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The Northwest Passage, spanning 3,000km from Pond Inlet, Nunavut, to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories, was daunting enough when Roald Amundsen became the first person to unlock its secrets back in 1906.Over a century later, a team of ten women will do it a new way — swimming with snorkels. Named the after the Inuit goddess of the sea, the Sedna Expedition will seek to expand our knowledge of what lies beneath the often sub-zero waters, while reaching out to local Inuit and Inuvialuit women and girls, empowering them to build resilient communities to battle climate change. While the swim won't take place until 2016 (route map, top right) this coming summer will see an exploratory mission as Team Sedna boards a 116 expeditionary trawler for a 15-day trip (route map top left). They'll connect with local communities, build team cohesion, test their gear, and prove they can manage the distance. Suunto ambassador Jill Heinerth gives us the lowdown. Snorkeling across the Arctic? Sounds like a crazy plan! The concept for the expedition was the dream of Susan R. Eaton, a Canadian earth scientist and journalist with a passion for educational awareness of global climate change and a deep connection with the indigenous people of the North. Three years ago, after witnessing another sailboat navigate the Northwest Passage Susan had a 'Eureka!' moment: Wouldn’t it be remarkable to swim the Northwest Passage? Why snorkel? Snorkeling (as opposed to SCUBA diving) gives a swimmer a completely different viewpoint. The loss of sea ice is transforming the Arctic rapidly. We’ll be working in the transition zone between the earth, air, water and ice. Everything is the Arctic is driven by what happens in this snorkel zone. It’s the wheat fields of the North, where feeding, mating, predation and migration all take place. What's the plan? We definitely have to do shifts to make the distance. Assuming success during the proof-of-concept expedition, we'll start our epic three-month journey in the summer of 2016. We’ll follow in the esteemed footsteps of European and Canadian explorers, many of whom perished during their attempts to cross the treacherous Northwest Passage.How many people will take part? We have a team of ten remarkable women, aged 26 to 56, taking part in the project supported by a mother ship equipped with two rigid hull boats. The women hail from Canada, the United States, Mexico and New Zealand. Many are world-class technical divers and underwater scientists.What's your personal motivation? To bring science and conservation messages to people in a fun and exciting way. Last summer, I rode my bicycle across Canada, some 7,000 kilometers, and had a remarkable opportunity to connect with citizens of all backgrounds, while sharing a project called “We Are Water.” When people are inspired, it opens up a dialogue that can be life changing for all.The biggest challenge? The biggest challenge is the environment itself. The brutal cold, transient ice conditions and ferocious animal life (polar bears, walrus, orcas, Greenland sharks) all bring risks. How cold will the water be?The water will be as cold as it can get — minus 2 Celsius. We will need to be in the water many times a day and standing watch, completing science missions, making outreach journeys to Inuit communities and filming the entire mission. It is a lot of work for a small group. I think we’ll crash hard at the end of each day!You'll have some help with propulsion. Diver Propulsion Vehicles (DPVs) are also known as “scooters.” A diver or snorkeler can clip herself behind this torpedo-like device and use the motor to help propel her through the water at a faster speed than swimmers could otherwise achieve. This will help us cover ground, battle currents, and get to safety quickly if we encounter a polar bear or other animal that could harm us in the water. Stay tuned for more updates on the Sedna Epic Expedition. For more diving adventures, check out our Facebook fanpage.

Suunto ambassador William Trubridge knows a thing or two about deep breathing. In 2016, he set a new world record by diving to 102 m on one breath. In 2019, he became the first man to complete an 'underwater crossing' of one of the world’s major channels, swimming across the wild Cook Strait as a series of 934 breath hold dives. William has recently taken another deep dive, this time into the medical world and its treatment of COVID-19. Concerned about the impacts of the virus, he researched how it attacks the body and the medically accepted treatments that help people recover from it. In the process, he learned therapeutic breathing can play a valuable role. Read on for his in-depth report! Scroll down to see William demonstrate a deep breathing exercise!   Therapeutic breathing for COVID-19 By William Trubridge   SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that targets the respiratory system. It attacks our ability to breathe. Now it’s emerging that a strategy to combat this infection may be through breathing itself. First, I need to state clearly I am neither an epidemiologist nor pulmonologist. Everything I describe in this article has been recommended by experts (who I will reference) in one or both of these fields, and I will not speak or extrapolate beyond their recommendations. My career in freediving has meant that I have spent almost two decades harnessing the power of breathing, and I hope to use this experience to help describe and demonstrate how to achieve the recommendations of the experts.For example, the instruction to ‘breathe deeply’ is like telling someone to ‘swim smoothly’– there is a lot of technique inherent in the action. A ‘deep breath’ could have vastly different results depending on whether you start at the base of the lungs, sucking air into the belly, or if instead you simply lift the shoulders and ‘gasp’ the air in. These are the distinctions where I hope to add value. When JK Rowling contracted Covid-19 in April, she employed a technique described by physician Sarfaraz Munshi from Queen Hospital UK that is aimed at maintaining lung function and preventing secondary pneumonia during the illness.1 The Youtube video of his description is here, and the sequence he advises can be summarised as follows: 1. Sit with a straight spine and feet flat on the floor (I add this instruction, since deep breathing while standing risks fainting).2. Breathe in deeply, hold for 5 seconds and exhale – repeat 5 times.3. Breathe in and do a big cough from the base of the lungs (covering your mouth) 4. Repeat Steps 2 & 3.5. Lie flat on your front with a pillow in front of you, taking fairly deep breaths for 10 minutes. This sequence is taught by respiratory physiotherapists also, where it sometimes goes by the name of ‘Active Cycle of Breathing Technique.’ It is important to remember it's a therapeutic treatment, not preventative: there is no reason to expect that it will help to protect against infection with the virus in the first place. The deep breaths help to ventilate alveoli and remove debris that has accumulated on the walls of the alveoli due to damage from the virus. This debris is what blocks oxygen from being absorbed into the blood, which can lead to a condition called ARDS. Lying on your stomach benefits aperture of the smaller airways: since these are distributed closer to your spine if you are lying on your back the weight of your torso will impede them from opening fully. Here is where I will add some extra directions/descriptions to ensure the exercise is as efficient and targeted as possible.   STEP 0 - Motivation   Many reports from Covid patients describe how it completely cripples energy levels. Even sitting up can be an ordeal, and the idea of committing to an exercise like this might require more motivation than what is in the tank. If that’s the case, then don’t commit to it to begin with. Just tell yourself you’re going to change position (which is recommended by pulmonologists to help prevent pneumonia) and come into a seated position. Once you’re there, the idea of one full breath might be feasible. Then see if you can complete just one round of steps 2 & 3. If that’s your limit go straight to Step 5, otherwise stick with it for another round. This way we only commit to doing something easy, that we know we can manage.   STEP 1 - SITTING   Support behind the spine is fine, as long as the spine is kept straight. What you want to avoid is being hunched, as you would be if you’re sitting up in bed leaning back against the headboard, or seated in a soft couch. Instead, try sitting in a chair or on the edge of the bed, with your feet on the ground in both cases. This allows you to access the full range of movement of your breathing muscles, and gives your torso space for your lungs to fully inflate.   STEP 2 - DEEP BREATHS   This is the key part of the exercise. The aim is to maximally inflate the alveoli (air sacs in your lungs, similar to how a sponge has tiny air chambers). In order to do this, we need to ensure that we are ventilating the entire volume of the lungs. Most of that volume is in the base of the lungs (they’re shaped like pyramids), and we actually have to think about breathing ‘into our belly’ in order to inflate this part. This activates the diaphragm muscle: a plate-like muscle that sits flat in your torso and separates the lungs and heart above from the digestive organs below. It works like a plunger, so that when it contracts and moves downwards then it pulls air into the lungs above it. The effect is also to push the stomach down and out, so it looks like the belly itself is inflating. This ‘diaphragmatic’ breath is the most efficient way of breathing, and it is how you should start the deep breaths. Visualise the air being sucked deep into the base of your torso. If you have one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest then your lower hand should move outwards as the stomach ‘inflates’, while the upper hand stays still during this phase. During the second phase you will breathe into the chest. This uses the intercostal muscles to expand the ribcage, and is how we breathe when we ‘gasp’. You will feel outwards movement in your upper hand, and also expansion as the ribs separate away from each other. It is important in this, and all phases of deep breathing, to stop if you ever experience sharp pain. It’s also important to try and maintain relaxation in all muscles that aren’t involved in the breath - check that your head, neck, arms and hands are all completely relaxed. Contraction there can inhibit your ability to breathe deeply. In the final phase of the inhale you will breathe into the upper ‘clavicular’ zone of the chest. Raise the shoulders and chin slightly and continue inhaling until you reach your limit. This phase has a lot less airflow than the previous two phases, and can be removed from the sequence if you’re already experiencing any discomfort or pain.   So Step 2 is actually: 2.1 Breathe powerfully into the belly, using the diaphragm2.2 Breathe into the torso by expanding the ribcage2.3 Elevate the shoulders to allow your breath to fill the upper part of the torso Again, stop at any point if you experience sharp pain or dizziness.Also, breathe through the nose to avoid irritating a dry cough, as the nose warms and moistens the air you take in.   Watch William demonstrate here and try to follow along.   STEP 3 - INHALE AND COUGH   The deep inhale should be the same as those in step 2. When you cough, in order to activate the base of the lungs, focus on squeezing your abdominal wall as you cough - this will make it more powerful and explosive, which should help to expel debris accumulating inside the lungs.   STEP 4 - REPEAT   Again, only if you feel comfortable. Also, give yourself a break between the two cycles. During the break you can relax and breathe normally (shallow).   STEP 5 - LIE FLAT 10 MINS   While lying on your front, the breathing doesn’t need to be as deep as it is in Step 2. You might want to concentrate on just the first phase of the breath - the diaphragmatic inhale - in order to ensure the air arrives at the base of the lungs. If you’re breathing in this way you should feel your belly swell underneath you, pushing down against the floor. There is no recommendation on exactly how many times to repeat this exercise in a day, but there should not be any disadvantage to performing it several times or as much as you are comfortable with. Also, even if you are reading this and not sick, it may be a wise move to perform it once just in case, so that your body has a kind of ‘benchmark’ for how it should feel when you’re well. That way, if the worst comes to the worst and you do contract the virus then you won’t have to learn the technique while sick, and you will be able to get an idea of the condition of your lungs from how it compares to when you were well. As always with any infection, keep hydrated, monitor your symptoms and report them to a doctor – don’t try to self-manage with these breathing exercises alone.   Lead images: Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash © Alex St Jean References https://www.huffpost.com/entry/deep-breathing-coronavirus-patients-symptoms_l_5ea1e2f0c5b6d13e4f73c856 2. lung pathologist Sanjay Mukhopadhyay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPtH42Lnt_Y3. Ema Swingwood, chair of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2241191-can-breathing-exercises-really-help-protect-you-from-covid-19/#ixzz6Linrrk4H

  They travel the world playing at festivals and parties that go until the sun rises. They return home to Ibiza and party some more at their own venues, including the famous Café Mambo Ibiza. But don’t be fooled, Mambo Brothers Christian and Alan Anadon prize health and fitness as much as an epic night out partying. They have been living and breathing electronic music since they were kids. EDM aristocrats, their parents were founders of the legendary Café Mambo Ibiza where some of the world’s biggest name DJs have come to play. Only boys, they watched and learned, fell in love with music and the ability of DJs to send a crowd wild. Now they run the cafe, play at events across the globe, and produce their own music. In a new partnership with Suunto, the Mambo Brothers put together three playlists for Suunto users to enjoy on their next workout. The first playlist is ideal for recovery and chilling. The second playlist offers more get up and go. And the third playlist consists of tracks suited to an intense workout. We caught up with two brothers and asked them about sports, fitness and the DJ lifestyle – read on below.         With a view like that we can see why Christian likes to work out at home. © Mambo Brothers Play your own favorite tunes from your wrist With the Suunto 7 smartwatch you can connect your headphones to your phone and control music and other audio – adjust volume, pause and skip tracks – straight from your wrist without taking your phone out of your pocket. You can also listen to music without your phone: Spotify has just released an update to their Wear OS app that enables offline use. Simply connect your bluetooth headphones with your watch and download the tracks that you want to take with you! With this new feature, Spotify Premium users will be able to download their favorite albums, playlists, and podcasts to listen offline. Free users will be able to stream their tunes in Shuffle Mode using a WiFi or cellular connection, as well as download any of their favorite podcasts directly to the watch.   LEARN HOW TO USE SPOTIFY WITH YOUR SUUNTO 7   Running, the gym, hiking, dancing all night – what’s your sport? As kids, we really enjoyed playing basketball on the weekends, but all that kind of thing got lost when we discovered the world’s best night clubs on Ibiza! Nowadays, we mostly go to the gym and work out there. We do 30 to 45 min runs on the treadmill and keep our heart rate over 140 to burn all that excess good life we have! Then we do compound exercises like deadlifts, squats with dumbbells, lumberjacks etc. Doing this helps us burn fat much faster. Any outdoor adventure sports? Sometimes we enjoy a good hike somewhere on the island, or while we are on tour we find a good track to walk. We also do a lot of deep sea diving. We love diving as it’s a gentle sport, and you have to be concentrated on your breathing and what you see in the water so it’s a very relaxing and a kind of therapy for us. It helps us to chill out. Being a DJ is a nocturnal life right? How do you stay balanced and in shape? For us it’s really difficult to find a routine because it’s so easily broken with all the travelling, playing at festivals, nightclubs, working at our venues in Ibiza. We have tried working with a personal trainer, which works very well during winter months, but when the night clubs in Ibiza open, and the summer tours start again, it’s a drastic change for us. We difficult to keep appointments because we never know what time we are going to call it a night. So this makes maintaining a routine difficult. It’s important for us to do some form of sport every day to get the positive vibes that exercise brings!   Alan overlooks Ibiza, an island famous for its electronic music. © Mambo Brothers Has the DJ scene got healthier these days or is it still pretty wild? It has got healthier for sure, and DJs are more conscious about wellbeing and feeling good in general. We are all very happy about that, but we are still playing with fire every night and try not to cross the line and break routines and good habits. For us, it’s very important to maintain good habits like training most days, plus sometimes adding a hike, a swim in the ocean, and eating healthy food! Keeping a balance and feeling fit is essential to handle our busy schedule. What do you love about producing music and DJing at dance parties? We love being DJs because it’s very social and we love making friends around the world that eventually visit us at Cafe Mambo during the summer. It makes us very happy being able to return their hospitality and have a few shots of good tequila with them! We have an amazing job; you get to travel, meet people, eat at great restaurants and of course dance! Producing our music is great – we get a buzz when a studio session goes well and we get a good track that you can play at a gig and see the crowd’s reaction. You can see how the track works and whether we are getting it right or if it needs some changes next time we’re in the studio! We feel blessed to be able to travel the world doing what we love most! Tell me about your playlists and why you chose these tracks? All the music has been tested on the treadmill and it works! We have never ran so much and enjoyed it so much! We have made a selection of classics, music that we love, and records that really motivate us! We hope you like it and enjoy as much as we do!   Lead image: Photo by Sebastian Coman Travel on Unsplash   Read more articles The benefits of training to music and making your best playlist 4 indoor training tips for endurance athletes How to adapt your training when the unexpected strikes 7 indoor training exercises to stay in shape

Tell us a bit about your dive history. I was a free diver and still am a free diver. I was lucky enough to meet the legendary Umberto Pelizzari, and not long after joined his entourage for trainings, travels and world records. I began to free dive professionally myself in the early 2000s, and my career took me to underwater all over the world. But in 2005 tragedy struck when my best friend died during a dive. What happened next? After that, I stepped back from competitive diving and began to work more as a trainer and safety diver. I continued my studies in the medical field, and then eventually I began to put my medical competence to use as a free diver. Tell us more. I work very specifically with breathing and breathing technique, with the goals of improving performance and reducing recovery times. Essentially, we’re helping athletes increase their oxygen supply, and teaching their muscles to work better without oxygen. We work specifically with the diaphragm to have more oxygen. Then next is to be master of your breath. To be more conscious about have more air. Mike Maric working with Trek Segafredo pro cycling team (©Trek-Segafredo) To be more conscious? That sounds like a mind game… Absolutely. Science shows us it’s not physical, but mental – apnea technique is really important, but we also know mental is really important! My students really learn how to improve the mental conditions and discover new limits inside of themselves! And now your work includes lots of people who don’t dive and don’t intend to. Everyone in the world can benefit from better breathing techniques! Over the last few years I’ve been working with many athletes from different disciplines – beginning with triathletes, but now including martial arts masters, fencers, and more. I’ve even helped an oncologist who uses the techniques with his cancer patients. How do you help a world champion in fencing? The first goal in fencing or karate is to relax before the performance – reduce the stress and lower the heartbeat. The second is to reduce the recovery time. In fencing, for instance, world Paolo Pizzo is going full-speed for 30 seconds, then rest. During that rest time he moves his shoulders, breathes in a specific way, and recovers very quickly. The first time he did that, a lot of people wondered what he was doing – but it works. How do you use your Suunto? The Spartan is an extremely important tool for me – I use it to see breath frequency and heart rate. Medically educated forensic scientist Mike Maric has taken what he’s learned from free diving and applied it to a multitude of other sports. How can you help amateur athletes? There are for sure some simple exercises to be conscious about your breathing. When I ask people ‘how do you breath?’ they don’t know! They know about shoes and running, they know about eating, they know about supplements! But they don’t know how they breath! We need to breath not with the chest, but with the diaphragm! But you need to practice continuously – the basics, about eight minutes each day. That’s enough time to improve over six weeks – although it’s different for each athlete. No yoga. Ha! I don’t do yoga. I back up medically sound advice with scientific evidence. Better breathing can improve your mental condition, increase performance, and decrease stress. That’s science! For more info on Mike Maric's work visit mikemaric.com

Over the course of 2021 we’ve had the pleasure of being involved with some excellent adventure films. Now the holiday season is upon us, we decided to curate our favorite short films for you so when you have some downtime soon you can kick back and watch them. Scroll down for our seven favorites! From Rails to Trails Just watching this will make you shiver. Our very own bike lover Antti Laiho and his buddies Timo Veijalainen and Erkki Punttila went on an overnight bikepacking tour in the Finnish Lapland in the middle of winter. The landscapes look like something from a fairytale. Truly magical. Rails to Trails from Kona Bikes on Vimeo. Peak creators Since forever there’s been a connection between creativity and the great outdoors. In this series of films we talk to an artist, a photographer, an architect and a trail builder about their creative process and how the outdoors inspires them. Canary in the coalmine Decorated technical diver, explorer and filmmaker Jill Heinerth explores the veins of the Earth. She sees close up how the impacts of humanity are affecting our planet so considers herself a canary in the coalmine. How fast can Kilian run a vertical k? This film shows just how much the Kilian pushes himself during his lightning fast ascents. He might be the GOAT mountain athlete, but that doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park for him. Watch him attempt to break the fastest vertical k record and push his lungs to their limit. Immersed Swedish slopestyle mountain biker Emil Johansson won the 2021 world championship and is now the most successive slopestyle rider in history. But it very nearly wasn’t to be. A mysterious autoimmune disease came close to derailing his dreams. This film is about his journey. Finding myself Suunto ambassador Sami Sauri fell in love with cycling as a teen and says it gave her a new purpose in life. Since then she has done epic bikepacking tours across the US, and elsewhere. When she’s not riding, she might be out surfing or trail running. Arctic Lines season two Finnish freerider Antti Autti has embarked on the second season of his Arctic Lines project, the goal of which is to ride 30 lines above the Arctic Circle. He and his team document each trip and release a film about the experience. Watch as they face brutal cold, the polar night and their physical limits in the pursuit of sweet, sweet rides. Lead images by Jaakko Posti Photography

South African ultra runner Ryan Sandes was right on the money when asked about races being cancelled in 2020: “Sure, it’s a little disappointing,” he said. “But at the end of the day it’s just a race. I’ve still got my health, I’ve still got my family. When you look at it more holistically like that it gives you peace of mind and you become a better athlete, a better human, you’re more relaxed. For running ultras you need this, you need to be calm and in a good headspace.” Whatever your sport, having a positive, calm headspace is optimal. It hasn’t always been easy maintaining that this year. But the reverse is also true; training, pursuing the sports we love, helped to keep us on an even keel. Each reinforces the other. The data we’ve collected and crunched from 2020 user activity shows staying active, finding ways to train, and even taking the opportunity to rest more, have been key in helping us ride out this crazy year. We’ve found ways to keep ourselves pumped. Let us walk you through the data.   Spain on top The first wave of COVID-19 hit Spain hard. The lockdowns were strict, sudden and shocking. But that didn’t stop Spaniards from continuing to train and find ways to challenge themselves. Our data shows Suunto’s users in Spain clocked the highest total minutes per user, averaging 5,965 minutes on average. Spanish Suunto athlete Joaquin Perez also looked out for community initiatives to help his community cope. Back in April he told us: “A good source of inspiration and motivation for the community are the multiple solidarity initiatives that exist, for example in Spain last Saturday there was an initiative to raise funds for COVID-19 research where more than 7,300 athletes ran in their homes and raised almost €83,000,” he says. Click to read more about how Suunto athletes adapted to life in lockdown.   Go France! Respect to Suunto users in France for having the highest total ascent numbers! They also had the highest total meters for all workouts combined in both running and cycling. And, just like in 2019, the French had the highest "adventure running ratio": our French community ran 15 times more on the trails than on the treadmill!   We stayed upbeat Even with tough times the average mood our users selected after each workout was "very good". This is slightly higher than the year before in spring 2019. By the time autumn arrived in the northern hemisphere it was about the same as 2019. Check out our article about making your best workout playlist ever, and give your mood a boost on your next workout!   The most active countries were … Take your hats off to Finland, South Africa, Sweden, Russian and Poland for having the most active Suunto users. It’s interesting South Africa is the only country in the southern hemisphere to make the list. It also went into lockdown early.   These places caught more Zs Finland, New Zealand, Netherlands, Estonia, Belgium came out on tops for getting the most sleep. Respect to Finland for having the most active users and also the users that got the most sleep. The Finns were also the only ones sleeping more than seven hours a night on average. Impressive! Learn how sleep can make you a better athlete!   You sport freaks mix it up In 2020, the average number of different activity types per user was 4,2. This means an average Suunto user enjoys more than four different sports, with running the most popular. On average, our users tracked 66.5 total workouts of any given type during 2020. Click for 12 ways to change up your training over winter   Walking booms When things get tough, conventional wisdom says to take a nice, long walk. Somehow Suunto users must have got the memo because there was a massive 70% increase in that activity among our users. What does this tell us? It could be that because so many of us were doing home office we found more time to take walks. Maybe with family at home, too, we took more walks together. Whatever the reasons, it can only be a good thing. Read our articles on walking: How to walk your way to good health How to improve your walking technique How to walk mindfully and its benefits   Other increases Hiking amongst our users also had a big increase, by 37%. Mountain biking increased by nearly 20%. Unsurprisingly, there was a big increase in indoor cycling.   Swimming drops off With pools closed, swimming dropped off with our users. Even with vaccinations available, this trend will probably continue into 2021. Our solution? We recommend you triathletes and swimmers pivot to open and cold water swimming. Read our articles on how to do them safely. 10 reasons to enjoy open water swimming with Suunto What you need to know about cold water swimming   Diving booms! Put your fins together for the divers! Landlocked lockdowns didn’t stop our community of explorers from venturing underwater with an average of 15.5 m depth for divers and 6 m for freedivers. In a year of backyard adventures when divers explored what treasures their local sites have to offer, August was the busiest month on record.   Lead image: © Philipp Reiter     Read more articles 10 must-read Suunto articles from 2020 7 tips for running in the rain 14 tips for backcountry skiing this winter

Race to the Summit Two years ago, Dani Arnold completed the biggest project of his life: climbing the six large Alpine north faces – alone and in record time. The project occupied, accompanied and shaped him over a period of 10 years. Now the Netflix is devoting a 90-minute report to three of these climbs. Race to the Summit features the dizzying feats of Dani Arnold and the late Ueli Steck, two great Swiss alpinists and long-time Suunto ambassadors. Experienced mountaineers need a day or more to climb the infamous north faces of the Eiger or Matterhorn. But Dani and Ueli climbed them alone in less than three hours. The duel thrilled the climbing world and electrified the media. Watch the trailer above and the full film on Netflix.   Lost Then Found TDS winning athlete Christian Meier shares his inspiring story in Lost Then Found. Christian started his athletic career as a cyclist and has since made a transition from the pro peloton to the top of ultra-running. ”Life is a constant evolution of who you are as a person and Lost Then Found marks an important turning point in my life not only as an athlete but as an individual. From losing cycling to finding trail running this is a story of self-discovery and I am happy to be able to share that journey,” says Christian.   Arctic Lines – Sunny Car Center In the Arctic Lines video series, backcountry snowboarder Antti Autti explores the vast wilderness of northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The series is now in its third season, and in the latest episode, 'Sunny Car Center,' Antti seeks—and finds—a new special zone in Northern Norway. ”Exploring expands your horizons and finding new locations is one of the most important aspects of freeriding,” says Antti.   Balkan Express Ski mountaineers Jochen Mesle and Max Kroneck rode 2500 km from Greece to Germany – and stopped to ski along the way. Balkan Express, their film about the adventure, has won acclaim at international film festivals. “We really wanted to experience some mountains, cultures, people we didn't know. We looked at a map of Europe and saw that the Balkans are pretty interesting. The sport side wasn’t the main focus of the project. It was about getting to know the culture and people,” says Max.   Nomadland – Bikepacking in Mongolia Alba Xandri and Erreka Calmet found beautiful landscapes, friendly people and an epic adventure while bikepacking in in the Mongolian grasslands – and made a film about it. ”Mongolia far exceeded our expectations. It is a backcountry bikepacker’s paradise,” says Alba.   Ride to Ski – Bikepacking adventure through the Dolomites Lack of snow forced Henna Palosaari to think outside the box and led her to invite two of her friends, Sami Sauri and Malva Björkman, on a bike & ski adventure. The 9-day journey that combined two of her favorite sports, turned out to be a beautiful mix of sweat, laughs, ice, snow, and friendship.  ”It wasn’t a pure sufferfest,” Henna laughs.   Max Ammer, Raja Ampat and the richest reefs in the world This is an oldie but goldie: Max Ammer, founder of Papua Diving and two Eco Resorts, Sorido Bay and Kri Eco Resort, shows us why these incredible projects are more than just places to stay, dive and enjoy the unique ecosystems. Over the past 30 years, a remarkable conservation project has unfolded. The local team, with unwavering dedication, has prioritized the protection of the flourishing ecosystem. This strategic focus has proven to be wise, as the tangible outcomes of their hard work, long-term planning, and precise execution are evident in the thriving fish and coral counts. This stands as a rare case where the reefs are experiencing unprecedented richness – and gives hope for other areas as well.   Lead image by Richard Bucher / Ride to Ski

Eating well is essential for athletes. The bigger your goal, the more nutrition has to play a central part of your training plan. Take shortcuts on how you eat, and you’ll eventually pay for it. But the topic of diet, what we should and shouldn’t eat, has become touchy and confusing. There are all sorts of diets out there – paleolithic, vegan, gluten-free, low carb, high carb – each one with advocates claiming their way is the one true way. Matias Anthoni prefers a common sense approach to nutrition. “Nowadays it’s become a big topic, and everyone has his or her own opinion, and it seems hard to find the real truth,” says Matias Anthoni, Suunto’s in-house personal trainer. “It’s become trendy to follow a kind of diet.” Anthoni, 26, has a Bachelor in Sports and Health Promotion, and gives nutritional advice to Suunto employees, as well as personal fitness training. He takes a simple, “nonsectarian” approach to nutrition, rather than buying into the hype of one diet over another. “As long as you get the nutrients it doesn’t really matter what diet you follow,” he says. “You can teach your body to thrive on different diets. The body is quite adaptable. But we do need certain basics. The question I always ask is, would my grandma recognize it as food?” Here are Anthoni’s five down-to-earth tips for good nutrition: 1. Start with your meal rhythm This is the first topic Anthoni’s raises with his clients during a consultation. Just improving how often you eat can improve what you eat. Many of his clients skip meals or have long breaks between meals; this results in blood sugar levels dropping, then tiredness, and then cravings and impulses for unhealthy snacks.“With a more steady meal rhythm you avoid big spikes in the blood levels, make better decisions, and are less likely to just reach for a chocolate bar,” he says. Meals should be about three hours apart, and consist of a good breakfast, lunch and dinner, with smaller, healthy snacks in between. “It leads to healthier choices and you’ll have more energy,” Anthoni says. 2. Plan ahead “You can’t be a top athlete if you are eating poorly; it’s not just about training, it’s about eating as well,” Anthoni says. “It really helps if you plan your meals like you plan your training. Know what you are going to buy and know what you are going to make. When you come home from work, or after a training session, it’s all ready to go.” 3. Follow the Nordic plate model Anthoni says in Finland there’s a traditional “plate model” or a way to divide your plate into three sections: one half should be salad and vegetables, one quarter should be carbohydrates, and one quarter protein. This balanced plate ensures you will get enough of all the key nutrients. 4. Eat quality food Quality can seem like a vague notion, so Anthoni recommends a common sense approach here, too. “Have a look at your plate – are there all the colours – red, green, yellow?” he asks. “Are you eating the same thing every day?” Anthoni suggests finding and following basic nutrition guidelines. “They provide a good start, and then make small changes to fit yourself from there,” he says. 5. There’s no one size fits all diet Deciding what to eat depends on your goals. “The more you move the more you need,” Anthoni says. “If your goal is building muscle mass, then you need more protein. If you are an endurance athlete, eating enough carbohydrates becomes more important. There is no one size fits all, no one plan can fit everyone. You need to have your own plan.” Lead image: Photo by Roosa Kulju on Unsplash. READ MORE Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with ultra runner Lucy Bartholomew Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with triathlete Mel Hauschildt

Suunto is proud to work with many amazing athletes and adventurers from all over the world, including our global ambassadors. We caught up with some of them to ask about the highlights of 2015 and what’s happening for them in 2016. Speed alpinist Ueli Steck – the Swiss Machine Highlights: Retaking the speed record for climbing Eiger was one of Ueli’s most satisying moments in 2015. Climbing all 82 of the 4000 m mountains in the Alps in a couple of months was also a great and liberating experience for him. His goals for 2016: To climb a new route on 8027 m Shishapangma’s south face, to take on some ultra distance trail races over summer, to keep moving physically and to continue developing his skill set as an alpinist.In one word, Ueli feels: “Great!” © Ueli Steck Mountain athlete Kilian Jornet Highlight: Enjoying everyday, achieving great results and staying versatile in all distances and disciplines is what Kilian is most pleased with in 2015. His goals for 2016: First, it’s the ski mountaineering world cup. Then, the big project is attempting a world record speed ascent on Everest over summer as part of his Summits Of My Life project and, finally, some trail races. “To wake up, see a mountain every single day and go for it!” he says is his main motivation for 2016. In one word, Kilian is feeling: “Excited!” © Kilian Jornet Underwater explorer Jill Heinerth Highlight: Being a TED presenter at the annual TED Youth broadcast in New York City was one of Jill’s proudest moments in 2015. Her talk reached more than 100,000 young people worldwide. Her goals for 2016: To slow down a little and enjoy her second passion in life – cycling. Aside from riding trails in Ontario, Jill and her husband hope to make cycle trip across the US, from Florida to their home in Canada. Jill is also returning to Newfoundland to explore a flooded iron ore mine and also WW2 shipwrecks. One word, Jill is feeling: “Excited!” Triathlete Åsa Lundstrom Highlight: Receiving emails from fans telling her that she has been an inspiration to them is one of Asa’s most rewarding experiences in 2015. Her goals for 2016: To place in the top 10 of women at the Ironman World Championships 2016, plus smaller goals for each discipline, and to be on the podium at every race she competes in. In one word, Asa is feeling: “Fortunate.” © Orca Backcountry skier Greg Hill Highlight: For Greg, 2015 has been a year of rehabilitation after a serious injury in 2014. He turned 40 this year and is proud of where he’s at in life. “To be happily married, with two great kids, a cosy house and a reputation for being a solid mountain adventurer – it's all I could I'd ever ask for,” he says.His 2016 goals: To get as strong as he has ever been, some big 40,000 ft (12200 m) days in the mountains to celebrate his 40th, and speed traversing his local mountain range. The 200 km plus traverse normally requires two 10 day trips, but Greg aims to do it in two to three days. In one word, Greg is feeling: “Energized." Mountain athlete Emelie Forsberg Highlights: The fact that she still loves running, skiing and mountaineering as much as she does after years of it being her "work" is something Emelie is really happy about. Her four skyrunning victories and setting a new record at the Mount Marathon Race in Alaska were also satisfying achievements. Her goals for 2016: To become a faster and more all-round runner.In two words, Emelie is feeling: “Super excited!” © Selu Vega-Transvulcania MAIN IMAGE: © Jordi Saragossa

What is the best way to recover after a race, adventure or just a hard effort on your own? We asked our ambassadors how they do it. From eating pancakes to paragliding, from secret smoothie recipes to stretching, their answers will help you get back on form more quickly. KILIAN JORNET Stay fresh by doing other sports I like to do some mountaineering activities to feel different feelings than just running. I ran less than 200 km in the build up to Hardrock because I was climbing instead. I was keeping myself fit through mountaineering so when I came to the race I was mentally fresh and physically prepared. Kilian stretches ©jordo canamerasAvoid over-trainingIf you focus too hard on one thing for too long you can get tired of it. You see people who are doing a lot of long races and who keep this up for one or two years and then, boom, they’re down and injured. It’s important to never do too many long races every year because after one, two or three years it can be really hard to recover. For me, 200 or 300 miles a year is the limit. Kilian Jornet is a multiple record breaking trail runner, endurance athlete and world champion ski mountaineer. EMELIE FORSBERG Rest! Normally I rest the day after or if it is an ultra at least. If I do a 2-4 hour race I normally go for a small run just to get the circulation going. I also like to treat myself after a race, like foot bath, compex [electrostimulation] take time for yoga, things that are easy and good for the body. Then my mind feels recovered and is soon ready for another hard training week or racing. I think the mind is very important for recovering. Emelie likes to practise yoga and eat pancakes. ©Emelie Forsberg Eat pancakesAfter an ultra, where you empty your body quite a lot and also eat chocolate or gels, I like to eat fresh and healthy, at least the first and second day. But pancakes is a standard the morning after, and yes I think pancakes can be pretty healthy..! Specially if I make banana pancakes :) Emelie Forsberg is a European and world Skyrunning champion CONRAD STOLTZ Forget ice baths I don’t go in for compression or ice baths. I used to jump in a cold rivers after training but I'm over it! Compression socks don’t fit well and science hasn’t really proven that ice baths work. Old school fan: Conrad Stoltz doesn't go in for ice baths or compression. ©zooom.at/markus berger Refuel properlyBut there are things that are proven to make a difference, fueling and rehydrating properly. Within the first half an hour of training you need to have so many grams of carbs and so much protein to start the recovery. [Advice varies but many sports nutritionists recommend following the for 3:1 carbs to protein ratio.] Conrad Stoltz is a four-time XTERRA World Champion triathlete ÅSA LUNDSTRÖM Easy rideGo on a very easy bike ride. It helps the circulation going and speeds up the recovery. If the weather is bad or biking is too much trouble (mentally), I sometimes go for an easy walk or stroll. © Åsa LundströmMassage In big blocks of training, a massage every now and then is very good for recovery, muscle relaxation and preventing injury. It can also be considered a treat for your body after some hard work and helping you relax. I get the massage after a big day of training, as the thing of the day. UELI STECK ElectrostimulationI use compex electrostimulstion and try to stretch a lot. Rest days are also good. I just had a rest day so I ran easy the vertical km up to Brevant in Chamonix. I had a drink with a friend then went paragliding. Ueli Steck during his mission to climb all 82, 4000 m mountains. ©PatitucciPhotoWarm down after exercise I move between 7 and 14 h per day. You start easy the first 30 min and you end the same way. So you have your warm-up and cool down. If possible I try to get my feet in a cold stream. MATTHIAS SCHERER Respect your body I really have to say that in the adventure world at the moment recovery and nutrition is not taken seriously. People are strange about hydration. They wear a Suunto Ambit, have the best equipment and then they drink snow water and don’t take things like this seriously! Take electrolyte capsules with minerals to rehydrate properly. Matthias front lifting weights. ©Tanja SchmittAvoid processed foodsTry to go as long as you can on normal food and then you can start to eat energy bars etc. People push the limits of eating concentrated food which can cause stomach problems. Eat a peanut butter sandwich. Bring it down slowlyFor recovery it’s important not to stop right away after an ice climbing season. I used to become ill in April when I stopped. Now I continue with skiing and in June and July I keep going to the mountains. I've found cycling helps me to mentally digest everything I've done over the winter. In a week I try to do at least 20 hours on the bike. I work on my films. That's my way of recovery. Matthias Scherer is a professional ice climber GREG HILL Smooth operatorAs a ritual I always have a smoothie after my sporting activities. As quick as I can I am at my blender mixing in my ingredients. Bananas, blueberries, protein mix, raw cacao, milk. That is the base for the majority of my shakes, each food is strong in its own way, combining for a strength building, body recovery, tasty beverage. Greg making a smoothie at home ©zooom.at/Markus Berger Cross TrainingAnother bit about an ageing body is balance. If over the course of your life you have created imbalances, they become more problematic in later years. To counter act I have been going to the gym to create an overall body fitness not just one designed for peddling a bike or skinning up mountains. Back problems, IT-band issues, all come from unbalance, so cross training is key. Take some time outAlso to truly have days off. Not partial days off. But couch surfing, suntanning, doing nothing days. You can get away with just one but at least every two weeks to take 2-3 days completely off. This truly helps my body as well as my mind. I come back and feel so much better than if I had pushed through on that extra day of exercise. Greg Hill is a pro skier. In March 2014 he skied 100,000m in a month WILLIAM TRUBRIDGE Sleep and eat right “Recovery is as equally important as training. In freediving when you hold your breath it generates a huge amount of carbon dioxide which makes your body very acidic and means all those free radicals cruising around doing damage. Being able to target that with diet that's very rich in antioxidants and making sure you're sleeping right is important.” Drink this: Will Trubridge's recovery smoothie My go-to recovery drink after deep training is a green smoothie, with the following ingredients: 1 frozen banana (makes the smoothie cold and creamy) 1 cup almond milk + water added to get the right consistency 2 tbsp Manitoba hemp protein (the best vegetal protein source) 1 tbsp cacao powder (great antioxidant qualities) 1 tbsp Hawaiian spirulina (nature's multivitamin, with many other superfood ingredients like chlorophyll, omega 3,6,9 fatty acids and more) 1 tsp beetroot extract powder (great for blood-building)Everything is blended together, and topped with a dusting of granulated bee pollen. Will Trubridge is a multiple record breaking freediver Still need tips on how to recover? Well go explore the recovery options available with the Ambit3

How to mix it up when you love too many outdoor sports Allround mountain sport athlete Anton Krupicka shares how he strikes a balance with the four sports he loves. ”Embracing a variety of mountain sports has made me a more well-rounded athlete. It’s also extended my running career - there’s no way that I could only run now and stay healthy enough to race and have it be sustainable. That’s the main benefit,” Anton says. Read more   Who’s having the most fun? Feeling is an excellent metric for recovery. If your feelings after exercise start to trend downwards, something is not right. You may be pushing too hard, not recovering well enough or might be getting sick. Consider taking a break or doing something different for a change. But in addition to helping you track your recovery, feeling data reveals more. Here are six interesting findings about Suunto community, based on the data from Suunto app database. Read more   5 reasons why endurance athletes should do high-intensity strength training To improve vertical speed and endurance, high-intensity resistance training should be an essential component of your training plan, says sports scientist, coach and athlete Susi Kraft. She is concerned many endurance athletes, whether trail runners, mountaineers or cyclists, believe they can skip the gym altogether or just do a little bodyweight training and that will suffice. “One of the most common myths in the endurance world is that athletes should avoid lifting heavy weights, as they don’t need that for endurance, or that it will cause them weight gain and may slow them down,” Susi says. “This is just a myth. Actually, HIRT will make you faster, stronger and less prone to injury.” Read more   Allyship in the outdoors: what is it and how to be a good ally for others? Strong allies make for safer, more welcoming outdoor spaces. In this article by Suunto athlete, ultra-runner and diversity champion Ryan Montgomery, he explains allyship and how we can all be good allies in the outdoors. “Not everyone feels welcome, nor safe, in the outdoors. Diverse communities – our queer, LGBT, people of color, and peers with disabilities – often experience limitations that prevent them from getting outdoors. Each of us plays a role in eliminating barriers to outdoor spaces for others; being an ally is what will make outdoor recreation safe and accessible for all people,” writes Ryan. Read more   15 tips for beginners to fall in love with snorkeling Dipping beneath the surface of the ocean opens up an incredible new world. It can expand our minds and bring us closer to our blue planet. With snorkeling, there’s no need for dive training or to carry heavy dive equipment. All you need is a good mask and snorkel, fins, a rash guard, reef-safe sunscreen, basic knowledge, and the new Suunto 9 Peak Pro so you can use the “snorkeling mode”. Read more   And there’s always something to learn! In addition to inspiring and insightful stories, several how to articles were frequently read. Check these out, for example. Living peak adventure – How to navigate with Suunto With a GPS watch from Suunto, a world of adventure is at your fingertips. Learn how to find, create and navigate routes that’ll keep you stoked. Read the five-part article series How to use Karoo 2 bike computer with Suunto Hammerhead Karoo 2 is a Suunto compatible cycling computer that brings advanced navigation features, Suunto heatmaps and intuitive software to your handlebars. But there’s more to it than that! Read more Suunto app goes big On a big screen device like an iPad or an Android tablet you can experience richer texture and detail while planning routes and analyzing your training data. Learn more Track your human powered commutes with Suunto Living a more sustainable life starts with small, everyday choices. And, when done often enough and by enough people, these small changes will add up and start to have an impact. To support you in this, we have added the ability to track your human-powered commutes with Suunto app. Learn more Plan your interval workouts with Suunto app Build a workout in Suunto app and let your watch guide you through your session! This is especially useful with complex sessions, like intervals. Use Suunto app to build the workout step by step from warm-up to cool-down. Learn more

Adventures take us to new experiences and out of the everyday. Kilian Jornet says that exploring is human; Greg Hill that adventure is a mindset. Watch the Suunto Adventure video and hear what Kilian Jornet, Greg Hill, Jill Heinerth and Conrad Stoltz think of adventure. Top image: © Bruno Long