Health and Fitness

Water is a vital part of any diet and exercise program — not to mention life in general — because it aids every aspect of bodily functions.

While many people are concerned with how they look and feel the muffin tops and beer bellies aren’t the sexiest, the truth of belly fat is far more nefarious. Excess belly fat has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and stress.

Killing it at the gym? Don't injure your body in the process. Jillian Michaels outlines the six most common fitness blunders that could be keeping you from getting the best caloric burn from your workouts.

As a fitness trainer, I've seen a lot of bad fitness habits first-hand. I can tell you that not only are they bad habits, but they're also bad choices that could affect your long-term health. If you're guilty of any one of these, it's time to make a change.

Change doesn't happen overnight and it takes a lot of dedication and hard work. If you're ready to start living a healthier, happier life, Jillian Michaels has all of the tips to help you make it happen - starting today!

Obsessed with your daily indoor cycling class? Or exercising to the same DVD over and over again? Working out every day is great, but if you're repeating the same workout, you may not be getting all of the benefits - or results - you could be!

The Truth: To continue to challenge your body and improve your strength and conditioning, you need to switch up your day-to-day workouts — and try something new each month.

The holidays definitely have all the elements necessary to throw you off the healthy track, but they don't have to. Breaking your diet and fitness routine will only make it that much harder to reboot come January 1!

The Truth: As crazy as it sounds, you don’t have to gain five pounds this holiday season! Being mindful of what you’re eating while continuing to exercise will keep you from ruining your weight-loss efforts.

So you think you need a machine to work your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, huh? Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't think so. He relied on stiff-legged dead lifts, which produce killer glutes if done properly. Dead lifts were cool in the seventies and eighties, but modern machines made them seem a little too low-tech to be effective. But this classic exercise of the bodybuilding era is worth a second look.

Talk about cellulite - the appearance of dimpled skin on thighs, hips, or butts - and most women will cringe. But can those cellulite-reducing creams, treatments, and procedures advertised actually work? Let's find out.

The Truth: Put down the cream and cancel your next laser appointment. There is nothing you can do to get rid of cellulite.

The gluteals — your butt muscles — are the largest and strongest muscles in the body. Their function is hip extension, or driving the upper legs backward. I cannot overstate how important it is to make sure these muscles are getting their workout. Activities that engage this muscle group include walking, running, jumping, and climbing. Lunges, leg lifts, and squats are all great for exercising the glutes. Here's the lowdown on some of my favorite squats.

MYTH: Exercising at Night Keeps You Awake
If you want to make sleep a priority in your life, does that mean you shouldn't work out at night? Not necessarily! Finally find out the truth behind this fitness myth.

The Truth: Exercising at night won’t keep you awake for hours afterward. You should work out at the time that is most convenient for you, whatever time that is.