FitSugar

Save Your Money: The Chin Gym

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 03:30:00 PST

I was watching some old Ellen (I know, I am obsessed with her) videos the other day and came across her mom, Betty, trying out "As Seen on TV" fitness contraptions. One product, the Chin Gym, caught my eye as I thought there was no way this product existed but I was wrong, it does exist.

The Chin Gym ($39.95) is basically a really complicated looking contraption that promises to reduce the double chin and define the jaw line by trimming, toning, strengthening and removing wrinkles from chin, neck and jaw line muscles. Here is the deal, the only thing really able to rewind the effects of aging and gravity is plastic surgery if you are willing to go that far. If you're looking to remove excess fat from your facial area, unfortunately there is no real way to spot reduce target areas like your chin or your back. I know I may sound like a broken record, but it is true: Exercise and eating a healthy blanced diet are the only real ways to get rid of fat (without going under the knife) including your chin and back. If, despite my attempts to talk you out of spending your money on this contraption, you still want to try it out, diyhut.com.

Want to laugh at Ellen's mom trying it out? Then,

Essential Exercises For Your Lower Body

Leta Shy — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:12:24 PST

As Summer nears, our thoughts turn to what's underneath those layers of Winter clothes. If you're looking to tone your backside and legs before bikini season, here are five essential lower-body moves fundamental to any workout. And don't worry - you can do them anywhere!

The squat: That burning in your upper thighs as you hold a squat tells you just how great this move is for lower body muscles like hamstrings, glutes, quads, and the lower back, not to mention helping with your balance.
Don't forget: While doing squats, remember to keep your weight in your heels, not your toes, and as you lower yourself, pretend that you are sitting in a chair. Learn more on how to do a perfect squat and different squat variations here.

The lunge: This leg-strengthening move works the same muscles as a squat, but the movement required in the exercise helps you work your core muscles and balance as well. Another plus: between walking (forward or backward) or adding weights to your lunge workout, the possibilities are endless when it comes to lunge compound moves.
Don't forget: Make sure that your upper body is straight and upright, with shoulders down and chin up. When lowering your body, your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle, with the front knee never going past your ankle and bottom knee never touching the floor. Engaging your core muscles will help keep you centered and balanced. When you've mastered that, here are five lunge variations to try.

Read on for more essential lower-body exercises.

Coach Potato Fitness: Exercises For TV Time

Heather Dale — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:05:14 PDT

If only I spent as many hours exercising as I do watching TV, my body would be bikini-ready in no time! Looks like I'm not the only one who has an array of favorite shows - Nielsen's Q2 2010 State of the Media fact sheet shows that the average American watches 143 hours of television per month. If you do the math on that, that's about five hours of TV per day!

Now that Spring is here, I highly advise taking workouts from the indoors to the outdoors, but if you just can't bear the thought of missing an episode of American Idol, here are some quick and easy exercises you can do from the comfort of your living room.

Couch-Tricep Dips: Get in a sitting position in front of your couch and put your hands on the edge of the couch. Move your butt out a bit so your pelvis is hanging out in the air. Slowly use your arms to lower your body to the floor and slowly bring your butt back up. When you do this, your legs should be at a 90-degree angle (in the start position your body will look like a human chair). You should feel the burn in your arms. Do two sets of 15, giving yourself a rest in between each set.

Keep reading to learn some more TV-friendly exercises!