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6 Ways to Sit Less Every Day

Health — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:03:42 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Sarah Kehoe

Need help being less sedentary? Here are the best ways to sit less and move more, from easiest to hardest.

Pace on the phone
Invest in a two-way speakerphone, a superlong phone-to-ear cord, or a quality headset so you can be more mobile while you chat.

Even if you simply stand while on the phone, you'll naturally shift from leg to leg.

Health.com: Little Ways to Lose Big Pounds

Putter after eating
Or take a quick walk postmeals. The fat levels in your bloodstream are highest after eating, and simply moving around afterward increases the activity of lipoprotein lipase, which spurs your metabolism.

Opt for bar seats at restaurants
Sit on the front third of the bar stool. Spread your feet just wider than hip distance, so they're supporting a fair bit of your weight, and gently roll your hips forward, arching your back slightly.

This position is called "perching" - it maintains an S-shape in your spine and distributes your weight more evenly.

Health.com: 20 Ways to Torch 200 Calories

Leave the seat at home
Whether you're going to a concert, tailgate, or park, don't bring a chair.

You'll find that if you don't have one, you stand the whole time or naturally move back and forth between your blanket and standing, says Marc Hamilton, PhD, a microbiologist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

More suggestions for giving up the chair after the break.

How to Lose 5 Pounds in 5 Minutes

Self — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 04:05:05 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Pumpkin pie, Christmas cookies, potato latkes, mashed potatoes and gravy . . . We're all guilty of overindulging in December but getting back on track doesn't have to be as difficult as it sounds. It may take weeks to melt away those post-holiday pounds but it's easy to create the illusion you haven't gained an ounce simply by improving your posture.

"Most of us spend way too much time slumped in front of computers, slouched at steering wheels or vegging out in front of TVs," says fitness expert Liza Savage-Katz. "It collapses lung space which restricts our breath, affects our mood and cuts off proper nerve and blood supply to the brain."

To counteract these bad habits, Savage-Katz recommends a few "very simple exercises kind of like sucking in your stomach" to "carry your body as nature intended." You'll instantly look as if you've dropped five pounds. Add these three moves to your daily routine to "strengthen your abdominals, improve your posture and strengthen your back."

Get the moves after the break.

Prevent the Negative Side Effects of Sitting With This Guide

Leta Shy — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:07:35 PDT

Like it or not, many of us spend lots of time planted in that office chair. And as a result, we can suffer everything from tight muscles to even more serious aches and pains. But a little preventative effort goes a long way. Read on for your guide to sitting correctly - read this, your body will thank you!

Source: Thinkstock

How Bad Posture Affects You

FitSugar — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:07:44 PDT

Sitting at your desk? Here's a friendly reminder to sit up straight. Bad posture affects you all the time, from when you sit in your car to how you walk.

At a recent session with my personal trainer, I was reminded of just that fact. We were going through a set of balance exercises and I kept having to stop to straighten my back to keep myself from hunching over while I jumped on and off the weight bench.

Having to constantly correct your form during a workout isn't the only way bad posture affects you. Read on for why bad posture is really so bad.

Harley Pasternak on Posture Principle For Brides

Susi May — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 04:09:16 PDT

Strapless and backless gowns give a bride an opportunity to show off her shapely shoulders. But a blushing bride doesn't want to look muscle-bound as she walks down the aisle, so one must be strategic when it comes to upper body toning. The trainer behind some of the hottest bodies in Hollywood, Harley Pasternak - he helped Hilary Duff and Katy Perry get wedding-ready - has some tips to help us all look stunning in this season's revealing necklines.

The trick to looking good in a strapless dress is posture. Standing tall with the aid of a strong upper back ensures that all those wedding photos turn out lovely. Harley recommends strengthening the rhomboids and triceps to "pull your shoulders back, give you a natural boob lift, and give you a nice long lean strong upper back and arms." Um . . . yes please! Here are four exercises he recommends to do just that:

Dumbbell rows to work the rhomboids.
Cable rows to strengthen the upper back. Here's a rowing variation using an exercise band if you don't have access to a cable pulley machine.
Lying dumbbell triceps extension for the back of the upper arm.
Single dumbbell triceps overhead extension will challenge your posture while toning your triceps.

See the exercises Harley suggests brides avoid.

Improve Your Posture and Relax Your Back With Yoga Twists

FitSugar — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 05:00:00 PST

One of my favorites parts of yoga class is when it's time to twist. Not only do twists make your back feel incredibly good and relaxed, they also help straighten the spine, meaning better posture and improved breathing. But the benefits don't end there - spinal twist poses also help you digest a big dinner and aid in, ahem, moving things along. Here are five poses that'll have you twisting and shouting for joy.

Stop Slouching! 3 Exercises For Bad Posture

Self — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:00:38 PST

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Mom may have been setting you up for success when she told you to "Stand up straight!" as a kid.

According to new research from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, people who have better posture are more likely to think and act in a powerful way, and take an in-charge role - whether they are a high-powered manager or a newbie intern.

Despite mom's reminders (and the occasional poking of a pencil eraser between our shoulder blades!) we know our posture could be much better. So we called Pilates intructor Marcia Polas, of polaspilates in Denver, CO, to find out how we can correct our stance.

If you have kyphosis (a hunched posture, commonly called "slouching")
Try: Prone arm raises

Lie on your belly with legs straight and inner thighs turned out. Place a ball or rolled up towel between your heels. Rest your forehead on a folded towel, and place a pillow or folded towel under your belly (a trick to help you engage your abs). Bend your arms 90 degrees so hands are in front on you, roughly in line with your shoulders. Squeeze the ball between your heels to engage your inner thighs, pelvic floor and butt. Exhale, feeling your belly engage and lift your arms and hands a few inches off the ground. Hold, then inhale and lower. Repeat 10 times. Throughout the exercise, focus on keeping a wide back, pressing your rib cage toward your elbows and resisting the urge to allow your shoulder blades to come together. When you've nailed this with perfect form, you can add a chest lift.

Fitness Lessons From My Dancing Days

Susi May — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:30:33 PST

Like almost every young girl, I loved ballet class. Unlike the majority of my peers, I didn't quit ballet in junior high but added the sparkle fingers of jazz and the barefoot freedom of modern to my class load. And I kept on dancing through college and my 20s - I earned money for rehearsing and performing and got to tour abroad - not a full-fledged professional, but sweet perks for doing what I loved. I learned some things on the way, too; unsurprisingly, many transfer to my fitness life today. Here's just a handful of life lessons from my dancing days.

Stand tall: After countless hours spent at the ballet barre followed by a decade of teaching Pilates, good posture has been drilled into me. My elongated spine keeps my back happy sitting or standing, and posture is one less technical detail to worry about when running. I think good posture is a confidence booster in any situation.
A good warmup is a good thing: Before you leap you have to plié, if you don't want to tear any muscles or freak out your tendons. Dance classes begin by warming up the body to prime muscles and joints for bigger, bolder movements later in class. This lesson applies to all my workouts - I even like to warm up before yoga. Appropriate warmups are the foundation of a good workout.

I learned a few more things, so keep on reading.

Yoga Poses For Back Strength

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 03:45:15 PST

Yoga never ceases to amaze us - it's calming and strengthening all at once. And just as there are yoga poses to relieve back pain, there are poses that engage the muscles of the back to make you stronger. Here are five of our favorite back strengthening yoga poses.

Source

Running Tip: Do This For Better Form

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 07:00:04 PST

A few years ago when I decided I wanted to take my recreational running to the next level, I promptly wound up with a very sore and angry IT band. During one of my first trips to the physical therapist, he stood in front of a treadmill and watched my running form. After about 30 seconds of running, he stopped the machine and said, "I know exactly what's wrong."

Turns out, little breaks in form can cause big problems. But don't stress over worrying about perfect form on top of the run at hand. My therapist gave me two easy-to-remember, easier-to-implement tips:

Look at the ground 10-15 feet in front of you. This keeps your head up and shoulders back, improving your posture and opening up your lungs for maximum efficiency.
Push off of your second toe. My IT band problem started because instead of kicking my feet straight behind me during a run, I kicked them out to the side; a common novice runner mistake. By focusing on pushing off of the toe next to your big toe, you'll straighten out your stride and build the proper muscles necessary to sustain long (and healthy!) runs.

At first, implementing these two tips left me a bit sore - I was finally using the correct muscles I had been neglecting. And not only did it improve my form, it helped tremendously with the IT band pain I had been experiencing. Three years later and I still remind myself of these quick tips during a long run.