FitSugar

How to Maintain Your Routine Despite Your Social Life

Angelica Marden — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:27:58 PDT

Whether you're completely single, dating, living with your love or married, any semblance of a social life makes staying fit and maintaining an exercise routine that much harder. Directing your body to the gym or trail when your heart wants to gallivant with lovers or friends (or your children need your time and love) just isn't an easy task. I typically scoff at articles pegging weight gain to relationship status, but the data can't be ignored. One study found women who were dating gained an average of 15 pounds over five years, those living with a romantic partner gained 18 pounds, and the newly married women gained an average of 24 pounds.

No mater what your Facebook relationship status states, fitness and activity dates are a fun and wholesome way to get to know someone and a nice way to reconnect with someone you already adore - while working off that hearty brunch. Here are a few handy guides to inspire you to take time for yourself and to care for your body no matter who you're walking or running with these days.

Date Without Breaking Your Healthy Resolutions - Those delightfully decadent appetizers, simmering entrées, cocktails, and desserts add up quick, and it's hard to hit the gym afterward when there's fun to be had out on the town. Stay on track despite tempting invitations and fondue towers with these tips.
How to Avoid Gaining Weight While Dating - Being in a relationship is so exciting, but when you spend so much time together, your healthy lifestyle can fly out the window. You may even adopt some of your partner's unhealthy habits. That can add up to some extra pounds on the scale, so here are some guidelines to help prevent weight gain while dating.

Keep reading for more helpful tips.

If You Agree to a Fitness Date, You Better Know What You're Doing

Kristen Hawley — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 03:47:20 PST

While indulging in my guilty pleasure of this week's episode of 90210, one scene hit close to home. One character, Naomi, has no idea how to surf but agrees to a surfing date with a guy she has a crush on, pretending she knows what she's doing. "How hard can it be?" she says. You can guess how this worked out, and it wasn't pretty.

While this plotline has probably shown up in most comedies and dramas to hit the airwaves, it's so laughable because it's actually happened to plenty of people, including me. At the risk of complete embarrassment, check out this real-life example of why you should always know what you're getting yourself into after the break.

How to Stay on a Healthy Track This Weekend

FitSugar — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 03:47:06 PST

Even if you know how to maintain your healthy lifestyle no matter what day of the week it is, busy weekends can get the best of any of us. In the midst of taking care of the kids, going out with friends, or just running errands, your health may take a backseat. So here are three great tips to keep in mind this weekend.

Get in a long social workout. Weekends are the perfect time for a longer workout like a hike or bike ride. Or, go with friends and take a class you've been eyeing. Mixing exercise with socializing means you can spend quality time with friends and family without having to give up your fitness routine.
Make your drink last. If you're headed for a night on the town, keep in mind these tips on limiting your drinks, like ordering a wine spritzer instead of wine to make the drink last longer or ordering a drink meant to be sipped. This way you can still enjoy your night out with the girls without all the empty calories.
Eat a healthy snack before a big restaurant meal. Eating a small but filling snack before going out will help with your hunger and also keep you on the right track at the restaurant so you won't order too much.

Ain't Got Wheels? Rent a Bike For the Day

Fit Community — Sat, 15 May 2010 03:03:00 PDT

In the Sweet on Biking community group, FitSugar reader GirlieGossip posted about the fun weekend she and her girlfriends had renting bikes.

A few months ago I went on a girl's weekend with friends in Hermosa Beach and we wanted to cruise the waterfront, but didn't have bikes at the house we rented. Luckily, we found a great cycle shop and rented bikes for less than $20 for the day. We leisurely cruised 11.6 miles to Marina Del Rey, which was beautiful. I had no idea biking was so much fun! I finally get what all these hipsters are talking about. The wind in your hair. The ocean. The cruising. The ease. It's marvelous. We celebrated our accomplishment with tacos, margaritas and ice cream. And it was good. And the ride home was even longer.

See the route they took when you

This was our route:

Why not head over to the FitSugar Community page and join the Sweet on Biking group? It doesn't matter if you ride a fixie or a hybrid, commute, or are a weekend warrior - if you have a love of being on two wheels, join the group!

The Ultimate Date: Indoor Rock Climbing

Fit Community — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:32 PST

Women That Rock (Climb) community members Spacekatgal and her husband Spacekatdude give you their take on why indoor rock climbing makes a perfect fitness-inspired date.

Spacekatdude and I are married, so we're always looking for fun new things to do. Recently, we decided to give indoor rock climbing a shot! We totally loved it! We wanted to post a bit about it for newbies.

We each signed up for a $160 class, which included gym membership for two weeks. We got free equipment rental and a really great instructor named Nate that taught us the basics, focusing on safety. We were taught to tie our own knots and how to "belay" your partner safely, meaning how to catch them if they fall off the wall.

I will be honest and say it's a real trust building exercise. I love my husband dearly, but I also know it's in his nature to be distracted. It was a little hard for me to put my life into his hands and trust him to catch me if I fell. Throwing myself off the wall for the first time was very scary - but I quickly learned that I could count on him for this. Working as a team to guide the other person up the wall is both fun and good for your relationship!

It's also a great workout. Within a few weeks of rock climbing, I've greatly increased my upper body strength. If you have moxie, I would definitely say it's a sport you should try!

To hear Spacekatdude's perspective,

A guy's perspective - Spacekatdude here. Rock climbing is awesome. It's not just a physical thing - it's very mental, as you try to figure out set paths up the wall, only being allowed to touch rock outcroppings of a particular color - very challenging. Whenever we go to the gym there are a lot of women there, and it's great to watch those who love the challenge and love to push themselves, I think that's awesome. Our instructor Nate also told us that it was great for kids - one of the best rock climbers he knew was an eight-year-old girl, who showed him some excellent routes during an outdoor climb.

I mentioned that climbing is a mental exercise. This is because you have to constantly concentrate on what you're doing. If you go in mentally weak or lazy, bad things can happen: I read of some climbers who went to Half Dome at Yosemite, all ready to hammer in their own ropes to descend from the top. But there were ropes already there, embedded in the rock, and they just used those. As they climbed down, the ropes gave way, and they fell to their deaths. So laziness has no place in rock climbing.

Also, as you climb, it's important to remember to use your feet for power, and not to try to pull yourself up by your arms. So the mental challenge is to keep concentrating the entire time you're roping yourself in, climbing, and belaying.

Share your climbing tales in the Women That Rock (Climb) group and spread the love! Not a climber? Be sure to take a look at our other community groups - there's something for everyone!

Source: Flickr User Charlie Brewer

Make It a Summer Date: Batting Cages

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:00:00 PDT

Cycling and hiking are awesome Summer activities to do with your honey, but they're not the only ones. Do something different on your next fitness date and pay a visit to your local batting cages. Even if you were the kid picking grass in right field during middle school during baseball games, I promise you'll have a blast when you're swinging bats in the sunshine.

You don't need to bring your own equipment to the cages; just wear comfortable clothes and sneakers and bring a little cash to pay for your time. Most places have a selection of cages with multiple options - soft-pitch softball or baseball, medium- or fast-pitch baseball, etc.

Expect to be a little sore after hitting a bunch of balls. Your upper body will get a great strengthening workout, particularly your back, shoulders, forearms, and core. My obliques were still noticeably sore a few days after my most recent trip to the batting cages!

Fit Tip: You may consider taking along a pair of batting gloves if you plan on swinging at 20 or more pitches. Your hands can easily tear after so much use, and you don't want a little injury to cut your afternoon short.

Fit Tip: Schedule a Fitness Date So You Can't Skip Out

FitSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:00:00 PDT

I'm a fan of early morning workouts because they make the rest of my day better. The problem is, once your alarm goes off, it's so easy to roll over, hit the snooze button, and skip out. You wouldn't be able to sleep in if you knew someone was counting on you to show up though, right?

So whatever time you like to workout, schedule a fitness date either with a friend, fellow runner, or a trainer. Knowing he or she will be there waiting and ready to go will make it impossible for you to miss it.

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Back on Track: Make a Fitness Date

FitSugar — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 03:30:00 PDT

Maybe you're inspired to workout after watching some of the Olympic games. Or maybe you had one too many slices of peach pie this weekend and feel the need to add some cardio to your life. Regardless, now is the time to pencil in some workouts for the upcoming week. Get out your calendar, find your address book, and make a fitness date with a friend. Instead of gabbing while getting your nails done, you can talk while you walk or run. Meet at the gym and catch up while you stretch out post workout. Convince a pal to try a belly dance class with you and then head to a healthy dinner afterwards. Have fun, burn some calories, and hangout with a friend - sounds like a winning combination.

I will be biking with an old friend Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., followed by a large and steamy latte. What about you?

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Make Your Next Date a Fitness Date

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:30:00 PDT

Dating can definitely put a damper on your healthy lifestyle. All those drinks, popcorn at the movies, decadent dinners out, and late-night talks over gelato are bound to mess up your healthy routine.

I'm not saying you should forgo all that delicious food and never eat out, but why not throw some active dates in there as well? Here are some ideas:

Meet at your gym (he can use your guest pass) and you guys can work out before heading to dinner.
You could sit and talk at a coffee shop, or you can walk and talk instead.
Plan an afternoon hike on the weekend.
Go horseback riding. You can take a lesson together.
Take dance lessons together, or just go dancing.
Visit an indoor rock climbing gym.
Take a partner yoga class or other fitness class together.
Go ice skating at an indoor rink. Many arenas offer times for public skating, so call ahead to find out what times are available.
Rent bikes together and take a tour of the town you live in.
Play a game of tennis, golf (with no cart), football, baseball, or whatever. If you're not into playing a whole game, just play catch, go to the batting cages, or hit golf balls at the driving range.

If you have any other ideas for fitness dates, be sure to share them below.

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Sugar Shout Out: Who Will Land the Role of Christian Grey?

Katie Henry — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:55:27 PDT