Minivans offer a full range of comfort and practicality for families. If you’re in need of a larger vehicle with better gas mileage, go ahead and embrace your decision to become a minivan mom or dad. Minivans boast plenty of family-friendly amenities, including comfy “captain’s chairs” for driver, front row passenger, and second row seating, while offering a “separation zone”, or third row of seating to help prevent sibling rivalries from getting out of hand. That being said, not all minivans are created equal, and they’ve changed a lot since the early 2000s.
Here are the top five features to seek out in a new minivan purchase:
1. DVD Video Bluetooth Systems
Gone are the days of the kids annoying you with “I spy, with my little eye….” on your morning commute. Instead, most 2018 minivans come outfitted with a DVD video Bluetooth enabled system, which distracts passengers with on-demand connectivity to your kids’ favorite movies, HDMI access, and a high-quality onboard sound system that’ll keep the passengers entertained on short and long trips.
2. Full Storage Roof Rack
Got paddleboards, skiis, or are you transporting a new mattress home? Luckily, you have a full roof rack on your minivan. You can use your roof rack for transporting sporting equipment (i.e., kayaks, bikes, skis, snowboards) or attach a roof cargo baskets or roof bags for secure, weatherproof storage while freeing up interior space.
3. Siding Power Doors
The minivans of our youth (I’m looking at you mom and dad) offered manual sliding doors that were often too heavy and awkward to kids to open and shut. However, the minivans of 2018 offer automatic power-sliding features—which make the back seat passenger entry and exit much more convenient. The doors automatically slide smoothly open at the simple press of a button. All you need to do is sit back and relax, and you’ll never have to worry about catching little fingers in the doors.
4. Power Folding Seating
While sometimes you require third row seating on long family trips; sometimes you wish it wasn’t there. Voila, fold-away third row seating that offers more cabin and storage space when you need it most! Plus, the automatic power-folding feature, gets rid of third row seating with a simple push of a button.
5. Rear Power Liftgate
You emerge from the grocery store with one too many bags and no extra hands to unlock and lift your van’s back liftgate. Never fear, you sprung for a minivan with a automatic rear power liftgate so you can conveniently press a button to automatically access rear storage when you need it. Use it to boost accessibility when moving furniture, tools, groceries, pets, and just about anything—no extra hands needed!
As an increasing numbers of holidayers and vacationers opt for places that combine a scenic vista along with some kind of adventure sports or extreme adventure activities and sports, it would always be helpful to have a go to list of some of the top ranked adventure sports destinations.
Houghton Skate Park at Long Beach, California is a very popular adventure sports destination for skating enthusiasts. Spread over 25,000 square feet, this skate park has very well designed skating bowls and street sections. The Coleman Oval Skate Park in New York City also offers a wide variety of skating experiences for beginners as well as more advanced skaters.
The Cumberland caverns in Tennessee offer adventure sports enthusiasts a chance to explore subterranean caves as well as underground pathways that span over 32 miles. Overnight camping options are also available here.
Visiting Las Vegas and taking in its sparkling city sights in itself may be an exhilarating adventure for many. However, now, a company called Sky Combat Ace offers you the chance to recreate the Top Gun flight experience for yourself in an aerobatic plane that your pilot maneuvers through some heart stopping rolls and loops.
The mountains around the region of Lake Tahoe offer a large number of trails ranging in various levels of difficulty for mountain biking fanatics. With descents of over 2000 feet as well as stunning cliff drops, mountain biking can provide more than its share of thrill for adventure sports junkies who are also passionate about mountain biking.
The Yosemite National Park has some of the top rated rock climbing experiences in the country. The most challenging is the El Capitan summit, but Yosemite also offers other climbing options such as the Half dome and the Washington Column.
If your childhood dream was to become a cosmonaut, then you can experience the whole zero gravity effect at the space flight simulations that take place at Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Washington, and New York at intervals throughout the year.
Zip lining is another popular adventure sports activity, and what better way to experience zip lining at its highest as well as fastest than by trying it out on the longest facility for zip lining in the country? Here’s your chance to whizz at break neck speed high up above the slopes of the Catskills. The Skyrider tour is among the most daring options for zip lining offered at Hunter Mountain.
For an otherworldly adventure sports experience, you could also try paragliding over the slopes of the dormant Haleakala volcano, which is the highest point at Maui in Hawaii.
So what are you waiting for? A plethora of adventure sports options awaits you, not in any location far away, but right here in the country. Grab your gear, cook your tickets, and go treat yourself to a new adventure.
Basketball is among the top most popular sports both played by and viewed with great enthusiasm not only by Americans but people across the world as well.
Here is some interesting basketball trivia for basketball aficionados.
The origins of basketball can be traced all the way back to the year 1891, when a gym teacher by the name of James Naismith was looking for some interesting ways to keep the students in his gym class occupied during their physical education sessions when it happened to be a rainy day.
The present hoops consist of a metal ring to which an open net is attached came to be designed much later. The earliest baskets used for playing basketball were the baskets used for keeping peaches in grocery stores. After every ball went into the basket, it would have to be retrieved before the game could continue. It was only in the early years of the 20th century that the metal hoops were introduced.
Several rules of basketball were actually adaptations of the rules of a game played by children called “ducks and stones,” in which a large stone was placed at a height, say on a wall or the stump of a broken tree. This was guarded by a defender from the others who would throw rocks, known colloquially as “ducks” in an attempt to topple the stone.
Before the present basketball was designed, players earlier used soccer balls to play basketball. They would apply soot over their palms in order to gain a firmer grip on the soccer ball.
The National Basketball Association, popularly known as the NBA, was only constituted in 1975 post a merger of the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America.
The record for the largest number of spectators ever is held by the NBA all star basketball game. This game was held at the Cowboy Stadium in 2010. This game attracted over one hundred thousand spectators.
Women’s basketball was included as a medal sport in the 1970 Olympics, it has gained great popularity since then.
The first ever all women collegiate game of basketball was held in 1893 at Smith College, MA. However, since at that point of time, it was considered socially inappropriate for men to watch women playing basketball, all the doors to the stadium were locked and make spectators forbidden from entering.
During the course of an average basketball game, most NBA players chalk up at least four miles of running.
Here’s one last basketball fun fact. Not only do most NBA players run over four miles in one game, they also train so intensely that most players can quite easily jump to a height of nearly 28 to 30 inches, or over two feet from the ground.
We would all have wished to be boxers at some point, especially when we are or were in the presence of annoying people in our lives. Whether we followed up with our wish or not is an entirely different topic for another day. The game of boxing is a combat sport in which two people of similar strengths come into contact with one another and literally throw punches, jabs, and hooks at each other. A predetermined time limit, a pair of boxing gloves, a boxing ring, as well as a host of other requirements and rules form part of the professional boxing game that became popular in the early 20th century.
A boxing match has multiple rounds of bouts, is supervised by one referee or sometimes more than one, and the result of the competition between two competitors is decided in many ways:
The rules of a boxing match vary depending on factors such as where it is played, and by whom it is played, whether it is an amateur or professional match. While violation of rules is considered a foul, and can result in the competitor being initially warned, a deduction of points is the second step in cautioning the boxer, and a continuance of a disregard of the rules results in the disqualification of the boxer from that match.
While this is the case with the a person flouting the rules, the opponent who is being bullied against the rules of the game could suffer some serious physical damages. The medical concerns in the game of boxing are many. Being knocked unconscious or receiving a severe concussion could result in permanent damage to the brain. In worst case scenarios, a hard blow by a strong boxer could even result in the death of the opponent. Moreover, there are enough statistics to prove the gravity of danger in the game of boxing.
While avoiding the blows from the opponent is the goal of the sport, lack of protective headgear, training injuries, and accidents in the boxing ring are still widely prevalent. Around the world, boxing is banned in some countries, while some nations have imposed severe restrictions while allowing the game to be continued. There are medical associations in numerous countries that are voting to entirely ban boxing, but in the United States, boxing is a legally authorized sport that was made popular by the likes of Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, and Terence Crawford.
Cycling, while also being a popular sport also offers a wide range of health benefits ranging from physical as well as physiological to emotional as well as social.
First of all, at the very outset, even a half an hour of cycling every day can provide your body with a good workout as it is a well-rounded exercise that improves cardiac efficiency, boosts your metabolism as well as enhances general vascular health.
In our present times, people who regularly exercise are known to live longer than people who do not. Cycling falls into one of these exercise modalities that offer you some great physiological benefits.
When it comes to weight management, a regular routine of cycling can contribute to toning of the muscles in your thighs as well as legs.
Since cycling is an aerobic activity that increases both breath rate as well as heart rate, it also facilitates improved metabolism as well as complete bowel evacuation.
Research statistics generally show a positive correlation between regular exercise and quality of sleep. Specifically, those who are in sedentary jobs and who complain of difficulty in sleeping as well as poor sleep quality, cycling has been proven to have significant benefits, with many reporting an increase of at least an hour in sleep duration as well as reduction in time taken for onset of sleep.
Coming to the psychological benefits of cycling, research studies indicate that the enhancement of cardiovascular fitness accruing from cycling causes a definite improvement in memory power as well as attention span, for cycling has been linked to the regeneration of cells in the hippocampus of the brain.
Furthermore, regular cycling causes an increased secretion of endorphins, which are known mood elevators.
As an added incentive, the increased circulation enabled by cycling, even for 20 to 30 minutes a day literally flushes all toxins from your skin and pumps oxygen through all the blood cells. Moreover so, yes cycling does make you look younger as well as give you healthier skin.
While exercise in itself is known to prolong lifespan and also boost immunity, researchers have proven that cycling is a moderate exercise form that is recommended by many fitness experts for its holistic heath benefits.
And of course lastly, but no less importantly, cycling is considered as one of the most environment friendly forms of transportation. Not only do you no longer have to worry about finding a parking spot for your car or if your car will be towed away if you park illegally, you can actually avoid the hassle of a traffic jam. Considering that the exhaust from motor vehicles is a major cause of air pollution in all major cities across the world, cycling can surely be your way of contributing to a cleaner as well as greener environment.
Intelligent meal planning lies at the core of health as well as wellness. One of the biggest mistakes made by many adults is to skip breakfast or quickly pick up a calorie laden snack en route to work. Breakfast is a major meal of the day, and it is considered the most important according to many nutritionists because this is when you need to plan on including a nutritious as well as energizing meal that gives you an optimum balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and essential minerals to keep you going the whole day.
You might think that since you have only slept the previous night and that you may not require anything heavy by way of breakfast; however, you might be surprised to know that your energy reserves are at their lowest in the morning and may even be depleted by over 70%. This is why your breakfast must necessarily be your most energizing and healthy meal.
Here are some essential foods that make for energizing meals that can add a little variety to your breakfast everyday.
Ideally, energizing meals for breakfast must include an adequate amount of whole grain bread or cereals to provide the much needed fiber as well as carbohydrates. As far as possible, opt for whole grain breads made using rye or whole wheat or multigrain breads. If you like cereals, you could opt for oatmeal, to which you can add an appropriate quantity of dried fruits and nuts.
You could opt for skimmed milk or, if you prefer to take the vegan route, milk sourced from soy or nut also happens to be a good option.
Peanut butter, which is made using fresh peanuts and preferably without any sweeteners or additives, is a also good source of protein.
Another source of rich protein is unsweetened Greek yoghurt, which has a probiotic effect while also giving you a much needed dose of protein. You could also think of including an omelet or a boiled egg with your toast. Cottage cheese, which is made from low fat milk, is another good protein choice.
As far as possible, avoid highly processed foods that might give you a seeming boost of energy due to their sweetness such as doughnuts. Opt instead for complex carbohydrates as these take longer to digest and offer you sustained bursts of energy for a longer time.
Smoothies made using combinations of fruits, some leafy greens, nuts and milk could also pack a really strong power punch. You can be really creative with your smoothie combinations so that while opting for an energizing meal that is full of micronutrients, you also do not compromise on taste.
Opt for natural sugar substitutes such as honey if you have a sweet tooth. These are some ideas for viable and energizing meals.
No matter what activity you have planned for the day. No matter what sport you play. No matter what you eat…wait! This one DOES matter! For all those men veering toward packets of chips, bottles of aerated drinks, sugary donuts and pastries, or large cups of coffee when hunger strikes, here is a list of handy snacks that you might rather dig into rather than indulging in unhealthy food again.
These snacks mentioned below are healthy, provide the essential nutrients needed for the body, and, best of all, satiate your hunger cravings adequately and energize you without loading on unnecessary extra calories. These wholesome eats support your activities, protect you from cramps as well as breakdowns, and are refreshing for in-between meal times. They help you recuperate from fatigue, boost your energy levels, and fuel your body quickly.
Lay your hands on these delicious, energizing snacks when your body craves for food. You will be thankful for the healthy stuff while stuffing your stomach when you need energy to run or swim, dodge a ball or strike a goal, or just want to feel fit and healthy overall. Energized men perform better at any activity of their choice, of course we all know that!
Are you one of those people who had at least one large poster of a racing car on your wall while growing up? Do you bolt across to take a snap of yourself alongside an iconic super fast race car that occasionally adorns your streets? Is it common that you wage friendly bets over which elite auto manufacturers such as Bugatti, Ferrari, or Porsche would rule the market with their ultra ferocious super race cars? Then read on.
Given here is a compilation of some impressive racing cars of 2017, one each from the stables of the best car companies in the world. In no particular order, listed below are some lightning fast, wild, and fiercely powerful and impressive racing cars that are ultra luxurious, loaded with advanced technological features, and, most importantly, are production cars that are currently the swiftest on the roads.
All these models mentioned above are qualified impressive racing cars. Now, which engineering marvel is your heart fixed on? Don’t let anyone stop you, not even their high prices that might weaken your bank account considerably! It’s the enthralling speed that matters, after all.
