FitSugar

Get Physical: Salsa Dance Lessons

FitSugar — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:30:00 PDT

Looking for a fun way to exercise and connect with your friend or lover? Why not sign up for Salsa Dance lessons? I recently took a lesson with my hubby, and I swear it was the most fun I've had in a long time. Plus it's always so exciting to learn something new. Salsa dancing makes you feel beautiful and sexy, and the next morning my hips were sorer than when I do a 3-hour hike!

Depending on the studio, classes are offered during the day, in the evenings, during the week and on the weekends. You can sign up for private or group Salsa lessons. Private lessons are a little bit more expensive, but you'll get some major one on one time. You'll be able to go at your own pace, which means you'll probably perfect your moves faster. If you feel self-conscious or nervous, a group lesson might work better for you, so you can blend in with the crowd. Plus the energy of the group can be very inspirational.

In your first lesson, you'll most likely learn basic front, back and side steps. You'll learn these alone and with a partner. You'll also learn how to do turns and maybe some other fancier steps.

Some places offer a Salsa dance package where you pay a fee for a bunch of lessons. This is a great deal, since it motivates you to go once a week consistently. That way you're guaranteed to have a special date with your favorite person, and it's a great way to get you both moving.

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Get Physical: Salsa

FitSugar — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:30:00 PST

Looking for something fun to do with your honey? Not just counting crunches together at the gym, but something HOT? Have you tried Salsa? Not the dip - salsa DANCING. You can burn calories together while tripping the light fantastic.

Most Salsa Clubs start the night off with a short lesson or offer lessons on particular nights. It feels like a date, but it will also get your heart rate up. You can check out the Salsa Crazy website - they sell instructional DVDs and you can get free downloads of mini lessons.

See you on the dance floor.

What to Do For Cinco de Mayo If You're . . .

Tara Block — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:00:00 PDT

Happy Cinco de Mayo! And it doesn't matter what your relationship status is on the Mexican holiday, you can have a fiesta-filled evening with our tips for celebrating with friends, lovers, and family.

Single and Looking: Go stag or grab your best wing-lady and get yourself to the most popular local taco spot. Sit at the bar for maximum mingling while you enjoy margaritas and chips and salsa. Bonus points if there's a mariachi band and dancing!
In a Relationship: Have a romantic night in and cook up some delicious Mexican dishes, complete with homemade margaritas. You won't have to fight the crowds, and you could even entertain yourselves with other people's relationship drama by watching some telenovelas!
Hanging With the Girls: If you're looking to spend some quality time with your gal pals, you don't want to be shouting at each other in a packed Mexican restaurant. Instead, get the gang together and go somewhere that doesn't serve chips and salsa. My friends and I have gone out to sushi to celebrate, which can be way more fun than waiting in line for two hours.
Married and Need a Date Night: Desperately need to get out of the house and just do something? Don your most dramatic, sparkly dress and hit the Latin dance floor with your hubby! Research ahead of time restaurants and bars that have free salsa or tango lessons, and unleash your inner dancing queen.
Getting Over a Breakup: Have a party at your house so you're surrounding by supportive friends, and if the alcohol induces an emotional breakdown, you don't have to take a late-night cab alone. For added fun, tape a pic of your ex on a piñata and do some therapeutic bashing. And you never know if your friends will bring along some single hotties to help cure you from your breakup blues.

Photo by Carla Ten Eyck via Style Me Pretty

How to Avoid Gaining Weight While Dating

FitSugar — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:41:52 PDT

Being in a relationship is so exciting that spending so much time together can cause your healthy lifestyle to fly out the window. You may even adopt some of your partner's unhealthy habits. That can add up to some extra pounds on the scale, so here are some tips to prevent weight gain while dating.

Remember that eating an extra 500 calories a day will make you gain a pound in one week, so be conscious of how much you're eating. Just because your guy has three slices of pizza, that doesn't mean you should too. Guys need more calories, so remember to eat appropriate sized portions, even when dining together.
You don't have to eat just because your partner is. Guys tend to inhale their meal, and then an hour later they're eating again. It can be tempting to join in if food is in front of you, but don't nosh unless you're truly hungry.

Keep up with your regular exercise schedule. When you're in a relationship, you don't want to sacrifice the things that are important to your own well-being, so make time for your 20 to 60 minutes of exercise a day. Get up early before work or steal away during lunchtime so you don't feel like it's taking away from time spent with your loved one.
Or better yet, exercise together. Meet at the gym after work, play tennis or racquetball, take salsa dance lessons or a Vinyasa yoga class, or join a dodgeball team.
Spend more time being active together instead of sitting on the couch. You don't have to be really athletic, but you can tour a museum, take a walk in the park, hike in the woods, or go for a bike ride.
Sign up for a healthy cooking class together so you can both learn new ways to make delicious dishes that are full of nutrients but not full of saturated fat, cholesterol, and empty calories.

Get Moving and Say I Do: Ways to Incorporate Fitness Into Your Wedding

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:45:11 PDT

Fitness fanatics have a tough time separating workouts from life, so why should their wedding be any different? Here are some ways to bring an active lifestyle into your big day.

Send out fitness-themed save-the-date cards with you and your partner doing something active, like standing on surfboards with a sign that says, "Water you waiting for? Put this date on your calendar!" Or use a play on words like, "Jenny's finally running away with Mike." You can also design your invitations with exercise in mind. Have them look like a poster advertising a race or use illustrations that depict your favorite sport, such as golf balls and clubs.
If your wedding is going to be over a long weekend, plan activities that'll get folks moving. Hire a yoga instructor to teach a class; plan a scenic bike ride, morning run, or woodsy walk; or play a friendly game of beach volleyball (just make sure the bride's face stays far away from the ball).

Keep reading for more fitness ideas for your wedding.

Cheryl Burke Talks DWTS, Tans, and More

BellaSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 05:00:00 PDT

Anyone who watches Dancing With The Stars knows how easily Cheryl Burke moves around a ballroom. This season, she's done the salsa, Argentine tango, cha-cha-cha, and more with hunky Cuban actor William Levy. In between tapings, the dancer and Veet spokeswoman revealed what it takes to get ready before and after she hits the floor. "When I'm not performing, I keep it simple," she says of her beauty regimen. Here, she shares her beauty routine on- and off-camera.

BellaSugar: What's it like to get ready before Dancing With the Stars?
The ballroom look is pretty intense, but we have an unbelievable team. I usually spend about four hours in hair and makeup - covering everything from tanning to fake lashes to nails - before I even get started on wardrobe.

BS: Dancing With the Stars is known for featuring shimmering airbrush tans. Do you have any tips or tricks for looking fresh in-between applications, when they tend to get blotchy?
I keep my skin moisturized, which really helps my tans last. I swear by Brown Buns Airbrush Spray Tans. Fun insider beauty secret I picked up as the Veet spokeswoman: their wax strips give the perfect silky canvas for a smooth spray tan application. Just be sure to wait 24 hours after waxing before getting a spray tan.

BS: Dancing is a great workout. What are your favorite sweat-proof makeup, hair, and body products?
I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to makeup. I like to keep it simple when I’m rehearsing, but when it’s show time, waterproof mascara and foundation are a must. I always use Scott Barnes Body Bling, Make Up For Ever, Nars, and Dior.

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Support System"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:01:03 PDT

We take a painful trip down memory lane on this week's Grey's Anatomy, as the story behind Owen's affair unfolds through flashbacks. Actually, it's even more depressing to see Cristina and Owen hashing it out in real time, as the tension, bickering, and tears between the couple feel all too real.

Their staycation has an effect on their peers, too, since they call in sick with the "flu" (this might mark the first time anyone on this show has opted to take a day off), which prompts Mark to get drunk on the power of being the temporary chief of surgery. Ready to break down the emotional episode? Just

Cristina demands to hear the story of Owen's one-night stand, and he acquiesces even though he doesn't want to hurt her. The fateful mistake is slowly revealed, with the story cutting to gut-wrenching shots of Cristina sobbing in real time, and it's also interspersed with memories of all of the fights that led to the downfall of Owen and Cristina's relationship. Eventually, Owen packs up and leaves, but not before assuring Cristina that she's the love of his life, and that he'll never love anyone else. Overall, it feels very, very bleak, leaving me with no hope for these two at all.
We learn that the other woman (who remains nameless since Owen doesn't even remember it) came into the hospital with her friend, who was a patient of Owen's. After Owen saves her life, they get a drink at the bar, and naturally, that turns into a few more. At the end of the night, Owen lingers just a little too long saying goodbye (that's always how it happens, am I right?) and the woman asks to be kissed. Owen tries to resist a few times, and despite my loud screams at the TV, he gives in to temptation.
It feels like the doctors have been studying for their boards forever, but now they're heading into the home stretch. Meredith is sitting pretty thanks to the "Torres method," while Alex and April browbeat poor Lexie - who isn't even taking the boards - to act as their human textbook. It isn't long before Jackson and even Meredith (as a proxy for Cristina) pile on her. Luckily, Meredith eventually comes to her rescue (though scolding the other doctors seems a bit hypocritical). I'll forgive her though, because she starts her own study group at her house for her friends - and even Cristina joins in.
While the chief's away, the Sloan will play. More specifically, he'll play chief. Armed with his bluetooth headset and his lackey Avery, Mark goes into full dictator mode to step into Owen's shoes. He ticks off everyone who comes into his path: he tries to impart cheesy words of wisdom to Derek, forces Jackson to have "beef with the chief," and meddles in most of the surgeries. Webber is the only one who refuses to take him seriously; as a former chief himself, he overthrows Mark's orders, and in one of his famous speeches, makes Mark realize that a chief can't be a perfectionist. The real twist: we learn at the end of the episode that Owen had never asked for Sloan to fill in at all.
Teddy is finally ready to go out again, but her friends aren't up for the challenge. Callie and Arizona try to round up the other surgeons for "ladies' night," but over the course of the night becomes clear that everyone would rather be, um, salsa dancing instead. Just when everyone is about to bail, Arizona realizes that they need to be there for Teddy.

Did you feel Owen and Cristina's heartbreak this week? Do you think it's finally over between them for good?

Video: Rihanna Models Lingerie and Salsa Dances in New Short Film

Karli Bulnes — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:40:32 PDT

Before Rihanna's first feature film, Battleship, hits theaters next month, Elle magazine is giving fans a sneak peek of Rih's acting skills in a new short movie they've produced to go along with her photo spread. See Rihanna wearing lingerie and salsa dancing in today's PopSugar Rush.

3 Eating Tips to Keep a Social Dancer Light on Her Feet

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:18:15 PST

You might think that only athletes, runners, and cyclists train strenuously enough to refuel on protein-, carb-, and electrolyte-rich snacks before, during, and after a workout, but dancers need nutritious ammunition as well. Most dance halls that teach genres like salsa, lindy hop, or ballroom will have a social dance after the lessons so you can practice your newly obtained moves in a safe and friendly dance setting. Lessons and the social dance can add up to three to four hours and work up a serious sweat.

If you aren't eating the right things throughout such an intense round of dancing, you run the risk of experiencing DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. Besides sore muscles, DOMS makes you feel exhausted, nauseated, and practically hung over the next day. An average 130-pound woman will burn 324 calories per hour of dancing, and if you plan to stick around for the social dance, you could burn up to 972 calories in a three-hour dance period. To keep your body adequately fueled for the exercise itself and to quickly recover for your next dancing round, here's a breakdown of what you should be eating and drinking.

Keep reading for the breakdown.

3 Sexy Valentine's Day Dates to Keep You Healthy and Fit

Michele Foley — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:32:16 PST

Valentine's Day is always a good excuse to heat things up, and there's always a healthy, fun, and sexy way to celebrate the love-filled day, whether you're spending the holiday with friends or that special someone!

Girls Night Out: Pole Dancing Class
A pole dancing class is a frisky way for friends to celebrate Valentine's Day together. It's a little intimidating to swing around a pole while also letting out your sexier side, but when doing it with a group of your favorite girlfriends, it becomes easier. Besides being a great excuse to get together, this dance-inspired workout will help you tap into your sensual side while also helping tone muscles, firm the body, and increase flexibility. Once class is over, head out together for a glass of heart-healthy wine.

Group Date: Salsa Dancing
If a perfect date night for you involves getting together with other couples, charge things up by going salsa dancing. Besides being an easy way to burn calories, salsa is like flirting on the dance floor. From the rhythmic Latin beats to all that hip shaking, things are guaranteed to get hot. Don't be afraid to switch things up during the night. It's almost expected that you'll dance with different partners while out for a night of salsa dancing.

For You and Him: Couples Massage . . .
If you're going the traditional route and spending Valentine's Day with that special someone, indulge by getting a couple's massage. It will help you both relax, offer relief from stress, and ease muscle soreness that comes from exercise or the demands of the day. From there, cook a healthy dinner together and don't forget to get physical - and not at the gym! Valentine's Day is a good excuse to be intimate with your partner, especially given all the health benefits of having sex.