FitSugar

Brooke Shields on Shape, Talks About Being Out of Shape

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Brooke Shields, despite being a big star, still has her fair share of fitness issues. She knows the importance of staying healthy but understands that life can throw you curve balls. In the October issue of Shape, she opens up about how she overcomes such shake-ups. Here are highlights

Sure, it’s easy - as Brooke knows - to stick to a healthy eating and regular exercise program when everything is going according to schedule. It’s when your day-to-day routine gets an unexpected shake-up that your skills are put to the test. "I was worried about getting out of shape and gaining weight after the [foot] surgery," says Brooke. "So just as I did with my pregnancies, I decided to go into it at my physical best." For her, that meant ramping up her exercise routine to preemptively drop a few pounds before her operation.

To see what her go-to workout is for dropping a few pounds, just

"Spinning is the only way I ever lose weight," she says. "It’s purely about keeping my heart rate up and burning calories." Now, two months after surgery, she’s gained 9 pounds. "That was a little more than I’d hoped, but by giving myself that cushion, I know I’ll get back into shape pretty quickly once I can start Spinning again," she says.

How true is that? And one of the hardest things is to stay on track when things are not on schedule – um hello, holidays. Have you ever experienced a little (or big) shake-up in your life that put your health and fitness goals on hold? If so, share with us below!

What's Your Favorite Health Magazine?

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

I love reading health magazines. They're perfect for long car rides, flights, or just when I'm sitting on the couch on a Sunday. They've got great tips on new exercises and recipes, and I love the motivational stories that inspire me to keep working out. Everyone has their favorite health mag, so what's yours?

Get Fit For the Trail This Fall

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:30:00 -0700

A new online tool that I think is super cool is FitForTheTrail.com, a customized training program designed by Shape and Men's Health to provide you with the endurance, energy and strength you need to hit the trails (on dry land or snow) this fall and winter.

Basically, all you need to do is sign up for the free, yes I said free, account. It takes a little while to create your profile, but after you've finished you'll receive your very own personalized training program based on your very own preferences. It's pretty easy to use and is designed to ease you into being ready, in just four weeks. The great part? This means you won't be told to run two hours on your first day of training (or ever really), which should help reduce the soreness factor.

I especially love that you are able to choose which kind of training you would like to engage in (weights or no weights) as well as how many days per week you want to train. You also get to pick which sport (hiking, snowboarding, etc.) you want to train for so you can get the most bang for your buck (er, not buck cause it's free, but you get the idea). So sign up to get training today!

More Hilary Duff and Her Firm Up Moves

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Puppies and Pilates seem to be making Hilary Duff happy these days. Ever since her appearance in Shape Magazine, a lot of folks are getting interested in Pilates.

Luckily for us, I've gotten my hands on Hilary’s best three firm-up moves created by Viveca Jensen (V Pilates), published in the August '07 issue of Shape:

Leg raises with a band: Tie the ends of a resistance band together to make a small circle (about 12 inches in diameter), loop it around your ankles, and lie on your right side with your legs extended; use your left arm in front of you for balance. Lift your left leg up as high as you can and lower until the band is just barely taut. Do 6 sets of 8 reps per side. “This is great for the butt and outer thighs,” says Jensen.
Bridge with the ring: To target your inner thighs, lie face up with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and place a Pilates ring (aka Magic Circle) between your legs just above your knees (so the pads rest against your legs). Lift your hips so your body is aligned from knees to shoulders and squeeze the ring 16 times. Lower hips, then raise them again and squeeze 8 times. Finally, lift and lower pelvis 16 times while pressing legs against the ring. Repeat series 3 times.
Leg raises with a ball: Lie face up with legs extended straight up. Place a stability ball between ankles. Without rocking, raise and lower hips. Do 3 sets of 8 reps. “Hilary loves this because it really works the lower abs,” says Jensen.

View 5 Photos ›

Want to see the moves in action? Then check out Shape to see Jensen doing the exercises.

Pacific Coast News

New Member of the Ab-alicious Club: Hilary Duff

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:45:00 -0700

We know that Hilary Duff loves Pilates, but now we get to see the pay off of all that ab work. Hilary shows off her bikini body in the upcoming issue of Shape. Yep, she is the cover girl for August.

Here are a few of her health secrets:

Exercise: Pilates, swimming and treading water, which helps her "firm up." She believes a workout shouldn't be boring or overly strenuous, and Pilates definitely fills those requirements.
Diet: Lots of protein, lots of veggies and oatmeal for breakfast. Hilary believes in finding a healthy mix and making trade offs. It is OK to eat your favorite foods, like dessert, but only after skipping the pre-dinner bread basket.
Health: When she turned 16, Hilary decided to get in shape and get healthy. She is part of the Stay fit. Eat right. Looking good, California campaign, which is dedicated to bringing healthy food to school cafeterias across California.

Hilary turns 20 in September but her healthy philosophy sounds levelheaded and wise:

Stay healthy, eat healthy, eat what is good for your body and what gives you energy -- and feed your sweet tooth every once in a while. That is the best way to go.

Thanks, Hilary. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Source

Game Review: Your Shape For Wii

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:50:08 -0800

There's a new fitness game in town and it's ready to work you out and make you sweat. Your Shape ($69), a new Wii game by Ubisoft, makes Jenny McCarthy your workout coach and training buddy so you don't have to sweat it out alone.

The game comes with a camera that you perch on your TV; it captures your image and plays it on your TV so you move with a reflection of yourself, like looking in a mirror. The camera also monitors your movements, and if you slack off, Jenny will let you know - she also gives you praise when you make a correction. Who couldn't use an ego boost mid-workout?

To learn more about the game, continue reading.

Skechers Shape Ups Shoes: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:00:45 -0700

If you're not willing to pay nearly $250 for MBTs, you might consider the Skechers version. Skechers Shape Ups Strength ($100) and Shape Ups Metabolize ($100) mimic walking barefoot, helping you tone your muscles and get in shape. Would you wear them?

Does This Cellulite-Busting Machine Really Work?

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:00:58 -0700

It's estimated that 80 to 85 percent of women are blessed with cellulite, including many of you FitSugar readers. That puckery skin on our legs, booty, belly, and arms is the reason many of us exercise and diet.

Unfortunately, lunges and healthy living don't always get rid of it, and for those who are really self-conscious, there's a new treatment known as SmoothShapes. Used by dermatologists, this device claims to smooth out lumpy skin and have "lasting cellulite reduction results." Is that a vague way of saying "forever"? The device has even been approved by the FDA "for the temporary reduction of the appearance of cellulite." Learn more from a CBS News video on how it works when you read more.

I find it interesting that the doc is so hard to pin down on a price. I also like how he likens the procedure to dental cleaning, meaning you need sessions every six months. What do you think of SmoothShapes? Would you be interested in trying it out?

Lauren Conrad's Life Shapes Up Beyond The Hills

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:28:48 -0700

Lauren Conrad's tale proves that moving on and letting go make for a healthy life. The former star of The Hills has not only embraced love with the actor Kyle Howard, but healthy eating is a staple of her new life, too. Gone is the worry of what others think and the junk-food cravings. All good changes for the natural beauty, which she shares in the upcoming issue of Shape.

Once a calorie counter, LC is more flexible these days when it comes to food choices. Opting for fresh fare - fruit, organic salad greens, and lean proteins - she has tamed her cravings.

"I've found when all I'm eating is really fresh, healthy foods, I stop craving pizza and burgers," she says. Lauren's even switched to super-nutritious nibbles (what she calls "snack plates"): hummus, sliced turkey, cucumbers, and apples. "When I have these foods in front of me, I find it easier to avoid high-calorie binges," she says.

For more on her workouts and her new tattoo keep reading.

I Tried It: Shape's "Drop 10 Pounds This Month" Circuit Workout

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:00:00 -0700

I like to head to the gym with a plan of action so I don't unconsciously skip some difficult exercise that I have not yet learned to love. I printed out Shape magazine's workout and headed to the gym.

The workout, from the article Drop 10 Pounds This Month, promised to burn 400 calories in 30 minutes. How could I pass up the opportunity to burn that many calories while strength training?

The circuit workout was created by Eric Von Frohlich, founder of RoadFit, and it is full of moves to improve balance, power, agility, flexibility, strength, and aerobic fitness. To see how the workout worked out for me, read more.

I really enjoyed this workout and felt pleasantly worked afterward, with sore hamstrings for a couple of days - that's a good thing in my book. For reasons unknown to me, the online printable version begins with exercise number two, so I decided to warm up with five minutes of cardio on an elliptical in lieu of exercise one. I was then only able to go through the workout two times due to time constraints (picking up my daughter from ballet), when it is recommended that you do the workout three to four times. Doing the eight-exercise circuit straight through the first time required a bit of reading to learn the moves. After resting the recommended three minutes between reps of the entire circuit, the second round went much faster.

In the 25 minutes I was able to devote to working out, including the five-minute elliptical warmup, I burned 200 calories. I am quite certain with two other rounds of the circuit I could have gotten close to burning 400. I love the plyometric moves, like jumping lunges, mixed with souped-up squats. Now that I know the routine, I will definitely be doing it again. This workout requires a medicine ball and a step - two things easily found at the gym, but not at my house. Try it and tell me how many calories you burn.