FitSugar

Organize Your Health

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:30:00 -0700

On the road to becoming the healthy, happy you, it pays to be organized. Keeping a mental list of all your various projects can be overwhelming. There is just no way to remember all those things you need and want to do.

Many of us use day planners for work, so why not use a planner as a tool for your personal life as well? I came across these from lobotoMe.com. Talk about organization! They make notepads for everything.

My favorite is the Feed ME meal planning to do list. It's a pad of 50 sheets ($8) and helps you plan out your meals for an entire week. On the right-hand side, there is a preprinted grocery list so you can keep track of all of the ingredients you need so you are organized when you go to the grocery store. This way you don't wander into the cookie and chip aisle, and hopefully the organized list keeps you from having to make multiple trips back to the store for forgotten ingredients.

I also like the organizeME Weekly Planner ($16 per pad of 60). It's a way to organize all the chores and errands you need to get done in each day, and a way to remember to take care of yourself too. It has a spot to write down what healthy dinner, exercise, and "me time" you have planned Monday through Sunday. It even has a little spot on the bottom to check off when you've had your 8 glasses of water a day. These sheets can tear off and fold to fit in most daily planners.

Taking care of yourself is something you need to do everyday, and sometimes you need to plan for it in advance. I'm all for anything that can make eating healthy, getting exercise, and staying stress-free easier. There's a lot to keep track of, and these day planners can help keep you on track.

WalkJogRun Your Routes

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Running the same routes over and over can become a bit of a drag. It's hard to come up with your own routes if you don't know how far it's going to be or how hard it's going to be (this one is key for those of us that live in hilly areas of the country). A new website has combined a running route planner and a distance/speed calculator all into one.

Not only does WalkJogRun.net calculate how far your favorite routes are, but it also gives you route ideas that other users have created along with their distance and difficulty level. This is great if you've just moved into a new city, if you're traveling a lot, or even if you're just bored with your current routes. Definitely check it out at WalkJogRun.net - I've already got my eye on a few interesting routes here in San Francisco.

Exercise Tip: Make a Schedule and Stick to it!

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 11:45:00 -0700

So you may not be the world's most organized person, but when it comes to getting in shape, the only way to do it is to plan for it. You've got to sit down and make yourself an exercise schedule.

When you're done, post it wherever you need to in order to get motivated to follow it. Plaster copies on your corkboard at work, on your home fridge, and on your bathroom mirror. Heck, pass them out to your family members and friends too, so they can help you follow it. You can also fill in your daily planner (if you don't have one, now's a great time to get one) with times and fitness activities that you have planned out, so you have daily reminders.

It's not enough to think that you want to get in shape, you've got to make an effort every single day. So if you can map out your week, and break it down by day, it'll feel easier to accomplish.

Want to see an example of my exercise schedule? Then read more

It took me a while to fill up my schedule with all this fun stuff. Don't feel like you need to jump into 50 million different activities all at once. Start off small, maybe with three 20-minute walks a week. Then you can add to it if you need to, and when you feel ready.

Day	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Monday	6:30 am: walk the dog (20 min)		6 pm:Yoga Class (90 min)
Tuesday	6:30 am: walk the dog (20 min)	12 pm: run, bike, or use gym machines (30 min)
Wednesday	6:30 am: walk the dog (20 min)		6 pm: Pilates Class (60 min)
Thursday	6:30 am: walk the dog (20 min)	12 pm: run, bike, or use gym machines (30 min)
Friday	6:30 am: walk the dog (20 min)	4 pm: walk with my girlfriends (60 min)	8 pm: walk the dog (20 min)
Saturday	7:30 am: walk the dog (20 min)	10 am: day hike, family bike ride, swimming - something physical with the whole fam (1-3 hours)
Sunday	7:30 am: walk the dog (20 min)

Fit's Tips: If you sign up for an exercise class or a gym membership with your friends, you can help motivate each other to go.

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Fit Tip: Keep Your Workouts in One Place

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:30:00 -0700

If you're one of those people who has a tough time sticking to a regular workout routine, here is some good advice: do all your workouts in the same place. Although variety can prevent boredom, it won't help if variety makes you skip out on workouts because you can't keep track of where and when you're sweating it out each week. So just to get into the routine, exercise in one designated place, whether it's the gym, your local park, your spare bedroom, or a yoga studio. It'll make things easier knowing where equipment is, or where you need to park, or how long it takes you to bike there from work so you don't come back late from working out on your lunch break. It just takes the stress and planning out of working out, and lets you focus on the actual exercise part. Then once you've got that down, add new workout places to your routine. To help you keep track of your schedule, write it down in a weekly planner or a fitness journal. The more you plan and the easier you make working out, the more likely it's going to happen.

Back on Track: Plan Your Fitness Schedule For the Week

FitSugar — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:30:00 -0700

It's easy to make the excuse that you just don't have time to work out, so make it a priority before anything else comes up. This Sunday night, take some time to go over your schedule for the upcoming week and plan some exercise time. Take out your daily planner, or you can print out this free downloadable fitness journal, and write down the days you're going to the gym or to your yoga class. Jot down what afternoons you're planning to walk with your girlfriend at lunch, or when you're going to do a Piloxing DVD in your living room. If you write it down, you're more likely to stick to it and won't let an appointment, errand, or meeting get in the way.

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.

Fit Tip: Make Exercise Nonnegotiable

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Whether getting fit is a new goal for 2009, or one you've had for years, the only way to make that happen is to keep regular exercise in your schedule. I know when you're pulled in multiple directions by life, work, and family, it is easy to rationalize that you just don't have the time to work out. Constantly making excuses can turn into a bad habit though, so make exercise nonnegotiable. Once you decide your workouts are just as important as all your other commitments, you'll be more likely to follow through. Be sure to set up a realistic schedule that you can meet, and once you've written down your workout "appointments" in your daily planner or fitness journal, stick to your plan. Even if you're a little tired, or you'd rather spend the time baking cookies - make no excuses. Put on your workout duds and get moving, because you know afterward you'll feel proud of your follow through.

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Back on Track: Map Out Your Fitness Schedule For the Week

FitSugar — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:30:00 -0700

This Sunday night, take some time to go over your schedule for the upcoming week and plan some exercise time. It's easy to make the excuse that you just don't have time to work out, so make it a priority before anything else comes up. Take out your daily planner, or you can print out this free downloadable fitness journal, and write down the days you're going to the gym or to your Pilates class. Jot down what afternoons you're planning to walk with your girlfriend at lunch, or when you're going to do a Kung Fu Kickboxing DVD in your living room. If you write it down, you're more likely to stick to it and won't let an appointment, errand, or meeting get in the way.

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Have a Plan, a Swim Plan That Is

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:30:00 -0700

If you're looking to start swimming for exercise but really have no idea where to start then you should definitely check out Swimplan.com - a free online swim planner. All you have to do is register (free and easy) and fill out some information on your basic swimming abilities. In return they'll send you a weekly personalized swimming fitness workout. What's more? Even if you're not a beginner you can find workouts for intermediate, master, squad, and competitive swimmers. Check it out here.

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Move It at Home: Winsor Pilates Back Workout

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 04:00:00 -0700

I am going to say this on record - nothing beats going to an actual Pilates mat class. An hour long class works every bit of your body, while stretching and lengthening you as well. Plus, the instructor is right there providing feedback and giving corrections, as well as discussing the subtleties of the Pilates method.

Now if you can't make it to a class, there are DVDs, but good Pilates DVDs are hard to find. The Winsor Pilates DVDs are broken up into 20 minute targeted workouts, and The Back Workout is no exception. However, this DVD is different since it was created to alleviate back tightness and pain. Winsor even warns at the beginning of the workout that if you suffer from chronic back pain, you should consult with your physician first. This DVD is definitely meant to help folks with tight weak backs get stronger so they can take regular Pilates classes.

The series begins with stretches for hip and thigh muscles and a spine warm up. Classic Pilates exercises are taught in very modified variations that are perfect for beginners since they are accompanied by considerably more details than many of the workout videos by Winsor. However, if you are not dealing with a bad back, this is less of a workout and more like a warm up or cool down with gentle ab work. I feel following this DVD would be a great way to prepare for a long run, or help you chill out at the end of a long day. If you do have back problems this series could be very beneficial for you, but like Mari said, you should consult with your physician or physical therapist before trying the DVD.

The Back Workout DVD is included in the Best Value package (which also includes 8 DVDs, a sculpting circle, exercise planner and cookbook) on the Winsor Pilates website for $79.80. You can also find individual copies for as low as $7.50 on Amazon.