FitSugar

Windsurfing: It's All About Balance

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:30:00 PDT

A great way to enjoy the summer weather is to take advantage of lakes and oceans. The air is usually much cooler near the water and there are so many fun things you can do to work your body besides swimming.

Windsurfing is fun and feels adventurous. You can rent a board, thats what you stand on, and a rig - the sail, a mast and the boom (the bar you hold onto). The board and the rig together are sometimes referred to as a "kit." There is the uphaul, a rope attached to the boom and the bottom of the mast that you use to pull the sail up.

I'd highly recommend getting a lesson from an experience instructor. They can give you pointers on how to position your board in regards to the wind, how to pull the sail up without getting knocked over, how to stand and stay balanced on the board, as well as the simple but important skill of how to steer.

If you want to know more about getting started, then

read more It's a good idea to first start out on land. You've got to learn how to control the sail first without worrying about staying balanced on your board. You can do this by sticking the base of the mast (it has the sail attached) into the sand or ground. Practice holding the mast (sometimes it has a little handle on it) with one hand, and pulling the boom closer to you with your backhand - this is how you catch the wind and start moving. When you get a handle on that, venture into some shallow water with just the board. Practice standing on it to get a feel for its movements. Then you can stick the mast into the center of your board and let the mast and sail float in the water (it can swivel down). Learning to pull your sail up by pulling on the uphaul rope is a little tricky so don't get frustrated if you fall off a million times. Remember laughing is a workout too. Once you get the hang of staying up and slowly pulling the boom towards you to catch the wind, you'll be cruising along in no time. It's a great upper and lower body workout because you use all your muscles to try and stay balanced. Since it's challenging, it's a lot of fun, and once you get the hang of it, you'll feel so proud of yourself. Here's a video explaining how to get your board ready, how to get on it, and how to do some basic windsurfing moves. Source

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill Rise Early For The Today Show

Allie Merriam — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:48:40 PST

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were together this morning for a visit to The Today Show in NYC. Brad talked with Ann Curry about Moneyball and the film's many Oscar nominations. He's in the running to take home a best actor statue, while Jonah's up for his first-ever Academy Award as a best supporting actor. The picture's additionally in contention for best film of the year, best adapted screenplay, and best achievement in film editing.

The guys reminisced about working on Moneyball, and Jonah reflected on a particularly awesome prank Brad pulled. They've mentioned before that Brad tricked out Jonah's golf cart with George Michael paraphernalia, but more details were disclosed to Ann. Jonah spoke about the cart, which was rigged to play the song "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" when it turned on. He revealed, "If it was just that, that would be crazy. That would be annoying for me. But he also had it shrink-wrapped bright pink, like neon pink. And he had superimposed a picture of me and George Michael on the front that said, 'I'm Jonah Hill and I love Wham!' And then it had wedding noisemakers under the cart. And so I'd have a meeting with someone and I'd drive up in this insane, absurdly Liberace-style [thing]."

Speakers That Can Go Anywhere: Turtle Shell by Outdoor Technology

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:10:46 PST

Taking your tunes with you wherever you roam is easy with an MP3 player and some solid headphones, but what if you're riding a bike, hanging at the lake with some friends, or camping? Enter the Turtle Shell by Outdoor Technology. This small speaker was made to hit the road (or trail) with you. The geometric-shaped speaker fits in the palm of your hand, is water-resistant, comes with a built-in microphone for connecting to your Bluetooth devices (like an iPhone perhaps), and even connects to a Gorillapod for clamping down on the nearest tree or a specialized rig to attach to the front end of your bike. A bike trail sing-along? I'll take it.

The Turtle Shell won't be out until May of this year, and Outdoor Technology also has some sweet wireless Bluetooth headphones with the same geometric flair going on sale in June, most likely through Urban Outfitters. See more of both products in the gallery!

2 Easy Steps For Curing Tired, Puffy Eyes

Jaime Richards — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:04:00 PST

In the spoofy song, "The 12 Pains of Christmas," the singer explores all sorts of holiday-related issues: hangovers (which we have you covered on), rigging up the lights, and batteries-not-included - just to name a few. But one thing he doesn't mention is the puffy, tired-looking eyes that often come from not just overdoing it with rich foods and a packed schedule, but flying, as well. While the exclusion was probably just an oversight, it turns out puffy eyes don't have to be such a problem, after all. Luckily, it's an easy cure:

Step one: "I think the best thing is to use cool, cloth compresses," explains celebrity dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer. He recommends applying them for about a minute or two and then repeating after about an hour.
Step two: Then, apply a touch of eye cream with hyaluronic acid in it, and it's as easy as that.

Jenna McCarthy's Crash Course For Parents With Kids of the Opposite Sex

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 09:00:00 PDT

Life is full of surprises! Many mamas spend their pregnancies dreaming of lil tutus only to be shocked when their doctor declares, "It's a boy!" While a woman may love all that comes with mothering sons, she may need a class in why trucks, bathroom humor, and fast cars have fascinated boys for years. Jenna McCarthy's latest tomes, Big Rigs For Moms ($11) and Tea Parties For Dads ($11) do just that. They each cover 25 topics parents should know.

Best of 2011: What Was Your Favorite New Baby Toy?

Nicole Abbott — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:02:46 PST

Lots of new toys for baby hit stores this year - did any of them make it to your little one's toy box? Eco-conscious new mamas loved the new Plan Toys' Baby Activity Gym ($60) and the P'kolino Fishing Hole Size Sorter ($25). Little tykes were delighted by the Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Zig the Big Rig ($30), while pint-sized Sesame Street fans went ga-ga for Let's Rock Elmo ($49) and Count and Crunch Cookie Monster ($23)! So which new baby toy did your little one love the most? Let us know or add another toy in the comments.

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Hold On to Sixteen"

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:59:28 PST

Trouty Mouth is back in town, and just in time for Sectionals on Glee this week. The showdowns are abundant, as the Troubletones and New Directions square off for top honors, and Quinn and Shelby have yet another faceoff about Beth's future.

Not only is it good to see Sam again (though I didn't think I'd be seeing so much of him), the episode also nicely ties up some loose ends that should make fans happy before the imminent Winter hiatus. Let's break down the high notes and low notes when you

Lindsay Lohan Heading Back to Jail!

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:11:24 PDT

Lindsay Lohan gets 30 days in the slammer for violating probation - People
The woman who says Justin Bieber is her baby daddy speaks - Lainey Gossip
Kris Jenner had "no idea" Kim and Kris had problems pre-wedding - Jezebel
Why an X Factor contestant is claiming the show is rigged - Huffington Post
Kelly Osbourne says she was humiliated when her ex cheated with a "tranny" - D-Listed
New couple alert: Elisabetta Canalis and Mehcad Brooks! - JustJared
The scoop on J Lo's new pilot for MTV - Hollywood Reporter
Selena Gomez has a bit of a wardrobe malfunction - Hollywood Tuna
Superman hottie Henry Cavill reveals massive muscles in Men's Health - Pink Is the New Blog
Nicolas Cage's son Weston is officially divorced - The Superficial
Which stars have scars? You might be surprised! - The Daily Beast
Which Real Housewife is rocking a new 10-carat engagement ring? - TooFab
More on the Breaking Dawn sex scene - Amy Grindhouse

Got Leftovers? Make Empanadas

Susannah Chen — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:30:41 PDT

I hate the nagging feeling that I get when I open my fridge to discover far too many random odds and ends: nubs of cheese, leftover scrambled eggs, chopped herbs, bits of sausage or ham. After all, there's nothing worse than watching food go to waste. Find out what I do to solve this problem after the jump.

The One Time a Homemade Tattoo Has Looked Cool

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:05:00 PDT

Apparently, it's not too hard to rig up a DIY tattoo machine if you have nine-volt batteries, a pen, a toothbrush, a needle, masking tape, parts from a DVD player, and a little ingenuity. Famed tattoo/fine artist Scott Campbell (his ink is on Marc Jacobs, Courtney Love, Sting, and Orlando Bloom, among others) and filmmaker Casey Neistat recently did a very scary thing and built their own makeshift tattoo gun.

They document assembling and using the gun in their new short film dubbed Prison Tattoo, which takes them all over New York, from a convenience store to garbage cans and finally to Tompkins Square Park, where Campbell gives a friend a real tattoo using the contraption. It's pretty fascinating to watch, and also disquieting to think about people making these for themselves. Kids, don't try this at home.