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Winterize Your Running: Warm Up Before Heading Out

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0800

In some places across the US, snow has fallen and temps are below the 30s. If you're still gung-ho about running outside, staying warm is a big concern. So before you head out the door, after you're all dressed, warm up inside for a few minutes. Don't do anything that will get you sweaty since that moisture will make you cold once you're outside. Just get your body temp to rise a little. Do some push-ups, jumping jacks, jog around your living room, or charge up and down the stairs. If you need some other ideas, check out this dynamic warmup that includes high-knee marching and heel walking. If you head outside and you're a little warm to begin with, your body will remain warm once it hits the cold air. Not only will you feel more like running, but warm muscles are less likely to tear.

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Cold Weather Tip: Warm up Indoors

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0700

I don't know about you but working out in the cold can sometimes be uncomfortable because it makes my muscles extra tight. What helps me is to warm up inside before heading out into the chilly weather.

Before a run or bike ride, I do about 5-10 minutes of light cardio inside. Jogging in place, jumping rope, or going up and down my stairs is just enough activity to loosen up my body and get my blood pumping. When I get outside, it's less of a shock to my system. If you'd rather do your warm-up exercises outside, a hot shower is another great way to loosen up your muscles before a cold weather workout.

How to Avoid Foot Pain Caused by Running

FitSugar — Tue, 15 May 2007 09:30:00 -0700

According to the website Cool Running your feet pound the ground some 800 times when running just a mile. That's a lot of pounding!!! So you want to be sure to take care of your feet, especially if you are new to running. Rookies tend to experience more shin splints, blisters ankle sprains and other injuries than veteran runners (but those veterans had to start somewhere, right?).

Here are some ways to help you protect your feet and ankles that will hopefully help you stay injury and blister free.

Warm up: A few Sun Salutations will get your blood flowing before a run. Or try walking briskly or running slowly for 5 minutes, followed by gently stretching your leg muscles.
Buy good running shoes: Look for good shock absorption and construction that will provide stability and cushioning to the foot. Buy shoes at the end of the day when the foot is the largest. Here's a list of running sneaks that podiatrists recommend.
Keep your feet friction free: To avoid blisters, make sure your shoes fit well and try Thorlo's "blister-proof" socks. Give these socks a try, and in general keep in mind that nylon socks tend to be more abrasive than cotton. Try lubricating the friction prone spots with vaseline, and if that just sounds too icky try powder.

There's more, so read more

Strengthen your ankles: Weak ankles make you unstable on uneven surfaces, like trail running, and more prone to sprains. Try writing the ankle alphabet daily 3 to 5 times. This movement will strengthen your ankle joint through a wide range of motion.
Stretch your calves: Tight calves can really disrupt the foot's ability to function properly. Make sure to stretch your calves out after you run. I love holding the downward facing dog pose for 10 slow breaths to get this done.
Listen to your body: If you are experiencing pain in your feet, ankles or knees, slow it down a bit or take a couple of days off. Remember, ice can be your friend in these occasions and can help decrease inflammation and promote healing.

Hope these tips help keep your feet happy, because if your feet aren't happy you're going to be miserable.

Running Tip: Try a Dynamic Warmup

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0700

When warming up for a run you have more options than just walking briskly or jogging slowly; you can warm up dynamically. Doesn't that sound like fun! Here are a few moves that prime your body for running:

High-Knee Marching: Marching in place while bringing the knees up to at least 90 degrees alternating legs, or better yet even with your belly button, is a great warm up for your hip flexors. If you plan on sprinting, this is your must-do move. Do a total of 20.
Kicking Your Bum: Yes before you let your workout kick you in the bum, you should kick your own. Stand in place and alternate legs, bringing your heel to your booty, by bending your knee. This will warm up your quad and lubricate your knee joint. Kick yourself 20 times.
Skipping: Don't underestimate the joyful childhood movement of skipping. This warms up your entire leg and gets your ankle joint primed for impact. Skip for 30 seconds.

There are three more moves, so read more.

Heel Walking: Take 20 steps walking on your heels. This move stretches the calves dynamically while prepping the front of the shin for impact.
Toe Walking: Take 20 steps walking on your toes. Doing so will warm up your feet and gently stretch the muscles around the shin.
Criss-Cross March: Lift your knee to your opposite elbow, without bending over. This is another great move for warming up your hip flexors while gently twisting your spine, which imitates how your spine will move while running. This will also gently stretch your outer thigh and glutes.

How do you warm up when you run? Share the details in the comment section below.

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Running Tip: Take a Hot Shower Before a Run

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Autumn starts today, and you may notice that your early-morning runs are cooling off. Moving tight muscles in frigid temps is a great way to pull a muscle, so here's a little tip I picked up from my running buddies. Before a long run in the cold, warm up your muscles with a hot shower. I know it may seem a little weird to take a shower before you get all sweaty, but it really works. You can do some gentle stretches in the shower while the hot stream massages your neck, shoulders, lower back, and legs. It doesn't have to be long, just five minutes or so, then you can dry yourself off, put on your gear, and head out the door feeling warm and refreshed.

Fit's Tip: If it's really chilly outside, don't wet your hair before your workout since that'll make you cold.

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Olympic-Sized Dynamic Warm Up

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Adding a dynamic warm up to your running routine is a great idea. I am not the only one who thinks so. Check out how middle distance running superstar and Olympic hopeful Shalane Flanagan warms up.

Talk about some fancy moves. To see more of her workout, go here. Is it just me, or do you feel like going for a run now too?

Dress For Cooler Weather in Layers

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:15:00 -0700

In many parts of the country (and world), the weather is turning a bit cooler. This means that your early morning and evening runs can be a bit on the chilly side. One of the best ways to run prepared is by dressing in layers.

Here's my fool proof layering system that keeps me warm and dry on even the chilliest of fall nights.

Start with a light base layer. I like my base layers to be made from a wicking material since this is the layer that lies on your skin and you want to stay dry.
The next layer should be a light top. I like long sleeved but some people prefer short sleeves. This layer does not need to be made from a wicking material because hopefully layer one is taking care of that for you.
If it's really chilly, you may want to think about adding a third layer. This layer can be anything from a lightweight fleece to a windbreaker to a water resistant jacket. It's up to you how protective or warm you want to go.
Think about wearing a hat and gloves too, especially since heat leaves your body through your head and hands as well.

If you get hot, you can always remove the top layer and tie it around your waist. I know its not the most attractive look, but it does the trick.

Fit's Tip: When layering, don't go too tight or too loose. Tight layers may cause uncomfortable chaffing or sweat rash, and too loose layers will not insulate your body as well.

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Gear Review: slotRadio by Sansa

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:20:25 -0800

I love my iPod, but there is a new music player vying for my heart: the slotRadio ($79) by Sansa.

The two-inch-by-two-inch clip-on music player comes with a data card with 1,000 songs from the Billboard music charts, with prearranged playlists by music genre. I tried the additional Health and Fitness mix, which includes the mixes for warmup, cardio, roadwork (cycling), power (lifting), yoga, cooldown, and the even more mellow spa mix.

To see what I thought of this music player, just read more.

I must admit I am a bit technically challenged - ironic since I am a blogger, I know. Even with my latent Luddite ways, I found the slotRadio super easy to use. The instruction manual was simply written with helpful graphics. Open the box, charge the radio, which took about an hour, put in your music card, and go. My inaugural run with the slotRadio was great. It clips onto your clothes and is so small and light you don't even notice it. The volume button is easy to find, as is the skip button. You can easily skip genres, too. I warmed up with Lady Gaga and Nelly and moved onto cardio with a few bands I have never heard of, like VHS or Beta. The slotRadio feels like a pop music education in a good way. This little player is a great way to introduce yourself to new music. However, I had to remove the foam covers from the earbuds to keep them from falling out of my ears.

The video screen features graphics of exercises and lets you know the next song up on the playlist so you can advance easily to find motivational music. The slotRadio is also a real radio. As an NPR junkie, I love that I can switch over to radio and catch up on news or Fresh Air while working out.

I enjoyed the Health and Fitness music card much more than the standard Billboard artist music card. Thankfully, the data cards are easy to change, and there are many options to choose from, including Christmas tunes, '80s and '90s music, Latin, and classical. The extra data cards cost $40. The slotRadio bundle comes with headphones, charger, and Billboard music card. These make a great gift for the musically impaired fitness fanatic in your life.

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FlashForward Breakdown, "The Gift"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:30:48 -0800

On this week's episode of FlashForward, we get some of those big payoffs that Sonya Walger promised. While the main characters' most important relationships grow more tense, the FBI agents learn more about the blue-hand situation, and the end of the episode has two very big twists.

There's plenty of excitement to discuss, so to get into it, just read more.

Call me Al: We don't learn much about Al in the first handful of episodes of the season, but boy do we get an eyeful and an earful this week. Turns out Al's flash-forward is a lot more jarring than just a dead bird - it's followed up with a phone call revealing that a still-mysterious chain of events ends in Al "accidentally" killing a mother of two. Throughout the episode Al seems to have a laid-back, collected demeanor (even when he opts in for a game of Russian roulette), but inside he's a mess. In the end, Al is so overcome with grief about having a death on his hands, that he decides to "change the game" and commits suicide. I have to admit, as heartbreaking as that scene is, I was kind of glad Al went through with it - just to prove that the flash-forwards aren't necessarily the future. Everything is changed now, the paths can be adjusted, and both Mark and Demetri realize this as they head home to their significant others. Now that they believe the visions can be adjusted, I can't wait to see what else they try to do to throw their visions off course.

My blue heaven: Following up on Demetri and Al's scavenger hunt to find the "blue hands," the fun continues this week as the FBI agents discover that the blue hands are actually a "death club," with meetings set up all over the country for people like Demetri who didn't see a flash-forward ("living ghosts"). It kind of reminded me of Fight Club, though Mark defines it as a "book club with bullets." The guys are hilarious in their street clothes headed to the party, though what they find inside is pretty horrific. After a quick game of Russian roulette, the guys enter what can only be defined as a torture den - people who believe they are going to die doing all kinds of creepy things to each other. I have to say, if I was one of those "living ghosts" I think I'd either be trying to do all the fun things I never got to do before - or I'd just want to get it over with. Why anyone would want to be tortured when he or she is already tormented by the idea of their inevitable death is beyond me.

Blast from the past: Aaron gets a visit from Mike, a friend and solider who served at the same time as Aaron's daughter Tracy. Mike passes on a Swiss Army knife to Aaron, a good-luck charm that Tracy wanted her dad to have should anything happen to her. Aaron is overjoyed since the knife also appeared in his vision, though Mike isn't exactly receptive to the notion that Tracy is still alive. He explains to Aaron that he watched Tracy die (though hello! He didn't even check to see if she was breathing), but surprise! Tracy is sitting in Aaron's kitchen at the end of the episode.

Other plot points:

As tensions rise between Demetri and Zoey, Demetri finally admits to Zoey that he didn't have a flash-forward and is going to die. Zoey refuses to accept it, insisting that should could feel Demetri in her vision and that nothing's been decided yet. Demetri seems skeptical about choosing Zoey's side to "hope" for the best, but after Al's suicide, he seems to have warmed up to the idea that he can change his fate.

Like Demetri, Al's death is a wake-up call for Mark. After suffering problems with Olivia (how sad is it when Charlie catches him crying?) he runs home and embraces her sweetly.

Instead of helping out at the church, Nicole lands a gig volunteering at Olivia's hospital. We learn that she speaks Japanese pretty will, and now is helping Bryce try to find the mysterious Japanese woman from his vision. Will this somehow lead to Nicole's scary vision? Is she sticking her nose where it doesn't belong?

What did you think of this week's episode? Do you think other characters will try to "change the game," too?

TV Tonight: The Season Finale of Greek

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:30:58 -0800

While college kids everywhere are about to head into that home stretch before finals, my favorite undergrads will be wrapping up another semester tonight on Greek. In the mid-season finale, we'll finally get to see Cappie and Casey as a couple again, but will it mean the end of Cappie and Evan's newfound friendship?

I admittedly was finally starting to warm up to Evan again, but the promos for tonight make it seem like he might be pulling a few jerk moves. I'm also wondering if he'll run back into Rebecca's arms after he finds out about Cappie and Casey. And does Rebecca have any leftover feelings for Cappie?

It's so hard to say good-bye, but there is one piece of good news - Greek will reportedly be back on Jan. 25, in a new time slot. So are you excited for tonight's finale?