Blog Posts by FITNESS Magazine

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

Even stars can get psoriasis. By Colleen Moody

Take a look back at the most jaw-dropping weight-loss transformations, health news, and biggest fitness moments from the past year.

Related: Celebrity Resolutions: Health and Fitness Goals for 2012

#11: Kim Kardashian Is Diagnosed with Psoriasis

We know, we're tired of hearing about them too. But thanks to Kim's trip to the doc on E!'s Keeping Up with the Kardashians, this more-common-than-you-think skin condition was given some serious spotlight. More than 250,000 people are diagnosed with psoriasis (where skin gets very red and flaky, almost resembling scales) a year. Not only was this a "Stars, They're Just Like Us!" moment, but hopefully the episode helped others affected with this condition.

Related: Soothe, Stat! Solutions for Sensitive Skin

If you're going to lose a world record, this is probably the best scenario to be in.#10: Paula Radcliffe Loses World Record to Herself

Britain's famous runner was stripped of her world record this year after the International Association of Athletics Federations passed a new rule stating females who race

Ball CrunchBy the editors for FITNESS Magazine

Get a whittle faster. In a study, runners who did these moves four times weekly shaved a minute off their 5K times in six weeks. Try two sets of 12 reps each.

Related: The FITNESS Guide to Running

Ball Crunch

Lie faceup on a stability ball, knees bent 90 degrees, feet on floor. Put hands behind head with elbows out to sides and crunch up, then lower.

Source: Study at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida

Related: Cameron Diaz's Abs Workout

Hip RaiseHip Raise

Lie faceup on floor with heels on ball, legs extended, arms by sides. Lift hips, forming a diagonal line from heels to shoulders. Hold for 1 count; lower.

Related: Firm Your Hips, Thighs, and Butt

Back ExtensionBack Extension

Lie facedown on ball, knees bent and feet on wall behind you, toes on floor. Bend elbows by sides, bringing fists in front of shoulders. Lift upper body; lower.

Related: The Best Winter Running Gear to Stay Warm



Arm/Leg ReachArm/Leg Reach

Start on all fours. Slowly extend left arm and right leg at the

Sleeping SwanWorkout by Kay Kay Clivio, an instructor at Pure Yoga in New York City

Do these stretches right before bed to fall asleep faster and sleep better.

Related: 7 Shocking Stats About Sleep

Sleeping Swan
What you'll need: a pillow

Tip: With each pose, breathe in and out through your nose for a calming effect on the nervous system.

Targets: Neck, shoulders, back, hips, and legs

• Sit on floor with pillow in front of you. Bend left knee, bringing sole of left foot to right inner thigh. Lift butt and extend right leg behind you.
• Staying centered, gently hinge forward from hips, placing head on pillow. Extend arms forward, elbows slightly bent.
• Hold for 8 to 10 breaths. Roll back up. Switch legs; repeat.

Happy Baby

• Lie faceup. Bend knees into chest and grab inside edges of feet with hands, palms out.
• Bring knees out to sides, then lower toward armpits, keeping heels above knees, feet flexed.

Beginner: Stability-Ball Twist
From the editors of FITNESS Magazine

Work Your Obliques
Target your obliques by using a stability and medicine ball, says Dana Cahill, personal training director at Sky Athletic Club in Rockville Centre, New York. Work up to three sets of 10.

Related: The Insider's Guide to Stability Ball Moves

Beginner: Stability-Ball Twist
1. Lie back on a stability ball with your feet on the floor. Hold a medicine ball at chest level and extend arms.
2. Keeping your butt on the ball, slowly rotate your torso to the left until your knuckles are pointing to the wall.
3. Return to center and repeat on the other side.

Related: Fight Arm Flab in 10 Minutes

Immediate: Roll and CurlIntermediate: Roll and Curl

1. Begin in a full push-up position with tops of your feet resting on a stability ball, hands on floor shoulder-width apart.
2. Keeping your abs and glutes tight, bend your knees to roll ball in toward right side of chest.
3. Extend your legs to roll ball back to start; repeat to the left.

Related: Crunch-Free Ab

By Lisa Kovalovich
It's 10 a.m., just a few hours past your early-morning workout and breakfast, and you're beginning to feel your energy take a nosedive. What do you need right now? No, not another cup of coffee -- you need a snack!

"Snacking keeps your metabolism revved up and is a great way to boost your energy," says Tara Gidus, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. But not just any old snack will do. You need a snack that's full of nutrients to power you through your between-meal stretch. Here, Gidus recommends her favorite energy-boosting snacks.

Related: Top 10 Superfoods for Gorgeous Skin and Hair

Boost up your vitamin C for all-day energy.Fresh Bananas and Apples

Loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber, fruit is great for times when you need a little energy boost. "It's got vitamins, minerals, and good carbs, which give you quick energy," says Gidus. Choose any fruit you like -- bananas, apples, and oranges are easy to tote along with you since they don't need refrigeration. Berries,

Jenna Lee and her Navy SEAL husband make for one fit pair!At 5 a.m., the alarm rings and starts an "intense morning" for Jenna Lee, a co-anchor of FOX News Channel's Happening Now (which airs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET). She reads up on the news that happened overnight to prepare for the live broadcast and live interviews to come. Then after the show, Lee squeezes in a workout, answers emails and researches for the next day and future projects. News is 24/7! So how does the youngest anchor in cable news, who's also a newlywed, fit everything in with her busy schedule while staying healthy and happy? We discussed just that with Lee earlier this week.

Related: The Busy Woman's Guide to a Great Body

Was fitness always a passion of yours? My dad retired from the NFL in 1981, right after I was born. I was always on teams-including playing on my older brother's baseball team-taking dance, acrobatics or swimming. It's a habit I've kept up with.

What is your favorite way to stay in shape today? I used to be a big runner, but a varied schedule and