Health & Wellness

One of the great things about yoga is that you don’t need to invest in a bunch of equipment to reap its benefits. As long as you have a yoga mat and some stretchy clothes, and you’re good to go. And yet there is one yoga prop I wish I could magically disperse to every household in America. Heck—the whole world! And that’s the humble yoga bolster.

Most of us have memorized this rule: Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. But did you know that the human body is made up of about 66 percent water? We are more than half water — so staying well hydrated is essential when being active outdoors. But how much water you need, and when you need it, really depends on the length and intensity of your workout.

It takes about 60 days for a human to form a long-term habit, studies have shown. So why do so many Americans fail on their diet and exercise plans? They don’t give it two weeks, much less four. We are an instant-gratification society that wants quick results or forget it!

Gaiam shot this photo of Colleen about two years ago, when she was 48.

The time has come. I never thought I would ever be a half century old. I thought I would feel different when I got to this phase in my life. I am not sure what I thought it would feel like to be one of the old folks (as I used to call my parents and their friends), but here I am.

In the past two years, I have been devoting a lot of time to my physical health. I changed my eating habits and took working out to a new level. I released 20 pounds and have kept if off. It has required me to be completely dedicated to honoring my commitment to living a vibrant and healthy life.

The first time my back went out, I was 27 years old. I was about to go on a media tour, appearing on morning news programs to plug a book I had written, and I was terrified. I had a mortal fear of public speaking, and the very thought of waking up at 5 a.m. to talk eloquently about anything to thousands of people was … well, I can’t tell you because I couldn’t even ponder it. Whenever my mind wandered toward my impending TV debut, I froze. It didn’t take long for my back muscles to get the message to freeze, too — and pretty soon I was moving as gingerly as I could, whimpering with every step. And the pain lasted several weeks longer than the media tour.

This year, after 15 years of yoga practice and transforming my body, I found myself hitting a plateau. Though my practice regularly involves power moves like jumping forward into crow pose and holding warrior pose for a long time, my muscle tone seemed to be stuck on autopilot: never decreasing, but never really going to that next level, either.

In this post: 3 sleeping positions that hurt! … Try yogic breathing to help you sleep better … 3 ways to sleep more comfortably on your side

All it takes is trying on a swimsuit and looking at your winter-white skin in the 3-D mirrors to get you whispering under your breath, “this year I’m losing weight!” And a good 5–6 pound initial weight loss can really motivate you to keep going. But when your losses taper to 1 or 2 — or zero — pounds a week, your interest in eating healthy and exercise begins to wane.

By The FIRM nutrition consultant Sara Ryba, R.D., C.D.N.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or eat more fruits and vegetables, a food journal can be one of the most effective weight loss tools anywhere. Yet while it sounds like a simple task to write down what you eat, these five tips on how to start a food journal, what to write in it, and what to do with what you learn from it can greatly increase your likelihood of success with weight loss and healthier eating.