Blog Posts by FitSugar

Source: How to Beat the Summer Heat and Still Work Out

Warmer, sunny days are finally here, but after exercising in cooler Spring temps, hot and humid 80-degree days can feel overwhelming. Running, biking, hiking, even walking feels harder in the heat, so here are some tips to help you get through your Summer workouts.

• Be flexible about when you work out: Become obsessed with checking the weather, and find out when temps are going to be the lowest that day. Sometimes it's early in the morning, and sometimes late in the evening, so you'lll need to rearrange your schedule to fit in exercise during the coolest time of day. A plus about morning workouts is many of your neighbors might be watering their lawns, so you can run through their sprinklers to stay even cooler.
• Invest in some wicking clothes: Lightweight, breathable, wicking clothes are a must. They'll pull moisture away from your skin, so you really do feel cooler. Wearing a hat to keep the hot sun off your head

Source: Float On: Reasons to Try a Sensory Deprivation Chamber

Last weekend, I went far outside my comfort zone and hung out in a float tank. Also referred to as sensory deprivation chamber, the floating experience is fairly straightforward: you hang out in a warm, dark soothing salt bath and are forced to relax without any outside influences. These aspects combined bring your brain to the theta state - the frequency it experiences just before going to sleep. If this is the first you're hearing about the concept of an isolation tank, then don't let the name scare you off! I found it to be an incredibly relaxing escape, and it offers a bounty of health benefits. Here are a few reasons I think you should take the plunge and try it out yourself.

• It eases chronic pain: Floating is an incredible resource for people who suffer from arthritis or chronic pain from an old injury. Not only do they experience a sense of weightlessness that takes the pressure off their pain, but also, the

FitSugarSource: Your Guide to Losing Weight This Summer

You've prepped for Summer all Spring, so why let all your hard work go to waste with those calorie-filled warm-weather pitfalls? Keep the weight loss going with our 10 tips for dropping pounds this Summer.

• Get That Bikini Body: When Summer comes around, we're all about getting ready for the beach. If you're prepping your bikini body in time for an Independence Day getaway, read our two-weeks-to-the-beach diet and exercise plan.
• Take It Outside: Go ahead, get out of the gym. If you're not used to exercising outdoors, what better time to start than when the weather's on your side? Beat the heat and go for an early morning or evening workout when temps are more manageable. For ideas, read our tips for moving your run outdoors and check out our ideas for how to strength train outside.
• Have a Healthy BBQ: Another sunny weekend, another barbecue to attend. Before your grilling escapades undo your disciplined week, arm

Source: 10 Healthy Perks I Miss From My College Days

School's out, and for many newly minted college grads, it's finally out for good. And while all of us college grads - recent or not so much - may remember the lack of sleep, the study session snack attacks, the constant eating out, and other memories of a not-so-fit past, there were also many healthy perks from being a college student. Here's a look at 10 fit and fun things I miss most about those years.

1. Workout buddies: For me, workout buddies are important to my gym routine: we motivate and hold each other accountable when anyone feels like canceling. And in college, it was hard to back out on a daily run when my workout buddy was just a few dorm rooms away.
2. Free use of the gym: I got my first taste of treadmills and weight rooms at the sports center at my university, which brings me to another reason why workout buddies are a necessity - they can show you how to work the equipment so you don't feel embarrassed

Source: 8 Ways to Get More Out of Your Weekend Workouts

Happy Friday! There's no doubt the weekend is on your mind, and for most, it means a lighter schedule to do what you want when you want. With no meetings to run off to or deadlines to meet, you have more time to devote to your sweat sessions, so here are some ways to get more out of your weekend workouts.

1. Go long: Without having to squeeze in your workout before, during, or after your nine-to-fiver, you have more time to devote to exercising, so use your weekend to do longer workouts. If you normally run or swim for 30 minutes, go for 45 or even 60. Or sign up for a two-hour hip-hop dance workshop.
2. Fill in holes: With limited availability during the week, you might only have time to do cardio and that's it. So use your time on the weekend to devote to areas of your workout that you miss like strength training or stretching.
3. Break away from routine: During the week, you stick to the workouts you're used

Source: Mistakes You're Making in Fitness Class

Those fitness classes at your gym are great for many reasons - they challenge and motivate you, especially when you don't want to work out by yourself. But to get the most out your fitness class, make sure you avoid these mistakes.

You don't watch your form: Go ahead, check yourself out. Many fitness classes are held in rooms with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, which are a great way to ensure that you're following along with the instructor correctly. Stake a spot where you have a clear front or side view of your body while you work out so you can ensure that you're doing the moves correctly.

You're not consistent: It's good to change up your routine regularly so you don't get bored, but if you want to see results from your fitness class, then it's all about consistency. Many class instructors slowly raise the difficulty for their regular students as the weeks go on, ensuring that your body won't plateau and that you're building your

Source: Don't Just Go For the Whites: 4 Reasons to Eat Whole Eggs

After a couple of decades of being considered not so good for you, eggs have definitely made a healthy comeback. If you skip the scrambled eggs breakfast because you're worried about the fat or cholesterol affecting your heart health, here are some reasons you shouldn't avoid eating whole eggs.

• One whole egg contains 185 milligrams of cholesterol (egg whites contain none). The daily recommended cholesterol limit is less than 300 milligrams for people with normal LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, so you can enjoy a whole egg each day, as long as you don't go overboard on other cholesterol-filled foods such as meat and dairy products.
• The white part of the egg may contain most of the protein, but the yolk contains most of the egg's nutrients. One yolk has 21.9 mg of calcium, 245 IU of vitamin A, 18 IU of vitamin D, 66.3 mg of phosphorus, and 24.8 mcg of folate.
• Having eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight. One

Source: 3 Tips For Making Quick and Healthy Lunches

Do you always rush to get a few bites of lunch in before getting back to your busy schedule? There's not always time during the day to prepare a meal, and sometimes even making lunch the night before can seem like too much work. Preparing a nutritious and filling lunch doesn't mean spending hours in the kitchen. Here are ways to quickly whip up a healthy midday meal.

Double Up When making dinner, always make extra. Grill up two pieces of salmon, cook up one cup of quinoa, and steam a bunch of broccoli. Eat half for dinner and place the remaining food in a reusable container. Boom - tomorrow's lunch is ready.

Partly Premade Who says a healthy lunch has to be completely homemade? If part of your lunch is premade, it'll save you lots of prep time. Place a frozen veggie burger patty in a container in the fridge with a whole-wheat bun, lettuce, and tomato, or buy precooked organic grilled chicken breast strips and add them to a