Try This: The Superman, for a strong back

You may think you're a man or woman of steel, but without a strong back, those rippling abs don't mean a thing.

5 Questions: JWoww, after the party's over

Even if you've never been to New Jersey, names such as Snooki, the Situation and JWoww have become part of our cultural lexicon, thanks to...

Film looks at the harm of 'Soul Food Junkies'

You’ve likely heard suggestions for making greens without the pork fat or “fried” chicken in the oven. All well and good,...

Cutting back on sugar leads to small weight loss, study says

People who cut down on added sugars in their diets lost an average of about 1.7 pounds – a result researchers called small but...

Alliance of big city school districts aims for more healthful meals

Fatty corn dogs and sugary coffee cake may become extinct in thousands of school cafeterias nationwide under a landmark new alliance among...

Weight-loss regimen a preferred choice for countering diabetes

After all those well-intentioned New Year's resolutions have yielded to the force of habit, many of the nation's 79 million obese adults...

New mothers turn to an old Chinese diet

Five months into her pregnancy, Jessica Su was already thinking about what she would eat after her baby was born.

Coca-Cola takes on obesity issue in prime-time ad campaign

Coca-Cola, the world’s top beverage company and perennial target for critics of sugary drinks, is taking an unusually public stance on...

Gear: A sneak peek at some innovative workout aids

The L.A. Fitness Expo, to be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center next weekend, is always a good showcase for innovative, far-out and...

5 Questions: Brent Smith of Shinedown cleans up and slims down

The band Shinedown has been around for more than a decade, selling more than 10 million albums worldwide. In 2012 they launched their fourth...

How to find that mind-body balance, and keep it

When my editor assigned me a story on balance, I wondered if it was some sort of sick joke. I am a full-time working mother of two who is...

Reader tips for staying the course

We're determined to make 2013 the year we stick to our health and fitness goals by taking small, simple steps toward ditching empty calories...

Santa Monica weighs limits on fitness classes in Palisades Park

On a blustery winter morning this week in Santa Monica, the scene in Palisades Park was a modern-day California postcard: Mothers were...

FDA proposes sweeping new food safety rules

The Food and Drug Administration has proposed sweeping rules to curtail food-borne illnesses that kill thousands of Americans annually...

Sports bras: Get fit for action

Eight out of 10 women are wearing the wrong size sports bra, says Heather Cvitkovic, a product manager at Moving Comfort, the women's...

Being moderately overweight might not pose health risk

It's a common medical refrain: Carrying extra pounds raises the risk of ills such as heart disease and diabetes and therefore the risk of...

52 ways to leave your blubber

This is the year you will resolve to ditch the diets, the "all or nothing" mentality and the "no-pain, no-gain" fitness goals. This is the...

Gear: Ways to run with the weather

Too cold outside to go out for a run? Too wet, icy? All the old wintertime excuses for ditching your daily jog don't work with the new breed...

5 Questions with 'Hungry Girl's' Lisa Lillien

Lisa Lillien has the world on a plate. The Los Angeles author and entrepreneur sits atop the multimillion-dollar "Hungry Girl" empire that...

A Griffith Park hiking path for newcomers

Griffith Park is L.A.'s largest city park, but at 4,200 hilly acres it's so large, and so mountainous, that hikers unfamiliar with the...

5 Questions: Jane Fonda on yoga for boomers

Jane Fonda has led many public lives. There's Fonda the antiwar activist; Fonda the fitness enthusiast, grapevining her way across a...

Olympic medalists stay alive longer, study finds

Athletes who win at the Olympics may bring home more than just a medal: They could add a few years to their life spans, scientists have...

Study offers new support for taxing soda and other junk foods

Want to get people to eat more salad and less junk food? Make vegetables cheaper and soda more expensive.

Try This! Dancers' stretch good for runners too

This tried-and-true warm-up exercise for dancers is a total body strengthener and provides good cross-training for runners with tight...

Gear: Cutting-edge stocking stuffers

What's more fun: getting hold of some of the coolest new athletic technology, or giving it as a gift? You could end up buying two of each of...

Chips expand beyond potato and corn; a garden awaits

Move over, potato and corn chips. There's a cornucopia of other vegetables making its way to the grocery store snack aisle.

Gear: Clever gifts for Yoga and Pilates fans

Yoga and Pilates are the missing ingredients in many fitness plans, the ideal complement to cardio and strength work. Here, just in time for...

Try This: The reverse fly to bring back balance

Most people pay more attention to the muscles on the front of the body than the ones on the back, leaving them hunched and their shoulders...

5 Questions: Julie Bowen talks about allergies in her own 'Modern Family'

Actress Julie Bowen of "Modern Family" doesn't want other parents to go through what she and her husband did when their toddler...