In Case You Missed It: eKneewalker’s 10 Most Popular Posts of 2014

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As we ring in the new year and commit ourselves to making positive changes in 2015, let us also take a look back at how we got here.

Below are the 10 most popular posts on our blog, as calculated by the number of shares and the number of times each post was read.

   

10. Race for a Cause: 52 Upcoming Charity Runs in the Midwest

charity runs

In late August, we took a look at the charity runs that were scheduled throughout the Midwest in the late summer and early fall months — arguably the best time to run in our part of the country.

Among those listed was the Our Fallen Hero 5K in Mokena, Illinois, on the Far South Side of Chicago. That event supported the Pat Tillman Foundation and was held in honor of local Lincoln Way East graduate PFC Aaron Toppen.

   

9. The 24 Best Running Clubs in Los Angeles

running in LA
In September, just as the calendar moved into fall, we began to think about the places where people could run outside year-round without having to worry about thermal base layers. That’s when we created this list of 24 great running clubs in LA.

What made this post so fun was that the organizers of the Hollywood Half Marathon picked up the story and posted it to their Facebook page, calling for members to give their clubs a shoutout. And Angelenos aren’t shy about their allegiances:

Hollywood Half Marathon

   

8. Stay in Shape: 30 Fitness Boot Camps in the Midwest this Autumn

boot camp
Also in September, we took a look at some fitness bootcamps that would prepare us Midwesterners for football season. As many of us know, those holiday sweaters in November aren’t too flattering after two months wings and brews on Sundays.

One such camp that is good for those NFL fan physiques is ReNEWal BODY Bootcamp over in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is hosting its next outdoor bootcamp on May 5, 2015, just in time for beach weather.

   

7. 40 Great Health and Wellness Facebook Pages to Follow


At the end of summer, we took a look at some of the best Facebook Pages people should follow if they want to learn more about health and wellness issues. Included in that list is Aligned and Well, maintained by Katy Bowman, who is a biomechanist (not to get that, ahem, confused with “biochemist” — sorry about that, Katy!).

   

6. Just Run! 25 Running Blogs to Get You Motivated


This post from June features our favorite photo of 2014. We know a lot of people struggle to find motivation to keep running, so we put together this list of 25 thoughtful blogs on the subject to serve as an inspiration.

The author at one of those blogs, Jason Saltmarsh, wrote a great post just before Christmas on how sitting is causing so many of us health issues. You can find that post here.

   

5. Stay Active, New York: 27 Awesome Personal Trainers in the City


You can imagine that the Big Apple has its fair share of world-class personal trainers. In August, we put together a list of more than two dozen professional trainers, broken down by borough.

One of those trainers was Sonia Rodriguez at Urban Jungle in Queens, a fitness professional who has been practicing martial arts since she was 12 years old and who now instructs clients in kickboxing and CrossFit as well as running boot camps.

   

4. Need an Extra Push? 28 Great Running Coaches from the Great Lakes Area

running coach
In July, we rounded up some of the very best running coaches around the western Great Lakes area — from Wisconsin to Michigan — for local residents who struggle to keep themselves accountable to a running schedule.

One great coach in the Chicago area is Sarah Dudek, who writes regularly over at her blog, Running on Healthy. Even if you aren’t in Chicagoland, check out her blog anyway.

   

3. 22 Awesome Physical Therapists in Boston


In early December, we took a look at some of the best PTs in Boston — a city renowned for its institutes of higher learning and its healthcare facilities. Included in that list was Dr. Michael J. Velsmid, the director at Boston Sports Medicine, which has eight locations around the city.

   

2. 31 Awesome Physical Therapists in New York City

Physical Therapist in new york
As with the personal trainers, New York City residents are spoiled for choice with the great physical therapists who practice in the city. This post was also divided up by borough.

In Brooklyn, one of the physical therapists we highlighted was Dr. Melvin Colon at Brooklyn Body Works, someone who has clearly had a positive impact on the lives of many people, both professionally and personally:
   

1. Namaste, Twitter: 50 Yoga Experts You Should Follow

best yoga teachers
Far and away, the most popular post we had in 2014 was this one, which received 2200-plus Facebook likes and was read by more than 15,000 people. A couple of inclusions from that list we would like to highlight include Adriene Mishler, a yoga instructor and actress down in the always fun Austin, Texas; and Kino MacGregor, who you can find teaching and practicing yoga in sunny Miami Beach.

images by:
Chris Sardegna / Unsplash
All other images credited in the original posts