FitSugar

Get Motivated: You're Just Going to Feel Worse

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:45:00 PDT

Last night, I was sitting on my couch trying to get motivated to go for a run. (I know, I know, my first mistake was sitting on the couch). I was feeling pretty lazy and gross, but I also just was not feeling like working out.

I kept telling myself that not going for the run was only going to elevate my feelings of laziness with myself, so somehow I mustered up the strength to peel myself off the couch and go for my run. Forty-five minutes later I was done, and I was feeling great. My feelings of laziness and grossness were completely eliminated, and I was already cooking dinner and baking cookies. After dinner I did a few things around the house, watched a little TV, curled into bed with a book and had a fabulous night's sleep.

Had I not run, I would have stayed on the couch and watched hours of TV while sinking deeper into feeling worse and worse. Cookies would have been totally out of the question and I know for a fact that I would not have slept nearly as soundly.

My point is that it is truly amazing what just 30 minutes of moving can do for you, not only for your body, but for your mind as well. When you're feeling so blah with yourself that you just don't want to exercise, remember that not exercising will only make those feelings worse.

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5 Ways to Make Moving a Habit

Leta Shy — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:52:25 PST

We all should take time to relax, but sometimes we don't realize just exactly how sedentary our lives can be. Even if you devote an hour to exercise most days, if you're not moving a lot the rest of the time, you can be doing more harm than good. So start making moving a habit with these five tips.

Keep track: One of the best ways to encourage yourself to move is to get a fitness monitor that tracks your steps. You don't have to invest a lot - while more sophisticated trackers (like these five fitness monitors) track your steps as well as your exercise (some can also distinguish between walking on flat ground and when you're going up steps), you can buy a basic pedometer for just a few dollars.
Try a one-minute move: Whether you're folding laundry or watching TV, multitask by building muscle while you work. Take a one-minute break to dance around or do squats, lunges, or planks, and you'll raise your heartbeat as well as your energy levels.

Read on for three more ways to making moving a habit.

Earn More Money By Changing Up Your Office Space

LearnVest — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:15:07 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most of us spend about 40 hours per week at work - in other words, the majority of our waking hours.

And nearly all of those hours are spent sitting at our desks. It’s a definite problem - and not just because we’re missing happy hour or quality couch time at home.

There’s no shortage of discouraging research pointing out the evils of a sedentary lifestyle and claiming that sitting will actually shorten our lives.

But, conversely, making a few tweaks to the way you sit - and the space you sit in - all day has been proven to make you a happier, healthier worker, busy earning your killer salary.

And, scientists say, the happier you are, the more you tend to earn.

In an effort to make the time spent at our desks as productive (and as profitable) as possible, we’ve combed the research for the easiest, most effective tips to soothe your mind and body when trapped in a cubicle . . . or corner office.

Just follow these four steps.

1. Make It Comfy

When we say “comfy,” we mean “ergonomic.” It’s an unfriendly word for a friendly concept: basically it means “intended to provide optimum comfort and to avoid stress or injury.” Friendly, right? Besides, an awkward workspace can lead to major health issues, including disorders in your joints or tendons, so a little tweaking of your cubicle can go a long way for your well-being. Line up your body correctly by following these two principles:

Your feet should be flat on the floor and your elbows should be even with your desk. This can be achieved either through adjustable chairs or - if chairs are a hot commodity at your office - a combination of step stools and pillows.

Read on for more tips.

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.

Overdid It on the Chili, Wings, and Beer? How to Get Heartburn Relief

Jenny Sugar — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:12:08 PST

In terms of calories consumed in one day, the Super Bowl Sunday spread is only bested by the Thanksgiving feast. Being that the game comes but once a year, many sports fans go all out, consuming a variety of spicy snacks - chili, buffalo wings, salsa - along with beer, pizza, and dips. All that food can lead to digestive disaster. If you're suffering from heartburn, here's how to get relief.

Let loose: Loosen up your clothing if it's fitted. The compression around your chest and stomach can make heartburn symptoms worse.
Put down the bottle: Stop drinking alcohol, carbonated beverages, and drinks containing caffeine like coffee and Coca-Cola ASAP. Don't reach for a cooling glass of milk either. It's a myth that milk relieves heartburn. It may feel good at first, but can actually worsen symptoms. Sip water instead.
Chuck the wings: Avoid eating any more spicy or greasy foods, foods that contain pepper, and acidic foods such as oranges, tomatoes, and vinegar. Chocolate, mint, ketchup, and mustard are also common heartburn triggers, so avoid eating these as well.
Grab a stick: Of gum, that is. Chew gum to increase saliva production, helping to neutralize stomach acid.

Keep reading for more ways to get immediate heartburn relief.

Brad Pitt Breaks From Award Season to Talk Marriage, Family, and Smoking Grass

Lauren Turner — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:27:53 PST

Brad Pitt's baby blues are front and center on the cover of the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter. He just received a best actor Oscar nomination for Moneyball, which is also up for best picture alongside his Tree of Life. First, though, he'll hit the red carpet at this weekend's Screen Actors Guild Awards, where he's in the running for best actor. Brad took a break from award season, which has already garnered him a New York Film Critics Circle statue, to talk to the publication about family, a rough patch in his life, and the real story behind the cane. Here's more from Brad Pitt in The Hollywood Reporter:

On smoking weed: "I got really sick of myself at the end of the 1990s: I was hiding out from the celebrity thing; I was smoking way too much dope; I was sitting on the couch and just turning into a doughnut; and I really got irritated with myself. But that feeling of unease was growing and one night I just said, ‘This is a waste.’ I just quit. I stopped grass then - I mean, pretty much - and decided to get off the couch."
On marrying Angelina: "We’d actually like to, and it seems to mean more and more to our kids. We made this declaration some time ago that we weren’t going to do it till everyone can. But I don’t think we’ll be able to hold out. It means so much to my kids, and they ask a lot. And it means something to me, too, to make that kind of commitment. I’m not going to go any further, but to be in love with someone and be raising a family with someone and want to make that commitment and not be able to is ludicrous, just ludicrous."
On his leg injury: "I was just walking in our backyard, on a hill, carrying my daughter, and I slipped - and it was those parental instincts: me or her. And she’s fine."

When Couch Potatoes Invade

Sara Yoo — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:00:00 PST

When it comes to coexisting with pets, sometimes it isn't clear who rules the roost. Even in no-pets-on-furniture homes, our furry friends eventually crowd us out of our beds and claim the couch during The Bachelor because nothing is off-limits when the sleepies hit or when they just need a better vantage point from which to supervise the household. We could get mad . . . or we could just sit back and check out some pics of the cutest usurpers (sorry, you'll need to find your own chair).

Source: Flickr User .Larry Page

How to Fight Your Financial Demons

LearnVest — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:15:23 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

We all have our demons.

Some just lurk under the bed, but others bare their teeth as we go about our day - say, every time we pull out our wallet.

Financial demons are particularly vicious because their effects aren’t confined to the pages of our journal or emails to our best friend. Our finances permeate just about every aspect of our lives, from where we live to the job and lifestyle we choose.

And for that reason, our financial demons can be particularly invasive - and toxic.

But the good news is that demons can definitely be vanquished (or subdued, at the very least). As with anything, they can be worn down with the right tools and the right mind-set. Fortunately, we have both.

First, identify your demon . . . or demons. Then we’ll show you exactly how to send them packing.

If You Have Shopping Demons . . .

The Tools: As you know, “just stop shopping” isn’t helpful advice. Instead, look at your habit from the other end: Your closet. Your makeup bag. Or your gadget collection, depending on the spending that’s most problematic for you. Use our process from Priceless Style Boot Camp to evaluate your 10 most recent purchases. If lots of your recent buys are rated “not worth it,” it’s time to reevaluate your spending patterns. The first step is to avoid letting one bad spending choice drag you into a downward spiral. If you suspect you’re currently in such a phase, you can use this tool to spiral back up. If your purchases are all rated “worth it,” but you know you’re shopping too much, take a close look at your last month of spending and ask yourself whether you’re truly happy with everything you bought, or if that same amount of money could have been applied to a different financial goal, whether it's bulking up your emergency fund or beginning to invest.

Read on for more.

Real Talk With TV Broke Girl Beth Behrs

LearnVest — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:59:07 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Since when is being broke funny?

Since CBS released its new sitcom 2 Broke Girls, in which actress Beth Behrs plays a recently humbled heiress, Caroline, who moves to Brooklyn to hide out after her father loses their family fortune in a Ponzi scheme.

Caroline winds up living with her perpetually poor fellow waitress, Max, played by Kat Dennings, and the two hatch a plan to save their wages and start a cupcake business.

Recession-era cupcake businesses have been all the rage lately (see: Bridesmaids), but shows addressing personal finances - or lack thereof - with humor and honesty is something we don’t see very often. Caroline and Max manage to plan for their future while hustling for their present - and survive on a shoestring with admirable grace. We love that these characters live richly, even on a tight salary: After all, that's what LearnVest is all about.

And, of course, any show where the leading ladies discuss interest rates is right up our alley.

Check out our exclusive talk with Behrs on her penny-pinching past, her first pair of Louboutins - and why she still chooses to live with a roommate in real life. It turns out that we can learn something from celebs about money.

LearnVest: As a 26-year-old in Hollywood, how much of Caroline and Max’s financial struggle can you relate to?

Beth Behrs: Literally up until we shot the pilot, I was working as a nanny five days a week and then as a bartender and concierge at The Geffen Playhouse on the weekends. So, I can definitely relate to being broke, right out of college and working tons of odd jobs to just pay the rent.

Real-life waitress stories and more from Behrs.

25 Easy Organizing Changes You Can Make Today

Wise Bread — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Wise Bread story here on Savvy!

I have a bad tendency to let things - paperwork, tasks, laundry - pile up. That's why I'm often not as organized as I should be. By the time I go to put things away, I feel like I'm dealing with clutter so powerful it could defeat Godzilla (I've already started on the screenplay for Godzilla vs. That Pile of Stuff I Still Haven't Put Away Since Moving).

Thus, I am a huge proponent of making little steps towards organization. Below are 25 ways to organize your home, your finances, and your life that are quick and easy enough to attempt today. Seriously, start making a dent in your disorganization before it turns into a movie-worthy monster.

Organize Your Stuff

From the fridge to the filing cabinet, here are some ideas for organizing your things.

1. Identify What You Want to Organize

Yes, I am telling you to organize your organizing. Make a specific list of what you want to organize - the bookshelf? Your closet? Your drawers? If you have time, start to formulate a plan. Now, when you have a couple of hours over the weekend, you're ready to attack.

2. Buy Masking Tape and a Marker

Masking tape is a great way to create temporary labels for everything from storage containers in the basement to Tupperware in the freezer. Buy a roll of masking tape and a Sharpie, and always keep them in the same place.

3. Buy Containers and Dividers

If you're planning an organizing project, buy any containers or other organizing tools you need now. Just as with making the list, you're now totally ready to tackle the project when you have a moment.

Read on for more organizing tips.