My “Failure” As a Fitness Writer [Truth: You’re No More a Failure Than Everyone Else]

J (10): I AM SO TERRIFIED RIGHT NOW. I CAN’T MOVE. S (11): Why did you climb up here then? J: I had to! S: No you didn’t. J: I had to prove I’m a man.  M (7): Well I climbed twice as high as you and I’m two years younger and I’m two times …

Four Flashlights, No Batteries: Our First Family Camping Trip

Four flashlights. And none of them with working batteries. An inauspicious beginning for our first-ever tent camping trip for longer than one night with all our kids. (That’s a thing, right? Like baby’s first tooth and the kindergarten choir… First forced family togetherness in the wilderness!)  Which is why we are setting up our tent …

I Don’t Know How I Feel About the #NoMakeupSelfie Trend [Cancer “awareness” scam or beautiful reality check?]

Yep, I tried it! Snapped this selfie fresh out of the shower and still with my post-workout hair. No makeup, no filters. No cancer either… that I know of. On the scale of Things That Irritate Me, “cancer awareness” is pretty close to the top. That phrase ranks right above people who lick their fingers …

Gym Stressing You Out More Than Working You Out? The Do’s and Don’ts of Dealing With Gym Drama [Reader Question]

Every gym has this guy. (He’s a car! No he’s a human! Wait, he’s a Transformer!!) Is it terrible my first thought was “I would have taken off my jacket and tucked in my headphone wires first?” Because I really kind of want to try this even if it is the definition of ridiculosity.  Gossip, …

Have You Ever Been “Gaslighted”? Why You Don’t Get To Call Me Crazy [My Emotional Freedom Manifesto]

You are crazy. He said it so many times I believed him. I had to. It was the only explanation that made sense. The alternative – that he was a charismatic psychopath hell-bent on destroying me – was too terrifying to be considered. And so I believed him when he told me that I was …

The Cure For Not Being Good Enough [What Makes You Beautiful?]

I dread the day when this sweet little girl looks in the mirror and sees anything but a gorgeous miracle.  There comes a day in every girl’s life when she realizes that she is not the prettiest princess in the room. I’m not sure exactly when that day was for me but I know I …

From Eating Dirt to Sunning Your Ladybits: Weird Health Tips That May Actually Work [Plus, more funny Amazon reviews!]

Reading Amazon reviews is one of my favorite pastimes. True story: I just spent a half hour reading customer reviews of DIY side table kits and I was riveted. Not only are they a wealth of practical information but reviews are a great source of human drama. You can learn all kinds of things about people and …

Dear Lady Gaga, Puking on Stage is Still Bulimia, Even if you Add Glitter (Where do you draw the line between art and artifice?)

Just a dancer doing stuff. Living life, making art. Like you do.  Barf as art? Millie Brown makes her living as a “vomit artist” by regurgitating colored milk onto canvases — something I’d normally be willing to let slide because, let’s be honest, that’s nowhere near as gross as the lady who paints with her …

Do You Feel the Finish Line Fever? 5 Things You Need to Know About the Runner’s High and 3 Things You Don’t But Are Still Pretty Funny

Ranked right up there with the perfect squat and the best blender for smoothies, the “runner’s high” is one of the most elusive yet sought-after myths in modern fitness lore. But is it a real biochemical response or just marathoners trying to justify spending their whole Saturday running? The anecdotal evidence is mixed: for people …