FitSugar

How to Start Running: Couch to 5K

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:30:00 PST

If one of your goals for 2009 is to start running and you're at a loss about how to begin, I can point you toward some helpful structure. After lacing your sneakers, check out the Couch to 5K running schedule over at Cool Running.

The program eases you into running three miles by combining intervals of running with walking. This method prevents you from overworking and becoming so sore you never want to run again. Over the course of eight weeks, you condition your cardiovascular system and your legs while slowly increasing your running time, eventually running for 30 minutes straight, which is about the time it takes to run a 5K. It is a great way to start running, and the schedule has you running only three times a week, making it easy to fit into a busy life.

Check it out and try the program. Chances are you will get hooked on running. My only caution is 5Ks are considered a "gateway" race to marathons and triathlons.

Source

Where to Start: From Couch to 5K in 8 Weeks

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 03:30:00 PST

Often when folks start a new training regimen they go all out and often go too far. In pain, wondering why they ever tried to exercise, they quickly abandon their wonderful resolution to workout regularly. This is the exact reason that Cool Running created The Couch to 5K running schedule.

The program eases you into running 3 miles by combining walking and running together. Over the course of 8 weeks you increase your running time and eventually run for 30 minutes straight - about the time it takes to run a 5K. It is a great way to start running and the schedule has you running only 3 times a week - so easy to fit into any busy life.

Check it out and try the program - chances are you will get hooked on running. My only caution is 5Ks are considered a "gateway" race to marathons and triathlons.

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Being a Sports Fan

Prevention — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:19:15 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Cristina Goyanes, Prevention

It’s no wonder your friends aren’t available to hang out on Sundays in the Fall and Winter - according to a 2005 Gallup Poll, 64 percent of Americans claim to be professional football fans, and as of 2010, women make up 44 percent of the NFL fan base.

Being a sports fan doesn’t mean you’re expected to know all the players and stats of your hometown teams and destined for a beer gut - it’s about coming together in the name of good times as part of a community.

“Bonding over sports - the highs and lows of the game - strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things,” says Renee Clauselle, PsyD, who runs a private psychology practice in Long Island, NY.

Seventeen Unexpected Side Effects of Exercise

Rooting for the same team creates an immediate sense of family, says Daniel Wann, PhD, a Murray State University professor who has been studying the psychology of sports fans for over 20 years. “If you identify with a local team, you build an instant connection to others around you,” he says.

Beyond the bonding aspects, watching sports can motivate you to pump up your own workouts - and even burn a few extra calories when you jump, cheer, and clap during the highlights of the game. Find out more ways being a sports fan is a winning situation for your health.

Keep reading to learn how being a sports fan benefits your health.

8 Ways to Motivate and Get Off Your Cold Weather Butt

Self — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:08:54 PDT

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

I got chills. They're multiplying. But they're not of the Grease Lightening variety. It's getting cold (nearly 75 degrees in LA) and I'm starting to see visions of couches, heavy meals, hot chocolate and layered clothing (to hide the blubber!).

What? You need fat for warmth . . . supposedly.

Okay, fine. Better nip this cold weather slump in the bud before I settle down for a five-month Snuggie hibernation. Luckily, I have certified trainer and owner of new BIA Strong Body Studio Rebecca Black (not that Rebecca Black) to motivate me. And now so do you.

And Black knows a thing or two about weight loss. Not only does the Columbus, Ohio-based trainer help other people get in shape (while participating in bikini fitness competitions), but she also experienced her own weight loss transformation. "I lost about 40lbs," she explains. "But it took longer than it should have because I didn't know what I was doing and neither did my trainer."

As we all know, it's easy to fall into bad habits, especially as the winter months approach. "This is when people pack on the pounds, especially in the Midwest and on the East Coast," laments the trainer. "As soon as the temperature starts to drop, people become hermits: Instead of going to the gym, they watch TV. They're back to school and super busy. And it's football season, so there's tailgating. I even fall into that rut and I'm a trainer. If I don't want to get up at 5am and train people, why would my clients?"

Luckily, Black has certain tricks for getting people up and ready to exercise. Here are her top eight motivational tips after the break.

Has Fido Fattened Up? Services to Help Your Dog Drop Pounds

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:31:25 PDT

Dog, plus too much food, plus not enough exercise, equals one flabby little Fido. Although a roly-poly pooch might look cute, obesity poses the same health risks for your pet as it does for you. Diet and exercise are key, but if you're having trouble slimming down Sparky, here are some services that can help.

Pooch to 5K
Yes, you read correctly. Just like the Couch to 5K for humans, there's a Pooch to 5K for dogs, a service that offers personal training for the furry loves of your life. Over 40 percent of dogs are overweight, which can lead to joint pain and heart disease, so there's no time like now to get your four-legged friend in tip-top shape. The free Pooch to 5K 12-week training program will help your dog go from lounging around to comfortably running a 5K. What's even better is that you're the one running with your dog three times a week, not the dog trainer, so you too will get in excellent shape. Two paws up!

Keep reading to hear the other ways you can help your beefy Boomer lose weight.

How to Start: Work Up to Swimming a Mile

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 01:00:43 PST

If trying a triathlon is one of your fitness goal for 2011 don't be intimidated by the swim. I know many experienced runners and cyclist who harbor deep fears of the swimming. While getting your heart rate up in the water is completely different than sweating it out on land, running/biking and swimming complement each other nicely. Running and biking work the legs, swimming works the upper body, and all three build your cardio endurance. If you're ready to make friends with the pool, I have found a great beginner program to get you swimming a mile in six weeks.

Ruth Kazez's endurance building program, Zero – 1650: A Mile in Six Weeks, is to swimming what the Couch to 5K program is to running - I love fitness workout analogies.

Swimming, like running, takes some time to build up the endurance needed for lengthy workouts. With running the first benchmark is the 5k, and with swimming it's a mile, which I learned from Kazes is 1650 yards (1500 meters), not 1760 yards. Curious to see what the first workout looks like? Then

read more. Here's an example of the workout for the first week, which you should complete three times in seven days. 4 x 100 yards – rest for 12 breaths (total = 400 yards, or 16 laps* in a 25 yard length pool) 4 x 50 yards – rest for 8 breaths (total = 200 yards, or 8 laps) 4 x 25 yards – rest for 4 breaths (total = 100 yards, or 4 laps) Total: 700 yards *A swim coach at Equinox schooled me that a lap is the length of a pool in swimmer speak. I had previously thought it was there and back, but no. A lap is a length. I feel that twenty-eight laps are totally doable, right? Remember, that you take breaks between to catch your breath, which is similar to taking walking breaks when starting a running program. After swimming 100 yards, you take a rest to take 12 breaths. Then you repeat swimming 100 yards three more times, with breaks, until you complete the set. Each week you add 50 to 200 yards to your workout to slowly build up endurance and conquer the mile! Who's ready to take the plunge?

How to Start Running: Couch to 5K

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:00:37 PST

Many of you listed starting running as a goal for 2010. A noble goal for sure, but having a little outside structure helps.

After lacing your sneakers, check out the Couch to 5K running schedule over at Cool Running. Having a schedule not only makes you accountable, but it might save you from overdoing it and giving up your goal due to post-workout pain.

The Couch to 5K plan eases you into running three miles by combining intervals of running with walking. Over the course of eight weeks, you condition your cardiovascular system and your legs while slowly increasing your running time, eventually running for 30 minutes straight, which is about the time it takes to run a 5K. It is a great way to start running, and the schedule has you running only three times a week, making it easy to fit into a busy life. The workouts are listed by both distance and time, so you can use it on a treadmill by adjusting the speed up and down.

Check it out and try the program. Chances are you will get hooked on running. My only caution is 5Ks are considered a "gateway" race to marathons and triathlons.