Gear Review: New Balance WX710 Cross-Trainer Shoes

When it comes to working out, I like to be outside. For outdoor runs I wear my Lunar Glides , and when I’m trekking in the mountains I stick to my Nike Wildedge approach shoes . Unfortunately, getting an outdoor workout isn’t always in the cards, in which case, I hit the gym near my office. Since I don’t like lugging around a lot of stuff and I’m pretty non-committal about what piece of gym equipment I use, I wanted a light and versatile pair of gym sneakers. It also made sense that they shouldn’t be too pricey since they weren’t going to be my primary kicks. So when New Balance sent me a pair of its WX710 cross-trainers ($60), I was stoked to try them out. These shoes are light, way light. At 7.6 ounces per shoe, they weigh less than any sneaker I’ve owned and I barely even feel them in my bag. Apparently, the cushions of the shoes are made with a patented foam that’s 12 percent lighter than other foams on the market. Weight seems like a small point to make, but when you’re lugging around workout clothes, a laptop, and stuff from the office, every ounce you can shave off counts. And with all the caps on baggage allowances these days, I’m definitely making these sneakers my go-to fitness shoes for traveling. To see what I liked and didn’t like about these shoes, read more. I’m not going to lie, these are not the cutest looking shoes. I’ve never been a fan of white sneakers and these have that sort of generic ’90s gym shoe look that I hate. But I’m not at the gym to look good so I got over how bright they were pretty quickly. They fit well and provide support in all the right places without feeling too cushiony or soft, which is a plus. I definitely am the type of person who likes to still feel my foot working inside of my shoes. Also, the lightness of the shoe really came into play while working out on the stationary bike because I didn’t have a heavy foot weighing down the pedals. They have good traction too - there was one day in particular that I rode the bike without pedal buckles and my feet didn’t slip off once. On top of that, the mesh is pretty breathable so my feet stayed nice and cool during my workouts. While I wouldn’t recommend these shoes for running - I think your feet will feel too vulnerable in them - they make a good all-around gym, strength training, or walking shoe. If white is not your thing, don’t worry, they come in silver and black too.

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Gear Review: New Balance WX710 Cross-Trainer Shoes

Fit Tip: Drop and Give Me 10

When it comes to working out, I used to believe that it was all or nothing. I either had to fully commit to an hour at the gym or skip it altogether. Sometimes I’m busy, and to break it down to you, I don’t always have an hour chunk in my day to work out. My guess is that it’s probably the same for many others out there. Since they’re running late for their yoga class, they skip it altogether. Since it’s too cold to go for a run, they watch TV instead. Instead of bowing out completely, use whatever extra minutes you might have to fit in exercise throughout your day. On days when I can’t make it to the gym, I do a few sets of sit-ups or lunges in my bedroom or go for a 10-minute bike ride in my neighborhood. A friend of mine has been known to do a five-minute yoga sequence in her office. Whatever you choose, it’s important for our physical and mental health to get moving - even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time. What sort of miniworkouts will you do?

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Fit Tip: Drop and Give Me 10

Can My Earbuds Give Me an Ear Infection?

When the weather isn’t good for exercising outdoors I run on a treadmill, sometimes for well over an hour. No matter how many fans are blowing and how many windows are open at the gym, I seem to sweat 10 times more when I’m running indoors than when I’m running outside. I always cue up an inspiring playlist on my iPod - especially for long indoor runs - but lately I’ve been having a problem with sweat getting into my ears during the runs and wondered if sweat in my ears (ew!) might cause an ear infection. Since using in-ear headphones does increase bacterial growth in your ears , the headphones I use for running are no exception. Plus, there’s the chance of developing swimmer’s ear , which occurs when water - or anything else, cotton swabs included - gets into your inner ear and breaks down the skin, allowing bacteria inside. Luckily I’m not sweating profusely enough to warrant shaking out any excess sweat that gets into my ear canal after a long run - how funny would that look? But to minimize ear infection risk, it’s important to keep your earbuds clean, especially after a long sweaty workout or after storing them in a stuffy gym bag.

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Can My Earbuds Give Me an Ear Infection?

Get Fit For 2010: Challenge 8, Motivational Quote

Have you found your motivation to meet your healthy goals waning? We could all use a few words of encouragement to help us get off the couch and to resist the office doughnuts. This week’s challenge : write a blog post in the Get Fit group sharing your favorite motivational quote . Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words, so be sure put an image with your quote. Sharing about your motivational quote in our community group also enters you to win our fabulous grand prize: a $1,000 gift card from Nike ; a year of personalized nutrition plans by nutritionist Alexa Fishback , plus a copy of her book ; a year membership to 24 Hour Fitness for you and a friend; and two Bodybuggs . At the end of three months, we will pick a grand prize winner at random from all of the entries in all of the weekly challenges. The more you participate, the more chances you have to win the grand prize! A little extra motivation to help you meet your healthy goals for 2010. If you’re not already a member of the PopSugar Community, register here now. Click here for the official rules . You have until 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, March 7, to complete this challenge. C’mon now - motivate me!

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Get Fit For 2010: Challenge 8, Motivational Quote

Your Tips: How to Avoid Getting Sick

To prevent the icky sickies from sidelining you from work and life, here are some ways fellow FitSugar readers avoid getting ill this season . “Wipe down my work area once a week (you never know who is at your desk when you’re not in the office) with Lysol wipes (I do this for door areas and door handles at home too).” - SweetlyBlessed83 “I drink lots of water and I use a neti pot once a day. I also drink green tea for the antioxidants and try as much as possible to exercise and eat healthy.” - kimmieb124 Leene says, “Wash [my] hands all the time. Every few hours at least. When I come home, I wash them immediately.” “I get eight hours of sleep a night and eat a well-balanced diet supplemented by a multivitamin. That’s all; I never get sick!” - onlysourcherry “When I go to the gym, I bring my own towel and disinfect machines and equipment before I use them. And when I go to yoga, I bring my own mat (who knows what germs are lurking on used studio mats).” - snowdaytoday 2muchTV says, “Don’t touch your face. Ever. If you have to, use the back of your hand.” “If hubby gets sick, we sleep in separate rooms!” - oceanchica “I never put food in my mouth unless I’ve washed my hands” - filmgirl81 Spectra , a microbiologist, says, “Eat lots of fruits and veggies and yogurts to build up a good intestinal flora. Most of your body’s immune system is in your gut . . . by keeping it full of ‘good’ bugs, the bad ones can’t grow.” “Stay away from sick people.” - angelina8023

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Your Tips: How to Avoid Getting Sick

Match the Celebrity to Her Workout

While most of Hollywood is all about getting fit, each star has their own way of staying healthy. Some love to run, others bike, and a few even surf . Do you know which workouts the stars count as their faves? Take my quiz and try to match the celeb to her workout.   Question 1 of 5 Can you guess which MTV reality star is in serious love with her spin classes? Lauren Conrad Whitney Port Lo Bosworth

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Match the Celebrity to Her Workout

Healthy Recipe: Veggie Stir-Fry With Tuna

In our Healthy Recipe Group , FitSugar Community member Lauren shared this yummy recipe for a veggie stir-fry with tuna. Once a week, my husband and I always make a stir-fry for dinner. Most of the time it is all vegetables since both of us often crave veggie dishes. But this last week, we opted to experiment with both fresh bamboo since I have only used canned and a half pound of tombo tuna. The bamboo shoots were much more tasty fresh than the canned counterpart and a wonderfully crunchy addition to my stir-fry. There was not a ton of tuna in the stir-fry but it was nice touch of protein for the dish. I love stir-frys since you can add whatever you have on hand! See the recipe when you read more. Veggie Stir-fry with Tuna Original Recipe Ingredients 1 shallot, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch slices 2 small green zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch slices 1/2 cup fresh bamboo, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces 1/2 cup frozen soy beans 1/2 cup bean sprouts 1/2 pound fresh tuna, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 3 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil 2-3 tablespoons lite soy sauce 1 tablespoon sriracha, if desired Directions Use one tablespoon of oil and heat up the wok. Cook the shallots and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add more oil, if needed. The carrots go next since they will take longer to cook than the other ingredients. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the carrots are just starting to get tender. Add the soy beans and bamboo shoots. Add zucchini and red bell pepper, ginger. Add the soy sauce and sriracha and cook until all of the veggies are nearly done. Just before the veggies are done, make space in the bottom of the wok and make sure it is hot. Place the bean sprouts on top of the veggies to heat them thoroughly. Sprinkle a little more oil in the bottom of the pan and sear the tuna. It should only take a few minutes at most. Serve with rice or just by itself with extra soy sauce, if needed. Makes 4-6 servings. Print recipe with images | without images If you’re cooking up a healthy recipe this week, be sure to snap a picture and share it in our Healthy Recipe Group . I know our readers will want to try it!

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Healthy Recipe: Veggie Stir-Fry With Tuna

Smarter Eats: Keep a Stash of Healthy Snacks at Your Desk

In the past, whenever my co-workers and I got hungry, we would hightail it to the nearest food mart - some of my colleagues never even made it past the break room vending machine. Not only is this bad for the wallet, it’s also bad for the waistline. Mostly everything in a vending machine is crap, and most mini marts don’t offer much beyond chips and candy. One way to eat healthier is to always make sure you have access to nutritious foods. Since this can be a problem at work, I’ve started stashing healthy snacks at my desk. That way, when I’m hungry I can grab something that’s good for me instead of heading out to find the least offensive food culprit. Having healthy snacks at your desk is also a great way to curb hunger before it gets too great. During the workday, it’s especially important that the body gets the fuel it needs to remain energized and alert. My current snack stash includes almonds, whole wheat crackers, granola, and satsuma oranges - I also keep yogurt and nonfat milk in the office refrigerator. Before you head to work, put a few healthy snacks in your bag that you can keep at your desk; it’s definitely a nice treat to give yourself during the day.

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Smarter Eats: Keep a Stash of Healthy Snacks at Your Desk

Why Do YOU Want to Lose Weight?

sxc.hu: mzacha According to the Office of the Surgeon General, The primary concern of overweight and obesity is one of health and not appearance. What do you think of this statement? Does it represent your thoughts on why you want to lose weight? Or, those of the overweight population as a whole? I think there are a lot of people out there more concerned with what they look like, than the health consequences of being overweight. Continue reading…

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Why Do YOU Want to Lose Weight?

Save Money and Calories: Coffee at Your Desk

There are a lot of hidden calories in espresso drinks , especially holiday offerings like pumpkin spice lattes . A cup of plain coffee is usually a safe bet calorie wise but buying one cup a day can easily amount to five hundred dollars a year. Some break rooms have coffee machines but the stuff that comes out of those things are usually pretty gross tasting. With a little creativity (and a hot water source) you can enjoy a good, cheap cup of coffee right at your desk. Not only will it taste better and save you money, it will also allow you to cut back on waste by eliminating all those paper cups. To get started you’ll need a mug and some coffee beans. I like to buy good coffee beans since they can really make or break how coffee tastes. Buying good beans is still cheaper than going out for coffee everyday. Have your local coffee shop grind the beans, or for ultimate freshness bring a small coffee grinder to the office. Decide how you’ll brew your coffee. A reusable single cup filter tends to be the easiest method, but you can also opt for a 12-ounce french press or an automatic single cup coffeemaker . Now all you need is hot water. Most offices have a water cooler with a hot water spigot or a microwave that you can use to heat water up. For a few more tips, read more. I keep a small carton of milk in the office refrigerator to add to my coffee, but in a pinch I’ve also used shelf stable organic non-dairy creamer . If you like the flavors of Fall make a nice spice mix of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves to sprinkle over the top. Another option is nixing the mini coffee station altogether, and asking if any of your co-workers (or boss) can chip in for an office coffee maker and weekly allowance of beans. A shout-out to Fit tea drinkers: don’t be embarrassed to set up a mini tea station at your desk too! I always keep a variety of tea bags at my desk when I need a pick-me-up.

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Save Money and Calories: Coffee at Your Desk

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