not bad! For those wanting to jump at home, you literally can! When watching the sport, squat low with your weight in your heels as soon as the athlete pushes down the ramp. Once they’re in the air, slowly raise up, until they hit the ground and stand up. Repeat, repeat, repeat!
Speed Skating. Five-time Olympic medal winner Apolo Ohno made this sport for me years ago. And it’s amazing to see him still skating today and going for gold again. He’s got tree-trunk legs, so you know that this sport requires lots of lower-body strength and a powerful core for balance (you are on ice, after all) which equals big burn. Like 1,000+ calories an hour burn, if you can sustain a fast pace for that long, which most of us mortals can’t. If you’d like to skate like Ohno (his name should really be “Ohyes”) at home, do side-to-side lunges with a small hop in the middle. You’ll be amazed how quickly it’ll get your quads firing and your heart rate up!
Stay tuned for more Olympic-themed content all week, including an exclusive interview with skeleton slider Katie Uhlaender later this afternoon! —Jenn