FitSugar

Fit Tip: Don't Let One Skipped Day Turn Into a Month

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:30:00 -0800

It's easy to neglect one day of working out - one day is nothing to be concerned about. The problem is when one day turns into two days, two days turn into a week, then a week turns into a month and so on. In order to get yourself motivated and back in the swing of things, don't aim for a full day at the gym. Try and do a short 10 minute run outside or session on the elliptical. Chances are that after the 10 minutes you'll be in the groove and want to keep going.

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Holiday Fit Tip: Short Bursts Are OK

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:30:00 -0800

Most of us think that in order to reap all the benefits of exercise, we need to spend hours in the gym. Lucky for us this is just not the case.

Always keep in mind, but especially during this holiday season, that short bursts of exercise are good too. In fact, a study earlier this year found that anyone who is currently overweight, obese, or sedentary will benefit from just 10 minutes of cardio a day. So while you are trying to figure out a way to fit in a workout during the holidays, don't obsess over how long you are working out, just focus on actually being able to get your body moving - a 10 minute stretch while waiting for water to boil or a 10 minute power walk after dinner will do wonders for your health and your holidays.

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Fittingly Mad: The 10-Minute Workout

FitSugar — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 02:30:00 -0800

Every week I have a stack of fitness DVDs on my desk waiting to be tested. More than half of them have "10 minutes" or "five minutes" written boldly on the cover, implying that this is the length of the workout. Since I've done many fitness DVDs in my time, I know that while the DVD claims "10 minutes to a toner you," that is simply not the case.

We think, "10 minutes? Well shoot, I've got 10 minutes to get in a workout." However, once you pop in the video, you find that there are actually several 10 minute portions to the workout that could add up to more than an hour. Sure you don't have to do them all, but I have a hard time putting in a DVD and simply doing the 10 minute warm-up and feeling good about my workout. I've even seen one minute workout videos - one minute! What is not made clear is that the video is actually made up of 127 one-minute segments, which is over two hours! Here we were thinking we were going to be done in one minute!

Sure, a few minutes is definitely better than nothing. However, I am mad that these companies are trying to draw us in with claims of getting in an entire workout in just 10, eight, six, five minutes, or even one. Why can't they just be forthright? I want to know what I am getting myself into and I don't appreciate bold misleading claims. Be wary of DVDs with such claims. I am not saying you won't get in a good workout, just don't expect it to be in 10 minutes or less.

On a side note, did anyone ever seen There's Something About Mary? Every time I see a video that promises results in 10 minutes or less, I think about the hitchhiker.

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Just Ten Minutes Will Do

FitSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 07:30:00 -0700

A new study has found that, if you're currently overweight, obese or sedentary, just 10 minutes a day can improve your cardiovascular fitness.

This is great news for anyone who thinks they don't have enough time in the day to exercise because it's so easy to squeeze in ten minutes. Once you start getting used to ten minutes, you can then up the time until you are able to fit in at least 30 minutes on most days.

Fit's Tip: I know what you're thinking, but if you're not currently sedentary (or overweight) then don't use this post as an excuse to cut your workout time to ten minutes.

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An At Home Workout Anyone Can Do in 10 Minutes

FitSugar — Thu, 10 May 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Unfortunately not all of us have the luxury of going to the gym or stepping outside into beautiful weather all the time (ain't that right Seattle?).

MSNBC's Fit List this week is all about how to get in a 10 minute (maybe more like 15) workout at home. The best part is that you'll be using stuff you already have lying around the house.

Start with your kitchen chair to warm up. Sit down and stand back up. Do this for one minute.
Go to the stairs and start climbing up one step at a time. Go up and down 8 to 10 times. If you don't have stairs, use a small step stool. Position it next to a wall so you can place your hand on the wall for balance. Step up and down on the stool (up with the right foot and then up with the left foot, down with the right and then down with the left) for one minute.
Go to a wall and place your back against it. Your feet should be about one foot away from the wall. Now, slide down the wall until the hips are parallel to the knees. The knees should be directly over the ankles. Keep your back pressed against the wall and place your hands comfortably on the thighs. Hold this position for one minute using an egg timer. If you can't make the full minute, hold as long as you can.
Sit in the kitchen chair and hold detergent bottles, one in each hand. Curl them up toward your shoulders to work the biceps. Do three sets of 12 with a rest in between sets. Drink some water while you rest.
Place a three-foot strip of masking tape on the floor in front of you. Stand on one side of the tape and with both feet hop over the tape. Go back and forth for one minute on the egg timer. If you can't jump with both feet, hop one foot to the other foot. Once you get the hang of it you will progress to hopping with both feet. This is great for getting your heart rate up, burning calories, strengthening your bones and improving balance.

There's five more moves, so read more

Go back to the chair and hold the detergent bottles again, this time extending your arms out to the sides. Raise them up until they are at shoulder level. Then return them back down to your sides. This exercise works your shoulders. If the weight is too much, pour out some water, but make sure you keep the same amount in each bottle.
Walk to the bath tub (or you can use the kitchen chair) and sit on the edge. Place your hands on the edge of the tub with your fingers hanging over the front edge. Pull yourself off the edge so you are supporting yourself with your arms. Lower yourself down and up by bending your elbows. Do three sets of 12. This exercise is for the back of the arms, the triceps.
Finish up the workout by getting on the floor near your coffee table (or ottoman). Place your feet on the table and lift your hips up off the floor and squeeze the hips and buttocks. Lower back down. You will feel this in the back of your legs. Do three sets of 10 lifts.
Keep yourself in the same position and place your hands behind your head. Lift your shoulders up off the floor and exhale as you lift. This is for your abs. Do three sets of 15.
Lie flat on the floor, arms stretched out and legs extended. Breathe in and out while you relax.

One thing is for sure: I, for one, will definitely be doing dips using the side of my bathtub tonight. I love this idea!

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High Blood Pressure? Take a Short Walk

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 04:23:55 -0800

Researchers at the University of Indiana have found that short bursts of exercise, rather than long durations, will help lower blood pressure. While the study found that both forms of exercise (short and long) lowered blood pressure by the same amount, the effect lasted for 11 hours with 10-minute walks compared to seven hours for 40 minutes of walking.

What do the numbers mean? Depending on your age and heart history, a healthy blood pressure is anywhere from 120/80-140/80. Systolic (high number) measures when the heart contracts and pumps blood out. Diastolic (low number) measures between the beats, as your heart fills with blood again.

Fit's Tip: It is much easier to find the time for 10 minute walks -- So if you're looking to lower your blood pressure then go for a walk during your lunch hour. If you're doing a lot of traveling, take a short walk through the terminal during your layovers.

DVD Review: 10-Minute Solutions Hip-Hop Dance Mix

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:30:32 -0700

I tend to avoid hip hop-based fitness videos, out of fear the instructors will be too perky for my taste. But since I like the 10-Minute Solution series, I leaped into 10-Minute Solution Hip-Hop Dance Mix DVD ($13.50) hoping for a good workout and some new moves for the dance floor.

Though most of the routines aren't very club-worthy, they make for a hearty, thorough, but not super-intense cardio workout. To really get your heart pumping, do all five 10-minute segments in quick succession. The instructor is perky but not annoying and very accessible; she assigns names to all the moves and calls them out clearly to help you can keep up.

If you're a beginner, I recommend starting with the first segment, hip-hop basics. It will help you get a feel for the steps and how the routines build on each other. As with most dance-based fitness videos, you learn the moves one by one and add more as you go to form longer combos. Some of the routines - particularly Edgy Grooves and Cardio Street Heat - are hard to follow on first viewing, but after a few tries, even beginners will find them manageable.

You don't have to have a dance background to do this video; just the patience to learn. My only complaint was the music: your typical Casio-esque fitness DVD beats. I think some actual hip hop would motivate me to move even more.

DVD Review: 10 Minute Solution KnockOut Body

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Famous ladies like Lauren Conrad, Jenna Fischer, and Adriana Lima swear that boxing is a great way to get in shape without getting bored. I concur with their assessments after working out with 10 Minute Solution KnockOut Body Workout Kit with Weighted Gloves ($22). As with the other 10 Minute Solution DVDs, the video is broken up into five, 10-minute workouts that can be done separately, all at once, or you can customize by pairing two or three workouts. I chose to do all of them together and found myself glistening with sweat by the end.

While I enjoyed all of the segments, the Fat Attack and Kickbox Cross Train sections were my favorite, and I wore the provided weighted gloves for extra challenge. The workouts are designed to get your heart rate up with punching, kicking, jumping, and sculpting moves. Both segments incorporate varieties of lunges, and the Kickbox Cross Train is particularly appealing for those looking to spice up typical gym moves. The coach, Jessica Smith, takes you through exercises like squats into overhead tricep extensions with an added heel lift, and reverse lunges into backwards kicks.

The 50-minutes flew by and I had a blast. It provides an intermediate level workout, so I wouldn't rely on it for your sole source of cardio, but it will definitely get your heart rate up and burn some calories. I know I'll be popping this video in on days that I just don't feel like leaving the house to work out. To see a clip of the DVD, read more.

DVD Review: 10 Minute Solution Quick Tummy Toners

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0800

I have rarely met a 10 Minute Solution video I didn't like. Lately I can't get enough of Pilates Perfect Body, but I decided to mix up my routine with 10 Minute Solution Quick Tummy Toners. The video promises five 10-minute workouts that all focus on slimming your waist and strengthening your core. Rather than sticking strictly to Pilates or yoga, the video uses both, in addition to a cardio segment.

I expected (and hoped) that a 50-minute ab workout would leave my core muscles pleasantly sore - so I could really feel it working. But in this sense, I was disappointed. I wasn't really sore the next day at all, but I wanted to be. While I enjoyed the workout and found it easy to follow, I felt like it should have worked my abs harder. The yoga abs portion was compelling and would be tough for beginners, but it wasn't as focused on tummy toning as I would have liked. I also really liked the cardio interlude - it was tough but fun - but it lacked core concentration.

Though the segments stressed the idea of whittling away the waist, that idea seemed more symbolic than strenuous. While I'll keep this DVD on hand to mix up my routine, I'm going to keep looking for the ultimate ab workout.

DVD Review: 10 Minute Solution Pilates Perfect Body

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:00:18 -0800

If host Suzanne Bowen's physique is any indication, the name of this DVD - 10 Minute Solution: Pilates Perfect Body - isn't hyperbolic. In fact, I found her muscle tone highly motivating as I was feeling the burn in my own muscles. Bowen is like a highly skilled and encouraging friend, moving fluidly from one move to the next while acknowledging that it's not easy for most people.

This DVD is certainly more challenging than 10 Minute Solution: Rapid Results Pilates, which I also enjoyed. Like the rest of the series, the vid is split into five 10-minute workouts: Pilates perfect belly, buns and thighs, arms, perfect silhouette, and a stretching series. It's easy to follow, but because it offers creative twists on classic mat Pilates, it won't bore intermediate users. The ab and leg workouts are especially challenging, targeted, and intense. I found myself using the perfect silhouette and comparatively easy stretching segments as a much-needed break.

The main reason I recommend this video is plain and simple: The results are palpable. After doing it once, I was significantly (but pleasantly) sore, and after three workouts in two weeks, I could really feel the effects of the extra toning.