Blog Posts by FITNESS Magazine

By Hallie Levine Sklar

Every 32 seconds someone in the U.S. catches a cold. That means the highly contagious virus is literally everywhere -- from doorknobs to elevator buttons to the handle on your cart in the supermarket, where it can live for hours, says Neil Schachter, MD, medical director of the respiratory care department at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and author of The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds & Flu. We know you've heard a million and one tips for avoiding these nasty germs -- the key is figuring out what works and what is a waste of time. Here, straight from the medical lab, healthy advice you can really trust.


#1: Drink Hot Tea

A Harvard study shows that sipping tea may boost your body's defenses against infection. Researchers discovered that the blood cells in tea drinkers' immune systems responded five times more efficiently to germs than the blood cells of coffee drinkers. That's because tea contains a potent class of chemicals called catechins, which

By Tracy Teare

Follow our foolproof shortcuts to whip your body and motivation into shape.

Related: The Top 10 Exercises for Every Body Part

Quick Weight-Loss Tips
Use these secrets and start peeling off the pounds.

• Fire up your metabolism with intervals. One study found that doing 10 four-minute speed bursts with two minutes of slow walking or cycling after each (60 minutes total) three times a week upped the body's ability to use fat as fuel during exercise by 25 percent after six weeks. "Shoot for an eight or nine on an intensity scale of one to 10, where 10 is an all-out sprint," says lead researcher Christopher Perry, PhD, an exercise physiologist at the University of Guelph in Canada. Related: The Metabolism-Boosting Workout

• Crack an egg for breakfast. Go for a little extra protein first thing in the day and your brain will stave off the munchies later on, according to the latest findings from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Former breakfast skippers who ate a

By Jenna Bergen

Is salt the enemy? Maybe not. If you're a healthy, active woman, you may not have to limit your sodium intake -- despite all the government warnings. Here, surprising facts that will shake up your diet.

Related: The 10 Unhealthiest Diet Foods

Fact #1: Sodium Keeps You Healthy

Despite the bad rap it gets, "sodium is critical to maintaining every cell in the body," Dr. Appel says. "But we don't need very much of it," he adds. The mineral helps control your heart rate, aids digestion, and keeps you hydrated during exer­cise, among other things. Recently an analysis of data from more than 19,000 men and women in 33 countries over more than 20 years found that people consistently consume an average 3,000 to 4,800 milligrams of sodium every 24 hours. "We think this range may be the amount the body requires to be at its healthiest and assure the best blood flow to critical organs, including the brain, heart, and kidneys," says study coauthor David McCarron, MD, an adjunct

By Melanie Haiken

Forget sticks and stones -- your morning run may be the bigger risk to bone health. Find out why young, fit women are more susceptible to injury and osteoporosis than they realize, and how you can build stronger bones now.

"In my practice, I see healthy-looking women in their 20s and 30s with brittle bones who think they're doing all the right things for their bodies," says Elizabeth Shane, MD, a professor of medicine and endocrinology and an osteoporosis researcher at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. "They are trying so hard to keep their weight low that they're skimping on important nutrients or working out too much. It's a recipe for early bone loss." In fact, a disturbing 15 percent of college-age women have lost enough bone mass to put them at an elevated risk for osteoporosis; another 2 percent already have the disease, according to a study from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Even children are suffering: Girls are 56 percent more

By Cynthia Sass, RD

Think about how often you eat food that you don't even want: the free cookie that came with your sandwich; the second helping of paella you accepted just to be polite; the unsatisfying fat-free ice cream that you kept dipping into each night because you didn't want to waste it. The trouble with such rationalizations is that they can add up to extra pounds. "These examples can total about 600 additional calories a day -- enough to cause a moderately active woman to gain five pounds a month if she doesn't burn them off," says Milton Stokes, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Here are the most common leaps in food logic and the simple attitude adjustments that will keep your diet -- and your weight -- in check.

Related: Is Your Appetite Out of Control?

The Logic Behind "It's Free!": When food's up for grabs, I might as well grab some!

Freebies are everywhere, from samples at the market to bagels in the morning meeting. But just one

By Lisa Kovalovich

It's a familiar story: You're out for what seems like hours, running errands, shopping at the mall, or driving all day, when suddenly you feel that growl in your belly. You're hungry, and you didn't pack a snack. You could succumb to the Cinnabon stand or grab some fries at the drive-through, but there are better options! "A nutrient-dense snack will give you that quick fix you need until you get home to prepare a real meal," says Linda McLachlan, RD, CDN, a New Jersey dietitian with Nutrition Matters, LLC. Here, six emergency snacks that are healthy and filling:

Related: 10 Healthy (and Terrible!) Vending Machine Snacks

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

When fast food restaurants are all you have access to -- say, when you're on a daylong driving trip -- it's best to know your healthy choices. A McDonald's Fruit and Yogurt Parfait will fill you up thanks to the fruit's fiber, and sustain your hunger, thanks to the yogurt's protein. Whatever you do, avoid the fries.

By Nicole Dorsey

A three-hour Spinning class that simulates climbing Mount Everest? Might be a bit much for us mere mortals, but if you are looking for a real challenge, we've found four tough-as-nails classes that'll give you the sky-high calorie burn you crave. Even if they're too over-the-top for you, just reading about them might inspire you to kick up your own workout a notch or five. (If you don't happen to live near a gym that offers any of these classes, we've found DVDs that promise a similar challenge.) Don't say we didn't warn you!

Related: How to Burn More Calories in Less Time

Yoga Revolution

Try It At: Crunch Fitness Clubs, New York City

The Benefit: Adding weights to traditional yoga moves gives your muscles more of a challenge.

Calories Burned: 400 to 500

Fitness instructor Suzi Teitelman teaches a flowing 60-minute yoga class using concave, plate-shaped, 6-pound weights called Smart Bells that challenge your balance while toning your muscles. She adds weights to all

By the editors of FITNESS Magazine

Get slim thighs, gorgeous glutes, and legs for days with these 4 simple lower-body exercises.

Related: Try The Hot Legs Workout Next

1. Butt Burner
Targets: Abs, glutes, and hamstrings

• Begin on all fours, knees under hips and hands under shoulders, back straight, abs tight and head in line with spine.

• Without arching back, raise right knee to right side. Extend leg straight back so toes are in line with hip.

• Bend knee to bring heel toward butt; lower and repeat.

• Do 16 reps; switch sides.

• Stand with feet a little less than shoulder-width apart, arms extended, holding the back of a chair for support.

• Keeping abs engaged, bend left knee slightly while extending right leg to right side, toes pointing toward floor and rotated outward.

3. Lunge