FitSugar

Which Would You Rather Give Up For a Month - Sex or Exercise?

Michele Foley — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:59:58 PST

The annual Bicycling Readers' Choice survey is out, and after reading through it, one statistic stood out to me: 58 percent of female respondents would choose cycling over sex, if they had to give up one or the other for a month. Men were split down the middle, with 50 percent responding that they would choose cycling over sex.

I admit, I am pretty shocked at this statistic - Bicycling's readership are a passionate group of cyclists! It made me wonder, if forced to choose, how many fitness devotees would do the same if they had to pick between exercise or sex for a month. When you think about it, a good amount of the benefits from each activity are identical: stress relief, improved heart health, and better sleep, to name a few.

Ready, Set, Cycle: How to Fit Your Bike and Start Cycling

Zelana Montminy — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:47:53 PST

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.

What Are the Best Calorie-Burning Exercises?

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:38:43 PST

Do you know which workouts offer the most calorie-burning bang for your buck? Take this quiz to find out.

*Calculations are based on a 130-pound woman.

Take the Quiz

3 Things I Learned From My First Indoor Cycling Class

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:15:09 PST

Since it's important to vary workouts and keep the body guessing, this year I resolved to add indoor cycling to my usual running-and-weights fitness routine. I made sure to wear and bring the right items to the gym, but I learned a few technique-related tips during class that I wish I'd known earlier. Planning to try an indoor cycling class for the first time? Keep these three pointers in mind to steer clear of injuries and make the most of your workout.

Regularly shift your hands: To avoid stiff, sore wrists, be sure to move your hands around the handlebars by correctly incorporating the standard cycling hand positions. You should try to keep your hands slightly loose - no death grips necessary - and do your best to let your weight fall into your feet, rather than leaning your entire body into your hands. It's also important to keep your shoulders down and relaxed.
Keep pedal rotations pause-free: Aim to make each pedal revolution as smooth as possible so that you don't put any extra strain on your ankles or the balls of your feet. There's a natural tendency to pause at the bottom of a rotation - especially during standing intervals - so make sure that your leg and glute muscles stay in a constant push-and-pull rhythm. To achieve this, try keeping your feet flat rather than letting your heel turn up and toe push down.
Focus on technique, not resistance: As you ease into indoor cycling, don't worry too much about the resistance level on your bike. Instead, strive to stay moving throughout the entire class and learn to fluidly transition between the sitting and standing positions. Later, when you've grown more comfortable on the bike, you can begin to worry about increasing resistance and amping up your workout.

Breathe Deeply, Improve Your Running

Susi May — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:40:24 PST

Breathing. You're doing it right now without even thinking about it. Put a little thought into the action, and you just might find yourself soaring through your next tempo run. When you're going the distance running, swimming, cycling, and even rowing you need to power your muscles with fresh oxygen. To do this, you need to breathe deeply. Unfortunately, most of us are just breathing into our chest and not fully utilizing our lungs. Cross-training with the noncardio workouts of yoga and Pilates can help. Along with strength and flexibility, these forms of mind-body exercise help you learn to breathe deeply and effectively.

Basically, your lungs are just a bit smaller than your rib cage, but we all tend to breathe in just the top third of the lungs. One reason is that, like all muscles, the intercostals, which run between the ribs, can get tight and inflexible, limiting the expansiveness of your lungs. With a little training and some stretching, you can breathe to your full potential and increase your endurance.

Learn a supersimple breathing exercise, simply read more.

Get the Bod: Katie Holmes

FitSugarTV — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:16:34 PST

Last year, Katie Holmes worked out on her birthday. The actress is a huge fan of spinning, and to celebrate her b-day, we're bringing you tips from her her spin instructor, Audrey Adler. Learn three moves Audrey using a stationary bike to tone your legs and bum. This video is full of great tips to help you maximize your indoor cycling workout and take it to the next level. Bike on!

Holiday Gift Guide: Two-Wheelin' Friends

Susi May — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:08:23 PST

From bicycles to shoes, from bright lights to cool shades, we've rounded up everything a cyclist could want this holiday season. If your gal pal is all about two-wheelin' about town or training for endurance century rides, check out our gift selections - you might even find a few items to add to your wish list, too.

A Reader Buys Her First Bike and Preps For a Bike Race

Fit Community — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:30:49 PDT

Being a beginner cyclist didn't stop FitSugar reader bjeanne18 from participating in a 15k bike race! She shares what it was like to shop for a bike and prep for her big race day in our FitSugar Community.

The 15K bike race was part of the Corporate Challenge. I signed up for the bike race and a 5K run and they are the first races I've ever competed in as long as you aren't counting elementary school where I was downright legit at the water balloon relay. Word.

I probably got into biking around January when the BF and I decided to look into getting bikes. We went to our local Richardson Bike Mart and told the salesman we were total newbs and looking for beginner bikes. He nods his head as if he understands us and says, "Ah yes, so the sub-$1000 range." Sub-$1,000?! Um, wow. I really was under the impression a $300 bike was a lot of money. I mean, I still have to be able to afford shoes.

So I get completely schooled/versed on bikes and read a lot of stuff online but I still can't part with the money for a nice road bike - I ended up going with a hybrid Men's DiamondBack but I absolutely love it. It cost me a little less than $300 from Sports Authority and came with a free tune-up in the first year. I like that my seat is more cushion-y than actual road bikes and that my handles bend back slightly so I can sit up straight when I'm riding. It's a lot more comfortable.

Read on to learn more about bjeanne18's bike race prep.

Would You Pay to Take a Spin Class?

Michele Foley — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:21:59 PDT

Judging from the latest trend in fitness, what's old is new again. Indoor cycling is all the rage, and it's moving beyond drop-in classes at the gym. Contributing to the hybrid fitness craze is a new wave of classes that combine spin with either yoga or strength training. LA-based Yas is a hybrid of yoga and spinning, while New York's SoulCycle turns indoor cycling into a total body workout - students use resistance bands or hand weights to work their upper body while also cycling.

Besides hybrid spinning classes, indoor cycling studios seem to be on the rise. Flywheel, a national chain, is having no problems getting people to come in for its $25 indoor cycling classes. The company has plans to open locations in seven more cities within the next six months.

The idea of paying for a spin class might seem crazy, but it wasn't too long ago that going to a yoga studio had people scratching their heads. The benefits of an indoor cycling studios are many: abundant bikes, complimentary cycling shoes, and a wide variety of classes. These studios also offer the latest stationary bikes and have the kind of amenities you'd expect from any upscale studio or gym.

Source

Beginner Bicycle Buy: The 7.2 FX WSD by Trek

Leta Shy — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:31:30 PDT

You never forget how to ride a bike, but hopping on one for the first time since those school days gone by can be intimidating. So when Trek sent me a bike that it promised was perfect for beginner cyclists, I was hoping it was the ideal gateway bike for me to start navigating San Francisco's hilly roads on two wheels.

What's New
Released over the Summer, the 2012 Trek 7.2 FX WSD hybrid bike ($550) is an update of the company's most popular model. Since it's a part-road, part-mountain hybrid bike, it's made for anyone who commutes in the city, cycles for fitness, or is just the casual rider. Upgrades to the new model include a lighter body, shock-absorbing handlebars, and improved saddle comfort. Also, Trek's WSD line features women-specific design to ensure that the bikes' proportions and sizing are made for your body.

The Ride
As a city cyclist newbie, I loved how comfortable the 7.2 FX felt from the start. From the seat to the shock-absorbing handlebars, I felt confident and at ease. The low-rise handlebars make for back-friendly upright riding, and the bike's sturdiness reassured me that I was in control (everything helps when those cars are whizzing by). When I took the 7.2 FX with me during a camping trip, its hybrid tires - wider than a road bike's but not as big as a mountain bike's - navigated well-worn trails with ease, whether they were paved, rocky, or sandy.

Besides the comfortable ride, many of the 7.2 FX's other features make me a fan. My appreciation for the 7.2 FX's aluminum frame and eight speeds, for instance, grew exponentially as soon as I confronted my first hill. Its light body meant I wasn't weighed down, and once I got a hang of shifting gears I was able to actually make it to the top using the bike's low gears.

Read on for more details about the Trek 7.2 FX WSD.