FitSugar

Fit Tip: Trade Your Office Chair For an Exercise Ball

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:30:00 PST

I really don't believe we evolved to sit all day long. Sitting creates tight hips and hamstrings, causes a tight neck and shoulders, and often leads to back pain. If you suffer from these ailments, ditch your regular office chair and replace it with an exercise ball ($27).

When you sit on a firmly inflated ball, you'll improve your balance and tone your core muscles from your desk. It allows you to focus on keeping your spine long, and you can even use the fitness ball for wall squats or other exercises during the day. Sitting on a ball has also been proven to help kids focus and do better in school. If it works for them, it'll work for you, too.

If you're worried about the ball being too roly-poly, and not having a back support to lean on, then check out Gaiam's BalanceBall Chair ($99). I know it's kind of pricey, but if it can prevent discomfort while you work, then isn't it worth it? To see a video of this ball in action

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Burn Office Calories

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:30:00 PDT

So what if you sit at a desk all day? There are hundreds of opportunities to burn calories from nine to five, and avoid job-related weight gain. According to Fitness magazine, there are some easy ways to stay fit and still keep your job. To see the list,

Activity	Calories Burned
Typing (120 minutes)	230
Heel raises while sitting at your desk (5 minutes)	19
Walk the stairs on your lunch break (15 minutes)	128
Touch up your makeup (5 minutes)	10
Clean your desk and drawers (15 minutes)	40
Stand while on the phone (30 minutes)	58
Desk stretches (15 minutes)	59
Go for a jog on your lunch break (20 minutes)	158
Bike to and from work (20 minutes)	118
Do some strength training with dumbbells (5 minutes)	15

Want a few more ideas on how to stay active during your workday? Check out these tips for working it.
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Sit All Day? You Can Still Be Healthy

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:00:00 PDT

Let's face it: most of us are more sedentary than we want to be. We're desk-bound at the office, and sitting during our commutes. All this sitting is not exactly the best for your body. Not moving around translates to fewer calories burned throughout the day, which can lead to unhealthy weight gain. Sitting for more than eight hours a day can also cause back pain, a tense neck and shoulders, and leg cramps. Sixwise offers some tips on keeping your body and mind healthy while on the job.

Check your posture and your desk set-up. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor, and if you type at a keyboard, your hands, wrists, and forearms should also be parallel to the floor. Make sure your chair is padded yet firm, so the natural curve in your spine is supported and you're not sinking into your seat.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a big office buzz word, so you want to work on preventing this and other injuries by avoiding repetitive motions. If you use a mouse, purchase a new one that places your hand and wrist in a different position (like a vertical mouse). Try to rearrange the things on your desk often, like your coffee cup or your pens, so you have to reach for them with a different hand.
Just because you sit at a desk all day doesn't mean you're glued to your seat. Be sure to stand up and move around every 20 minutes or so, for at least 30 seconds. Do some desk stretches, take a walk to visit your co-worker, or go to the kitchen to refill your glass of water. Not only will this circulate blood to your muscles, but it'll also prevent boredom.

For more desk tips,

Don't forget about your eyes. Be sure to look away from your screen often to reduce eye strain, which can cause headaches. I like to close my eyes and do circle exercises. If you find your eyes are getting dry, blink often or keep some eye drops on your desk.
Check your desk and equipment for cleanliness. Even though it's only you using this stuff, germs and bacteria can move in and make you sick. So clean your mouse and your phone, dust off your desk and monitor, and disinfect your keyboard.
Ditch the snacks on your desk. Even if they're healthy snacks, you don't want to end up mindlessly reaching for bites. Pick a snack time and keep food in your desk drawer or the office kitchen. Not only will it give you a much-needed break from work, but taking time to eat will also allow you to really enjoy your food.

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Savvy Links: Why Drinking Coffee Is Good For Your Health

Emily Co — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:08:23 PDT

Why drinking coffee is good for your health - Tecca
How to decide between using debit or credit - Credit Karma
Woman claims she was fired for being 'too hot' - HuffPost Women
6 excuses to skimp on retirement - Bankrate
Expenses you won't have in retirement - Free Money Finance
Say less in job applications to score more interviews - LearnVest
7 incredible sacrifices people have made for their careers - The Grindstone
What can you buy with $20 billion? - College Candy
Sock it to me: 15 uses for old socks - Wise Bread
What the worst employee in the world did to her boss - The Jane Dough

Source: Flickr User visualpanic

Savvy Confessions: Asking For a Raise (It's Complicated)

Savvy Community — Sun, 20 May 2012 06:22:17 PDT

This post was submitted (anonymously, as always) to our Savvy Confessions group. Got any advice? Leave it in the comments.

Hi, fellow Savvy Confessors. I've got an issue I've been struggling with that I could seriously use some help on. I am in a job where I am paid to be "available." I am paid salary (based on an hourly rate at 40 hours a week) regardless of how little or how much I work. Some weeks I work four hours, and some weeks I work 40. Sometimes I have whole weeks off at a time - but only with extremely last-minute notice. Usually, I don't know my schedule until late the night before or early in the morning the day of.

There have been only three times since I started this job almost two years ago that I have gone over 40 hours, but I was compensated for overtime. I am on the books and paid weekly via direct deposit, but receive absolutely no benefits - health, dental, 401(k), etc. After 20 months, I am still on the same salary as when I started. For the most part, it's an amazing job - the actual work is really rewarding, my boss is really nice and friendly, and (as you can see with my fluctuating schedule) I have plenty of downtime to myself. All in all - a really awesome job!!

So what's the problem? Read on.

Potato Galette

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:02:16 PDT

Like the perfect handbag, a well-constructed potato galette is perfect for any time of day or occasion. Just ask Fresh Tart!

A potato galette is simply thin slices of potatoes, fat, and seasoning layered into a shallow pan and roasted until crusty and browned. It's traditional to serve alongside a roast of some sort, and definitely do that, because you can imagine crusty, buttery potatoes do a fine job of soaking up meaty juices of almost any type.

But a potato galette also makes a killer meal all on its own, particularly alongside (or underneath!) a tart arugula salad. In fact, invite people over if you make one, otherwise . . . you will eat the whole thing by yourself. As healthful as a tart arugula salad is, it will not offset the regret of eating an entire galette on your own; I know this from experience.

Learn more about the art of the potato galette.

How to Establish Financial Independence

Kiplinger — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:15:54 PDT

Becoming completely financially independent can be scary, but it's also very liberating. Kiplinger gives advice on how to establish your financial independence.

Not only is it difficult for us twentysomethings to wholeheartedly embrace adulthood, it's often also a challenge for our parents to let us go. Baby-boomer parents are generally known for mollycoddling their children, even after we move out of the house and into our own adult lives. Some parents have shown up for their kids' job interviews, and others have called up human resource departments at their adult kids' workplaces to complain about bad performance reviews or to negotiate salaries on behalf of their children.

They may mean well, but such extreme helicopter parents are actually hindering their children from growing into independent adults. "If a child is receiving too much help, then they have no incentive to succeed or become independent," says Erin Baehr, of the financial planning firm Baehr Family Financial, in Stroudsburg, Pa. "They may also be setting themselves up for some possible financial trouble down the road."

We certainly don't want that. At the same time, as young adults, we shouldn't be so dead set on finding our independence that we end up punishing ourselves by turning down valuable financial guidance and support from Mom and Dad.

So how about meeting in the middle? You can stay open to your parents' assistance but also set limits on how involved in your life you want them to be. For example, when it comes to parental career advice, Marty Martin, a financial psychologist at Aequus Wealth Management Resources, in Chicago, suggests you say, "Mom and Dad, I would really appreciate any advice you may have before I go to my job interview, and I will contact you after it happens. But I really need to do this on my own."

Read on for more.

Long Commutes Are Detrimental to Your Health, Study Says

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:14:05 PDT

Working a nine-to-fiver is mandatory for most people, and unfortunately, a long commute often comes with the territory. According to a study published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, those who travel 16 or more miles each way weigh more and have higher blood pressures than those with less than 10-mile commutes.

Of the almost 4,300 residents from Dallas and Austin involved in the study, researchers discovered that for every 10-mile increase in driving distance, the commuter's BMI (body mass index) rose .17 units. People with lengthy commutes are nine percent more likely to be obese, either because they didn't exercise as much, are eating fast food while driving, or they're not getting enough sleep because their long commute forces them to wake up early.

Weight isn't the only thing affected by a long drive to work. Spending that much time in the car, especially stuck in traffic, also makes a person tired, moody, and stressed out, which is one reason 52 percent of those in the study with a longer commute suffered from high blood pressure.

So what's a commuter to do? Quitting your job is obviously not an option, and if working at home part-time isn't feasible and neither is finding a job closer to where you live, keep reading to learn what commuters can do to avoid weight gain and other health issues.

A Cancer Survivor's Goal: 50 Triathlons by Her 50th Birthday

espnW — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:26:06 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Julia Savacool

It's a good thing Jenn Sommermann discovered triathlons when she did. "I was turning 40 years old, and my friend and I were looking for a way to commemorate the occasion," Sommermann said. "We decided to train for a triathlon." Because Sommermann was on the East Coast and her friend was on the West, the two trained together virtually, exchanging workout notes and messages of encouragement. Several months later, they competed in the Danskin Women's Tri in Seattle.

"That was it, I was in love with triathlons," Sommermann said. Little did she know, two years later the fitness she gained through the sport would help her win a battle against ovarian cancer.

It was December 2006 when Sommermann received her diagnosis. She'd been feeling out of sorts for months, but had been reluctant to see her doctor.

The symptoms for ovarian cancer are subtle: Bloating, weight gain, fatigue and indigestion are all indicators for the disease, but they are also common symptoms for many women during their monthly cycle. The main difference with ovarian cancer, explained Sommermann, is the symptoms don't go away.

It was by chance she discovered the cancer - she was pressing on her stomach one night and came across a hard lump. "I called my husband over, and he felt it, too," she said. "I knew this wasn't good." She went to see her physician immediately, and an ultrasound revealed a tumor about the size of an eggplant. "I had Stage 3 ovarian cancer," said Sommermann. "I was in shock. The disease is 94 percent curable if you catch it by Stage 2. But after that, the numbers are not in your favor."

Surfing gets Anastasia Ashley through tough times

Read more about Jen's inspiring story after the break.

Give Your Desk a Healthy Makeover With These Tips

Leta Shy — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:44:46 PDT

Since you spend so much time at your desk, it's important that you make it a healthy environment - especially since there are so many ways your job can make you fat. Here's how to make over your desk to stay healthy while you work.

Stash snacks: Vending machines and office candy jars can be too much temptation, especially when your grumbling stomach is egging you on. Instead, stock your desk drawer with a few filling snacks, like almonds, trail mix, all-natural homemade fruit and nut bars, and green tea bags to satisfy tummy and taste buds before you give up and reach for the leftover break room doughnuts.

Use a reusable water bottle: Nothing reminds you to drink more water than a filled water bottle living on your desk. Drinking enough water throughout the day is crucial for both your health and your mood, since dehydration can lead to fatigue and irritability, so fight that afternoon slump (or the urge to snap at your fellow co-workers) by drinking up. Find out how much water you should be drinking here.

Deal with germs: Many times, lunch at your desk is just inevitable. Those days dining in front of your monitor can make things a little messy at your desk. Keep your area germ-free with desk wipes and all-natural hand sanitizer (find out how to make your own hand sanitizer here).

Adjust that chair: You're sitting there for most of the day, so make sure you keep your chair and computer comfortably aligned with the position of your body to prevent back, wrist, and neck pain. Not sure if your monitor is too low or if you are sitting correctly? Read our tips for creating an ergonomic desk here.