No-slip Yoga Socks. Photo: gaiam.com

Let me know if this sounds familiar. You're in downward dog, in your living room, and you're really feeling it -- you feel centered, you're getting a great stretch, and then ... your sweaty feet start sliding around, and all of your concentration goes toward keeping your feet in place.

Ideally, a nonslip mat would solve the problem, but you don't want to be limited to that space, do you? Gaiam has another solution -- No Slip Yoga Socks. Sure, they look a bit like the slipper-socks you're given when you're in the hospital, but these socks have individual toes, so you'll experience the same toe-wiggling freedom as if you were barefoot. Added bonus -- less exposure to foot fungus, which is always a good thing.

They're available in two women's sizes, S/M or M/L, and you get two pairs of black socks for $19.98.

Maybe your knees feel a little creaky when you get up from your chair, or maybe it's your back that's giving you some trouble. Either way, this week's Gaiam giveaway is perfect for you -- two winners will have their choice of a back support or a knee support!

They're high quality and even help promote healing, so if you're feeling any pain, there's no reason not to enter. Head on over to the original giveaway post and leave a comment to get entered today. You only have until Friday at 5 p.m. to enter, so hurry!

Many of us have aches and pains, but sometimes, they do more than cause a groan when we stand after sitting for too long -- often, painful joints can keep us from being active, which leads to weaker muscles and doesn't exactly contribute to optimum health. So, aside from asking someone near and dear to you to constantly massage the affected area, you need to get the right kind of support, and this week, we might be able to help you out.

You could win either a Back Support or a Zeuba Vital Knee Support, both from Gaiam. Both not only offer support, but also provide circulation-stimulating compression to help injuries heal faster. They can be worn during rigorous activity or just while going about your daily routine.

The Zeuba Vital Knee Support has actually been used by Olympians for decades and features an athletic, visco-elastic massage ring that activates and stabilizes muscles, as well as an adjustable Turbo-Strap that exerts pressure on the thigh to improve coordination for running. And, as always, entering to win these great prizes is a cinch!

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us which of your body parts needs the most support.
  
• The comment must be left before 5pm ET on Friday, May 15, 2009.
  
• You may enter only once.
• Two winners will be selected in a random drawing.
  
• Two winners will receive his or her choice of the Back Support (valued at $134) or a Zeuba Vital Knee Support (valued at $66).
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• Click here for complete Official Rules. Winners will be notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you've won!

Source

Walking can be great exercise, no doubt. But, what if you want to take things up a notch? I mean, you can only walk so fast before you're running, and if you have a set amount of time to workout, you can only walk for so long. But, regardless of how fast or how far you're walking, you can add weight to your workout to increase your calories burned, weight lost, and bone density.

A lot of experts have spoken out against hand and ankle weights because of the stress they put on your joints, but those aren't the only weights available. Gaiam offers a WalkVest Kit that includes a weighted vest and 30 minute workout DVD and 20 minute audio CD. The WalkVest was invented by Debbie Rocker, the inventor of Spinning, back in 2003. Debbie is a former professional athlete, World Record holder in cycling, fitness expert and personal trainer.

The WalkVest is currently used by people of all types -- health professionals, celebrities (like the recently slimmed down Valerie Bertinelli), professional athletes, and mere mortals like us. What's great is that it's adjustable, so it's comfortable whether you're big or small, plus the weight itself is adjustable. The WalkVest comes with eight half-pound weights, but you can purchase more weights -- up to 16 pounds!

Walking is certainly an effective workout, but if you're looking for a simple way to give your weight loss efforts a boost, this might be just what you need. Get the vest for $50 and five pounds of extra weight for $30.

Source

Vibration training has been getting a lot of buzz over the last couple of years -- Madonna is said to use it, and a number of gyms and health clubs are shaking things up for their clients with it too. But really, it's nothing new. Olympic athletes have actually been incorporating vibration training into their workouts for more than 40 years!

But, what if your gym doesn't have a whole-body vibration training machine? Or what if you just prefer working out at home? What can you do? Because, unless you're Samantha from "Sex and the City," I'm going to bet you don't have the tools at home to create enough vibration.

Fortunately, Gaiam has the ChiVibe, a whole-body vibration machine for your home. It has a wide, long base and offers optional resistance cords to help you intensify the results. The high-frequency vibration impulses are supposed to contract your muscles, which will help you achieve greater muscle strength and bone density in addition to better circulation and speedier weight loss.

Source

When I worked in an office, I was that girl who pushed her swivel chair away in favor of sitting on an exercise ball. To be honest, I don't know that I noticed a huge difference, but I actually found it to be really comfy and kind of fun. The only problem was when I'd get up from my desk -- it would roll away and get in the way, which is totally embarrassing if you're talking to a customer. Trust me.

Gaiam has come up with a solution -- the BalanceBall Chair, which, according to their website, "combines exercise and fitness with comfort and ergonomic support for an affordable price." At $99, it is pretty affordable, especially when you consider the fact that you'll get use out of it every day at work!

But how does it improve your fitness level? Well, for one thing, just sitting on a ball, rather than a flat seat, engages your core. Holding yourself straight requires all of the muscles through your core to remain active, whereas with a comfy seat, you might be inclined to slouch down. But that's not all.

Source

Being a steward of our natural resources is a gratifying adventure. Whether global warming is a theory you embrace or dismiss, most of us are varying shades of green when it comes to the footprint we leave on the environment. Maybe you are an avid recycler, drive a hybrid, a Sierra Club member or simply grow heirloom tomatoes in your garden. Each and every decision makes a difference.

Even the fitness clothing we purchase can impact the earth's natural resources, depending on the philosophy of the clothing manufacturer. Design, durability and use of recycled materials go a long way to lessen the stress on our planet.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, GoLite is a leading manufacturer of lightweight outdoor adventure clothing and gear. Their designs use less raw materials, incorporate recycled contents where feasible, and they even offer a lifetime guarantee on every product to reduce consumerism. Other on-line clothing manufacturers to consider are Gaiam, Patagonia and Timberland. Check out this recent article summarizing the philosophies of these four eco-friendly sources for fitness clothes and gear. GoLite and Go Green!

Source

I dusted off my easiest yoga tape late last night and popped it into the VCR. Yes, this tape is old -- the VCR, mind you. I haven't done yoga in four months. No boos from the fit-crowd, I have a legitimate excuse -- I ruptured my achilles tendon on May 3. I'm healing well, but a yoga-less existence made this bod tight, brittle, and sore. Aaaahhh, for 30 minutes I gently stretched, modified positions as necessary, and felt the glory while reaching my arms to the sky in a series of sun salutations.

Too lazy to roll up that purple yoga mat, my kids were greeted with a bright, squishy rectangle this morning. They also spotted the battered yoga tape lying next to the TV. The clutter elicited a positive response -- my three-year-old daughter put in the tape and immediately began gentle spinal twists, sun salutations and a Namaste gesture. She used to be my yoga buddy. She'd missed it, too.

I saw the proof this morning. Modeling fitness to your kids is a promotional strategy. So leave the 3 pound barbells and yoga mat lying around. Invite your kids to occasionally workout with you. Until puberty, they pretty much want to be with you most of the time. By the independent teen years, perhaps they'll go jogging before the party.

I purchase all my yoga tapes through Gaiam, a trusted source serving yogis of all levels, even kids.

Source