The next time you’re desperately trying a new diet or attempting to quench a craving with a quirky trick, remember this: no matter what lengths you go to in order to lead a healthy lifestyle, there’s always someone who’s even crazier than you. Food for thought:

• Julia Roberts eats on only blue plates in her home. Research has demonstrated that the color blue is an appetite suppressant.

By Bonnie Pfiester

When I think of aerobics classes I can’t help but think of Jazzercise, leotards, and leg warmers. Thank goodness aerobics classes have evolved over the years into so much more than just floor aerobics and bad styles.

Today, health clubs offer a large spectrum of group exercise like Spinning, Kickboxing, Pilates, Step, Zumba, and even seated exercise classes for seniors.

So, why is group exercise growing by leaps and bounds? First and foremost, group exercise offers affordable professional guidance. Since many people can’t afford one-on-one training, group classes are a great alternative. Whether it’s learning proper form or just being motivated, group classes offer the direction, education, and encouragement so many people need.

Hey, MFT parents – how do you make the time to work out while juggling life, work, and your kids? A new study from the University of Pittsburgh found that having kids made both men and women less likely to exercise. Though it’s intuitive that new mothers have less time to work out due to demanding infant feeding and sleeping schedules, new dads also must fight the battle of the bulge because of dwindling workout time. Although new fathers got about two hours more exercise, on average, than new mothers, the fathers’ workout time was cut in half after their children were born. New moms, on the other hand, lost approximately one-third of workout time.

Want a simple way to increase your endurance? The answer is increased frequency and intensity…of your musical selections! New research from Brunel University found that “scientifically-selected” music increased endurance by as much as 15% among participants who completed cardio workouts as they listened to rock or pop music.

As you know from that time you waited a half hour for the elliptical, or got into a staring contest over a machine, the gym is a public space with limited resources. Even members of the biggest and most comprehensive gyms have issues. Do your part by following the athletic code of conduct – written and unwritten – and ignoring the jerks who don’t.

The LA times recently ran an expose on something that’s simply a fact of life for many outdoor exercisers: poor air quality. We’re currently in the midst of “smog season,” which runs from May 1 to October 1. The combination of heat, sun, air pollution, and smoke may cause lung irritation and shortness of breath even in the healthiest of athletes.

People are more likely to overeat when they’re stressed out, especially when the problem is work-related. Don’t fall into this common dieting trap. Instead of allowing your stress to pig out, try to zero in on the clear, logical part of your mind that knows it’s a bad idea.

Does it seem as though your sports bra isn’t doing its job, especially during high-impact activities? A new study claims that most bras don’t provide enough support - no matter what size your breasts are.

Did you ever start a diet or join a gym with a group of friends? If you're like most people, one member of your group (maybe you!) had a ton of success, dropped weight, and kept it off. Other group members might have initially lost a few pounds, but packed them on again. Or they may not have had any success at all, despite your new plan. According to a very focused study on registrants in the National Weight Control Registry, which is comprised of people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept the weight off for a period of at least one year, there is a specific set of personality traits that makes a person more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

Using the Hermann Brain Dominance Inventory, people can be classified into four major categories (A, B, C, and D) concerning the way they take in new information and respond to situations. The A's are the statistically-obsessed, number-crunching mathematicians. B's are organized and methodical. C's are emotional and people-focused. D's are spontaneous thrill-seekers who bore easily. To learn more about which type you are, you can visit the links below. But here's what the study found: the most successful dieters (that is, those who not only lost weight, but were able to maintain that weight loss) were Type B's.

Do you find that you have trouble remembering things? Do you always misplace items such as your car keys? Do you ever forget what you’re saying mid-sentence?
Try these easy ways to improve your memory:

1) Eat foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA such as Salmon and Tuna. Flaxseeds are also an excellent source
2) Read daily
3) Reduce the amount of time you spend watching TV to less than one hour daily
4) Do crossword puzzles or brainteasers
5) Avoid binge drinking
6) Minimize sugar consumption
7) Supplement with multivitamins
8) Avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oils

Do you find that you have trouble remembering things? Do you always misplace items such as your car keys? Do you ever forget what you’re saying mid-sentence?
Try these easy ways to improve your memory:

1) Eat foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA such as Salmon and Tuna. Flaxseeds are also an excellent source
2) Read daily
3) Reduce the amount of time you spend watching TV to less than one hour daily
4) Do crossword puzzles or brainteasers
5) Avoid binge drinking
6) Minimize sugar consumption
7) Supplement with multivitamins
8) Avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oils

This is a good question that gets asked a lot by beginners. Many people want to benchmark their progress by how sore they are after each workout...THIS IS WRONG. There are many types of post workout muscle soreness that can be attributed to many different things, and a successful workout is generally not one of them.

There is DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which is associated with injury to the muscle cell membrane that triggers an inflammatory response (1). DOMS is often felt 24-48 hours after working out and can peak 1-3 days after working out, and should subside within 7 days. The inflammatory response associated with DOMS also leads to the production of metabolic wastes, which in turn trigger pain in the site of the injury. Swelling (or edema) is also common in DOMS and this can further exacerbate the sensation of pain. DOMS is very common, and many studies agree that you can continue to workout without causing further injury when you have DOMS (as long as proper care, nutrition and recovery steps are taken). Warming up before working out can significantly reduce the chance of getting delayed onset muscle soreness.