FitSugar

Get Wobbly and Get Ripped With This Gym Equipment

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:47:12 PDT

If you've tried surfing, skateboarding, or skiing, you know firsthand the challenge of balancing on an unstable surface. Not only is it difficult to remain upright without falling on your face, but the shifting and quivering micro-movements your body does as you attempt to stay upright work your muscles in amazing ways too. That's the logic behind strength training with equipment that makes your footing wobbly. To get more bang for your buck, experiment with these pieces of fitness equipment and work your sense of balance during your next strength training session.

Workout Trends - Fad or Here to Stay?

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:13:42 PDT

Going through the same workout routine can be boring, which is why new products and methods keep people motivated to get fit. However, with so many options, it's hard to anticipate which technique or method will stick around and influence gym workouts nationwide. Now's your chance to vote on the workout equipment you think is a fad versus the ones that you are convinced are here to stay.

New Hybrid Class: Spinning and Yoga

Susi May — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:36:43 PDT

Since the new millennium rolled around, it seems like the ancient practice of yoga has been mixed with almost every form of exercise, from the Pilates hybrid Yogalates to kickboxing's Koga. A new yoga mashup is making its way into the fitness world: yoga and spinning. Before your third eye conjures up images of holding a downward-facing dog while clipped in on a stationary bike, let me explain that the 60-minute classes are divided into two half-hour segments: 30 minutes of spin followed by 30 minutes of yoga. After taking a class at YAS Fitness Center in LA recently, I can attest that this blend makes great sense.

Keep reading to learn more about this new hybrid class.

Punch It Out: Aerobarre, Where Boxing Meets Ballet

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:35:16 PST

Fitness mashups are key to keeping your fitness routine from becoming stale. Aerobarre, a new hybrid blending boxing with ballet moves, is a new way to get your sweat on while working muscles you never knew existed. Yep, those shy muscles are often the deep, supporting ones that give your tush that lifted look. Actress Katie Cassidy (you might recognize her as the schemer from Gossip Girl and look for her in Monte Carlo coming this Summer) demonstrates a few moves in the upcoming issue of Self.

Take a peek and brush up on the latest trend; then sprinkle these moves into your strength training while channeling Ali and the white swan.

Fitness Trends For 2011

Michele Foley — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:00:52 PDT

Before I've even had a chance to plan my Thanksgiving menu, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has already predicted what fitness trends will be hot in 2011. While a lot of things on the list are a continuation of past trends - think boot camps and fitness tech - there are a few surprising items on the list.

Economic upswing: With the economy doing better, people will start reinvesting in fitness regimens again. Gyms and fitness studios should see an increase in membership, and individuals will start signing up for personal training sessions and specialized classes.
Added-value wellness services: Gyms and clubs will begin to hire other health care professionals like dietitians and sports therapists to meet the growing needs of its members. One-stop health shopping!
Stress reduction through fitness: With more people realizing the detriment stress can play, gyms and clubs will start offering wellness programs to help its members manage stress in their lives.
Technology becomes a support resource: More people are using the Internet, and a study shows that weight loss is easier for people who use online tools. Next year, social networks like Facebook and Twitter will become more popular in motivating people to reach their fitness goals.

See what other trends will be hot next year when you

Buddy system: Many of us have a fitness buddy that pushes us to run faster, longer, and more often. Picking up on the benefits of a support system, gyms will start offering peer groups and increase its number of class offerings.
Most popular workouts: What people loved in 2010 will carry over into next year: boot camp-style workouts, Zumba, and TRX Suspension training will continue to be sought out, and interval training will get a big push in 2011.
Small-group workouts: Expect smaller classes next year, and this is a good thing. Your instructor will be able to give you more attention, and you'll be able to form a tighter bond with your fellow classmates.
Youth-based fitness: Child obesity is rising at an alarming rate, and schools and fitness centers are responding big time. Expect to see more youth-focused classes popping up in gyms and schools thanks to the national attention and focus on childhood obesity.
Corporate wellness: Healthier employers mean better business: less stress, more energy, and less sick days. Employers are going to step it up next year by offering wellness programs at work and/or offering gym discounts to its employees.
Elevated professionalism: Now that consumers are more fitness-savvy, fitness professionals must have the proper education and high-quality certifications. Gyms and fitness centers will be hiring the best of the best.

Class Act: Slackline Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:30:15 PDT

Yoga isn't just for the mat anymore. Nowadays, people do yoga moves while cradled in a ribbon or hanging from the ceiling, in between hiking hills, and while balancing on a paddle board. Need another yoga trend to try? Slackline Yoga involves doing yoga poses on a tensioned rope or slackline. Talk about challenging our sense of balance.

I had the opportunity to try this type of yoga at a demonstration over the weekend. To find out what I thought,

It won't surprise you to find out that Slackline Yoga is insanely difficult. All I can say is I'm glad the rope was set up about a foot off the ground, because I spent more time on the grass than on the line. When I first heard of this type of yoga, I thought it was just another name for tightrope walking, and not related to yoga at all. Boy was I wrong. Doing yoga on a slackline requires the same focus, attention to breath, body awareness, balance, and core strength as doing yoga on a nonmoving mat. After a while, I found that I could stand on the slackline on one leg without falling, and the thought of trying to balance in other positions was so exciting. I was addicted immediately and will be sure to take a real class soon.

To learn more about Slackline Yoga, check out the video below from Yogaslackers:

Source: Flickr User lululemon athletica

iPhone Apps Lead the Pack in Fitness Trends

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:31 PST

The fitness world has had its fair share of memorable trends from high-impact aerobics and leg warmers, to mind-body exercise and the rise of Pilates. This year the fitness trend that has impacted FitSugar readers the most is all those healthy iPhone apps. While most of you voted for the iPhone, many of you commented about CrossFit training - a fun full body workout that will certainly increase your strength.

Check out a few of my fave apps. If a $1.99 phone app inspires you to move, I am all in.

Which Fitness Trend Got You Moving in 2009?

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:47:24 PST

Boredom can kill a workout routine. To keep us moving, new fitness experiences are forever being invented. Here are a few trends from the last year.

Reebok teamed up with Cirque du Soleil to create Jukari, a trapeze-based workout to entice you to move and swing. On the other end of the spectrum, everything old is new again with the Cross Fit phenomenon gaining traction this year and getting more women lifting big weights. There's also the techy side of things and all the iPhone apps to help you get fit, but many folks this year were suspended with the TRX system - it has been around a while, but I know so many people that tried it for the first time this year, me included. Fitness shoes, like Skechers Shape Ups and Reebok Easy Tone, continue to offer the promise of a workout with every step. Even the ancient practice of yoga is being reinvented with a circus twist - antigravity yoga offers a grounding experience while upside down.

Have you tried any of these trendy classes? If not, which class do you most want to try? Vote for your favorite fitness trend of 2009.

Latest Exercise Trend: Ramping

FitSugar — Tue, 01 May 2007 11:45:00 PDT

I am always looking for a way to do something new, fitness wise. At one point, step aerobics was the latest thing, but that time has since come and gone. You'll still find step classes in almost every gym, but they are not nearly as popular as they once were.

Enter Ramping. I know it sounds a little odd but ramping is very similar to step aerobics (in fact it was created by the very same person that created step aerobics) but it is requires a lot less impact on your joints because instead of stepping up onto a flat step or bench, you lunge on and off an adjustable-incline ramp (half-moon looking contraption pictured above) specifically designed for ramping. Ramping is great for really working your butt and hamstrings. Great for getting those legs short shorts ready this summer. Check out the ramping site online for more information as well as to find a class near you.

Yoga for Your Face...Seriously

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:30:00 PDT

I showed you all that Naked Yoga does really exist, and now I bring you a new trend - Yoga for the Face. It goes by many names: Revita-Yoga (NYC), Happy Face yoga facial toning (Atlanta), and the Yoga Face Lift (Northern CA).

Muscle tension in the face contributes to lines and wrinkles while sagging jowls are caused by weak muscles. Face toning regimens have appeared for years in ladies magazines, and now that yoga is really taking off this is the latest trend to ride its coat tails.

Here are some of the exercises:

Crow's Feet: Open the eyes wide, as if startled or scared to decrease unwanted lines around the eyes.
Wide Nose: Alternate nostril breathing to create a more narrow and symmetrical nose.
Plumper Lips: Tap lips 5 times with your index finger.

While I agree we all hold unnoticed tension in our faces and relaxing the face can help decrease tension that causes headaches and neck pain, I am not sure that this is the panacea for an aging face. Let's face it (sorry for the pun) aging happens. Making a more flexible face seems like a better alternative to paralyzing it with Botox and way less of an invasion than plastic surgery. Yet, I don't think yoga for the face will be keeping anyone looking younger. I do think it will definitely make folks feel younger since making all those faces will certainly make you feel goofy and childlike. So go ahead, stick out your tongue then pucker your lips. Chances are you will end up smiling like my 2 year old after she blows a raspberry.

Want to see some more "poses"? Then

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