GeekSugar

Geek Tip: Fight Hand Cramps, Carpal Tunnel With These Exercises!

GeekSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:00:07 PDT

Although doctors say that mouse and computer use is not a severe occupational hazard for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, my hand cramps up somethin' fierce after working all day. To fight those cramps, discomfort, and hand boredom in general, do these quick hand exercises from eHand for mousing relief!

Sit or stand while doing the following exercises, and hold all stretches for a count of five!

Extend your hands.
Stretch both your wrists and fingers like you're doing a handstand.
Then, straighten your wrists and relax your fingers.
Make tight fists with both hands and bend them downward.
Straighten both your wrists and relax your fingers.
If you can stand up, shake out your arms and hands.
Remouse!

Source

4 Time-Saving Tips For a Healthy Lifestyle

Leta Shy — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:18:40 PDT

Summers can be incredibly busy - between shuttling kids to and from activities to planning and going on vacation, all the activities that come along with the season can leave you pressed for time. Luckily, we've got a few suggestions for how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even if you've only got minutes to spare.

Total-body in 20: Breaking up your workout in just 10- or 20-minute increments ensures that you'll break a sweat and burn calories without having to devote too much time out of your day. Even more efficient is making sure that your workouts target all areas of your body. For short workouts that you can do anywhere, check out our fast full-body workouts.

Home cooking: It's easier to cook healthily if you've already done the legwork. Shop for produce and other groceries at the beginning of the week so you can plan every night's dinners - check out one of our healthy dinner plans for the week here. You can also store individual servings of smoothies or sauces (using an ice-cube tray!) in your freezer to have at hand while whipping up a meal.

Read on for more time-saving tips!

How Not to Destroy Your Marriage

The Good Men Project — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:30:42 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Today, Mark Tyrrell offers eight relationship tools to make your marriage work.

"All marriages are happy. It's the living together afterward that causes all the trouble." - Raymond Hull

So how do you make your marriage work? Or do you just blindly hope it'll take care of itself?

Think of a hot, successful date with someone you’re attracted to. You have fun, great conversation and more sexual chemistry than a warehouse full of pheromones. You don’t have to “work at” the date because it’s self sustaining. It runs as smoothly as the gliding hand of a classical guitar maestro and you can’t wait for another rendition.

Teenage Dating in a Twilight-Hunger Games World

But marriage, or any long term relationship; well that’s a whole other caboodle.

If we’re not careful, marriage can deteriorate into little more than a torturous assault course; littered with routine boredoms, frustrations and resentments. Couple all that with external pressures and sometimes marriage feels not worth the effort. But there are major benefits to being hitched or committed, other than just a beneficial tax regime.

Healthy marriage; healthy people.

Being happily married bestows heaps of health benefits. You might be forgiven for thinking that if you’re married you don’t live longer it just seems like it but, no, a good marriage really can help you clock up more years (1) and married people are happier (2) even though they don’t always look it from the outside.

But when marriage doesn’t work it can feel being manacled to a maniac, marooned with a misogynist or nailed to a nag. And I don’t care what the studies say, that’s not healthy. You may hear couples say stuff like: “We are making our marriage work!” but how do we do this?

Making it work.

We pay lip service to “working on the marriage” but what is the work we need to do? Marriage vows such as “to love and to cherish” and “forsaking all others, for better or for worse” don’t really tell us how to make it work, although they give us a clue.

Fortunately a ton of research has been done on what to do and not do to make your marriage, or any intimate relationship work. Follow the guidelines here to become “good at marriage."

Tip one: Be romantic but keep it real.

We are all (force?) fed romance in movies and novels. The handsome man gets the beautiful woman. But what I wonder is what happens after our romantic couple ride off into the sunset together? What do they do exactly? Bicker? Moan at one another? Start to ignore each other?

After all that romance, our beautiful couple is bound to have massive expectations of their life together. But when rose tinted expectations clash with day to reality, watch out!

Romance is vital in any relationship. Always seeing the best in your partner helps to keep things intimate and love should be expressed. But if you have been raised on Mills and Boon Romance novels or feel-good movies, then your own romantic expectations can work against the sustainability of your long term relationship.

When day to day life fails to live up to the giddy, heady lust-filled days of the pre-settled down romance people can become angry, even blame one another: “This wasn’t what I signed up for." They find it hard to take the rough with the smooth because they never really figured there would be any rough.

Expectations not diluted with at least a dash of realism can be a royal road to relationship ruin. Your partner may be an angel, but they have feet of clay. You must learn to love those feet or at least accept them a bit!

Get the rest after the jump!

3 Ways to Say Goodbye to Belly Fat

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:53:32 PDT

A nutritious diet and regular exercise have helped you reach your weight loss goal, but you're still trying to get rid of that little extra pooch around your midsection. Here are three things you can do every week to help you achieve a trimmer belly.

When eating: Take an honest look at your diet and your bathroom schedule. Your belly might not be caused by fat, but by air trapped in your digestive system. If you're not getting enough fiber (you need 25 to 30 grams a day), constipation can cause bloating. Here are some common reasons women don't get enough fiber and how to overcome them. On the other hand, overdoing it on fiber or eating too many gas-producing foods like broccoli, apples, or beans can also make your belly stick out. There are also foods you can eat, like blueberries, that are proven to diminish belly fat, so be sure to include these five fat-blasting foods in your diet.
When doing cardio: Studies show that including interval training in your cardio sessions is proven to diminish belly fat. If you find that you normally stick to a consistent pace when running, biking, or swimming, mix it up by adding 10- to 60-second fast-paced or sprinting intervals.
When strength training: Basic crunches can help tone your abs, but they only target certain abdominal muscles. Incorporate full-body exercises like side planks as well as balancing moves on a ball or on one leg to target all the muscles in your core.

Is It Unhealthy to Wear Antiperspirant While Exercising?

Jenny Sugar — Sat, 12 May 2012 19:08:01 PDT

Exercising and sweating go hand-in-hand, and since no one wants to be known for their stinky BO, for many gym-goers, gliding on antiperspirant is just like slipping on a sports bra - it's something you just don't forget. Sweating is a natural process though, and when you're working out, it's your body's way of keeping you cool and preventing heat exhaustion. Some say sweating also releases harmful toxins from your body. So is it bad to wear sweat-stopping antiperspirant to prevent your body from doing what it naturally wants to do?

When you're hot, your body emits moisture from its sweat glands to cool you down. If you wear an antiperspirant, the aluminum used in them penetrates your sweat glands and squeezes them shut, which stops the flow of sweat to the skin's surface in that area. Remember that sweat's only purpose is to cool you off, and since your armpits aren't the only place you have sweat glands, your body can still find a way to lower your body temperature if you get too hot while exercising. So as long as you can wear antiperspirant while working out without overheating, you can feel good about slathering it on to prevent odor. And don't worry about preventing the release of toxins, since only trace amounts of toxins are released from your sweat glands.

Keep reading to find out if the aluminum found in antiperspirants leads to breast cancer.

How Scarlett Johansson Got in Superhero Shape For The Avengers

Michele Foley — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:41:07 PDT

Scarlett Johansson kicks major butt as Black Widow in The Avengers, saving Earth from imminent doom, all while wearing a black catsuit. Between slipping into a skintight costume and unveiling some serious moves against Loki's army, this wasn't a character Scarlett rolled out of bed for. To prep for the physically demanding role, Scarlett worked for almost two months with trainer Bobby Strom and her stunt double Heidi Moneymaker. Keep reading to see how Scarlett got herself in svelte shape for The Avengers.

The power of circuits: Strom, who also trained Scarlett during Iron Man 2, says he used a similar training program for her reprisal of this role: 90-minute circuit workouts, multiple times per week. The goal was to get Scarlett ready for those explosive on-screen movements. Strom kept things varied through the use of dumbbells, resistance bands, medicine balls, and TRX; workouts were built around sets of 20, with 25 to 30 reps of each exercise. Strom also had Scarlett doing running intervals, both in and out of the gym. Get in superhero shape like Scarlett did by finishing our full-body circuit workout with weights.

Combative training: One of the first scenes in The Avengers shows Scarlett fighting off multiple members of the Russian mob, something which Moneymaker helped her prepare for. A longtime stunt double in the industry, Moneymaker says she and Scarlett had about six weeks to prepare for the various fight scenes in the movie, using elements of mixed martial arts (MMA) and "hand-to-hand combat and weapons training." Speaking of the role, Scarlett told Vogue, "You get beat up a lot," she says. "It's painful." Get a little MMA into your own life by doing this video workout with former Biggest Loser trainer Brett Hoebel.

An (almost) vegan diet: Scarlett arrived on set already following a healthy diet plan, one that Strom describes as "mostly vegan." He says Scarlett focused on eating several small meals each day. As was the case during Iron Man 2, there was a lot of oatmeal, fresh fruits and veggies, salads, and lean proteins.

Photos courtesy of Disney

5 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Your Outdoor Run

Shape — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:11:45 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to celebrity trainer Jay Cardiello for some help!

The weather is getting nice and you may have been bitten by the "run bug." To make the transition from indoor runs to the great outdoors seamless and safe, I compiled a list of my top five tricks to get the most out of your outdoor run. Whether you have had some success running on the treadmill, or you are completely new to outdoor running, there are two crucial factors that you must understand.

25 Most Deceiving Exercises (They Tone More Than You Think).

First, let's talk about a little guy named Newton. See, Newton has this law that states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Are you with me so far? Good. Well, with runners, the concern is what we run on. The harder the surface the greater the ground reaction force, which is basically the force exerted by the ground back onto the body (in this case, our little legs) that are in contact with it, is. To simplify this, surfaces like concrete and pavement will cause a greater reaction back into our joints and legs than an energy absorbing treadmill. This not only makes us work harder, but will tire us out faster and cause greater stress on our joints.

Are Your Workouts Causing Pain? How to Find Out.

Second, the treadmill is a flat belt that provides consistency with each step. There are no stones, traffic, or inclement weather activity that would cause you to be off balance or have to change your gait. Running outdoors forces the body to make constant small adjustments. That said, here is what’s going to make your outdoor run a successful one.

5 Unique Ways to Make the Most of Your Treadmill.

Learn how to make the most out of your outdoor runs after the break!

Amp Up Your Workout With These Balance Exercises

Susi May — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:37:25 PDT

If you're looking to amp up your fitness routine, you need to get unstable. Performing classic single-leg exercises while standing on a foam pad, like the one pictured above by Aeromat, is simple way to do this. The squishy surface forces your core and legs to work harder, increasing your strength gains and caloric burn. Standing on the soft surface also strengthens your feet and ankles, which is important if you're flirting with the barefoot running trend or plan to spend lots of time hiking hilly terrain this Summer.

To get started, try this three-exercise progression I learned from my Equinox trainer Lauren. Once you've mastered a variation, try the next level up. As you experiment with these moves, you will feel your weight shift from side to side on your foot, which means the muscles that support your arch and ankle are working. If you find your feet cramping, spread your toes wide in your shoes or try the exercise in just socks.

Learn the moves after the break.

Naomi Watts Cycles Around the City With Sasha

PopSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:02:16 PDT

Naomi Watts got some exercise as she peddled around NYC yesterday with her son Sasha. She got some fresh air while Sasha munched on pretzels during the ride. It seems that Naomi and partner Liev Schreiber enjoy cycling as a part of their routine - the duo was spotted toting their boys along on a ride earlier this month in LA. Naomi's been playing quite the balancing act between her duties at home and being a consistent supporter of Tribeca Film Festival events with Liev. The couple was hand in hand at the Tribeca Artists Dinner thrown by Chanel at NYC's Odeon last night, and was also spotted posing together at last week's Tribeca Ball.

Hollywood Secrets For Long, Lean Legs!

Self — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:30:18 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz . . . Who hasn't watched their favorite movie stars walk the red carpet and grown a little envious of their mile-long legs? Granted, most leading ladies are blessed with superior DNA, but that doesn't mean you can't score long, lean gams too! "What is possible for others is possible for you," says Barry's Bootcamp cofounder Barry Jay, the celebrity trainer behind Eliza Dushku's, Stacy Keibler's, and Juliette Lewis's fit physiques. "But be patient! If you want legs that look like Jessica Biel's, do the work!"

That means ditching the late-night pizza runs and sticking to a healthy diet. Also remember to maintain proper form during those calorie-torching sweat sessions or all of your hard work will be for naught. "Form is everything," says Jay. "Don't just do it. Do it right!"

To get started, incorporate these three moves using a set of five- to eight-pound hand weights (or set a timer for one minute per exercise if hand weights are unavailable) into your regular routine twice a week. "Good legs are important because they help your whole body change," says Jay. "You burn the most calories when you work out your legs. They are the foundation of your body, a gift, and they deserve to look their best!"

Read on for the workout.