And, while "Sex and the City's" Carrie Bradshaw may have brought the term "shoe addict" into the '90s lexicon, our obsession with footwear can be traced as far back as a certain glass slipper-wearing scullery maid.
Gearing up for your nuptials is on par with gearing up for the Oscars. You select a dream gown, you pamper yourself from head to perfectly-manicured toe, and you hire beauty professionals to create hair and makeup masterpieces.
Wouldn't life be easier if we all just worked out naked? Think about it. No expensive workout gear to buy, no feeling embarrassed at the gym because of your ancient college sweats and ratty old sneaks. Since when did paying $78 for spandex workout pants become acceptable, anyway?
Getting rid of your pooch doesn't have to be grueling. Try these surprisingly easy nutrition tips and ab workouts for women to get a gorgeous-looking midsection in time for bikini season
That girl on the yoga mat next to you may look impressive as she bends and stretches beyond imaginable limits, but there's really nothing worth envying if by pushing to get those extra inches of reach she gives herself a sore back. Big no-nomaste, if you know what we mean.
No matter what you consider your daily grind — sitting behind a computer, running errands for your family, keeping up with your favorite TV shows — most of us spend way too much time on our expanding derrieres.
Before you sign up for those spendy yoga classes or personal training sessions, look at what the famous "Friend's" at-home yoga workout did for our writer
For most of us, our phone is an adult-version of a security blanket. Without it we feel isolated, lost, and let's face it, bored. C'mon, admit it: Haven't there been a few times when you almost ran into a pole, a mailbox, or a stranger because you were thoroughly absorbed in a work email (or more likely, a vicious round of Words with Friends)? Thought so.
You know her. That annoying friend or co-worker with boundless energy, who's got three kids and a demanding job and still has time for early morning yoga classes and evening runs (and of course she's got the body to show for it, too). What's her workout secret?
Before you judge me on wanting to look like the five-foot-two, less-than-a-hundred-pounds Kelly Ripa, hear this: I fully understand on a fundamental level that I will never, ever look like Kelly Ripa. I'm sane. Reasonable. Not short, or naturally thin. Oh, and I'm a brunette (wink!).
We know -- you can't make it to the gym because you're slammed at work. Or your neck and lower back hurt from sitting at your desk all day. Or you'd just rather plop on the couch and watch TV.
Have you ever been sitting in the movie theater, watching the Oscars, or flipping through gossip magazines and just thought, "Celebrities seem to have it all, don't they?" Fame, money, washboard abs. Life is a peach for the ladies of the red carpet (personal scandals aside). However, before you get jealous of gorgeous celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Eva Mendes for their enviable bodies and income brackets, you should know they work hard for their assets -- particularly the ones men ogle over and we dream of having.
Stop us if this sounds familiar: It's 2 AM, and despite your best efforts to stop today's to-do list from taking over your mind, you're wide-awake, staring at the TV. The concept of doing a sleep-inducing shoulder stand has lost its appeal to the thought of watching part of that movie you've seen 100 times while eating the scrumptious chocolate chip cookie dough you have stashed in the freezer. And just as you're stuffing a second, third, fourth spoonful in your mouth, you're momentarily mesmerized by a peppy, slim fitness instructor wearing a leotard and a Scrunchie, describing some overweight girl's amazing (and, uh, completely bogus) transformation story: "Kate lost 150 pounds after just two months of using the fat-blasting thingamajig. It was so easy! Buy one now and we'll send you free ankle weights and an instructional DVD."
There's nothing like the feeling you get after a good, adrenaline-fueled workout -- your endorphins are high, your body is tingling and you feel way better than you did before, even if it was a total pain to motivate.