FitSugar

Pros and Cons of the Stationary Bike

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:47:21 -0700

I love riding my bike outside, but if it's raining or too dark out, the stationary bike is a great option for me. Since it may not be the most popular cardio machine at the gym, there's usually one available. Here are some pros and cons to think about when hopping on one.

Pros

Cons

Since you keep your stationary bike inside, you can always get in a workout no matter the weather or time of day.
You can't beat the safety factor. When biking indoors, you don't have to worry about cars, uneven terrain that could make you fall, or sharp objects that could pop your tire. And if you get tired, you can just hop off and end your workout, unlike when you're riding outside and still have to ride back home.

Riding a stationary bike burns fewer calories than running on a treadmill, since most of your weight is supported by the seat. You'll burn 148 calories on a stationary bike after 30 minutes, and will burn 236 calories on the treadmill for the same amount of time.
Biking doesn't offer the same bone-building benefits as high-impact running since you're sitting down.

To see the rest of the pros and cons, read more.

Pros

Cons

Stationary bikes are much cheaper than treadmills or ellipticals, and cost around $600 to $1,200. If you already own a bike, instead of buying a whole new stationary bike, you can attach it to a cycle trainer and ride it inside.
If you have knee or back pain, or need to lose a lot of weight, using a stationary bike is easier on your body than a treadmill, especially if it's a recumbent bike.
You don't have to wear a helmet, or be hyper-aware of your surroundings.
If you need motivation, you can take a spinning class.
Newer stationary bikes have a variety of programs so you can do interval workouts that replicate outdoor terrain even though you're inside.
The readout keeps track of your workout data including time, speed, distance, and calories burned, so you can monitor your progress.
It's easy to read a book or magazine on the stationary bike, which helps pass the time.

It only works your lower body, unlike machines that have handles, like the elliptical, that allow you to target your arms and upper back as well.
Stationary bikes that have readouts require power, so they're not as green as biking outdoors.
If you're training for a race, you'll be missing out on training in extreme temps, wind resistance, blaring sun, precipitation, and uneven surfaces.
It's easier to cheat on a stationary bike than on a real bike. You can lower the resistance, avoid hills, and peddle slowly.
Since the scene never changes inside, it can be so boring that you exercise for less time.
Sitting down on an uncomfortable seat makes for a sore tush.
The readout on the machine may not be accurate.

Remember, pros and cons aside, spin class is a great way to stay in biking shape during the inclement weather of Winter.

Pros and Cons of the Elliptical

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:50:09 -0700

Since running is one of my favorite forms of cardio, I'm a big fan of the treadmill when I can't get outside for a run. I'm also big into the elliptical, and by the looks of my gym, it appears tons of other people are too. While it's a popular piece of gym equipment for so many reasons, there are also some disadvantages to using one. Check out the chart below to see if an elliptical is the right machine for you.

Pros	Cons
The circular motion and the fact that you're not pounding your feet down with each step is easier on your knees than running outside on concrete or on a treadmill. The platforms for your feet are always free of rocks, trash, dog poo, and ice, so you can count on where you're stepping to be safe and clean.	Although using an elliptical is less impact on your joints, it also requires less effort, so people complain that it's too easy. Since your feet need to stay on those little platforms, you feel like you have less control over your movements, and it's less natural for someone who's used to running.

To see the rest of the pros and cons, read more.

Pros

Cons

You control the pace by moving your legs slower or faster.
By increasing the resistance of the foot pedals you can make your workout more challenging for your legs and booty. You can also pedal backward to focus on working your backside.
You can also get an arm and upper back workout by adjusting the tension of the handles.
Since you're inside, you can watch TV to beat boredom.
The readout keeps track of your workout data including time, speed, distance, and calories burned, so you can monitor your progress.
Whether it's a torrential downpour outside or it's nighttime, you can always get in your workout.
It's a safe way to burn calories if you're afraid to exercise outside in your neighborhood.

Since you're in control of how fast your legs are moving, it's easier to slack off as compared to using a treadmill, which keeps the same pace.
Since they're a one-size-fits-all kind of machine, someone who's got a naturally shorter stride may end up hyper-extending their knees, which could lead to injury.
If you don't belong to a gym, ellipticals aren't cheap and you'll end up spending around $2,000 for a good one.
Just like any other piece of cardio equipment, the repetition of doing the same thing over again can be so boring that you cut your workout short.
The readout on the machine may not be accurate.
Ellipticals require electricity, so they're not exactly the greenest type of exercise. Plus, if there's a power outage, you can't work out.

Source: Flickr User Jill Clardy

A Little About Coconut Oil

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:30:00 -0700

While I feel that coconut water may be nature's sports drink, I have always been a bit wary of the claims people make about coconut oil. I was happy to read a nutritional explanation of the oil from a source I can trust – Lance's Armstrong's trainer Chris Carmichael. Well, not his trainer exactly, but a nutritionist on Carmichael's team.

The article has lots of great information on coconut oil and here are highlights:

Coconut oil has relatively high smoke point of 400°F, this makes it stable and ideal for many commercial kitchens and bakeries.
It has a long shelf life, which is why many food manufacturers are switching to coconut oil to avoid using hydrogenated oils – aka trans fats.
It is 90 percent saturated fat, and in case you forgot, that is the "bad" fat. But 60 percent of those fats are a form of lauric acid, which is more effectively metabolized than other kinds of fats. This translates into less stored fat. Read this article for a more scientific explanation of this aspect of coconut oil.
Fats, no matter the type, are not metabolized before carbs, and this oil should not be considered a good fuel for exercise. Unless you are training for super-distance events like ultra marathons (or training sessions over 5 hours).
The high percentage of artery-clogging saturated fats in coconut oil should not be taken lightly. For comparison, olive oil contain 13 percent saturated fats and canola oil only 7 percent.

All in all, coconut oil doesn't really make the grade. Stick with oils like olive, canola, and grape seed, while the lauric acid content is not as high, they are nutritionally sound. Good to know!

Source

The Pros & Cons of Snacking

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Snacking has endured a bad reputation for a very long time, but it seems to be coming back into vogue. There are pros and cons to the habit and one should never snack mindlessly, of course!

Here are some of the pros and cons to snacking.

The Pros

Snacking can fill nutritional gaps and boost your intake of fruits and veggies. This of course is only true if you are snacking on fresh fruits and veggies which I highly recommend. Peaches and cherry tomatoes are phenomenal this time of year and make tasty snacks.
Snacking can keep your mood on an even keel, when you feel like your blood sugar is sinking it is easy to feel "low,"
Snacks can help with appetite and weight control since they can prevent over indulgence at meals.
Snacking, spreading meals and calories, might require less insulin and might reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The Cons

The danger in snacking is that it can add extra calories to your day. By unconsciously adding 100 calories per day beyond the calories you burn can make you gain 10 pounds in a year.
Snacking should mirror your over all diet philosophy of moderation (yep, my favorite concept).
If you find yourself too hungry, when you are reaching for a snack, you might end up reaching for something loaded with calories. So plan your snacks ahead of time.

Looking for a healthy snack? Check out all these ideas for your next snack attack.

Pros and Cons of the Treadmill

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:00:36 -0700

If you enjoy walking or running, sometimes exercising outside just isn't an option, so the treadmill is your saving grace. It's one of the most common pieces of gym equipment used, so check out some of its benefits and disadvantages.

Pros	Cons
Rain, sleet, snow, blazing sun, and pitch black can't keep you from using the treadmill, so no matter what the weather or time of day, you can always get in a workout. The terrain is always free of rocks, trash, dog poo, and ice, so you don't have to worry about where you're stepping. You can count on it being smooth and safe, which can help you avoid injury.	If you don't belong to a gym, treadmills aren't cheap and you'll end up spending between $1,500 and $4,000 for a good one. Treadmills require power, so they're not exactly the greenest type of exercise. Running outdoors only burns calories, not electricity.

To see the rest of the pros and cons, read more.

Pros

Cons

The surface of a treadmill is more forgiving than pounding concrete or asphalt, so it's easier on your joints.
It's a safe way to burn calories if you're afraid to exercise outside in your neighborhood.
You can work out using an incline, which burns more calories and effectively tones your legs and booty.
Newer treadmills have a variety of programs so you can do several interval workouts that replicate outdoor terrain even though you're inside.
Since you can control the speed and duration of your workout, you can customize the intensity to meet the needs of your fitness goals. It's great if you're doing speedwork and need to run at a specific pace for a certain distance, but it's also great if you need to do an easy run for muscle recovery the day after a hard run. Just set the speed and hop on, and it'll prevent you from running too fast.
The readout keeps track of your workout data including time, speed, distance, and calories burned, so you can monitor your progress.
You can watch TV or read while on the treadmill, which is especially great for passing the time on long runs or walks.

The moving belt propels your legs, so you're not working as hard as you would running the same speed outside, which translates to fewer calories burned.
If you're training for a race, you'll be missing out on training in extreme temps, wind resistance, blaring sun, precipitation, and on an uneven surface.
The treadmill belt may be too narrow or short for your body, so you'll compensate by running with a shorter stride and not swinging your arms as freely.
The monotony of the treadmill can be so boring that you exercise for less time.
If you're not paying attention, you could misstep, fall, and get propelled backward.
The readout on the machine may not be as accurate as other devices, like specialty heart rate monitors and the Nike+ Sportband.

You Asked: Power Plate Pros and Cons

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:30:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering.

Dear Fit,
My gym is getting "Power Plates" installed and I am curious about the benefits of standing on a vibrating platform compared with a one hour workout in the gym? They are claiming it can have the same effect but I am not convinced! Of course, I'm going to try one but how is this beneficial for overall long-term health?
– fluffyhelen

The Power Plate revolution is beginning to fully materialize and I think it is cool that your gym is springing for some fancy new equipment. However, I am with you and am a little incredulous that 10 minutes on a Whole Body Vibration Machine (WBV) can replace a 60 minute traditional workout. To hear the pros and cons of the Power Plate, just read more.

I must begin by stating that I have never tried a Power Plate or any other WBV machine exercise, and although I am skeptical, like you I am also intrigued. A WBV platform vibrates mildly activating muscles to contract 30 to 50 times a second. Cedric Bryant, the chief physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, feels that WBV could be a good supplement to a sensible diet and exercise program. Some small studies have found that performing squats on a WBV machine is slightly more effective at increasing muscle power as well as jump height than performing squats on stable ground. However, with no external load forcing muscles to exert themselves some members of the sports medicine world don't think that vibrations alone could do much good for healthy, young individuals. The benefits of using a vibration machine for people with multiple sclerosis is dramatic, and other research has found that using WBV has inhibited bone density loss in post menopausal women.

Regarding long term health, the major concern is that high-amplitude vibration can be dangerous over time since it sends jarring waves throughout the body. This jarring motion could create low back pain, cartilage damage, blurred vision from retinal tears, hearing loss and even brain damage (gray matter being shaken too hard in the skull). It is not recommended to use the machines for over 30 minutes a day.

One thing is for certain, your core will get worked using a Power Plate. I can't wait to hear what you think of the machines. Be sure to let us all know.

Source.

Trials, Tribulations, and Rewards of Insulin Pump Therapy

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:00:00 -0800

Two months ago, a good friend of mine went on an insulin pump after living with type 1 diabetes for 20 years. Needless to say, it's a big transition. I asked her to share her experiences, and here she tells us woman to woman what to expect - from getting it on to fashion choices - when switching from daily injections to an insulin pump.

While I've resisted switching from syringes to an insulin pump for the past five years, the fact that my husband and I would like to have children finally convinced me to make the switch. Plus, as someone who was on intensive insulin therapy, I was giving myself five or more shots a day, and had the stomach bruises to prove it. Even though I have very good control of my disease, all of my doctors encouraged me to get on the pump before getting knocked up.

Overall, I am absolutely thrilled to be on the insulin pump . . . now. The first month of use was pretty rough. Low points included an accidental infusion set, which sent my bloodsugar level to 584 when it is normally 90 to 140, hooking my catheter on doorknobs (extremely painful), and a lot of issues with how the heck to wear this thing.

To see my top considerations about and reasons for going on an insulin pump, read more.

Be prepared to fight tooth and nail with your insurance company. This piece of equipment costs between $5,000 and $6,000, so if your insurance company covers part of the cost (mine covered 90 percent), you're going to have to be diligent about contacting them to keep things on track.
You will likely be miserable for the first month. The longer you are on syringes (like I was), the harder it will be for you to adjust to having something on your body constantly. Hang in there, though. You will get through it, and eventually you will absolutely love your new diabetic therapy.
This is absolutely essential for diabetic women. Women have to deal with more diabetic wonkiness due to hormonal cycles (my bloodsugars fluctuate a lot right before my period), so insulin pump therapy is perfect for us ladies. Also, this is a great way to ensure that you'll have a healthy pregnancy. Go on the pump before you get pregnant, if possible, because a month of adjustment time is a lot harder when you're a few weeks pregnant, on both you and your little one.
You can eliminate the "dawn effect." Since I was first diagnosed, I've had the "dawn effect," which means that my bloodsugar tends to go up in the middle of the night and correcting the insulin levels with syringes is very difficult. But I have virtually eliminated the dawn effect since going on the pump, as I can program different basal rates to counteract the creeping rise in bloodsugar.
You'll have to get creative with your wardrobe. I'm a big fan of dresses with pockets, and cutting a hole in one pocket and sewing the edges so they don't fray has allowed me to string my catheter tubing through the pocket, and keep my pump in my pocket. I've also sewn little pouches/pockets on the interiors of pocketless skirts and pants.
Not getting a pump for aesthetic reasons is just silly. I resisted going on the pump for years for aesthetic reasons: I was afraid that it would look weird with a swimsuit, or it would mark me as a diabetic to the rest of the world. The truth is, hardly anyone is going to notice it, even if it's clipped onto your belt. As for the swimsuit, I place the infusion set high on my abdomen, and it isn't noticeable at all under my one-piece halter suit.
Adjustable insulin rates mean you're going to be physically healthier. If you care at all about your long-term health, you need to consider going on the pump. It helps keep bloodsugar levels consistently lower, which lowers the chances of developing long-term complications such as retinopathy, which can lead to blindness, or neuropathy, which can lead to amputation.
This will not affect your sex life, except for the better. First things first: When you have sex, you detach your insulin pump, so the only thing you have to deal with is your infusion set. Initially, I was self-conscious about having the infusion set on my body, and my partner was afraid that he would pull it off when he touched my back or my stomach. We both got over this issue pretty darn quickly, and now, since my bloodsugars are under such amazing control, we don't have to worry about low bloodsugars or high bloodsugars affecting our sex life, which has only made things better between the sheets.
You're going to feel emotionally better on the pump. With tighter bloodsugar control, you'll be less likely to feel disoriented, woozy, or sleepy due to fluctuating sugar levels. This in turn has made my entire life better, including my moods, which used to dip and spike with my bloodsugars.
You may be more motivated to get active. While I've always been active, my pump has encouraged me to exercise even more. I love that I can dial down my basal rate (the tiny amount of insulin delivered hourly to maintain my bloodsugar level) to account for my increased activity level.

The Pros and Cons of Saunas

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

A post-workout sauna is one of my favorite treats at the gym, especially after swimming. Now I have a new health rationalization for heading to the sauna every time I am at the gym: taking regular saunas seems to reduce your chances of catching a cold. In an Austrian study taking regular saunas, over the course of six months, decreased participants' colds by almost half when compared to study participants who skipped the sauna. Not only that but since saunas reduce cold symptoms, like congestion, they help folks recover more quickly from the common cold. Scientists speculate that the extreme heat saps the vitality of both cold and flu viruses, similar to a fever.

While saunas might be great for your immune system during cold and flu season, to see a reason to avoid saunas in Winter when you read more.

With Winter weather comes dry skin. If you suffer from Winter itch, the extreme dry heat of the sauna can exacerbate the problem. This is especially true after swimming in the drying waters of a chlorinated pool. If you have the option at your gym, try the steam room. The moist air will benefit your dry skin and make sure to lotion up afterward.

Source

The Pros and Cons of Decaf

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:30:00 -0700

I would still drink coffee daily, regardless of its new status as a health drink; I love the taste. Full of antioxidants and performance enhancing caffeine, the reasons to drink a cup of joe go far beyond merely enjoying the flavor of this distinct brew. If caffeinated coffee gives you the jitters you can still reap the health benefits of java. Decaf coffee contains the same amount of antioxidants of regular coffee. As an extra bonus to drinking decaf, it does not increase the risk of miscarriage that is associated with caffeine. Drinking decaf, however, will not improve your improve reaction time, mental acuity, alertness, and mood or ward off drowsiness the way regular coffee does because those benefits are caffeine related.

In the recent past, there have been health concerns about the methods of removing the caffeine from coffee beans. These concerns were based on the solvents used in the decaffeinating process, but the carcinogenic chemicals are no longer used. If you want to go chemical free look for decaf that has been water processed or Swiss processed – both methods are considered natural.

Go ahead and have a cup of decaf!

Source

What Time of Day Do You Work Out?

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:30:45 -0700

There is an ongoing debate about what time of day is best for working out - a.m. vs. p.m. Working out in the morning definitely has its benefits. It helps wake up your body, clears your mind, and relieves prework stress. It's also nice to get it done in the morning so you don't have to worry about fitting it in later in the day.

Exercising in the afternoon or evening has its pros too. You don't have to wake up early and miss out on sleep, and your body has a chance to warm up throughout your day, so when you exercise, there's less risk of injury. It can also be cooler at night, which is great during the Summer months.

Since there are pros and cons to each, the bottom line is that it doesn't matter when you exercise, as long as you do it. So what about you . . .