FitSugar

Learn Cheerleading Skills With Paula Abdul

FitSugar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 08:17:03 -0800

Do you love Paula Abdul and cheerleading? Of course you do. Now you can have it all with Cardio Cheer. The complete 5-Disc set is only $74.98.

She got her start cheerleading with the Laker Girls. Paula says, "It's the fundamentals I learned in cheerleading that have been my foundation for success."

This exercise video involves stretching (yoga), power moves, lunges, clapping (that's right), and jumps. "Practice until the moves become a part of your body, and watch how your confidence grows and grows."

Paula ends with, "Now let's get lean, get toned, and get the legs, abs, and arms you always wanted by giving it your all."

I have to say, it looks really fun, even though it is slightly on the cheesy side. A lot of girls always dreamed of being cheerleaders, so here's your chance to learn those moves.

Calories Burned Playing Wii Fit Games

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

I'm in full support of anything that gets you off the couch and moving, so I'm a fan of the Wii Fit. Although many say that exercising with the Balance Board may not compare to a real workout, anything is better than nothing, right?

To find out how many calories you'll burn working out with the Wii Fit, read more.

I used our Calorie Burner Counter Calculator to calculate the calories burned based on a 130-pound woman. I couldn't find calculations for specific Wii games, so I used calculations based on similar activities and intensity levels. Just like with any type of fitness, the more active and intense, the more calories you'll burn.

Activity:	Calories burned per 30 minutes:
Skate It	85
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout	100
All Star Cheer Squad	177
We Ski	118
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum	100
EA Sports Active	89
Don King Boxing	180
Ski and Shoot	118
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2 (using the Dance Mat)	207
Yoga	118
Tennis	170
Bowling	39
Baseball	95
Golf	75

Do you play any of the Wii games regularly? Do you wear your heart rate monitor when doing so? If so, I am curious how many calories you burn - tell me in the comments section below.

Britney Bounces Back, For the Most Part

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

I honestly never thought I would write another post about Ms. Britney Spears. The girl was just not the picture of perfect health for a while, and while I am not saying she is now but she certainly seems a lot healthier than over the past few years.

Britney recently told OK magazine what she has been doing to get stage ready (perhaps for her second comeback on the VMAs?). Here are highlights on her new diet, which you'll notice does not include Starbucks:

"I'm the healthiest I've been all my life," Britney, 26, tells OK!. My diet has a lot to do with my getting into shape. I have no sugar. I don't eat fruit or even fruit juice because of the sugar. I eat chicken and salmon and rice. I eat avocados. I'll have egg whites for breakfast and sometimes turkey burgers for lunch. I try to do just 1,200 calories a day. It may sound like it's not much, but it's actually a lot of food if you eat the right things."

Of course, Brit also hits the gym on a regular basis, doing "lots of cardio and weights" five days a week.

I will say that 1,200 calories/day is the lowest most of us should ever really go when trying to lose weight, especially if you're doing lots of cardio and weights most days of the week. To find out the optimal amount of calories you should be eating per day in conjunction with the amount of working out you're doing, check out my Fit Calculator. While I may not be her biggest fan, I am definitely cheering her on to getting even healthier, so here's to hoping she adds quitting smoking to her to-do list.

DVD Review: Hoopnotica - Hoopdance Basics

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Since I just started to get into Hoopdancing, I've been trying out some instructional DVDs to help me learn basic moves and tricks. I really loved Hoopnotica Hoopdance Basics ($19.95). The instructor has a really upbeat personality, and gives great descriptions for how to master certain moves. She is very encouraging, reassuring you that each exercise would take time, and that practicing is the key to making smooth movements. I loved how she says it's important to cheer yourself on, and not get frustrated, since hoopdancing can be really challenging.

The DVD begins with a great sequence of stretching to help open your entire body. I especially loved the stretches she teaches using the hoop. It then moves on to basic hooping, walking in circles with the hoop, walking in all directions, hip hooping, and more advanced moves like lifting the hoop over your head. I've got to say that this DVD moves pretty quickly, so it's important to pause after every move, so you can practice it and get it down. I like how she explains the mistakes you might be making and how to fix them. She also tells you which parts of your body you're working with each move.

This was an awesome cardio workout, and the repetitive movements are great for toning your booty, hips, core, and arms. Plus it's guaranteed to make you laugh. If you want to try this DVD, you can order it through the Acacia website. Be sure to have an adult-sized weighted hoop too.

To see a demo of the video read more.

How You Like to Move It!

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:00:00 -0800

I am more than pleased to announce that we can all count running among our list of favorite things.

When I polled you on your all time favorite form of exercise, running came out on top. Running beat out yoga, swimming and Pilates. It even scored higher than cardio machines like the elliptical.

If you are interested in joining the pack of runners and start running be sure to read: Start Running on the Right Foot. It has some great information for newbies. If you are new to running and love it, please share how you started in the comments section below. You never know who you might motivate.

Three cheers for running!

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