The #1 Downside to Weight Lifting, Badly Illustrated (All I want for Christmas is laser hair removal)

This will be my next option. As I get older I’ll just call it Bride of Frankenstein. Weight lifting builds bone density. Weight lifting increases strength and power. Weight lifting burns fat all day long. Weight lifting makes you look tougher than Chuck Norris at Comic Con. Oh sure, everyone always talks about the benefits …

Gym Etiquette: The Sweaty Hug [Do you or don’t you?]

No butt-smacking with these gents – they are fully committed to the sweaty hug! As if being in a gym setting isn’t opportunity enough for physical awkwardness – I have walked into the men’s locker room by accident twice, thanks – but add in some camaraderie and post-workout endorphins and things can get downright… touchy. You’d think …

The Great Fitness Underwear Debate: Do You or Don’t You?

I had a lovely informative post set for tonight about how about how our sleep patterns affect our hunger cycles (scintillating!) but I had to drop everything when this happened: Yes, these are MANTIES. (Panties for men in case you didn’t catch that. It’s late, I’m tired. And also hungry… if only I knew if …

25 Deceptively Simple Exercises [We made the front page of Shape.com!]

Why yes that is Gym Buddy Allison’s adorable grin gracing the front page of Shape.com! One-legged squats. Push-ups. Plank. Burpees. We’ve all seen them done so many times that, admit it, sometimes we write them off as too easy or boring. But in an article I wrote for Shape, I discovered that while these humble …

Does Your Period Affect Your Workout or Not? [Plus: Birth control as a performance enhancer!]

Turns out this is a real magazine! My fave story from this edition: Diary of a Tampon Virgin (admit it – we’ve all been there.) Red may be my favorite color but unless it’s on a pair of adorable Nikes, I prefer not to accessorize with it at the gym.  And yet if you are …

Prebiotics, Probiotics and a Hospital Epiphany [Giveaway!]

Hospitals with their life, death, and strange smell zeitgeist have been the setting for several major revelations in my life (not the least of which is that nutritionists consider Malt-o-Meal a “solid food” but Jell-O is a “liquid”) and this time it was no different. My 3rd son, just nine months old at the time, …

Are Your Workouts to Blame For Your Midday Crash? [Sleep Creep]

Exercise is often touted as the antidote to everything from depression to insomnia. “Take a brisk 10-minute walk on your lunch break and power through that glass ceiling!” magazines often advise (note to mags: What does one do about the sweat on one’s power suit? Because I’m not changing into my running tights and Nikes …

Searching For The Cure For PMS [10 ideas to try, 1 to skip]

Unsolicited uterus update! My problem is I have a wicked case of PMS. (No, I’m not pregnant but I scared you didn’t I?) Aren’t you glad you didn’t ask? Despite having my monthly, well, monthly since I was 16 – late bloomers holla! – I’m still surprised by its appearance every 30ish days. First my …

My Great Dietary Fat Experiment: How eating more fat made me healthier

Betrayed by my body. Well it wouldn’t be the first time, I thought grimly as I sat in my flimsy paper gown listening to the doctor explain the results of my previous testing. (Dear doctor, please at least allow me the dignity of being lectured with my clothes on next time.) Seriously rank flatulence in …