FitSugar

How to Strength Train With a Balance Board

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:00:05 -0700

If you belong to a gym, you may have seen this weird UFO-looking piece of equipment lying around. It's known as a balance board. When used for strength training exercises, it's a great tool for runners, skiers, tennis players, and yogis because it helps improve coordination and balancing abilities. It can also help target weak areas such as wrists and ankles that are often overlooked. There's no way around it - a balance board will work your core as well.

Also called wobble boards, they can be circular in shape, like the one shown, or rectangular. Since the platform is a lot larger than the base that touches the ground, once you place any body part on the board, the rest of your body is forced to engage in order to hold yourself up. That means you end up using multiple muscle groups at once.

To learn some basic exercises you can do that utilize the balance board keep reading.

Get Wii Fit with the Balance Board

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Nintendo is out to prove that video games and fitness are not mutually exclusive. They recently unveiled the Balance Board, a Wii video game accessory for their soon to be released Wii Fit games. I have to say geeksugar and I are super excited about this new development.

The Balance Board looks somewhat like a scale but it is really a gaming controller. When you stand on the board it senses your motions so you can interact with the video game playing on your TV. The range of games will satisfy fitness enthusiasts of all kinds with Wii Fit games like yoga and soccer, as well as hula hooping and something close to Dance Dance Revolution. It looks like many of the games will activate and work your core.

The balance board will also take measurements of your body and plot your fitness level over time. If you are feeling extra competitive you can compare your progress with other members of your household. Sometimes a little friendly competition is in order.

Interested in seeing the Balance Board in action? Then read more

There is more to see. You should also check out this cool video geeksugar found showing what Nintendo's Shigero Miyamoto had to say about the Balance Board.

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Balancing Act: Fitter Balance Board

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 03:00:00 -0800

Looking to improve your balance and your overall mobility?

The Fitter Balance Board ($39.99) can improve your strength and coordination. Balance boards like this one can increase the strength of the muscles in your feet, ankles and legs, not to mention your core. Doing this enhances your efficiency of running (and other activities) and lowers your risk of injury. There are two levels which allow you to set the degree of incline from easy to more advanced as you get used to doing it and as your balance improves. Using a balance board will also improve your range of motion, facilitate better balance and overall body awareness and promote better joint mobility and reaction skills.

Hey, maybe you should try getting dressed on one!

Buy one from Activa Sports.

Work Your Balance With Vew-Do Balance Boards

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:30:00 -0800

I am always searching for balance in my life, both literally and figuratively. Standing on an unstable surface is one of the best ways to heighten your sense of balance. Being off kilter will certainly help you hone your skills and if you do it on a board you will not only work your core, but also prepare yourself for board sports of all kinds.

I stepped on a The Flow ($100) made by Vew-Do Balance Boards recently and was plunged into the unstable world of a rocker board combined with a roller. I have used rocker boards with Pilates, but this board was much more fun and I don't just think it is the colorful graphics. Time flies when you are on the board; my first 15 minutes felt more like two. The balance board worked not only my ankles but my abs too. The board, about the size of a skateboard has a metal track on the bottom. The track fits onto a cylinder (aka a "rock"), so you stand on the board and rock side to side as you perfect your balance. It is designed for "toe-heel" action (whatever that means), but I just tried to keep upright, which is much easier on thin carpeting than hardwood floors. Once you can stand on the board you can begin to add in other fitness elements. Me? I really only progressed to squatting a bit while standing on the board.

To see what the board looks like in action, just read more.

I do think the price of the board is a bit high, but it is beautifully constructed out of birch wood or maple. And made in the USA, too. I think using this Flow would really help get a person mountain ready for both boarding and skiing; it really helps you hone balance and reaction time. You know how I say don't just sit and watch TV, get up and exercise at least during the commercials. Standing, or attempting to stand on one of these boards would be a great way to watch television and be active. Or you could stow the board in your cubicle at work, so when life's starting to feel really out of whack you could hop on the board for some true balance.

Buy one directly from Vew-do.

Just Released: Three Fitness Video Games For the Wii

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:00:47 -0700

Confession: I love playing video games - I especially love them on the Wii because I get to move, jump, and shake myself into a tizzy. Three fitness games were released for the Wii this last week and even though it's not like doing the real deal outside, the games are a fun way to burn calories and whip your bod into shape.

Nintendo Wii Fit Plus ($20) Wii Fit Plus is Nintendo's follow-up to the popular Wii Fit. There are new exercises, balance board games, and strength and yoga activities, as well as targeted exercise routines for things like reducing tummy fat and toning your figure. A great improvement is the addition of a calorie counter - after you complete each exercise the game tells you how many calories you've burned.

To hear about the other two games, continue reading.

Yoga With Biggest Loser Trainer Bob Harper

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:47:23 -0700

I gaze out past the middle finger of my left hand into the Hollywood Hills as my right quad quivers holding Warrior 2. This is when Bob Harper, trainer from The Biggest Loser, says, "You might be feeling a bit of heat in your thigh right about now." He's teaching a yoga class to a few bloggers and ladies of the press, and we all laugh as our legs burn.

You can hear Bob's charming smile even in his calm instructions leading us from pose to pose. He's a thoughtful teacher, with smart sensitive hands that gently mold you into correct positions. I've had a bit of a TV crush on him for years, and now after meeting him in person, I'm smitten. This yoga class and round table discussion were produced by Go With the Grain, and although carbs did come up (as well as protein, which Bob thinks is overrated), we mostly talked about the show, yoga, and a dash of musical theater. He mentioned the contestant Shay more than a few times; she was clearly on his mind. Having lived through each moment during filming, Bob doesn't watch the show but checks the ratings the following morning. He's also learned to avoid the online community boards: "They're so mean." He addresses the recent criticism about all the screaming on the show and shakes his head in dismay and bemusement about the clip of a tirade used on the Emmys.

Bob said there is so much of the action at the ranch that ends on the cutting room floor because it doesn't make for good TV. Which brings us to yoga. Quiet, slow yoga. He actually does a fair bit with his contestants because it's meditative. "It helps them own their bodies," he explains. Working with people that weigh over 300 pounds, Bob gets creative with props, using benches to help support Shay in Chaturanga. Ten minutes of sun salutations is often part of the exercise homework he gives his team.

To see if Bob and Jillian, his rival trainer on the show, are buddies, just read more.

Bob still teaches a Saturday spin class at a Crunch in LA and has participated in the SF to LA AIDS ride, so I asked him if he rides a road bike much. "I spin four to five days a week and get my cycle time there. Mostly, I like to ride my motorcycle." Who taught him to ride? Jillian. They hang out all the time. Cute.

As a personal trainer, we know Bob is into fitness, but food is a major part of the health picture. Growing up on a cattle farm, with "two coffin freezers full of meat," Bob is not into animal protein and believes in a plant-based diet. He feels too much emphasis has been placed on protein. He really wants people to focus on fruits and veggies, and of course grains. On the show, he tell contestants that life on the ranch is the little picture. It's extreme. Going forward with their lives after The Biggest Loser they're going to need to find balance. Which is what we all need, especially when doing the standing splits to end a series of standing poses he taught in his class.

Obviously, I am big fan of Bob's - are you? How was your last yoga class? Ever taken one with a celebrity yogi? Share the details in my Yoga Stretch and Tell group.

Calories Burned Playing Wii Fit Games

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

I'm in full support of anything that gets you off the couch and moving, so I'm a fan of the Wii Fit. Although many say that exercising with the Balance Board may not compare to a real workout, anything is better than nothing, right?

To find out how many calories you'll burn working out with the Wii Fit, read more.

I used our Calorie Burner Counter Calculator to calculate the calories burned based on a 130-pound woman. I couldn't find calculations for specific Wii games, so I used calculations based on similar activities and intensity levels. Just like with any type of fitness, the more active and intense, the more calories you'll burn.

Activity:	Calories burned per 30 minutes:
Skate It	85
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout	100
All Star Cheer Squad	177
We Ski	118
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum	100
EA Sports Active	89
Don King Boxing	180
Ski and Shoot	118
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2 (using the Dance Mat)	207
Yoga	118
Tennis	170
Bowling	39
Baseball	95
Golf	75

Do you play any of the Wii games regularly? Do you wear your heart rate monitor when doing so? If so, I am curious how many calories you burn - tell me in the comments section below.

And the 2009 Health and Fitness Trends Are . . .

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0800

Every year the American College of Sports Medicine surveys over a thousand sports medicine professionals about the fitness trends for the upcoming year. It seems that the predicted trends for 2009 are pretty similar to those we saw for 2008 - a mixture of generalized trends and exercise specifics.

Here are the top 10 health and fitness trends for 2009:

Educated and experienced fitness professionals. Certification and accreditation for health and fitness programs and professionals are becoming more common.
Children and obesity. Fitness programs to address childhood obesity are a top trend for the third year in a row in the ACSM survey.
Personal training. Personal trainers are becoming more accessible to more people, according to the survey.
Strength training. Men and women are lifting weights; staying strong while aging is increasingly part of their motivation.
Core training. This trend is about strengthening muscles in the abdomen and back to stabilize the spine.

To see the other hot trends read more.

Special fitness programs for older adults. This trend includes aging baby boomers, frail elders who want to get stronger for daily tasks, active older adults, and master athletes.
Pilates. Done on a mat or special equipment, Pilates trains the core muscles and improves flexibility and posture.
Stability ball. These big, inflatable balls (also called Swiss balls or exercise balls) are used for crunches, push-ups, and other exercises. Staying stable on the ball is part of the challenge.
Sport-specific training. This trend is about athletes training in the off-season to build their strength and endurance.
Balance training. In balance training, you might stand on a wobble board or use a stability ball to hone your balance. It's a trend for all ages.

Pilates has been popular for a long time now and I am not sure I would call it a trend, but rather a staple of the fitness industry. But I, for one, would love to take a group fitness class centered around the balance board. What about you?

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Shake and Bake: 6 Moves For Your T-Day Cooking Marathon

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:30:00 -0800

Everyone I know is working out their Thanksgiving Day menu. Since many of us will be stuck in the kitchen a good portion of the day, it makes sense to think about working out while cooking. While I love cooking, hunching over a stove and cutting board all day long make my body sore. Aside from dancing around the kitchen, I like to add some strength training into my cooking time. It helps keeps my energy up as well as keeping my body from aching. Since cooking is really all about multitasking, here are some moves to try between chopping potatoes, onions, and herbs.

Reverse Lunges: Place your hands on the counter and step backward coming into a deep lunge so both knees are at, but not beyond, a 90 degree angle. It's so convenient that the counter just happens to be right in front of you to help with balancing.
Do: 8 on each side, twice
Works: Glutes, hamstrings
Heel Raises: Once again using the counter for balance, just rise up onto your toes to work your calves. Lower your heels and repeat. Let go of the counter to challenge your sense of balance and work your core.
Do: 12 reps, twice
Works: Calves, core
Counter push-ups: Place your hands on the counter and walk your feet away from the counter until your shoulders are even with your hands. In this position bend and straighten your elbows.
Do: 15 reps, twice
Works: Chest, arms

There are a few more moves, so read more.

Pendulum kicks: Using the counter to help maintain your balance, raise your right leg to the side as high as you can, keeping the movement in your hip joint and not your back. Bring that leg down and lift the other leg. Keep alternating legs.
Do: 12 sets, twice.
Works: Glute medius, outside of leg
Dishwasher squats: Take care of your back and work your legs and glutes while you load your dirty dishes and unload your clean ones. This really is a back saver!
Do: 12 reps, twice
Works: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves
Kitchen sink stretch: Whenever you need a break during your cooking marathon, go over to the sink and stretch your lats, shoulders, and back.
Hold for 15 to 20 seconds, switch sides
Stretches: Back and lats

Do you exercise in your kitchen? Please tell me that I am not alone.

Wakeboarding: What to Expect on Your First Ride

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700

When it comes to riding a board on snow, concrete, or water, my vote is for the wakeboard on water. Wakeboarding is the most exhilarating because you're moving so fast and the motion of the waves is so unexpected.

If you live near a lake or bay, or are planning a trip near water, you really should try a wakeboard. Just so you know, you don't need any prior surfing or waterskiing experience in order to ride. You can take a lesson and rent equipment for under $100 an hour, and learn all the basics. Let me warn you though that wakeboarding is incredibly tough on your body. Even though a motorboat is pulling you along, you'll be using a ton of arm, back, and quad strength to get yourself up out of the water and to stay balanced.

To find out the basics of wakeboarding read more.

You're going to be spending a lot of time in the water, so be sure you're wearing a sporty bathing suit that will stay put (this isn't the time for your sexy string bikini.) A life jacket is a must, and you can expect to hang out in the water for a while with both feet attached to your wakeboard, just to get used to the feeling (it's a pretty weird at first).

In order to stand up, you need to hold onto the tow rope with both hands and pull your knees into your chest as the boat slowly pulls you along. Point the nose of your board up and then push the board away from you. Don't be discouraged if it takes you the entire 60-minute lesson to learn how to rise up and stay balanced on the water's surface. After you're up, you want to concentrate on riding straight for a while. Then you can work on doing some small turns, where you alternately lean to one side of your board (called the edge) and then the other. Try to move with control and anticipate how the waves in front of you will affect your board. As with all new things, wakeboarding will take practice, but soon your body will learn to move in sync with the waves.

Fit's Tip: Your entire body is guaranteed to be sore the next day, so be sure to stretch out after your ride.

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