FitSugar

Foolproof Ways to Motivate a Weekend Workout on Friday Night

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:34:42 PDT

You worked hard all week long, and all you want to do on Saturday is chill and do nothing. But if you lace up your sneakers and burn some calories, you know you'll probably feel good. If you have a tough time exercising on the weekend, here are some ways to get psyched about it, and do all the prep work the night before.

Choose your gear: The night before, choose your outfit and lay it right next to your bed, including any gear you need (charged iPods included). Seeing it first thing in the morning will inspire you to slip it on - getting dressed is half the battle.
Cue up that DVD: Before you go to bed, leave dumbbells, an unrolled yoga mat, or an exercise ball out. Or, pop in your favorite fitness DVD so it's all set to go. It'll be hard to walk out the next day with all those visual reminders.
Let music inspire you: Hop on iTunes and make a new cardio playlist that you can use during the weekend. When you get out of bed, you'll be so psyched to listen to it, you'll rush to get your sports bra on.
Make a date: Earlier in the week, call up a friend and make plans to hike, meet at the gym, or take a long bike ride together. When you make an agreement to meet at a specific time and place, it's tough to bail.
Pick a fun fitness class: Check out the class schedule at your gym or nearby studio and find a class to take. This way you can mark your weekend schedule before errands or social events prevent it from happening.

Dos and Don'ts of Running With a Buddy

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:03:02 PDT

Most days I fit my workout in whenever I can, so I tend to sweat it out alone. But I love the days when I can meet up with my running buddy and we hit the trail together - I run a lot longer when chatting it up with a friend. There are definitely some dos and dont's when it comes to running with another friend, so keep these in mind the next time you head out with a partner.

DO call if you're going to be late: It's hard enough to find an hour in your busy schedules that you're both free, so when you do, make every effort to show up on time. If you're running late, be sure to text or call to let her know - you don't want to keep her waiting, or worse, worrying that something is wrong.
DON'T bring your headphones: Unless you both prefer listening to your personal tunes and not conversing, save the headphones for when you're running solo. Or if you both want to listen to the same running playlist, put your iPhone on speaker so you can enjoy the music but still hear each other.

Keep reading for more dos and dont's when it comes to running with a fitness buddy.

Winner, Winner: Why You Should Compete With Your Workout Buddy

Leta Shy — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:27:04 PST

Over the weekend, I took a class led by Cara Castronuova, the champion boxer and former Biggest Loser trainer (the workout was part of a weekend event courtesy of Puma). While she led the class, she offered us all a bit of advice: sometimes, it's good to compete with your workout buddy.

Cara knows what it's like to be competitive - after all, her job is to throw punches - but trying to one-up your workout buddy may sound counterintuitive to those of us who don't spend hours staring down an opponent in the ring. In reality, though, injecting a little bit of friendly competition into your normal workout routine can help raise the caliber of both your and your buddy's routines. Here's how to add a little competition to your workout buddy dynamic.

Sign up for a race together: Between committing to a months-long plan and showing up for practice, training for a race can be a bonding time for you and your workout buddy. Add another dimension to your training plan by racing with your buddy every few weeks. You'll be able to track your personal progress and may be able to enjoy a few bragging rights as well.

Whoever loses buys: Sometimes, that workout needs a little bit of umph. That's when you turn it into a competition. Challenge your buddy to see who can do the most box jumps at the gym or see who can go the hardest on the elliptical, and after all's done, whoever loses gets to treat her buddy to a cup of coffee or a healthy meal.

Read on for more ways to compete with your workout buddy!

A Few Reasons It's Better to Sweat It Out Solo

Jenny Sugar — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:01:22 PST

Exercising with a buddy definitely has its perks, but when it comes to most of my workouts, I prefer to exercise alone. Here are some reasons it's sometimes better to sweat it out solo.

You can work out whenever you want and when it best fits your schedule. Plus you never have to deal with someone being late.
You can skip the chitchat and focus on your breath and inner thoughts. It's a great time to make mental to-do lists, brainstorm for work, or daydream about weekend plans. Going solo means it's really "me" time.
The type and intensity of the workout is up to you, whether you feel like going for a run in your neighborhood, hitting a Zumba class, or following a gentle yoga video.
You can stuff your ears with headphones and rock out to that new cardio mix you made.
It's OK to wear the same outfit you wore yesterday, even if you didn't wash it. There's no one to make a comment or complain about a little stink.

Keep reading for more reasons it's better to exercise alone.

How I Convinced My Hubby Not to Hate Running

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:30:39 PST

My husband loves his bike and he loves his skis, but he's never been much of a slip-on-your-sneaks-and-go-for-a-run kind of guy. That is until now.

Wooed him with gear: To replace his cotton tube socks, sweatpants, and high school t-shirts, I got him some wicking socks, real running pants, and merino wool shirts. He was amazed that after a run there were no blisters or chafing from his loose pants, and he stayed relatively dry thanks to the wicking shirt.
Added a little friendly competition: It's human nature to be a little competitive, and my hubby is no exception. For a couple bucks, I downloaded the Nike+ GPS app to his iPhone. He loves that it keeps track of his time, distance, pace, and calories burned, and the GPS charts his route. The latest version of the app has the Nike+ Tag feature, which allows you to compete with friends. The object of the game is not to be "It," and in our case, whoever runs the shortest distance becomes "It." The competition has actually motivated both of us to run.

Keep reading for more ways to convince the guy in your life to love running.

Top 10 Signs It's Time For a New Workout Buddy

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:19:13 PST

Finding the perfect workout buddy can be as challenging as finding the right pair of sneaks. Whether they push you too much or not nearly enough, here are some signs it's time to "break up" with your fitness partner.

She calls you five minutes before you're supposed to meet her outside for a morning run and invites you over for pancakes instead.
She obnoxiously screams out random numbers while you're trying to count out reps.
You hop on the treadmill next to your buddy, and while punching in your weight, she glances over and exclaims, "Holy crap, you weigh _____!!"
She tells you to bail on your group session with the hot fitness trainer because she wants to "make her move."
While doing your dumbbell sets, she continually asks, "Are you done yet?"

Keep reading to see the last five signs it's time to find a new workout buddy.

How a Workout Buddy Increases Your Calorie Burn

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:40:15 PDT

Hanging out with like-minded friends is the best way to keep on your healthy path. These pals offer emotional support, share cooking tips, and even make great workout buddies. Sweating it out with someone else helps you burn more calories - here's how:

They Make You Accountable
When you're planning to go for a solo run early in the morning, it's easy to hit the snooze button and skip out. It's not so easy if you know your sneaker-wearing buddy will be at your front door in 15 minutes. A fitness buddy will help you stick to a regular weekly fitness routine, and more workouts per week equal more calories burned.

Longer Workouts
Chatting away on a hike makes you forget you're even exercising. When working out solo, you might look at the clock every few minutes to calculate how much time you have left, but when you're having such a good time catching up, you forget about the time. That usually means you'll be more inclined to work out longer than you would on your own. Longer workouts translate into more burned calories.

Keep reading to find out more ways an exercise buddy helps you burn extra calories.

How to Shake Up a Stale Workout Buddy Routine

Leta Shy — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:10:00 PDT

Workout buddies can be the key to keeping you motivated to stay on track with your workout routine. But your enthusiasm can wane, no matter how much your friend keeps encouraging you, if you both are tired of doing the same exercise routine every time you see each other. Here are a few ways to keep your workout buddy routine from becoming stale.

Try a new class together: You've got your favorites, but you're just not looking forward to quality time on the treadmill anymore. Instead, pick something on the class schedule or try out a nearby studio that you've both overlooked. You both may find that you actually love that new hybrid class that you thought would be ridiculous.
Get competitive: Nothing spurs a workout like a dose of healthy competition. Make a friendly bet with your workout buddy - like, say, the one who sticks to their weekly workout schedule gets to pick the next post-workout dinner spot - and give it your all.

More ideas for you and your workout buddy after the break!

6 Reasons to Work Out With Your Furry Friend

Health — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:22:18 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Tina Haupert

On the days when I am dragging, my dog, Murphy, reminds me that exercise should be fun. Murphy’s energy is contagious, so it makes me look forward to our time together. He gets so excited before we go outside for a walk. Imagine if we all felt that excited before exercise! Here are six reasons why you should work out with your fury friend.

Health.com: Fun Ways to Get Fit Without a Gym

It’s Fun
Dogs love to run and play, so it’s no surprise how much Murphy and I enjoy being active together. On the days when I’m just not in the mood to exercise, the thought of playing outside with my favorite pug always gets me out of the house. A game of fetch or an “adventure walk” in the woods always leaves us both with smiles on our faces - and it burns calories!

You Can’t Make Excuses
When Murphy is itching to get outside, it’s hard to say no to that adorable pug face. He doesn’t accept my excuses for missing a workout, so there’s rarely a day that I don’t do some sort of activity.

Health.com: 9 Easy Ways to Sneak in More Exercise

The Stats Aren’t Important
During my workouts, I used to worry about how many calories I burned or the distance I ran. But the calories and miles mean nothing to Murphy. He focuses only on the fun stuff - the sights, sounds, and smells of our exercise. Murphy reminds me that the best workouts are the ones during which we don’t worry about the stats.

Keep reading for more reasons to get fit with Fido.

Do You Prefer to Exercise Alone?

Michele Foley — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:09:12 PDT

With the exception of spin class, I don't like exercising alone. I rely on my workout club as a way to stay motivated, and I also like that it gives me time to hang with my friends. In general, working out alone has never appealed to me: hiking is always more fun when I have someone to talk to; biking with a partner is great because I unwind with someone at the end of a ride; and, having a friend go with me to a fitness class helps calm my nervousness.

Compared to a lot of people, I seem to be in the minority. Most people I've spoken with prefer to hit the gym alone because they can better focus on their workouts. For them, working out with other people leads to distractions either because they're too busy talking, or they work out at entirely different levels and then have to compensate. How about you?