FitSugar

Beach Body Beach Workout

FitSugar — Mon, 21 May 2007 04:00:00 PDT

So you've been hitting the gym a lot to get into that bikini and now that you've arrived, try and keep it that way with this beach body beach workout:

Warm-Up: Tread water for 5 minutes.
Cardio: Jog in the sand for at least 30 minutes. For an added challenge, run in ankle high water.
Walking Lunges: Walking lunges are a great variation to regular lunges. Plus doing them in the sand adds a whole new variation. Try doing 20 forward and 20 backward. For an added challenge, hold two water bottles down at your sides.
Mountain Climbers: Do 3 one minute intervals. (Hands in sand with shoulders over hands. One leg tucked, one leg extended. As quickly as possible "climb" alternating legs back and forth.) Word to the wise: You may want to close your eyes as you'll probably be kicking up a lot of sand.
Push-Ups: Do 3 sets of 10 push-ups on the sand. For an added challenge, make sure your head is at a slightly lower level than your feet.
Crab Walk: (Reverse push-up position: belly facing up, abs tight, legs out in front of you, arms extended below your shoulders, spine straight) Walk forward for 25 steps and then backward 25 steps. Repeat. For an added challenge, soak a towel and rest it on your belly for some added weight.
Crunches: Do 2 sets of 25 basic crunches in the sand -- For an added challenge position yourself so that your head is at a slightly lower level than your feet.
Cool-Down: Walk around in the sand for 5 minutes and follow with 15 high kicks.

Fit's Tip: Be sure to use a waterproof/sweatproof sunscreen and I prefer to wear sneakers (except when swimming) for support of my ankles despite the sand.

Source

From the Community: the Best Exercise You Aren't Doing

Fit Community — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:10:46 PST

FitSugar community member (and fitness instructor) livinginthin has shared a how-to on an overlooked exercise that everyone should be doing.

Running, cycling, squatting, jumping, curling, crunches, and lunging - you do it all, right? Well, the one move you aren’t doing is probably the one that can keep you doing all those things (and more), pain and injury-free for a lifetime.

What is it? Dorsiflexion. In layperson’s terms, dorsiflexion is the action of the foot that occurs when you pull your toes back toward your shin, engaging the foot and ankle muscles (the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus).

Weak muscles in this part of the leg can cause everything from muscular imbalances to an impaired gait and even tripping and falling (as we age, we lose even more strength in this area, which makes it harder to step properly), says Dr. Yoav Suprun, PT, Dip. MDT, a certified personal trainer, physical therapist, and owner of SOBE Spine in Miami Beach, FL.

Learn what exercises you should be doing to combat these muscle strains, after the break!

Full-Body Beach Workout With Olympian Kerri Walsh

Guest Writer — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:50:34 PDT

The following full-body workout was created by Olympic athlete Kerri Walsh, two-time gold medalist in beach volleyball, along with her trainer Kerry Wachtfogel. Repeat the entire circuit three times and be prepared to sweat!

Be sure to catch up and read all of Kerri's great posts on FitSugar!

Why You Aren't Toning Up With Strength Training

Self — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:00:14 PST

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

If you aren't seeing the results you want and you know you're putting in the effort, it might be because you're not getting the most from your strength training workouts. Tempo is an oft overlooked, but pivotal aspect to toning and strengthening muscles.

Tempo is the pace or speed at which you move through the reps of the exercises. "Most people do not pay attention to tempo for one of two reasons; either they are trying to do too much weight and need to use momentum (to create the movement) or they are in a hurry and rushing through their exercises," says strength training expert Tim Bishop M.S., C.S.C.S., owner of sports performance facility, PerformFit and author of the new book Stronger Legs & Lower Body (Human Kinetics, 2011).

Next time you're at the gym, try this tempo timing trick Bishop shared: generally, you should count about four seconds on the down (or eccentric phase), and about two seconds on the up (or concentric phase).

Learn more about tempo after the break!

Getting Back on Budget: How to Escape a Downward Spiral

LearnVest — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:15:02 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

I recently fell off my budget-or, rather, got pushed off by a large, unexpected expense at the dentist’s office.

I negotiated a payment plan so I wouldn’t have to pay more than $1,000 all in one go, but that night, as I was walking home, I became really irritated about the payments I’d have to make for the next few months.

Then, I saw-and was lured into-one of my favorite New York City institutions, the Strand bookstore, whose memorable tagline is “18 Miles of Books.”

That’s 18 miles of used books. Used books are cheap, right? Cheap.

That’s what I told myself as I proceeded to walk out with $75 worth of new reading material.

As I walked home, I thought, “I’m so far down the hole already anyway, what’s another $75?”

It turns out that this is a common way of thinking-about budgets, diets (“I already gorged on that cake last night, so what’s a little cookie?”), exercise (I already missed two workouts, who cares if I miss a third?) and more. But a few easy tricks-and our easy-to-use, goal-setting calculator below-can lift anyone out of a damaging downward spiral. If you want to jump right in to calculating how you can undo any damage you’ve done, scroll down.

First, let’s figure out why so many of us fall prey to downward spirals in the first place.

Why We Dig Ourselves Deeper in a Hole

Carmen Wong Ulrich, personal finance expert and author of “The Real Cost of Living,” says that once people fall off their budgets, they feel helpless. “You’re beyond the point of seeing yourself getting out. The pit is so big, it’s exhausting to look at, and that exhaustion wears down your ability to make a good decision.”

It’s a sad fact: Once one financial defeat saps our energy and willpower, we tend to make yet another bad decision, which makes us feel even worse, engendering yet another budget-busting decision, and so on. (A lot of it comes down to the psychology of sunk costs.)

So, how do you reverse course?

Read on to find out.

Just Beachy Exercises For the Summer Sun

Leta Shy — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:24:23 PDT

Welcome Summer! Today marks the official start of the season, which may mean you've scheduled a steady agenda of fun-in-the-sun activities. But before you head to the beach with nothing but your iPod, sunscreen, and a Summer reading list, why not prepare for spending a few minutes out of the day exercising on the beach? You'll be able to take advantage of the cooler coastal weather to exercise outside without overheating, all while being able to check your workout off your to-do list.

Don't worry though, these beach exercises won't take over your relaxing beach day. Read on for ways you can burn calories at the beach, a few minutes at a time!

5 At-Home Fitness Tips From the American Idol Trainer, Marco Reed

Self — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 06:05:47 PDT

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

If you've seen the new svelte Jennifer Hudson (that's "J-Hud" to you) in Weight Watchers commercials, you know that the transformation from "hopeful" to "diva" can be a big change. And not just from a physical standpoint.

That's why - whether readying clients for class reunions, weddings, new jobs, new chapters, or performing nightly in front of millions of viewers - frequent American Idol trainer Marco Reed's GetBeyondFit program weighs stress management and stamina as heavily as body sculpting and nutrition.

Idol top-three finalist Haley Reinhart buddies up to trainer Marco Reed.

At this time of year, after American Idol has reached its stunning conclusion, and TV audiences are readying themselves to move onto other shows like The Bachelorette, Marco Reed's job is just beginning.

After the initial hoopla has died down, the show's producers recruit this go-to trainer to ready their new pop stars - like David Cook and Adam Lambert in the past - for album releases and solo tours. (Though Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart have not trained with Reed, they have been in touch.) An avid watcher of the show, Reed confesses, "I really enjoyed Casey Abrams and Haley. However, I would love to work with Lauren once the show ends. She has a sparkle about her, and I think she would benefit from my GetBeyondFit program."

But what makes that program so unique? And how can we get on board? To find out, keep on reading!

How to Make the Most of Beach Workouts

Heather Dale — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:27:59 PDT

A true beach bum at heart, I'll use any excuse to get near the sand and ocean. As much as I love laying in the sun and watching the waves roll in, I still enjoy a good workout at the beach - there's nothing quite like feeling the sand between your toes - especially when running in the sand burns 30 percent more calories! If you're already gearing up for sunny weather like I am, here are some tips when taking your workouts to the beach.

Beach Running 101: From choosing the right shoes and going barefoot, to starting on wet sand and protecting yourself from harmful UV rays, here's how to get the most out of your beach workout.
Take Off Your Shoes: As I mentioned above, I love feeling the sand between my toes, especially while running, but did you know that walking barefoot in the sand does wonders for the muscles in your feet and your calves? That's because it's so much more difficult than walking on a flat surface, so you're guaranteed to give these muscles a serious workout and burn more calories!
Calorie-Burning Activities: Besides running, there are many activities you and your family can take part in on days you head to the beach. Try practicing some yoga stretches, or what about doing some push-ups and sit-ups? You could even give your upper arms some nice cardio by building a sand castle - as we all know from our youth, stacking sand ain't easy! And before you know it, you'll be well on our way to having a Jennifer Aniston beach body.

And don't forget to show us your abs this week for our Get Fit For Summer Challenge - you could win a $100 New Balance gift card!

Bethenny Frankel's Simple Workout Tips

Heather Dale — Fri, 20 May 2011 09:26:33 PDT

Natural foods chef turned reality show star, wife, mother, margarita mogul, and best-selling book author Bethenny Frankel still manages to eat healthy and exercise regularly to maintain her svelte figure.

If you want to workout like Bethenny, she has her own fitness DVD titled Body by Bethenny. But what else does Bethenny do to stay in shape? Here are some of her secrets:

Her opinion on extreme diets and workouts: "They are not realistic. They aren’t sustainable, and they lead to binge eating (beating ourselves up emotionally and physically by gorging on food) and erratic workout schedules."
On how working out is like a good friend you see when you can: "If you don’t see them for a while, you can always pick up where you left off. Consistency is the key. That is the most important part about exercise."
On her workout routine: "People never believe that all I do is 40 minutes of my “Body by Bethenny” yoga DVD a few times a week or walk on the elliptical machine for a total of 4 workout days. And I never leave my house."

Here are more tips from Bethenny!

Healthy Dose Link Time: Summer Camping Essentials

FitSugar — Tue, 24 May 2011 11:02:57 PDT

Load up the car with these Summer camping essentials - lululemon
Test your fitness IQ and see if these statements are fact or fiction - Fitness
Get beach-body-ready with this strong arms workout - Exercise TV
Foods you should always, always buy organic - That's Fit
10 snack ideas to help you reach your daily veggie requirement - Daily Spark
Celebrities with type 2 diabetes - Health
Get grilling! Tofu burgers with a potato and asparagus salad on the side - Oh She Glows