FitSugar

Fitness Magazine's Top 100 Workout Songs

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:00:43 -0800

Tired of listening to the same old Britney Spears and Madonna songs while you work out? Fitness magazine interviewed top personal trainers to find out what songs pump them up while working out, and they came up with a list of the top 100 workout songs. To hear a little taste, read more.

Valerie Bertinelli Talks About Keeping It Off

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:00:49 -0800

It's hard to believe Valerie Bertinelli is 48; she still looks like a fresh-faced teenage star. Of course, it doesn't hurt that she recently shed 40 pounds. On the cover of the January issue of Fitness, the Jenny Craig spokeswoman talks about the pressure of keeping the weight off while in the public eye. Here are highlights.

On creating a positive relationship with food: "I love to cook. I enjoy the smells of a new dish; I like the camaraderie of cooking with Tom or my son. I'll put some music on in the kitchen while we work."
On celebrities losing weight: "Look, I understand the cynicism that we have all these people working for us, doing everything we need done. But that's not the case for me. I cook, I run my own errands. No one can do my workout for me - no one lifts the weights or does the treadmill or elliptical for me. I don't have someone calling me up to make sure I'm exercising."

She makes a good point: Even the world's best trainer can't do the exercises for you! For more of Bertinelli's thoughts on food and fitness, read more.

On food pitfalls: "Certain drinks definitely put the weight on me. A glass or two of white wine is fine, but fruity drinks or hard alcohol - that'll pack on the pounds."
On the gym vs. outdoors: "I'm not big on the gym. I would rather be outdoors. You really can get fit without an expensive gym membership or fancy equipment. I have this one-mile loop around my house that I like to do. . . . I like to throw on jeans and a T-shirt and fit in a 15-minute walk here, 20 minutes there. It's fun to do activities with friends or family. On the weekends, for instance, we'll play Frisbee on the beach."
On plastic surgery rumors: "Sometimes I hear, 'Oh, she had plastic surgery.' No, I just finally got healthy. Looking back at old photos, I've realized that being overweight ages you. As I lost the pounds, my vibrancy came back. But getting too thin ages you as well. I don’t want to lose too much; you don't want to be my age and still shopping at Forever 21!"

Wow, so true and so refreshing, don't you think? Do you agree that being too thin or too heavy can age you?

Kelly Ripa on Fitness and Vanity

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:30:00 -0800

Kelly Ripa will not only grace the cover of Fitness Magazine this January to show off her super toned mommy bod, she also is showing her support for HEART for Women, a bill before Congress that requests funding for and education about gender-related aspects of cardiovascular health. It's not all serious though, she also fully admits that vanity enabled her to keep working out.

Here are highlights:

On being vain: “A month or two after I started working out, I wore a sleeveless turtleneck to work. Regis was like, ‘Pipa, your arm muscles look incredible!’ it was the first time anybody had ever said anything to me about my muscles. And because I am a vain person, that’s all I needed to hear to stay with it.”

On starting her fitness regime: “I figured, I work in an industry where there’s a stylist and a makeup artist-they’ll make me look fine but I began feeling tired-just playing in the park with my kids wore me down…So I started walking on a treadmill. Then I started jogging on a treadmill. Then I began jogging outside. Now I’m running outside, three to five miles, and taking toning classes.

On her best confidence-boosting trick: “I buy jeans that are tight in the rear end. I’m not kidding. I treat my cheeks like breasts in a push-up bra. I just reach down in there, lift them up and push them together. And they’ll stay put if the jeans are tight enough in the seat.”

On regrets: “I used to smoke, so lung cancer is the thing that keeps me awake at night. I worry, Did I quit in enough time? Did I do it for too long? It’s one of those things where I think, Boy, what a foolish thing I did. I’m not from the generation where you can go, ‘Oh, I didn’t know it was bad for me.’ No. Everybody knew it was bad.”

Marisa Miller on Fitness and Ice Cream

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:45:00 -0700

Flip through any Victoria's Secret catalog and you'll see Marisa Miller's gorgeous face and body gracing the pages. Marisa has always been one of my favorite models, I think it's because of the freckles, but it could be her amazing body, either way I was thrilled to see her on the cover of Fitness Magazine this month.
Miller opens up to Fitness about her, well, fitness. She also reveals her weakness, which will resonate with a lot of us. Here are highlights:

On why she exercises: “I’m comfortable with the curves I have. I like having a woman’s body…It’s not like I’m exercising to be skinny-I’m the girl who needs curves. I like my butt and boobs!”

Miller’s workout secrets: “I’ve tried everything. I love surfing: it’s spiritual and physical…I also like Spinning. It’s good toning for your rear and legs. I’ll put in one of my favorite Guns N’ Roses music video DVDs and start pedaling. I find it’s so much easier to work out when I can distract myself with something visual.”

On her biggest dietary weakness: “Definitely ice cream.”

On what she stays away from-most of the time: “Processed stuff….Recently, I came back from a long trip and [my husband had] gone grocery shopping-which was nice, but it was all TV dinners and Cap’n Crunch. I said, ‘Honey, is there a fruit or vegetable anywhere in the house?’ And he’s like, ‘I got canned peaches!’ God bless him, but he doesn’t make it easy for me.”

Check out the latest issue of Fitness (on newsstands Oct 9th) to see and read the full article.

Brooke Shields Shines on Fitness

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Brooke Shields has been an icon of beauty since she started modeling. Along with beauty, today Brooke can also add actress, mother and role model to her list of credentials.

Fitness Magazine got the scoop from Brooke as she follows Daisy Fuentes as the latest Mind, Body and Spirit Superstar of 2007. Here are highlights from the interview:

On staying fit: “I try to do an hour of something everyday. It's almost impossible when I'm working, because I'm on the set for 14-16 hours…But on days when the baby has woken up four times during the night, putting my sneakers on is the last thing I want to do. I'd rather have four cups of coffee, and, after the caffeine wears off, take a nap with her! I used to have a very type-A lifestyle, but being a mom changed all that.”
On staying motivated to workout: It’s easier when I have an external motivation, like getting ready for Broadway. [She starred in Grease in 1995, Cabaret in 2001 and Chicago in 2005.] I had to go into those shows at the top of my game, physically, because the schedule was so rigorous. It’s like the Olympics-only it lasts six months!

There's more, including foods she avoids and her favorite toning up move, so read more

On foods she avoids: Carbs are the first thing to go if I want to lose weight. I never used to eat red meat, but now, if I crave it-which usually happens when I have my period-I go for it. I also love ice cream. I try not to deny myself, because if I do, it turns into this major internal battle. So I pop a couple of Dove Miniatures. I can satisfy myself without going overboard. I also try to drink tons of water. I can actually see how much healthier my skin and hair look when I do.
On toning up: “I don’t lift weights,” she says.“It’s easy for me to bulk up. I keep my muscles toned by doing yoga.” One super-effective pose, says Ish Moran, her former instructor at Maha Yoga in Brentwood, California, is the chattaranga pose, which works the triceps.

The October issue of Fitness Magazine just hit newsstands, so check it out to read the full inspiring article with Brooke.

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Daisy Fuentes in Fitness Magazine

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:00:00 -0700

We are offered a breath of fresh air in the world of magazine covers as lovely Daisy Fuentes graces the cover of the September issue of Fitness Magazine as their first Mind, Body Spirit Superstar (a fab way to generate awareness of top women’s health causes and work to promote change).

Along with reminding all women not to be too hard on themselves, she talks mainly about her new focus in life: Positive body image.

Fitness: Do you think our society has an obsession with thinness?
Daisy: Yeah. There was a time when I was caught up in it too. I had to stop myself from saying, “I’m fat.” It’s not good for your self-esteem, and it’s not good for the people around you. I see moms with little girls who say, “I’m fat. I can’t eat that.” We need to stop doing that. We have to set an example for younger girls.

Fitness: Do Hispanic women feel the pressure to be thin?
Daisy: I think we do. There’s a part of you that really wants to embrace your curves, then there’s society saying no one likes curves. It takes someone as confident as Jennifer Lopez to turn a body part that’s often considered a flaw into something hot. The lesson? Stop listening to society and focus on yourself.

There's more, including when she feels best about her body and her typical diet, so read more

Fitness: Did you ever worry about the way you looked?
Daisy: When I was younger, I used to worry about it all the time. Now I know that I’m doing the best I can. I don’t care about the criticism.

Fitness: When do you feel best about your body?
Daisy: When I’m exercising. For this shoot, I did a lot of circuit training, and I really felt my body working. I didn’t obsess about calories. I just made sure all the basic food groups were in my diet.

Fitness: What is your typical diet?
Daisy: I try to make healthy choices. I keep cookies and chips for guests, but I also keep veggie sticks and salad fixings. I’d say 90 percent of the time, I go for the healthy option. If I’m really full after I eat, I feel like crap. So I’ve learned to eat just until I’m satisfied.

Fitness: How do you think the image Hispanic women have of themselves will change in five years?
Daisy: I like the multicultural celebration of body image that is going on now. [I’m happy] that we’re all starting to see how beauty shines through no matter what you look like. I’m also a big supporter of charities that boost girls’ self-esteem. Girls on the Run, a group that helps preteens develop healthy lifestyles through running, is one of my favorites.

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With all that said, I'm a big Daisy fan. Be sure to check out the full story, as well as what exactly Daisy did to prepare for the shoot, in the September issue of Fitness.

Are You Putting Yourself at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes?

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:30:00 -0700

When it comes to type 2 diabetes a lot of us take the it won't happen to me thought process but you may be putting yourself more at risk than you think.

Fitness Magazine has come up with a useful list of the top 9 risk factors for type 2 diabetes; some may shock you:

Watching two hours or more of TV daily. Raises your risk: 14 percent.
The fix: Limit TV time to 10 hours a week, and exercise. In the same Harvard study, this reduced diabetes risk by 43 percent.
Drinking one soda a day. Raises your risk: 83 percent.
The fix: Switch to water, diet soda or, even better, unsweetened tea, which research shows may actually protect against the disease.

There are seven more so read more

Skipping breakfast. Raises your risk: 30 to 50 percent.
The fix: Have high-fiber cereal with low-fat milk and one-half cup of fruit in the morning, recommends Karen A. Chalmers, MS, RD, an advanced-practice diabetes specialist at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard University. One study of people with prediabetes found that eating high-fiber cereals made their cells respond better to insulin. Consuming dairy products may also cut the risk for insulin resistance by 72 percent.
A bout of major depression. Raises your risk: 23 percent.
The fix: Take a walk: Just 30 minutes of moderate exercise three times a week improved symptoms of depression and increased the percentage of those who fully recovered, according to research from Duke University.
A large waist -- even if you're at a normal weight. Raises your risk: 330 percent.
The fix: Do 30 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three to five times a week. "This can melt belly fat better than dieting," says Jill Kanaley, PhD, an exercise physiologist at Syracuse University.
Waking up in the middle of the night. Raises your risk: 98 percent.
The fix: Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening, and TV and alcohol right before bed. (Caffeine and TV stimulate your nervous system, making it harder to fall asleep, and alcohol can make it harder to stay asleep.)
Eating fast food more than twice a week. Raises your risk: 100 percent.
The fix: Satisfy your craving for fast food with smaller portions: Try a small burger with no cheese, small fries, and a diet soda, says Chalmers. Even better, go for a grilled chicken sandwich with just a dab of honey-mustard sauce.
High stress. Raises your risk: 184 percent.
The fix: Take 10 to 15 minutes daily to relax; get a massage, practice some yoga poses, or close your eyes and do some slow, deep breathing. In one Duke University study of 108 Type 2 diabetics, progressive muscle relaxation and calm breathing lowered blood-sugar levels.
Consuming lots of processed meat (like hot dogs and bacon). Raises your risk: 43 percent
The fix: Cut back: a Harvard study found that women who had these meats less often than once a week had the lowest risk. Eating preservative-free varieties may help too. Brands we've found include Maverick Ranch and Applegate Farms.

To read the full article, including why these 9 things put you at risk, visit FitnessMagazine.com.

FitSugar Gets Political: Sign the PHIT Petition

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Do you wish your gym membership were a little less hard on the wallet? It could be...

A new bill in Congress aims to help your family get healthier and save money while doing it. The Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act would let Americans put up to $1,000 a year in pre-tax Health Savings Accounts (HSA) to pay for exercise programs, gym memberships, fitness equipment and sports-league fees for kids and adults. This could save you up to 30 percent on your family's exercise-related costs -- That's about $300 per year.

The bill, which was introduced this year by Congressman Jerry Weller (R-IL), has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means for hearings. Sign the petition on FitnessMagazine.com to help persuade the committee chairman to schedule the hearings and propel the bill forward.

I did it and it takes about 30 seconds.

The A-List Workout

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 03:15:00 -0800

Want to train like a celebrity and get insider tips from 10 of Hollywood's hottest trainers?

The book The A-List Workout, gives you inside tips and workouts from some of Hollywood's hottest celeb trainers.

From the Back Cover:

Jessica Simpson's lean, long legs, Sheryl Crowe's sculpted arms, Angelina Jolie's, well, everything . . . What's the secret to these celebs' buff bodies? It's not genetics, and it's not luck: They work hard for their beautiful physiques under top Hollywood trainers, and now you can too!

In The A-List Workout, ten of the most in-demand celebrity trainers have come together to give you their favorite exercise plans and tips--the same advice superstars pay top dollar to get. Each trainer outlines easy-to-follow plans that target a specific body part--abs, legs, butt, arms, and more--and then each plan is synthesized into full-body workouts for beginners, all-over toning, trouble-zone busting, or weight loss.

This book is great because there are 10 different trainers represented. Most of the time when you pick up a fitness book, it's only by one person and his or her philosophy. You get a lot of variation in The A-List Workout, both in the exercises and in their approach to fitness, which is cool. It's like getting 10 for the price of one. What's more? It's written by Fitness Magazine's Allysa Shaffer.

The best part is that you don't have to spend a fortune on trainers like: Rich and Helene Guzmán (Hilary Swank), Mike Alexander (Jessica Simpson), Teddy Bass (Paris Hilton), Joe Dowdell (Victoria Secret Models), Christel Smith (Uma Thurman), Ashley Borden (Mandy Moore), Jeanette Jenkins (Queen Latifah) and Larry Krug (Donatella Versace).

Interested? Buy it on Amazon.com for $16.47.

Skip the Fitness Mags at the Gym

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0700

A recent study presented at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has found that fitness magazines may be doing more harm than good for some women.

Apparently, some women who read fitness magazines featuring hyper-fit, images of women while working out, reported more anxiety and depression than those who read magazines with no idealized images. The reasoning is because it is hard to feel good about our own bodies when looking at an idealized image of a body with no flaws whatsoever. The catch for me is I love fitness magazines. These magazines are often full of great workout ideas and tips that you may want to have along with you at the gym, so think about ripping them out and bringing them with you, instead of the whole magazine. Still need to read something while on the stationary bike? Try non-fitness magazines, novels, or autobiographies of powerful women instead.

This reminds me of a post I did before that shows an altered magazine cover, before and after. Pretty interesting, so check it out.

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