FitSugar

Work It Girl: At Your Desk Abs

FitSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT

Sitting at your desk doesn't mean you can't work on toning your mid-section. You can work your belly at work without your boss ever knowing you're doing some strength training on the job. All you need to do is pull your navel to your spine, the most basic Pilates move. Here's how:

Sit up straight, keeping your back away from the back of your chair.
Exhale and pull your abs to your spine without curving your back. This will feel a little like a corset. It should feel a little like you are bracing for a punch to the abdomen.
Focus on your low abs; these you can definitely keep engaged while you breathe.
Breathe into your back ribs, wherever you have ribs you have lungs. This is a nice stretch for the intercostals, the muscles between the ribs.
Hold for 30 seconds. Do twice an hour.

Oblique Variation: To challenge your obliques (the abs on the side of the torso) a little more simply tilt your torso slightly to the right and hold that position for 30 seconds. Then, of course, reverse the action by tilting to the left so you can keep even.

Fit's Tip: You can also work your abs when you're waiting at a long traffic light, when stuck in traffic, or heaven forbid, out on a boring date! Try it right now and let me know how it feels.

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Go Deep Into Your Forward Bend

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:10:41 PST

If you run, bike, ski, or sit at a desk all day, chances are your hamstrings are screaming for some attention. Get on the floor and give them what they crave - a seated forward bend. This pose looks simple enough, but here are some ways to increase that deep stretch in the backs of your legs.

Before folding forward, sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Take your right fingertips and pull the flesh of your glute up and away from the sit bone. Repeat on the: left hand moves left cheek. Moving the cushioning of your seat out of the way helps target your hamstrings more effectively in the stretch.
While still sitting upright, increase the stretch in the backs of your legs even further by gently pressing the backs of your knees into the floor. Flex your feet to also engage your calves and shins, but do keep your heels on the floor so you don't hyperextend your knees.
Actively roll both thighs inward, creating a more grounded base for your hips to hinge from. This action in the thighs also help keep the feet flat, as the pinky toe side of the foot has a tendency to curl away from you.

Continue reading to learn

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Pilates Moves For Your Arms and Core From Kim Kardashian's Trainer

Self — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:18:48 PST

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

If you're a novice like me, you might not realize that there are many different kinds of Pilates. And those incarnations are not defined as "hard, very hard, and nearly impossible."

Celebrity trainer Sara Kapuchinski just opened her new LA studio i heart fitness xo, where she teaches West Coast-style Pilates to a revolving A-list clientele including Khloe and Kim Kardashian, Christina Ricci, Modern Family's Sofia Vergara and Glee's Romy Rosemont.

Kapuchinski started out as a weekend trainer, whose day job was as an A & R executive in the music industry. Soon, she realized that teaching fitness felt more personally satisfying. "Music was fun, but I was more gratified training people," she recalls. "After sitting at a desk from 9 to 5 and staying up 'til all hours, I was experiencing a lot of neck and back pain. And, like most people, I was amazed that classic Pilates did the things that it was supposed to do: my posture improved, I lost inches in my waist and my neck and back pain basically disappeared."

After a bit of investigation, the trainer found that Pilates on the West Coast, which is heavier on cardio, was more her speed: "Pilates is so great for your body, for your core (that mysterious thing), but a lot of times you leave a class feeling like you need to sweat. I wanted something that was a bit more cardio-driven without having to go take a Boot Camp."

Read on for three of Kapuchinski's heart-pounding Pilates moves!

10 Sneaky Toning Moves You Can Do at Work

Self — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:30:38 PDT

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

Your office nemesis isn't that know-it-all in the cubicle over, it's lurking right beneath you: your chair!

The more you're sitting, the less calories you're burning... not the ideal bikini body plan.

Picture this: when sitting, your activity in your muscles drops and the calorie-burning rate decreases to just about one per minute. And, women who spent more than six hours per day of sitting (less than a full day of work!) had a 37 percent higher death rate, according to a study from the American Cancer Society. It's scary stuff.

Since I haven't quite mastered the art of jogging while responding to emails, I asked creator of the MELT Method Sue Hitzmann and creator of FitKit Office Amie Hoff to share tips for combating the effects of being chair-bound. And since turning your office into a pseudo-gym can garner a few strange looks, they've kept their exercises as sneaky as possible. Just tell your bosses what's good for your health is good for their bottom line, and try to convince them to bring these healthy vending machines to the break room!

Check out these easy moves after the break!

The 10 Biggest Mistakes You're Making at the Gym

Leta Shy — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:03:14 PDT

Personal trainers spend all day watching people work out, so they are well versed in the biggest mistakes we make when we're sweating it out at the gym. We asked trainers from Crunch, Equinox, and The Sports Club LA to tell us the worst things they see people doing over and over when exercising in the gym. Here are the 10 biggest mistakes at the gym, and how to avoid them!

Doing squats and lunges incorrectly. These fitness mainstays are easy to do anywhere, but they are often done incorrectly, says Caitlin Ritt, a private trainer at The Sports Club LA. "The biggest mistake I see people do over and over in the gym is squats and lunges with the weight in their toes and their heels coming up off the ground," she says. "I have clients come to me all the time complaining about knee pain, and as soon as I get them to keep the weight through their heels, almost always the knee pain goes away." Correctly doing squats and lunges will not only help prevent injuries, but will also engage your glute muscles. And that, as Caitlin reminds us, "is the way to a firmer and tighter butt!"
Doing the same routine all the time. Don't just go to the gym on autopilot. "You need to mix it up in order to avoid boredom and plateauing," says Lauren Fairbanks, a personal trainer at Equinox. Dedicate different days to focus on a different aspect of your fitness routine and don't be shy about trying new exercises; it helps rest overused muscles.
Relying on the machines. Gyms are filled with rows of machines, and often people think that's all they should be using at the gym. "Machines are horrible," says Tim Rich, a personal training manager at Crunch. "They push you through a guided plane of motion, which could cause pain and injury." Instead, "make your body a machine" by doing strengthening exercises that use your own body weight (like push-ups and lunges), or taking advantage of free weights, or, if your gym has it, a TRX suspension system.

More mistakes after the break!

Common Gym Mistakes and the Equinox Fix

Susi May — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 04:08:00 PDT

We all have our moments of weakness at the gym. And by weakness, I don't mean that you suddenly lose the ability to lift 12-pound dumbbells over your head; I mean mental weakness, loss of motivation, and neglect of proper technique. Let's face it, we tend to go easier on ourselves than a personal trainer would. Since we all cannot afford to shell out the big bucks to have a personal trainer push us, I spoke with Lauren Fairbanks, an Equinox trainer, about common workout mistakes. She's spent some time making people sweat and has been able to catalog four common problems she sees regularly at the gym. Fear not, she's going to help us fix these issues, too.

It's not always about speed: Lauren sees a lot of people "going through repetitions way too quickly." Blazing through your reps means you're not working through the full range of motion of your muscles and joints. You're often sacrificing form for speed. The simple fix is slow it down, focus on the quality of your movement, and check your form in the mirror. If you're not sure you're doing an exercise correctly, check with the front desk to find the trainer on the floor. There should be a trainer hanging out on the gym floor, helping gym patrons with questions on form and how to work certain machines.
One set is never enough: Lauren also comes across gym goers short-changing themselves and only doing one set of an exercise. Research has shown that doing two to three sets of an exercise will make you over 40 percent stronger than just doing one. Lauren suggests you "shoot for at least two to four sets of any exercise." The fix just might be to push yourself a little bit harder. You're tougher than you think!

See if you're guilty of the last two mistakes.

Go From Ouch to Ahh: Down Dog

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:06:23 PDT

Downward Facing Dog is practically the definition of yoga. This basic pose is one of the first you'll learn in a class, and also the one you'll do most often. If you're new to yoga, with time, Down Dog may become your favorite pose as your body grows stronger and more limber. But if this pose causes you pain, here are some ways to get relief.

Tight Hamstrings and Calves:
If you're a runner, sit at a desk all day, or were born with extremely tight leg muscles, Down Dog is going to hurt the backs of your legs. Do not power through the pain and struggle to lower your heels to the floor. Instead, keep your heels lifted and focus on pressing the backs of your knees toward the wall behind you. Keep your toes planted and alternately bend your knees pressing one heel into your mat at a time, as if you're walking in place like a mime. With practice, Downward Dog will help to increase your hamstring and calf flexibility, which will alleviate the pain in your legs.

To learn how to alleviate lower back or wrist pain during Down Dog, keep reading!

4 Ways to Avoid Icky Gym Germs (and Look Cute!)

Self — Wed, 11 May 2011 04:49:14 PDT

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

Let's face it; it's tough to avoid germs when you're breaking a sweat. And it's even harder to keep bacteria at bay if you're sharing space with hundreds of other fitness fans at the gym or in the studio. What's an exerciser to do to stay healthy and safe? Clean up your act with the help of these antimicrobial tools that will make your workouts anything but a dirty job.

Carry your own gym towel. Your hands aren't the only ones reaching for a towel from the stack at the front desk. Toss your own in your bag instead. A good choice, Silver Sport's antimicrobial eco-friendly bamboo towel ($34.99). It's amazingly soft and it uses Terra Silver antimicrobial technology that mitigates 99.9% of surface bacteria. That means if your towel touches down on a dirty surface and then touches your hands/face you're still safe from the germs. Mine also went unwashed for days (oops left it in my gym bag) and remained surprisingly odor-free.
Bring your own equipment. Gym mats and props are dirty, so skip the shared equipment and bring your own. Go with Silver Sport's Silver Mat ($49.99). The nanosilver incorporated in the plush light-weight mat makes it the perfect companion for hot yoga or ab moves at the end of class. I love the Silver Shaper Pilates Roller Cover ($39.99) too. It's latex-free, protects from germs, and covers any standard foam roller. Great for massaging post-workout also. And thanks to their natural antimicrobial technology, a quick wipe down with a damp cloth keeps bacteria and odor in check on both. You can skip the harsh chemicals and sprays!

Check out more germ-busting finds after the break!

Getting Down With SUP

Susi May — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:02:30 PDT

I recently tried my hand, well, whole body, at stand-up paddleboarding. After looking at photos of Jennifer Aniston and Matthew McConaughey tooling around with paddle and board, I thought I was prepared. While SUPing is really not that difficult, especially when the water looks like glass, I was still hoping for a few beginning pointers other than terse advice to "balance" from the rental desk where I picked up my 11-foot board.

But that one word of advice is not to be underestimated; balance is key. You do not, however, need to start immediately standing on your board. Start in a low kneel (booty on your heels), then work your way up to a high kneel ("standing" on your knees), and eventually to standing. When you do make it up, it helps to have your feet just a bit wider than hip distance apart, toes pointed slightly outward, and knees slightly bent. Actively engage your core (just like at the gym when confronted with standing core exercises), but allow your entire body to respond as the waves roll in.

If you're ocean bound to SUP, I suggesting heading out in the morning when the water tends to be less dramatic. I jumped on my board in the later afternoon as the wind was picking up, making for choppy water. Ultimately, these conditions turned my rough start into a killer workout. Heading directly into the bumps and swells the ocean offers up is easier than riding parallel to the breaking waves. If you roll off the board due to waves, you have a splashy and refreshing landing into the water.

Learn another crucial bit of advice when you keep reading.