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New Fitness Trend: Hula Dancing

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Reports of a new fitness trend sweeping Japan has its roots in Hawaiian culture. Nope, I'm not talking about surfing. I'm talking about hula dancing.

About 50 women mostly in their 30s to 60s go to Tipness' fitness club in Japan each Friday for a 75-minute hula lesson, which includes basic movements and a drill on dancing postures, all set to Hawaiian music. The class focuses on achieving symmetry in the body by using both your lower and upper body to do the dancing.

In fact, the last time I was in Hawaii, I did take note of how amazing all the hula dancers bodies were. If hula lessons were offered at my gym, I might be interested, especially if I get to wear a cute grass skirt and coconut bra. What about you? Would you be on board for some hula lessons for fitness?

Source

New Fitness Website: FITS

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:30:00 -0800

I'm sure many of you have made "exercise more" one of your New Year's Resolutions. It's great to make that decision, but it's overwhelming to think of how you can make that happen. Well New Balance and our pals over at Exercise TV have created a new online program called FITS. It was developed to motivate and inspire people to meet their fitness goals. All you do is register and you have:

Access to Exercise TV videos for tips and workout routines to help you get a jump-start on your fitness plan.

What else can you do? To find out read more.

Your own online tracking journal, where you can click on a day and write down your fitness activities. You can also set goals with it. When you reach your goals, you get a little gold star on your calendar (sounds silly, but it's great for motivation).

FITS is totally free and it can give you some great ideas about how to accomplish your fitness goals. Plus the videos are easy to use and great motivation to start exercising right away.

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New Jersey Creates Office of Nutrition and Fitness

FitSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 02:00:00 -0700

Say what you will about New Jersey, but it is the first of the 50 states to create an Office of Nutrition and Fitness. The goal of the agency is to better coordinate programs to prevent obesity, most of which will be aimed at children since the Garden State has the highest percentage of overweight and obese children under age 5 - 17.7 %.

The programs will tackle the obesity problem through education, support groups and encouraging physical activity, rather than by banning particular foods. Good to know that the state of New Jersey doesn't believe in going carb free either. Another important goal of the Office of Fitness and Nutrition is to “de-normalize” the massive portions served in restaurants. Other items on the agency's agenda are: nutrition and fitness programs, including promoting physical activity at all ages, providing fresh fruit and vegetables to eligible women, children and senior citizens, and encouraging breast-feeding, which can reduce the baby’s chances of a weight problem later.

All I can say is "Right On" New Jersey - looks like the Garden State is growing some healthy policy. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact the Office of Fitness and Nutrition has on the health of all those folks from Jersey.

Fit Finding Follow Up: New Ski Gear

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:35:00 -0800

On Monday, I asked you all to come Fit Finding with me for some new skis, poles and boots. Well, I'll tell you I can't wait to get on the mountain in some of that excellent gear. I mixed it up and picked different gear from different folks.

The skis Moni B found look perfect for me and they are super cool looking.

There's more, so

I like the look of the boots scratch5 found. They might be for a more aggressive skier, but I like the color. I know that is not the way to pick gear, but what's a girl to do? For poles, Arthur provided some solid advice on cost and functionality.

View 2 Photos ›

There is some other really great pieces of new ski gear that you should check out.

I am also looking for some cute ski outfits.

If you've never done a Fit Find, you should try it. Just read geeksugar's bookmarking explanation and you'll be all set.

Ashley Greene's New Moon Diet

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:19 -0800

If you were part of New Moon fever this weekend, I’m sure you were transfixed as I was watching the epic battle scene between the Cullen family and the Volturi. The young actors demonstrated dynamic moves coupled with super human strength that were spectacular to watch on the big screen.

Moves like that don’t come easy, Twilight actress Ashley Greene told Us Magazine. Greene, who plays Alice Cullen in the films, said that prepping for the role involved a lot of training - up to four hours a day! In addition to working out with a personal trainer every day, she also had an intense week of fight training with the rest of the New Moon cast. No wonder all the actors look ripped.

To find out how else Greene stays in shape, read more.

Greene was pretty candid in admitting another reason she’s looking so svelte - 12 hour workdays don't "leave too much time to eat." Before dismissing Greene as an actress who starves herself to look good, the star did say that she ate well and stuck to healthy foods during filming. As for her day-to-day off the set she does Pilates six times a week.

"I do it early in the morning. It wakes you up, and it's kind of refreshing," said Greene, who is headed to London in a few months to begin filming the thriller The Apparition. "And that is basically it. Sometimes cardio. I am not a big weight person because when I do weights I build muscle mass."

Check Out the FitSugar Community Page

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:28:51 -0800

Leading a healthy life is always easier when you know you're not going it alone. Strong communities help build strong people. So come and check out the new FitSugar Community. It is vast and varied, offering a little something for everyone.

For all the health foodies, there's the Healthy Recipe Group for sharing and finding recipes that won't break the caloric bank.
If you're all about competition, then join the Race Day Training Group for tips and tales on racing adventures.
Share your personal reviews of fitness gear in Good Gear / Bad Gear.
If you're trying to shed a few pound, join Weight Loss Support for a community of folks facing similar daily challenges.
There's even a group for all you yogis - Yoga Stretch and Tell.

If you can't find a group that addresses your needs, please start your own. Plus there's polls and all sorts of blogs to get lost in or inspired by. Come on over and check it out.

Why Exercise Won't Help You Lose Weight . . . Sort Of

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:00:36 -0800

There have been a lot of reports in the last year confirming that contrary to popular belief, not all exercise leads to significant weight loss. If you want to shed pounds, it mostly comes down to diet. It’s no surprise that changing your diet can help you lose weight, but for decades, many people believed that exercise was the best pathway to a slimmer, fitter you.

Today the New York Times added to the news that exercise doesn’t significantly aid in weight loss by reporting the results of an exercise and obesity study. The study followed a group of 58 obese individual who underwent three months of supervised aerobic activity but didn’t change their diets at all. And while the group lost an average of seven pounds, many participants barely lost three.

I admit that when all of these studies started coming up I was a little shocked, but it turns out that high intensity workouts mainly burn carbs, not just fat.

To hear what type of exercise may maximize fat loss, read more.

The article explains: "'The message of our work is really simple,' although not agreeable to hear, said Edward Melanson, PhD, the lead author of the study. 'It all comes down to energy balance,' or, as you might have guessed, calories in and calories out. People 'are only burning 200 or 300 calories' in a typical 30-minute exercise session, Melanson points out. 'You replace that with one bottle of Gatorade.'"

Fat loss can be maximized, but it’s a matter of how you approach your workout. To do this, work out at a lower intensity in your fat-burning zone, which is 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. For most people this zone falls between 105-134 beats per minute. Melanson’s study also found that once weight is lost from reduced calorie intake, exercise might prevent it from coming back by resetting metabolic pathways that stop the body from wanting to store fat.

The research is interesting, but should not dissuade any of us from our fitness goals. The benefits of exercise reach far beyond weight loss - it helps the brain function better, reduces stress, creates a toned body, and is important for healthy heart function.

So You Think You Can Dance Rundown: The Top 12 Perform

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:45:31 -0800

Tonight, So You Think You Can Dance will eliminate two contestants, giving us our top 10. Last night, each couple got to perform twice to prove they should stay, and it was a fitting conclusion, since it was the last time the original couples would be together. I'm excited to see the new pairings since some people may perform better with someone else - but I'm also bummed to see some couples separated. For now, let's talk about last night's dances!
Photos courtesy of Fox

View Slideshow ›

Shop Bella's Fall Getup

FabSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:22 -0800

Now that you've seen Fab's Fall look, the beautiful Bella's outfit was inspired by a famous bombshell. Can you guess who? She's bodacious, she's got the most coveted lips in Hollywood, and she's married to a hottie with a hog - moto hog, that is. She wore a little navy polka-dot frock not too long ago . . . be sure to shop her flirty look on CelebStyle.

Here's Bella's Fall 'fit rundown:

Steven Alan Soma Dress ($330)
The blue is sold out, so here's an alternative: Vera Wang Lavender Label Navy Polka Dot Dress ($246, originally $276)
Topshop Hoops and Metal Studs ($18)
Christian Louboutin Glittered Platform Pump ($775)
Stila Cosmetics Convertible Color ($25)
NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick, Catfight ($25)

Stay tuned for rundowns of all the Sugar girls' new Fall outfits!

Ashley Greene in Red Resort Bottega Veneta: Love It or Hate It?

FabSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:30:22 -0800

You know I'm a Bottega Veneta junkie, but I'm not so sure if I like it on New Moon star Ashley Greene. The actress visited David Letterman wearing the red striped suit from the Resort '10 collection. Except she opted for black sandals instead of red, and she rolled the trouser cuffs. Suits can be chic and powerful, but somehow it's not adding up for Ashley. Is it the fit, the color? What do you think?

Take all of my Love It or Hate It Polls here! Also, don't forget to join my Love It or Hate It? group.