FitSugar

Strengthen Your Core With Tone It Up's Stability Ball Workout

Fit Community — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:30:00 PDT

If you enjoyed the bikini body and body toning video workouts from the Tone It Up group, here's a stability ball workout video from Karena and Katrina.

To see detailed descriptions of the exercise moves,

Speak Up: How Have You Inspired Healthy Habits in Others?

FitSugar — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 03:30:15 PDT

I visited my mom a couple weekends ago, and was appalled to discover that as her daily afternoon snack, she devours an entire Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar With Almonds. No, not a regular-sized 210-calorie bar. With her insane sweet tooth, she said that isn't enough. The bar she gobbles down contains over 600 calories. I felt like her mother when I said, "Do you think this is healthy?" And her response was, "Well, I have a really light lunch. That way I can eat as much chocolate as I want and not gain weight." I was shocked.

We had a good long talk about how a person can be thin, but still be unhealthy. I said, "Mom, I want you to live a long, healthy life, and eating this much chocolate every day in place of nourishing foods isn't doing your body any good." I explained that she didn't have to ignore her chocolate cravings entirely, that moderation was the key. I think deep down, she knew eating that much chocolate wasn't good for her, but needed to hear it from someone else.

Yesterday, my mom was happy to report that she's given up the chocolate pig-out afternoon snack sessions. Yay! She said, "I started eating Greek yogurt with fruit, just like you suggested, and I feel so much better." I was so proud.

Tell me, on your quest to live a healthy lifestyle, how have you inspired others along the way?

Class Act: Slackline Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:30:15 PDT

Yoga isn't just for the mat anymore. Nowadays, people do yoga moves while cradled in a ribbon or hanging from the ceiling, in between hiking hills, and while balancing on a paddle board. Need another yoga trend to try? Slackline Yoga involves doing yoga poses on a tensioned rope or slackline. Talk about challenging our sense of balance.

I had the opportunity to try this type of yoga at a demonstration over the weekend. To find out what I thought,

read more. It won't surprise you to find out that Slackline Yoga is insanely difficult. All I can say is I'm glad the rope was set up about a foot off the ground, because I spent more time on the grass than on the line. When I first heard of this type of yoga, I thought it was just another name for tightrope walking, and not related to yoga at all. Boy was I wrong. Doing yoga on a slackline requires the same focus, attention to breath, body awareness, balance, and core strength as doing yoga on a nonmoving mat. After a while, I found that I could stand on the slackline on one leg without falling, and the thought of trying to balance in other positions was so exciting. I was addicted immediately and will be sure to take a real class soon. To learn more about Slackline Yoga, check out the video below from Yogaslackers: Source: Flickr User lululemon athletica

Minutes to a Healthier Work Day

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:30:02 PDT

The workplace, whether it's a desk job or otherwise, isn't always conducive to a healthy lifestyle. You may find yourself snacking on chips and candy out of boredom, eating fast food for a quick lunch, unmotivated to hit the gym after a long work day, tempted by birthday and holiday break-room treats, and spending the majority of your day in a sedentary state.

But sometimes taking just a few minutes out of the day to make small changes can make a big difference. For some tips on making your work day healthier, read more.

Mandy Moore Goes Deep to Find Balance

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:00:06 PDT

Mandy Moore appears to accept herself gracefully, brushing off Hollywood ideals and expectations and replacing them with her own. While dealing with a relatable love-hate relationship with her hips, the singer is working to achieve a deeper sense of balance in her life. She told Women's Health, "I'm into having balance in my life and trying to treat myself well." To find out how Mandy nourishes her body and mind,

read more. Mandy exercises her body by going on hikes and doing Pilates three or four times a week, and she achieves mental health and happiness by receiving regular acupuncture sessions and going to therapy. She loves acupuncture and says, "It's so restorative. It brings me back to myself." The therapy sessions are "freeing" for Mandy because she gets an unbiased view and doesn't feel like she's being judged. It's clear that Mandy is doing everything she can to take care of herself, and her efforts are paying off.

Words That Move You . . .

FitSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:49:00 PDT

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
- Albert Einstein

Need more motivation? Check out all of my words that move you.

Source

Fit Tip: Runners Should Balance Out Leg Muscles

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:30:00 PDT

If you, like me, spend a lot of time running (on the treadmill or outside) then you're definitely giving your hamstrings a nice workout, which is awesome. Keep in mind, though, that it is important to work opposing muscles in order to keep your body alignment and balance in check. This does not mean you need to start running backwards (unless you want to, of course). Instead, just be sure to work your quads (the hamstrings opposing muscle group) a few times a week and doing so should help balance out all the great running you're doing.

And in case you're wondering . . . a good, no fuss exercise that is a surefire way to work your quads is squats.

Source

Drop the Ball? Not This Dog

GiggleSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:00:00 PDT

This pup's owner claims that he never asked the dog to pick up a ball and perform a balancing act. It's been the dog's thang from the start; he practices on a daily basis. Consequently, our pooch can now balance, bounce, and even spin a ball on the tippy tip of his nose. In the canine world, it's kind of a big deal. The ladies love it, I hear.

Multitasking Move: Balancing and Brushing Teeth

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:00:00 PST

We all know that improving your balance can improve your life. As can good dental hygiene, so how about combining the two? You all know I love to multitask so recently when I am brushing my teeth, I balance on one leg for a minute and then on the other leg for another minute. This way I am getting in my two minute brush time, but I am also working on my balance as well. It's easy to do so try it out, and let me know what you think.

Source

Improve Your Balance, Improve Your Life

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:45:00 PST

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