Blog Posts by FITNESS Magazine

Corbis/Jupiter ImagesBy Jeannette Moninger

You're busy. We get it. But cutting corners in an effort to do more in less time may do more harm than good. Here, seven common shortcuts that shortchange your health.

Related: The Hidden Benefits of 8 Healthy Habits

You depend on the drive-through.
Nope, not the fast-food kind. Drive-through pharmacies are convenient, but if you hit one every time you get an Rx filled, you lose the opportunity to talk to a pharmacist about side effects, generic options, and what to do if you miss a dose. Plus you may be at a higher risk for a mix-up: The distractions associated with window service contribute to about six errors per every 10,000 prescriptions dispensed annually, according to a recent study. That works out to more than two million medication mistakes a year. "Always check your prescription at the pharmacy, especially if you're using a drive-through," says lead study author Sheryl Szeinbach, PhD, a professor at Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. Verify

Peter Ardito/Fitness MagazineBy Liz Plosser

We all know her: that trim, toned woman who seems to live on grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, and nonfat yogurt. Convinced that her high-protein plan is your ticket to a better body, you've been trying to work more of the macronutrient into your diet. But is it really the secret to slimming down? And how much protein do you actually need, anyway? Read on for the surprising facts, then use your newfound knowledge to get all the muscle-building, fat-fighting benefits.

Related: To Be or Not To Be Gluten-Free?

Protein Facts You Need to Know
1. You're already getting enough protein.
"There's way too much hype about protein -- or rather, a perceived lack of it in people's diets," says Marion Nestle, PhD, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University. "The reality is, if you consume enough calories, you're probably eating plenty of protein." Most nutritionists agree that active women need about half a gram per pound a day, or

iStockPhoto/Fitness MagazineBy K. Aleisha Fetters

Break a sweat for a better date. It turns out that exercise can lead to sweaty pleasures on and off your chosen field of play. The love connection: Exercise-induced endorphins help clear your mind of clutter, up your happiness factor, and rev up your sex drive, says Paul Hokemeyer, PhD, licensed marriage and family therapist.

As if that weren't enough reason to veer off the beaten path, consider this -- research shows that simply doing new things together as a couple ignites the same circuit as does falling in love. By flooding the brain's reward system with dopamine and norepinephrine, mixing up date night can help those butterflies hang around a bit longer.

Read on for 10 fitness dates that will boost your mood and your bond.

Related: Pair Up to Slim Down: The Couple's Workout

Rock Climbing
Your hearts are going to race, and not just in the I'm-about-to-pee-in-my-spandex way. When your body is physiologically aroused (think skyrocketing blood pressure,

Alexa Miller/Fitness MagazineBy Lisa Haney

It may get dark earlier, but that doesn't mean your mood can't be light. Try these fast fixes to keep you giddy, not gloomy this winter.It may get dark earlier, but that doesn't mean your mood can't be light. Try these fast fixes to keep you giddy, not gloomy this winter.

Related: Ready, Set, Recharge! 24 Ways to Boost Your Energy and Mood

Don't Be SAD
Do the dark days of fall and winter make you want to hibernate indoors and pig out on comfort foods until spring? You may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year, usually in winter. Other symptoms include fatigue, lack of interest, inability to concentrate, and irritability. "Some people describe it as only 'living' during the sunny months and the rest of the time they feel shut down, idle, waiting for spring, enduring life in general," says Norman Rosenthal, MD, a psychiatrist who first described SAD and author of Winter Blues. The disorder is four times more

Laura Doss/Fitness MagazineBy Jenna Birch

If you find you're more eager to sleep than have sex on an everyday basis, your sex drive may need a booster shot. But that doesn't mean you have to go out and buy out the nearest Victoria's Secret. All it takes is adding a few key foods into your diet to boost libido and get back in the mood. Here, 10 foods to rev up your sex life, plus three that will stop it in its tracks.

Related: 10 Health Benefits of Having Sex

Black Raspberries
Both the berries and the seeds will transform your mind-set for getting in the mood, so pop in a handful a day to keep bedroom boredom at bay. "This phytochemical-rich food enhances both libido and sexual endurance," say Drs. Anna Maria and Brian Clement, authors of 7 Keys to Lifelong Sexual Vitality and directors of Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. Consume 10 black raspberries or a tablespoon of seeds a few hours before getting busy.

Broccoli
Raw, sautéed, or cooked, toss this vegetable in with your salad or

Jay Sullivan/Fitness MagazineHeart is the word we use for love, guts on the playing field, and the delectable part of an artichoke. But how often do you think about the living, beating, real thing? Young women often don't recognize when their ticker is in trouble and are more likely than men to wait longer than a day to seek care when they have chest pain, according to new research from Yale University. Scarier still, the study found that doctors don't always ID women's symptoms as cardiac trouble. So it's on you to be extra vigilant about your heart's health and to be insistent with your doctor­ -- or get a second opinion -- when something feels off. Here's the 411 on when to call 911, plus other lifesaving tips and the story of one young woman who survived a heart-health crisis.


Related: The Heart Disease Prevention Guide for Every Age

"My Heart Stopped at 27"
By Summer Brennan
You run farther or faster than you think you can, you go out dancing until the early morning, you dash up two flights of stairs.

Sarah Kehoe/Fitness MagazineBy Joanne Chen

It's been a crazy-busy couple of weeks. You step on the scale one morning and, yikes, you've gained five pounds. How the heck did that happen? New research shows that what you weigh isn't just the result of eating too much and exercising too little; it's also linked to your feelings, your experiences, even where you live. "Any change in your life circumstances can produce changes in eating and exercise, which leads to weight gain," says Edward Abramson, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at California State University in Chico and author of Emotional Eating. Getting married and having kids are obvious triggers for putting on pounds, but there are other, more surprising transition points that can also influence your weight. This guide will see you through them all.

Related: 10 Strategies to Lose Fat for Good

You got a promotion.
The good news: You love your new gig. The bad news: The big job is calling for a wardrobe in a bigger size. Chalk it up to stress, which

Sam Kaplan/Fitness MagazineBy Paige Greenfield

Feeling stressed? Consider yourself blessed. Stress is essential to a happy, healthy life. Really! Recent research has shown that there's an "anxiety sweet spot," in which short bursts of stress are actually good for us. "The adrenaline our bodies produce when we feel threatened makes our brain function better, sharpening our focus, improving our mental and physical performance, and making us feel ready for anything," says Bruce McEwen, PhD, a neuroendocrinologist at Rockefeller University. Bonus: Your immune system also gets a boost, which can make you healthier too. So stop fretting and read on to learn how to stay perfectly on point.

Related: Beat Your Blahs: 5 Natural Mood Boosters to Fix a Funk

Turn All Stress into Good Stress
Most of us consider stress a negative, but it actually covers a spectrum from good to bad and is vital to our survival, McEwen says. "The sweet spot is achieved when the kind of anxiety and arousal you experience while giving a speech