FitSugar

Speak Up: Taking Baby to the Gym?

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:45:00 -0800

A new trend I've been seeing in the fitness world is parents are taking babies as young as six weeks to special fitness gyms to get them moving early on in life. Fitness centers for children such as My Gym are popping up all over the country where parents are able to enroll their baby or toddler in a fitness class. While there could be many reasons for this rising trend, I think its safe to assume this trend is in part due to growing fears about childhood obesity.

While I agree that it is great to get kids moving and socializing, I am not sure an actual fitness class is necessary for babies. It seems to me that classes like these are more for the parents' sanity than the kids' health. Don't get me wrong, if you have a few extra bucks then I don't see anything wrong with giving it a try because it does look like a lot of fun. However, as far as being completely necessary, I am not overly convinced.

What do you guys think about this whole fitness center for babies and toddlers concept? Speak up and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Source

Fittingly Mad: I Want Out of This Relationship...

FitSugar — Sat, 12 May 2007 03:00:00 -0700

...my relationship with my old gym, that is.

Has this ever happened to you? You join a gym and at the end of the term of your agreed contract, you decide to cancel your membership and try another gym. Simple, right? WRONG.

Turns out that when you sign the papers to join some gyms, you are signing your life away. I am not going to name names ~~Gold's Gym~~ ~~Crunch~~ ~~Liberty~~, but I have found that the process of canceling my gym membership is one of the hardest things to do, ever.

Here is how it went down. When I called to cancel, they told me I needed to cancel it in person. When I showed up in person, they told me I needed to send a certified letter (who sends certified letters anymore?). When I sent the certified letter my credit card still got charged for a good 6 months after canceling the membership. It came to the point where I had to just cancel the card that was being charged. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were still trying to charge my card to this day.

I've heard many other stories just like my own and it just does not make sense to me. Why do gyms make it so ridiculously hard to cancel your membership? Did I miss something here? Gym memberships should not be this binding. I would really appreciate it if gyms could just take a cancellation for what it is, a simple cancellation, and leave the hard feelings at the door.

Bonus points if you can name the television show (no longer taping) that had an episode on this very same problem where one character can not get out of his gym membership so he brings along a friend to help.

When Did You First Start Working Out?

FitSugar — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:30:03 -0800

A little workout nostalgia - I was just thinking back to when I first started exercising, thanks in large part to my dad. Outside of required gym class or a sports team, I was trying to remember when fitness became important to me, and landed right at about eighth grade.

Around the end of middle school, beginning of high school, I started to pay attention to other girls and the way my own body was shaping up. At the same time, I was being exposed to new ways to work out. During high school, I was offered the choice of a regular P.E. class, or a semester of yoga and Pilates. I chose the latter and have been hooked ever since. Additionally, my dad used to ask me along to his training sessions at the gym, where working with his trainer helped to give me a better understanding of fitness and what I could do on my own to stay healthy.

Since then, I've made a conscious decision to keep myself fit - a lifestyle choice that I attribute to such a great introduction to working out during my early high school years. Obviously fitness is important at any age, but I'm curious, when did you first get into a fitness routine?

Weigh In: Flirtatious Guy at the Gym

FitSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:00:02 -0800

This FitSugar reader needs some advice about an overly friendly guy at her gym.

Dear Fit,
I joined a gym last Winter because my New Year's resolution was to lose 40 pounds. I'm halfway to my goal, and am really proud of myself. I definitely notice a big change when I try on clothes or look in the mirror, and it seems there's a guy at my gym who has noticed too. I've been heading to the gym after work three times a week for the past 10 months, and recently this guy I've seen ever since I joined has been approaching me. He compliments me, saying things like, "looking good today," or "your arms look really ripped in that tank top." Don't get me wrong - the attention is actually really nice since I never had anything like that when I was heavier, but it's a little creepy. I'm not attracted to this guy at all, and it kind of pisses me off that as soon as I lose weight, I'm worth the friendly smiles and sweet words. Really, I'm at the gym for one purpose only, so how can I get this guy off my back without seeming like a total bitch?
-Annoyed Annie

If you have any experience with this or any suggestions, please share them below.

Food Review: Forze GPS Shakes and Bars

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:46 -0800

I'm typically wary of fitness drinks with gold packaging; they remind me of the weird muscle-building brands I see at the gym. But when I read the label on Forze GPS shakes and bars, I was intrigued.

This line of snacks, including chocolate and vanilla shakes and four flavors of energy bar, is described as a "weight management tool designed specifically for athletes." They promise to activate your appetite control signals, so they can be used as a between-meal or pre- or post-workout snack. Hear what I thought about their taste and the results.

Best Buy No Longer Just Selling Couch-Potato Electronics

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:21 -0800

When I hear my husband is headed to Best Buy, I get a bit nervous. My fears my be slightly allayed by the fact that select outlets of this electronics mecca will be selling my favorite fitness accessory that features a computer chip: heart rate monitors. Forty stores in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas will be selling HRMs as well as pedometers and gear for swimming, yoga, and Pilates enthusiasts. Many locations will also have cardio machines like ellipticals, treadmills, and stationary bikes for shoppers to test drive. My guess is that the store is also hoping you will think that you need a flat-screen TV for your new home gym, but I still take this as a positive sign for incorporating fitness into daily life.

Padma Cooks at Home to Stay Fit

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Thanks to a full season of Top Chef's indulgent cuisine, the reality hostess admits she's likely to go up a couple dress sizes during filming. Still, Padma Lakshmi doesn't let the extra pounds take a toll on her healthy fitness perspective, and shares with Glamour how a positive attitude and a realistic take on eating help her shed the weight.

For one, Padma reveals that when Top Chef contestants aren't whipping up something decadent for her to taste, she's likely to be cooking something healthy at home. Padma knows that cooking in her own kitchen can be a healthy way to control her caloric intake, and while takeout can seem a more convenient alternative, Padma reminds us that, "it can actually take longer to order delivery or go pick up takeout than it does to cook." In addition, the foodie loves the physicality of cooking, noting that "[instead] of watching TV, waiting for your food to come, you’re actually moving [when you cook]. My aunt had the best arms in the world, and she never stepped inside a gym.”

Check out Glamour to get the rest of Padma's realistic weight loss and healthy eating tips.

Are the Kardashians' QuickTrim Diet Products Quackery?

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:50:02 -0800

A very pregnant Kourtney Kardashian is having a hard time accepting her baby weight. Slim sis Kim says that "Kourtney is going crazy. She feels so big right now. She's just ready to have the baby." According to Us Weekly, sisters Kim and Khloe are both dieting with their QuickTrim diet products and expectant mom Kourtney is jealous because she sees how they're both losing weight.

I've got to admit that I'm sick of hearing about the Kardashians, and now they're promoting this diet product and proving that it works. Ever wonder what it is exactly, or if it's even healthy? My gut says it's not, so I decided to check out the website to see what I could dig up. Here's what I found: QuickTrim Fast Cleanse ($30) is a "lemonade flavored drink designed to help rid the body of excess water weight, belly bloating, and intestinal bulk." So are you supposed to drink these magic citrus beverages all day and that's it?

To hear more about QuickTrim and what the ingredients are, read more.

The Fast Cleanse drink I just described is one product made by QuickTrim. It contains many ingredients including pure lemon juice concentrate, chicory root (fiber), and aloe vera gel. Although it's made with natural ingredients, detoxing your body isn't necessary.

QuickTrim makes two other diet supplements, but these are in tablet form: Extreme Burn ($50) and Burn & Cleanse ($60). Extreme Burn claims to burn up to 8,000 extra calories per month. Burn & Cleanse is a 14-day diet system that promises to burn calories all day, and cleanse and detox you all night. They're made with ingredients such as cocoa extract, acai fruit extract, hyssop, false unicorn root, and green tea leaf extract. Sounds like a witch's potion to me. But at least you're instructed to take these tablets between meals, not in place of them.

These pills are supposed to stimulate your metabolism, maintain your blood sugar levels, burn fat and calories, and contain antioxidants to promote a happy mood. Safety-wise, QuickTrim products are not FDA-approved, so I'd skip them completely and save your moolah to buy things you know will help shed pounds, like a gym membership or fresh fruits and veggies. If you're trying to lose weight, don't fall for this quick-fix diet scam. As I've said before, the safest and most effective way to slim down is with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Get on the Ball: Circling Plank

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:47:57 -0800

Plank is one of my favorite exercises because it really targets your upper body and core. Plus there are so many challenging variations such as plank jumping jacks and walking elbow plank, so you mix up your routine and never get bored. Here's another variation that will really work your lower abs, so grab an exercise ball and give it a try.

Music: "Faith I Do Believe" by Rusted Root

For detailed instructions on this move, keep reading

The Ultimate Date: Indoor Rock Climbing

Fit Community — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:32 -0800

Women That Rock (Climb) community members Spacekatgal and her husband Spacekatdude give you their take on why indoor rock climbing makes a perfect fitness-inspired date.

Spacekatdude and I are married, so we're always looking for fun new things to do. Recently, we decided to give indoor rock climbing a shot! We totally loved it! We wanted to post a bit about it for newbies.

We each signed up for a $160 class, which included gym membership for two weeks. We got free equipment rental and a really great instructor named Nate that taught us the basics, focusing on safety. We were taught to tie our own knots and how to "belay" your partner safely, meaning how to catch them if they fall off the wall.

I will be honest and say it's a real trust building exercise. I love my husband dearly, but I also know it's in his nature to be distracted. It was a little hard for me to put my life into his hands and trust him to catch me if I fell. Throwing myself off the wall for the first time was very scary - but I quickly learned that I could count on him for this. Working as a team to guide the other person up the wall is both fun and good for your relationship!

It's also a great workout. Within a few weeks of rock climbing, I've greatly increased my upper body strength. If you have moxie, I would definitely say it's a sport you should try!

To hear Spacekatdude's perspective, read more.

A guy's perspective - Spacekatdude here. Rock climbing is awesome. It's not just a physical thing - it's very mental, as you try to figure out set paths up the wall, only being allowed to touch rock outcroppings of a particular color - very challenging. Whenever we go to the gym there are a lot of women there, and it's great to watch those who love the challenge and love to push themselves, I think that's awesome. Our instructor Nate also told us that it was great for kids - one of the best rock climbers he knew was an eight-year-old girl, who showed him some excellent routes during an outdoor climb.

I mentioned that climbing is a mental exercise. This is because you have to constantly concentrate on what you're doing. If you go in mentally weak or lazy, bad things can happen: I read of some climbers who went to Half Dome at Yosemite, all ready to hammer in their own ropes to descend from the top. But there were ropes already there, embedded in the rock, and they just used those. As they climbed down, the ropes gave way, and they fell to their deaths. So laziness has no place in rock climbing.

Also, as you climb, it's important to remember to use your feet for power, and not to try to pull yourself up by your arms. So the mental challenge is to keep concentrating the entire time you're roping yourself in, climbing, and belaying.

Share your climbing tales in the Women That Rock (Climb) group and spread the love! Not a climber? Be sure to take a look at our other community groups - there's something for everyone!

Source: Flickr User Charlie Brewer