Did you know that holding your body in a prone position just a few inches off the floor is both challenging and great for your physique? That’s right, planks are all the rage, replacing crunches as the go-to core exercise. Everyone's planking these days—elite athletes, my mom and dad, and even 71-year-olds breaking world records. We can thank our yoga and Pilates instructors for this one!

With spring suddenly upon us, I’m sure many of you are looking to take your fitness to the next level. After all, we all want to look lean and fit for the summer, right? And many of us want to perform at our best when it comes to training and competition too! Whether you’re looking to run a few extra miles outside, join a new boot camp class, or get back into your favorite warm weather sport, one thing is for certain—you need to adequately fuel your body.

Though some people may vehemently disagree, weight loss is relatively easy to accomplish. If you really want to lose weight and you commit to taking in fewer calories than you expend, the weight is very likely to come off. So then, what's the tricky part? Maintenance. Let's discuss.

I think I give people the wrong idea.

I always talk about how hard it was to put on a seat belt and wipe my butt when I was obese.

The Starting Line

It’s was the end of September in 2011. I sat in a crowded room, wearing a size 60-suit coat, dress pants with a 58-inch waste. I sat around my peers, who had all made fitness a priority. Together, we listened to stories of others' successes. I thought to myself, why not me?

You’ve seen it, right? The new “Coming Together” ad by the soft drink giant that’s designed to highlight their efforts to help curb the obesity epidemic. If there’s one thing Coca-Cola knows how to do well, it’s market their brand, and this 2-minute commercial proves that without a shadow of a doubt.

How are your New Year's resolutions coming along? Are you having troubles finding the motivation needed to workout? Hey, I have been there. So, don't worry. I have 15 established ways to get you to the gym...let's do this!

Resolutions. They never seem to go away. Another year goes by, and millions of people are once again bound and determined to make some significant change to their lifestyles. Some succeed at this drastic change but most don't. I have a challenge for you. Instead of making life-altering behavioral modifications, let's do the baby steps approach! You ready?