Fitness

The world of fitness is changing! Sportswear, gear, gadgets, food and fit services are more forward-thinking and edgy than ever. I've been testing a few that I'm crushing on which I'll share with you, as well as give you a sneak peek at some extremely functional pieces coming out from Asics. The theme that binds all these trends is Ease of Use. I was surprised as I'm typically a skeptic about adding too many elements to my routine. I don't have time for inventions that steal valuable calorie burning minutes away from my workout. But I'm seriously impressed by how the following trends can raise your engagement without sidetracking you.

   Let's start with BURN THIS.

This is a free app that turns your workout into a social experience. It's available to people living in major cities like NYC, LA, CHI, MIA, and more. Download it to your iPhone, then look up all those studio classes you usually book on Mindbody from the studios you...

Fred Devito is one of the founders of Core Fusion as well as a founding partner of the exquisite Exhale Spa locations around the world. He is widely known and incredibly respected in the fitness industry. I've learned a great deal from him, which you're going to hear all about.

What I've learned from Fred can be broken down in 3 stages of knowing him. There's the "DVD" Fred stage (consisting of many living room workouts...and intermissions to catch my breath), the "O.M.G. I just took class from the real-life Fred Devito" stage (and I wish he would look away so I can stop holding this awful pretzel pose), and lastly the "One To Admire" Fred stage. I should mention that Fred turned 57 on the day that I interviewed him for this article. He told me he'd been in the fitness game now for 30 years. I asked him if he planned to take a break and he said:

"I'll never stop doing this." - Fred Devito

1.  The "DVD" Fred stage

I got into barre-fitness workouts in 2007...

Sweating it out on a treadmill or even a running path in a park is an acquired taste. Although the streets are flooded these days with runners of all abilities, shapes and sizes, it's one of the toughest sports to love as a novice. That's why novelty runs are taking off as a fitness trend for those who want to dabble in running but need an extra fun incentive to hit the ground running.

Here's a list of our TOP FIVE 5K FUN RUNS to get you thrilled to run instead of filled with dread:

1. The Color Run - This run is coined "The Happiest 5K on the Planet" for good reason. It's an un-timed race where thousands of participants get doused in colored powder-paint at every kilometer on the run: yellow at 1K, blue at 2K, green at 3K, pink at 4K and at 5K you get a "color extravaganza". The powder gets squirted at you from staffers at all angles.

60 percent of the color runners are first time 5K runners just looking to have fun and get messy rainbow-style while...

-- This is a guest post by Liz Stark --

Often times, the world of ballet is unfairly depicted in a rather depressing manner – painfully thin bodies, grueling training schedules, strict diet regimens, and cutthroat competition. However, there is one person in particular who wants to put all of these brutal ballet rumors to rest – Mary Helen Bowers. In her 2012 book, Ballet Beautiful, Bowers (who is a professional ballerina and renowned trainer in NYC) sheds light on the art of ballet, and its benefits for the body and soul.

Training everyone from celebrities (including Natalie Portman, to prepare her for her performance in Black Swan) to the everyday individual, Bowers illustrates in her book that anyone can attain a beautiful ballet body without wreaking havoc on one’s health or figure in the process.

Some of the healthiest bodies in the world are ballet dancers, like the Winter Olympics ice dancers. Many of the figure skaters competing at the 2014 Sochi...

In the 1980's the gym was the ultimate pick up scene but I was still too young to experience this phenomenon. I always imagined a woman earnestly rocking a hot pink leotard, leg warmers and a sweat band a la Olivia Newton John's "Let's Get Physical" music video while swooning for a guy wearing a similar outfit over by the Nautilus machines.

Nowadays, I think wearing that fitness outfit let alone picking up a lover at the gym is the farthest thought on our minds when sweating it out.  However, what about making friends with that cool seeming person in your yoga class? I think we've all wanted to figure out how to make fitness friends without seeming like a stalker. 

I got inspired about all the new friend potential in my weekly fitness classes after learning the story about how one of my favorite new bands--ASTR--met. The electro  R&B duo of Adam and Zoe met 3 years ago in a Manhattan yoga class, and when they realized they shared a similar musical and...

Torah Bright is an Olympic Champion for Australia once again!

In the 2010 Winter Olympics, Torah took home the gold medal for the women's halfpipe competition and this year she snagged herself a silver. I had the privilege of meeting Torah before the 2014 games, and interviewing her for Celebrity Sweat. Getting to know the personal side of Torah made it even more exciting for me to watch her earn Australia's first medal at Sochi. Here's how our conversation went...

Considering you started as a downhill ski racer, what made you transition to snowboarding?

" Skiing was what we did as a family. As a kid, I would stop to see snowboarders while roaming the mountain and used to call them all sorts of names. We did not like snowboarders. But I was 11 years old when my brother Ben, who is now my coach, wanted to try snowboarding, and I was like mum could I try snowboarding too? And that was the end of it. After that day we both told mum that we loved it so much. "

How...