FitSugar

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?

Social Dieting: The Best Way to Slim

Self — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:09:48 PDT

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

This just in! Mice who socialize with their "friends" in an active environment are slimmer and have flatter bellies than their lonely, lazy counterparts. So can humans learn a thing or two from sexy, skinny rodents?

To find out how being more "socially active" can help you shed pounds, we spoke to Tom Holland, owner of Tom Holland's Athletic Club in New Canaan, CT, and author of Beat the Gym: Personal Trainer Secrets Without the Personal Trainer Price Tag.

HealthySELF: The study from researcher Matthew During, a professor of neuroscience at Ohio State University Medical Center, found that mice given cages with running wheels, mazes, toys and unlimited high-fat food and water - along with 15 to 20 cagemates - saw some of their white fat cells, which store energy, take on characteristics of brown fat, which burns calories. They lost 50 percent more of their abdominal fat and gained 29 percent less weight than the control mice.

When mice were given just running wheels but no pals to play with, they didn't lose as much weight as the control mice, which seems to be very telling. Obviously, humans are not mice. But could this be evidence that being more social can help people lose weight?

Holland: It very well could be. Much of the exercise-based research begins with mice, and strong connections with humans have been found over the years. I believe a big component in all this may be the connection between social ties and depression. The less "connected" people are, the more prone to depression they become, which can lead to overeating and lack of exercise. A 2009 study by the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center showed that staying busy and having a sense of purpose helps people live longer.

Find out more about how being social helps you shed pounds after the break.

Dos and Don'ts of Running With a Partner

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:38:35 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.

Move It or Lose It! How to Motivate a Lazy Friend to Exercise

Michele Foley — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 03:50:23 PDT

You've found yourself a workout buddy; maybe you even joined a fitness meet-up group. The problem is your workout partner would rather lift a pint of ice cream than a set of dumbbells. Before you give up on her completely, try these tips to help spur her into action. After all, one of the biggest selling points of having an exercise buddy is to keep each other motivated!

A compliment goes a long way: Keep a friend motivated by acknowledging the hard work she's putting into her fitness regimen. Let her know that she rocked it in class that evening; if she's losing weight or has more energy in her step, make sure to tell her that she looks great; if she's sticking to a new diet regimen, acknowledge that you're proud that she's sticking to her goals. These small compliments make a world of difference and can be the extra little step that keeps her from throwing in the towel.
Create an incentive program: All work and no play can be a real drag, so make sure to reward each other for your hard work. Together, set goals with your friend; once you meet them, make sure to celebrate in some small way. Your goal can be about weight loss, hitting the gym for a certain amount of days in a month, or being able to run an 8-minute mile for 30 minutes. Whether it's celebrating with a healthy happy hour, pedicure, or those new pair of lululemon capris, give yourself an end prize for hitting the mark!

See more tips to keep your friend motivated after the break!