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FitSugar — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 02:30:00 -0800

Are you going to be a June bride? Planning for the big day can be really stressful. Working women/brides-to-be have so much to think about: flowers, the ceremony, the cake, to honeymoon. Planning the wedding could easily become a full time job unto itself.

So you don't become too overwhelmed you are going to make multi-tasking a part of your planning process. So reach for your iPod and download podcasts to your iPod from iTunes. Here's a few for you to try: Wedding Planning Talk Radio (8 free episodes), Queer Eye (has a 9-episode wedding series), and 4 free podcasts from Bride Magazine.

For a small bit of change, you can download individual episodes of your favorite wedding-themed TV shows, or even get an entire season of the reality TV show, Whose Wedding is This Anyway? for $18.

Now busy brides can do 2 things at once - research wedding info while working out. That is truly great multi-tasking since you'll be listening to something while on the treadmill, make it an informative podcast.

Free Workout Music From Podrunner

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:00:03 -0700

Music is the great fitness motivator, and the faster the beat, the faster you move. If you're looking for an entire playlist that offers non-stop, fixed tempo music for your running, walking, or cycling workouts, check out Podrunner.

The site offers free workout playlists to help keep your pace constant, with ranges between 152 to 181 beats per minute. Podrunner also has mixes designed for interval training. You can download these music mixes online or through iTunes, and the MP3 files can be played on most digital music players. The playlists are all electronica, and the music is energetic and upbeat. Best of all, it's free.

10 Ways to Pass the Time on Cardio Machines

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:52:00 -0700

If you can't get outside for a run or bike ride, using a cardio machine is a wonderful alternative. Since the weather is always perfect indoors, you never have an excuse not to work out. It can be agonizingly boring though, so here are some suggestions from FitSugar readers to help beat the boredom and make your cardio machine time more enjoyable.

Kimpossible and laellavita suggest doing interval training. Switch between moderate running and sprinting to keep your mind busy. This is also my favorite way to work out on a cardio machine.
You can also do intervals with the incline, as suggested by syako. Pump up the incline for a few minutes, then lower it for a few minutes.
FitSugar reader tangentlines suggests reading big novels to pass the time, but if you don't like flipping pages, shiningeyes suggests listening to audiobooks.

To hear the other great ideas, read more.

Listen to music on iPods or MP3 players. If you like more of a mix, there's a Pandora application on the iPhone that kyui707 recommends. It creates a music station for you based on music you like, and since you never know what's coming next, it's a great way to get you moving.
If you're bored with music, KMattes recommends listening to podcasts. You can download them from iTunes on just about any topic from wedding planning to cooking to fitness.
If you like watching TV, littlekaren suggests hitting the gym during times when your favorite shows are on. If you have a machine at home, kris0bot says to DVR TV shows and save them for when you exercise.
If there's a shelf on your machine, kakyke recommends watching TV episodes, like Grey's Anatomy or Lost, online on your laptop. Or you can watch movies.
If you're working hard and really pushing yourself, misskacie says it doesn't allow her the comfort to get bored. So pump up the intensity level.
Work out with a friend - mek123 says talking makes the time go by quickly.
Many readers such as darc5204 recommend daydreaming or deep thinking while on a cardio machine. You can distract yourself by working through a problem or making plans.

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Get in Shape While Planning Your Wedding

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Being a bride-to-be is joyful and exciting, but there's no denying that planning for the big day can be really stressful. You have so much to think about: flowers, the ceremony, invitations, your dress, the cake, and the honeymoon. Planning the wedding can be as much work as a full-time job! In order to prevent feeling overwhelmed with your enormous to-do list, you're going to have to make multitasking a part of your planning process.

So kill two birds with one stone by researching wedding info while working out. You can download wedding podcasts from iTunes and burn calories and tone up while you listen. Here are a few for you to try:

For free, download The Wedding Planning Audiocast, which is the Internet's number one wedding show heard around the world.
Also at no cost, download 70 of the most recent podcasts from Wedding Podcast Network.

To see what else you can listen to while hitting the gym, read more.

Download free episodes of Wedding Workout from the Wedding Podcast Network to help you get bridal-gown ready.
If you need more wedding exercise ideas, check out five free episodes of The Healthy Bride Podcast Workouts.
If a green wedding is important to you, check out two free episodes of Your Guide to Green and Eco-Chic Wedding.
Brides Magazine has four free podcasts that discuss the latest trends, style tips, and cost-saving strategies in planning your wedding.
If you don't mind paying a little, the audiobook called Wedding Planning ($12.95) gives insights from wedding planner Susannah Richardson, so you can have as little stress as possible when planning for your big day.
Or download season six of Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? for $17.99. It shows how wedding planners help real couples get through the hectic planning process, and have the wedding they always imagined.

If these don't float your boat, there are tons of other wedding-related podcasts from iTunes, so you're bound to find something that will help make planning your wedding a little easier.

For more wedding tips, check out all of the Sugar Network’s wedding coverage here.

Free MP3 Workout: Strong Arms and Abs in Just 20 Minutes

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0700

You can turn your trusty iPod into a personal trainer with Nike's audio workouts that you simply download into your iTunes, and Shape has one on up now that's free! Talk about recession-proofing your workout. This 20-minute workout, focusing on arms and abs, is led by Slovakian tennis pro Daniela Hantuchova and accompanied by tunes from Pop Noir and Cruel Black Dove. You can find the downloadable workout on this page. For all you Mac folks, once you're there, hold control and click the link to download Daniela's workout into your iTunes.

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Ho Ho Ho! Healthy Gift Cards

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:05:03 -0800

Sometimes it's tough to pick out the right gift for that special someone. In those cases, a gift card is a great option, especially as a stocking stuffer. It lets the gifted know you're thinking of them but allows them to pick out something they really want or need. But you still want to encourage the people on your list to live healthy lifestyles, right? Here are some gift cards that will do just that.

Patagonia: Great technical clothes for active people, from wicking underwear and warm Capilene tops to windproof fleece jackets.
iTunes: The recipient can buy individual songs, albums, or workout playlists to help motivate her while she exercises.

For all of my picks, read more.

Whole Foods: Not only does this store have terrific organic produce and fresh baked whole grain breads, but it's also a great place to pick up supplements and natural beauty products.
EMS: The recipient can choose between outdoor clothes, shoes, climbing gear, skis, camping gear, and much more.
The North Face: A leader in outdoor clothing, this brand also has gear such as tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, and anything you'd need for your next outdoor adventure.
REI: Perfect for everything from clothes and outdoor gear to gifts for active pet and neat gadgets such as heart rate monitors and two-way radios.
Nike: Great sneakers, clothes, and equipment for the active person.

Skinny Songs: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:30:00 -0800

Losing weight and living the healthy life is not always easy. In fact it can be downright difficult. A wide variety of inspirational sources is often helpful. Music is definitely a motivational tool for workouts, but Heidi Roizen has created motivational weight-loss songs for listening to anytime a dieter needs an extra boost. Her CD, titled Skinny Songs ($10 on iTunes), contains 10 songs with titles like "Skinny Jeans," "Thin!," and "The Incredible Shrinking Woman." She created "chick empowerment" songs to help her keep on track and to help her avoid temptations while dieting. You can listen to snippets of the songs on the Skinny Songs website.

Here is a tasting of some of the lyrics:

From "Skinny Jeans," which has a new country feel to it:

"skinny jeans, skinny jeans, you’re still hanging ‘round

In the back of my closet and that’s bringin’ me down

this morning, I woke up, and made me a vow

skinny jeans, gonna get back, into you somehow"

and from "I'm a Hottie Now" kind of bluesy:
"I’m a hottie now! (gimme something sexy)

I’m a hottie now! (something that barely fits me)

worked on my body, and I’m a hottie now!"

I think it is great that music with a weight-loss message has helped a lot dieters out there, but I for one don't think I would like to listen to a song about skinny jeans on a regular basis. But a musical earworm reminding you not to eat pie could come in handy. The songs do seem to emphasize the glamour of being thin rather than the health benefits that accompany weight loss, but who wants to rock out to song about LDL cholesterol? What do you think . . .

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You Asked: Any Ideas for Music and Running?

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:30:00 -0800

You're asking and I'm answering...
Dear Fit,
I am interested in possibly getting an iPod or something similar to use when I work out. I never jumped on the whole iPod train in the first place because the idea of having to pick out songs doesn't appeal to me, since I don't really know what to pick. That's why I like Sirius satellite radio. It exposes me to new music and I don't have to do anything but turn it on. I'd definitely get an iPod to work out with IF there was some sort easy way to download suggested playlists for working out.
-In Need of Tunes Tara

To see what I have to say on the matter, just read more

This is an awesome question since so many people love working out to music. With all the new technology out there, it's hard to know what will best suit your needs. You have two options:

Get an iPod nano - This tiny device can hold either 1,000 songs ($149) or 2,000 songs ($199). It's better to run with a nano rather than a regular iPod, since it uses flash memory and has no moving parts (regular iPods contain a mini hard drive that spins and jolting it around could cause damage). If you get a nano, you can copy all your own favorite music into the iTunes library on your computer, make playlists, and then put them on your nano. OR you can download Sport iMixes from iTunes (you have to buy them for around $15 a playlist).

Another cool thing about owning an iPod nano is that you can buy the Nike + iPod Sports Kit ($29). It comes with a receiver that attaches to your nano and a sensor you wear on your shoe. You can buy Nike + specific sneakers that hold the sensor or you can wear your fave sneakers and attach the sensor with this holder. Then when you run, it keeps track of the time, distance, speed and calories burned. You can even upload your runs to NikePlus.com and track your progress. I use it every time I run and it totally motivates me.
If you don't want to deal with your computer and downloading playlists, and you love Sirius radio, you can purchase portable Sirius radios to run with. The Stiletto 10 ($149.99) allows you to listen to live radio and it can store up to 10 hours of recorded programming. The Stiletto 100 ($199.99) offers a little bit more for your money. You can listen to live radio and store up to 100 hours of pre-recorded programs. You can also go online and purchase music that you can store on it. Sirius portable radios are great if you like your tunes to be a surprise. Just so you know though, after you buy the radio, you still need to pay around $13 a month for the service.

Those are two great options to help incorporate music into your workouts. Just make sure you choose something that will be easy to use and don't be afraid to ask for help. This technology stuff can be hard to figure out at first, but once you learn how, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Fit's Tips: If you're looking for other ideas for music playlists, every week FitSugar posts a playlist and you check them all out here.

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P.L.O.W. - Serena Williams' Interval Run

FitSugar — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

iTunes recently featured the music that Serena Williams uses to achieve her speed and endurance during runs and while I may not agree with the way Serena handles losing, I am liking her taste in running music. The play list is designed to improve your running speed, build endurance and give you a boost. So enjoy!

"Whatever U Like" - Nicole Scherzinger, 3:52
"The Way I Are" - Timbaland, 3:19
"Give It to Me" - Timbaland, 3:32
"My Humps" - Black Eyed Peas, 3:44
"Makes Me Wonder" - Maroon 5, 3:31
"Tambourine" - Eve, 3:12
"Impacto" - Daddy Yankee, 3:08
"Out of Control" - Kenna, 3:54
"Glamorous" - Fergie, 4:06
"Fergalicious" - Fergie, 3:45
"Pump It" - Black Eyed Peas, 3:34

Total PLOW = 30:19

You can buy each song individually or the whole play list on iTunes. Visit NikePlus to see all the sport mixes.

Tune Up Your Workout

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:30:00 -0800

Now that you've decided to tone up your body, you may want to tune up your music library.

iTune's Downloadable Music Store: For those of you who like to make your own play lists. ($.99 per song from the iTunes store, after you download iTunes)
Workoutmusic.com: Pre-picked play lists of music to make you move. ($8.95 for 30 minutes of downloaded music and $14.95 for 60 mins)
Marina's iPod Workout Center: More pre-picked compilations. ($.99 for 15 mins)
Endurance Radio: For everyone who needs a little pep-talk now and then. (FREE)

Stay tuned for Fit Sugar's play list of the week - coming soon to a fitness blog near you.