FitSugar

Pilates Tip: Avoid the Head Rush

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:00:00 PDT

When I am gardening and move from a deep squat to standing, I get a little lightheaded. It is not really disconcerting, but when it happens when I'm doing Pilates, well that is a different story. Exercises where you move from horizontal to vertical quickly can create a sudden lowering of blood pressure, which can make you dizzy. The most simple way to avoid the head rush is to move more slowly. And moving more slowly will emphasize the element of control central to the Pilates philosophy. This will also increase the difficulty of the move. Think of that as a perk brought to you by your desire to avoid a head rush.

The expert at About.com: Pilates also thinks that increasing the "scoop" of the deep abs on the inhale can help keep the blood pressure from dipping too low. Keeping the low and deep abs engaged while you breathe in means you need to focus on breathing into the sides and backs of your ribs - an element of Pilates we can all work on.

Try these two fixes and see if they keep getting dizzy at bay.

Source

No Headphones? 5 Ways to Entertain Yourself on the Treadmill

Leta Shy — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:44:44 PST

I love running on the treadmill, but let's be honest: it's not the most entertaining workout. I usually distract myself from counting down the minutes with a good playlist, audiobook, or tuning in to the gym's TVs. When I forget to take my running headphones, however, I have to entertain myself in an entirely different way. Here are some ways to keep yourself entertained (not to mention motivated!) when you can't do your normal headphones-on, tune-everything-out routine.

Change up your intervals: You should be doing this anyway once you've mastered your current workout, but if you're used to going through the motions, now's the time to change your intervals or the speed of your high-intensity runs.
Take a fit test: See how fast you can run in a set period - say, five minutes - without stopping (make sure you don't overdo it, though - stay at a level where you don't feel short of breath, lightheaded, or dizzy). Doing a fit test regularly is a good way to gauge your progress if you've been running regularly and if it's time to pick up the pace. Plus you may be surprised by just how fast you can really go!

Read on for more.

From the Community: Exercises to Avoid Later in Pregnancy

OnSugar — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:31:42 PST

Recently, OnSugar blogger Coach Lark Says offered advice on how to work out while you're pregnant and in your first trimester. Here's a follow-up post with more advice on exercises to avoid in your second and third trimesters.

In my last post, I went over the benefits to exercising while pregnant and listed some basic guidelines.

In the second and third trimester, you should limit or avoid altogether:

Supine (back lying) exercises, especially exercises where the legs are not moving. These can cause some circulatory problems with blood returning back to your heart from your uterus.

Two more exercises to limit in your second and third trimesters after the break.

How to Prevent a Bad Running Day

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:56:02 PST

Some days I slip on my sports bra and sneaks and I feel so light and strong - like I could keep going and going. Other days it seems like my legs are trudging through mud. What gives? We can't prevent bad running days entirely, but here are a few things you can do in order to have more good days than bad.

Get enough sleep the night before. Hit the hay early enough so you get seven to nine hours of shut-eye.
Make sure you're hydrated. Not drinking the appropriate amount of water before and during your workout can lead to dizziness, headaches, decreased energy and performance, dry mouth, and cramps. A few hours before running, drink about 15 to 20 ounces. Drink another eight to 10 ounces 10 to 15 minutes before heading out.
Eat before your run. Remember that food is fuel. If you're not working out for five or so hours, enjoy a meal that contains protein, fat, and carbs. Several hours before a run, eat a meal that's under 500 calories. Thirty to 90 minutes before you head out, enjoy a carb-loaded low-fat snack. If you're working out first thing in the a.m., fuel up with easily digestible carbs that are low in fiber. Getting too much fiber can cause major cramps during your run.
Hit the ladies room. There's no need to carry unnecessary weight with you, so if you can relieve yourself before your run, you'll feel much lighter and will be less likely to experience belly aches.

See more tips after the break!

5 Reasons You Need More Sleep

Shape — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:14:00 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Whether you admit you need help nodding off or are still in denial about the major suitcases under your eyes, chances are you could use an intervention: a full two-thirds of Americans say they have trouble getting enough shut-eye at least once a week. That’s pretty harrowing, considering that sleep is absolutely essential for health and normal functioning. If you need a reason to hit the sack early read on. You’ll be surprised how much skipped sleep impacts your well-being.

You'll Live Longer
Chronic insomniacs are more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who sleep well, according to new research in the journal Circulation. Other studies have linked lack of sleep to a higher risk of dying from a stroke and developing breast cancer.

See even more benefits of sleep after the break!

How to Breathe When Running

Heather Dale — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:57:35 PDT

Ever wonder why some days you feel like an energizer bunny and can keep running and running, while other days your legs feel like lead and you have zero stamina? Certainly the amount of sleep you got the night before, stress levels, and diet play a role in how you perform during your runs, but how you regulate your breath during your jogging session also effects your energy levels. Here's how to power your muscles with fresh oxygen on each stride.

Learn to breathe deeply: Your lungs are just a bit smaller than your ribcage, but we all tend to use just the top third of the lung. One reason being that, like all muscles, the intercostals, which run between the ribs, can get tight and inflexible, limiting the expansiveness of your lungs. When you take a deep breath, you are expanding the lungs, pressing down the diaphragm, and causing your abdomen to expand as your lungs fill with air. Learning to breathe this way helps you take in lots of oxygen while running, preventing dizziness and nausea. With a little training and some stretching you can breathe to your full potential to increase your endurance. Cross-training with noncardio workouts like yoga and Pilates can also help you learn to breathe from your diaphragm. Here are some tips for how to conquer diaphragmatic breathing.

Here's what else you can do to control your breathing during runs.

5 Questions Vegetarians Should Ask Themselves

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:32:24 PDT

I've never met a vegetarian (myself included) who hasn't been asked a hundred times, "Are you getting enough protein?" But this isn't the only thing vegetarians need to watch out for. Avoiding meat means you need to pay special attention to your diet to make sure you're getting other essential nutrients as well. You also need to be careful about overdoing it with meat alternatives and dairy products, since this may prompt other health issues. If you don't eat beef, poultry, or fish, ask yourself these five questions.

Am I getting enough protein? There's no black and white number that's right for everyone since your protein intake depends on body weight and activity level; the number ranges between 40 and 90 grams. Check out this handy chart showing how much protein you need each day. Good sources of vegetarian protein include beans, soy products like tofu and soy milk, nuts, and whole grains.
Does my diet offer enough vitamin B12? Women need 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 each day, and since it's found in animal products, be sure you eat enough milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs if you're a lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Vitamin B12 is also found in nutritional yeast, so sprinkle some on your popcorn or make this Vegan Mac and Cheese.

Continue reading for three more questions vegetarians should ask themselves.

Beginner Tips For Hot Yoga

Heather Dale — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:16:59 PDT

Hot yoga, aka bikram yoga, can be quite intimidating for those who are either new to yoga in general, or haven't been to a hot yoga class before. If the 105ºF temperatures aren't enough to scare you away, the thought of getting sticky and sweating with a group of strangers can be enough to turn you off of it. But, once you get past the heat and the sweat factor, hot yoga classes can provide you with some of the best workouts of your life. Here's what you should know before attending your first hot yoga class.

What to bring: Unlike traditional yoga, hot yoga requires a few more accessories to make the class more enjoyable. I like to bring a big bottle of water so that I can stay hydrated throughout class; my own yoga mat; a slipless yoga towel to help keep me in place during the practice; and a smaller towel for face/neck sweat. Note: towels are not required, but with all of the sweating you do, they are nice to have.
What to wear: I tend to just wear my regular yoga clothes to class which are made out of sweat-wicking materials. I would suggest steering clear of baggy or articles of clothing made out of cotton because anything baggy will just become a nuisance, and cotton actually traps sweat, so you'll feel even more uncomfortable.

Keep reading for more tips.

How to Beat the Summer Heat and Still Work Out

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:06:19 PDT

With all this rain we've been having on the East Coast, I'm so psyched that warmer, sunny days are here. It's finally starting to feel like Summer! It's been a shock to my system though, exercise-wise. I've been so used to running in breezy temps between the 50s and 60s that hot and humid 80-degree temps feel overwhelming. Running, biking, hiking, even walking feels harder in the heat. Here are some tips that have helped me get through my Summer workouts.

Be flexible about when you work out. I've become obsessed with checking the weather, and I look to see when the temps are going to be the lowest that day. Sometimes it's early in the morning, and sometimes late in the evening, so I rearrange my schedule to fit in exercise during the coolest time of day. A plus about morning workouts is a lot of my neighbors are watering their lawns, so I run through their sprinklers to stay even cooler.
Invest in some wicking clothes. I used to wear cotton tank tops and shorts, but they'd get sweaty, cling to my skin, and make me feel hotter. Wicking clothes pull the moisture away from my skin, so I really do feel cooler. Wearing a hat to keep the hot sun off my head and face also helps - just make sure the hat is wicking too and breathes.
Take a cold shower. I know it seems a little odd to shower before a workout, but the cold water cools me down. I leave my hair wet and pop it in a bun, and when I head outside water drips down my face and neck and it feels so refreshing. If you have short hair, carry a water bottle with you and squeeze a little on top of your head whenever you need a little cooling boost.

Those aren't the only tips; keep reading.

10 Jobs That Didn’t Exist 10 Years Ago

Kiplinger — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 10:30:29 PDT

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

Thinking about a career change? For the best odds of snagging and hanging onto a job for the long haul, you'll want to avoid professions on the decline in today’s economy (think bookbinders, textile workers and machine-tool operators) and focus on professions whose outlook is rosier (such as health care, financial analysis or social work).

Technology, cultural shifts and changing demographics combine to create new career fields all the time. Here are ten of our favorite new roles for 2011 and beyond, ones that didn't even exist ten years ago:

Social Media/Online-Community Manager

Social media or online-community management is a field made possible and necessary by the gargantuan rise in social networking activity. Sites like Facebook serve 500 million (yep, that's half a billion) users, who share personal and public messages, photos, videos, games and other experiences at a dizzying pace.

Social media strategists focus on building their employers' or clients' brands through the use of social media sites and tools, whereas online-community managers specialize in fostering user discussion and evangelism for the marketers they support. There is overlap between the two fields; one can manage social media tools without dabbling in online community, and vice versa, or the two functions can be combined in one group or person. What does a social media or online-community manager need to succeed? Essentials include great written communication skills, a sense of humor, empathy, a marketing background and lots of experience with social media tools (Facebook, Twitter and Youtube among them).

For more jobs that didn't exist 10 years ago, read on.