FitSugar

Relax Already: Become a Player

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 17:30:00 PST

After a long day's work, cooking, putting the girls to bed, but before cleaning up the dinner mess and packing lunches for the next day - I like to play a game of Suduko (also spelled Sudoku) or a couple of rounds of Text Twist( I just play the web version - it's free and quick). Numbers or words? Sometimes it is hard to choose which one to play. But they're both on line, so they're both easy to access. And the Suduko page comes with the answers. Which is important because, I will admit, I do cheat a little to save time. Plus not figuring out the answers can be stressful, and that is not what this is about.

It is a little brain challenge time combined with a little "me" time. I get to focus on something entertaining, challenging and ultimately frivolous. For some reason the focused time helps me unwind and focus better on the tasks at hand - like packing a well balanced lunch for a picky almost 4 year old.

13 Signs You’re Too Busy

LearnVest — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:15:38 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

There’s busy.

Then there’s too busy.

Busy is running from one appointment to the next. Too busy is running over someone on your way to the next appointment (physically, vehicularly, whatever). Busy is leaving your cell phone behind at the grocery store. Too busy is leaving your kid behind at the grocery store.

And then there’s the biggest of all ironies-we want to cut back, but frankly, we just don’t have the time to figure out how to do it.

Sound familiar? Well, we’re here to do an intervention-a time intervention. Today, we’ll help you figure out if your life is starting to burst at the seams when it comes to your time. If it is, you need a wake-up call to reset priorities, because there is no shakier foundation for healthy, balanced living (and healthy, balanced money management) than not having the space and breathing room that time provides in our lives.

If you’ve crossed over the line into too busy, you’ll need to reset your foundation: Maybe it means taking a day off from work to reassess your life priorities. Maybe it means evaluating what your time is worth and outsourcing chores like housekeeping or laundry. Maybe it means taking a break from social engagements for a little while to focus on building the right foundation.

Here are 13 signs that you might need a time overhaul in your life-and easy tips on how to get started, today.

You Spend a Good Amount of Time Worrying About Your Time

If your time is preoccupied with, well, your time, you might be: endlessly cycling through your to-do list in your head, spending a lot of time arranging and rearranging your schedule, or wishing throughout the day that you had more time.

If you've worried about your schedule or wished you had more time more than three times a day, you need a break from time itself as a stressor in your life.

Try this: Take a mental break. Remove one thing from your schedule for today that is the least important-it might be putting off doing the laundry or postponing a work call. Spend that time instead totally luxuriating in something in the present moment (like eating a macaron or listening to your favorite song) and not thinking about your schedule, or future plans, at all.

Read on for more.

Feeling Crampy? Low-Impact Exercises For That Time of the Month

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:19:16 PDT

During Aunt Flo's monthly visit, feeling crampy, fatigued, or bloated may make it hard to stick to your normal fitness routine. Instead of skipping out on exercise completely, swap high-intensity workouts with something less intense - light exercise can actually help alleviate symptoms associated with PMS and your period. Here are some low-impact workout ideas to send your period's symptoms packing while also shedding a few calories at the same time.

Go for a brisk walk with a girlfriend: Head out on your lunch break for a 20- to 30-minute walk in the park or around your neighborhood before dinner. This light form of cardio is enough to get your muscles moving and your heart rate up, which is the type of exercise recommended for cramp relief. For an added bonus, chatting it up with your gal pal will let you vent about work, your BF, or other things that especially set you off during that time of the month.
Go swimming: Hitting the pool is a great way to relieve cramps and get your exercise on. Since your body feels so light and free, you can move your limbs in all directions without having to expend much energy to hold your body weight. I wouldn't try to beat your best lap time, but rather focus on moving with ease through the water, and doing what feels good. All that movement and increased blood flow is sure to lift your energy levels and relieve your headache (if you have one), and I find spending time underwater also calms my mind.
Do strength training moves that target your abs: I know this seems a little odd to purposely tense up the area that already feels like it's in knots, but doing ab work can actually bring relief. The relaxing Scissor Abs move will target your lower abs as well as loosen tight hips and hamstrings - all of which can contribute to menstrual cramps.

Continue reading to hear more exercise ideas to relieve period symptoms.

Reese Witherspoon Shows Leg and Talks Finding Love With Jim Toth in Marie Claire

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:53:50 PDT

Reese Witherspoon graces October's Marie Claire cover. Inside the magazine, the actress got personal, opening up on her divorce from Ryan Phillippe and her new husband Jim Toth. Reese recently returned home to LA after vacationing with Jim and her kids Ava and Deacon in Hawaii. It was off in the tropics that Reese showed her stomach tattoo, which apparently represents her new life and love. She reflected on her life between marriages in her interview, and said things feel easier now that she has Jim by her side. Here are some highlights:

On single parenthood: "I was hard on myself when I got divorced. And until I got remarried, I don't think I realized how stressed I was. I feel so much relief. I don't think I realized how stressed I was being a single parent. It was really, really stressful. It's not easy on anybody."
On marrying Jim: "I got lucky. I did. I got very lucky, and he's so wonderful with the children. I'm very blessed."
On feeling braver after 30: "I always had a lot of confidence when I was younger, and then I think I got a little nervous in my 20s. But now I feel better. Now I'm in my 30s, totally better. A little more confident again. Not as scared."

6 Moves to Say Goodbye to Lower-Back Pain

Self — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:37:54 PDT

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

We know planks and dead-lifts are great, but the real question is, how can they help relieve your aching back?

Back pain affects about 8 out of 10 people, according to the National Institutes of Health, and is one of the most common medical problems. It's costly too - in 2004, a team from Duke University found that treatment for back pain was estimated to cost nearly $26 billion annually.

A recent study from the University of Nevada found that those would walked backwards on the treadmill for 15 minutes three times a week reported less low back pain. But walking on the treadmill isn't the only option for relief; I asked Ian Hart, CSCS, co-creator of Back Pain Relief4Life and owner of EarthFIT fitness studio for simple at-home exercises that will strengthen the lower back, ease pain and help prevent injury in the long run.

Find out Ian's recommendation's after the break.

Forget the Fountain of Youth, the Secret Is in Your Diet

Michele Foley — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:07:52 PDT

There's probably no better road map to aging than the face. A wrinkle here, a sunspot there - all signs that we're growing up. Let's be real; there's no magic cure for wrinkles and the other effects of aging, but there are preventive measures to take that don't involve fancy creams or weekly visits to the esthetician. Wrinkles, dry skin, and sun spots, all common signs of aging; find out which foods will stop them dead in their tracks. The fountain of youth is just a meal away.

Wrinkles

If someone mentioned that smiling left such an (ever) lasting impression, some of us may have been a little more selective with what we found funny. It seems that no matter what age you are when it happens, wrinkles still have the ability to make you feel, well, old. Keep in mind, aging isn't the only thing that causes wrinkles: smoking, sun damage, and all that squinting, smiling, and frowning also contribute to those little - and sometimes, not-so-little - lines that find a home on our face.
Preventative Foods: Vitamin C serums are huge in the skincare world as a good line of defense against wrinkles. They also come with a hefty price tag. Guess what? Science says, an orange a day keeps the wrinkles away! A study showed that participants who ate a diet high in vitamin C and linoleic acid were less prone to wrinkles. While we're talking fruit, you may want to up your berry intake, too. The antioxidant powerhouses are key in keeping skin free of environmental stress that help contribute to aging.

Learn which foods help with dry skin and sunspots after the break