FitSugar

9 Reachable Fitness Resolutions For 2009

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:00:56 PST

If you're trying to get fit for 2009, you're certainly not alone. When setting New Year's resolutions, sometimes you'll have better luck focusing on several small goals than one major one. Sure, it's easy to say you'll be running a 5k by February, but just in case something gets in the way of your big aspiration, add some easily reachable resolutions to your list as well.

Taking some inspiration from your resolutions for 2009, I've come up with nine health and fitness goals that are totally attainable in 2009. To see what they are,

Drink one extra glass of water a day
Cut out soda, diet or otherwise
Spend five minutes a day on a relaxation exercise
Take the stairs whenever possible
Floss once (or twice) a day
Work out at least three times a week
Eat an extra serving of fruits and vegetables every day
Go to bed one hour earlier
Make an effort to improve your posture

Source

Love May Keep You From Going to the Gym, According to Study

Leta Shy — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:11 PST

When trying to stick to your New Year's resolutions, having a support system can be very important. After all, encouragement from your significant other motivates you to stick to your new diet and exercise regimen, right? Actually, a new study says that all that support from your partner may be keeping you from accomplishing your fitness goals.

The study, published in the new issue of Psychological Science, surveyed 52 women and found that focusing on specific ways their significant others supported them in reaching their health and fitness goals made them decide to slack off more than those who did not think about it. Another group ended up procrastinating longer on a task after they thought about the help they would receive from their loved one.

Turns out, when we realize how much support we're getting from our loved ones, it may subconsciously allow us to give ourselves more leeway, a phenomenon called "outsourcing exertion." In other words, thinking about how much your partner shares the burden of your goals allows you to justify working less hard toward them yourself!

If you're paired off, however, you're not doomed to a couch potato life. The researchers said the effect was only seen when respondents focused on a specific goal, and the respondents' dependency on their partners made them more likely to stay committed to the relationship. So while musing about all the ways your partner supports your daily gym run can be detrimental, their actual acts of helping you stick to a diet and exercise routine are all good news!

11 Ways to Print Instagram Photos

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:09:01 PDT

Instagram is the easy way of creating dreamy iPhone photos in a flash. The filters work their magic so well that nearly every picture comes out looking like a keepsake. Making those memories permanent can be just as easy with these tools for turning Instagram photos into a lasting work of art.

PostalPix - Use this iPhone app to print four-inch squares from your Instagram library for only 30 cents each. Fast shipping, matte finish, professional quality resolution, and the convenience of mobile shopping make this our first stop for Instagram prints. They even sell just-right square 4-inch wooden frames.
CanvasPop - Those filtered photos are worthy of an at-home gallery. Create a high-resolution 12-inch square or 20-inch square stretched canvas print for the temporary price of $30 and $60, respectively. Buy multiple canvases for an artful wall vignette.
Printstagram - The company offers multiple ways to print Instagram photos, but the 20-by-40-inch posters will make the most stunning addition to a living room wall. Between 50-400 photos are arranged in a clean grid on thick, archival paper for $25.
Blurb - Haven't looked at a photo album in a while? Blurb brings back what now seems like an antiquated way of sharing photos with a modern, Instagram twist. Softcover books with 20 pages of Instagram photos runs $11 and a hardcover is $22. Christmas present, perhaps?
Postagram - A fun way to show people you're thinking of them, Postagram mails a postcard with popout Instagram photo and message to friends for 99 cents each. A thoughtful alternative to a birthday e-card!

Three more ways to print Instagram beauties after the break.

Resolution Revisit: Gadgets To Meet Your Goals

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:16:39 PST

Welcome to mid-January, time to revisit the completely attainable resolutions (keep up that positive thinking!) you set for yourself on Jan. 1. It's tempting to lose steam in the middle of Winter, so snag one of these fitness gadgets to get back in-line with your 2012 workout goals.

Do you have any other tech tips and motivators to maintain an exercise routine?

7 Apps to Download For the New iPad

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:03:36 PDT

Retina display! Amazing 2048 x 1536 resolution! But now that the new iPad is here, which apps should you download to best appreciate each of those 3.1 million pixels? Many app makers are revamping display quality to fit the iPad resolution, so we've rounded up six that are the most "resolutionary."

iPhoto ($5) - A must for the new iPad, edit and further beautify your pictures with the ease of a few quick gestures.
Star Walk ($3) - Tour the universe in all its stunning, bright-eyed wonder.
Mass Effect Infiltrator ($7) - Galactic battles redesigned with out-of-this-world graphics.
IncrediBooth ($1) - The fun of photo booth strips, without the machine eating your dollars.
Flipboard (Free)- Flip through online magazines, RSS feeds, and social media in the vivid revamp of this popular app.
The New York Times (Free) - Keep up with world events as if you're actually there.
Vimeo (Free) - The documentaries and fun videos Vimeo is known for get some added definition.

New iPad owners, which apps are looking extrabeautiful on the new screen?

Do You Think About Weight Loss More For Bikini Season Than For New Year's?

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:06:20 PDT

'Tis the season for Spring break and bikinis - is weight loss on your mind more than usual? During certain times of the year, health and fitness tend to become more of an issue. First, there's January, when one of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to lose weight. Bikini season and Spring break marks yet another stretch of weeks when scales and diets go mainstream, then Summer signals the start of shorts and sleeveless tanks. What do you think?

Do You Exercise More Than Most Americans?

Leta Shy — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:03:06 PDT

Now that we're comfortably into the year, it's time to take a check: are those New Year's resolutions sticking or are they long forgotten? If you're like most Americans, you're keeping up with your workouts; new survey results from Gallup found that most of us exercise three times a week for at least 30 minutes.

The results show that a small majority (51 percent) of Americans exercise at least three days a week, and another 18 percent said they exercise at least once or twice a week. However, almost a third of Americans said they don't exercise at all - worrisome, since a sedentary lifestyle can lead to an increased risk of disease or other health conditions later on in life.

The good news, however, is that the survey found that most people exercise more in the warmer months, so if the temps have got you feeling inspired, gear up for Spring with these tips for cleaning and organizing your fitness routine and learn just which Spring workout burns the most calories here.

Tell us, do you exercise more than three times a week?

Quick Tip: Remember to Start Off Slow

Leta Shy — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:57:38 PST

It's one thing to have a healthy goal (like weight loss) for New Year's, and it's another to set yourself up with unrealistic time lines (like losing 10 pounds by the end of the week). New Year's resolutions can be motivation you need to start the year out strong, but they can also give you unneeded pressure to reach your goals ASAP.

Whether your normal routine has disappeared in lieu of holiday celebrations and cake, or if you've vowed that this is the year that you'll become a gym rat, remember to take it slow. No matter what your starting point, taking it to the next level should involve a slow ramping up and not an all-out body-straining routine, which can not only lead to discouraging aches and pains but also injuries that sideline you even when you want to keep going.

Want some strategies to help you start out slow and build your routine gradually? We've got tips on how to ramp up your workout once you've mastered your current one, how to restart exercise after an injury or sickness, and how to jump back on the fitness bandwagon after your exercise routine has taken a hiatus.

Win a Year of KIND Healthy Snacks and a Magimix Food Processor

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:30:23 PST

It's the New Year and time to get back on track, jump-start your January, and get fit for 2012. All month long, we're helping you set your path for the rest of the year by breaking down the different fundamentals of a healthy and fit lifestyle. Our focus for the next seven days is how to fuel your body.

We're giving away amazing prizes to help you meet your goals! This week's prize prepares you for a year of healthy eating. For starters, we are giving away a year's supply of KIND Healthy Snacks bars (that's 72 bars a month) - plus some KIND Healthy Grains, perfect for a superfood snack. We're also giving away a powerful food processor from Magimix. The amazing Magimix by Robot-Coupe 4200XL 14-Cup Food Processor, with a juice extractor and smoothie mix attachment, will help you prepare healthy meals, smoothies, and juices all year long.

Enter below and you could be one of two lucky winners to receive a year's supply of KIND Healthy Snacks and a Magimix by Robot-Coupe 4200XL 14-Cup Food Processor!

This giveaway has ended.

Check us out on Facebook, where we will be keeping our own fitness diary and providing tips, advice, recipes, and workouts for all of our fans. If you're craving more fitness gear and goodies, enter our Under Armour giveaway for $500 to spend on Under Armour and our Asics giveaway for a year's supply of Asics running shoes. Good luck!

Tiny Yet Mighty Tips For Beginner Yogis

Heather Dale — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:50:16 PST

Perhaps signing up for yoga classes was one of your healthy New Year's resolutions? I have found that yoga can be practiced by anyone at any age and it does a body good . . . both inside and out. And contrary to popular belief, yoga is so much more than just stretching - it's a union of the mind, body, and spirit. Here are some tips I've learned after years of practice that should help you get started.

Inhale and exhale: Breathing is an integral part of yoga. It's easy to become so focused on achieving a particular pose that we tense up and forget to breathe. Proper breathing in yoga keeps you mindful of your practice and aware of each movement. Once connected to your breath, balance improves, muscles relax, and you're less prone to injury - hello, oxygen! The best way to breathe during yoga is deep down in your diaphragm (the large muscle right below your lungs). Slowly expand the lungs, pressing down the diaphragm, and causing your abdomen to expand as your lungs fill with air.

Keep reading for more tips.