FitSugar

Burn More Calories at Your Next Workout

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 03:05:07 PST

Make the most out of the little time that you can devote to working out with these easy tips. These tips will not only help you burn more calories the next time you sweat it out, but you can also expect to tone your muscles more efficiently.

Cardio Rules: Another Reason to Let Go

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:00:49 PDT

I am a fan of cardio workouts and cardio machines, but the handles on those machines - not so much. When you're stair-stepping and walking on the treadmill, holding on is not only bad for your posture and body mechanics - folks tend to slouch when they use the handles - but hanging onto the rails actually reduces the total number of calories burned by 40 to 50 percent. Talk about taking the ~~wind out of your sails~~ win out of your workout. When not supporting yourself using the handles, you force your body to expend more energy and burn more calories. Going hands-free also kicks your core into action.

So let go! Or at least alternate every minute or two while you become accustomed to not holding the rails. If you feel a little unsteady read this post: Why Feel The "Y": Core Concepts. It will help you connect to your center and sense of balance while you move.

Celebrate Summer Lovin': 10 Healthy Date Activities

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:50:00 PDT

Uh-oh! Like it or not, the final days of Summer are driftin' away. If you're looking to take a vacation from your usual workouts, take advantage of the season and carve out some time with your favorite cutie or health-minded pal for a calorie-burning date. Tell me more, tell me more, you say? Here are a few of my favorites activities to cool you off, heat things up, and keep you moving.

Burn More Calories on the Treadmill

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:50:38 PDT

Whether the hot humid weather has made running outside impossible, or you're a gym rat by nature, running on a treadmill is a great way to burn calories, keep your heart healthy, and tone up your lower body. If you want more from your workouts, try these tips the next time you hop on the moving belt.
Source: Thinkstock

Burn a Few More Calories: Take a Self Defense Class

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 09:30:00 PDT

Some of my favorite kinds of workouts are the ones that kill two birds with one stone. For example, I love getting in 30 minutes of cardio while watching the last episode of TopChef (yes, I watch that show too). I also love doing pull-ups and dips on the monkey bars while I am at the park with my kids.

Another way to get fit and accomplish something (aside from plain ol' getting healthy) while you're exercising is to take a self-defense class. Here's why: Your first defense in self-defense is to run (run Forest, run...), and we all know how good running is at burning calories. Your next defense in self-defense is to try to fight off a possible attacker, which means you'll be learning how to protect yourself with specialized moves. Perfecting moves such as the Hammer Fist and Elbow Shots is an excellent method for burning calories as well as empowering yourself too. Check around for self-defense classes near you. A lot of local YMCAs offer them as well as community centers, and even gyms, nationwide.

10 Ways to Burn More Calories This Summer

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 03:00:00 PDT

This summer, take advantage of all the great ways you can burn a few more calories. Here are ten simple ways that you can burn a few more calories in just 30 minutes this summer:

*Based on a 130 lb. person for 30 minutes of activity.*
Activity	Calories Burned
Fishing	118
Frisbee	89
Horseback Riding	118
Mountain Biking	251
Rock Climbing	236
Snorkeling	148
Softball	148
Surfing	89
Water Skiing	177
Whitewater Rafting	148

The best part? You should have fun burning those extra calories. So pull out the sunscreen and bug spray and start moving this summer.

Source

Burn More Calories This Week: Walk to Work

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 02:35:00 PST

There are so many simple things you can do to burn more calories in one day, especially if you live and work in a city.

Instead of taking the subway, bus or cab to work. Walk. I am not saying do it everyday (especially if you're running really late), but try briskly walking to or from work at least once this week. If you like it, next week try doing it at least twice. Slowly build up to doing it all of the time.

Live too far to possibly walk and still make it on time? Well then you can still take the subway, but get off a few stops earlier and walk the rest of the way. You could burn upwards of 69* calories for every 15 minutes of briskly walking. You'll burn more if you're carrying a load, like your laptop and purse.

*Based on a 140 pound woman.

From the Community: The Fab 15 Total-Body Circuit Workout

Fit Community — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:24:05 PST

Reader FitFabCities has a simple 15-minute workout for you - no equipment needed! She shared it with us in our FitSugar Community.

Want to know how Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Sofia Vergara, Penélope Cruz, Minka Kelly, and Brooke Burke get their killer curves? Well, their superfit shapes come courtesy of Gunnar Peterson. Gunnar is one of my favorite celebrity trainers, and he’s the go-to guy for actresses, models, musicians, and even professional athletes who count on being in amazing shape for their jobs.

Learn more about this workout after the break!

Oh Please! Worst Gym Pickup Lines

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:51:19 PST

It's Valentine's Day and maybe you have found love at the gym (I met my hubby in a yoga class!) While there's nothing wrong with a little harmless flirting during a workout, some people take it a little too far. Sometimes Cupid's arrow really misses the mark. To celebrate these awkward blunders, we've rounded up some of the worst pickup lines overhead at gyms. Maybe one of these has been used on you?

Read on for some cringe-worthy come-ons:

I know milk does a body good, but baby, how much have you been drinking?
Your daddy must have been a baker, because you've got a sweet set of buns.
You look like a cool glass of refreshing water, and I am the thirstiest man in the world.
Do you have tickets? [you say, "Tickets?"] Yeah, do you have tickets? Tickets to the gun show. [he flexes biceps]
I know an activity that’s fun and burns 350 calories an hour . . .
Are your legs tired? Because you've been running through my mind all day long.
Do you squat here often?

Keep reading for more cheesy gym pickup lines.

Fat-Proof Your Life

Health — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:06:06 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Maridel Reyes

It's true that there are certain times in your life when extra poundage seems to appear out of nowhere . . . and settle on you. In fact, experts have honed in on the exact moments when you're most vulnerable to weight gain.

"Life transitions, having a baby, and going through menopause cause many women to pile on pounds," says Susan Albers, PsyD, author of But I Deserve This Chocolate!: The 50 Most Common Diet-Derailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them. "But with planning and prep, you can stay thin."

We asked top experts for their strategies to help you ward off weight creep - and even shed pounds - at these tricky stages. Solutions ahead.

Getting married

Heavier ever after? It can be the flip side of wedded bliss: "Six out of 10 of my clients come back heavier after the honeymoon," says celebrity fitness and wellness guru David Kirsch.

Health.com: 25 Diet-Busting Foods You Should Never Eat

Young newlyweds pack on an extra six to nine pounds in the five years after getting hitched compared to singletons, according to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And most of that gain happens in the first year of marriage.

"Couples start to mirror each other's eating habits," explains Albers. "You might be matching him calorie for calorie without realizing it."

Learn how to keep the pounds down postmarriage and in the mommy years, after the break.