Healthy happy you.
I love exercises that work multiple areas of my body; challenging moves never bore. Plus, you can feel the benefits of core strength work almost immediately. This variation on the side plank targets your shoulders, waist, abs, back, outer thighs, and glute meds (the gluteal muscle on the side of the pelvis that helps stabilize your hip joint). Learn the details when you read more Read more
Looking for a move to target you shoulders, core, and legs? Give Side Plank Star a try. It's tough to balance at first, but once you start including this move in your strength training sessions, you'll gain stability and strength. I also love this exercise since it works the glute med, the muscle on the side of the pelvis, that is a great stabilizer when running. To find out how to do this Read more
We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar! If you're saddled with saddlebags, you probably think you got the short end of the family gene pool stick. But, lucky for you, those pesky fat deposits surrounding your hips, thighs, and butt are far easier to banish than, say, Great Aunt Hilda or your bossy big sister. "Saddlebags are largely determined by genetics, Read more
A solid warmup sets you up for a solid workout. When it comes to prepping for strength training, an active warmup primes the joints and muscles, prepping them for the heavy lifting. Lauren, my Equinox trainer, introduced me to these moves, and after a little light cardio — for me, it's five minutes running on a treadmill at a 6 mph pace, but the elliptical or a little jump rope would work — Read more
We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar! Reese Witherspoon may be one of Hollywood's most in-demand leading ladies, but don't expect the Oscar winner to solicit any special treatment during her tri-weekly yoga sessions. "We've done private training a few times but she usually comes to the group class," says YogaHop owner Matthew Reyes, who has trained Read more
Before exercising, it's important that you do a five- or 10-minute cardio warmup to get blood flowing to your muscles and help prepare them for prolonged exertion. When it's cold outside, it be even more difficult to warm up your muscles prior to exercising. Here are five warmup ideas that can be done indoors and with relatively little space. Wear a sweatshirt and an extra layer of sweatpants for Read more
I am a fan of working my core with plank exercises. But the basic plank can get a little dull, so I asked Lauren, my Equinox trainer, to throw a new variation at me. She promptly introduced me to the two-point plank. Just holding this position is serious business, so adding arm and leg motion to the unstable plank takes the difficulty level up a notch. This exercise reminds me of the quadruped (a Read more
We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. We all want a toned, flat stomach. No surprise there. But since many women are still relying on crunches to get it, we want to make one thing clear: crunching is not the most effective abs workout. "Crunches work only the muscles on the front and sides of your abdomen, but it's important to target all the muscles of the Read more
We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar! As of this past weekend, Spring is finally, officially here — along with panic about the upcoming bikini season. When it comes to shaping up your abs, you want to combine a healthy, diet with high-intensity cardio and moves that target your deep abdominal muscles — aka the transverse abdominus. When strong, these Read more
Weekends are often jam-packed with traveling, errands, socializing, and chores — gardening anyone? All these activities can push your workout off the to-do list, but here are three time-saving moves, and with no equipment necessary you can do them anywhere. All three exercises will work your core. Plus the first move will also tone your glutes and hamstrings, the second targets your upper body, Read more
