health

Depends on what? HAPPINESS. If you're not living and breathing it, I'm sorry to say, neither is your heart. Show your heart some love by injecting HAPPINESS into your workout. I recently appeared on Fox News for Dr. Manny's Heart Health show to talk about preventative measures for heart disease and how to live an active lifestyle. Check out the clip from the show and my tips for living a heart healthy life by loving your workout. It's Valentine's Day for goodness' sake! Make sure to love that tender and hard-working heart of yours.

I'M NOT A DOCTOR BUT I KNOW HAPPINESS IS ONE STRONG ANTIDOTE

When you're happy you're sending out positive energy that's attractive, healing and empowering. Think about all the happy people you know and how much you like being around them. Good vibes are magnetic, right? If you're enjoying fitness activity, you're more likely to do it again and again. The hardest part of exercise is staying consistent. Yes, I realize it's...

Nothing seals in a killer workout better than a night of healthy, restful sleep. Why? Because our body’s muscles and organs need time to restore and rebuild after all the internal wear and tear of a workout session. A full night of continuous sleep is one of the best presents you can give yourself on a daily (and nightly) basis. That’s why brushing up on your sleep facts is a must, especially since National Sleep-In Day and Valentine's Day are right around the corner. I can't think of a better way to LOVE YOURSELF than to gift your fit body with MORE SLEEP. That's why I've teamed up with PJ Salvage to present you with Sleep Trivia! Test your knowledge at PJ Salvage, which happens to be one of the funkiest pajama brands on the planet, and come back here for pithy answers and yawn-inducing Sleep Couture.

TAKE THE MIZZFIT SLEEP TRIVIA TEST --- CLICK HERE!!!

I promise, it's a quick one and you might learn something new about sleep that you didn't know. Once...

- This is a guest post by Erica Chapman -

You know the drill: you’ve just finished your grueling, 20-mile run followed by a heavy-duty session at the weight machines, and your body is screaming out for energy. You’ve been told that the most effective way to help your muscles recover from such high-intensity work is by feeding them protein. But a big, greasy cheeseburger doesn’t sound quite right, so instead you grab an energy bar packed with 20+ grams of protein and fuel up. The only problem is, most of them taste like lab experiments, not food. Has Premier Nutrition’s new TITAN High Protein Cookie just changed all of that?

The answer for me is yes…and no. I’ve trained for several triathlons and cycling events, so I’m no stranger to the world of kooky candy bars masquerading as a “nutritional supplement.”  Most are too high in all the bad, artificial stuff to let you enjoy the good stuff guilt-free. I’ll admit to gnawing on more than my...

You can't go wrong with Nadia Zaki & Sarra Morton. They are fitness goddesses to say the least and a 1.5 hour yoga practice with them is quite the treat (their group fitness classes usually don't go over 45-60 minutes). This is your chance to contribute $20 to breast cancer awareness month (through the Susan G. Komen foundation) and get something fabulous in return. And, I hear Zobha will donating limited-edition tanks to everyone who signs up. So exciting! Equinox members and nonmembers are welcome...so bring friends! To register, call 212.780.9300.

Aunt Flow will do anything to sabotage your workout but don't let the old hag win. Follow these 6 easy tips to stay on track.

1. TAKE A TOTAL BODY SURVEY AND PREP YOURSELF

Listen to your body before you decide to hit the gym. Are you feeling tired, bloated, anxious, or a little depressed? Are you having more food cravings than usual? If so, exercising during your period can actually decrease these symptoms. 

Working out can help:  

Decrease the pain of cramps by releasing endorphins (the body's natural painkillers), increasing blood flow, and by loosening muscles in your lower abdomen, back, and thighs.

Rid your body of excess water so you aren’t bloated.

Improve and stabilize your mood, making you less anxious, angry, or depressed.  (source - Liza Barnes, Health Educator)

If you’re bent over in pain, nauseous or your head is throbbing, take the day off. Exercise can intensify severe menstrual symptoms....

Crunch is throwing an indoor FIT-barbecue and you're invited. Stop by any Crunch gym (nationwide locations here) to partake in the day-long festivities. Non-members are welcome and can workout for free. BBQ and fitness, who would've thought? But then again, Crunch enjoys being the wily, red-headed step child on the gym circuit and apparently they're amped for Memoral Day weekend. I can respect that.

Here's what's in store for you:

Healthy barbecue treats
Personal training demos
Special group fitness classes
Live DJ pumping fresh beats
Sweet offers on membership  

Members, bring your non-member friends to the party and tell them that (-insert sexy celeb name here-) works out at your Crunch location.

If you bring a friend and they join on the spot, you'll get $50 towards your dues! Keep in mind that Crunch will not take responsibility for repairing your friendship. But who knows...William Hung could very well be a Crunch member. And last I...