FitSugar

Multitasking Move: Shoulder and Calf Toning Plank to Pike

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:15:07 PDT

You can save time at the gym by doing multitasking strength training moves that work more than one part of the body at once. Here's one to add to your routine that appears simple from the photo below, but it'll have your shoulders and calves burning in no time.

Grab a set of dumbbells and

Come into plank position with straight arms and legs, holding a dumbbell in each hand on the floor. If you don't have a pair, you can place your palms on the floor or on two yoga blocks.
Keeping your abs engaged, slowly tiptoe your feet as close to your hands as possible with straight legs. Keep your heels lifted the entire time. Then moving with control, tiptoe your feet back to plank position. Don't rush your movements.
This counts as one rep. Complete three sets of 10 reps.

If you like this toning exercise, try these other multitasking moves.

Get on the Ball: Calf Raises

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:30:00 PST

There are tons of exercises that work your booty and thighs, but what about your calves? It's important to tone these muscles because not only do they look sexy in your gym shorts, but strong calves will help you run faster and tackle hills with ease. Here's an exercise that you can even do while at your desk. All you need is an exercise ball or chair, and a light set of dumbbells.

To learn how to do this calf toner

Sit on a ball, chair, or workout bench. Hold a three to five pound dumbbell on your lower quad, just above your knee.
Slowly lift both heels off the ground as high as comfortable, so you are on the balls of your feet. Then slowly lower them back to the floor.
Repeat 15 to 20 times, for a total of three sets, doing this calf stretch after eat set.

Attention, Brides: If You're Wearing Heels on Your Big Day, Read These Tips

Leta Shy — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 02:28:57 PDT

For many brides, the perfect wedding-day outfit includes a jaw-dropping white gown and a princess-worthy pair of heels. But if you're donning a pair of pumps for your big day, make sure you read these tips to keep your feet happy and healthy.

Stretches and exercises are important: Wearing heels too often can lead to different ailments, like bad posture, bunions, and tendinitis (not to mention the injuries that can happen if your heels cause you to fall), so help combat these problems and embarrassing tumbles down the aisle by regularly doing exercises and stretches that strengthen your ankles, calves, and feet. Here are four types of exercises high-heel wearers should be adding to their routine.

Switch to flats: A recent study found that women who wore high heels for 40 hours a week had permanent changes in their Achilles tendon and calf muscles, leading to muscle fatigue and increased risk of injury. The best solution? Wear flats only or alternate between heels and flats - especially leading up to your big day - so your muscles aren't overused, and your high-heel habit doesn't lead to a painful injury right before your wedding. Stashing a few pairs of flats for you and your bridesmaids to wear later at the reception can be a lifesaver after a full day wearing heels.

Practice postparty relief: The vows have been said, the cake's been cut, and you and your guests have danced the night away. Soothe achy feet the day after your wedding with - you guessed it - even more stretches (not to mention a cooling trick for sore soles). Get our tricks for relieving achy feet after a long night here.

4 Relatively Discreet Exercises to Do While You Wait

Leta Shy — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:32:47 PST

We spend a lot of time waiting in line, at the doctor's office, or for a dinner reservation, to name a few. But that doesn't mean time waiting should be time wasted. Strengthen your muscles with only the slightest disturbance to your neighbors. Here are four relatively discreet exercises you can do when standing around in public (with little or no embarrassment!).

Lower-body barre moves: Barre exercises rely on small isometric movements to build muscle, so they don't require a lot of attention-getting moves. If you're near a wall, chair, or countertop, you can do the two standing Pure Barre exercises from this video: the standing pretzel and the semi-push-up. Both work your backside and while they look deceptively simple, you'll feel the burn in no time.

Calf raises: Strong calf muscles are important for flexibility as well as strong ankles, so you should make calf stretches part of your regular routine. The good news is you can do calf stretches anywhere, so remember this three-variation calf stretch routine the next time you're stuck in line.

Two more exercises you can do while waiting in public after the break.

Essential Exercises For Your Lower Body

Leta Shy — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:12:24 PST

As Summer nears, our thoughts turn to what's underneath those layers of Winter clothes. If you're looking to tone your backside and legs before bikini season, here are five essential lower-body moves fundamental to any workout. And don't worry - you can do them anywhere!

The squat: That burning in your upper thighs as you hold a squat tells you just how great this move is for lower body muscles like hamstrings, glutes, quads, and the lower back, not to mention helping with your balance.
Don't forget: While doing squats, remember to keep your weight in your heels, not your toes, and as you lower yourself, pretend that you are sitting in a chair. Learn more on how to do a perfect squat and different squat variations here.

The lunge: This leg-strengthening move works the same muscles as a squat, but the movement required in the exercise helps you work your core muscles and balance as well. Another plus: between walking (forward or backward) or adding weights to your lunge workout, the possibilities are endless when it comes to lunge compound moves.
Don't forget: Make sure that your upper body is straight and upright, with shoulders down and chin up. When lowering your body, your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle, with the front knee never going past your ankle and bottom knee never touching the floor. Engaging your core muscles will help keep you centered and balanced. When you've mastered that, here are five lunge variations to try.

Read on for more essential lower-body exercises.

How to Deal With Spring Running and Shin Splints

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:57:26 PDT

When Spring weather hits, many runners can't wait to wave goodbye to the treadmill and head to the open road. All that fresh air and gorgeous scenery gives the sense of freedom, but it can also cause a painful sensation in the front of the lower legs. Shin splints are a common ailment for runners switching from the treadmill to the road, and if a runner doesn't take certain precautions, that pain can really put a wrench in their training routine.

Shin splints are small tears in the area where the lower leg muscle attaches to the tibia, aka the shin bone. The tears result from overuse, and since running on pavement taxes your muscles more than a treadmill, many runners complain of shin pain when they first begin outdoor runs. Shin splints often occur because the calf muscle becomes stronger than the tibialis anterior, the muscle on the outside of the shin. Even if the ache isn't that bad, it's still a minor injury. Pushing through the pain could result in more severe tears - an injury that could sideline your running routine altogether.

Keep reading to learn how to prevent shin splints.

Improve Your Running With Squats

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:22:38 PST

Don't skip out on strength training just because you think running is the ultimate form of exercise. Building a little muscle should be part of every runner's cross-training fitness routine. Squats, a classic lower-body move, is great for runners for these four reasons.

Prevent knee injuries: Knee pain is one of the most common injuries runners face. Aside from wearing supportive sneakers and running on softer surfaces, strengthening the muscles around this joint can also reduce your risk of pain and injury. Try these wall squats to strengthen your upper legs.
Increase your speed: Practicing sprinting intervals and negative splits will make you a faster runner, but first and foremost, you need muscular legs to have the ability to propel your body forward with each step. Goddess pose, a form of a wide squat, is a killer move that will have your thighs and booty burning. To target your calves and hamstrings, do this variation that Cameron Diaz uses called the Plié With Calf Raise.

Continue reading for two more reasons runners need to do squats.

High Heels Can Give You Barbie Feet

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:41:45 PST

High heels. You either love them or hate them, but you can't deny they are chic. We love the height boost and illusion of longer legs they offer, but we do realize they're not the best things for our feet. Unfortunately, recent research shows that these lovely shoes may be worse than previously thought.

In a study of longtime high heel wearers, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers found wearing heels actually shortens the fibers of the calf muscle, making the Achilles tendon stiffen instead of flex when walking. High heels keep feet in a pointed position, so even when habitual high heel wearers (those who wore heels at least 40 hours a week) slipped off the pumps, their feet were so used to walking with the heels raised that it became the new norm for their muscles and joints - think permanent Barbie feet. The constantly engaged calve suffers from serious muscle fatigue, but switching abruptly from heels to flat shoes, like sneakers, puts stiletto wearers at a greater risk for injury.

Keep reading to find out what you can do to heal your heel-wearing legs.

From the Community: the Best Exercise You Aren't Doing

Fit Community — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:10:46 PST

FitSugar community member (and fitness instructor) livinginthin has shared a how-to on an overlooked exercise that everyone should be doing.

Running, cycling, squatting, jumping, curling, crunches, and lunging - you do it all, right? Well, the one move you aren’t doing is probably the one that can keep you doing all those things (and more), pain and injury-free for a lifetime.

What is it? Dorsiflexion. In layperson’s terms, dorsiflexion is the action of the foot that occurs when you pull your toes back toward your shin, engaging the foot and ankle muscles (the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus).

Weak muscles in this part of the leg can cause everything from muscular imbalances to an impaired gait and even tripping and falling (as we age, we lose even more strength in this area, which makes it harder to step properly), says Dr. Yoav Suprun, PT, Dip. MDT, a certified personal trainer, physical therapist, and owner of SOBE Spine in Miami Beach, FL.

Learn what exercises you should be doing to combat these muscle strains, after the break!

RX For Shin Splints: Ice Massage

Susi May — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:39:21 PST

Shin splints are the bane of many new runners. The tight calves that accompany mileage increases can spell pain for the lower leg. If running causes any discomfort, take time off to allow your shin splints to heal. But you need not sit idle on the sidelines while you recuperate: ice massages help, too. A serious runner, my Equinox trainer reminded me of the healing combo of ice and massage to decrease the inflammation around the tibia (anatomy speak for shin), caused by this overuse injury. The technique is simple, but first you need to make the ultimate tool: the icing cup!

Make Your Own Icing Cup
Used in gyms and physical therapy clinics, an icing cup protects your fingers from freezing and provides a perfectly sized contact point for massaging troubled spots. Take six Dixie cups, fill them with water, and freeze. When it comes time to ice, peel back the paper and begin the massage.

The Massage
Starting by your foot, place your icing cup on the outside of your shin, on the tibialis anterior muscle. Making long strokes toward your knee, massage the muscle with an amount of pressure that feels good. Mix up your massage strokes and try small circular patterns, once again starting at the ankle and working up toward the knee. After five minutes of massaging, finish your 20-minute icing cycle with 15 minutes of static icing by placing an ice pack (or frozen peas or corn) on your shin. Aim to massage and ice twice a day.

If you're not up for an ice massage, you can always show your shins some foam roller love. Do keep stretching your calf muscles, and once the pain diminishes try these easy exercises to strengthen the tibialis anterior.