FitSugar

Sneak in Sprints While You're on the Court

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Nobody is debating my sportsmanship or nominating me for MVP, but the NBA Finals inspired my husband and I to hit the basketball court this past weekend. My hands haven't touched a basketball in years, so I was expecting the afternoon to be a hilarious mess. Instead, I discovered a fun new workout that I can't wait to repeat after my soreness subsides.

To see how I spent part of a Saturday, read more.

We arrived at the court with the intention of staying for 30 minutes, and an hour passed before we realized how much time had gone by. My husband and I took turns shooting and rebounding, and every five or 10 minutes, I would let him shoot alone while I resurrected one of my not-so-favorite exercises- killers, aka suicides. I'd sprint the length of the court, back and forth, touching all the lines, until I was nearly out of breath and then go back to shooting around. I like to think of it as a unique interval workout, which caused me to leave the court flush-faced and sweaty.

Two days after our basketball outing, my arms (forearms through shoulders) were sore from shooting the ball, and my abs were so sore from sprinting that I could feel them when I sneezed. I had a blast with my husband and was able to sneak in a pretty killer workout; next time I'll wear my heart rate monitor to measure exactly how hard I'm working. Who else out there likes to shoot hoops?

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Guess Who?

FitSugar — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:30:00 -0800

Guess which one of Hollywood's most eligible bachelors is shooting hoops?

NBA Finals: Into It or Sick of It?

FitSugar — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Well the NBA Finals have finally begun, and I don't know about you, but I'm glad they're here. The sooner they're here, the sooner they'll be over, and the sooner I'll have my husband back.

So how do you feel about the NBA Finals? Who are you rooting for?

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February 7th - National Girls & Women In Sports Day

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 08:45:00 -0800

The 21st annual National Girls & Women In Sports Day (NGWSD) will take place on February 7, 2007 - The theme for NGWSD 2007 is "Throw Like a Girl, Lead Like a Champion."

Originally, NGWSD was established in 1986 to celebrate the achievements of girls and women in sports and to honor Flo Hyman, a member of the 1984 Olympic silver medal volleyball team who died suddenly while competing in Japan in 1986.

The day also serves to recognize the positive influence of sports participation and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports.

It's celebrated in all 50 states with community-based events, award ceremonies, and activities to honor the achievements and encourage participation of girls and women in sports.

How awesome is that? You can find an activity or event in your state - and not all the events are on Feb 7.

This is a great way to raise awareness about women's sports, and to get young girls excited about it early enough, so they can continue staying active and healthy for the rest of their lives.

Also wanted to let you know the American Idol rocker Chris Daughtry is a fan of Women's Hoops!!! He will be playing a free concert in Greensboro, North Carolina on March 23rd to kick off the Women's NCAA Basketball Championship. Sounds like it will be a rockin' good time.

Get It Up, Your Heart Rate, That Is: Killers in the Park

FitSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Oh! I hope you didn't think I was talking about the band The Killers playing live in some park. Nope. I am talking about the killers I ran using the lines of basketball and tennis courts during countless practices and conditioning sessions. You might know them by the names line sprints or basketball sprints, but I refer to them as Coach Vickery did in high school. I call them what they are - killers. They are short, sweet and intense sprint workouts, and let me tell you you are going to love this!

A Killer Set Defined
If you can find a tennis court or a basketball court, use it! If not, just make your own lines in a field. Make six lines, six yards apart. Or if you are cramped make three lines, six yards apart. For basic killer, you start at the first line and sprint to the second line. Bend down and touch the line with your hand then return to your starting mark and touch that line (make sure to alternate hands so you work your torso evenly). Sprint to the second line, touch it and sprint back to the start. Keep going, running and touching the next furthest line until you have touched all the lines and returned to your starting mark. That series of sprints is a set.

Now you that you know the basics to see the workout, just read more

The Workout
Warm up: Run two basic killers at an easy jog. Touch the lines with your feet.

Stretch your legs, hips and back.

Main Event: Run as many sets as you can in 20 minutes, taking a one to two minute walking/jogging break in between sets. If you are new to sprinting, I advise you take two minute breaks and walk.

Cool Down: After your last set, slowly jog a basic killer, then decrease your speed to a walk to bring your heart rate down.

Stretch your legs, hips, and back.

Fit's Tip: This is a great short and intense workout if you are cycling your workouts. Plus it is fun to run as fast as you can for short periods of time. Really! It is.

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Top 11 Most Dangerous High-School Sports

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:00:09 -0700

When it comes to dangerous sports in high school and beyond, cheerleading can definitely lead to serious injuries. All those daring lifts and complicated dance moves aren't the only way you athletes hurt themselves.

Here is a list of other sports that top the injury list.

Lacrosse
Football
Baseball/softball
Cheerleading
Gymnastics

To see the rest of the list read more.

Soccer
Ice Hockey
Track and Field/Cross Country
Swimming/Diving
Basketball
Wrestling

Did you play any of these growing up, and if so, did you ever get hurt?

Learn to Love: Lunges

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Lunges are one of those exercises people either love or hate. There is however one powerful reason to love them: they sculpt a lovely tush. They also make your legs incredibly strong, which is a bonus as well.

Considered a compound exercise, lunges work your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves, just like ever popular squats. Lunges, though, require more finesse, since you move through the motion - stepping forward, back, or to the side to lunge. This movement makes your core work more than in a squat, since you need it to maintain your balance as you move through space, especially if you are holding a weight over your head. The push-off motion, to move out of the lunge, and back to standing position translate into function fitness for running, as well as cutting on a basketball court or lunging to make a shot on the tennis court. The lunge has many variations. I like taking my lunges for a walk to help my running. Backward lunges really work my booty, and side lunges work the inner and outer thighs. You can hold dumbbells while you lunge, and you can also add bicep curls and overhead presses too. Holding a weight in one hand and lunging is also a nice challenge to your balance. Or you can always add a resistance band to your lunges as well.

Tell me below if you love or hate lunges.

Don't Run Yourself Into a Stress Fracture

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:00:29 -0700

Over training happens. You love what you do. You do it too much. Your body starts to break down. Your bones begin to crack. An over use injury you definitely want to avoid is a stress fracture.

Common in professional sports that intensely work the lower body like running and basketball - hoops star Yao Ming has been suffering from one in his foot for two years now and marathoner Paula Radcliffe has battled one in her femur.

A fracture, aka broken bone, is caused by a sudden trauma like a fall. A stress fracture occurs when a bone can't hold up against repeated stress overtime. Cells known as osteoblasts make bones and attempt to keep the bone strong and rebuild them while under strain, while osteoclasts are cells that remove damaged bone tissue. The repeated stress weakens the bones, and ultimately the osteoclast cells win creating a microscopic fracture on the surface of the bone. This small crack can create lots of pain. X-rays usually cannot detect the fracture, but an MRI or bone scan if deemed necessary can diagnose a stress fracture. Often a stress fracture can be diagnosed based on your history, since over use injuries often run a specific course.

Learn how to avoid a stress fracture.

Fittingly Green: 3 Ways to Recycle Your Sneaks

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0700

One great thing about running is that you don't need a lot of gear to participate in the sport. Basically you need a good pair of sneakers. When your sneakers wear out, don't just toss them away. You can recycle them and green up your running habit. Here are three different organizations that want your old running shoes:

Soles 4 Souls' tag line is "Saving the world - one pair at a time." This organization takes your tired, but "gently worn," sneakers and finds needy feet to fill your old shoes. They strongly suggest organizing shoe drives and mailing all the pairs to one of their three warehouse locations.

One World Running has been serving runners around the world since 1986. Through collection programs, they are able to provide shoes for runners to many countries including Cuba, Nepal, and Mali. Check here for drop-off locations.

To see one organization that will take your well-worn shoes, read more.

Nike Reuse a Shoe takes all brands of sneakers that are beyond "gently worn" and turns those old shoes into a recycled product known as Nike Grind. Once your recycled shoes are reformulated into Nike Grind, they are used to make tracks, indoor basketball courts, fields, and playgrounds. Just drop off your retired sneakers at any Nike store, or check here for locations.

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You Asked: Is It Insulting to Get My Husband a Membership to a Gym?

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Dear Fit,
Being healthy and physically fit is very important to me. I eat well, exercise four times a week, and enjoy running and practicing yoga. My husband on the other hand, is more into sitting on the couch watching TV. Not only has he put on a little weight since we got married two years ago, but I'm worried about his health. Do you think it's insulting to get him a membership to my gym?
- Concerned Cara

I'm sure many FitSugar readers can relate to your problem, and I don't blame you for wanting your loved one to be as healthy and fit as you. To hear how I'd handle this situation read more.

It really depends on your husband's personality. If you're questioning whether he'll be insulted then that makes me think his weight and lack of interest in exercising has come up before. So it sounds like getting him a membership to your gym might be too pushy at first. Instead I would encourage him to do physical activities with you that seem less about exercise, and more about spending time together having fun. Suggest a bike ride in the country, go hiking on some nearby trails, play tennis, or start off easy with a walk around your neighborhood. Once he starts to move more, hopefully he'll realize how good it makes him feel. Then once he's hooked, you can suggest joining your gym.

If he's too stubborn for that then I'd be honest with him. Tell him how much you love him, and that you're worried about his health. Say that you wish he'd exercise regularly so that the two of you can live a long, happy life together. Tell him you were thinking about getting him a membership to your gym so you could work out together and see how he responds. If he gets defensive, then suggest just a month-long pass, just to try it out. Maybe you can find a gym that offers tons of activities that interest him, like a pool, basketball or racquetball court, or indoor soccer. He might be more willing to exercise if he knows how important it is to you, and allowing him to choose the place will make it feel more like his idea.

There's nothing wrong with a little gentle nudging and consistent encouragement, but try not to nag. Remember that you can want him to change his unhealthy habits all you want, but ultimately, it's up to him to want to make changes for himself.

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