FitSugar

Fit Tip: Make Workout Plans With a Friend

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:15:00 -0700

Sometimes it's hard to get motivated to work out on your own. Things always come up in your schedule, and it's easy to skip exercising. One thing that helps me stay on track is when I make plans to work out with a friend. You can make it a once in a while type of thing, like planning a two-hour hike on a Saturday. Or you can make plans where you meet at your local yoga studio for a class once a week. If you need something more consistent then schedule something such as a walk before you both have to go to work in the mornings.

Having someone who's counting on you to be there makes it less likely that you'll skip it or put it off. It'll motivate you to go knowing your friend expects you to be there. Plus working out and being able to chat can make the time go by quickly, and it's so much more fun that you may actually forget you're even exercising.

Fit's Tip: If you're looking for something different to do with your friend, check out all my ideas for getting active with a partner.

Source

It's Wedding Planning Mania on The Sugar Network

PopSugar — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 23:34:54 -0700

As promised, we are back again with more Wedding Season fun. A few weeks ago was all about the Engagement and now it's time for anything and everything related to actually planning the Big Day! There is sure to be something for everyone whether you are planning the wedding of your dreams or a guest with lots of summer weddings to attend. Here's an idea of what we have planned:

Tell us your planning nightmares on DearSugar
Learn about the latest fashion trends for Brides and Guests on FabSugar
Tone your Arms and Abs while trying to stay sane on FitSugar
Get tips on everything from the invitations and decor to the cake and favors on YumSugar
Relive some of TV's greatest weddings on BuzzSugar
Learn how to choose a videographer and a photographer on GeekSugar.
See some brides behaving badly on GiggleSugar

All of this and more coming this week across The Sugar Network. To see all of the wedding coverage, visit the Wedding Talk group on TeamSugar. Stay tuned all Spring for more wedding coverage including showers, flowers, honeymoons and more. Fun times.

iDo

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.

Dos and Don'ts of Healthy Wedding Planning

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Let's face it: planning a wedding is stressful. Depending on how big your wedding is, it could be one of the most stressful projects you've ever taken on. So amid all the excitement, it's important to keep yourself fit, healthy, centered, and sane. Here's what do to (and what not to do) when planning a wedding the fit and healthy way.

Do make a plan. It sounds basic, but start by planning out your timeline, then go down the list one by one. Otherwise, you'll easily feel overwhelmed.
Don't be shy about accepting help. People have gotten married many times before, so why start from scratch? Registry checklists, like our downloadable registry, will save you serious time. You'll also have people offering to help you left and right, so let them!
Do come up with a fitness plan. If part of your plan includes getting fit for the big day, map out a workout schedule - with the help of online programs or a trainer - to keep yourself on track.

For a few other ideas for how to stay sane while planning your wedding, read more.

Don't overdo it. Getting in shape shouldn't mean setting unrealistic goals that require crash-dieting and unsafe lifestyle changes. Losing a maximum of two pounds a week is considered reasonable.
Do make time for yourself. You'll be bombarded by people and questions right through the wedding day, so set aside some alone time for yoga, massages, walks - whatever.
Don't neglect your workouts. Make sure your exercise routine doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Put workouts on your calendar, alongside all your wedding appointments. If you want, recruit a special wedding workout buddy.
Do control your party-food intake. You're likely to attend some engagement and bachelorette parties before the big day, but if you're trying to stay slim, keep your indulging in check. Have a bite of something you're craving, then move on.

Any of you recent brides out there have anything to add? If so, share them in the comments!
Source

Wedding Planning Frenzy: Plan Time For Yourself Too

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700

The details of planning your wedding can become overwhelming. While you are planning all your meetings with the various parties involved, from caterers to future in-laws, make sure to schedule some time for yourself. And make some of that precious time workout time. All forms of exercise, from lifting weights, to running, to yoga, requires deep breathing and deep breathing will help you relax and burn off some of the tension induced by all those wedding details.

I think it is important to take care of yourself while taking care of the business at hand. You can even ask your soon-to-be-spouse to partake in some fun fitness activity with you. You can spend time together that doesn't involve seating charts or china patterns.

Take out your calendar now and pencil in your workouts. Better yet, write them ink and think of them as meetings you just cannot cancel. After all, isn’t the bride the most important member of the wedding?

Be sure to check out iDoSugar for more wedding-related ideas.

Source

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.

From Walker to Runner: 8 Week Plan

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

So you've always wanted to take up running, but every time you've tried, you were exhausted after one minute. Not everyone is born to be a runner, and for most of us, it takes weeks of building up and training your body to get used to moving this way.

I believe any healthy person can go from being a walker to a runner, and this eight-week plan from Running.about.com can get you there. To take a peek at the weekly schedule read more.

	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Friday	Sat. or Sun.
Week 1	Walk 6 min., run 1 min. Repeat 3 times (total 21 min.)		Repeat Monday's workout		Repeat Monday's workout
Week 2	Walk 5 min., run 2 min. Repeat 4 times (total 28 min.)		Repeat Monday's workout		Repeat Monday's workout
Week 3	Walk 3 min., run 4 min. Repeat 4 times (total 28 min.)		Repeat Monday's workout		Repeat Monday's workout	Repeat Monday's workout
Week 4	Walk 2 min., run 5 min. Repeat 4 times (total 28 min.)		Repeat Monday's workout		Repeat Monday's workout	Repeat Monday's workout
Week 5	Walk 2 min., run 8 min. Repeat 3 times (total 30 min.)		Repeat Monday's workout		Repeat Monday's workout	Repeat Monday's workout
Week 6	Walk 2 min., run 9 min. Repeat 3 times (total 33 min.)		Repeat Monday's workout		Repeat Monday's workout	Repeat Monday's workout
Week 7	Walk 1 min., run 11 min. Repeat 3 times (total 36 min.)		Repeat Monday's workout		Repeat Monday's workout	Repeat Monday's workout
Week 8	Walk 5 min., run 20 min., walk 5 min. (total 30 min.)		Walk 5 min., run 23 min., walk 5 min. (total 33 min.)		Walk 5 min., run 26 min., walk 5 min. (total 36 min.)	Walk 5 min., run 30 min., walk 5 min. (total 40 min.)

Once you're up to running 30 minutes straight, try to stick with this four times a week.

Source

Swimming Plan For Beginners

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:00:00 -0800

I am a fan of the Couch to 5k program for helping people get up off their couches and out onto the streets. I also like the Beginner Bike Plan for preparing folks for endurance biking. Now I bring you a plan to get you in the pool, since swimming indoors is a great Winter workout.

Swimming, like running and biking, takes time to build up the endurance and strength needed for lengthy workouts. With running, the first benchmark is a 5k, and with swimming it is a swimmer's mile, which is 1,650 yards (1,500 meters), not 1,760 yards like a normal mile.

I found this wonderful program created by Ruth Kazez. Her Zero to 1650: A Mile in Six Weeks plan is totally doable, all it needs is you . . . and a pool.

To see an example of the workout you should do three times in your first week at the pool, just read more.

Distance	Rest	Repeat	Total
100 yards	12 breaths	4 sets	400 yards
50 yards	8 breaths	4 sets	200 yards
25 yards	4 breaths	4 sets	100 yards
		Grand Total	700 yards

Most pools are 25 yards long, so this workout would be 14 laps, or 28 lengths. Doable, right? Each week you add 50 to 200 yards to your workout. You slowly build up your endurance. Breaks in between swim sets are generally part of a swimming fitness plan. Plus, this is similar to the beginning running programs that mix walking with running.

Source

5 Things: About Plan B

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:45:00 -0700

As sexually active women, we all need forms of birth control that fit our lifestyle. Whatever option you choose, no one form is considered 100% effective at preventing pregnancy, except for abstinence, but is that realistic? Since methods can fail (condoms break or pills get skipped), there is Plan B (emergency contraception). There are some things you should know about this method, and here are five things.

Plan B is just two little pills that contain the hormone levonorgestrel. It's the same hormone found in regular birth control pills, just a stronger dose.
The first pill should be taken within 72 hours after intercourse (within 24 hours is best), and the second pill is taken 12 hours later.
Plan B is not RU-486, also known as the abortion pill. That means that taking it will only prevent a pregnancy that hasn't happened yet. Taking Plan B will NOT harm an implanted egg.
Side effects of taking Plan B include nausea, abdominal pain (similar to period cramps), fatigue, headache, menstrual changes, dizziness, breast tenderness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Plan B affects everyone differently so it may bring on your period immediately, or you may just get it at your regular time. If your period is more than a week late, you should take a pregnancy test since Plan B is not 100% effective.
Plan B is available over the counter in some states. Call your pharmacy to see if they have it. If you are sexually active and don't want to become pregnant anytime soon, (and aren't opposed to taking plan B), it's not a bad idea to keep a dose in your medicine cabinet just in case.

Fit's Tips: Plan B is for emergencies only and shouldn't take the place of your regular and consistent form of birth control. You should also know that Plan B does NOT protect you from STIs.

Source

Fit Tip: Have a Game Plan

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:30:00 -0700

When headed to the gym or even out for a run, it is best to be prepared. The gym can overwhelm you with choices and without a plan in hand you might wander willy-nilly from machine to machine squandering your time and not give yourself a thorough workout. So print out a cardio plan if you just want to work aerobically, and this way you will have a plan to follow. If you are going to do some strength training, plan your workout ahead of time. When you are sitting down with a piece of paper listing out exercises, it is easier to see if an area is not getting worked or where you can do super-efficient compound moves or what stretches you can fit in during your rest times.

If you’re headed out for run, decide if you are going long and slow for an endurance workout, for an interval run with sprints and recovery time, or for a short tempo run where you push yourself to go a little past your comfort speed and maintain that slightly quicker pace.

It is great to have a plan, and even better to stick with it. Use my downloadable fitness journal to not only keep track of your workouts, but to plan them as well.

Source