Sports Books to Read Now

Fans of sport will love these books and reviews curated by the sport and fitness fanatics at Fitrena.

The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of One Turbulent Season with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls

If you followed the NBA in the ’90s, you’ve heard of this one. If you watched The Last Dance, you’ve heard of this one. But let’s get into it just in case: sportswriter Sam Smith got inside with the Chicago Bulls for their first championship in the 1990-1991 season. For the first time, people saw that Michael Jordan—MJ, His Airness, Air Jordan, whatever you prefer to call him—wasn’t just a 2-dimensional basketball god, but a real person with a real personality and real issues. And it gets into teammates and coaches of the era, too—a must-read for anyone looking to fill in relatively-recent NBA history.

Fever Pitch

You’ve probably heard of this one in its form as a Jimmy Fallon-led (remember when he used to act?) 2004 romantic comedy about a guy balancing his love life with his obsessive love for the Boston Red Sox. The movie is based on a memoir of obsessive devotion to English Football Club Arsenal, written by author Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, A Long Way Down). Funny, engaging, and still fascinating, if you’re a sports fan who just can’t figure out why you continue rooting for the loser, you’ll find home here.

Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN

This nonfiction story on the past and present of ESPN is long (763 pages), but it’s an oral history—so you can read through it like movie dialogue. Starting with stories of the network’s very beginning in 1979 and coming up to date with many names that you’ll still see on TV every day, this book is gripping and quite cinematic. So cinematic that a significant adaptation has been in discussion for a couple of years now. Read the book now and get ahead of the curve.

For more great sports reads, check out the curated list of books and Fitrena review at Fitrena.

Sports books worth checking out now

Fans of sport will love these books and reviews curated by the sport and fitness fanatics at Fitrena.

“America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation” by Michael MacCambridge

This is as thorough and definitive a re-telling of NFL history from the post-World War II era to the near-present as there is. The tale kicks off with the Rams’ move west to L.A. from Cleveland, delves into the AFL-NFL merger that ultimately launched the league into the sports stratosphere and ends around Janet Jackson’s time’s “wardrobe malfunction” during halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII.

“Blood, Sweat and Chalk: The Ultimate Football Playbook” by Tim Layden

This book gives a quick breakdown of the history and invention of many of the formations and schemes we see in modern football with interviews from the people who were closest to the innovation and evolution.

“The Courting of Marcus Dupree” by Willie Morris

On its face, this is a story about high school football and college recruiting through the lens of Philadelphia, Mississippi, running back Marcus Dupree, one of the nation’s top prospects, and how football captivates the whole of the South. Morris uses the attention cast on Dupree and his hometown, where three civil rights activists were murdered in,1964 to assess Mississippi’s changing racial landscape from the 1960s to the 1980s. It’s about football and also very much not.

“The GM: A Football Life, a Final Season, and The Last Laugh” by Tom Callahan

I’m a sucker for an excellent behind-the-scenes book, and this one certainly fits the bill. Callahan gets excellent access with former New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi throughout a season to give readers a glimpse of what life is like as an NFL GM. (On a personal note: This was also one of the books that nudged me toward sports writing and away from a possible career in politics, for which I am eternally grateful.)

For more great sports reads, check out the curated list of books and Fitrena review at Fitrena.

Best Songs to Add to Your Gym Playlist

Whether you are a fitness veteran or just starting your health and fitness journey, you need a workout playlist. The right songs will determine the effort you drive into exercising. Let’s look at some of the best songs that will motivate you during your workout sessions.

FU – Miley Cyrus, French Montana

FU by Miley Cyrus and French Montana was a 2013 club banger that was loved by many people. The track was an interesting experiment that worked like a charm. It comprises country music, EDM, and pop, all wrapped up in one music track. Whenever you’re working out while listening to this song, you’ll hardly notice the extra effort you are using.

Don’t Stop the Music – Rihanna

In 2007, “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna was one of the best-selling tracks. The song has a gift that keeps feeding you with the power to push forward. From the beginning, the hit jam has a direct bassline that makes the music more interesting to listen to. The chorus is the best part as it builds up slowly, making you want to sing along.

A Milli – Lil Wayne

A Milli is ranked to be among the best motivational songs of all time. Right from the lyrics, there is a vibe that tells you not to mess with me. It gives you the feeling that you are invisible when working out.

If you are looking for songs that will motivate you during your workout sessions, visit Fitrena.com.

Fitness eBooks That Will Help You Keep Fit

Fitness eBooks provide readers with some of the best tips that will improve their stamina and performance. They help you achieve your fitness goals. Here are some of the best fitness eBooks that will help you get in the best shape.

The Fitness Mindset – Brian Keane

In this eBook, Keane enlightens readers that an essential part to consider when you want to maintain a fitness program is your mindset. To successfully retain a fitness program, you need to have an appropriate level of discipline and motivation to keep you going through the entire journey. The Fitness Mindset inspires and helps fitness enthusiasts change their opinions on food, regular exercise, and depression.

No Sweat – Michelle Segar

No Sweat provides you with the knowledge that will allow you to understand how sustained motivation can help you achieve your fitness goals. This is only possible if you take the right approach. Segar takes readers through the importance of reason and its impact on your psychology. She highlights these conclusions into an easily-understandable plan.

Marathon – Hal Higdon

This ebook is ideal for marathon maniacs. Hal Higdon conducts eight simultaneous occasions from the United States Olympic trials. He won four World Master Championships. This eBook provides readers with every detail they need for both half and full marathons. The manual will help you attain your marathon personal record.

For more inspirational fitness eBooks to guide you in your fitness journey, head over to Fitrena.com.

Don’t Forget to Stretch!

It’s the end of your workout, and it ran a little long. You’re hungry, you really need a shower, and you need to get on with your day. Maybe you’ll skip out on stretching? Before you do, the team here at Fitrena dug into our collection of fitness ebooks and audiobooks to remind you of some of the many benefits of stretching:

Stretching increases flexibility. Having trouble bending down to tie your shoelaces lately? Stretching can solve that in a number of weeks, and generally increases flexibility throughout the body.

Stretching helps prevent injuries. Flexibility comes into play again here, increased flexibility means a decreased risk of injury.

Stretching reduces muscle tension. And that’s not just after exercise, that’s on a daily basis, meaning fewer aches and pains overall.

Stretching increases your range of motion. Much like with flexibility, stretching can drastically improve your range of motion, meaning you can finally scratch that itch on your back.

Stretching improves posture. While there are a lot of reasons for improper posture, overly tight muscles are major contributors and can be alleviated with stretching.

Stretching helps to relieve back pain. With better posture comes less back pain, and as an added bonus, less pain often means more energy too!

Stretching helps with circulation and blood flow. As another added bonus, increased blood flow to the muscles often translates into more energy as well.

Looking for some fitness related reads? Visit our online library at Fitrena for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Why Water is The Most Important Fitness Food

You’ve got your fish oil capsules, BCAAs, and creatine in hand for your pre-workout, and a protein and supplement packed shake ready to go for your post workout, not to mention a whole bunch more vitamins, minerals, and other supplements throughout the day. But for all the fitness foods and supplements we consume, there’s one that’s often overlooked: water. Drinking enough water throughout the day is of utmost importance, and here are just a few of the many things it does:

Water helps with digestion and weight management. Water not only helps boost metabolism, it also helps our bodies break down and digest food. Water is also key when it comes to curbing appetite, especially if consumed immediately before a meal.

Water helps us look better. If vanity is even a small part of the reason why you’re in the gym or taking supplements, you’ll be happy to know that water helps skin stay firm and young looking by reducing dehydration.

Water helps our bodies flush out toxins. As nutrients get moved around our body, so do toxins, much of which get passed through the kidneys. Many of those toxins are water soluble, however, which means that water helps us break down and flush out those toxins, taking a lot of the strain off our kidneys and other organs.

Looking for some fitness related reads? Visit our online library at Fitrena for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Tips to Help You Stay Fit While Traveling

Though most of the world is still in lockdown and global travel has ground to a halt, it’s only a matter of time before vaccines are widely circulated and help the world return to some semblance of normalcy. And when that happens, you can bet there will be a whole lot of people ready to start traveling again! But traveling can often take a toll on fitness, so the team at Fitrena thought we’d dig through our library to bring you the following tips:

Keep up with your exercise: If you’re traveling for anything longer than a day or two, try not to skip too many of your regular workouts. You may not have access to your usual equipment and environment, but many hotels offer gyms and pools, and running outside is usually an option wherever you may find yourself.

Don’t forget to eat well. It’s only natural, temptation may set in when traveling, especially when you have the possibility of trying new foods and trying them often. While it can often be easy to get carried away and end up eating way too much, it may be best to stick to your regular regimen for the sake of keeping fit, even if you do allow yourself the occasional indulgence.

Try not to skimp on sleep. This is especially important if you’re traveling across time zones. You may have a busy sightseeing schedule but sleep is an integral part of your overall fitness picture, and more sleep means you’ll have more energy to enjoy your trip!

Looking for some great content to help keep you fit? Visit our online library at Fitrena for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Staying Fit By Eating Healthier

Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule when it comes to fitness? Essentially, the rule states that your overall fitness picture is a matter of 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. Otherwise put: no amount of exercise could ever make up for a poor diet. But don’t worry! Eating healthier is easier than it may seem, and the team here at Fitrena has dipped into our collection of ebooks and audiobooks to bring you these tips:

Cook at home as often as possible. While the pandemic has certainly led to far fewer restaurant outings for most of us, many of us are still ordering takeout on a daily basis or eating prepared meals from the freezer aisle. Cooking at home, however, means fresher food, fewer preservatives, and more manageable portions, and is often worth making time for. But there’s more benefit to cooking at home, especially when it comes to convenience and finances: Batch cooking can be a great way to have meals ready in advance for the week to come, and a great way to save a whole lot of money.

Cut the carbs. It’s worth stating that carbs are an important part of your everyday diet; complex carbohydrates are an important source of slow burning fuel for your body and a diet completely devoid of carbs can leave you feeling tired and listless, and can lead to some serious health problems. That said, not all carbs are created equal, and excessive carbs can be quite harmful. Here’s where smarter choices and portion control come into play. Pick whole wheat over white, avoid overly processed foods, and cut out refined and added sugars wherever possible. Pre-portion meals to avoid excessive eating, and always accompany your meals with a tall glass of water as well.

How You Build Muscle

As attitudes towards fitness slowly start to change, more and more people are putting an emphasis on building muscle rather than “losing weight.” The number on the scale, after all, is just a number, and not always a reliable measure of fitness levels and overall health. But with that in mind, it’s important to note that building muscle doesn’t happen instantaneously, it takes time. Understanding how it happens may just help build up the patience needed to see it happen. First we should note, however, that this theory, the “micro tear” theory, is just one of the theories we have, albeit the most popular one. It also involves far more than just muscles, as the nervous system, circulatory system, and endocrine system all play a role. But for the sake of simplicity, here’s an easy explanation:

Each of your muscles is made up of thousands of tiny muscle fibers. As you stress those fibers, say by lifting weights or doing body weight exercises, those fibers endure tiny injuries, or tears. Once those muscles are at rest, protein intake helps the body repair those tiny tears. The body fuses those muscle fibers back together, all while laying down new proteins within each muscle cell. The result? Bigger and stronger muscles! This, of course, takes time and consistency, but with patience and proper nutrition you’ll be able to see the results in the mirror and will never want to turn back!

Looking for some great fitness related reads? Visit our online library at Fitrena for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

The Effects of 10,000 Steps a Day

Did you get all of your steps in today? Getting 10,00 steps in every day is a growing trend that has been gaining popularity in the past few years. But just what can it do for your body? Quite a bit, it would appear, at least according to Darria Long, an ER physician, clinical professor at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, and author of the national best-selling book Mom Hacks. Recently interviewed for Domino, Long said that after just one day, walking 10,000 steps “will help you fall asleep a lot faster than you normally would that evening. You may even notice that [your muscles are] a little bit sore when you wake up the next morning.”

What will happen if you keep it up for a week? Well, according to Long: “When you increase your physical activity for a week, it creates a cascade of beneficial hormones that not only help you lose weight, but also send blood flow to your brain and major organs.”

Sounds promising so far, but how about if you keep it up for a month? What other benefits could it have? “We know from many studies, people who start walking—even when you don’t talk to them about diet or smoking—will naturally begin to reduce their volume of cigarettes if they’re smokers and will generally eat less saturated fats and consume more produce,” says Long. “They may also lose a little bit of weight.”

Looking for some fitness related reads? Visit our online library at Fitrena for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.