FitSugar

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?

Source

Improve Your Balance, Improve Your Life

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:45:00 -0800

If you're like me then you may find yourself saying, "I have horrible balance." While I thought I was doomed to wobbling around every time I put on my shoes standing up, I found out that you can improve your balance easily. Why does it even matter? Well balance training repairs damaged pathways to the brain, strengthens weakened stabilizing muscles, and teaches the body new strategies for keeping itself upright. What's more? Jumping over puddles, standing on a ladder to change light bulbs, snowboarding, and riding on the bus (standing up) all require balance, so a little improvement just makes your life easier.

To find out how to help improve your own balance, just read more.

I found these tips from Canada.com extremely helping in improving my own balance:

Start by standing on one leg and then the other for several seconds each. If this simple task isn't enough to throw you off kilter, stand on one leg while brushing your teeth or washing the dishes using the counter to steady any wobbles before they lead to a fall.

If that's too easy, try it with your eyes closed or on an unstable surface like a pillow. Both stances increase the challenge considerably and teach your body how to stabilize when sensory data is impaired and the environment becomes unstable.

If you're looking to improve your balance further then try yoga exercises on a BOSU or balance board, and even walking while putting one foot directly in front of the other should help - it may not make you Nadia Comenici but it's a start, right?

Source

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.

Now Is the Time to Get Ready For the Slopes

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:41 -0800

Even though we're in the middle of Fall and I've yet to see any real signs of snow, experts say now is the time to get your butt in gear for Winter sports. Days on the slopes can be long and require a good amount of endurance, especially if you're the type who likes to visit the mountains for an extended weekend or even longer.

Veteran Winter Olympic athletes like ski racer Daron Rahlves and snowboarder Elena Hight recommend doing specific training for Winter sports six to eight weeks before the season starts. They say the key to lasting all day, weekend, or week on the slopes is to work on flexibility, strength, and cardio. A good mix of this will ensure you can snowboard from sunup to sundown. Being in tip-top shape will also help cut down on injuries.

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle asked a group of Winter Olympians and trainers their advice on getting in shape for Winter sports. Here's some of their advice.

Stretch for 15-20 minutes every day or do 10 minutes of sun salutations. Skiers should focus on their lower bodies, while snowboarders should focus on their upper and lower areas.
Two to three times a week, focus on strength training with emphasis on your quads, hamstrings, and core muscles. Keeping your legs and core strong helps with balance and endurance, and helps cut down on ACL injuries. If you can, use kettlebells and also make sure to do tons of squats, leg curls, and lunges.
Do some sort of aerobic activity for at least 15 minutes every day, keeping your heart rate elevated the entire time.

Sounds doable to me. Who's hungry for powder?

No Equipment Necessary: Balancing Windmill

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:47:10 -0800

Squats are essential in your strength-training tool belt if you want to tone your booty and thighs. Here's a variation that will also challenge your sense of balance and strengthen your core.

This is a four-part exercise. To see all the moves and learn the details on doing this exercise keep reading.

You Asked: Why Do I Shake During Hard Exercises?

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:50:00 -0800

Dear Fit,
I tried out a new strength training class at my gym, and it was awesome. It uses dumbbells, resistance bands, gym balls, and mat exercises to tone your whole body. There were definitely a lot of new moves I'd never done before, and during one of the exercises, where you're balancing on your bum in a V-position, and lowering your torso and legs toward the floor, I was shaking uncontrollably. It was kind of embarrassing. This happened during some other really challenging moves, and I'm wondering why this happens, if it's bad for me, and if it'll ever go away.
-Trembling and Shaking

There are two things you should know about your body shaking. One, it's completely normal, so it's nothing to be embarrassed about and I bet if you had looked around you would see your classmates trembling along with you. Learn the second bit of info about shaking when you read more.

Your body shaking during strength training isn't a bad thing. It just means that your muscles are working hard and are not used to the demands you're placing on them. Meaning they're just not strong enough yet. The trembling is caused by your muscles grabbing and releasing one another as they lengthen and shorten. Once your muscles become accustomed to doing these new exercises, that action will become smoother and your trembling will stop.

Since quivering means that your muscles are hard at work, you just want to be careful not to overdo it, since you can end up tearing a muscle. Gradually work your way up to challenging exercises. Either do modifications, less reps, or hold difficult positions for less time. Keep up with the class, and as your body becomes stronger, you'll be able to say sayonara to the shaking.

Any other shakers out there? Tell me the move that gets ya!

Multitasking Move: Balancing Side Leg Lift Squat

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:50:16 -0700

I love combo strength-training moves that target more than one part of the body, and I also love quick moves I can throw in throughout my day, even when I'm not at the gym. This balancing booty- and thigh-toning exercise can be done while blow-drying your hair, waiting for the bus, or talking on the phone.

Music: "Oh, Atlanta," by Alison Krauss

For detailed instructions, continue reading.

Alanis Morissette Marathoning For Eating Disorders

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Many celebs have laced up their sneaks and finished marathons, including Will Ferrell, Mario Lopez, Oprah, David Lee Roth, and Katie Holmes. Now you can add Alanis Morissette to that list. She's planning on running this Sunday, Oct. 11, in the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon, in Lassen National Forest in northern California.

Alanis is running to raise money for the National Eating Disorders Association, since she knows firsthand what it feels like to struggle with anorexia and bulimia. Alanis began running about a year ago after seeing her assistant Leah running "like a gazelle" while on tour. This singer-songwriter feels that running this marathon is allowing her to use her body as an instrument and raise awareness about an important and personal issue. She knew she couldn't get through the many hours of grueling training unless there was a higher purpose and explains, "I wanted to offer this run to anyone who has had a fraught relationship with their food, their body and their heart and soul."

To find out if training triggered unhealthy eating disorder behaviors, read more.

Alanis said that marathon training did trigger some eating disorder type behaviors, but she knew there was no way she could undereat and maintain the high level of energy needed in order to run. So training for this marathon actually helped her find balance in how she fueled herself. This amazing singer was also aware of not exercising obsessively. She has an order of priorities now: Sleep first. Food second. Run third. Alanis said, "I don't have the first two nailed, I can't run. So it incentivized me to nurture the first two. When I run healthfully I feel empowered and kind. When I run obsessively I feel nervous, stressed out and disassociated."

Have any of you ever walked, biked, or run for a cause? Tell me about it in the comment section below.

Natalie Coughlin: From the Olympics to DWTS

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:50:41 -0700

Last season on Dancing With the Stars, we saw gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson win gold, and this year we're watching Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin compete on land.

She made it through the first week, dancing a salsa with Alec Mazo and wowed us last night with her quick step. Although busy dancing and rehearsing, Natalie took time out of her day to answer a few questions on topics ranging from Pilates to her opinion on the ban on high-tech swimsuits.

To learn what Natalie has to say, just read more.

FitSugar: I have read that you do Pilates. How does this method of exercise help your swimming? Since it is somewhat dance-based, do you think it will help you on DWTS?
Natalie Coughlin: Pilates is an awesome cross-training exercise for any sport because it focuses on functional movement. It relies on strength along with flexibility, which is perfect for both swimming and dance. My two favorite pieces of equipment are the Balanced Body Exo Chair and Pilates Arc. I personally own both, and they make a nice addition to my home gym.

FS: I loved your "I'm a runner" piece in Runner's World. Do you still run regularly? Do you ever participate in road races? Were you able to run before your wedding ceremony?
NC: My first and only road race was the H2O Audio Surf Monkey last month, which was a 5K run on a mixture of sand, cobbled rock, and pier. It was so much fun, although I had no idea how to run on sand or cobbled rock! A few days before my wedding, I got a little overzealous with my running and ended up straining my right obliques, which forced me to take a bit of a break. Oops! I still love running, but I'm currently spending five to six-plus hours dancing every day, so I'm taking a break. I don't think it would be a good idea to add any unnecessary stress to my feet or legs.

FS:Your swimming career has spanned two Olympics, and you're planning to compete in 2012 - how do you maintain focus in training over those four-year periods?
NC: My focus is constantly evolving. I took three months off immediately following the Athens Games and returned to competition with a series of two-day meets throughout the world. The short format of the meets along with the world travel kept me motivated and interested in swimming. After Beijing, I needed a much longer break both mentally and physically because I have been competing for 21 years now! Dancing With the Stars is providing me with an amazing competitive outlet in something so different than my sport.

FSWhat's your favorite core exercise?
NC: I use the TRX suspension system for strength training and I absolutely love the atomic push-up because it's a killer exercise that works your entire core and upper body.

FS: Is your running playlist different from your swimming playlist? If so, how?
NC: Nope! They're usually the same, but it changes depending on my mood. It can be anything from pop, rock, alternative, to hip-hop . . . and H2O Audio's new Interval lets me listen to multiple playlists in the water or while I'm out on a run.

FS: Swimming can be hard on the skin and hair. What are your go-to beauty products postswim?
NC: Oh dear! I love products . . . Pureology for my hair, Kinesys sunscreen for my face/body preswimming, Palmer's Cocoa Butter for my body post-swimming, and Oil of Olay SPF 15 for my face.

FS: How do you feel about the ban on high-tech swimsuits?
NC: I think it's a good idea because our sport can now get back to the swimming and eliminate the distraction of "who are you wearing?" Eliminating zippers and legs is strange because both have been a part of many of the suits for over a decade. Either way, I'm happy.

Sports Energy Products Explained: Bars

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:30:25 -0700

If you're a fan of longer workouts, or are in training for a big race, you can't exercise without refueling your energy. Sport drinks offer energy plus hydration, and gels and chews offer bite-sized energy in convenient packages. There are also energy bars. You can eat them before, during, or after your lengthy workouts, and they're better than sport drinks or gels because not only do they contain carbs for energy, but they satisfy your hunger too.

Many companies make energy bars these days including Clif, PowerBar, and Balance. If you're confused about how to choose one keep reading