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Balancing Act

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:30:00 -0800

Say you want to improve your sense of balance and you don’t have $100 bucks to kick down for a groovy Vew-Do board. There’s still plenty you can do to hone your balancing skills. And it is a great thing to work since your sense of balance begins to decline after age 25. Ahhh . . . balance is wasted on the young.

Here's what you can do:

Start by simply standing on one foot. Hold onto a wall if you need to. Most importantly though, do not lock your knees and keep you ankles soft, too.
To bump this up a notch, try closing your eyes and standing on one leg - this may sound easy but try it right now and see how you do. This is a great exercise if you have weak ankles that tend to sprain easily.

To see how to work your balance while at the gym, just read more.

You can multitask and work your balance by standing on one leg for 8 bicep curls and complete the set by switching legs and doing another 8 bicep curls. Here you will be working your core to stabilize the small muscles around your ankle joints, improving your balancing skills and building stronger arms.
To up the ante on single-leg bicep curls, try alternating bicep curls so your body has to adjust as the side of your upper body does two different things. Or even harder, try them standing on a BOSU.

Source

Beyonce's Trainer Reveals 5-Minute Preparty "Body Blast"

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:50:29 -0800

When I'm totally wrapped up in Thanksgiving cooking, prepping, organizing, shopping (need I go on?), there's hardly a fighting chance that I'll make it to the gym for a full-on workout. Usually, I'll try to squeeze in a set of push-ups while prepping dinner preparation, or an early morning yoga session, if I can. So, I was excited to see Marco Borges, the trainer credited with whipping Beyonce, husband Jay-Z, and Gwen Stefani into tip-top shape, sharing an easy and no-equipment-needed workout with US Weekly. Here are the five moves he suggests to give yourself an all-over body-blasting workout (even if you only have five minutes to spare before your guests arrive):

Jumping Plies: I call these jumping squats, but it doesn't matter what you call them as long as you do them. Here's how: stand with your feet just a bit wider than shoulder-width apart, abs pulled in tight, and bend your knees, lowering your body till your thighs are parallel to the floor and jump straight into the air. Return to starting position and repeat for one minute.

Reverse Lunges: Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, step back into a lunge and repeat on the opposite side, alternating for one minute. Be sure that abs remain tight throughout, working your core and maintaining your balance and posture.

Push-Ups: According to Marco, "The push-up is quite possibly one of the simplest and best body weight movements targeting the muscles of the chest, arms, shoulders and core." Do as many classic push-ups, or moderated position push-ups from your knees, as you can for a full one minute, making sure to maintain proper form and bring your chest as close to the floor as you can before pushing back to starting plank position.

For the rest of Marco's workout, keep reading

Improve Your Balance, Improve Your Life

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:45:00 -0800

If you're like me then you may find yourself saying, "I have horrible balance." While I thought I was doomed to wobbling around every time I put on my shoes standing up, I found out that you can improve your balance easily. Why does it even matter? Well balance training repairs damaged pathways to the brain, strengthens weakened stabilizing muscles, and teaches the body new strategies for keeping itself upright. What's more? Jumping over puddles, standing on a ladder to change light bulbs, snowboarding, and riding on the bus (standing up) all require balance, so a little improvement just makes your life easier.

To find out how to help improve your own balance, just read more.

I found these tips from Canada.com extremely helping in improving my own balance:

Start by standing on one leg and then the other for several seconds each. If this simple task isn't enough to throw you off kilter, stand on one leg while brushing your teeth or washing the dishes using the counter to steady any wobbles before they lead to a fall.

If that's too easy, try it with your eyes closed or on an unstable surface like a pillow. Both stances increase the challenge considerably and teach your body how to stabilize when sensory data is impaired and the environment becomes unstable.

If you're looking to improve your balance further then try yoga exercises on a BOSU or balance board, and even walking while putting one foot directly in front of the other should help - it may not make you Nadia Comenici but it's a start, right?

Source

Do You Take Beauty-Related Supplements?

BellaSugarUK — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

In a poll written a few years ago by my Stateside sis BellaSugar US, 46% of you felt that beauty supplements were a crock whilst, only 23% of you had even tried them. In my opinion, it takes more than just topical notions to have healthy and beautiful hair skin and nails. It matters what you ingest, and a well balanced diet, can mimic the effects of supplements.

I've used Phyto's Dietary Supplements for two months to help improve growth in my hair and nails, but all it did was cause irritation and spots on my face. However, tons of celebrities have had wonderful experiences with products like Rodial's Skinny Beach Sticks, as they curb the appetite and help to build up the tanning pigments in the skin to get you holiday ready.

Let me know how many of you use supplements and which ones you think work best.

Class Act: Cardio Tai Boxing

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:00:13 -0800

I'm big on fitness classes, but tend to stick with Pilates, yoga, or something slower-paced - usually afraid that I won't be able to keep up with a class that requires any dance technique. My exercise solution came in the form of Crunch's Cardio Tai Box class - a class that gets you moving without a required-knowledge of dance choreography. All you need to know? How to punch and kick. Really.

In fact, once you master the basic kicks and three different kinds of punches, you'll easily catch on when the combinations are introduced - so don't psych yourself out if you can't keep up right away. The key throughout the workout is to focus on each individual action, fully extend your arms and legs for punches and kicks, and be conscious of your core - if you're flexing your abs throughout you'll notice improved balance and form that'll make leg extension easier for round-house and side-kicks.

To learn more about the class and see video, just read more.

Ultimately, you'll find that the high intensity that the class requires goes hand in hand with the kinds of moves you're doing - and throwing a few punches is sure to relieve stress or any aggression after a long day at work; it's hands-down my top choice for a workout to shake things up and re-energize mid-week. If you lag behind during round one, just go back and do it again, or pull aside your instructor after class to go over technique, this way, you'll be up to speed and blasting calories by round two in the cardio ring.

Just Released: Three Fitness Video Games For the Wii

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:00:47 -0700

Confession: I love playing video games - I especially love them on the Wii because I get to move, jump, and shake myself into a tizzy. Three fitness games were released for the Wii this last week and even though it's not like doing the real deal outside, the games are a fun way to burn calories and whip your bod into shape.

Nintendo Wii Fit Plus ($20) Wii Fit Plus is Nintendo's follow-up to the popular Wii Fit. There are new exercises, balance board games, and strength and yoga activities, as well as targeted exercise routines for things like reducing tummy fat and toning your figure. A great improvement is the addition of a calorie counter - after you complete each exercise the game tells you how many calories you've burned.

To hear about the other two games, continue reading.

PMDD: My Dirty Little Secret

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Three years ago I was diagnosed with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) - it's sort of like PMS on overdrive, except way worse. Before the diagnosis I was embarrassed at how unstable I felt as my period approached, especially when all of my girlfriends seemed to be handling their PMS symptoms in a manageable way.

My menstrual cycles were always preceded by feelings of severe depression, crying bouts, anxiety, fatigue, and extreme back pain that would disappear the day my period started. I decided that I could no longer live like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and had a conversation with my doctor. To my relief she confirmed that what I was going through was much more severe than PMS.

For those of you who might be suffering with PMDD, here are some tips I've learned from my doctor over the years to make life more bearable. You'll want to do everything on this list during the two weeks leading up to your period.

To see my tips, read more.

Keep a rigorous calendar of your cycle so you can anticipate when your symptoms will start. Knowing this time frame helps calm anxiety and allows you to take the necessary precautions to offset PMDD. It's also helpful to let those close to you anticipate these dates since they can help offer extra support during this time.
Exercise has been shown to help decrease symptoms of PMDD - go on more walks or bike rides leading up to your menstrual cycle.
Uncontrollable cravings and fatigue are signs of PMDD and can be offset by having a balanced diet of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins. Adjust your diet by reducing caffeine, salt, refined sugars, and high carb meals.
Take the herbal remedies chasteberry and L-tryptophan. In clinical trials, both have shown to help decrease the emotional effects of PMDD.

If these tips don't improve your PMDD, talk to your doctor about other options. I've also had great success taking Yaz, the only birth control pill approved to treat PMDD, but some health experts are not convinced that Yaz is as safe as it claims to be.

Many women have symptoms so severe that they go on short cycles of antidepressants each month or take oral contraceptives to help with hormone regulation.

GeekSugar's First Look at Wii Fit Plus

GeekSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:11:06 -0700

Earlier this month, Nintendo announced the latest addition to its empire - the next version of Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus. With new features including a wider selection of exercises, yoga activities fun balance board games, as well as more customization options, Wii Fit Plus is all about getting fit while having fun. I had the chance to check out the $20 game last week ($100 in a bundle with the balance board), and they've certainly made some huge improvements since the original Wii Fit exercise program. I can't wait to test it out at home to see how it compares to our 30-Day Wii Fit Challenge and the EA Sports Active 30-Day Challenge.

What's the Deal With: Health and Magnets

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:00:56 -0700

Many of you said that when it comes to exercising, you don't like to wear jewelry. Dangly earrings can be annoying, yes, but the bracelet below looks sporty and comfortable.
Not your style? Don't worry, it's not for looks. Many athletes are wearing this type of magnetic bracelet or necklace strictly for the health benefits. Wearing magnets are said to relieve pain, remove tension from muscles, improve circulation, and combat fatigue. How? Electricity is constantly flowing throughout the body, and our cells emit positive and negative charges. If something disturbs the charges, an imbalance is created. Magnets are believed to regulate and balance the flow of energy throughout your body, which helps you relax when you're stressed and speed up recovery when you're hurt.

To find out if they really work continue reading

How to Strength Train With a Balance Board

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:00:05 -0700

If you belong to a gym, you may have seen this weird UFO-looking piece of equipment lying around. It's known as a balance board. When used for strength training exercises, it's a great tool for runners, skiers, tennis players, and yogis because it helps improve coordination and balancing abilities. It can also help target weak areas such as wrists and ankles that are often overlooked. There's no way around it - a balance board will work your core as well.

Also called wobble boards, they can be circular in shape, like the one shown, or rectangular. Since the platform is a lot larger than the base that touches the ground, once you place any body part on the board, the rest of your body is forced to engage in order to hold yourself up. That means you end up using multiple muscle groups at once.

To learn some basic exercises you can do that utilize the balance board keep reading.