This 21-year-old from Champaign, Illinois blazes across the ice as a Short Track Speedskater for the U.S. team. Check out her fave ways to cross-train and why she doesn’t believe in making excuses!  
 
GL: So you must skate a ton, but do you cross-train at all?

Katherine: We do a lot of cross-training. Biking is a big one since we live out in Salt Lake City. There are a lot of mountains out here so once a week we go on road bikes and ride up a pretty intense mountain. We do weight training, running, jumping, all kinds of dry land training that’s really specific to our sport.
 
GL: Are there any fun workouts you like to do in your free time?

Katherine: I love yoga and cardio kickboxing and any kind of Zumba or hip-hop class. I’m looking to be a group fitness instructor someday!
 
GL: So who inspires you?

Katherine: Both of my parent’s are really inspiring. They both will do anything to get the work done. They’re very focused and very driven, and what amazes me the most is that they put aside their personal needs to get whatever has to be done. No exceptions, no excuses!
 

By: Katie Abbondanza

 

Get in on Din
From sports to student council, being super-busy makes it hard to find time to sit down and eat. But, research has shown that kids who eat with their family perform better in school and have healthier eating habits. Plus, recent stats revealed that it isn't just about what you eat for dinner, it's about the convo and laughs that come along with it. Work together to make mealtime more fun (and less stressed!) for everyone. 'Rents don't make your vegetarian faves? Make a stir-fry with tofu to show them it can be tasty. Or, have everyone pitch in for DIY pizzas or rotate who will chop veggies each night of the week.

Here are 5 more ways to amp up your dinner!

Get involved. Bring all the family into the picture and get everyone workin’ on the cookin’. Teamwork with the sibs can be tough, but it'll be worth it.

Funkify the feast. Make some cool placemats or add some fall flowers or pumpkins to the table.

Spice up the meal. Try new flavors that'll have everyone wondering why you've been noshing the same ol', same ol'. Check out all the yummy recipes on girlslife.com!

Rock out. Make a play list of each family member’s favorite tunes and play it while you all cook and eat. This sets a happy vibe for the entire dinner.

Make a delectable desert. Yes, the goal of Eat Better, Eat Together month is to eat healthy. This doesn’t mean you have to skip desert all together. Go shopping with the fam and have everyone pick one of the favorite fruits, then make a fruit salad. If this still isn’t sweet enough add a small side of chocolate dip. Delish!

By: Olivia Arrington

 

Lately we’ve been seein’ lotsa athletes exercising in arm warmers. With the temps dropping, adding extra layers is key. These “socks” let ya wear your fave tanks and, unlike a long-sleeve t-shirt, they’re made to wick sweat off of your bod (key for chilly afternoons).

 

Sock Guy Acrylic Pink Arm Warmers, $18, amazon.com  

 

An article in the Baltimore Sun explained how emergency room statistics show the dangers of cheerleading, with more than 30,000 hospital visits coming from injured cheerleaders.

A test done by Fox Sports proved that when flyers (aka, the girls that get thrown in the air) fall, they feel an impact of 2,000 pounds. NFL linebackers (those 250 pound, gigantic men) only hit at a force of 1,800 pounds (and they’ve caused some serious damage to other football players).

The dangers of the sport come not only from the physical difficulties, but also inexperienced coaches. Middle and high school cheer coaches are often untrained teachers who know little about the sport.

Like any sport, in cheerleading it’s important to be physically capable and knowledgeable about the stunts you might perform. If you don’t feel comfortable doing something, talk to your coach and don’t do it. Part of feeling secure is knowing that your teammates are capable as well as your coach. If they aren’t, remember it’s not worth the risk of life paralysis or death.

By: Liz Lebbeda