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Chelsea Handler Poses in Playboy: How She Got Fit for the Shoot

Celebs & Entertainment

Playboy

Chelsea Handler graces Playboy's December cover. The host of Chelsea Lately joked with fellow host Jay Leno on his show last night that in order to get in shape for the racy Playboy shoot she quit drinking for "like a day and a half." While the funny woman made light of her fitness plan, Handler is showing off a serious body on the cover.

Wearing a skimpy gold bikini and knee-high boots, it was clear the leggy comedian worked hard for her toned figure. In an interview with Women's Health earlier this year, she said exercises four to five times a week. "I do sprints and work out with my trainer and do Pilates," she told the magazine.

Click on the video clip below to see Chelsea's reaction to seeing her cover for the first time on The Jay Leno Show Wednesday night.





Lisa Rinna also posed in Playboy. Listen to her share her fitness secrets here.

Michelle Obama's Trainer Spills the Secrets to Getting Those Arms

Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment

michelle obama bare arms
Photo: Ron Sachs-Pool, Getty Images
You already know that Michelle Obama is one fit First Lady -- after all, her famously-toned arms have their own blog! And now, her trainer, Cornell McClellan of the Chicago-based Naturally Fit, is sharing the workouts that keep her in such amazing shape.

McClellan spoke to Women's Health and said he takes "a holistic approach that includes strength, cardiovascular, and flexibility training," to work Michelle from top to toe. Movements are all designed to work multiple muscle groups, so the First Lady's 5:30 a.m. workouts won't waste any time. Intense weight-training is interspersed with serious cardio intervals for an incredible calorie burn.

In addition to dishing on the basics of Michelle's routine, McClellan offered up some specific circuits he's put her through at the end of the article, including a 9-Minute Arm Workout.

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How Michelle Obama Stays in Shape
By Kimberly Papa

To anyone who's seen Michelle Obama in one of her trademark sleeveless dresses one thing is clear: She's in great shape (those arms!).

The new First Lady has earned her fabulous figure by sticking to an impressive exercise routine. Find out what she does to stay fit and how she squeezes workouts into her busy life.
Emmanuel Dunand, AFP / Getty Images

How Michelle Obama Stays In Shape

    By Kimberly Papa

    To anyone who's seen Michelle Obama in one of her trademark sleeveless dresses one thing is clear: She's in great shape (those arms!).

    The new First Lady has earned her fabulous figure by sticking to an impressive exercise routine. Find out what she does to stay fit and how she squeezes workouts into her busy life.

    Emmanuel Dunand, AFP / Getty Images

    She makes exercise a priority

    "A proper diet and regular exercise have always been important to me, for both the physical and mental benefits," Mrs. Obama told Redbook. Speaking about her time on the campaign trail she said, "On the road, I talk to a lot of women about the importance of their well-being; we women often put ourselves last on our 'to do' lists, and we need to take better care of ourselves."

    M. Spencer Green, AP

    She sticks to a routine

    Michelle is devoted to carving out time for exercise. She told MomLogic that she goes to the gym three times a week, where she works out with a trainer for about an hour.

    Bauer-Griffin

    She's an early bird

    It's been reported that when the Obamas lived in Chicago, Michelle would join her friends for 4:30 am workouts at the gym.

    EyeWire

    She exercises to de-stress

    "Exercise is really important to me -- it's therapeutic. So if I'm ever feeling tense or stressed or like I'm about to have a meltdown, I'll put on my iPod and head to the gym," the First Lady told Marie Claire.

    Getty Images

    She stays focused

    Her friend Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker told O, The Oprah Magazine that Obama is "One of the women who leave you in the dust. She's a gladiator. She jumps rope 200 times without messing up. We talk in the beginning, but once the workout gets going, she is all business."

    Mark Wilson, Getty Images

    She makes exercise a family affair

    Mrs. Obama told Redbook magazine that her family spends time together doing outdoor activities, such as riding bikes and swimming. It's also been reported that when she can't get to the gym, she'll go for a run with her daughters, Malia and Sasha.

    Alex Brandon, AP

    She adds variety

    Michelle told USA Today that her workout routine includes a mix of cardio, free weights, hitting the treadmill and stair-walking.

    Getty Images

    Her hubby is her workout buddy

    While the First Family was visiting Hawaii in December, it was reported that Michelle and Barack headed to the Semper Fit Center on Marine Corps Base for a morning workout together.

    Getty Images

    She has a positive body image

    During an interview with People last summer, Michelle said that when she looks in the mirror she says she sees a healthy woman.

    Retna

Michelle isn't the only fitness fiend in this family. Find out who else doesn't miss a workout!

Egg White Omelets - Ditch 'Em and Eat the Whole Egg

Jonny's Take, Nutrition & Supplements


I've been railing against the concept of egg white omlettes for so long my voice is getting hoarse!

Virtually every week, it seems that a new study shows the the value of the whole egg. When you think about it, it's not surprising. Nature puts things in food together for a reason -- that's why they're called whole foods!

Eating eggs in the morning beats eating bagels for weight loss, says one study. Another found that eggs lowered inflammation, a major factor in virtually every inflammatory disease, including obesity. And this week, a third study found that the offspring of pregnant rats fed whole eggs had less breast cancer than the offspring of rats not fed eggs.

Six health mistakes women make

Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss

Sometimes it's hard being a member of the fairer sex. We're busy. Really busy. In fact, a recent study found that women work a 15-hour day, no matter how many hours they actually put in at their jobs. So it's understandable that we may make a few mistakes throughout the day -- forget to pick up milk, send a child to school without her lunch money, leave the cat out all night. It's just going to happen.

But according to Prevention, women are also making big mistakes when it comes to health. But unlike forgetting to wash your daughter's soccer uniform, making mistakes about diet, fitness, and lifestyle can cost you more than inconvenience in the long run. If you're guilty of some of the following mistakes, take a closer look at where healthy habits rank on your list of priorities and see if you can't make a difference in your own personal health.

Are you making these health mistakes?(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Eating a salad, no matter whatSkipping the scaleFailing to flossBeing wary of weightsTaking two aspirin and  ignoring your pain

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Do doctors see all women as pre-pregnant?

Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss

Jennifer over at ParentDish has a really interesting post about how women are perceived by their health care providers. It stemmed from a discussion over at the NYT's Well Blog, about all women of childbearing age being viewed as "pre-pregnant" or as "walking uteruses" when being treated for medical conditions. Do doctors assume that all women are pregnant until proved otherwise? And does it have an impact on their ability to treat us as whole patients?

This trend, say experts, started in the 1960s when doctors realized that drugs -- thalidomide was the drug in question -- taken by the mother could harm the fetus. Since the, when treating conditions or precribing medication, doctors have to consider the theorhetical fetus any time they treat a woman. At Well Blog, they're asking the question: Is this appropriate?

I'm used to being asked "Are you/could you be pregnant?" But for the most part, my doctors believe me when I assure them that no, I'm not. They respect that I'm in charge of my body and my fertility. Then again, on one very important occasion, I was wrong, adamantly wrong until proved otherwise through a pregnancy test. So it's easy for me to see both sides of this issue.

What do you think? Do doctors worry too much about a woman's reproductive status when making medical decision? Or is it appropriate to assume that any woman of child-bearing age could be pregnant?

Source

Food crimes

Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

This month's issue of Women's Health magazine features a comical spin on some serious food crimes we all commit -- knowingly or otherwise -- from time to time.

As part of a sidebar article, they list four popular food chains and a menu item from each that requires a stiff fitness sentence to repay your health debt to society.

PANERA BREAD - Crime: Somkehouse Turkey on focaccia = 800 calories ... Sentence: 120 minutes of race walking

COSI - Crime: Caesar salad with grilled chicken = 942 calories ... Sentence: 60 minutes of running 10-minute miles

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Four fitness moves to start your day off right

Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Healthy Places, Stress Reduction, Sustainable Community, Work/Home Balance, Womens Health, HealthWatch, Celebrities and Entertainment, Cellulite, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

Women's Health magazine just sent me a release with some fun tips entailed, and I thought I'd share this one with you. Four fabulous moves useful for those of you guilty of missing morning workouts to sleep in late, and then missing the gym after work due to fatigue. As your online trainer I want to make this clear to you: skipping your workouts on a regular basis is detrimental to your health!

Of course, early morning workouts can be tough. They're also what keeps you full of the energy you need to get through each day with vigor! Check out this gallery, and next time you go to hit the snooze button ... get your fanny up and do the Cat Cow pose instead. (No moo-ing necessary!) These four easy moves will give you the energy to get to the gym and start your day off right!

Morning Moves(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Cat Cow PoseSplit SquatSquat ThrustsLeaning Side PlankWomen's Health Magazine

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Decoding Rx Instructions

Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Vitamins and Supplements, Womens Health, HealthWatch, Healthy Kids, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

I have a total love/hate relationship with medicine. Although I value science and medicine, quite often I can't stand the affects they have on me. I simply can't stand to be drowsy, foggy or affected in any way. Prescriptions are great if they fix what's wrong with you, but all of the side effects are for the birds. I suppose if we all took each drug correctly, we may have less. So, I was particularly intrigued when Women's Health posted a study regarding drug labels.

According to a survey in the Annals of Internal Medicine, almost half of the participants misunderstood drug warning labels, and most ignored the directions altogether. This gallery provides some of the most common instructions you'll find on those little stickers slapped on each bottle and what they really mean.

Decoding Rx Instructions(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Take with Food or MilkDo Not Chew or CrushAvoid Exposure to SunlightLimit Alcoholic BeveragesTake with Plenty of Water

Exercises to keep you in balance

Fitness

woman balancingWho couldn't use a little more grace in their life? Balance and stability exercises are particularly important for healthy aging, but everybody can benefit from balance exercises. Women's Health magazine shares a great balance routine you can add to your workouts a few times each week:
  • Single-Leg Reach. Stand with your weight on your left leg and your knee slightly bent. Slowly lift your right leg behind you and hold for two seconds. Do six reps on each leg.
  • Single-Leg Squat. Stand on your right leg and lift your left foot slightly off the floor. Slowly sit as if you were sitting. Start with six reps on each side and gradually work up to 12 reps. (I tried this one and it's hard to get the motion down. I used a chair to stabilize myself until I got the hang of it.)
  • Hop with Stabilization. Stand on your right foot then hop forward 12 to 18 inches, landing on your left foot. Hold the position for a few seconds, then hop backward and land on your right foot. Work up to 12 reps.
AOL Health has more information on balance and exercises to improve your stability.

Source

Reduce post-exercise soreness

Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Men's Health

If there's one downside to resistance training, it's the soreness typically experienced a day or two after the most recent workout. Fortunately, our bodies becomes more and more adjusted to the workload over time and soreness becomes less and less of a problem. Still, those days after starting a new workout can be brutal. That's why some new research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research may be the physical reprieve some newbies are looking for.

Women's Health magazine highlights this study in their current issue, citing the discovery that performing quick bursts of cardio between strength training sets reduces post-workout soreness. Because cardio pushes more blood to muscles when done at elevated intensity, the quick delivery helps prevent further muscle damage and also begins a rapid repair. This, as stated, leaves you feeling less sore in the days to come.

For optimal results, the article suggests 30- to 45-second bursts of intense cardio between your resistance training sets. A very easy way of doing this (and a method that does not require you to occupy too many pieces of gym equipment at once -- a big no-no in some circles) is to bring a jump rope with you and get that thing spinning in overdrive in between sets!!

Source

Exercise keeps you 10 years younger

How old are you? How old is your body? The answers to these questions should be the same, but a great many factors can contribute to a noticeable disparity. Women's Health magazine points to the significant role fitness level plays in determining your body's age.

In terms of genetics, people who exercise regularly are 10 years younger than inactive people of the same chronological age. Researchers from King's College in London found that in twins, those who exercised had the longest telomeres -- genetic markers that shorten with age, oxidative stress, and inflammation. And, because exercise has been linked to a reduction in stress and inflammation, researchers posit that it therefore affects telomere length.

For other methods of finding out your "Real Age," visit (where else?) RealAge.com and complete their online physical assessment.

Don't be a dip s*#t

HealthWatch, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Men's Health

Did you have fun at the Memorial Day party you attended? I hope so. And what about the food - how was it? I hope great. Did you try any of the chips and salsa dip? If so, I'm sure they were delicious. All that crunchiness, the flavor of the salsa, and the 10,000 microscopic bacteria ... yummy.

Not that I'm pointing fingers at you necessarily, but chances are someone double-dipped at your Memorial Day party. And, more likely than not, someone will do it again at the Fourth of July party you attend, too. While double-dipping may seem more like a fairly innocuous, Seinfeldian faux pas, an article in the most recent issue of Women's Health demonstrates otherwise. Pointing to a recent study in the Journal of Food Safety, the article states that as many as 10,000 bacteria are transfered from a mouth to a bowl of dip when someone dips their chip too many times.

As for sharing beers, I can only imagine how many germs are swapped. Oh well, good thing you're usually with family and friends at these sort of events!!

Source

Poolates

Fitness

girl standing in poolPilates is a mind-body exercise that promotes posture, balance, and core strength. Beyond the physical benefits, pilates is a relaxing activity that is soothing to your spirit. When you pair this great activity with the natural resistance of water, you have a real winner. So the next time you feel like trying pilates ... take it to the pool! Women's Health Magazine gives us five pilates moves that are perfect for the shallow end:
  • The 50:50 works your chest, abs, waist, shoulders, triceps, back, hamstrings, and thighs.
  • The Poolates Squat is great for your abs, back, glutes, and quads.
  • The Step Star strengthens your arms, abs, waist, back, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
  • The Living Dead works your abs, waist, back, and inner thighs as well as stretching your arms and hamstrings.
  • The Frog is great for your abs, waist, back, glutes, and legs.

Source

Tasty gluten-free foods

Nutrition & Supplements

Gluten-free browniesA gluten-free diet is a must for people with celiac disease or an allergy to products containing wheat. It's not so easy being gluten free. Not only is gluten found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye, it's also added to many foods as a thickening agent. For example, some ice creams and even ketchup contain gluten.

The latest issue of Women's Health gives us a list of some of the tastiest gluten-free products on the market. Even if you don't require a gluten-free diet, give some gluten-free foods a chance. They're often made from different grains -- like quinoa -- and it's a good idea to incorporate new whole grains into your diet.

Check out the gallery for the Women's Health top gluten-free picks.

Tasty gluten-free foods(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Altiplano Natural Quinoa CerealSunbutter Crunch Snack BarsRice-crust pizzaBionaturae gluten-free pastaTriple chocolate truffle brownie

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Women: Get more out of your doctor's visit

Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss

For many people, visiting a doctor can be intimidating. There's the whole authority issue, plus the anxiety that comes with having to deal with a physical exam or possible bad news about a health condition. But according to CNN, women especially can be at risk for a less-than-helpful doctor's visit if they aren't careful.

Some helpful tips:
  • Ask questions, or bring someone with you who will.
  • Go ahead and research your condition, but don't become overwhelmed by it.
  • Recognize gender bias when it happens, and choose a different physician.
  • Just the facts, ma'am! Don't interpret your symptoms for you doc, just describe them factually.
  • Always trust your intuition.
I've found that if I have specific issues I want to discuss, I must write them down. Otherwise, I nearly always forget to bring them up during the five to 10 minutes I'm actually with the doctor. How do you get the most out of your doctor's appointments?

Source

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