FitSugar

Yoga Props Explained: Blocks

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:30:00 PDT

When I walked into my first few yoga classes, I was intrigued by all the blocks neatly stacked against the wall next to the perfectly rolled-up mats. I soon came to realize that those different sized blocks had many useful purposes.

Blocks are often used by beginners and those with injuries to help them modify certain postures, but they are also used by experienced and flexible yogis as tools to get deeper into poses. I'm a huge fan of blocks, and here's why:

Blocks can be used when doing standing poses to bring the ground closer to your hands if you can't quite reach yet.
Blocks can also be used in restorative poses to support your bones and the weight of your body. Iyengar and Kripalu classes often use blocks to deeply open certain parts of the body, or for relaxation poses.

Want to see how else you can use yoga blocks? Then

Blocks can also make poses more comfortable, especially in seated poses. Sitting on a block will bring your hips above your knees, reducing pain if there is too much pressure on a certain muscle or joint.
Placing a block beyond your reach can help you stretch your muscles even further, increasing flexibility.
You can also use blocks to makes poses more challenging. I like to work on more advanced poses such as inversions, and the blocks help to keep my hands (my base) steady.

Source, Source, and Source

Energize Your Morning with 4 Wake-Up Moves

Self — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:28:59 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Can't get through your morning without your daily java fix? You're not alone. According to a survey conducted by the National Coffee Association, Americans spend an average of $164.71 on coffee per year. That's almost enough for a monthly car payment or a couple of weeks worth of groceries!

Want to wean yourself off of overdoing the caffeine without sacrificing your sanity? Then look no further than your local yoga studio. Warming up your body in the morning helps the natural release of endorphins, says Desiree Bartlett, a Los Angeles-based yoga instructor.

Not only does yoga do the body good, the energy you cultivate in a yoga class stays with you all day long. "There is a natural gauging of energy and we release old thoughts or judgments we no longer need," says Bartlett. "Through this practice of steadying the mind and observing the breath, the mind stays present, sharper and clearer because it is no longer reviewing the past or making to-do lists for the future."

Incorporate these four moves into your regular routine five days a week to start each day "with strength, clarity and a sense of empowerment." Desiree may have shot these on the beach (we're jealous!) but you can do them on your bedroom floor!

Get the moves after the break.

The Biggest Reasons Your Ab Exercises Aren't Working

Prevention — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:25:40 PDT

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

If you're struggling to see your six-pack, you could be making one of these mistakes.

By Jenna Bergen, Prevention

As the weather warms and Spring break approaches, we're all forced to do that same rather scary thing: unearth the bathing suit and take a good, hard look in the mirror. I did it just last week and was relieved to see that my job as the fitness editor at Prevention had kept my abs from going too far south. Still, given all the hours I clock at the gym, I wouldn't mind seeing a little more definition. That's when I realized I needed to fine-tune my game. If you've been putting in the effort and still don't have the abs you're after, take heart - you're not alone. Here are four top slipups that mess with your six-pack - plus expert fixes to get you back on track.

Your Form Is Sloppy
"The wrong form can turn an effective move into one that won't do anything for you," says personal trainer Jessica Smith Gomez, costar of the 10 Minute Solution: Best Belly Blasters. A few of the most common mistakes: pulling on your neck (which allows your abs to slack off), using momentum rather than muscle strength (again, a freebie pass for the abs), sagging your hips in plank, and not keeping them pulled in during every move. "You must control your abdominal wall to get any real benefit," says Erin O'Brien, creator of Kristi Yamaguchi: Power Workout and Strong Body Ageless Body. Not sure how you're doing? Check your form in a mirror.

Keep reading for two more reasons your ab exercises aren't working!

Go From Tortoise to Hare With These Running Tips

Jenny Sugar — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 17:10:06 PST

A friend asked me to go for a run the other day, and I agreed with the disclaimer that I was pretty poky in the speed department. I was surprised that I wasn't as slow as I thought. I've been working on my pace, and I guess what I've been doing has been effective. Try these tips on your runs to give your running pace a little kick in the pants.

Don't fear the hills. Running uphill is much harder than running on a flat surface since you're working against gravity. Moving on an incline strengthens the same muscles you use for sprinting, so it's the perfect way to make you a faster runner. It also increases your body's endurance, which you'll need when picking up the pace. Find a neighborhood or woodsy trail that has natural hills, or use the treadmill and pump up the incline.
Do sprinting intervals. If you want to become a faster runner, you have to practice running fast. Sprinting intervals are great because they last only a short amount of time, so they're easy to start incorporating into your runs. The easiest way to do intervals is by time. Keep an eye on your watch and run at a basic pace for three minutes, then sprint for 30 seconds. Or if you have access to a track, sprint the straights and run the curves. There are lots of ways to incorporate interval training into your plan, and if you make intervals part of your regular workouts, you'll quickly notice a difference in your strength and endurance. Before adding sprints into your running workouts, make sure you have a solid cardio base. Remember, your fast pace doesn't need to be an all-out sprint, but a faster pace than your usual.
Start doing tempo runs. If you're not familiar with this running term, it means running slightly faster than your normal, comfortable pace for a steady period of time. These types of runs will push your physical threshold and teach your body how to metabolize oxygen more efficiently. If you're new to tempo runs, start out with eight to 10 minutes, and build up to 20 or 40 minutes. You're not sprinting the entire time, just moving slightly faster than your basic pace. Here are tips for tackling your first tempo run.

Keep reading for more speed-building tips.

Get Great Benefits by Taking on One of These 11 Part-Time Jobs

LearnVest — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:15:46 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

“Underemployment” is a term that, compared to “unemployment,” more fully captures the lack of job opportunities.

The underemployed includes the unemployed as well as those employed part-time but wanting full-time work.

According to a recent poll, underemployment is currently at 18.1 percent. That’s down from 18.3 percent the month prior, and 19 percent a year ago. While these numbers are still high, there are opportunities to work part-time. You won’t make as much money as you would with a full-time job, but with many part-time positions, you’ll not only earn a salary but also score some great perks.

Related: the 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs

We’ve put together a list of 11 big-name companies that provide big benefits to its part-time workers. Whether they're offering free merchandise, health insurance benefits, or tuition aid, these employers certainly make it worth your while to work, even if you’re only putting in 20 hours a week.

Whole Foods

After part-timers have worked 400 hours, they get health, dental, and vision plans, as well as 401(k) retirement plans, paid time off, and a 20 percent employee discount. After working 6,000 hours, employees are offered stock options.

Target

Work at Target as few as two and a half days a week for six months, and you can become eligible for Target’s health care coverage. Employees also get access to other health benefits like free flu vaccinations, a 24-hour nurse hotline, and discounts for Weight Watchers.

Read on for more.

Deck the Halls With a Candy Cane Manicure

Jaime Richards — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 PST

Candy canes are synonymous with the holidays, and nail art is hotter than ever right now. So what better way to celebrate than to fuse the two together with a candy cane manicure? It takes a bit of patience and a steady hand to create this festive, two-toned look, but once you get the hang of it, you'll have earned your stripes in no time. See how to do it when you read more.

The Lazy Girl's Fall Makeup Shopping List

Real Beauty — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:23:12 PDT

We're happy to present this article from one of our favorite sites, Real Beauty.

It's not enough anymore to just update your closet with the turn of a new season. To truly stay in style, you need to reboot your makeup bag, too. But who has the time (and money!) to buy every new lipstick and eye shadow shade? So, for all those lazy girls out there, we've targeted the biggest makeup looks for Fall 2011 and created this list that can be tailored to any budget, skin tone, and beauty need. So just keep reading.

Barry's Bootcamp's Joey Gonzalez on Why Your Workout Isn't Working

Shape — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:05:07 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Barry's Bootcamp (BBC), the high-intensity workout that helps celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba, and Jake Gyllenhaal stay in amazing shape, has opened its first East Coast location in Manhattan! The studio is known for its nightclub-meets-boot-camp-style during hour-long classes that mix strength training with treadmill intervals. The result is a high-intensity workout that burns fat (up to 1,000 calories per class) and tones muscles.

In an exclusive interview with Shape.com, Barry's Bootcamp co-president Joey Gonzalez reveals where he thinks most women's workouts go wrong - and what they can do to fix it.

Common Misconceptions: Where Your Workout Goes Wrong

1. You do one or the other: cardio or body sculpting. "Don’t get me wrong, half of our class is cardiovascular, but the strength training is equally as important, and that's really what helps kick metabolism into high gear," Gonzalez says.

2. You ignore weights. "What you're doing when working out is building muscle, and muscle is an integral part of actually burning calories throughout the day. With weights, your body is burning 'x' amount of calories more an hour than it was before you did it - and that’s not true of cardio. That’s why women who tend to use weights and bring it into their regular exercise program are not only stronger and healthier, but on average have better bodies. If you touch their arms they're strong, they're not soft. Women complain about 'flarm' (laughs), the flabby arm area, and, really, the best way to target that is working your triceps."

See the rest of Joey's tips after the break!

7 Reasons to Try Interval Training

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:11:00 PDT

Interval training is the ultimate fitness mashup, blending the speeds of both the tortoise and the hare. The benefits of this workout - pushing your pace, then slowing down to recover just so you can push your pace again - will certainly motivate you to play with your speed. If you haven't already added them to your cardio workouts, here are seven benefits of interval training.

Whittle your middle
While cardio exercise is necessary to lose fat all over your body, according to research published in the International Journal of Obesity interval training targets your waistline. Adding bursts of speed can help you lose stubborn abdominal fat, which is a boon for bikini season and your overall health. Having a waist size over 35 inches if you're a woman puts you at a higher risk for heart disease and some cancers. Curious how your middle measures up? Check your waist-to-hip ratio here.

Got a need for speed?
The most obvious benefit, but still worth noting, is interval training will make you faster. Picking up your pace when training with intervals helps to increase your speed whether you run, bike, or swim. If you're working towards a personal record for an upcoming race, don't skip your speed work. Here are interval workouts for biking, swimming, and running. Triathlon anyone?

Keep reading to learn five more reasons to kick it up a notch.

5 Questions to Ask a Potential Roommate

LearnVest — Fri, 20 May 2011 00:15:45 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Ah, roommates. Sometimes you can’t afford to live without ‘em - but it’s not so easy to live with them. I’m a big advocate of a roommate agreement, through which everyone in the apartment sets up policies about utilities, pets, parking, etc. But even before you get to that point, there are a few questions you might want to ask, whether you’re doing a year-long share or just summer weekends:

What’s The Guest Policy?

You may assume that you’re each paying for a bedroom and that friends might occasionally stay over - only to discover that one of your roommates has a steady who hangs around all the time, acting as a ghost roommate and drinking all the milk. The political way to inquire about this might be, “I had this happen in my last place and we were all a little surprised… how do you expect us to handle visitors?”

What’s The Deal With The Common Areas?

If you’re living with a basketball fan, you deserve to know that you’re not getting near the TV during March Madness. If you’re living with a cook, it’s good to know that you’ll have to fight for kitchen time. (Although I can say, based on a decade of experience with roomies, it’s always good to live with a cook.)

Where Did The Couch Come From?

When you’re applying to live on someone else’s turf, try to find out if one roommate has brought all the living room furniture - and if it all disappears when she moves out. (Conversely, if you hate the couch, try to discreetly find out if you can help replace it.)

For more questions to ask a potential roommate, read on.