FitSugar

Stretch It: Ankle Rolls

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:00:00 PDT

I love a dynamic warmup, even more for feet. Before running, hiking, or dancing, it's a good idea to prime your feet and ankles for moving with a simple circular motion. Add these rolls to your warmup routine. Do at least 10 in each direction with each foot. Follow up with some toe walking and some heel walks. Then add a little calf stretch and your feet will be ready to move.

Music: "Toes" by Norah Jones

A Body Check That Won't Hurt: Tips For Proper Running Form

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:49:36 PDT

Running is all about stepping one foot in front of the other. Sounds easy enough, right? But if your running form is incorrect, you'll end up with aches, strains, and injuries that could prevent you from lacing up your sneaks at all. Make sure to avoid these running-form mistakes the next time you hit the treadmill, trail, or pavement.

Head: It sometimes feels good to close your eyes and relax your chin toward your chest, but don't keep your head down (or tilt your head up) for long periods of time. Prevent neck strain and encourage an open throat for easy breathing by keeping your head stacked over your spine. Correct head position also encourages a straight, upright stance, which makes you a more efficient runner.
Shoulders: Without even realizing it, you may be running with your upper back and shoulders tensed up toward your ears. (And you wonder why you have a pounding headache or aching neck.) Every so often, take a nice deep breath in and as you exhale, relax your upper torso and actively roll your shoulders back and down toward your pelvis. Do a self-check to make sure your shoulders are stacked over the hips. Hunching the upper body forward not only makes it difficult to breathe, it also puts pressure on your lower back.

I'm just getting started so keep reading to find out what the rest of your body shouldn't be doing while running.

Squat Walk This Way: A Tush-Toning Thera-Band Exercise

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 03:05:51 PDT

When exercising, it's crucial to concentrate on your glutes. These muscles help stabilize and support your legs, back, and pelvis, and if you slack on working this area, you will begin to feel it in your back. To get you on your way, try this squat walking exercise with a Thera-Band. (The exercise can easily be done without the use of a Thera-Band, but the resistance helps to really target the glute muscles.)

Keep reading to see a demonstration of the squat walk exercise.

What Not to Do in Warrior 1

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:44:39 PDT

If you practice yoga, you've probably spent a decent amount of time holding the majestic standing pose Warrior 1. The pose tones the legs and tush, opens tight hip flexors, and strengthens the shoulders. The next time you step onto your mat, make sure you're avoiding these Warrior 1 mistakes that could lead to pain or injury.

Short Stance
Why it's bad: Doing Warrior 1 with a short stance places the knee past the front ankle, which puts excessive pressure on the front knee and interferes with the ability to fully reap the thigh-strengthening benefits of this pose.
What to do: When coming into Warrior 1 from Down Dog, step your foot forward and place in between the hands. If tight hamstrings make this too difficult, step the foot as close as possible, raise the torso up, then adjust your stance from there. You'll know there's enough space between your feet when your front thigh is parallel with the floor and your front knee is directly above your ankle.

Continue reading to find out other mistakes you might be making in Warrior 1.

Link Time: Jennifer Lawrence Covers Rolling Stone

FabSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:35:08 PDT

Jennifer Lawrence goes bra-less for Rolling Stone - Styleite
Marie Antoinette's 300-year-old shoes go for tons of cash at auction - HuffPost Style
Runway to reality: ankle-strap platforms - Olivia Palermo
Stefano Pilati on leaving YSL, working for Tom Ford, learning at Miu Miu - Stylelist
Chloë Moretz is tougher than you think - The Daily Beast
Old trends die hard - Lauren Conrad
Wren and Clare Vivier team up to make a reversible tote - Lucky
A bid to save the earth, powered by Stella McCartney - Style.com
The biggest trends of Fall 2012: calf hair and velvet - Purse Blog
HSN's 200-piece Snow White collection officially makes it the movie's ultimate fangirl - Racked

Dsquared2 Fall 2012

FabSugar — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:14:30 PST

Dean and Dan Caten took it back to senior year of high school for their DSquared2 Fall 2012 collection. The '60s-inspired collection came complete with retro teased hair, cigarettes, and even a gym floor catwalk. "We love telling a story," said the designing duo, when describing the elaborate set. "You get where we're coming from." The collection featured wearable pieces for every personality ranging from skinny rolled-up jeans and glazed leather separates for the rebel child to fitted cardigans and printed pencil skirts for the goodie goodie. For the prom queen, Dean and Dan Caten showed a range of black party dresses embellished with feathered peplums and rhinestones. Highlights included an embellished strapless dress worn by Lindsey Wixson, who, by the way, walked down the runway with her dapper date in an equally intriguing white tuxedo jacket. More details on the collection below.

Trends: Peplum, cropped pants, pencil skirts.
Colors: Purple, black, green, pink, blue.
Key Piece: We loved the printed pencil skirts and glazed leather separates.
Accessories: Bow-embellished caps, colorful clutches, ankle-strap pumps.
Who Would Wear It: Any girl looking to add a cool vintage touch to her look like Zoe Saldana, Diane Kruger, and Kate Bosworth.

Just Cavalli Fall 2012

Brittney Stephens — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:25:14 PST

Roberto Cavalli may have mixed things up a bit for the Fall 2012 showing of his bridge line, Just Cavalli, but the collection wasn't without the designer's signature rock 'n' roll sensibilities. Models were outfitted in super-skinny trousers, mixed-media-style frocks (think houndstooth and ocelot, zebra-print and Aztec zigzags), and playfully sexy Lurex tops, lending a vibrant, lighthearted '60s spin on an otherwise rocker-cool runway show. Cavalli did bring some new silhouettes into the picture, however - he showed sleek, slouchy patent-leather pants in hues of nude, red, and gray and also introduced a tailored, oversize menswear-inspired coat with leather lapels. More details on the Just Cavalli collection below.

Trends: Patent leather, fitted trousers, and, of course, animal prints.
Colors: Black, camel, red, nude, olive, forest green.
Key Piece: The allover leopard-print cape with bronze leggings; the champagne-colored dress dripping with paillettes.
Accessories: Glitter-covered ankle booties and mixed-print drawstring satchels.
Who Would Wear It: Cavalli connoisseurs like Miley Cyrus and Fergie.

Diesel Black Gold Fall 2012

Chi Diem Chau — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:34:07 PST

It was all about baggy cuts and luxe fabrics at Diesel Black Gold's Fall showing today at Pier 57. Designer Sophia Kokosalaki stayed true to the brand's rock 'n' roll aesthetic, showing a range of printed skinnies, oversized cuffed leather pants, and a lot of leopard. Inspired by "vintage B-movies," Kokosalaki took it to the streets with an assortment of paint-splattered pants, low-slung leather wrap skirts, and a heavy helping of leopard prints. Designs for the downtown girl, but there were also a few notable pony hair tops and jackets which added a sleek touch to the collection. The complete breakdown below.

Trends: Baggy silhouettes, wrap skirts, printed pants.
Colors: Black, gray, brick red, navy blue.
Key Piece: We loved the pony-hair tops and leather wrap skirts.
Accessories: Studded bags, paint-splattered ankle boots, wide belts, chain jewelry.
Who Would Wear It: In addition to front-row attendees Harley Viera-Newton and Emmy Rossum, we can also see Zoe Kravitz and Jessica Szohr wearing this collection.

Strength Training No-Nos: What Not to Do When in Squats

Susi May — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:02:53 PST

No matter your fitness passion, from snowboarding to CrossFit, you likely do squats in your sweat sessions - they're a fitness staple. Sometimes, the more simple the move, the more careless we become when doing it, and before you know it you have sloppy squats. Here are four common mistakes that plague the standard squat. Next time you head to the gym, take a little time to get back to basics and run through this list. Not only will these corrections make the exercise more effective, but they prevent injuries too.

Mistake: Weight Too Far Forward
To take care of your knees and really engage your glutes, keep your weight in your heels. You should be able to freely wiggle your toes as you sit back into your squat. Weighting your heels also keeps the knees from moving beyond your toes, which can seriously strain that joint.
The Fix:
Practice squatting with a stable chair or weight bench behind you, and aim to lower your booty onto the front third of the seat - quietly and with control, no plopping down. This will help you shift your weight far enough back to truly challenge your glutes.

Mistake: Leaning Forward
When squatting, you want to keep your torso fairly upright, but tight hips can pull the upper body forward, straining the knees and the low back. Leaning forward also interferes with your ability to go deep in the squat, decreasing the amount of work for your backside.
The Fix:
Before a strength training session, do a dynamic warmup to open the front of the hips. Walking lunges work well as an active stretch for the tight hip flexors. To keep your torso upright, use an exercise ball at the wall for your squats and single leg squats too. Here are details on how to set yourself up for ball squats at the wall - just make sure you're going deep enough into the squat so your thighs are parallel to the ground.

Keep on reading for more about squats after the break.

The Ultimate Fall Boot Guide - Every Style, Every Price

Brittney Stephens — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:30:30 PDT

As devoted as we are to wearing boots year-round, once Fall rolls around they pretty much become a necessity. With so many styles to choose from, boot shopping can get a bit daunting - so we've culled the best pairs from the Fall '11 runways and broken them down by silhouette, making for a pretty seamless shopping event. From short and sweet ankle booties to supersexy over-the-knee styles, there's definitely a little something for everyone. Click through now to see and shop the crème de la crème of Fall boots.