Healthy happy you.
Sure I can take the stairs when the elevator is broken, but when it comes to stair-climbing to burn extra calories, I'm a bit of a wimp. You see, stairs sort of scare me. Once you start going up a big flight, you know you have to keep going, and the intensity can be overwhelming. Stair climbing is intense because you're carrying your body weight against gravity. And if you take the stairs two at Read more
You are asking and I'm answering... Dear FitSugar, I walk up six flight of stairs to teach a class – I'm a university TA. I climb these stairs at least three times a week and I am always out of breath by the time I reach the top. I am an active person and run regularly. What gives? – Breathless Betty I too am always amazed how out of breath I become when climbing the six flights of stairs to Read more
Sometimes things get in the way of our exercise routine: rain, allergies, a cold, even a vacation. Do you know how long you can take off from your cardio routine before you notice a difference in your fitness level? How long can you skip your cardio workout before you notice a decline in your cardio fitness level? 3 days 1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks Read more
Indoor cycling is all the rage these days, but we know that setting up a stationary bike can be intimidating. Since the proper fit makes the workout so much better — and prevents injury — we tapped endurance rider Audry Adler to give us the skinny on adjusting a bike. Watch and learn! Then head to cardio cycling early to set up your bike just right and then get your sweat on. Read more
I like to power up my cardio and make it work double time, like this elliptical workout. By playing with the incline on the machine, you can really target your glutes and hamstrings. That's right! You get your heart rate up while toning your backside. Talk about a win-win. Increase your booty work and focus on keeping your heels down while doing this workout. Ready to go? Take a look at the Read more
Reader FitFabCities has a simple 15-minute workout for you — no equipment needed! She shared it with us in our FitSugar Community. This printable workout gives you total-body toning plus cardio and it's as easy as 5-4-3-2-1! The whole thing is only 15 minutes long so it's perfect to squeeze into a busy day. Plus you don't need any equipment or a gym; simply push your coffee table out of the Read more
Love it or hate it, a major plus to sweating it out on the elliptical is that you can work your body in a variety of ways using this machine. Pedaling forward works your quads while going backward targets the hamstrings and booty. Focus on pushing the handles gets your chest, and pulling them focuses the work in your upper back. And letting go of the handles while keeping your pace steady Read more
Kettlebell fans love the heavy round-shaped weights for a reason — kettlebell exercises combine cardio and strength training together for a time-saving calorie burn. The amount of calories you can burn using kettlebells can be amazingly high: a study by the American Council on Exercise found that the average person burns 272 calories in 20 minutes when doing kettlebell exercises. More research Read more
The good news is that there are lots of Winter sports to take advantage of all the snow, but the bad news is that all the cold may force you to move your normal workout routine inside. If you absolutely loathe an indoor workout, try one of these five workouts — you'll think you're deep in the outdoors! Read more
Cardio is great for burning calories, but it can also help give you a shapely tush. Don't miss out on the potential to pull double duty in your workout. Running: Hills are a great for building cardio endurance and toning your backside. Running on an incline targets the glutes and the hamstrings, so be sure to add hills to your outdoor runs. If you're more the treadmill type, use our Read more
