FitSugar

Oiselle Runaway Bride Running Wedding Dress: Cool or Not?

Leta Shy — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:42:14 PDT

You want your personality to shine when it's your wedding, and if you're a fitness fanatic, chances are that can mean incorporating details into your day that show your love of healthy living, whether it's a prewedding bridal party hike or a menu chock-full of organic options during the reception.

But for running brides who want to make a statement, there's the Oiselle Runaway Bride wedding dress ($1,756). The short dress is made of performance, moisture-wicking material - perfect for the bride who wants to run a 10k before she walks down the aisle - and includes details that are must haves for your wedding day: a ring pocket, a bouquet holder, and a fuel belt that's hidden to keep your ensemble looking picture perfect.

For such a simple dress, the price seems a little expensive, but it does include in-person fittings and consultations at Oiselle's design headquarters in Seattle (and at less than $2,000 may even be considered affordable in the wedding dress realm).

I love the idea of the perfect dress for a nontraditional wedding that incorporates a couple's love of fitness, but what do you think? Is this wedding dress a good idea, or is the price tag too steep?

Source: Oiselle

Piano Staircase: Cool or Not?

Michele Foley — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:10:14 PST

A friend recently passed along this video from The Fun Theory that documents the following experiment: will more people take the stairs over an escalator by making it fun to do? The group turns a set of stairs in a busy Stockholm metro station into a working piano - the idea being that making things fun can help change people's behavior for the better. Was it a success? Check out the video.

I thought that the concept was pretty cool, and it was fun to watch how a set of musical stairs made people excited during their commute. After seeing the video, some of my friends had quite a different opinion, notably: "It's a pretty sad state of affairs when we have to make taking the stairs 'fun.' Are people really that lazy, because I can think of about 100 other things where that money is more needed."

I love making fitness fun, but does my friend make a valid point?

Jillian Michaels Sells Meal Replacement Shake: Cool or Not?

Michele Foley — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:30:11 PDT

Fitness trainer Jillian Michaels is adding a meal replacement shake to her line of diet supplements. Called the Jillian Michaels Ultimate Shake, it's the trainer's first drink and will come in two flavors: French vanilla and Dutch chocolate. In a press release, Jillian describes the shakes as "high in protein, low in calories, rich in B6, B12, antioxidants, and fiber, contain no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, and best of all, they're absolutely delicious!" They clock in at 180 calories.

While I don't mind a shake as a midday pick-me-up, I need a little more than 180 calories for a meal. Besides, I've never been a huge fan of liquid diets; I like getting my nutrients from fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

What do you think of the Jillian Michaels Ultimate Shake - smooth move or down the drain?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Ruffled Tennis Shorts by Fila: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:47:24 PDT

I can definitely appreciate feminine touches in sportswear. Heck, I've even been known to run in a skirt. When it comes to fashionable sports, tennis, featuring short skirts and fun dresses, wins hands down. Courtly fashions have evolved over the years; the simple white separates have been replaced by the likes of Maria Sharapova's red dress dappled with 600 Swarovski crystals and Venus Williams's Moulin Rouge-inspired outfit she designed for the French Open. Fila is doing its part to keep the cancan theme alive with its ruffled Fall line of tennis gear, which features these flirty, candy-colored shorts.

I am all for ruffles, but these shorts do remind me a bit of tights I wore as I child. Then again, if I could bring my childhood vigor back to the court maybe I would be able to ace some serves. The shorts and the Baseline Women's Tennis Collection, which they are a part of, are not yet available - look for them in early September. Until then, please tell me what you think . . .

Knife and Fork Lift: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:47:48 PDT

You already know that I'm all about fitting fitness into my everyday activities, but I am still on the fence about the Knife and Fork Lift ($40). It's a combination utensil and dumbbell set, and each utensil weighs 1.5 pounds. The website says that the Knife and Fork Lift "serve as a constant reminder that eating puts weight on and requires exercise to take it off."

Given the light weight of the utensils, it's unlikely that you'll develop your guns while eating, but it will feel quite different than an everyday set of serveware. I could see how this set would put you in the mindset of eating slower though, which is a big plus since I tend to eat too fast. Slowing down the eating process aids with digestion and helps prevent overindulging. Tell me . . .

Oakley MP3 Thump Sunglasses: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:47:21 PDT

Even though I'm OK working out without music, I prefer not to. Fun Summer jams get me motivated, and music helps me relax too. But sometimes dealing with an iPod can be annoying. Wires get in the way, and iPod cases can get really smelly and gross. But Oakley may have a solution. The Oakley Split THUMP sunglasses ($175) come with a built-in MP3 player that doesn't require any wires, and gives you seven hours of play. They come equipped with removable ear buds that attach to the glasses themselves, and the player can be controlled with buttons on the side of the frame.

The glasses are made to be sweat-resistant, and the built-in MP3 player can download music straight from your computer, whether you're a Mac or a PC. While the idea seems pretty cool, I feel like an iPod might be easier to control while exercising. What do you think of these glasses?

Should the New Health Care Plan Cover Birth Control?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:30:21 PDT

Fresh on the heels of DrSugar discussing birth control and pregnancy, I wanted to let you all know there is a movement afoot to have the new health care plan include coverage for free birth control. According to MSNBC, the average woman spends "roughly five years trying to get pregnant or being pregnant." Which is considerably shorter than the time she spends trying not to get pregnant: 30 years. The amount of money spent on contraception over that 30 years can run very, very high.

Recently the White House issued new rules requiring health insurance companies to provide access to routine preventative care at no cost to members. Now women's health advocate groups and even some employer groups believe contraception should be added to the list of preventative care. Using birth control correctly prevents unwanted pregnancies, and planned pregnancies have been shown to be healthier for both the mom and baby.

However, not everyone is on board with this idea. Deirdre McQuade, the spokeswoman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, stated, "Fertility is not a disease to be cured, and the government should not treat it as that."

The money side of the proposal has been researched by the National Business Group on Health, who commissioned Price Waterhouse Coopers to study the estimated cost to health plans of providing preventive family planning services. The study determined that the cost is about $40 per member annually, with a typical family policy costing around $13,000 per year.

As a woman who has shelled out a lot of cash over the years for contraception I think this would be beneficial to so many women for so many reasons. What about you?

Carbohydrate Mouth Rinse: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:00:54 PDT

Eating gels, energy bars, and goo is so passé. As reported by the New York Times, athletes can get the same burst of energy from just gargling a carb solution. No eating, no wrappers, no muscle cramps - just gargle and spit. A study found that just having the carbs enter your mouth tricks the body into thinking energy is on the way, which provides the extra energy your body needs to perform. In studies, athletes who rinsed their mouths with a carb solution performed as well as those who fueled up on food or a sports beverage. They also outperformed athletes who were given a placebo mouth rinse.

Of course, spitting out a carb rinse won't satisfy hunger, so endurance athletes are probably better off getting the added nutrition from eating or drinking during a race. And while you can buy carbohydrate mouth rinses at some health stores, you can also make your own. Keep in mind that using artificial sweeteners will have no effect though.

Would Stomping on Mel Gibson Motivate You to Work Out?

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:28:36 PDT

While perusing the Internet today, I came across this image on Animal. I was going to write a picture is worth a thousand words, but this photo is truly all about the text. Please read and let me know what you think.

While I feel running quietly on the treadmill is better form, I am wondering if . . .

Source: Elise Glaser

Slim Fast Wedding Cake Topper Ads: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:47:21 PDT

Losing weight before a wedding is a big deal for a lot of brides. And judging from these ads, it's something that Slim Fast knows well. With a tagline that reads,"Need to lose a little weight before your wedding?" the three different ads show a cake topper where the bride is in an uncompromising position. In one she's gotten so heavy she's fallen through the cake, and in another we see that she's ripped the backside of her dress. While none of these situations are funny IRL, something about using cake toppers gives it a bit of humor. What do you think . . .

View 2 Photos ›

New brides, pay attention! We'll be bringing you tips on how to prepare your body for the big day, but we want to hear what you've been doing to stay in shape too. Head over to the FitSugar Community and post your wedding workout tips, or, if you're already hitched, how did you get healthy for your big day?