GeekSugar

MTV Introduces Virtual Hills and Laguna Beach

GeekSugar — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:48:39 PST

Earlier this month, MTV jumped on the geeky virtual reality bandwagon by introducing Virtual Hills and Laguna Beach where users can interact in the same environment as the Laguna Beach characters. You can choose your own wardrobe, meet others and shop for the hottest trends. A little FYI - MTV plans to show episodes in Virtual Laguna Beach a day before they are shown on TV so you can get your Laguna fix before everyone else.

View 5 Photos ›

Kim Kardashian Hits the Beach the Day Before Her Wedding

Lauren Turner — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 09:07:47 PDT

Kim Kardashian kicked off her shoes to take pictures at a beach in LA yesterday. She and her nephew Mason, along with photographers and a camera crew, captured a few sweet moments in the sand just hours before Kim's big day. The quick photo session was part of an evening that also included another prewedding gathering in Montecito, where Kim and Kris Humphries will tie the knot today. The duo already hosted a rehearsal dinner in Beverly Hills on Thursday, and it looks like the latest event was also full of friends and family. Kim finished her fun night off with a brow treatment by Anastasia and she was up early this morning to share her excitement about her nuptials. Kim exclaimed, "Today is the day!" on her website and urged fans to sign her virtual guest book.

Two Reasons to Run Uphill and Three Tips to Get You to the Top

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:47:16 PDT

Hopefully you have hopped off the ol' treadmill now that it's Spring and are running in the great out-of-doors. A major challenge of taking your running to the streets is hills. Many runners avoid the incline, but here are some reasons why you shouldn't skip the hills and tricks for mastering the climb.

Running hills works your upper leg muscles more than running on flat ground. It also targets the backside, strengthening and toning the booty and the hamstrings.
Another selling point for running hills (if toning your fanny wasn't enough) is that the muscle groups you use to climb hills are virtually the same as those you use for sprinting, so hill work enhances your speed by building strength. In other words, the benefits of running uphill translate to running flats.
If you haven't given up the treadmill, do note that each one percent increase in the elevation angle requires four percent more energy, so the incline forces you to work harder. Make the most of your time on the machine by pumping up the incline with this rolling hills workout for the treadmill.
You should, however, be cautious about "hill work" if you have an injury in your calf or Achilles tendon since the running on inclines can aggravate these injuries. Even if you don't, you should still be sure to stretch these areas of your legs especially well after your workout.
When running uphill, gaze up to where you're going and not at your feet. Looking forward helps you keep your head up to maintain good posture, making it easier to breathe - and trust me, you're going to need all the oxygen you can get.

Looking for tips on how to get down the other side of the hill? Check out: Learn to Love: Running Downhill.

Shoe Review: Mizuno Wave Prophecy

Leta Shy — Fri, 06 May 2011 04:04:15 PDT

I've been a fan of Mizuno's running shoes since my first pair of Alchemy shoes, so I was excited when I heard I'd be able to test out the newest offering from the company, the Mizuno Wave Prophecy ($200).

The Wave Prophecy is the result of over seven years of research to improve the company's signature Wave technology. This model debuts the full-length Infinity Wave Plate, which runs along the entire length of the sole. The Wave Prophecy uses the two stacked plates to provide runners with performance-enhancing technology like optimal energy disbursement and what Mizuno calls a "dynamic feel" for your whole foot.

The new technology sounded enticing, but since the Wave Prophecy isn't a stabilizing shoe like my Alchemy faves, I was curious to see how they'd feel on my overpronating feet. I tried them out on the treadmill and outside on hills and in the park. Want to know what I thought? Read my review after the break.

Jodie Foster's House For Sale

Shelterpop — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 04:00:05 PDT

Start your week off right -- with a cup of coffee and a virtual tour of our celebrity home of the day. Today: Jodie Foster lets us in.

Actress Jodie Foster just put her Beverly Hills house on the market. Sitting on just under an acre of land, the house has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms. The cost? $9.975 million. The home was built in 1949, but from what we see, it has held up just fine.

Thanks to our friends at Realtor.com, we have some photos from around the exterior of Foster's Cape Cod-style home.

The brick steps and terracotta pots are flanked by lush greenery -- that even sneaks onto the stairs themselves. It all leads you to the front patio. Don't the climbing vines and flowers make the house look so welcoming and full? And who knew the asymmetrical florals could pack such an impact?

This home is a little large to be called a cottage, but that's the feel we get from these photos. Looking through the bushes, we want to skip -- yes, skip -- down the stone path. It's like we just discovered a secret garden. The vines growing up the back of the house are just as lush and kept as the front.

And like every true celebrity home, Foster's house has a stunning pool. The perfect setting for large barbecues or private afternoons, this is a great space to relax and have a good time.

Did you miss any of our celebrity homes last week? Take a look of our Celebrity Homes of the Week round-up to take a peek at each.

Check out a few more of our favorite ShelterPop stories recently:

Lose Belly Fat With Intervals

FitSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:00:00 PST

While focusing on crunches will definitely strengthen your abs, it unfortunately won't dissolve the tire or muffin top around your waist. To get rid of ab flab, you've got to include gut-wrenching, calorie-burning cardio regularly in your routine. And not just any kind of cardio - you need interval training. Alternating between moderate and speedy bursts is the key. How do I know?

A recent study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed that "women who alternated cycling as fast as possible for 8 seconds with 12-second rest periods repeated for 20 minutes dropped 9.5 percent of their mushy middles, whereas those who cycled steadily for 40 minutes gained."

If you need some interval training ideas to beat the bulge

read more. You can do intervals with virtually any type of activity. Here are some ways to do it:

Use visual goals. Run or bike at a moderate pace, and then look ahead and sprint to the mailbox that's 50 feet away, or up the hill, or to the end of the street. Once you reach your goal, reduce back to your moderate speed. After your breathing returns to normal, choose another goal to race to.
Use time. Watch the clock and move moderately for five minutes and then zoom as fast as you can for one minute. Repeat this pattern for at least 30 minutes.
Use music. Make an interval playlist, alternating between fast-paced peppy tunes, and slower, chill tunes. Walk, run, or dance to the beat. Here are some of my playlists for intervals.
Use a FitSugar interval workout. I always find it is easier to follow a cardio routine and intervals are no exception. I have made many interval workouts, from treadmill to swimming, from stationary bike to elliptical.

Source