Blog Posts by FITNESS Magazine

Congrats on your little bundle of joy, B!By Jocelyn Voo

In celebration of the Blue Ivy, we're sweating it out at the gym to Beyonce's greatest hits this week. Here's what we're listening to:



Related: Get More FITNESS Workout Playlists




"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" - Beyonce

"Crazy in Love" - Beyonce feat. Jay-Z

"Freakum Dress" - Beyonce

"Bootylicious" - Destiny's Child

Related: Makeover Mania: The Best Celebrity Transformations

"Check on It" - Beyonce feat. Bun B & Slim Thug

"Jumpin', Jumpin'" - Destiny's Child

"Survivor" - Destiny's Child

"Naughty Girl" - Beyonce

Related: Hollywood's Get Fit Resolutions for 2012

"Baby Boy" - Beyonce feat. Sean Paul

"Independent Women Part 1" - Destiny's Child

More from FITNESS Magazine:
Celebrity Face-Off: Which Celeb Abs Would You Most Like to Have?
Boost Your Backside in 4 Weeks
The 15-Minute Hot Legs Workout
Healthy Recipes from Our Favorite Celebrity Chefs
25 Cardio Plans to Beat Gym Boredom

Looks like happy hour turned into happy hours.You know you shouldn't, but sometimes a girl just can't help herself. You plan to meet up with friends for a drink after work, and one drink turns into many more, which then turns into a rough next morning. We hope you don't have a hangover reading this, because we bring you some not-so-good news. "There are a lot of myths about hangover cures," says Ruth C. Engs, RN, EdD, a professor at Indiana University who has done extensive research on the effects of drinking. "Essentially there is no cure other than consuming water and liquids like juice (i.e., not spiked) in the morning." The reason? Hangover symptoms are a product of dehydration, hypoglycemia, and the poisonous side effects from toxins in our drinks (sounds great, right?). Water will not only help hydrate your muscles and organs, but will also aid in flushing out the toxins. Juices such as orange juice accomplish both while replenishing your body with missing sugars.

That said, if you swear by a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel or

Pop your pill without fretting what will happen down the road.By Dana Hudepohl

The pill, the ring, IUDs -- these options will soon be free. (Yep, you read that right!) Check out the latest scoop here, and follow our guide to find the best method for you.

Related: QUIZ: What's Your Birth Control Personality?

The Method: The Pill
Currently $10 to $70 a month
Pros: Can take it continuously to eliminate periods, quickly reversible, benefits of certain types include improved acne, fewer headaches and painful periods, and less heavy bleeding.
Cons: Must remember to take it every day, side effects may include spotting, breast tenderness, bloating, anxiety, nausea, and decreased libido.
Effectiveness: 99 percent with perfect use, 91 percent with typical use.

The Method: The Patch (Ortho Evra)
Stick it on your arm, belly, or butt to deliver hormones that prevent ovulation. You wear one a week for three weeks and then take a weeklong break. Currently $15 to $70 a month.
Pros: Have to remember to apply it only once a week, can take it continuously to

Give your metabolism the tone up it needs.By Melissa Roth

What Affects Your Metabolism

I'm living proof that you can't judge a metabolism by its cover. You and I could be the same height and weight, have the same BMI, and even fit into the same J Brand jeans, but have wildly different flab-to-muscle proportions, making one of us the calorie-burning equivalent of a Bic lighter and the other of a blowtorch.

Metabolism, simply put, is the total number of calories your body burns each day. Sixty-five percent of those calories are used up for 24-7 functions like breathing and circulation­ -- the top burners are your brain, liver, heart, and kidneys -- with another 10 percent devoted to the process of digesting the very foods that may have given you that muffin top in the first place. The remaining 25 percent of the calories you burn can be chalked up to the physical activity you do in a day -- not just Spinning class but every move you make, including standing in line or tweeting your latest DEXA scan results.

You've heard

Jillian Michaels never says never when it comes to an opportunity.By Stephanie Dolgoff

The larger-than-life TV trainer is actually petite, pretty, and potty-mouthed off camera. Here Jillian Michaels reveals the real reason she left The Biggest Loser, the one exercise she hates but never skips, and the pro trick that will supercharge your metabolism.

Jillian Michaels on Exercise and Staying Fit and Motivated

"Oh, God, let me take a few of these off," says Jillian Michaels, carefully removing all but two croutons from the Caesar salad with grilled shrimp (dressing on the side) that she ordered for lunch. Noticing the waitress's stricken face, she's quick to add, "I wanted them; I totally wanted them. I'm just taking a few off so I don't eat them all. Thank you so much."

The thing about Jillian is that she's nice. Surprisingly nice. But still, she's not about to do something she knows is wrong for her, whether it's eating too many carbs or sticking with a job that no longer makes her happy. "The worst advice I ever got was to be diplomatic,

Make over your inner eating monologue this year.By Juno DeMelo

If my life were a musical, it would be Annie. So I ate a bagel from the break room an hour after eating a big breakfast. I'll shore up my willpower -- tomorrow! So I skipped the gym? I'll work out extra hard -- tomorrow! Bet your bottom dollar! Susan Albers, PhD, author of But I Deserve This Chocolate, says this and other cop-outs aren't just common, they're also self-sabotaging. Here, five of the top offenders and how to defeat them.

Related: Lose Weight Without Going Hungry

Stop saying: "I had a bad day -- I deserve this!"

Make this your mantra: "I deserve comfort, not calories."

The not-so-sweet truth about that Snickers bar: "Studies show chocolate's soothing effect lasts only three minutes," says Albers. To really kick a bad mood to the curb, she suggests treating yourself to a hot shower, a quickie massage (most nail salons offer walk-in options for about the same cost as a polish change), or just five minutes of quiet, do-nothing time.

Related:

Start 2012 off on the right foot!By Holly St. Lifer

Is shaping up at the top of your 2012 to-do list? Resolve to do it! Whether you want to boost energy, bust out of a rut, or sculpt a sexier butt, we've got 9 surefire exercise plans to get you there.

Related: 5 Meals to Help You Reach Your Resolutions

1. Start Stepping
Invest in a pedometer (about $20 at fwonline.com) and count the number of steps you take throughout the day -- then find some ways to slip in more. "Most of us take about 5,000 steps a day, but to keep the scale steady you should strive for a total of 10,000 steps, or about five miles [roughly 500 calories]," says Wayne Westcott, PhD, fitness research director of the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts. One easy goal: Do five-minute intervals of about 500 steps several times a day. This can be simple: Walk to do an errand that's about six blocks away; pace the sidelines at your kids' sporting events; wander around your living room while you're talking on the phone; park your car instead of

Get the truth on how many calories you're really burning.By Selene Yeager

Think you know which workout burns the most calories? Read below for some surprising fitness myth busters that may just change the way you sweat it up.

Related: Build Your Perfect Workout

MYTH: Mile per mile, running and walking burn the same.

Not even close. "Running is a more energetic activity, because you're jumping off the ground with each stride," says David Swain, PhD, a professor of exercise science and director of the Wellness Institute and Research Center at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Per mile, running burns about twice as many calories.

MYTH: You need to stay in the fat-blasting zone to slim down.

"Women think low-intensity exercise burns the fat from their hips. That's not the case," says FITNESS advisory board member Annette Lang, a New York City?based private trainer and owner of Annette Lang Education Systems. "If you work out easy for 15 minutes and burn 100 calories, 75 percent may be from fat. If you work out really hard for 15