Dumbbells are an active girl's best friend because they're fairly inexpensive, compact, easy to use, and allow you to tone every part of your body. Using them can be a little confusing since they come in so many sizes, and many people may not realize that one size doesn't fit all exercises. For example, since biceps tend to be stronger than their neighbor muscles, the triceps, you'd want to use a Read more

The exercise ball may occupy a lot of room in your home gym, but it's one versatile piece of equipment. Find out how to get the most out of your exercise ball below. A healthier seat: Ditch your normal seat on the couch and sit on an exercise ball instead. Using a ball to sit helps correct your posture, tones your abs, and encourages you to stretch, all of which sounds a lot better than the Read more

It's an age-old question: how come my pants feel looser but I weigh more now than before I started exercising? FitSugar reader livingthin turns to the experts for an answer and posted it in our 10 Pounds DOWN! community group. Q: "I know everyone is always looking at the scale, but in my case I am slimmer than ever but the scale shows I am almost the same weight as I was on my son's first Read more

Once you've mastered the basic moves of strength training — like squats, lunges, and planks — gym time can become a little dull. Workouts creep by slowly due to boredom, and if you don't push yourself to the next level, you may find your fitness level stalling as you coast onto a plateau. When the going gets boring, it's time to get unstable. Performing seemingly simple exercises on an Read more

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar! It's official, NYC has tennis fever! The courtside champs have been spotted around the Big Apple as they're in town for this week's US Open Tennis Championship. Selfers mingled with tennis greats at the 12th Annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis including James Blake, Rafael Nadal, Mardy Fish, and Vera Zvonareva were also in Read more

I like things easy. And easy means a convenient way to stay fit but doesn't take too much time out of my day. Easy solution? A home gym. What's not to love — all the equipment you need to stay fit, no gym membership required. It's hard, however, to keep a home gym as equipment-ready as your neighborhood gym if you don't have the space (or the money). Luckily, just a few basics are all you Read more

Before heading to the office, you have just enough time to hit the gym for a strength training session. Since you don't have time to mess around, here are ways you can get the most out of your toning workout. Lift at least twice a week. Once a week is better than nothing, but in order to reap the benefits of strength training, put the time in at least two days a week. Avoid more than three Read more

Being in the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I have to confess that I haven't been keeping up with my kegels. Early in my pregnancy, new moms urged me to keep my pelvic floor strong, but distracted by the impending appearance of my new little one, exercising this area has not been a top priority. That is until now. Helping a fellow instructor out at a postnatal yoga class over the weekend, I Read more

The magic pill to weight loss is a mirage in my opinion, but companies continue to design products to help you burn more calories and drop pounds. As if the seven shady weight loss products I recently posted about weren't enough, I just discovered Body Togs Wearable Weights. At first I thought they were for strength training exercises instead of dumbbells or resistance bands. Since you didn't Read more