FitSugar

Fit for September: Must Haves

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:30:00 PDT

Now that Labor Day has passed us by, it's time to kiss the dog days of Summer good-bye. Just because you're putting away your bathing suit does not mean that you should also put away your motivation to stay fit. Being healthy is much more than looking good on the beach. Use my September Must Haves to welcome the first day of Fall, and of the rest of your life.

Source

Corsets: Lots of Controversy Squeezed Into One Undergarment

Tara Sharp — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:40:11 PST

Nowadays, women who want a trimmer waist in a pinch typically turn to Spanx or some other body-slimming underwear. But when it's less about practicality and more about looking sexy in nothing but your skivvies (like for your Valentine's Day date night, for instance), you may choose to don a corset. While modern women are free to wear these fitted underpinnings whenever we want to spice things up in the bedroom, corsets and the idealized tiny waists they create have a long and controversial history that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

Just last September, Vogue Italia controversially featured Ethel Granger and her 13-inch waist, which she achieved by wearing a corset 24-7. Ethel, who holds the record for the smallest waist in recorded history, went through the painful process for her husband. Her motivation brings up one of the main issues with corsets: are they for the men or the women? And Romanian-born model Ioana Spangenberg, "the human hourglass," is being criticized for setting a bad example with her 20-inch waist, even though she claims she can't help her shape and didn't use corsets to achieve it.

To find out more about what made corsets so controversial back in their heyday (including info from Valerie Steele's book The Corset: A Cultural History), let's look back at some of the vintage ads and photos of these constrictive undergarments and the nonhuman-like shapes they created on women.

The Best Indoor Workout Classes (Because It's Freezing Outside!)

Self — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:35:01 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

There are lots (and I mean, lots) of reasons why my motivation to work out during the Winter plummets - from the snowy commute to freezing cold winds to the cold, dry air that hits my chest with such force that it becomes hard to breathe. (Ahem, there's a reason I sign up for races that are after September - this born-and-raised Floridian prefers to train outdoors during the Summer.)

But it is possible to sculpt, strengthen, and sweat (majorly sweat) without having to be freezing cold during the winter. So when the weather outside is frightful, head indoors for these top full-body workouts that will help ward off Winter weight:

Indoor cycling: Ruth Zukerman, cofounder of NYC's FlyWheel cycling studio, is heating things up indoors with her 45-minute, heart-racing classes. (Self favorite Jillian Michaels is even a recent investor in the company). "I wanted to be part of the most innovative and effective indoor cycling program, and that is FlyWheel. I am thrilled to join the FlyWheel team," Michaels said in a press release. What makes cycling such an effective alternative is that it's taking the fun full-body workout people love indoors, and instead of scenery, you'll stay motivated to challenge yourself thanks to encouraging instructors and a killer playlist. Flywheel has an awesome on-bike technology board that lets you compete against other riders in the class. Plus if you're looking to shape up before hitting the slopes, "indoor cycling is great preparation for all Winter sports, especially skiing and snowboarding. I know from personal experience that when I hit the slopes I don't tire out easily or suffer from the kind of après-ski muscle pain that most people do, and it's because of indoor cycling," Zukerman says.

Try this move: If you're riding an exercise bike at home or the gym, try some interval training. One thing we often do at Flywheel is a "Sprint Chorus," meaning we increase our RPMs to a sprint during the song's chorus and then revert to a cadence on the beat of the music as the chorus ends.

More best indoor workouts after the break.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld Designs and Models Lingerie Line For Kiki De Montparnasse

Fashionista — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:40:33 PST

We're excited to announce our new partnership with one of our favorite sites, Fashionista. We'll be bringing you some of their best fashion finds, shopping stories, and style news. Today, they're giving us a peek at Julia Restoin-Roitfeld's new lingerie:

Here’s a sexy little surprise to start off the day: For her first-ever design gig, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld has designed a capsule collection of lingerie for Kiki de Montparnasse. As we reported back in September, Roitfeld mysteriously hinted that she might be working on a lingerie line, but nothing was confirmed until now, which is great because you’ll only have to wait about a week to get your hands on the lacy creations. According to Elle, the collection hits stores next Wednesday.
Julia told Elle of the design process:

"I had quite a strong idea of what I wanted to achieve but had absolutely no knowledge of lingerie design. Lingerie design is very specific: it’s not just about looking good - it’s really about the fit and every detail counts. I had many meetings with the team at Kiki, submitted my sketches, and then it was about seeing what was doable, the fabrics we could play with, etc. I knew what I wanted, but I couldn’t have done it so well without their expertise."

The model/muse/graphic designer/photographer/mom wouldn’t spill any details about her next project, so how about a sexy, stylish maternity line?

Photos via Elle.com

Click over to Fashionista for the complete story.

Fit's Hits: Healthy Apple Recipes, Hiking Essentials, and More

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:45:30 PDT

Celebrate Fall with a bushel of healthy apples recipes.
Here's what to do when you're sick to feel better, and quick!
Eat these foods that help you kick belly fat to the curb.
Hit the trails as the seasons change with our Fall hiking essentials.
Earlier this week Gwyneth Paltrow turned 39 - learn her healthy living secrets.
Sleep tight with our tips on getting quality sleep. Sweet dreams.
Shave calories off your day at every meal and happy hour too.
Make the most of your workout and avoid these common strength training mistakes.
Fancy and tasty fruit snacks, all under 200 calories.

Bumpers Are Officially Bumped

LilSugar — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:15:25 PDT

Bumpers begone! The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated their sleep guidelines, officially advocating against the use of crib bumpers for the first time. According to the new findings, bumper pads unequivocally should not be used in cribs because the pads don't prevent injuries, but can cause suffocation, strangulation, or entrapment. Bumpers have been falling out of favor within the medical community for the last several years, with antibumper sentiment gaining major momentum stemming from an article in the September 2007 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, Deaths and Injuries Attributed to Infant Crib Bumper Pads, and this new AAP report SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Expansion of Recommendations For a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment will likely be the final nail in bumpers' coffin.

Keep reading to see what bedding companies are doing in light of the new recommendations.

Fit's Hits: Healthy Morning Must Dos, Metabolism Booster, and More

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:30:17 PDT

Want to wake up energized? Try our healthy morning must dos.
Here's what to eat to maximize your metabolism.
Short workouts can be beneficial - reasons to rock the quick workout.
New to the mat? Here are 11 things your yoga instructor wants you to know.
All those extra nibbles can turn into a pound gained in a week. Yikes!
Tricks to help you stay on track when life gets hectic.
Is your house making you fat?
How to conquer the advanced yoga arm balance Scissor Crow.

Fit's Hits: From Jennifer Aniston's Ab Exercises to Healthy Chocolate Desserts

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:00:54 PDT

Learn Jennifer Aniston's ab toning exercise directly from her yoga instructor Mandy Ingber.
Keep on taking care of yourself even when your workout is over.
Trying to shed pounds? Quiz yourself on the facts of losing weight.
Skip the crunches; try these effective, full-body ab exercises for a change of pace.
Fall into healthy habits this Autumn; here's our must-do list.
Get your protein meat-free for under 400 calories with these five meals.
Sometimes it's OK to cheat. Here are ways to flatten your belly without dieting.
Not solely about losing weight, an elimination diet might just improve your health.
For all you chocoholics, we've rounded up 10 healthy chocolate desserts.

Intensity Is Best For Burning Calories

Health — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:06:12 PDT

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

By Julie Upton, RD

New research suggests that intensity is best for torching calories during your workout - and for more than 14 hours post-exercise.

Like most of us, you probably work out to help you lose weight and firm up. Unfortunately, our wimpy exercise these days just isn't cutting it, says David C. Neiman, PhD, who is the director of Appalachian State University's Human Performance Lab, and one of the study's authors. "We need to be pushed again to get lean with exercise. A 45-minute vigorous workout can help you get three times the net calories burned compared to the same 45 minutes spent walking."

Health.com: 20 Ways to Torch 200 Calories

The study, published in the September 2011 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, used a metabolic chamber (considered the most accurate way of measuring energy expenditure) and included 10 male subjects. On the test day, subjects exercised vigorously in the morning for 45 minutes and then measured their metabolic rates for the next 24 hours. The subjects also completed a 24-hour period in the metabolic chamber with no exercise, so that the researchers could compare the differences in energy expenditure between the day in which subjects exercised versus when they were sedentary.

Health.com: The 7 Best Fat-Blasters

The researchers found that the men burned some 519 calories during the 45-minute exercise session and then burned another 190 calories in the next 14 hours. They calculated that the exercise session plus the post-exercise increases in metabolism burned a total of 750 calories. If you walked or did another low-intensity exercise for 45 minutes you would burn less than 300 calories and experience little - if any - post-exercise increases in metabolic rate.

Keep on reading for more information.

Ryan Gosling Flies Into LA and Gears Up to Promote Drive

Allie Merriam — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 06:40:25 PDT

Ryan Gosling toted his big bag last night when he touched down at LAX. The actor's back on the West Coast following a stint in New York state, where he shot The Place Beyond the Pines with his Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance around Albany and Schenectady. Ryan was spotted at the airport without his frequent traveling companion, his dog George. There's a break from filming for Ryan so that he can focus on promoting his upcoming project Drive - the junket for that movie is next week in Hollywood. Ryan may also be able to fit in trips with his The Ides of March collaborator George Clooney. George will show off their political thriller at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals during the first half of September.