Get a load of this article lead I saw over the weekend: “Contrary to the nurturing images of sisterhood put forth by chick flicks, female friendships can be a ticking time bomb of fickleness and judgment.” Oh, brother–I guess that makes “Bride Wars” a docu-drama, huh? Th… Read full post »

The median age of a Facebook user is 26. I am 41—and yet I’m getting peer pressure to join Facebook. Even though the over-30 crowd is the fastest growing demographic among Facebook’s more than 150 million users, I’m hesitant to join.

The Pew Internet and American Life P… Read full post »

I wrote a couple months ago about gender bias in the diagnosis of heart disease. And this week the Chicago Tribune ran a story that really drives home the importance of educating women on the symptoms and prevention of heart disease—including the American Heart Association’s (AHA’s)… Read full post »

If you plan on getting serious about fitness in the new year, you might be thinking about hiring a personal trainer. A trainer can pay off for both exercise novices and fitness veterans, but it’s important to find the right one.

How can a trainer help?

The majority of personal… Read full post »

Carbohydrates often get a bad rap, but this carb lover always stands ready to defend them, even in the face of apparently effective low-carb diets. What is life, after all, without the occasional pleasure of sugars and starches? Now I have a new, more scientifically-based defense for carbs. Researche… Read full post »

It’s Monday, and you’re dragging at work (or at play)—what do you do? While a cat nap might be tempting, you’re probably more likely to hit Starbucks. Depending on your tasks, though, a nap might be just the ticket.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH),… Read full post »

My never-ending quest to get to the bottom of my latest running injury continues, so I was struck by a particularly intriguing explanation I recently stumbled across: I don’t eat enough fat! Okay—I’m making a bit of a self-serving leap, but I did find a study called “Fat intak… Read full post »

Can video games replace your trips to the gym? Nintendo’s release of Wii just before the holidays in 2006 set off a frenzy among even those who weren’t traditional gamers and prompted some to wonder whether the interactive sports games could improve fitness. According to research s… Read full post »

The very first marathon runner, setting out in 490 B.C.,  presumably ran barefoot (true, he is said to have died at the end, but let’s set that aside). So do we really need $100 running shoes today?

Photo from The Final Sprint (http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2007/12/move-of-the-day-… Read full post »

Circuit training gained notice in recent years with the rise of facilities like Curves. While questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the Curves program, the underlying concept of circuit training can pay off if done correctly. And circuit training is yet another type of exercise you ca… Read full post »

We’ve been hearing for years about how the Mediterranean diet is associated with longer, healthier lives. Now comes word that Mediterranean eating habits have been Americanized. As a result, the people of Greece, Italy and Spain are seeing an increase in diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood p… Read full post »

Use your own body weight to shape up

Get ready to give up another excuse not to strength train—you don’t need to join a gym, build your own or buy even simple equipment to get in shape. You can use just the weight of your body to gain strength and flexibility.… Read full post »

Lately I’ve noticed more people at the gym using a piece of equipment that looks like something Bugs Bunny might drop off a cliff onto the Roadrunner. Often described as cannonballs with handles, these kettlebells  (sometimes called “kettle balls“) offer a calorie-burning worko… Read full post »

A woman’s history of vaginal orgasm is discernible from her walk. That, believe it or not, is the title of a study published in the September issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

The study was conducted to determine if appropriately trained sexologists could infer women’s histo… Read full post »

Back when I wrote my review of the Nike + iPod system, I included a link to an iPod armband/shoe pouch combo available on Amazon (the shoe pouch holds the Nike + sensor in non-Nike shoes). I mentioned that I might order the package because I wasn’t digging my current armband… Read full post »

Bored with your cardio workout, or just pressed for time? Interval training may be the ticket to reinvigorate your routine and get better results in less time. And it’s not just for runners.

Interval training basically calls for adding bursts of activity to your workout. It&rsquo… Read full post »

Many of us turn to weight-lifting to tackle our strength training needs. But we can easily sabotage our efforts by making some common mistakes. These mistakes undermine your goals—stronger muscles and bones and a charged-up metabolism—and could lead to injury.

Watch out for these… Read full post »

Between baseball’s pennant races and the return of football, this weekend offers a wealth of viewing for sports fans. And if the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat aren’t enough to draw you in, now comes word that playing sports—or even just watching them—improves langu… Read full post »

Remember when cross-trainers were the latest thing in athletic shoe world? Sure, you do—you’re in your 40s (or thereabouts)! The idea was that you could wear one shoe for all types of activities—running, tennis, basketball, weight-lifting, etc. The shoes’ popularity seems to h… Read full post »

Intellectual exercise, that is

Researchers in Canada have found that “intellectual” or “knowledge-based” work leads to a significant increase in calorie intake. The results of their study suggest that those who spend considerable time on intellectual work are at greater risk f… Read full post »

Like most people, I generally only eat jelly beans around Easter. But I recently sampled a line from Jelly Belly called Sport Beans —so-called “energizing jelly beans.” According to JB, the beans are “packed with power and clinically proven to maximize sports performanc… Read full post »

What are the rules of the road when a path is used by walkers, runner, cyclists and bladers? It’s a subject that’s near and dear to my heart—and not just because of my recent run-in with a dog walker who called me an “a**hole.”

Having piqued your curiosity… Read full post »

When snack-makers started offering some of their treats in 100-calorie-sized packages, it seemed like a dream come true for those watching their weight. But two studies in the Journal of Consumer Research indicate that the small packages can backfire and actually cause weight gain.

One study conclude… Read full post »