FitSugar

Locker Room Time Savers

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:45:00 -0700

For those of us who sneak out of the office to get in a quick workout at lunch, anything that can cut time down in the locker room is helpful.

Forget layering sports bra and shirt, instead slip into an all-in-one sports top with built in bra.
Only pack the necessities in your bag so you're not left fumbling around to find your gear. I like to put my socks inside my shoes the night before so they're already together.
Avoid spending time unraveling iPod cords by investing in a cord keeper. I like the SmarterWrap cord manager ($4.99).
Instead of using a headband, put hair in a loose ponytail. This will preserve volume and eliminate time at the blow dryer post workout.
Take a "body shower" and use dry shampoo to freshen up hair.

There are a few more time saving tips for the locker room, so read more

Forget about fidgeting with bottles in the shower, wash your face and bod with the cleansing cloths. I like the ones by Dove.
Keep makeup in a see through case (or even ziplock bag) so you can see what you're grabbing for and aren't left searching frantically for your eyeliner.
If possible, avoid the prime lunch rush and head to the gym a little earlier or later to avoid waiting in lines for the showers, hair dryers, etc.

Source

Get Your Butt in Gear: HIND Windproof Sport Top

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:45:00 -0700

Whether you're happy about it or not, the cooler air has blown in. It's great for exercising outdoors, but you may need a light layer over your tank top right at the beginning of your workout. You'll need something you can peel off easily after you get a chance to move around and warm up. It may not be jacket weather just yet, and that's why I love this Windproof Sport Top from HIND.

It's made of durable stretch Knit fabric called Thermalete that's windproof yet breathable. If you're chilly, you can zip the 5" zipper all the way up to your chin, or you can open it up to help you cool off. There are thumbholes for added warmth on your hands, and reflective details so others can see you.

I love that this is all one piece so if you do want to take it off, it'll tie easily around your waist. It also has a flattering feminine cut with chafe resistant flat seams so it won't cause irritation on your skin. Order it from TeamEstrogen.com for $79.95. If you want a different color than skyline blue (shown), than check out the Activa website. It also comes in Moonstone (light gray) and Phantom (dark gray).

Now Is the Time to Get Ready For the Slopes

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:41 -0800

Even though we're in the middle of Fall and I've yet to see any real signs of snow, experts say now is the time to get your butt in gear for Winter sports. Days on the slopes can be long and require a good amount of endurance, especially if you're the type who likes to visit the mountains for an extended weekend or even longer.

Veteran Winter Olympic athletes like ski racer Daron Rahlves and snowboarder Elena Hight recommend doing specific training for Winter sports six to eight weeks before the season starts. They say the key to lasting all day, weekend, or week on the slopes is to work on flexibility, strength, and cardio. A good mix of this will ensure you can snowboard from sunup to sundown. Being in tip-top shape will also help cut down on injuries.

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle asked a group of Winter Olympians and trainers their advice on getting in shape for Winter sports. Here's some of their advice.

Stretch for 15-20 minutes every day or do 10 minutes of sun salutations. Skiers should focus on their lower bodies, while snowboarders should focus on their upper and lower areas.
Two to three times a week, focus on strength training with emphasis on your quads, hamstrings, and core muscles. Keeping your legs and core strong helps with balance and endurance, and helps cut down on ACL injuries. If you can, use kettlebells and also make sure to do tons of squats, leg curls, and lunges.
Do some sort of aerobic activity for at least 15 minutes every day, keeping your heart rate elevated the entire time.

Sounds doable to me. Who's hungry for powder?

The Ultimate Date: Indoor Rock Climbing

Fit Community — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:32 -0800

Women That Rock (Climb) community members Spacekatgal and her husband Spacekatdude give you their take on why indoor rock climbing makes a perfect fitness-inspired date.

Spacekatdude and I are married, so we're always looking for fun new things to do. Recently, we decided to give indoor rock climbing a shot! We totally loved it! We wanted to post a bit about it for newbies.

We each signed up for a $160 class, which included gym membership for two weeks. We got free equipment rental and a really great instructor named Nate that taught us the basics, focusing on safety. We were taught to tie our own knots and how to "belay" your partner safely, meaning how to catch them if they fall off the wall.

I will be honest and say it's a real trust building exercise. I love my husband dearly, but I also know it's in his nature to be distracted. It was a little hard for me to put my life into his hands and trust him to catch me if I fell. Throwing myself off the wall for the first time was very scary - but I quickly learned that I could count on him for this. Working as a team to guide the other person up the wall is both fun and good for your relationship!

It's also a great workout. Within a few weeks of rock climbing, I've greatly increased my upper body strength. If you have moxie, I would definitely say it's a sport you should try!

To hear Spacekatdude's perspective, read more.

A guy's perspective - Spacekatdude here. Rock climbing is awesome. It's not just a physical thing - it's very mental, as you try to figure out set paths up the wall, only being allowed to touch rock outcroppings of a particular color - very challenging. Whenever we go to the gym there are a lot of women there, and it's great to watch those who love the challenge and love to push themselves, I think that's awesome. Our instructor Nate also told us that it was great for kids - one of the best rock climbers he knew was an eight-year-old girl, who showed him some excellent routes during an outdoor climb.

I mentioned that climbing is a mental exercise. This is because you have to constantly concentrate on what you're doing. If you go in mentally weak or lazy, bad things can happen: I read of some climbers who went to Half Dome at Yosemite, all ready to hammer in their own ropes to descend from the top. But there were ropes already there, embedded in the rock, and they just used those. As they climbed down, the ropes gave way, and they fell to their deaths. So laziness has no place in rock climbing.

Also, as you climb, it's important to remember to use your feet for power, and not to try to pull yourself up by your arms. So the mental challenge is to keep concentrating the entire time you're roping yourself in, climbing, and belaying.

Share your climbing tales in the Women That Rock (Climb) group and spread the love! Not a climber? Be sure to take a look at our other community groups - there's something for everyone!

Source: Flickr User Charlie Brewer

And the NYC Marathon Winners Are . . .

FitSugar — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:00:10 -0800

Although she has won the race three times, favorite Paula Radcliffe placed fourth in the New York Marathon. The first woman to cross the finish line was Derartu Tulu - the first Ethiopian woman to claim first place in the NYC Marathon in its 40-year history.

Tulu ran the course in two hours, 28 minutes, 52 seconds and was there to comfort Radcliffe as the world record holder limped across the finish line, holding her knee and crying in agony. Second place went to Russia's Ludmila Petrova , who ran the course in two hours and 29 minutes flat. Christelle Daunay, of France, came in third (2:29:16), nine seconds ahead of Radcliffe.

Tulu, who gave birth to her second daughter in 2006 and increased her brood by adopting four orphans, wasn't ready to quit racing. With two Olympic gold medals under her belt and a previous marathon win in London in 2001, Deratu ran with a calm confidence and proved that returning to the sport was well worth it.

For details on the men's race, read more.
Eritrean born American citizen Meb Keflezighi won the men's race in two hours, nine minutes, and 15 seconds. Filled with emotion on winning his first major marathon in his adopted country, Keflezighi said, "U.S.A. gave me all the opportunity in the world, education, sports, lifestyle.This is so special to me." Ryan Hall, considered the future of US distance running, came in fourth. In fact, six Americans finished in the top 10! Robert Cheruiyot, of Kenya, placed second (2:09:56) with Jaouad Gharib of Morroco coming in third, racing the course in two hours, 10 minutes, and 25 seconds. Hall finished the race in two hours, 10 minutes, 36 seconds.

Thinking of running the marathon in the Big Apple next year? The application for the lottery will be available Nov. 2. If you're not ready to commit to a marathon but still love to run, join the RunningSugar group.

Top 11 Most Dangerous High-School Sports

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:00:09 -0700

When it comes to dangerous sports in high school and beyond, cheerleading can definitely lead to serious injuries. All those daring lifts and complicated dance moves aren't the only way you athletes hurt themselves.

Here is a list of other sports that top the injury list.

Lacrosse
Football
Baseball/softball
Cheerleading
Gymnastics

To see the rest of the list read more.

Soccer
Ice Hockey
Track and Field/Cross Country
Swimming/Diving
Basketball
Wrestling

Did you play any of these growing up, and if so, did you ever get hurt?

Celebs Like to Shake It

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:50:58 -0700

At first, the Power Plate seems like another gimmicky weight-loss product, but its website features endorsements from fit celebs like Madonna, Courteney Cox, and Hilary Swank. On top of that, it's used by over 60 college and pro sports teams, and the Police brought one with them on their reunion tour. That's some serious ~~celeb~~ street cred.

The secret behind the Power Plate is its vibrating plates. The manufacturer claims that if you stand on it for 10 minutes a day, three times a week, you'll lose weight, tone your body, and improve bone density. To really maximize the benefits of the machine, it's encouraged that you do the same exercises you would do on the floor - sit-ups, for example - on the Power Plate.

Cougar Town actress Cox says the Power Plate was essential in shaping her up for her new role: "The Power Plate machine has dramatically changed my workout. I know that every muscle in my body is being ignited in ways that you can't do with traditional training."

To see a video of Cox's trainer Michelle Lovett demonstrating the Power Plate, read more.

They call the technology behind the machine Acceleration Training: the vibrations transmit energy waves to the body that are able to contract muscles 25 to 50 times per second. This is suppose to help stimulate blood flow, work the muscles harder than ever before, and increase strength and flexibility.

Vibration training is not a new thing in the fitness world (remember the black rubber belts that used to go around the waist to shake off fat?), but it's been picking up steam especially as it garners more backing from the medical community and health professionals.

Studies done on the effects of vibration training show that if used properly, it's more beneficial at building lean muscle mass, improving weight loss, and increasing strength and speed than exercise regimens without vibration training. Researchers warn that the machines should not be used for more than 30 minutes a day due to health concerns about engaging the body in high-amplitude vibrations like back pain or blurred vision.

I remain a little skeptical, mostly because I can't get the Shake Weights infomercial out of my head, but my curiosity is piqued. My gym doesn't have a Power Plate yet, does yours? I'd love to hear what you think of this new workout.

Support Breast Cancer Awareness With Beyond Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:00:03 -0700

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Beyond Yoga, one of my favorite brands of fitness clothes, is offering some unique pink products. The company is donating 30 percent of the proceeds from the sale of these I Am Beyond . . . Hopeful water bottles ($36) and its Lift and Support Bra ($64) to the Women's Cancer Research Fund. Every sale will support research, education, and outreach for the early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of female cancers. A minimum of $4 will be donated for every water bottle sold, and a $10 donation will be made for every bra sold.

To hear more about these products and see some other photos, keep reading

What to Expect at Your First Mammogram

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:30:30 -0700

Supporting your girls with a great sports bra is important for your workouts, especially jumping plyometrics. When you hit 40, you're going to need to take photos of them too. Yep, I'm talking about a mammogram. This soft tissue x-ray is recommended annually for every woman over 40, and if you are at risk for breast cancer (if your mother or sister has had it, for instance), you start the process at 35.

The procedure is actually pretty simple and quick, but there is a lot of smooshing of breast tissue involved. So it's good to go into the process with a sense of humor and to check your modesty at the door. Here are a few pointers to make your first mammogram as pain-free as possible.

Do not wear deodorant, perfume, or powder. These substances can interfere with the imaging of breast tissue and even show up on the mammogram as calcifications, which can alarm the radiologist reading your mammogram, rendering more images necessary. This translates directly into more squishing.
Wear separates to the appointment, so you only have to take off your top and not fully disrobe.
If you have long hair, wear it up. This way your long locks won't interfere with the machinery and you won't accidentally have your hair pulled.
Avoid wearing necklaces or dangling earrings. Or simply take them off and stow them while you are having the mammogram.

A standard mammogram is four images, two per breast. If you have breast implants, double the number of images needed. At your first mammogram, sometimes extra images are needed to get a better understanding of the baseline reading of your breast tissue. At some offices, the radiologist will read the mammogram while you wait, so you get the results immediately, which seriously decreases the stress of the entire operation. However, some clinics will send the results to your primary care physician. In that case, remember to call your doc for results.

American Apparel Sport Tops

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:33:00 -0800

I am always searching for great tops to exercise in. It's tough to find ones that are cute, comfy, and functional for the right price.

I discovered that American Apparel makes this really sweet v-neck tank with shelf-bra. It's made of 95% combed cotton and 5% spandex. It's soft, yet fits snugly to move when you do.

I love that it comes in so many bright colors, not just black, red, and blue like so many other sport tops. And for the cheap price of only $19, you really can't go wrong.

This top is definitely for the type of exercise that doesn't require too much jumping or bouncing, if you know what I mean. It doesn't offer enough support for a run, but would be perfect for a brisk walk or a Pilates or Yoga class.

Fit's Tips: The only thing about American Apparel - their sizes run really small. I'd shoot for one size larger than you normally wear. Here's a picture of me wearing it in raspberry (size Medium).