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Whether your goal is to lose a few extra pounds, increase your bench press, train for a marathon, or just look and feel better, the gym -- and more specifically, the part that holds all the dumbbells, barbells and other cool, shiny stuff -- is a great place to start.

Though they may have you subconsciously biting your nails, lighting up after lunch or grabbing one more fistful of fries, your bad habits didn't start out bad. There was motivation behind them.

"All habits -- even bad habits -- start out as true friends. They help, or helped, us deal...

Quit cold turkey. Run a marathon. Cut out carbohydrates. Reduce calorie intake by half. You may believe that drastic changes are the only ways to achieve the results you want, but that's hardly the case.

"When changes are too big, they may be too overwhelming," said registered dietitian Ellie...

We spend most of our waking day in shoes. We put on dress shoes in the morning for work, then switch to running shoes for workouts in the gym. With so much time spent in shoes, we've come to expect not only style, but also comfort in footwear.

Nowhere is...

You run and you run, and you don't shed a pound. It's one of the leading emotional pain points for people who exercise. All of that effort and so little reward, but why is that? Simple: Cardio is not the fastest way to lose weight, and it's certainly not the...

Quick -- where can you go to sway like a belly dancer, build strength like a weightlifter and sprint like a sergeant? If you belong to a typical modern fitness center, you already know the answer. Group fitness classes have entered a new era, and their offerings surpass simple aerobics...

For some, the hardest part of working out is not the cardio, the leg presses or even the spinning classes -- it's walking into the gym.

People may think health clubs are filled with incredible hulks and smiling supermodels, surrounded by mysterious, sinister-looking weights and machines. In other words,...

It's been said that human beings are creatures of habit, always following a predictable ebb and flow in life. Whether it's watching the same television shows on a weekly basis, eating at the same restaurants or putting the left sock on before the right, we generally don't like to stray...

Distance running is a potent fitness enhancer, leaving few of the body's systems untouched. It increases the efficiency of your cardiovascular system, makes your leg muscles stronger and more toned, helps you lose or control body weight and generates endorphins that contribute to stress relief.

But running does pose...

Few things beat the excitement of starting a new workout routine. There are new exercise clothes to buy, maybe a new gym membership. Heck, you might even plant a big, hulking treadmill in your bedroom.

But reality soon sets in. The new clothes hang in your closet with the price...

Imagine a life in which your favorite comfort foods, such as pasta, bread, cereal and cookies, could cause you to become violently ill. This is reality for an estimated 3 million Americans who have been diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that involves a severe reaction to foods containing...

Sure, marathon training is all about physical endurance. But do you know the nutritional musts for finish line success? We sat down with resident Nutrition Advisor Alyse Levine to get her take on how to best recover post-run with the right nutritional choices. Here, her expert insight.

Q: When most...

Your ancestors may have had no choice but to eat with the seasons. If local trees produced apples, they ate apples. When rice crops were lush, they ate rice.

Entering a grocery store today, you may feel overwhelmed by food choices, let alone the media focus on particular foods...

Setting resolutions at the start of a new year can be effective if you create goals that are realistic and you make them fun in some way. You might brainstorm different ways to accomplish the goal or recruit a friend to help you do it. For example, to lose 10...

With the increased awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerance, new gluten-free products are continually hitting the market. Many of these products come with a high price tag as they must be produced in specially designed kitchens separate from products made with wheat, spelt, rye or barley. Some gluten-free foods...

There are many exercises you can do at home to keep your body toned. However, if you really want to get creative, burn off some calories and sculpt your muscles, take a look around your house and think boot camp. Make every room a different station where you do a...

Eating low-calorie, high fiber foods is beneficial for weight control or weight loss as well as maintaining heart and digestive health. These foods should be a diet staple. Examples of such foods include many fruits and vegetables, legumes, grains and other plant-based, whole foods. According to the Food and Drug...

The push-up is a traditional upper body exercise favored by all branches of the military and most sports people as well as fitness enthusiasts. The push-up can be performed anytime and almost anywhere and requires no special equipment. There are many push-up variations that you can perform, some more challenging...

People are always looking for ways to improve stamina. Stamina, which can basically be described as the ability to keep yourself going, is a key component to athletic performance. Building better stamina can be accomplished through a variety of means and will help you achieve more in all areas of...

Burning more calories than you consume works as one of the basic principles of weight loss. The problem with cutting calories is you often still feel hungry, making it hard to stick with your diet regimen. The key to success, according to Dr. Barbara Rolls, author of "Volumetrics: Feel Full...