Healthy happy you.
OK, so you're not actually on the gym ball for this exercise, but you still get to use one. Why use a ball to bend to the side? It helps to keep your spine long and your arms overhead. Plus, it's more challenging than when you're not holding a ball. This movement not only stretches the muscles on the sides of your body, but it also strengthens and tones them. Hold a gym ball firmly between your Read more
In a time crunch, you need to find exercises that work many body parts with one exercise. That is why I am loving this variation on squats I found over at ExerciseTV. It incorporates side bending as well as an overhead press into your basic squat. This means you are not only working your hamstring, quads and glutes (aka your legs and bum), but your obliques (side of your torso) and shoulders as Read more
Traditionally yoga is done on the floor, but your mat isn't the only place you can stretch, strengthen, and calm your body and mind. Since yoga's burst in popularity, people have figured out ways to incorporate basic yoga poses into other forms of movement and fitness. If you're a fan of practicing on your mat, check out these four exciting ways to deepen your love affair with yoga. Paddleboard Read more
We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar! Barre classes may make you easy on the eyes, but at $20 or more a pop, they're definitely not easy on the wallet. Rather than take a second job to pay for our latest fitness addiction, we turned to Beverly Hill-based Cardio Barre instructor Stacey Bosworth to get the inside scoop on scoring a long, lean dancer's body Read more
I was lucky enough to take a class taught by Manhattan-based yoga teacher Kristin McGee right here in San Francisco! Although one busy lady, Kristin traveled across the country to teach Vinyasa Vibes (a new offering at The Sports Club/LA), a flow-based, powerful yoga sequence enhanced by music. The most musical part of the practice? During Savasana, the class culminated in a live sax solo by Read more
The rowing machine can be intimidating, but once you get the hang of it, it's an effective way to spice up your cardio routine. But while the rowing machine, also called an ergometer, is a calorie buster (about 280 calories in 30 minutes for an 130-pound woman) and a good leg and core workout, improper form can lead to back injuries if you're not careful. Read on for our tips on proper rowing Read more
What's not to love about circuit training? Combining heart-pumping elements of cardio with strength-training moves means you torch calories while toning muscles. It's just so efficient. Here's a fun yet challenging circuit workout I did recently with my Equinox trainer Lauren. The workout has you performing each exercise for a minute, which means you need to keep a stopwatch handy, but you have Read more
If you're looking to amp up your fitness routine, you need to get unstable. Performing classic single-leg exercises while standing on a foam pad, like the one pictured above by Aeromat, is simple way to do this. The squishy surface forces your core and legs to work harder, increasing your strength gains and caloric burn. Standing on the soft surface also strengthens your feet and ankles, which Read more
The Kentucky Derby is this weekend, which means lots of Southern-style celebrations surrounding a horse race that'll be over before you can blink. But donning a wide-brimmed, fully decked out hat and imbibing mint juleps isn't the only way to pay homage to the all-American event. Why not celebrate the Kentucky Derby with a few equine exercises too? Here are four exercises that are inspired by Read more
In celebration of Arbor Day this Friday, I can't help but think about the peaceful and majestic Tree pose. If you've mastered the basic pose already, here are some ways to challenge your Tree. Arch: When doing the traditional Tree pose, balancing your torso straight over your standing leg allows you to stack your bones on top of each other to create a stable pose. Make balancing on one leg Read more
