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You Know You're A Mother When: Walking Instead of Resting

babysugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:00:56 -0700

I was chatting with a friend the other night, when she recounted her most recent toddler travel story with me and had me in hysterics. Her two-year-old son was obsessed with trains and everything Thomas related, so rather than fly to visit her parents, she took him on his first train ride. To prepare for the three and a half hour ride, she packed coloring books, magnetic games, a few new books and enough snacks to feed all of the passengers in her car.

At first, her son was mesmerized by everything on the train - the doors that slid open and shut, the conductor coming by to claim the tickets, the whir of the engine, etc. But after 45 minutes, he had had enough. He wanted to run up and down the aisles, press the buttons on the doors and explore. That's when she realized the generally relaxing train ride - that was supposed to help alleviate the stress of the airline terminal with its security line and beverage restrictions - would not be as picturesque as she had envisioned. She and her husband spent the next two hours walking from one end of the train to the other as their son did not sit down for even a minute By the time they arrived at the station, she handed her son over to her parents and told them she needed a nap since she had gotten plenty of exercise!

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Cool Idea: A Converted Train Car

CasaSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:00:29 -0700

I never thought I'd want to live in an old boxcar, until I saw this cheerful cafe built into a converted train on Treehugger. Located in Deptford, London, the pop-up shop is selling sustainably farmed coffee while the nearby train station, originally built in 1836, is being renovated.

I'm surprised how sunny and spacious the space is. It makes me want to park an old train car outside my house and use it as a guest quarters. With so many old railway cars around, I wonder why more people don't do this. What do you think of the idea?

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Oscars Trend: Jump on the Oscar Train

FabSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:30:22 -0800

Jump on the Oscar train! All you have to do is show up in a dramatic gown that has a train, big or small. A gaggle of gorgeous actresses did just that last night. They left the subtle behind and stepped it up with grandiose gowns. And, when they strutted the red carpet, their trains followed. After all, they are born leaders, always attracting followers. Get a look at the ladies, like Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard (congrats!), who rode the glamorous choo choo train.
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Headline Of The Day

GiggleSugar — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 02:00:00 -0700

Train Cancelled After Conductor Succumbs To Diarrhea

When ya gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now, you gotta go, gotta go, gotta go! But it gets even more awkward when your need to evacuate your bowels ends up evacuating an entire train--and then making headline news. Now that wouldn't sit too well with anyone! To read more, click here.

Monkey & Dog Team Take The Train

GiggleSugar — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 01:00:00 -0700

We encountered this monkey and dog team a while ago when they were engaged in a little interspecies physical fitness. This time around, the two are taking the train to who knows where. The question is: can the monkey get them there? This will not only amaze, but amuse you. C'mon, a monkey dressed in jeans trying to hitch the next train out of town while walking a pit bull on a leash-- now that's entertainment!

Train Your Whole Body, Not Just One Part

FitSugar — Wed, 23 May 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Are you guilty of training only the parts of your body that you want to improve? I know it is tempting to only train those parts that you are unhappy with, but in the long run, that's not what is best for your body.

So here is what you do: Train your body as evenly as possible. Many women (and men) will pick a body part they don't like (inner thighs, abs, butt, etc) and work more on that than on the rest of the body. Some men typically only train their upper bodies and forget about their lower bodies all together. This is bad because it can cause muscle imbalances that will lead to overuse injury, poor posture and an unintended physique. It is important to train all parts of your body along with the areas you are looking to improve. So, if you work your right side, work the left too. If you work the your front, do something to work your back too.I know it may seem counter-intuitive to train your quads (front of your legs) and your hamstrings (back of your legs), but trust me when I say that you'll be much more pleased with the end result if you take this approach.

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You Asked: How to Start Strength Training

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:00:43 -0700

Hi Fit!
I love going to the gym for cardio and I usually do about 40 minutes of the elliptical and bike. However, I'm ashamed to say I've only twice visited the weight room . . . and both those times I was too nervous and too clueless to stay for very long. The truth is, all of these weights and machines look great, but I don't know where to start! How can I finally enjoy the weight room and see some strength-training results?
Looking to Lift

Great job on doing regular cardio. I think it's great that you are looking to get over your fear of the weight room and start strength training. To learn my advice, read more.

If you want to use weight machines, the best place to start is with a session with a trainer from your gym. Many gyms offer one free session with a personal trainer to help gym members learn how to safely use the weight machines. Ask at the front desk next time you're at the gym. If they are not free, check out the price for one session so someone knowledgeable can teach you how to use the machines. You can also skip the machines and start learning strength-training moves with free weights like dumbbells or ones that require no equipment at all. There are many moves you can do in the comfort of your own home to build your confidence and strength before heading to the weight room. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; first let's take a moment to go over the basic concepts.

It is recommended that healthy adults do eight to 10 strength-training exercises using the major muscle groups on two non-consecutive days a week. To maximize strength development, added weight should be used for eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, resulting in muscular fatigue. Doing two to three sets of eight to 12 reps will work your muscles even more. Strength training three times a week will also enhance your efforts even more.

In terms of major muscle groups, think of them this way: lower body (butt, front of legs, back of legs, calves, hips, and thighs), upper body (biceps, shoulders, back, chest, and back of arms), and abs (sides, upper, and lower). And do know that over time you will need to increase the amount of weight you work with to keep challenging yourself. Plus, every month to two months you should change your strength-training routine to keep your muscles guessing.

Here are two full-body circuit workouts that you should try: the FitSugar Circuit Workout (no props required) and the FitSugar Full-Body Circuit Workout (with dumbbells). Read through these posts explaining how to use gym equipment and machines.

Good luck!

Play With Your Food: Exercise With a Pumpkin

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:34 -0700

Pumpkins just got even better. Aside from being lined with tasty seeds and being chock full of healthy goodness, the Fall staple also makes a great tool for resistance training. Confused? Think of your pumpkin as a medicine ball you can eat.

Check out this video to see how you can incorporate a pumpkin into your next workout - Halloween costume and Olivia Newton-John soundtrack optional.

Will you be doing this workout before you carve your jack-o'-lantern?

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo! lilsugar's Train Games

LilSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:15:50 -0700

All aboard! Pack your bags and whistle down the tracks with your tots! lilsugar has new downloadable train games that parents can print out before they head to the railroad station. From a cool coloring page to an I Spy and a train maze game, families can chug along to their destination in peace, since the children can entertain themselves.

If you and your junior jet-setter are traveling by car or plane, check out our other downloadable activities!

Pilates For Cross Training

FitSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:00:00 -0700

I firmly believe Pilates makes everything better. I have been selling the exercise method as a form of cross training to many of my endurance athlete friends - primarily because many endurance athletes skimp on strength training due to lack of time, lack of interest, or they just plain don't know that there are so many reasons do it.

Pilates is great for runners, swimmers, and cyclists because it works the core, and a strong stable core makes you more efficient and less prone to overuse injuries, which can plague endurance athletes. As a cross-training method, Pilates works flexibility training into the many multitasking moves that make up the exercise repertoire. Keeping muscles flexible protects your joints and helps prevent injury. Lastly, Pilates is a form of functional fitness, meaning many of the exercises translate directly into everyday actions, from lifting heavy objects to leaning forward over handle bars.

If you're training for a marathon or a long-distance swim, make sure to schedule time for cross training and be sure to check out Pilates.

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