FitSugar

Your Top 10 Ways to Exercise

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:50:00 PDT

A few weeks ago I asked you guys to tell me what your favorite ways to exercise are, and you all gave me some great responses - I'm even motivated to do a little more dancing and dust off the old Rollerblades.

After tallying up all the votes, I've narrowed down the most popular activities. So for the most desirable ways to exercise, just

read more. Here are your top ways to get moving:

Running tied with swimming
Walking tied with yoga
Dancing
Weightlifting
Hiking
Pilates tied with biking
Elliptical tied with kickboxing
Inline skating tied with Wii Fit
Tennis tied with rock climbing
Golf

Agree with the top 10? Does your favorite fall on the list? Share your thoughts below. Source

Fit Tip: Beat Boredom with New Routes

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:30:00 PDT

Here we are not yet into Summer and many of us are already getting bored with our workout routines. Feeling bored after doing something more than once or twice is totally normal. Why do you think I use a different cardio machine every time I go to the gym? Doing the same cardio over and over again would bore me to tears. The same thing goes for my outdoor workouts too.

If you're starting to feel bored in your outdoor workouts then try something as simple as changing up the route you take. Whether you're on bike or on foot, a new route may provide enough variety to keep you motivated for a few weeks. When you get bored with your new route, time to switch it up again! There is no rule that says you have to do the same thing everyday, so don't.

Source

Add Resistance to Your Workout: Medicine Balls

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:43:15 PDT

I love using a medicine ball at the gym and if you haven't tried incorporating them into your workout, you should. It's a great and fun way to work with a partner as well as a great way to really change up your normal routine.

Power Med-Balls ($12.95-99.95) are a great option for your home gym. These rubber balls are durable, weather-resistant and available in 11 weight sizes from 2 lbs. to 30 lbs. The balls are designed to bounce and they're ideal for partner and wall-related exercises. The 2 lb. and 4 lb. balls are the size of a volleyball. The 6 lb. and 8 lb. balls are the size of a basketball and the 10 lb. to 30 lb. balls are slightly larger than a basketball.

I like to incorporate medicine balls into a lot of my already challenging fitness exercises for added resistance. For example, try doing full sit-ups with a medicine ball overhead. It's tough! Or try having a friend bounce the ball for you to catch while you're balancing on a bosu, then you bounce it back. Not too easy, but fun! Buy them from Power Systems online.

Andy Lewis Slacklines to Fame During Madonna's Halftime Show

Michele Foley — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:18:39 PST

During Madonna's Super Bowl halftime show, a performer jumping up and down on what appeared to be a tightrope had the crowd asking, "Who is that guy who looks like Will Ferrell, and what is he doing?" For anyone involved in rock climbing, you already know that it's athlete "Sketchy" Andy Lewis, the slackline king.

Besides being a lot of fun, slacklining is an incredible workout that challenges your core, agility, and balance. It may look similar to tightrope walking, but the differences are important. Unlike a tightrope, which uses a tautly-held rigid line, slacklining relies on the use of flat nylon webbing anchored with enough give to stretch and bounce. This give is what allowed Andy, who holds several world records in slacklining, to perform those acrobatic stunts during the halftime show. While it's grown into having a community all its own, modern-day slacklining is attributed to the Yosemite rock climbing community. In the '80s, rock climbers started killing time while camping by setting up slacklines using gear they already had - a tradition which still persists today. Some climbers even go slacklining thousands of feet up above the Yosemite valley floor. Slacklining has since evolved into a competitive sport and even bred offshoots like yoga slacklining.

If you missed Andy's performance, check it out after the break!

Cardio Workout: Elliptical Full Body Workout

Susi May — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:05:01 PST

Love it or hate it, a major plus to sweating it out on the elliptical is that you can work your body in a variety of ways using this machine. Pedaling forward works your quads while going backward targets the hamstrings and booty. Focus on pushing the handles gets your chest, and pulling them focuses the work in your upper back. And letting go of the handles while keeping your pace steady challenges your core stability. Plus, the elliptical is joint friendly making it the perfect machine for a recovery workout or starting your fitness routine if you're new to aerobic workouts and cardio machines.

I consider this to be a beginning workout for the elliptical; it's mellow while working your entire body. If you're beyond a beginner level, this workout is a great complement to a strength training session - I use it as my warmup.

To see the workout, just keep reading.

18 Ways to Save (at Least) $1 a Day

SavvySugar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:28 PST

It's true: the little things add up. As anyone who ever had a piggy bank knows, small everyday actions can help you save big. Hoping to create a financial cushion for yourself this season? Follow these 15 easy tricks to help you save at least a dollar a day:

Hold the milk. In your coffee, that is. If you regularly stop at the coffee shop on your way to work, order it black to avoid any extra costs.
Go generic. At the grocery store, pick the generic variety of different foods to save big on pantry staples.
Keep the change. Sure, sometimes it's annoying to have change littering your purse or jangling in your pocket, but you'd be surprised by how quickly those nickels add up.
Swap soda for water. If you can't give it up altogether, vow to sip water instead of soda during at least one meal each day.
Trade CDs with a friend. Hoping to add the latest Rihanna song to your workout playlist? Reach out to a friend and burn CDs for each other to gather new music for free.
Fuel up for less. Unless it's required for your specific car model, nix the premium gas habit and use gasbuddy.com to find the cheapest gas in the area.
Find free WiFi. Work in cafés or libraries with free WiFi. Not sure which spots offer Internet? Use the Free Wi-Fi app to scope out local places with wireless access.
Practice your sewing skills. Skip a trip to the tailor and learn to do the simple adjustments yourself, like shortening a hem or taking in a blouse.

Keep reading for more tips to save $1 a day.

10 Tone-Up Tweaks to Get a Better Burn

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:39:36 PST

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

It happens to the best of us. Your gym routine becomes just that - a routine. Bust out of your plateau and burn more fat with these strength-training tweaks from the pros.

Make Every Day Your Best Burn Yet
Supercharge your gym routine by ditching the moves that have stopped delivering results and replacing them with ones that will challenge and build more muscle. Start with these total-body toning tips from some of our favorite trainers.

Arms: Change the Weight
Dumbbell curls are great for your arms, but unless you're changing up the sets and reps, your biceps will get accustomed to the level of stress you're placing on them, meaning you'll stop seeing the sculpting results. "Few people use the proper weight and even fewer graduate the amount of weight being used during arm exercises," says Richard Miller, owner and CEO of GymSource in New York City.

When you curl the same weight for a long period of time, your body send nutrients to the muscle you're working to help recover. If you pick up an eight-pound dumbbell every time, your muscles aren't experiencing varied stress and won't add new nutrient masses to that area, making your arms fall flat. Use this cheat sheet to know when it's time to step it up a notch:

You should feel fatigue at 15 reps or fewer. If you don't, add more weight.
Aim to increase weight by less than 10 percent. If you normally lift eight-pound weights, up it to 10 pounds, and so on.

See more helpful tips after the break!

Top 10 Mistakes You Make on the Elliptical Trainer

Prevention — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:08:59 PST

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

By Lisa Hoehn, Prevention

As the weather drops, more and more people head straight to one machine in their gym - the elliptical trainer. According to a 2008 report from the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association, the number of users of elliptical trainers in health clubs grew sevenfold from 1997 to 2007. And while you may be proud of yourself for making it to the gym and squeezing in some cardio, taking a lackadaisical approach to your elliptical workout and casually spinning your legs while reading a magazine or watching TV isn't going to blast away those holiday cookies. Here, 10 mistakes you frequently make on the elliptical and how to fix them so you maximize calorie burn while adding fun to your ho-hum routine.

Top Workout Ideas For When the Gym Is Too Crowded

1. You’re too lazy to enter your information.
Most machines are calibrated for a 150-pound person - but personalizing your stats will help you get a more accurate calorie read. Aim to burn around 100 calories per 10 minutes, says Jennifer Cassetty, an exercise physiologist.

2. Your resistance is zero.
You might feel like a million bucks spinning at a mile a minute, but without resistance, you’re not going to see results, says Röbynn Europe, a personal trainer at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Make sure that you’re using enough resistance to push and pull through the stride. Then continue at a moderate pace until you feel like you’ve done all you can do. "You shouldn’t feel like you have even five minutes left in you when you step off," she says.

3. You're a sloucher.
Standing up straight helps to lengthen your abs, giving you a chance to engage your core and even work your upper body muscles, Cassetty says. Certified personal trainer Neal I. Pire, MA, CSCS, president of Inspire Training Systems in New Jersey, recommends hopping on a machine with an upper body component so you can engage even more muscles - and blast more fat. Can't find a machine that lets you pump your arms? Let go: some research suggests that leaning on machine armrests during exercise reduces calorie burning.

How to Buy a Cardio Machine

4. Your machine sounds like it’s going to take off.
If you can hear the purr of the machine while you’re exercising, it means that you’re going too fast without enough resistance - which means you're not getting the most calorie burn out of your time, Cassetty says. Keeping a steady, moderate pace at a resistance that forces you to use your muscles will get, and keep, your heart rate up.

Learn four more fitness mistakes after the break.

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!

How to Pick the Gym That's Right For You

Heather Dale — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:29:50 PST

If your New Year's resolution is to get fit, chances are you might be shopping around for a gym or fitness center, which is not as easy as it sounds. Here's criteria you should try to check off before signing up for any gym membership.

Location, location, location: Don't kid yourself into believing that you'll drive halfway across town to go work out. If a gym is closer to where you live (or work), you'll be more inclined to visit. Also, check to see if there's cost-effective parking, nearby public transportation, or if you can't walk to it. Also make sure it's in a safe neighborhood in case you want to pop in later in the evening.
Ask for second opinions: Get on Yelp, and ask your friends, family members, co-workers, husband's cousin's girlfriend - anyone! - what the best gym is in your neighborhood. Tell them what you're ideally looking for and see if your research, plus your mini-interviews, point to one locale.

Here are some more tips.