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Get Motivated: You're Just Going to Feel Worse

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:45:00 PDT

Last night, I was sitting on my couch trying to get motivated to go for a run. (I know, I know, my first mistake was sitting on the couch). I was feeling pretty lazy and gross, but I also just was not feeling like working out.

I kept telling myself that not going for the run was only going to elevate my feelings of laziness with myself, so somehow I mustered up the strength to peel myself off the couch and go for my run. Forty-five minutes later I was done, and I was feeling great. My feelings of laziness and grossness were completely eliminated, and I was already cooking dinner and baking cookies. After dinner I did a few things around the house, watched a little TV, curled into bed with a book and had a fabulous night's sleep.

Had I not run, I would have stayed on the couch and watched hours of TV while sinking deeper into feeling worse and worse. Cookies would have been totally out of the question and I know for a fact that I would not have slept nearly as soundly.

My point is that it is truly amazing what just 30 minutes of moving can do for you, not only for your body, but for your mind as well. When you're feeling so blah with yourself that you just don't want to exercise, remember that not exercising will only make those feelings worse.

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3 Ways to Indulge Your Sweet Tooth Without Blowing Your Diet

Prevention — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:09:14 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Amy Ahlberg, Prevention

You already know that a too-strict eating plan can backfire, resulting in a blowout binge or, worse, throwing you off the wagon altogether. But when it comes to allowing yourself a little leeway, moderation is key. But what does "moderation" even mean? For gourmands, a cheeseburger a week might seem reasonable; for health nuts, maybe it's one every three months - minus the cheese and bun. To find out who's right, we turned to Sarah Krieger, RD, and Joan Salge Blake, RD, spokespeople for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For starters, they say you should only indulge in what you love - and skip the rest. If you don't have a weakness for fries, don't eat them just because they're there, and if you don't have a sweet tooth, don't have dessert simply because your dinner buddy does. "For me, I skip pizza and burgers, but I eat a great-tasting sweet treat every day," says Krieger. "I balance it with exercise and eating a variety of nutritious foods." For more tips, read our list. But first, some ground rules:

Free! Lose Weight Like a Biggest Loser With This One-Week Plan

Step one: If you're overweight or have health concerns - especially heart disease or diabetes - talk to your doctor. This advice is based on an average 2,000-calorie diet, consumed by American adults at a healthy weight.

Step two: "Take a look at how active you really are. With most of our lifestyles, we don't need a lot of calories in order to maintain a stable weight," says Salge Blake. Go overboard too often, and your waistline - not to mention your heart and your pancreas - may pay the price.

Step three: Keep a food diary and ask yourself, from a caloric standpoint, If I have this indulgence, what foods will I need to avoid this week to balance it out? Now read on for our tips on how to budget your binge allowance this week - and every week.

Keep reading to learn how satisfy your sweet tooth and stay on track.

A Reader Answers: Can Exercise Help With Migraines?

Fit Community — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:52:16 PST

FitSugar reader JessicaSmithTV wanted to know: can exercise help with migraines? She asked an expert and posted the answer in our Fit Community.

Today's post comes to us from special guest contributor and medical expert Paul Rizzoli, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School:

When you’re prone to migraines you’re forced to think through whether or not something you do will invite a headache into your life. Exercise is definitely one of those things. Should you skip a workout because you feel a migraine coming on? Or is it better to push through in the hopes a little sweat will make you feel better?

Most headache specialists recommend exercise and an increase in overall physical activity to their patients. However, to date, there’s skimpy evidence to support the idea that working out actually guards against migraine attacks. A few studies have shown that taking regular exercise can reduce the severity, though not the number of headaches.

Keep reading to see what studies say about exercise and migraine relief after the break!

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Being a Sports Fan

Prevention — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:19:15 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Cristina Goyanes, Prevention

It’s no wonder your friends aren’t available to hang out on Sundays in the Fall and Winter - according to a 2005 Gallup Poll, 64 percent of Americans claim to be professional football fans, and as of 2010, women make up 44 percent of the NFL fan base.

Being a sports fan doesn’t mean you’re expected to know all the players and stats of your hometown teams and destined for a beer gut - it’s about coming together in the name of good times as part of a community.

“Bonding over sports - the highs and lows of the game - strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things,” says Renee Clauselle, PsyD, who runs a private psychology practice in Long Island, NY.

Seventeen Unexpected Side Effects of Exercise

Rooting for the same team creates an immediate sense of family, says Daniel Wann, PhD, a Murray State University professor who has been studying the psychology of sports fans for over 20 years. “If you identify with a local team, you build an instant connection to others around you,” he says.

Beyond the bonding aspects, watching sports can motivate you to pump up your own workouts - and even burn a few extra calories when you jump, cheer, and clap during the highlights of the game. Find out more ways being a sports fan is a winning situation for your health.

Keep reading to learn how being a sports fan benefits your health.

How to Prevent a Bad Running Day

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:56:02 PST

Some days I slip on my sports bra and sneaks and I feel so light and strong - like I could keep going and going. Other days it seems like my legs are trudging through mud. What gives? We can't prevent bad running days entirely, but here are a few things you can do in order to have more good days than bad.

Get enough sleep the night before. Hit the hay early enough so you get seven to nine hours of shut-eye.
Make sure you're hydrated. Not drinking the appropriate amount of water before and during your workout can lead to dizziness, headaches, decreased energy and performance, dry mouth, and cramps. A few hours before running, drink about 15 to 20 ounces. Drink another eight to 10 ounces 10 to 15 minutes before heading out.
Eat before your run. Remember that food is fuel. If you're not working out for five or so hours, enjoy a meal that contains protein, fat, and carbs. Several hours before a run, eat a meal that's under 500 calories. Thirty to 90 minutes before you head out, enjoy a carb-loaded low-fat snack. If you're working out first thing in the a.m., fuel up with easily digestible carbs that are low in fiber. Getting too much fiber can cause major cramps during your run.
Hit the ladies room. There's no need to carry unnecessary weight with you, so if you can relieve yourself before your run, you'll feel much lighter and will be less likely to experience belly aches.

See more tips after the break!

Keep Your Post-Gym Trek Sweat-Free

Leta Shy — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:21:24 PST

There's nothing worse than heating up at the gym only to be met by frosty cold temps outside when you're done. If you're not making a pit stop in the locker room to get street-ready, you're met with a problem: you're too hot and sweaty to brave the cold outdoor air without feeling uncomfortable. If you're skipping the shower at the gym, here are two simple reminders to make sure your next trek outdoors post-workout isn't uncomfortable and cold.

Wait it out: Don't just hop off the treadmill and grab your stuff. When you're exercising regularly, it can take several minutes for your heart rate to go back down from peak to resting rate (the normal heart rate recovery rate is a decrease of 15-20 beats per minute) so if you go outside too soon, you'll still be pumped up from your workout. Use the time to cool down properly with post-workout stretches and foam rolling instead.

Always choose moisture-wicking: I've worked out in any old T-shirt and I've worked out in gear designed for working out, and there's definitely a difference. To keep yourself from being uncomfortably soggy under those Winter clothes, use performance wear designed to wick away sweat and keep you dry. And always bring a similarly sweat-wicking cover-up to layer under your coat before you head outside for even more protection. Here are some lightweight cover-ups that would work well under your puffy outerwear.

How do you brave Winter weather after sweating it out at the gym?

When It's Better to Skip Your Workout

Leta Shy — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:56:39 PDT

Sometimes, you just have to skip a workout, and not always for a lame excuse. Whether you're sick, injured, tired, or over it, here are some times when the best thing to do is not work out.

You're sick: Having a cold isn't always a reason to skip a workout, but sometimes being sick means you should skip exercise. To figure out if you should sweat it out, use the above-the-neck rule: if your symptoms are confined to normal above-the-neck symptoms of the common cold, like sneezing, coughing, and sniffling, you can still exercise (and may feel better because of it). But if you've got any congestion, aches, pains, upset stomach, hacking cough, or fever, you should definitely skip the sweat session. Read here for more tips on determining when to stop exercising due to illness.

You need a rest day: Committing to an exercise routine isn't all about nonstop exercise. Your body needs rest days to repair muscles and prevent overuse injuries. If you're feeling very tired, sore, or tight, take a break from your routine and rehab your overworked body with these tips.

Read on for more good excuses for not exercising after the break.