FitSugar

Fit Tip: Do It in Sand

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:00:17 PDT

Walking and running are great workouts for your heart and lower body, and they're also free. So take advantage of the warmer weather and make your workouts even more challenging and workout at the beach. Walking or running on sand burns about 30 percent more calories than you would on a harder surface such as asphalt. Resist walking on the flat sand right at the water's edge and go for the dry sand to make your workout harder. Walk without shoes so you can really use your toes to grip the ground. Walking and running barefoot in the sand is great for the muscles in your feet and your calves, but be careful running on uneven surfaces can increase the risk of sprains, sprains, and tendonitis. Build your running time up slowly and wear supportive shoes. Remember, if your feet get hot, you can always cool off by walking on the wet sand, which is great for exfoliating the dead skin cells from your heels and preventing fissures.

Ask Casa: A Sand-Friendly Vacuum

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:00:59 PDT

Dear Casa,
I have seen posts on pet-friendly vacuums, but my problem is not just dog hair. It is massive amounts of sand that my beautiful Chow Chow drags in from Crissy Field [in San Francisco]. I need a recommendation for a vacuum for wood floors and carpets strong enough to pick up the sand. Any ideas?
Thanks,
MaryBeth

To hear my response to MaryBeth,

read more. Hi MaryBeth, Funny you should ask . . . literally just two days ago, I spilled a fine-granule cleaning solution that is very much like sand, and used my Dyson DC24 ($399.99) to suck it up with no problems. I didn't even have to run over the sandy solution twice; first time was a charm! If you read Casa regularly, you may remember that I reviewed the Dyson DC24, so you can read about it for more details. If not this particular vacuum, I highly recommend Dysons in general for your dilemma, as they exhibit great suction power. Some other vacuum brands that I highly recommend are Electrolux (vintage ones are best) and Miele. I hope this helps! Cheers, Casa Source

Fit Tip: Walk Barefoot in the Sand

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT

The next time you're at the beach, take a break from relaxing in the sun and get up and move around. Resist walking on the flat sand right at the water's edge and go for the dry sand. Ditch your shoes so you can really use your toes to grip the ground. Walking barefoot in the sand is not only great for the muscles in your feet and your calves, but because it's so much harder than walking on a flat surface, you'll burn more calories. If your feet get hot, you can always cool off by walking on the wet sand, which is great for exfoliating the dead skin cells from your heels.

Source

The Beach Is a Workout Waiting to Happen

FitSugar — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 23:30:00 PDT

Who doesn't love spending time at the beach? Cameron is one starlet that takes advantage of all the beach has to offer. I love that she doesn't just lounge on the sand, but plays in the water practically non-stop. Which is great since I believe the beach is a workout waiting to happen.

If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean or will be vacationing soon by the shore, you too should take advantage of all the beach has to offer. If you want a hard core workout try the Beach Body Workout on the beach. But let me tell you, there are more casual and playful ways to burn some extra calories while hanging out at the shore.

Here are some ideas:

Walking in the Sand: Sand provides way less traction than concrete sidewalk or asphalt roads. So take advantage of your disadvantage and walk the beach. Do walk in both wet and dry sand to challenge your body in different ways. There will be good people watching to entertain you too. Who knows maybe you will even see some wildlife.

Walking in the Surf: Just walking in ankle deep water is a great challenge. Add the ebb and flow of the tide and you have yourself a great lower body workout.

Playing in the Waves: Jumping up and down in the surf is great fun and a challenge to your entire body. Diving under waves and swimming against the tide is a great way to workout with the ocean providing extra resistance.

There's more to do at the beach, and there are more photos of Cameron frolicking in the waves. So just

read more Swimming: Swim out past the break and try some laps in the ocean. The current creates a natural challenge. Make sure you stay in sight range of the lifeguard. Remember: If you can't see the guards, they can't see you. Body Surfing: Riding the waves without a board is a fun way to experience the ocean. You don't need any gear, although fins do help. eHow tips on body surfing are very helpful - check them out. So get out there! Play in the waves - it is a great way to help maintain your beach body. Plus, it won't feel like a workout, it will just feel like fun.

View 5 Photos ›

Source & Flynet

On The Surface of Things: Where to Run

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:15:00 PDT

Cool Running, the web site that brought you the ever popular Couch to 5K running program, has rated running surfaces. Why? In an attempt to help keep runners free of injuries - that's why. Running on rock hard surfaces like concrete, like sidewalks, is hard on the body. To protect your joints you want to look for surfaces that have shock absorbing qualities for the majority of your runs. Also, you should try to be consistent with your surface choice, an abrupt switch can lead to injuries.

Here are the surfaces listed in order of best to worst. The number to the right indicates their "grade" with 10 being the best and 1 being just plain awful:

Grass 9.5
Wood chips 9
Dirt 8
Cinder track 7.5
Track 7
Treadmill 6.5
Asphalt 6
Sand 4
Snow 2.5
Concrete 1

If, after reading the list, you decide to move your runs to asphalt, aka the street - BE CAREFUL. Run defensively! Run towards on coming traffic so you can see what is coming at you. Don't listen to music (or at least keep the volume low enough that you can hear the environment around you). Wear bright colors too so you are easily seen.

Source

Bellissima! Bobbi Brown Sandbar Soap

BellaSugar — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:00:35 PDT

Bobbi Brown has a fresh, outdoorsy line called Beach. It's a summer collection that includes body oil, body lotion, body scrub, bath fragrance and her most famous fragrance, which happens to also be called beach.

Yet I think one of the coolest, simplest and most innovative products that she has ever created is Sandbar Soap ($16).

This creamy bar soap has a luxurious lather, a crisp beachy scent and it contains tiny grains of sand that clean, refresh and exfoliate the body all at the same time. Keep in mind that it's on the market only in limited-edition quantities, so if you are interested, act fast and stock up while it's still hot outside!

Rodarte Fall 2012

Marisa Tom — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:35:12 PST

Leave it to Kate and Laura Mulleavy to not only draw a star-studded front row - hello, George Lucas, Natalie Portman, and Dakota Fanning - but to deliver a stellar, 1940s-inspired Fall '12 collection too. One part cave-drawing-infused, one part retro femme, and one part Australian outback-reminiscent, Rodarte showcased a beautiful mix of totally girlie pieces with both red-carpet appeal and wearable ladylike style. The sister duo paid close attention to feminine details á la Peter Pan collars, artfully structured ruffles, and metal star appliqué hair combs. Yet, never ones to shy away from throwing some quirk into the picture, they added literal hand prints to long, flowy evening gowns and added cowboy buckles to double-strap leather belts. The biggest covet-worthy takeaway from today's show? After several seasons of collaborating with key shoe designers like Nicholas Kirkwood and Christian Louboutin, the Mulleavy sisters debuted their first-ever in-house shoe collection. We're calling it: Rodarte's two-tone pumps with heels made of plexiglass, sexy dominatrix-inspired spat heels, and lace-up boots will be Fall '12 It girl items. All in all, it's a gorgeous autumnal lineup, just begging to be worn.

Trends: Cropped cable-knit sweaters, hand-print chiffon dresses, and 1940s-inspired silhouettes.
Colors: Warm, earthy tones like rust and terracotta juxtaposed against cool neutrals.
Key Piece: Super-cute chunky cable-knit sweaters paired with terracotta-hued trousers; diaphanous hand-print chiffon dresses.
Accessories: Ladylike round-toe pumps with heels made of plexiglass or filled with sand, sexy lace-up gladiator-inspired spat heels. Look out for the subtleties in each heel design.
Who Would Wear It: Front-row attendees Natalie Portman and Dakota Fanning are high up on the list, but we think a plethora of A-list talent will be clamoring to wear this collection. Don't be surprised to see Taylor Swift, Alexa Chung, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning flaunting Rodarte's wares, too.

Rachel Roy Fall 2012

Hannah Weil — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:08:47 PST

True to form, Rachel Roy delivered a delightfully wearable collection of bold-hued knits and dresses, homing in on the perfect balance of easy separates and keen architectural detail for Fall '12. Roy excels in crafting pieces women want to wear - it's that mix of the understated, like slouchy knits in brilliant colors, and the sharpness of a well-executed cut - and the backs of Roy's evening gowns are done with perfect precision. This season, she's particularly adept at translating megawatt hues onto wearable pieces - even furs and sweaters get the pop-of-color treatment to pair against the line's sleek trousers or simple shifts. If it's not rich, saturated color, then Roy steals our interest with her texture story in leather, tweedy knits, and open cable knit. Altogether the looks read in perfect balance - she delivers a hint of downtown edge (minus the intimidation) and marries it effortlessly with the uptown sophisticate.

Trends: Bold brights, colorblocking, leather, colored fur.
Colors: Olive, sand, bright green, blue, red, burgundy.
Key Piece: The olive-green fur and leather-cuffed navy trousers.
Accessories: Wide-brimmed hats, bright gloves, lace-up ankle boots, loafer-style pumps.
Who Would Wear It: The uptown girl with downtown flair.

Jennifer Aniston's Hottest Bikini Moments to Celebrate Her Birthday

Lauren Turner — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:08:55 PST

Jennifer Aniston turns 43 years old today! She celebrated her birthday with a trip to Mexico in 2010, but last year she ditched the two-piece for dinner in NYC with friends. We haven't seen her hit the beach lately, since she's been busy traveling between LA and NYC with new boyfriend Justin Theroux. The duo connected back in 2010 while working on Wanderlust, which hits theaters later this month. Let's take a look back at Jennifer relaxing in the sand, lounging with friends, and showing off her hot body as we wait for the next time she gets away to a sunny locale. Happy birthday Jen!

Ashley Tisdale and Sarah Hyland Hit the Beach in Bikinis For a Photo Shoot With Matt Lanter

Lauren Turner — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:08:18 PST

Venice Beach got a star-studded dose of fun when Ashley Tisdale, Sarah Hyland, Austin Stowell, and Matt Lanter hit the sand for a photo shoot yesterday. Sarah, who was on a break from filming Modern Family, and Ashley wore bikinis and other beachwear while Matt and Austin rode bikes in flip-flops. It was an especially exciting afternoon for Sarah since she was celebrating her two-year anniversary with boyfriend Matt Prokop and shared her love for him on Twitter writing, "happy 2 years baby. I love you too much. Best 2 years ever!!" Matt Lanter has another busy day in front of him since he'll be back in front of the cameras for a photo shoot tomorrow morning before heading to the set of 90210.