When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. <a href="https://www.insider-inc.com/commerce-on-insider-inc/">Learn more.</a><a href="https://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGR0hFR0JGSEhLR01CRk5ITUZI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.altrarunning.com%2Fshop%2Fmens-shoes-road%2Fkayenta-alm1923g%3FvariationId%3D280%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI1KO2_eH05QIVyJyzCh1OVABBEAAYAiAAEgL_tPD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds&amp;sid=biipf_111919_altra-footwear-kayenta-reviewview" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"></a><ul class="summary-list"><li>Altra <keyword id="32311" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="running">Running</keyword>'s shoes feature a wider footbed that better accommodates the shape of your foot, along with a zero-drop design, meaning there's no height difference between the heel and the toe.</li><li>The brand's <a href="https://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGR0hFR0JGSEhLR01CRk5ITUZI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.altrarunning.com%2Fshop%2Fmens-shoes-road%2Fkayenta-alm1923g%3FvariationId%3D280%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI1KO2_eH05QIVyJyzCh1OVABBEAAYAiAAEgL_tPD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds&amp;sid=biipf_111919_altra-footwear-kayenta-reviewview" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kayenta running shoes</a> convinced me to get back into running by showing me it doesn't always have to be a painful experience. </li><li>The shoes fit well on my narrower foot and have remained comfortable after over six months of use — and I'm still running pain-free.</li><li>Their lightweight design makes them an appropriate road running or treadmill shoe, though I'd recommend avoiding trails in these, if possible. </li></ul><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5dd415c93afd3755c35e6b7d&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe>The last time I considered myself a runner was in high school many years ago. Though I do still <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-home-gym" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lift weights</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-jump-rope" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skip rope</a> for cardio these days, running's been a non-existent part of my workout routine since I was a teenager. Then I tried on a pair of <a href="https://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGR0hFR0JGSEhLR01CRk5ITUZI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.altrarunning.com%2Fshop%2Fmens-shoes-road%2Fkayenta-alm1923g%3FvariationId%3D280%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI1KO2_eH05QIVyJyzCh1OVABBEAAYAiAAEgL_tPD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds&amp;sid=biipf_111919_altra-footwear-kayenta-reviewview" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Altra Footwear's Kayenta</a> <keyword id="1614261" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Running-Shoes">running shoes</keyword>.From the moment I laced them on, I could tell there was something entirely different about how they felt on my feet. They were comfortable and lightweight and provided what felt like a proper fit on my narrower foot. During my first few runs, I realized my long-held disdain for jogging was less about physical exertion and more about the shoes I wore. Since those high school days, I've always associated running with unbearable foot, shin, and knee pain.<div type="image" title="Altra Kayenta 2" height="900" width="1200" msid="75681797" hostid="261"></div>Soon after those initial runs, I started regularly jogging. I've now been at it for more than six months, logging anywhere between 2 to 2.5 miles roughly three days a week.Aside from getting back into the exercise, the most impressive part is how I've felt no pain. Not in my feet, not in my shins, and, most importantly, not in my knees. The secret is the Kayenta shoe and, ultimately, Altra's unique running shoe design.<h2>The Altra difference</h2>Altra shoes are the creation of Golden Harper, <a href="https://goldenharper.net/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a champion long-distance runner</a> and exercise science graduate of Brigham Young University. Harper developed the idea for the shoes while working at his father's specialty running shoe shop based in Utah. "While doing slow-motion video analysis at my family's running store, we discovered that all our best selling shoes caused people to land harshly with poor form," Harper told Business Insider. "We when filmed them barefoot or in thin racing flats and noticed a huge difference. I then used my toaster oven to take the elevated heavy heel out of a shoe to create a runner with balanced cushioning and a foot-shaped toe box."Harper's design creates a cushioned zero-drop shoe, meaning there's no height difference between the heel and the toe. They also have a wider toe bed that doesn't squish your toes together like almost every other running shoe on the market.The point was to create a shoe that evenly distributes the weight between a runner's heel and toe. Not only does this create a more natural stride but it helps cut down on running-related injuries, as well. He and his business partners eventually launched Altra after other companies expressed little interest in their products. They entered the market in 2011 and won Runner's World's Best Debut Award in 2012. The brand continues to grow exponentially year-over-year.<h2>A funky design</h2>The first thing I noticed about the shoes is that they don't look like anything else available. While most taper at the foot, the <a href="https://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGR0hFR0JGSEhLR01CRk5ITUZI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.altrarunning.com%2Fshop%2Fmens-shoes-road%2Fkayenta-alm1923g%3FvariationId%3D280%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI1KO2_eH05QIVyJyzCh1OVABBEAAYAiAAEgL_tPD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds&amp;sid=biipf_111919_altra-footwear-kayenta-reviewview" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kayenta</a> features a more natural foot shape that's wider at the toe box than at the heel to allow your toes to spread out. This avoids smashing your toes against each other and truly makes for a more comfortable run.<div type="image" title="Altra Keyanta 1" height="3024" width="4032" msid="75681800" hostid="261"></div>They're also incredibly light, weighing in at roughly seven ounces. For comparison, an average running shoe weighs around <a href="https://thewiredrunner.com/how-much-do-running-shoes-weigh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9.5 ounces</a>. Altra achieves the lightweight by using an upper manufactured from quick-drying two-layer air mesh and Neoprene lining. It creates a snug feel on my foot but not in an uncomfortable way.The shoe also has a surprising amount of cushioning for its lack of weight. When you flip it over, the outsole features an interesting design that intends to "map the bones and tendons of your foot to help it bend and move naturally," according to Altra.This outsole only has rubber on the outer heel and the ball of the foot to help with abrasion resistance, responsiveness on the road, and to provide more traction. <h2>For the road only</h2>Thanks to its lightweight design, the Kayentas perform best as a road running shoe. Its responsive outsole provides the stability needed to run on pavement, while also improving balance when running up or downhill. These same qualities also allow them to work well on a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-treadmill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">treadmill</a>. I did also use them sparingly on a wooded trail but don't recommend doing so. These aren't specific for trail running, so I would often have to avoid larger rocks along the path. When I didn't, I could feel them jabbing into the bottom of my foot. Since I want to avoid pain while running and not add to it, this wasn't ideal. The Kayentas aren't waterproof either, so if you run in rainy conditions, plan to have wet feet.<h2>The bottom line</h2><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5dd415c93afd3755c35e6b7d&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><a href="https://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGR0hFR0JGSEhLR01CRk5ITUZI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.altrarunning.com%2Fshop%2Fmens-shoes-road%2Fkayenta-alm1923g%3FvariationId%3D280%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI1KO2_eH05QIVyJyzCh1OVABBEAAYAiAAEgL_tPD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds&amp;sid=biipf_111919_altra-footwear-kayenta-reviewview" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Altra's Kayenta</a> is a well-designed and lightweight shoe perfect for runners of any skill level. The brand's unique design allows for a more natural run style and lets me run pain-free for the first time in years. They're intended entirely for road running, though they do also work for those who enjoy running on a treadmill. The main complaint about the <a href="https://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGR0hFR0JGSEhLR01CRk5ITUZI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.altrarunning.com%2Fshop%2Fmens-shoes-road%2Fkayenta-alm1923g%3FvariationId%3D280%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI1KO2_eH05QIVyJyzCh1OVABBEAAYAiAAEgL_tPD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds&amp;sid=biipf_111919_altra-footwear-kayenta-reviewview" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kayenta</a> is how they're often narrower than other Altra shoes. I have slightly narrow feet and found them to fit me perfectly. I do recommend checking the sizing before purchasing your own pair. Though the toe box is wider than other running shoes, a wider foot may still feel uncomfortable in them. <ul><li>Should you buy it? If you like lightweight, road running shoes, then the Kayenta is worth it. Not all runners enjoy the zero-drop feel, though it does provide for a more natural run style. Runners with wider feet may want to look at other Altra options as the Kayenta seems to run narrower than others.</li><li>What are your alternatives? Altra's running shoes feature a unique design not seen in other running shoes. If the zero-drop design isn't your preference, check out a similar lightweight running shoe from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/puma-hybrid-running-shoes-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Puma called the Hybrid NX</a>. If you prefer more cushion, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hoka-one-one-carbon-x-running-shoe-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hoka One One Carbon X</a> running shoes offer a comfortable fit with more support. </li></ul>Pros: Lightweight, comfortable, great for road running, and feature Altra's unique wide toe box and zero-drop design for a more natural running styleCons: Narrower than other Altra styles and a non-waterproof design means wet feet if you run in the rain<iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5dd415c93afd3755c35e6b7d&amp;type=button" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/altra-footwear-kayenta-road-running-shoe-review">Business Insider</a>

The wider toe box of Altra's Kayenta running shoes did something I wasn't expecting — they let me enjoy pain-free running for the first time in years

<ul class="summary-list"><li>To run faster, you should incorporate speed workouts like tempo runs and fartleks. </li><li>You can also try weight training and hill runs to improve your speed. </li><li>Overall, to become a faster and stronger runner, it's important to stay consistent with your training schedule. </li><li>This article <a href="https://www.insider.com/insider-medical-review-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was medically reviewed</a> by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/joeythurmanfit/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joey Thurman</a>, CSCS, CPT, FNS, a Chicago-based <keyword id="18974" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="fitness">fitness</keyword> expert and <a href="https://www.myxfitness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MYX Fitness</a> coach.</li></ul>Achieving a faster pace can be a thrill for runners, and it also happens to be great for your overall <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword>. "We get stronger, faster, fitter, and leaner when we introduce a new stress, like speed training workouts, to our body," says <a href="https://www.instagram.com/coachcorkyruns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elizabeth Corkum</a>, a Road Runners Club of America certified <keyword id="32311" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="running">running</keyword> coach.Whether you're looking to increase your pace for race day or just seeking an extra boost for your workouts, here are seven tips on how to bump up your speed. <h2>1. Add tempo runs </h2>Tempo runs are 10 to 45 minute runs at a steady pace, according to Corkum. These workouts can help runners develop discipline by controlling their speed and help their bodies learn how to handle stress. These should be done at a controlled pace, meaning you should be able to maintain the same pace throughout your run. The first few minutes of the run should feel easy and you might even feel like you are holding back a bit. However, by the middle to end of the run you should start to feel uncomfortable. "At the end of your tempo run is when it will really start to feel like a speed workout," says Corkum.Tempo runs build strength and speed because they push you to reach your anaerobic threshold. Your <a href="https://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/h03-023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anaerobic threshold</a> is the point where your body produces lactic acid — a byproduct of working out. When lactic acid builds up in your muscles, it makes your legs feel heavy and the run becomes more difficult. So, the sooner you reach your anaerobic threshold, the sooner you'll burn out, and the harder it will be to finish — let alone run faster. That's where tempo runs come in, because they train you to run longer and faster before hitting that threshold. "Increasing this threshold by training smart allows you to run faster for longer periods of time before that feeling of fatigue or lactic acid takes over,"says <a href="https://www.instagram.com/runningthealley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Audrey Springer</a>, a Road Runners Club of America certified running coach. "An athlete could do this as a workout for a duration of 15 minutes and build all the way up to an hour or more depending on the race they are training for."Compared to sprints and hill runs, tempo runs are lower intensity, longer workouts. The pace for tempo runs will be faster than an easy run or jog, but still slower than a sprint like a 5k or 10k pace. One tool that Springer uses is <a href="https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jack Daniels' VDOT Running Calculator</a> to help her runners set a tempo run pace. Springer says there are three different types of tempo runs. <ol><li>Lactate threshold: This is where the athlete will run at a pace they could ideally hold for one hour. If the run is 30 minutes they should feel as if they are pushing hard but they could hold it for another 30 minutes if they were racing. </li><li>Marathon/half marathon pace: This type of tempo run should be run at the pace you plan to achieve on race day. This will be slower than the lactate threshold pace.</li><li>Progressive: This is also often referred to as negative split run. During this run you will <a href="https://runningmagazine.ca/sections/training/progression-runs-the-tempo-alternative/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gradually increase speed</a> so your last mile will be fastest. These types of runs are great for establishing a pace, building stamina, and developing mental toughness to help you finish your runs strong.</li></ol><h2>2. Start weight training</h2>Weight lifting, or <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-often-should-you-strength-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strength training</a>, can help you run faster, improve your form, and avoid injuries. <a href="https://uihc.org/health-topics/plyometrics-workout-runners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Body weight and plyometric movements</a> that are explosive, such as jumping squats or lunges, can be great for working on speed and power in sprints. "The explosive nature of these movements teaches muscles to contract at a faster and more efficient rate," says Corkum. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.livestrong.com/article/433284-how-to-mix-long-distance-running-with-weight-lifting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifting heavy weights</a> with barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells, can help distance runners maintain power, good form, and efficiency during longer runs such as a 10k or half marathon. However, if you are just starting to weight train, Springer recommends using just body weight at first — like with <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-use-resistance-bands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resistance bands</a> or <a href="https://www.insider.com/benefits-of-push-ups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">push-ups</a> — in order to perfect form and avoid injury. Many weight training movements can also build core muscles. "The core keeps your trunk stabilized, improves your posture and running form, and allows you to generate more power running faster while using less energy," says Springer.A 2017 <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40279-017-0835-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">review</a> published in the journal Sports Medicine found that adding strength training to a running routine 2 to 3 times a week had a strong, positive effect on running performance. Strength training improved performance in time trials by 3% to 5% in those logging around one to two miles and 2% to 4% in those running around three to six miles.Runners should spend equal amounts of time building upper body and lower body strength. "It is just as important because the upper body counters the lower body in the running motion," says Corkum. For building speed, Corkum recommends weight training two to three times a week on non-consecutive days. If you weight train after a run, she suggests waiting at least four to six hours to prevent soreness.<h2>3. Introduce interval training </h2><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/interval-training/art-20044588" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Interval training</a> is a type of running workout where you alternate between short, intense bursts of running and a brief recovery. The goal of interval training is to maintain the same speed on your first interval as your last one. A <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP273196" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016 medical review</a> published in The Journal of Physiology found that running sprint intervals builds muscle as well as aerobic endurance. Another <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5839711/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2018 study</a> published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research assessed 16 trail runners that added interval training to their routine. Each runner completed six interval training sessions over the course of two weeks with two days of recovery between each session. After the training program, the runners were able to run an average of 3.6 more meters in 30 seconds. The study also found that participants increased their speed by an average of 6% in a 3000 meter run. "Once you begin to incorporate interval training into your workout plan, you will notice your longer runs will become easier and faster," says Corkum. When you first start interval training, Springer suggests sticking to once a week. The bursts in interval training can be measured by time or distance. Here are two types of interval training workouts that Corkum recommends for running on a track:<ul><li>Sprint the 100m straightaways on a track and walk or lightly jog the 100m curves. Repeat this four times around the track, so you end up with eight total sprints. </li><li>Run for two minutes at 85% effort then take a one minute recovery. Repeat this four times. </li></ul><h2>4. Practice fartleks </h2>Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning "speed play." A fartlek run consists of alternating between speed and recovery runs. They can last <a href="https://www.fitnesseducation.edu.au/blog/fitness/what-is-fartlek-training/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 minutes or longer</a> depending on the runner. Coupling periods of moderate to high intensity running with a slower pace will put stress on both your <a href="https://www.nsca.com/education/articles/ptq/fartlek-training-with-personal-training-clients/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aerobic and anaerobic treshhold</a>. This will help you build both speed and endurance.While fartleks are similar to interval training, they are done at an easier effort and slower pace over a longer period of time. If you are a competitive runner, you can tap into this speed play during a race to help you pass another runner. "Fartleks are all about pushing your pace and effort and figuring out what your limits are," says Corkum. Fartleks can be structured or unstructured runs. Here is an example workout of each: <ol><li>Structured: Alternate between one minute of hard effort and one minute of easy jogging 15 times. </li><li>Unstructured: Run hard for 10 to 60 seconds — for example from one mailbox to the next — and then spend as much time needed lightly jogging or walking between sets to catch your breath.</li></ol>Unstructured fartlek runs can be beneficial for runners that are just getting started with speed training, because it eases the pressure of reaching a certain goal. Springer recommends incorporating fartlek runs into your running schedule just once a week to improve speed.<h2>5. Run hills </h2>Both coaches agree that running hills is a great way to introduce speed training into your running routine. "It is a great stepping stone from aerobic running to sprint repeats on a track," says Corkum.Uphill training will help you become a faster runner and also increase your VO2 max, making you a more efficient runner. <a href="https://med.virginia.edu/exercise-physiology-core-laboratory/fitness-assessment-for-community-members/vo2-max-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VO2 max</a> is a measure of how much oxygen a person can utilize during intense <keyword id="6358589" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="exercise">exercise</keyword>. "The better your body can be at utilizing oxygen, the more energy you'll be able to output or the faster and longer you'll be able to run, " says Springer. A 2013 <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23538293/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> published in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance found that introducing various hill workouts into a running schedule improved overall performance in all 20 participants. Each runner participated in an uphill training program that included two sessions per week for a total of six weeks. Regardless of the hill gradient or rest time between sets, 5k running speeds improved by an average of 2% in all the runners by the end of the 6 week program.Although hill running usually doesn't feel like speed work, it engages and strengthens muscles in the glutes, hamstrings, core, quadriceps, calves, and upper body that easily translate to faster running on flat roads. "Hill running can be very humbling," says Corkum, "but, you really don't need to be running very fast up the hill to be gaining the benefits of this type of training."Those new to hill runs should start with just one a week. Once you find you aren't completely exhausted after the workout, try adding it twice a week on non-consecutive days. <h2>6. Don't forget to take breaks </h2>Oftentimes, runners will skip recovery days out of fear they're losing progress if not constantly running. "What you actually end up doing when you skip recovery days is slowly digging your own grave in terms of progress," says Corkum. If you moderately work out everyday and don't find yourself improving, Corkum says it's probably because you aren't resting: "A golden rule in running is to make the hard days hard and the easy days easy." The reason you're sore the day after a workout is because training causes <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-get-rid-of-sore-muscles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">microtears</a> in your muscles. When you rest, those muscle fibers rebuild, slightly stronger than before. Without recovery days, your body is unable to rebuild itself.According to Corkum, here are some signs you may be pushing too hard and skimping on recovery:<ul><li>Your speed is not improving despite consistent training</li><li>You are constantly tired </li><li>Your aerobic paces feel harder to maintain </li><li>Your muscles feel weaker instead of stronger</li><li>You are frequently sick </li></ul>In extreme cases, skipping recovery can lead to injury, which will set your running schedule back more than any recovery would. "Running causes impact stress on your body and allowing your body to rest is a key component to avoiding overuse injuries and overtraining," says Springer."If you do choose to exercise, it needs to be light enough that your body identifies it as rest and not work," says Corkum. A few examples could include a really light run, <a href="https://www.insider.com/benefits-of-swimming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swimming</a>, or <a href="https://www.insider.com/hatha-yoga-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yoga</a>. Overall, Springer suggests that runners take at least one or two days of rest each week in order to build speed. <h2>7. Stay consistent </h2>It's important to have a strong aerobic foundation before you begin incorporating speed training into your workout routine. Corkum recommends that new runners or runners that have taken extended time off spend at least four weeks building up their endurance before beginning speed workouts. "Those easy runs where you can always run further and faster are really important for establishing a strong foundation for running," says Corkum.Building this endurance will also help you establish a routine to become a more consistent runner, which is important for building speed. "Remember that you get better at what you do often, not occasionally," says Springer, "while rest days are very important so is building a routine and staying consistent."Here is a sample month long workout schedule provided by Springer for moderate to strong runners looking to improve their speed. <iframe title="Sample training plan to improve speed " id="datawrapper-chart-50UBU" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/50UBU/9/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% ; border: none;" height="594"></iframe>For the speed training days, make sure you add in a 10 minute warm up run at the beginning of your workout and a 10 minute cool down run at the end.<h2 id="related-articles-from-health-reference:">Related articles from <a href="https://www.insider.com/health-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/running-on-treadmill-vs-outside" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The key differences between running on a treadmill and running outside, and how to know which is best for you</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/benefits-of-jumping-rope">5 health benefits of jumping rope and helpful tips for beginners from celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels</a></li></ul>

7 ways to run faster, according to expert running coaches

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The benefits of push-ups include strengthening a wide range of muscles and improving your cardiovascular <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword>. </li><li>In addition, there are many ways to modify your <keyword id="660246" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Push-up">push-up</keyword> form to further target specific muscle groups. </li><li>Here's how to do push-ups effectively for their health benefits, whether you're a beginner or an expert. </li><li>This article <a href="https://www.insider.com/insider-medical-review-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was medically reviewed</a> by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/joeythurmanfit/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joey Thurman</a>, CSCS, CPT, FNS, a Chicago-based <keyword id="18974" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="fitness">fitness</keyword> expert and <a href="https://www.myxfitness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MYX Fitness</a> coach.</li></ul>Push-ups are an effective workout that can target multiple muscle groups, providing many health benefits with few serious risks. "Push-ups will improve your health by building muscle, raising your metabolism to burn fat, and providing a cardiovascular benefit," says<a href="https://w8lifterusa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Robert S. Herbst</a>, a personal trainer and former world champion powerlifter. "They enable you to get a full body workout with no equipment."Here's what you should know about the health benefits of push-ups, and how to get the most out of them whether you're a beginner or an expert. <h2>Push-ups can strengthen a wide range of muscles </h2>While most people think about push-ups for their chest, they are an effective whole-body <keyword id="6358589" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="exercise">exercise</keyword>, Herbst says. They are particularly good at working out the following muscle groups:<ul><li>Triceps and biceps</li><li>Pectoral (chest) muscles</li><li>Shoulders</li><li>Lats (latissimus dorsi muscles, located on your back) </li></ul>Push-ups can also help with that elusive six-pack, as long as you do them correctly. "They are also very good for your core if you do them with your butt down and waist locked because they act like a better version of a plank," Herbst says. "They are better than a standard plank because your abs are working in different ways to stabilize your body through shifting angles of effort." In fact, there are many different ways to modify your push up positions, which can help you work specific muscle groups. According to Herbst, here are a few common types of push ups, and the muscle groups that they target:<h3>Incline push-ups </h3><div type="image" title="incline push ups" height="1060" width="2120" msid="77096817" hostid="261"></div>When you elevate your arms using a bench or stairs, the exercise targets your upper chest muscles more. These are a good push-up for beginners because they are easier to do.<h3>Decline push-ups</h3><div type="image" title="decline push ups" height="797" width="1595" msid="77096819" hostid="261"></div>When you elevate your legs using a bench or stairs, the exercise targets your lower chest muscles more.<h3>Clapping push-ups</h3><div type="image" title="clapping push ups" height="1083" width="2166" msid="77096821" hostid="261"></div>These advanced push ups use explosive motion to move your hands off the ground, giving your chest muscles a top-notch workout. <h3>Diamond push-ups </h3><div type="image" title="diamond push ups" height="722" width="1444" msid="77096822" hostid="261"></div>Bringing your hands together so that your thumbs and index fingers form a diamond is a particularly effective way to target your triceps with push-ups. Overall, doing push-ups with your arms far apart will target the chest muscles, while doing them with your arms close to your body will target your triceps. <h2>Push-ups can improve heart health </h2>While most people think of push-ups as a strength exercise, they can also be a great cardiovascular workout, says <a href="https://www.dannaheve.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dannah Bollig</a>, a certified personal trainer and founder of the DE Method, a body-weight focused workout routine. "What many people don't know is that push ups actually enhance your cardiovascular health," Bollig says. "When you work large muscle groups simultaneously, it causes the heart to work harder to pump blood to muscle tissue." For example, a 2019<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2724778" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> study</a> published in JAMA Open Network found that being able to do more push-ups is associated with lower risk for <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-heart-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heart disease</a>."The better cardiovascular shape you're in, the less likely you are to suffer from serious heart problems," Bollig says.For more information, read about <a href="https://www.insider.com/exercise-for-heart-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the best exercises for heart health</a>. <h2>Risks of push-ups </h2>As with any exercise, push-ups can have health risks, especially if you do them in large numbers. "When you workout, you are actually breaking down muscle fibers," Bollig says. "Your body then needs time to repair those fibers." That's actually what causes <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-get-rid-of-sore-muscles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sore muscles</a> after a workout. Even people who are experienced with push-ups should only integrate them into workouts about 3 times per week to allow adequate time for recovery, says <a href="https://www.yourhousefitness.com/about-the-owner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sergio Pedemonte</a>, personal trainer and founder of Your House Fitness, a home-based personal training service. Push-ups can also be difficult or painful for people with wrist concerns like carpal tunnel, so if you have any wrist injuries, you should talk to their doctor or personal trainer before starting push-ups. But overall, Pedemonte says push-ups are considered safer than other strength exercises like bench pressing, which work the same groups of muscles, but are a less natural movement — something you're not likely to do in your day-to-day activity outside the gym. Push-ups, on the other hand, are considered a natural and more functional movement. "This means you're engaging your muscles in a more natural form, which helps prevent strain and injury and improves your body's range of motion," he says. Additionally, doing push-ups with proper form — like holding your body in a steady plank position — is important to avoid injury. That's why beginners may want to start with an inclined push-up, so that they don't let their core sag. <h2>How to do push-ups, for beginners </h2>To do an effective push-up, you must first have the right technique.1. Hold your body in a plank position, with your spine and arms straight. 2. As you push up and down, have a good range of motion, bending your elbows to 90 degrees each time. Most people can benefit from incorporating push ups into their fitness routine. If you're just getting started with push-ups, follow these tips from Pedemonte: <h3>Start slow</h3>Do 2 sets of push-ups 2 to 3 times per week. Women should aim for 4 to 8 reps per set, while men should aim for 10 to 15 push-ups per set. "Just two to three sessions like this over a few weeks will show results," Pedemonte says, especially as part of an overall fitness routine including cardio and other strength exercises. <h3>Skip the knee push-ups </h3>"A lot of people either sag or elevate their midsection too high when performing a knee push up, which puts an awkward amount of weight on your knees and imbalances the whole thing," Pedemonte says. If you're not able to do the recommended amount of regular push-ups, start with an incline for your hands, using stairs, your bed, the counter, or even a wall. The more vertical your body is, the easier the exercise will be. "This tilts your entire body upwards while you perform the move as usual, alleviating a little of the work on your upper body. It's a great beginner's variation," Pedemonte says. <h2>Advanced push-up exercises </h2>More advanced fitness enthusiasts can also benefit from push-ups. If you're already a pro, try these push-up challenges:<ul><li>Go for speed. See how many push-ups you can do in a minute, Pedemonte recommends. </li><li>Play cards. To shake up the monotony of push-ups, use a deck of playing cards. Draw a card and do that number of push-ups — doing 10 for face cards. You can pull a set number of cards, or go through the whole deck. "There are 448 push-ups in a deck," Herbst says. "It is the one time in life you do not want a Royal Flush!" </li><li>Play catch. If you can already do clapping push-ups, give yourself an added challenge by tossing a small ball or coin between your hand with each push-up," Herbst says. </li></ul><h2>Takeaways </h2>Push-ups are one of the best exercises for building muscle and improving cardiovascular health. There are many different ways to do a push-up, and whether you're a beginner or an expert, you should try incorporating some of these push-up techniques into your workout to receive their health benefits. <h2 id="related-articles-from-health-reference:">Related articles from <a href="https://www.insider.com/health-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-often-should-you-do-cardio">How often should you do cardio to build endurance and improve health</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/benefits-of-jumping-rope">5 health benefits of jumping rope and helpful tips for beginners from celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-do-suspension-training-exercises">How to do suspension training exercises at home to get a full-body workout</a></li></ul>

The health benefits of push-ups and how to do them correctly to get the most out of your workout

The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider Picks</a> team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-sport-wireless-train-headphones-project-rock-edition/pid1325450" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3e54c6b492cb09cd4066c9-900/project-rock-ua-sport-33860.jpg" border="0" alt="project rock ua sport 33860" data-mce-source="Best Buy" /></a>Best Buy</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-sport-wireless-train-headphones-project-rock-edition/pid1325450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Under Armour's Sport Wireless Train Project Rock Headphones ($249)</a> were made specifically for working out. I put them to the test in the gym. </li><li>The pros are that they are impressively breathable, quick-drying, and have hand-washable cushions, a long battery life, good sound, easy Bluetooth connectivity, and a sweat-resistant, no-slip headband.</li><li>The cons are the high price, incomplete noise cancellation, slight discomfort after long wears, and that it took a couple tries to get used to fitting the cushions back onto the speakers once removed. </li><li>All in all, they're a solid option - especially if you want over-ear headphones with a hygienic and breathable emphasis. To save some money, consider <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fjbl-under-armour-sport-train-wireless-on-ear-headphones-black%2F6264681.p%3FskuId%3D6264681" target="_blank" rel="noopener">buying the nearly identical $179.99 version on Best Buy</a>.</li></ul>Finding a satisfactory pair of headphones for the gym has always been a game of compromises. Some have great sound but poor ventilation, others might slip around once you start moving. And on and on. But unlike the traditional headphones we force into the exercise mold out of necessity, <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-sport-wireless-train-headphones-project-rock-edition/pid1325450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Under Armour's Project Rock Sport Wireless Train Headphones ($249)</a> were built for working out. They're one member of the selective Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's signature <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/project-rock/g/32k2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Under Armour line</a>, designed hand-in-hand with The Rock. The headphones themselves are durable, compact, hygienic, and breathable - with an emphasis on conveniently long battery life and a "speed charge" that converts five minutes of charging to one hour of playback. In my own search for a pair I didn't hate wearing, I tried them out. The construction is durable enough to be kicked around. It has an IPX4 rating (water resistance that amounts to getting splashed), folds in on itself for easy storage, and comes in a molded hard carrying case that vaguely reminded me of a miniature military Humvee. The messaging is clear: they are rugged. Thankfully, they do a good job of living up to the theme.As an on-ear option, the first real battle to win is breathability, and, connected to that, hygiene. If you're going to sweat in them every day, exercise headphones need to be semi-water-resistant, fast-drying, ventilated, and ideally easy to clean. The <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-sport-wireless-train-headphones-project-rock-edition/pid1325450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Train Headphones</a> excel in these categories. The lightweight SuperVent cushions are forgettable once on, and the ventilation does an adequate job of keeping you cool throughout an entire workout. I overheat easily, and I was impressed with how comfortable - and how lightweight - these were during grueling cardio workouts that would have been oppressive in any traditional options I own. The material is also very fast-drying.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-sport-wireless-train-headphones-project-rock-edition/pid1325450" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3e549b17c2c50b16491ba3-800/screen-shot-2019-01-15-at-43358-pm.jpg" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2019 01 15 at 4.33.58 PM" data-mce-source="Under Armour" /></a>Under Armour</div></div></div>Next up is battery life. If you've only got an hour to work out, the gym closes soon, or it took an hour just to get your skintight performance gear on, then you need the freedom to get up and go when you please. You want to capitalize on your motivation when it arises. The enemy of this case is a pair of dead headphones. To give you the immediacy and convenience required, <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-sport-wireless-train-headphones-project-rock-edition/pid1325450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Train Headphones</a> have 16-hour battery life for a week's worth of workouts and a five-minute speed charge that provides one hour of playback. In terms of sound, you'll get a good bass-rich sound courtesy of JBL. The quality of the mids and highs were impressive for sports headphones, but they probably won't replace my traditional headphones for everyday listening. However, they're perfect for workouts. By touching the buck symbol on the headphones, you can dim the sound to hear your surroundings better without removing them. The headband is outfitted with a grip material that keeps headphones in place during workouts. It works, even during the jolt of a six-mile run and jumping rope. Intuitive, oversized control buttons let you pause music, skip songs, and control volume, and Talk-Thru technology lowers the music and turns on speech-optimized, noise-canceling mics for making or taking calls between sets. You can also trigger Siri or Google Now. Another notable perk is that the Bluetooth connectivity is among the simplest I've experienced. From its first setup to all the workouts after, I haven't yet had an issue pairing. If you lack Bluetooth (or you want to connect them to machines that require old-school headphones) there's a headphone cord included. Here are the cons to consider: While others reported no issues, it took me a couple tries to replace the cushions once I had removed them for cleaning. (The trick is to push from the inside of the cushion, rather than pulling the elastic around the speakers.) And after two hours or more of wearing, they could become uncomfortable. Also, on-ear headphones aren't going to always give you the total noise cancellation that lets you shut out all the other people in the gym. Considering the other benefits, this was fine with me. The price isn't ideal at <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-sport-wireless-train-headphones-project-rock-edition/pid1325450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$249</a>, but most competitive options you'll consider will be in the $200 neighborhood. If you're willing to spend that much on on-ear headphones that feel good in a gym, then you'll likely find it was money well spent. However, it's good to note that there's a cheaper similar pair of <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fjbl-under-armour-sport-train-wireless-on-ear-headphones-black%2F6264681.p%3FskuId%3D6264681" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JBL Sport Train Headphones with the standard logo available for $179.99 on Best Buy right now</a>, and that may be worth checking out if you want save a few bucks. All in all, these headphones work as they should - and they wear like headphones made specifically for the gym, which we're betting will be a relief to many. They're worth it if you're going to use them often, and they'll go over especially well for anyone concerned with comfort, weight, and breathability. To date, they're the on-ear sport headphones I'd be most happy to use during my own workouts - and will continue to use. <h3><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-sport-wireless-train-headphones-project-rock-edition/pid1325450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buy Under Armour </a><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3861930/type/dlg/https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-sport-wireless-train-headphones-project-rock-edition/pid1325450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sport Wireless Train Headphones - Project Rock Edition, available on Under Armour </a>and <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Funder-armour-sport-wireless-train-on-ear-headphones-project-rock-edition-black%2F6264684.p%3FskuId%3D6264684" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best Buy, $249</a></h3><figure id="img-873987" contenteditable="false" data-type="img" data-e2e-name="image-figure-image" data-media-container="image"><a href="https://amzn.to/2oBXBye" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></figure> <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a> Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

The new Under Armour sport headphones are one of the most comfortable pairs I've ever worn while running - and the battery life is excellent

38. The Coed Scouts of America

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/decade">The 2010s</a> saw the demise of apps, devices, and even complete companies.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-story-moviepass-rise-fall-2019-8">Moviepass</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aim-shutting-down-december-2017-10">AIM</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-founder-of-vine-announced-the-name-of-his-new-looping-video-app-2018-11">Vine</a> did not make it to the end of the decade.</li><li>Other technologies like the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-note-10-why-dongle-not-included-2019-8">headphone jack</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-macbook-pro-usb-c-port-2019-4">MagSafe</a> met their death thanks to Apple's design changes.</li><li>Insider took a nostalgic look back at some of the tech that died this decade.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>Following is a transcript of the video.Victoria Barranco: I really, really miss the headphone jack.Nich Carlson: I really, really like AirPods, and so I'm OK with the headphone jack being gone.Jacqui Frank: Also I have a headphone jack now, so I'm really smug about it. I switched from iPhone to Android. It wasn't the No. 1 reason that I decided to do that, but the headphone jack was important to me.Barranco: Now I've got this stupid dongle that I've lost literally three times in order to listen to my music, and I'm not buying into the whole AirPods things, I refuse.Frank: I mostly use Bluetooth headphones, so it's actually not a huge impact to me but still is an irritation. If my headphones were dead and I also wanted to charge my phone, I could never do that, and I don't like being in that situation.Barranco: It's just the security of knowing, OK, if it did fall out of my ears, it's not gonna, like, go rolling down the subway or something. It's like, OK, still attached to my phone if my headphones drop out.Carlson: Remember how you would, like, move your arm and just knock the earphones out of your ears? And then sometimes you'd get them caught on a door handle as you were walking into a room? If we had to sacrifice the headphone jack to get AirPods, which I don't think is what we had to do, but if that's what we had to do, then it was a great trade.Frank: I just don't understand why tech companies want us to choose. Like, just give us what we want. We didn't ask for foldable screens, we asked for headphone jacks. It's so simple.Carlson: We got rid of the headphone jack so that Apple could sell more iPhones and AirPods. That is why it is gone. I know that a lot of people are very upset about it, but I have AirPods. I'm good.Alex Appolonia: AOL Instant Messaging.Danielle Cohen: AIM was an instant-messaging platform.Frank: AIM is basically text messaging before text messaging was a thing.Appolonia: I remember the sound of getting a notification, though. That's, like, embedded in my head. Wait, now, it's like, da-ding! Like, what was it like? Da-da-ding.Carlson: Oh, I remember SmarterChild.Alyse Kalish: Yes, SmarterChild. It got, like, really scary. I feel like I would, like, try to flirt with him and, like, see if he was interested.Cohen: I actually had maybe four AIM usernames. xxxprettyinpinkxx.Paige DiFiore: colesprouse4ever with the 4. That was me.Appolonia: cheerdivaAl12. I wasn't a diva. I don't know why that was part of my screen name.Frank: firesparx14.Jennifer Ortakales: sweetchick130693.Carlson: And then I was also boltz999.William Antonelli: swordscape40, because that was the name I used for RuneScape.Shannon Murphy: joejonaslover1996, and I would leave away messages, like, depending on who he was dating. I'd be like, "I don't like you Taylor Swift," or like, "I don't like you Demi Lovato." Something ridiculous, as if they would see my AIM away message.Cohen: If a boy liked me, he would write "Dani &lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3" as his status so that everyone knew.Frank: Insert whatever, like, emo song was popular when I was 12, and that was definitely part of it.Carlson: People really expressed themselves with their away messages.Cohen: At my school, it was really important that you put in, like, all the names of your friends that are in a clique.Michelle Yan: What was it, Buddy Lists? It was, like, "best friends," "friends." Oh, yeah, I moved people off my best-friends list to the friends list.Cohen: And sometimes, you know, they would, like, let a girl know you didn't make the cut anymore by taking her out of everyone else's AIM profile.Abby Tang: AIM was the best way to get bullied. People would make these group chats and, like, invite me into them, and then they would, like, start saying nasty things.DiFiore: I probably have catfished people on AIM.Carlson: Teenage drama, friends, love, all the things were on AIM.Ortakales: After school got out, it's like, that's how you could talk to your friends.Antonelli: We would go home, like, immediately, get on AIM, and start talking to each other, like, for hours.Appolonia: I remember that adrenaline rush, like, rushing back to my computer to see, like, what my crush might have said, or something like that.Carlson: AIM was a key part of my adolescence. I think I met a girlfriend on AIM.Appolonia: It was pre-BBM, texting, Facebook messaging. It was really the first way of feeling instantly connected.Antonelli: Vine, rest in peace, was a very wonderful video-making app, and I miss it.Barranco: RIP, Vine. It's just, like, part of millennial, Gen Z culture. Quoting Vines is something that, like, people my age just can do.Trisha Bonthu: It was a big part of my personality, like, growing up in high school. I think everyone quoted Vines. Genuinely, like, a big part of my high-school experience was going to my friend's house and spending hours watching Vines.Barranco: God knows I still end up at, like, 2 in the morning watching Vine compilations.Vine clip: Hey, Tara, you want some?Tara: This b---- empty! Yeet!Barranco: [laughing] Just, like, the spontaneity of the soda can getting, like, tossed across the hallway and the use of "yeet" that proliferated culture after that. Truly inspiring.Murphy: "'Road work ahead'? Uh, yeah. I sure hope it does."Barranco: There was a very loyal fan base behind Vine, and a lot of people were very upset that it went away. I remember when I heard about Vine for the first time, I was like, "What the heck are people going to do with six-second videos?" Like, what could you accomplish in six seconds? It's so stupid.Bonthu: You only have six seconds to make a joke. Unless you're, like, really funny, it was hard to make Vines.Antonelli: Well, I think Vine really challenged a lot of people to get creative and condense their humor down into such a format where everything has to matter in that six seconds and every joke has to land. My favorite Vine is "Back at it again at Krispy Kreme."Clip: Back at it again at Krispy Kreme.Frank: MoviePass is something I wanted so deeply to work.Bonthu: I did have MoviePass, and I used it for, like, a bit of a summer, and then it was like, we suck, and we don't work anymore.Lisa Paradise: MoviePass was a way to see basically as many movies as you want in a week. When I heard about MoviePass, I signed myself up, I signed my roommate up, and I signed my boyfriend at the time up. I saw every movie that was in theaters. You saw movies you didn't really want to see because, why not? It was free. I feel like everyone you knew had MoviePass for a hot second.Frank: Great, makes sense, I see a movie every single week. This is a bargain. I live in New York City, going to the movies costs almost $20. This couldn't be cheaper. They certainly aren't making money, so I have to get in now.Paradise: It was like being a teenager again when your parents are paying for you to go to the movies.Nate Lee: I saved a lot of money through MoviePass. Until it was demolished.Paradise: I probably saw at least three movies a week. They were literally just giving you money to go see a movie. Give me an inch, I will take the whole Oscar lineup.Frank: And I abused it to no end. I saw "Black Panther" four times using my MoviePass, and they made the rule that you could only see a movie one time, like, the next week. Like, I'm convinced that "Black Panther" is the reason they had to make that rule.Lee: At its peak, I watched every single movie in the theater.Paradise: I wanted it to last forever, and even when it started to die, I clung for too long.Lee: Well, usually, when things are too good to be true, it is too good to be true. That's I think the biggest lesson I learned from MoviePass.Frank: The last, like, two months I had MoviePass, I was, like, arguing with myself on a daily basis, like, "Do I still have this? Does it make sense for me to keep this?" But it was such a terrible service. It didn't do anything that I wanted from it, and I, like, ended up not seeing any movies towards the end of it.Lee: And I think you can't ignore MoviePass, just because it really started this whole subscription phase. These subscription services that are so convenient to use now would not be around if it wasn't for MoviePass.Carlson: Blockbuster was a place where they stored Netflix movies on tape.Shayanne Gal: Blockbuster was, like, my family's, one of our greatest traditions. That was the best surprise ever, when my dad was like, "We're going to Blockbuster."Carlson: If the one copy of the video you wanted to watch was not at Blockbuster, you could drive another 10 or 15 minutes to a Hollywood Video.Ortakales: Blockbuster was an amazing, magical place to go when you're a 10-year-old kid in the middle of nowhere. It felt so expansive and, like, "Oh, my gosh, there's so many movies. I could watch any movie that I want."Carlson: And you walk around, and you're looking at all the boxes and saying which ones look cool, and.... For me, it was like, what kind of "Inspector Gadget" movie do they have? Gal: I only rented Mary-Kate and Ashley movies.Ortakales: I would go straight, make a beeline to the kids' section, and then find my movie while my parents would, like, be in their section picking out whatever new release they wanted to watch.Gal: And then, at the checkout, pick out, like, a Nerds Rope or a chocolate or whatever they had at the time. That experience of going with a family member, loved one, to a place like that and being able to, like, bond over those things is not replaceable. Our brains are now wired in the, like, binge mode. Like, one movie's not enough. Like, one episode's not enough. I'd have to go to Blockbuster, like, every day for it.Ortakales: Oh. Well, now I'm definitely team Netflix.Gal: Netflix, if I had to choose one, but I feel like there could have been an ecosystem where they both existed.Carlson: I miss Blockbuster, but that's OK. Netflix is great.Frank: MP3 players are better CD players are better tape players. Do people still know what those are?Barranco: Yeah, I remember specifically upgrading from my CD player that I, like, hand-decorated with rhinestones in, like, third grade and listened to the "SpongeBob SquarePants" movie soundtrack on, but I remember all the cool kids on the bus on field trips had iPod Touches.Frank: I used to have a CD player. It was, like, a good CD player. I remember it had all these, like, little stickers on it that said, "Never skips," or, "Barely skips," or something, and that was the best we could hope for. Like, it sometimes skipped, and that was fine.Lee: I just constantly wanted a new one. I mean, the thing with, like, the iPod MP3 players, if you look at, like, Classic, Touch, and Nano, all of them were extremely different. There was a reason to switch. Very early on, most MP3 players were mostly the same, I think, so I didn't really switch around, and I, like, stuck with one for a long time.Frank: I think MP3 players are flawed because they only have one function, but only because we live in the world now where you expect it to do so much more. At the time that they were created, it was mind-blowing! Genuinely mind-blowing. "This holds all the music?!"Lee: And then iPhone sort of made every MP3 player useless.Cohen: A BlackBerry is kind of like a mini-computer.Frank: BlackBerry is, like, the saddest version of a smartphone.Paradise: BlackBerry was my first smartphone, and I remember it being so cool that I could get internet and Brick Breaker, like, RIP Brick Breaker. BlackBerry was, I think, the first smartphone that everybody used.Frank: Now you have the luxury of being like, "Oh, it would be like if iPhones were half as cool."Cohen: Everyone had a BlackBerry, and I was begging my parents to get me one. My favorite part was BBM, which was the BlackBerry Messenger. I loved pinging people. It was almost like a poke on Facebook, but a bit more aggressive because you would ping them and it would send them a ping in all caps with a bunch of exclamation marks, and to this day I still text people the word "ping."Frank: My BlackBerry that I had in college was, like, the first phone I had that, like, did anything other than make phone calls. Like, it had a full keyboard and, like, honestly what feels now like the world's tiniest screen, but at the time was huge. It was amazing. I was like, I'm basically a Wall Street hedge-fund manager because I have a BlackBerry. I can answer emails and send text messages. I'm so chill. I'm gonna wear this blazer to class, and everyone's gonna know I'm fancy. Insane.Meg Teckman-Fullard: Amazon Dash buttons were something that I still have a few of, I still kind of use them, but they're kind of dying. The way that they wanted people to use it was, like, you stick your Tide Pod thing to your washing machine, so when you go, "Oh, I'm out of Tide Pods," boop! It orders it automatically.Matt Stuart: I think Amazon saw it as a way of customer lock-in and convenience. "Just tap it, and we'll send you more." And so it's just a very, like, kind of sticky way to keep your customer base.Teckman-Fullard: There's something really nice about the physical and the digital interacting with each other in that kind of, like, George Jetson kind of way.Jade Tungul: Amazon found that, like, customers were using other avenues. Like, people I think were using Amazon Alexa 'cause you can use your Alexa. People were also using the Subscribe &amp; Save option.Teckman-Fullard: Opening the app or opening it on a web browser is super easy. This is just one extra-easy step, and I like easy.MagSafe is a technology in which Mac laptops were able to charge with a power cord that magnetically connected instead of actually having to stick something in.Jason Sanchez: I guess it's MagSafe because it's both magnetic and safe. The cord just comes off; your laptop stays on the table. There's no accidents. There's no danger of that getting knocked over. Apple, in their sort of infinite wisdom, decided to go away from the MagSafe for USB-C, which is great, USB-C is great, but it doesn't need to be every single port. In fact, I don't have one of the newer MacBooks because of it.Carlson: The best thing about Blockbuster, though, was just going and not knowing what you wanted. If you don't know what you want on Netflix, it is chaos. You just feel desperate. I got the autoplay coming at me, and it's just like, stop!

Tech that died this decade

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/560016e69dd7cc1f008bbcd5-1186-889/matt harvey.jpg" alt="matt harvey" data-mce-source="Alex Brandon/AP" />Alex Brandon/APMatt Harvey had to watch the Mets blow a lead from the dugout.</div></div></div>The New York Mets, once the hottest team in baseball, are hitting turmoil at the worst possible time.In perhaps their most important Subway Series ever, facing a Yankees team fighting for first place in the AL East, the Mets saw their lead for the NL East shrink because of a health precaution for star pitcher Matt Harvey.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/matt-harvey-innings-limit-playoffs-2015-9">The Mets and Harvey's agent Scott Boras went to war</a> earlier this month over a 180-inning limit for Harvey, who's coming off Tommy John surgery last year.With Harvey nearing that number, Boras wanted him shut down; the Mets, obviously, wanted otherwise.They've since come to something of a compromise, though it severely limits Harvey's availability. In the midst of a dominant start, in which he had struck out seven in five innings, Harvey got pulled to maintain his innings count with the Mets leading 1-0. In the ensuing inning, Mets rookie reliever Hansel Robles got pounded as the Yankees scored five runs to take a 5-1 lead. The lead only grew as the game went on, and the Yankees took an 11-2 win and won the series.Though the Mets still have a six-game lead for first place with only 13 games and an easy schedule left, there's still a modicum of doubt about their ability to seal their first playoff appearance in nine years. Though Harvey caught flak for initially agreeing with Boras on his inning limit,<a href="http://www.theplayerstribune.com/matt-harvey-mets-playoffs/"> he later wrote on The Players' Tribune</a> that he'll be pitching in the playoffs no matter what. On Sunday, he made it sound like the decision to come out of the game was <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/110952/matt-harvey-plan-perfectly-awful-as-yankees-rip-mets-take-subway-series">out of his hands</a>, saying, "More than anything, I want to be out there. I want to be out there more than anything. I know where I want to be, and that's on a mound, pitching for the Mets."Mets manager Terry Collins, who's been placed in perhaps the most difficult position of all, deciding between maintaining Harvey's best interests and team's best interests, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/sports/baseball/mets-remove-harvey-early-and-yanks-dont-argue-that.html?_r=0">said</a>:"It's hard. We've waited since I've been here - we've waited five years to be in this situation. And now you've got your No. 1 pitcher, you've got to watch what he does. Your No. 2 pitcher, we're skipping. Your No. 3 pitcher, we've already skipped. In a pennant race. But it's for the best of all of them. It's for the best of the organization. And so you suck it up and move on and get ready for the next day."Things aren't getting easier from here for the Mets. With the Nationals still nipping at their heels, the Mets still have to win games to clinch a playoff berth. Meanwhile, there had been some hope that if the Mets won the series with the Yankees, they could rest Harvey until the playoffs.Now, with the Mets' season-ending series coming against the Nationals, they may still need Harvey to pitch, but he would likely still have to operate in reduced innings. Placing Harvey in a high-pressure series (potentially), but limiting him, and then starting him for the playoffs, is probably one of the worst-case scenarios for all involved.The Mets have to tight-rope from here on out - play Harvey enough to give them a shot at a win, while monitoring how many innings and pitches he can throw, wary that they could be ignoring the doctor's orders. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/interesting-things-about-tom-brady-patriots-nfl-football-2015-7">Curious things most people don't know about Tom Brady</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="xvOHNrdjrYdo8J5vJN5SDg-TKWqnZWoU" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'xvOHNrdjrYdo8J5vJN5SDg-TKWqnZWoU',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

The Mets are facing a huge dilemma after they had to pull out their star pitcher early from a game

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56a7eed2c08a80d7118bcaa1-1821-1366/20468568178_8a722dd6dd_k.jpg" alt="coworker, office" data-mce-source="Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/flickr" data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/strelka/20468568178/" /><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/strelka/20468568178/">Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/flickr</a>Absorb everything.</div></div></div>The first day at your new job may be among the most memorable - and perhaps stressful - of your career."Most of us remember our first days at every job because of the heightened pressure to impress," says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tame-Your-Terrible-Office-Tyrant/dp/0470457643/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1248186483&amp;sr=8-1&amp;tag=bisafetynet-20">Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job</a>." "But you can reduce your anxiety by being as meticulous in planning your first day as you were in securing your new position."<a href="http://www.davidjparnell.com/">David Parnell</a>, a legal consultant and communication expert, says it's easy, even tempting, to passively ride along with the "human resources tour that usually sets off the first day of employment." There will be forms to fill out, videos to watch, people to meet, "and generally speaking, no real position-specific responsibilities," he says. "But taking a passive versus proactive response would be a mistake. The first day sets the tone for the rest of your career with those who you'll be interacting with."Here are 26 things you should do on the first day of your new job:<h3>1. Prepare and ask questions</h3>Mark Strong, <a href="http://www.markstrongcoaching.com/">a life, career, and executive coach</a> based in New York, says although you should spend much of your first day listening, you can and should ask questions when necessary. "Generally, you're trying to demonstrate your curiosity and desire to learn," he says.Taylor says it's a good idea to prepare by writing down both practical and general questions about how you can be most successful in the role. "By now you have enough background on the company to integrate more in-depth questions at your orientation meetings," she says. "Have a list of questions handy for managers you think you might meet. Make sure you also have a contact in HR in case you have very basic inquiries before you start or on your first day."<h3>2. Prepare an elevator pitch</h3>Get ready to give a 30-second explainer of who you are and where you were before, as many new colleagues will likely ask about your previous place of employment, Taylor says. Be prepared to also describe what you'll be doing in this new position, since there may be people who have a vague understanding of your role or simply want to strike up a conversation.<h3>3. Show up early, but enter the building on time</h3>Get there at least 15 minutes early, suggests career expert Teri Hockett. "If you haven't done the commute before, practice it a couple of times during rush hour a week before so that you're at least somewhat prepared for the unknown." But wait at a nearby coffee shop until the time your new boss or HR asked you to arrive. <h3>4. Figure out the social landscape</h3>Two of the more important factors in succeeding at a job are to not only get along with your coworkers, but also to associate with the right ones, Parnell explains. "In any sizeable work environment you will find cliques, and some mesh better with management than others. If you want to eventually move up in the ranks with your new employer, you'll need to associate with the right crowd."He says it's also essential that you begin to determine the office politics on day one. "Power is an interesting, quite important, and sometimes elusive thing in the work environment," he says. "Certainly it is vital to understand the articulated positional hierarchy in your organization - who answers to who. This should be as easy as reading your coworker's titles. However, because power can manifest in so many different ways, it is imperative to understand who actually answers to who."<h3>5. Relax</h3>While you're being strategic, also remember to relax on your first day so that you can optimize your productivity. "Make sure you're well rested, prepared, and have every reason to be on time. This is a visible milestone, and you want to be at your best," Taylor says.<h3>6. Smile</h3>"It may have taken awhile to reach this point, after searching, interviewing, and landing the job, so don't forget to be happy and enjoy the moment," Hockett says.Strong agrees, saying: "We all know that first impressions matter. Smile when you meet new people and shake their hands. Introduce yourself to everyone and make it clear how happy and eager you are to be there. Your coworkers will remember."<h3>7. Look and play the part</h3>When in doubt, take the conservative approach in how you dress and what you say and do. Be as professional as you were in the interview process.Hockett suggests you determine the dress code in advance so that you don't look out of place on your first day. "This is important because sometimes the way we dress can turn people off to approaching us, or it sends the wrong message." Ideally, you want to blend in and make others and yourself comfortable. If you're not sure what the dress code is, call the HR department and ask.<h3>8. Don't be shy</h3>Say "Hi" and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-i-wish-i-did-on-my-first-day-of-work-2016-12">introduce yourself to everyone you can</a>.<h3>9. Talk to as many people as possible</h3>One of the most invaluable insights you can get in the beginning is how the department operates from the perspective of your peers. If you establish that you're friendly and approachable early on, you will start on the right foot.<h3>10. Learn where everything is</h3>Figure out where the restrooms are, where the kitchen is, and where your boss sits. Learning where these things or people are can actually be a great opportunity to introduce yourself to new colleagues. Don't walk around aimlessly - say hi and ask.<h3>11. Befriend at least one colleague</h3>Go a step further and try to make a friend on day one. "Beyond generally talking to peers and getting the lay of the land, it's always a good to connect with a fellow team member or two on your first day, even if it's just for 10 minutes," says Taylor. "Beginning a new job can be stressful at any level, and this practice can be very grounding, accelerating your ability to get up to speed faster in a foreign atmosphere."Let your colleague(s) know that you're available to lend a helping hand. A little goodwill goes a long way. The positive energy and team spirit you exude will be contagious, and the best time to share that is early on, versus later, when you need people.<h3>12. Don't try too hard</h3>The urge to impress can take you off-track, so remember that you're already hired - you don't have to wow your new colleagues, Taylor says. It's every new employee's dream to hear that people noted how brilliant and personable they are, or how they seem to "get" the company so quickly. But that can be a lot of wasted energy; you'll impress naturally - and more so once you understand the ropes.<h3>13. Don't turn down lunch</h3>"If you're offered to go have lunch with your new boss and coworkers, go," Hockett says. "It's important to show that you're ready to mingle with your new team - so save the packed lunch for another day."<h3>14. Don't skip training sessions</h3>You may be required to attend a few training sessions or an orientation on day one. Whatever you do, don't skip them.If you have a lot going on, create calendar reminders or put a Post-It note on your desk.It's important that you not seem flaky or irresponsible on your first day. Plus, these sessions will help bring you up to speed and if you skip them, you may quickly fall behind. <h3>15. Listen and observe</h3>The best thing anyone can do in the first few days of a new job is "listen, listen, and listen," Strong says. "It's not time to have a strong opinion. Be friendly, meet people, smile, and listen."This is a prime opportunity to hear about the goals your boss and others have for the company, the department, and top projects. It's your chance to grasp the big picture, as well as the priorities. "Be prepared to take lots of notes," Taylor suggests.<h3>16. Project high energy</h3>You will be observed more in your early days from an external standpoint, Taylor says. Your attitude and work ethic are most visible now, as no one has had a chance to evaluate your work skills just yet. Everyone wants to work with enthusiastic, upbeat people - so let them know that this is exactly what they can expect.<h3>17. Figure out what your boss really expects from you</h3>On your first day, your employer will have a description of your responsibilities - either written or verbal. This is what you should do to be successful at your job. "With that being said, there is usually a gap between what you should do and what actually happens," Parnell says. "This is important because while you shouldn't neglect any articulated duties, there may be more that are implicitly expected of you. It is usually best to find this out sooner rather than later."<h3>18. Figure out the unwritten rules of the office</h3>A <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-successful-people-do-in-a-new-job-2015-10">previous article on Business Insider</a> points out that you should take some time to learn both the written and unwritten rules of the office. For instance, find out who washes the dishes in the sink, or which shelves are communal. You don't want to violate a rule on day one and end up on anyone's bad side. <h3>19. Show interest in everyone and the company</h3>You'll likely be introduced to many people, and while they may make the first attempt to learn a little about you, make an effort to find out about them and their role. It's not just flattering, it will help you do your job better, Taylor says.<h3>20. Put your cell phone on silent</h3>You need to be 100% present at work, especially on the first day. Put your phone away and avoid using it.<h3>21. Don't judge anyone or anything too quickly</h3>Don't decide you don't like your cube mate because he didn't say "hi" the moment you walked in. Don't tell yourself that taking the job was a huge mistake because you don't immediately love the culture.Yes, first impressions are often accurate and can be hard to ignore - but you should give everyone (and everything) a chance. Try to keep an open mind and maintain a positive attitude. <h3>22. Pay attention to your body language</h3>Your body language makes up the majority of your communication in the workplace. Assess what you're communicating to better understand how others may perceive you and make any necessary adjustments.<h3>23. Develop good habits right away</h3>In a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-successful-people-do-in-a-new-job-2015-10">previous article on Business Insider</a>, Goudreau wrote: "Especially because a lot of new information is coming your way, setting good habits and being organized from the start will make your life easier down the line. It's also a good time to improve your bad habits."<h3>24. Be available to your boss</h3>"This might sound obvious at face value, but on your first day of work, you'll likely be pulled in a thousand directions," says Taylor. You want to make sure you're accessible to your new boss first and foremost on your this day, despite all the administrative distractions."This is an important first impression you don't want to discount," she adds. "Companies are not always as organized as they'd like when onboarding staff. You can easily get caught up with an HR professional, various managers or coworkers - or with a special assignment that keeps you from being available to the person who matters most." On your first day of work, check in with your manager throughout the day.<h3>25. Be yourself</h3>"Think of ways to be relaxed and project yourself as who you are," Taylor says. "It's stressful to try to be someone else, so why bother? You want some consistency in who you are on day one and day 31. If you have the jitters, pretend you're meeting people at a business mixer or in the comfort of your own home, and that these are all friends getting to know each other. That's not far from the truth; you'll be working closely with them and enjoy building the relationship, so why not start now?"<h3>26. Express your gratitude</h3>Thank anyone who helped you get acclimated throughout the day. Thank your new boss again for giving you the opportunity to join their team. You don't have to go over the top - but express gratitude wherever you see fit. <h3>27. Leave with a good attitude</h3>The last thing to remember is that while the first day at a new job is very important, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't go flawlessly. "You might look back on your performance on day one and second-guess yourself," Taylor says. "Yes, you should prepare and try to do your best, but remember that if you try to accomplish too much, you may get overwhelmed. Know that there's always tomorrow." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/items-keep-off-resume-careers-2015-4">5 things you should never put on your résumé</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="duNjBmdDpbHFsqP9jEZSGXMaxI7gJ3wD" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'duNjBmdDpbHFsqP9jEZSGXMaxI7gJ3wD',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

27 things you should do on your first day of work

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cbf6f23b14bf426892c0aa5-2000/international-associates-conference-004.jpg" border="0" alt="Walmart Doug McMillon" data-mce-source="Walmart" />WalmartCEO Doug McMillon.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/walmart">Walmart</a> released its annual report on Tuesday, showing that total revenue grew 3% to $514.4 billion in worldwide sales in the latest fiscal year.</li><li>CEO Doug McMillon also talked about five lessons he has learned in his five years as Walmart's leader.</li><li>Read the full letter below.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>Walmart released its annual report on Tuesday. It showed that the retailer's total revenue grew 3% to $514.4 billion in worldwide sales in the latest fiscal year.Alongside the letter was CEO Doug McMillon's annual shareholder letter, where he shared Walmart's full-throated embrace of change, five leadership lessons he has learned in the five years he has been CEO, and a general roadmap for the company's future:<blockquote>Sam Walton showed us the way. He gave us a clear purpose and four timeless values. At Walmart, we save people money and help them live better - and we do it by serving others, striving for excellence, respecting everyone and acting with integrity.Clear and constant.You know what else is constant at Walmart? Change. As I visit with our associates all over the world and ask, "Other than our purpose and values, the only thing that's constant at Walmart is ..." and they respond: "Change!" It's a powerful mindset, and our people have it.These past five years in this role have passed quickly, and it has been an exciting time to be at Walmart. Looking back, I'm not sure I could have imagined some of the things we're doing in our business today but, at the same time, it feels like we're just getting started.Our customers and Sam's Club members are being served by associates who are better equipped to create new ways of shopping and put today's technology to work. Our goal is to make it easy, fast, friendly and fun to shop with us.Consider:• A busy mom can shop on our app or get through the store faster by finding the items on her list, thanks to the map feature on her Walmart app. She can make purchases with Walmart Pay and go digital to skip the pharmacy line and pick up a prescription. • Outside our stores, customers can pull into a pickup spot, have their personal shoppers put their order in their trunk and off they go. eCommerce has finally come to the food business and in a big way.• We're putting technology to work with an autonomous scanner that checks our sidecounters to help us improve in-stock levels, and an autonomous floor cleaner that carries a camera to gather data on our product features to share with a FAST Unloader system in the back room that prioritizes items for restocking.• Our Sam's Clubs are becoming more digital. With our Scan &amp; Go app, customers bypass the checkout line and pay for items on their mobile device, and now we're testing computer vision instead of barcodes to make the process even faster. Our new Membership Express can cut the time it takes to sign up from eight minutes to fewer than 60 seconds.The ways we can use technology today and in the future are exciting, but our business is still a people business. We are people-led and tech-empowered, and that makes investing in our associates a strategic priority. On any given day, our associates may be attending one of our new training academies in the U.S. or entering our new fast-track leadership program for Walmart International.They may be benefitting from our expanded parental-leave policies or beginning their careers at Walmart with a starting wage 50 percent higher than it was four years ago. And they may be extending their education with a $1-a-day college degree through our Live Better U program. We've made a lot of changes with respect to opportunities for our associates, and there's more to come.No doubt the pace of change continues to increase.Recently, I was visiting with a group of students, many of whom are joining our company, and one of them asked me what I had learned during my five years in this position. Surprises? Revelations?It's a good question, and I've been giving it some thought. These five lessons came to the top of the list:1. Leadership - You can't push a rope, but you can pull it. In other words, sometimes you just can't lead from behind. You can't muscle or push things along. As a leader during transformation, you have to be out in front - show that you want to learn, be curious, introduce new ideas, ask questions. Our people are talented, competitive and have a sense of urgency. When they hear about a better way of doing things, they engage, learn and act.2. Risk - There is no growth without change, and there is no meaningful change without risk. So, get comfortable with an intelligent level of risk. Otherwise, the law of diminishing returns sets in as always doing the same things the same way takes over. We invested substantially in wages, associate education, pricing and eCommerce. We acquired Flipkart, Jet and others, and we partnered with global technology companies in places like China and Japan. We don't know what Sam would have done in these moments, but we know he would have been adapting - and he would have been aggressive. We're drawing on that legacy today and tapping into that DNA.3. Time Horizon - We're playing the long game. Our priority is to position our company for long-term success. History has shown us that companies that focused too much on the short term were doomed to fail. Managing our business on a daily basis is important, but our most important strategic decisions are made in light of what we want our company to become for the next generation.4. Our Associates - People will surprise you. Several times a week I see or hear about something creative our associates have done. It's inspiring to see their ingenuity and pace. Around the world, Walmart associates feel more comfortable taking risk. They're launching minimum viable products to test and learn from. These have enough function to satisfy early adopters, whose feedback informs future design. Result: We go from Product 1.0 to Product 2.0 a lot faster. This is a powerful unlock. We've always said that our people make the difference. We're certainly seeing that today.5. Trust - It's a challenge to have the broader world know the Walmart we know. As we strive to make our company better, we will also look for ways to build trust by communicating the good work our people are doing and its impact. Included is the work we are doing to strengthen our culture of integrity and improve our compliance talent, processes and systems. In our supply chain, we are eliminating waste, using more renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions and making our items and the packages they come in healthier and more sustainable. Of course we aren't perfect. We make mistakes. But, if the world could see all of the hard-working, well-intentioned people inside our company who are making things better in their communities and in the world, I'm convinced they would be moved by it all. I am. The progress we're making is reflected in our results. Last fiscal year, we increased total revenue by 3 percent to $514.4 billion, and we generated $27.8 billion in operating cash flow.Breaking it down, Walmart U.S. grew comp sales 3.6 percent, excluding fuel - the highest annual growth rate in a decade - and eCommerce sales increased 40 percent, nearly doubling the sales of that business over the past two years. And momentum continued at Sam's Club with comp sales growth of 3.8 percent, excluding fuel.Walmart International posted positive comps in eight of our markets, including the four major markets, as we also see our digital transformation and innovations taking hold outside the U.S.In Mexico, many of our customers don't have bank accounts, so the team there launched a new app called Cashi that acts as a digital bank account. At our stores, customers exchange cash for an electronic deposit onto their mobile device then use the app to shop in the store, online, and even to pay their other bills.In many parts of China, same-day delivery really means same-hour delivery. To meet that demand, we invested in a crowd-sourced delivery platform, and now customers in some locations can receive their merchandise within an hour of placing the order.We are also making good progress on omnichannel initiatives in places like Canada and in Japan where we are partnering with eCommerce leader Rakuten to offer grocery delivery.India has 1.3 billion people and an economy approaching $3 trillion, yet its eCommerce business is less than 3 percent. With our acquisition of Flipkart, we have positioned ourselves for growth in one of the top three markets in the world.We are deliberate about where and how we operate. For example, we finalized the majority sale of the business in Brazil, and we continue to explore ways to best serve our customers around the world. This is a period of significant change at Walmart. I think the pace and magnitude of our changes are critical to the company's future as we adapt to an environment that is changing more quickly all the time.We are changing how we work and what we do without changing our purpose and our values. To our customers, thank you. We'll continue to work hard every day to earn your trust and business. To our associates, we are proud of you. Keep it going. To our shareholders, thank you for your interest in our company and your continued support.Doug McMillon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Walmart Inc.</blockquote> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/method-soap-factory-renewable-energy-rooftop-greenhouse-2019-4">Method Soap's factory runs entirely on renewable energy and houses a rooftop greenhouse that produces 1 million pounds of food a year</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/IpCf5A95-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon just released his annual letter to shareholders - read it here

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35513461.cms" /> 
Summer vacation is just around the corner – it is that time of the year that mommies dread and kids love. After all, schools won’t be open for a while and the little devils will be home 24x7. In case you are also wondering how to keep the little champs busy, you have come to the right place. Here’s a to-do list featuring 22 cool activities that you must do with your kids and make the best use of vacations. 
 
Connect with nature 
The afternoons are hot but the pleasant mornings and the cool evenings can be a great time to get close to nature in one of the following ways: 
Swimming: Go for swimming lessons. There’s nothing like having a splash in the pool this summer. 
Family camp: Of course, there are summer camps to take care of your kids, but how about setting up a family camp in your backyard and enjoying the star-lit sky and the sunrise? 
 
You have been teaching your kids the importance of eating fresh food. How about growing it this summer? Discover gardening joys with your kids and grow their favourite veggies right there in your garden. 
Go hiking: Put on your boots and gear up for an adventure-filled hiking trip with your family and friends. Looking for some excitement? Ditch the old route and explore a new trail. 
 
Get fit, get adventurous 
Vacations and holidays make you lazy for sure. How about choosing ‘fitness’ as the theme of your holidays this year? You would agree that even kids need some fitness! 
Sport: Let your kids to learn a specific sport that they are interested in or a sport they enjoy watching on TV. They will love to be a part of the sport that keeps them glued to TV. 
Adventure sports: If ‘normal’ sounds too tame to your kids, they’ll jump at the idea of learning an adventure sport like scuba diving, parasailing, <keyword id="6377604" type="SPORT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rock-climbing">rock climbing</keyword>, bungee jumping, river rafting and so on. 
<keyword id="6366594" type="SPORT" weightage="100" keywordseo="cycling">Cycling</keyword>:How about pushing those pedals together? Encourage your kids to cycle every evening. There’s nothing better than making it a family fitness mantra. 
Replace the toys: Yes, this summer replace your child’s favourite gadgets and toys with things like skipping ropes, balls, racquets, hula-hoops, etc. 
 
Indoor fun 
When the sun shines bright and the sweltering heat becomes too hot to handle, staying indoors is the best idea. Before you tag indoors as boring, here’s what you can do to spice up things. 
Hobby time: If your kids want to pursue a hobby, this is the time to hone their skills. From learning to play a musical instrument to painting or calligraphy – there’s a lot that kids can do indoors, without leaving the comforts of one’s own home. 
Cook for fun: Ask them to join you in the kitchen every now and then. Not only will they enjoy spinning some new recipes but you will also get some breather. 
Clean up: How about engaging the little devils in some cleaning activities? We’re sure that mommies will love this idea. Make it a rewarding activity for kids by showering them with gifts every time they accomplish a goal. 
Make your own rain: Who cares for the rain gods when you have your own hose pipe. Just go ahead and have some splashy fun in the balcony/veranda/backyard. 
Puzzle race anyone? Take out that 100-piece puzzle that was tucked away and see who finishes it first. The more complicated the puzzle, the better it is for the kids. 
Read: Reading is not always boring. Join a nearby library or a book-reading club and we’re sure your kids will become friends with books by the end of this vacation. 
Craft: Give your kids some waste material and assign them a task to create something useful out of trash. What more? Let the best kid win! 
Yes, homework: Doesn’t sound like a cool idea, but do save some time to finish off the school assignments. 
 
Out and about 
There’s no end to going out when you have a long stretch to enjoy. So jot down the places still pending in your ‘must-visit’ list. Here are a few suggestions, though. 
Zoo: It’s never too late to experience wildlife. 
Museums: Get a taste of your city’s history and go museum-hopping these holidays. 
<keyword id="66507" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Picnic">Picnic</keyword>: Yes, pack up that basket and head out to any place that looks nice and comfortable. 
Beach bums: If you stay close to a beach, you can’t miss taking a dip and must make the sand castles. 
Play tourist: How about visiting all the tourists attractions in your city? Parks, gardens, amphitheatres, amusement parks, historical monuments and more. We are sure you will be surprised to discover all that you have been missing. 
Plan trips: Vacation time is not complete without a family <keyword id="20983" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Holiday">holiday</keyword>. So the last but not the least in your ‘to-do’ list should be a visit to an exotic destination. Decide on a place that the whole family will love to visit and go ahead for some fun.

Vacation Tips: 22 Cool Ways To Keep Your Kids Busy This Summer

<table class="image-container float_right" width="200"><tr><td><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/50784f996bb3f7e33b000005-400/630-alarm-clock-wake-up.png" border="0" alt="6:30 alarm clock wake up" /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/leannefisherpower/4246104227/">Fisher power! via flickr</a></td></tr></table>Not only does the early bird get the worm, he's generally happier and has a higher overall satisfaction with his life.
"We don’t know why this is, but there are a few potential explanations. Evening people may be more prone to social jet lag; this means that their biological clock is out of sync with the social clock," Renee Biss, a researcher wrote in a <a href="http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/main/newsitems/morning-people-happier">study conducted by the University of Toronto</a>.
"Society's expectations are far more organized around a morning-type person's schedule."
Robert Oexman, director of the <a href="http://www.sleeptolive.com/">Sleep to Live Institute</a>, told us that "lack of <keyword id="6372996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sleep">sleep</keyword> can manifest itself in erratic behavior, short tempers, and bad decision-making." Sleep-deprived persons also have difficulty remembering details, and don't deal as well in high-pressured situations—such as meetings or new business pitches. 
And it's getting worse nowadays because of technology usage. Young adults in their 20s are experiencing earlier signs of aging attributed to sleep loss. 
So if you're not a born early riser how do you acquire good sleep habits? We compiled some tips to help you get an early start on the day:
1. Skip the caffeine
According to a <a href="http://blog.myzeo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Drake-et-al._Caffeine_2010_APSS-1.pdf">study published in the journal SLEEP</a>, caffeine intake six hours before bedtime is just as disruptive as caffeine three hours before.
2. Limit technology usage before bedtime
"Your bedroom should be reserved for sleep, sex, and nothing else," Oexman told us. "There’s no excuse—if your cell phone is your alarm clock, then buy a $5 alarm clock and solve the problem."
3. Mentally prepare yourself before you go to sleep
<a href="http://goinswriter.com/wake-up-early/">Jeff Goins wrote in his blog</a> that you need to make decisions before you go to sleep, because you can't trust your brain in the morning.
"When I realized waking up early is a battle fought on two fronts, everything changed We must prepare our bodies, but we must also trick our sleepy minds," he said.
4. Wake up to light
<a href="http://www.apartmentlist.com/blog/waking-up-early-tips-for-morning-haters/">Meredith Jaeger advised in her blog</a> that you should sleep with the curtains open so that sunlight can come through your window in the morning. If you're unable to experience sunlight from your bedroom window, get a timer that increases light intensity, which resembles the sun. Some of these models also have built in alarm clocks.
5. Don't hit the snooze button
It might be tempting to hit your snooze button to sleep for a few more minutes, but this doesn't actually help you, Jaeger wrote. This is because the 15 to 20 extra minutes of sleep won't give you any restful REM sleep and you might even feel more groggy when the alarm goes off again. 
Hitting the snooze button is also habit-forming and the more you do it, the more you'll likely do it in the future.
"Alarms should be there to remind you to wake up, not wake you up after six snooze hits," Oexman said.
It might also help to keep your alarm clock far away from your bed so that you're forced to get up in order to turn it off.
6. Find an alarm that doesn't make you angry
<a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/tips-for-becoming-an-early-riser.html">Seth Simonds at Lifehack</a> advised that you should "experiment a bit and see what works best for you. Light, sound, smells, temperature, or even some contraption that dumps water on you might be more pleasant than your old alarm clock."
7. Have a morning routine
You need to get your blood flowing when you wake up <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sleep-expert-explains-how-to-wake-up-2012-5">whether this is stretching</a>, crunches, jump roping or going for a walk to the nearby coffee shop, you need to "get your blood flowing and chase the sleep from your head," Simonds wrote.
Whatever you decide to do, remember that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-3-rules-of-deep-sleep-2011-8">what you do during the daytime will affect your sleep at night</a>, so quit beating yourself up with a bad diet and poor sleeping habits. 
NOW SEE: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/executives-who-get-up-early-2013-1">27 executives who wake up really early &gt;</a> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/executives-who-get-up-early-2013-1"></a>

7 Tricks To Waking Up Earlier

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542ea244ecad047455e7dae0-558-674/screen%20shot%202014-10-03%20at%209.18.03%20am.png?maxX=480" border="0" alt="soldier" width="480">Tom ScardinoTom Scardino during the war.</img></div></div>In July 1944, 19-year-old Tom Scardino was wounded twice in one day fighting the Germans in Normandy. Seventy years later, he still finds it too painful to talk about some of the things he saw during his month in combat, which is why even his immediate family members know almost nothing about his experience during one of the pivotal events of the deadliest conflict in history.
At 89 years old, Scardino has agreed to share his story for the first time in an emotional interview with Business Insider. 
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, a 16-year-old Scardino was too young to enlist with the older boys in his neighborhood in Hoboken, New Jersey.
"A couple of guys joined the Marines right away," Scardino recalled. "We were happy for them. This was '42, and in the latter part, at the end of the year, we got word that both got killed in Guadalcanal."
Their deaths made him more eager to join up, but his father refused to sign papers that would have allowed him to volunteer at 17 years old. A tailor by trade, he was desperate to keep his son home to help with his business. When Scardino was drafted at 18, his father convinced an optometrist to write a note to draft officials falsely claiming that Scardino, who wore glasses, was going blind.
He gave Scardino the note in an envelope to deliver, but Scardino had other plans.
"When I passed [the draft review] I came home to my sister and father. I said, 'I'm 1A, I gotta go,'" Scardino recalled, referring to a classification term meaning that a draftee is available immediately for military service. "[My father said,] 'What do you mean you're 1A? Didn't you show them the envelope? I said, 'Yeah, but the officer said don't worry about it, if he's blind we'll put him in the front.' I made that up. I was gung ho. I wanted to go."
Assigned to the U.S. Army's 90th Infantry Division, 359th Infantry Regiment, Scardino arrived in Britain on March 23, 1944, after a 22-day voyage across the Atlantic. For two months, his unit continued training with frequent marches and maneuvers - while wondering where and when they'd land in France to wrest the continent out of German hands.
 
<h3>D-Day</h3>
On June 1, 1944, the unit transferred to a ship that was oppressively hot and cramped.
"We were in a goddamn sardine can," he recalled. They were supposed to embark on their mission June 5, but bad weather prolonged the invasion until the following morning.
By then, Scardino and his comrades were willing to do anything to get out of the close confines of the crowded ship they'd been stationed on for six days, even if it meant being thrown into battle.
"We were really hopped up and glad to go," he said. "There was no second thoughts."
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542ea6226da811d91c8b4567-1200-924/utah-beach-d-day-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Utah Beach D-Day" width="480"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Utah_Beach#mediaviewer/File:Utah_Beach_Landing.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>American soldiers landing at Utah Beach.</img></div></div>The ship stopped a short distance from the shore of Normandy, where the soldiers, seasick from the rough current in the channel, climbed down ropes to small landing craft that would deliver them to the beaches for the assault.
It was a five to seven-minute ride in the landing craft to Utah Beach, where the first waves of troops with the 4th Infantry Division had already landed.
Scardino expected that some of the 42 soldiers in his landing craft would become casualties that morning.
"No one talked, not a word, but you used your eyes," Scardino explained of that short trip to the beach. "A couple times I stared at a guy and this is my thought as I'm looking: 'Is it you or is it me?'"
Scardino's first sergeant ordered the soldiers in his landing craft to run as fast as they could toward the top of a hill at the end of the beach. He urged them not to stop for any reason, not even to assist a fallen comrade. Their rifles were no match for the German machine gun emplacements firing down at the beach.
"My first thought was, 'Tommy, you're not coming back, but you're going to go down fighting,'" Scardino said. "I just didn't want to show I was scared, but I was."
When the craft landed, Scardino ran through ankle-deep water onto the sand as fast as he could, dashing the 50-75 yards across the beach. He was scrawny and only 140 pounds, yet lugged an eight-pound rifle and 90 pounds of equipment on his back.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542ea59a6bb3f78c085c0cbc-1200-924/utah-beach-d-day.jpg" border="0" alt="Utah Beach D-Day" width="480">ReutersU.S. Army soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division, many of whom landed on Utah Beach just before Scardino's regiment of the 90th Infantry Division, move out after coming ashore in front of a concrete wall near La Madeleine, France, June 6, 1944.</img></div></div>The German guns were firing from a rise above the beach. They were shrouded in thick smoke, and Scardino saw some Americans fall, including one man he trained with who got struck in the head. But Scardino made it safely to a ditch along a road that provided him temporary cover.
"I still have the smell in my nose," Scardino said. "Of death - the flesh, the blood."
One of the first soldiers to join Scardino was a paratrooper from the 101st Airborne Division, who jumped in the ditch from the inland direction after parachuting behind enemy lines hours earlier. Scardino's first sergeant also joined him there, in addition to his best friend since basic training, a street-smart 18-year-old from Chicago named Donald.
They reorganized and then crossed a marshy area, where they saw more carnage. "The guys that went before us, there were Germans all over that goddamn creek, on the roads. They [the Americans] all were killed."
 
<h3>Hedgerows</h3>
After that, a "mixed bag" of infantry soldiers, paratroopers, and even armed farmers advanced across flooded fields and an endless succession of six-foot high hedgerows, lines of dense shrubs and trees dividing various farmers' properties. 
Out of the 42 men in his outfit who had come ashore with him, 14 were killed or wounded by the afternoon of June 6th, according to Scardino.
Because the hedgerows were sharp with thorns, the soldiers had to move single-file through small openings. 
"Now, if the Germans were on the other side, they would gun you down, but we used to send guys out to see if it was clear," Scardino recalled. "The scouts used to go out and say, 'That row is clear.' Okay, we moved up another hedgerow."
For roughly 15 days, the unit spent the majority of its time in hedgerows, guarding the perimeters in shifts at night while the others slept. Scardino stuck close to his friend Donald, who grew so frustrated from German shelling that he threw away his shovel rather than use it to dig foxholes.
"He said, 'I don't need this. I'm not going to dig my grave,'" Scardino recalled.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542eb48ceab8eaeb6a5c0cbd-469-497/screen%20shot%202014-10-03%20at%2010.33.11%20am.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2014 10 03 at 10.33.11 AM" width="480">Tom ScardinoTom Scardino, sitting atop the ledge above his buddies, laughs at their roughhousing during training.</img></div></div>The only respite from the hedgerows came when the soldiers reached occasional villages, where they would spend a day or two clearing buildings of German snipers before moving onward.
"This is what was hurting: You didn't stop for a minute," Scardino said. "You didn't take a deep breath and say, 'OK.' You figured any minute you're going to get killed. That was our thought. Donny used to say, 'Keep going Scar, keep going.'"
But Donald was killed 10 days after D-Day. "When I heard he got it I cried," Scardino said. "Now I'm pissed off and then the only one that calmed me down was the first sergeant. He said, 'Yankee, you have to wipe it off. It was not your turn, it was his turn.' But I didn't believe that. I was mad."
Around June 22 the unit reached a village that was more stubbornly defended by the Germans than all the rest. "It was like a headquarters to them or something," Scardino said. The Americans became pinned down for so long that they were holding up the supply lines behind them and running low on ammunition. They finally cleared the town by fighting house-to-house.
This part of his story Scardino will always keep to himself; he choked up immediately upon mentioning the battle and couldn't continue.
"That hurts so bad when I think about it," he said. "How do you kill a man you never knew?"
Scardino declined to say anything more about this. "This is why I never told anybody or my kids," he added. "I keep seeing that guy, his whole face all the time.
"I've never confessed that as long as I've lived, and I lived with it," he finally said after a long pause, before agreeing to skip to later parts of his story.
 
<h3>St. Lo</h3>
Scardino's unit had two men assigned to a <a href="http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=58">Browning Automatic Rifle</a> (BAR) light machine gun, one to operate it and another soldier to carry the ammunition. After the BAR gunner was killed in a firefight, the ammunition man, who had been separated from his own division since D-Day, didn't pick up the BAR.
Seeing the need for someone to give covering fire from a pile of stones where the BAR gunner had fallen, Scardino abandoned his rifle and took up the light machine gun himself. From then on, he served as the unit's BAR gunner.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542ea791ecad04e66fe7dade-1200-924/normandy-world-war-ii.jpg" border="0" alt="Normandy World War II" width="800">APAmerican soldiers race across a dirt road while under enemy fire near St. Lo, France in July 1944.</img></div></div>On July 3, the unit advanced on the Normandy town of St. Lo, a key objective for the Allies on their way to central France.
The Germans at St. Lo relied on a notoriously effective 88-millimeter artillery gun, a class of weapon called "eighty-eights" by the Americans who had gotten used to its distinct sounds since D-Day. "When that came, man you hit that ground fast," Scardino said. 
"It was worse than D-Day," he said of St. Lo. "I mean, on D-Day we were worrying about the big bunkers and all that stuff. Now you're fighting tanks, you're fighting artillery, the eighty-eights were coming in and they were deadly."
Scardino remembers it as a rainy day, filled with the sound of the eighty-eights. "It's always raining in France," Scardino recalled.
He was running through the grass to get into position with his BAR when a German bullet struck his hand.
A medic bandaged him up in a farmhouse alongside other wounded Americans. But after an enemy counterattack left the farmhouse behind enemy lines, a French civilian evacuated the walking wounded to another building, where Scardino and six other Americans crowded into a hiding space in a basement filled with cognac.
From the hiding spot, Scardino could hear the distinctive sound of the German eighty-eights impacting nearby. The last thing he remembers is the house caving in from a direct hit and someone cutting away at his pants, which were then on fire.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542ea928ecad04157be7dade-1200-924/88mm-gun-normandy-world-war-ii.jpg" border="0" alt="88mm gun, Normandy, World War II" width="800">APThis wrecked German 88mm gun had shelled advancing American forces near Cherbourg, France the day before Scardino was wounded by another such gun.</img></div></div>"I thought I was gone. That's the day I always visualize in my mind - that burning feeling on my legs and all," he said.
Scardino doesn't remember being conscious again until the following morning, when he woke up naked on a stretcher atop a jeep, with a blanket shielding him from the rain. Another wounded man lay on a stretcher next to him.
The next thing he remembers is waking in a hospital with his right arm and right leg covered in a cast. Shrapnel from the German eighty-eight round had embedded in both limbs and shattered bone. "I said, 'Okay, I know I'm going home,'" Scardino recalled of his first thoughts. "But the other part, the infuriating part, was the fact that I'm a cripple."
 
<h3>Home</h3>
But Scardino was wrong; he made a full recovery. Although his hopes of playing major league baseball were gone, doctors installed metal in his arm that allowed him to bend his elbow enough to become a professional bowler later in life. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542eb7e66da81108778b4567-480-557/screen%20shot%202014-10-03%20at%2010.46.57%20am-1.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2014 10 03 at 10.46.57 AM" width="480">Tom ScardinoTom Scardino in uniform with his father.</img></div></div>While stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland late in the war, Scardino befriended a sergeant named Fred who had a very different reason for leaving France after D-Day.
When military officials learned that two of Fred's brothers had been killed in action and a third was a prisoner of war, they ordered him to return to England for a period of rest. After his arrival, they broke the news and told him he'd never go back to the front.
Fred also had a sister named Flora, who he introduced to Scardino. The trio went to dances together, sparking a relationship that culminated in Scardino's marriage to Flora.
After he was discharged from the army in January 1946, he went back to work as a tailor with his father. But he later regretted that he didn't stay in the army.
The Scardinos had six children and settled in Mineola, Long Island. He still doesn't know the fate of the six Americans he hid with in St. Lo when the eighty-eight round struck.
"Everything was so fast. It was 1, 2, 3," he recalled of that moment 70 years ago. He never kept in touch with any of his comrades.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542eb6ba69beddbd5d89a608-831-623/screen-shot-2014-10-03-at-104431-am.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2014 10 03 at 10.44.31 AM" width="800">Tom ScardinoTom Scardino, at 89 years old.</img></div></div>In 2009, Scardino was walking in an airport in Italy on vacation when he saw a face he instantly recognized. 
He stopped. I stopped. And I just walked over to him," Scardino said of that encounter. "I said, 'Is your name Murdott? He said, 'Yeah, are you the kid from New York? I said, 'Yeah.' I grabbed him. I thought he was dead. I thought they blew his head off at the beach. That morning when I was running up I turned my head, he was to my left. I saw the helmet fly off.
Murdott explained that a bullet had indeed struck him at Utah Beach, but his helmet somehow saved his life.
Nowadays, Scardino feels proud that he participated in D-Day. "I truthfully feel very honored to know that I was part of history," he said.
But when a local school principal recently introduced him as a war hero to a gathering of students, Scardino felt embarrassed.
"This is their generation, that's it. This is their life. I don't know if they care or not."

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