FitSugar

Partner Yoga Pose: Forward Flying

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:00:00 PDT

Soothing partner yoga poses such as Dog Hero, Massage Table, and Double Gate are great for connecting with someone or for a good stretch, but sometimes I'm in the mood for something a little more fun and challenging. You've probably done this flying move with your 2-year-old niece, but it's not just for kids. The reason it's so great when you're older is because the person on the top can utilize the force of gravity to feel deeper stretches, and the person on the bottom experiences an amazing lower-back release from the weight of his or her partner.

To find out how to fly with a partner

The person on the bottom is called the base and the person on the top is called the flyer. Both men and women are strong enough to be the base and lift their partner (as you can see in the video), so if you're practicing this pose with a guy, make sure you have a chance to lift him up too.
The base begins on his back on the floor with his legs in the air. The flyer stands facing him with her toes close to his bum.
The guy on the bottom bends his knees slightly, and the flyer reaches for his feet and places them right below her hip bones. The base makes sure his heels point in, so his toes can wrap around her hips.
Now they hold hands and as the flyer leans into the base's feet, he straightens his legs, and lifts the flyer into the air. It's very important that the person on top keep her feet below her hips at first until they find their balance.
This is the first step in flying with a partner. If both partners are feeling stable, they can go ahead and try some of the moves demonstrated in the video. It helps to move slowly but if they lose their balance and the person on top falls over, it's totally normal. Doing tricks while flying requires a lot of practice, so it may take many attempts before the flyer is able to soar without falling to the floor.

Top 10 Thrilling 3D Moments in The Avengers

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:00:46 PDT

Avengers fans, rest assured, you have every reason to be excited for the film's release on Friday. The visual effects in The Avengers are absolutely stunning, and the 3D rendering draws you straight into the action.

With six superheroes to follow, the action scenes are diverse and gripping, with just the right amount of near-death drama to keep you on the edge of your seat. Explosions galore, flying contraptions, rad weaponry, and battles by air and by sea, there are plenty of jaw-dropping moments thanks to the mastery of Industrial Light & Magic's visual effects. Without giving away any pertinent plot details, here are 10 scenes that 3D and effects fans can look forward to.

The massive security center that secures the tesseract cube implodes during a car chase. As tons of concrete rubble is sucked into the earth, its force nearly drags the cars down too.
The whopping 1,500-foot fleet carrier S.H.I.E.L.D. base transforms into a flying space ship. Just when you think it can't get any cooler, its reflective panels engage, making it disappear.
Thor and Iron Man (arguably the best-looking men on the team) duke it out in the woods, destroying a lot of trees in the meantime. I don't know what's more awesome: seeing Thor's thunderous strength match up against Iron Man's tech-savvy smarts, or the hilarious banter between the two.
It's the moment everyone is anticipating: when will Hulk emerge from Dr. Banner? When Dr. Banner's anger hits a climax, it only takes a few heavy, unnerving breaths before the Hulk roars his way into his monstrous size.
Trapped in a glass capsule, Thor clatters around violently as he plunges 30,000 feet into the Earth. The impact decimates the wilderness around him, yet Thor's quick recovery is glorious.

Click here to read about five more awesome scenes.

3 Reasons to Work Your Back in Time For Summer

Leta Shy — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:17:24 PDT

When it comes to looking your best on the beach, it's not all about how to build a six-pack or which exercises make your backside look the best in a bikini. In fact, having a healthy and strong back can make you feel your best on the beach in more ways than one. Here are some essential back exercises and why they will help you rock a swimsuit with confidence.

Stand tall and slim: Wanna look five or 10 pounds lighter without dropping a number on the scale? Stand correctly! Having bad posture pushes out your belly and rounds out your shoulders, making you look shorter and fatter in an instant, so it's important to add posture-building workouts to your bikini-ready routine. Stand tall with this standing reverse fly exercise and these eight back and shoulder exercises and stretches to combat any workday slouching.

Help banish the muffin top: While all the spot-training in the world won't melt away your muffin top, doing specific workouts that target your torso and upper back will create a slimmer, more toned look. If you're dreading showing off any of the extra padding you've accumulated around your waistline, try a few of our back-strengthening exercises to help you tone, like this video of how to do the Superman exercise and these exercises that will help you get rid of your muffin top.

Stay injury-free: A strong back helps keep you injury-free by preventing imbalances and unnecessary strain. If you're looking forward to an active Summer burning calories outdoors, start working on your back muscles to make sure an injury doesn't sideline your fitness fun. Get more bang for your buck with this butt-lifting, back-strengthening single leg dumbbell row or try these four spine- and torso-stabilizing exercises to keep your back healthy and strong.

13 Health Gimmicks You Can Stop Wasting Money On

Business Insider — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:15:21 PDT

Consumers have a tendency of falling for the next big health gimmick. Save your money on health duds with these Business Insider tips.

No matter how many times we're told otherwise, Americans' obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die. Too bad most of these fads aren't worth their weight in salt - or your hard-earned dollars. We've put together a list of some of the worst budget-sucking health trends that still persist today.

Coconut Water

Coconut water may be nature's version of Gatorade but some brands have already caught fire for over-hyping its nutrient content. Vita Coco agreed to settle a $10 million class action lawsuit over an independent study that showed the drinks didn't pack near as many electrolytes as advertisements implied. Some coconut waters are also loaded with added sugar, which will do nothing to help your waistline.

Alternative: Pick up your own young green coconuts on the cheap from an Asian produce market. Just crack them open with a cleaver and pop in a straw.

"All-Natural" Foods

30 percent of Americans bought more natural foods in 2011, according to a Rodale study. But what are we really paying more for? There's no clear cut regulation on what makes food "natural," which means just about any company can slap that label on its packages, add a fancy green theme and jack up the price.

Says Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers: "Before buying any food that is touted as being 'all natural,' take a look at the ingredient list before you check out. Keep in mind that butter and salt are indeed natural ingredients. So stocking up on natural foods may not achieve anything other than increasing your grocery bill."

Read on for more.

Posture Perfect: Standing Reverse Fly With Exercise Band

Susi May — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:09:49 PDT

Rounded shoulders and bad posture have the unfortunate effect of making us all look heavier than we really are, especially in the midsection. If you spend hours hunched over a computer, you need to combat the inevitable slouch so you can rock your bikini at the beach or wow your wedding guests as you walk down the aisle.

Having good posture can really make you look 10 pounds thinner! So try this variation on the reverse fly I learned from my Equinox trainer, Lauren; it's the perfect antidote to bad posture. It not only strengthens the upper back muscles (both the rhomboids and the middle part of the trapezius), it tones the back of the shoulder, too (aka posterior deltoid).

Learn how to do this variation on a reverse fly after the break.

Flying Cars and Other Future Tech the Movies Got Right

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:50:53 PDT

The flying car is finally here! Well, almost. Though it doesn't look like The Jetsons' floating bubble or Marty McFly's Delorean, the Terrafugia Transition is street legal and can be preordered for the low price of $279,000. That's more than a space flight aboard the Virgin Galactic, but at least you'll be able to drive it (and pilot it!) again and again. Requirements for piloting are pretty tame: passing a test and logging 20 hours of flight time. You can get a closer look at the Transition at this week's New York Auto Show, but expect those preorders to roll out within the next year.

Of course, flying cars aren't the only sci-fi and future tech that movies and TV shows have predicted. Check out this list of other technology that has sprung from screen to real life, below.

Iris scanners - Those crazy iris scanners that identified everything from your identity to your last purchase at The Gap in Minority Report are here now.
3D Holograms - Though we can't yet watch 3D versions of ourselves on home movies, we can chat with others like CNN did during the 2008 election, and dance alongside a few holograms in Vegas.
Gesture-based interfaces - Not just for video games anymore, the gesture-based interfaces like we saw in Minority Report will soon be a real way of life - crazy gloves and all.

Check out the rest after the break.

Eight Outfits That You and He Will Both Love

Lucky — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:31:40 PDT

Lucky magazine is one of our favorite sources for great shopping tips. We're thrilled to share this fabulous story from our friends at Lucky!

Sometimes the hardest outfit to put together is one that's interesting but not too interesting- something that's on-trend enough to impress judgy friends but not so fashion-forward it flies right over boys' heads (harem pants, shoulder pads and denim tuxedos come to mind).

From sweatpants to beachwear to cocktail dresses, these eight outfits fall right in that sweet spot. Neither costume-y nor too classic and conservative, they'll keep everyone happy...but most importantly YOU. (Which is good, because you'd be the one buying them.) Click through the slideshow below to see them all and shop them piece by piece.

Click over to Lucky to see and shop the whole story.

For more fashion and style from Lucky, here are more Lucky stories.

Aleph Millepied and Mom Natalie Portman Have a Sweet and Sunny Day Together

Allie Merriam — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:24:04 PDT

Natalie Portman carried her son, Aleph Millepied, while out in LA yesterday. She and her husband, Benjamin Millepied, who married in secret recently, are looking forward to Aleph's first birthday in just a few months. They welcomed Aleph last June and during the last year have introduced him to his father's native France as well as Switzerland, where Benjamin was based while working with the National Geneva Theater.

Natalie has been selective with projects herself since Aleph's birth. She and Benjamin attended a few award shows, including the Oscars and Golden Globes, after she won best actress statues at both in 2011 for her role in Black Swan. Natalie has passed on a few starring roles but decided to take on a position behind the scenes. She's producing a series for ABC called Scruples, which is the story of a male clothing designer living a dramatic, high-flying life.

Coleman-Rayner

Top 5 Motherhood Moments You Don't Want to Miss

Circle of Moms — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:03:55 PDT

Here's another post from our friends at Circle of Moms! Every week, we bring you the best parenting and motherhood stories from our partners at Circle of Moms, including this post from Mary Beth Sammons about moments moms don't want to miss.

At the risk of sounding like my mom, I’ve come to realize our kids do grow up so fast. Even though some of the moments (like the teen years) can seem brutally drawn out, my mom was right. One moment, my kids were just babes in arms, and the next, they are walking, talking - and then marching on stage for their high school diplomas, hoisting a futon and my life savings into the rear of the SUV, and heading away to college. And all of these milestones have been such tearjerkers for me.

All of these moments - their first steps; their first words, etc., are events that we moms long for, but when they finally happen, we are sobbing wrecks. I've shed a bucket or two raising three kids; here are the milestones I've found to be the most emotional.

Firsts: Smiling, laughing, rolling over, talking, and walking their first year. The first smile is a moment moms dream of. I’ll never forget when my son was born, and the doctor and nurses rallied around his incubator, proclaiming, "This kid is rolling over." A jock is born, flashed through my mind. When my oldest daughter uttered, "Mama," my heart exploded with joy. And when my baby, now in college, turned her giggle into a guffaw, laughing and laughing at her siblings, it made me weep.
Hurts: Would that we could raise our kids in an emotional cocoon. The first time I realized I couldn’t protect my kids from life’s hurts took place at my oldest daughter’s 2-year-old birthday party. I remember sitting in the kitchen with the other moms and smiling with glee as pint-sized kids in costumes (her birthday falls near Halloween) raced down the hall to the bedrooms. Suddenly there was my little pink tutu-clad ballerina, and she was crying. The other kids had raced into her room and left her standing outside in the hall on the other side of the door. My heart broke, foreshadowing many heart-tugging moments to come.
School Beginnings and Endings: Nothing brings tears to a mom’s eyes like leaving a sobbing preschooler who is holding onto your arm with all his might, screaming, “Mommy, don’t leave me!" I still choke up when I revisit those first school days - and every time I walked out the door and left my toddlers with a babysitter. But then fast-forward, suddenly your youngest is decked out in cap and gown and walking down the aisle of the high school gym with a diploma in hand. Kleenex, please.
Sports Drama: Standing on the sidelines, witnessing your son wipe out on the soccer field, and accompanying him to ER with the paramedics can make a mom’s heart tremble. Comforting a daughter when she doesn’t make the tennis team cut also pains, and watching a coach scream at your kid - that one brings out the Mother Bear in me.
Departures: The hardest moments, at least for me, have been facing the "roots and wings" milestones, when it's time to let the little ones fly from the nest. All through high school and curfew violations, teen temper tantrums and dealing with moods, I thought I would welcome college. But the whole time I was setting up the Ikea-coordinated bedding and fumbling with the steel futon in my kids' new dorm rooms, then hugging them and heading home by myself, I felt differently.

I remember calling my sister after dropping off my son a couple years ago and sobbing, only to have her remind me, "You said all through high school how college couldn’t come soon enough." And yet it did.

Which milestones have been the most emotional for you?

More great reads from Circle of Moms:
Can a marriage withstand a sex slump?
Eight activities for energetic toddlers
Signs you have a strong-willed child
Ten hilarious baby onesies
How to deal with your child's back talk

YumSugar's March Must Haves

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:51:25 PST

It seems like just yesterday we were ringing in the start of 2012, yet today we've just descended upon the third month of the year. (Time flies when you're having fun!) On top of celebrating St. Patrick's Day and March Madness, there are a bunch of other new happenings and provisions we're looking forward to. See what's at the top of our covet list when you read ahead.