Memories of Summer camp are pretty magical. Some of my closest friends today are the girls I lived with my first Summer in a bunk when we were just 8 years old. Every Summer, I find myself scouring my camp Facebook page to see who I grew up with who still goes back and what camp looks like today. As a child, I assumed that camp was the perfect excuse for my parents to ship me and my siblings Read more

The Fighter wasn't on my list of movies to see. I'm not a fan of boxing, and underdog sports movies are notorious for their cheese. But the real life story intrigued me, and I've always thought Christian Bale to be a tremendous actor. I am so glad that I saw this film; to say that it's inspiring and well-acted is an understatement, and I already have plans to see it again before it leaves Read more

Last weekend, I headed up to Lake Tahoe with a group of friends in an attempt to finally, once and for all, learn to ski. I signed up for a beginner lesson (highly recommended!), strapped one ski on, and slid around in a circle with my five co-students. By the end of the afternoon we had graduated to the second-highest beginner hill, and I learned how to ride a chair lift, pizza/french fry my way Read more

Like almost every young girl, I loved ballet class. Unlike the majority of my peers, I didn't quit ballet in junior high but added the sparkle fingers of jazz and the barefoot freedom of modern to my class load. And I kept on dancing through college and my 20s — I earned money for rehearsing and performing and got to tour abroad — not a full-fledged professional, but sweet perks for doing Read more

Brad Pitt "married" into kids. Kate Middleton is about to marry into royalty. Me? I married into athleticism. My in-laws treat their vacation like a weight-loss camp. They don't need to lose weight, and they don't impose their lifestyle on anyone else, but you can't help but catch the fitness fever in their presence. My brother-in-law Jim, age 32, is no exception to the rule. A jock his whole Read more

I've been a vegetarian my whole life. My parents are hippie health nuts who opted to raise me and my sister on fresh, meat-free foods. They introduced us to poultry, fish, and meat as toddlers, but as family legend tells it, I tried chicken once, spit it out, and announced I didn't like it — my taste buds had been taught to crave tofu, beans, and veggies. And so, that is what I ate. I've never Read more

Each October, New York starts gearing up for the ING New York City marathon, held the first Sunday in November. The route is marked by banners, and eager New Yorkers complete their final long training runs in preparation for the race. Two years ago, I ran the race, and it was a life-changing and awesome experience! Here, five somewhat clichéd but completely true life lessons I learned from my Read more

I had no idea that when I started rock climbing a few years ago that it would impact my life the way it does today. Besides being the number one way I stay in shape, it's taken me to some of the most beautiful places in the country and introduced me to people I would have never met otherwise. And, most importantly, it's taught me things that I apply to my everyday life. Rock climber or not, some Read more

Besides teaching important values like responsibility, determination, and teamwork, organized sports for children provide fitness foundations that can last a lifetime. I spent 14 years as a gymnast (10 of those competitive), and while I haven't been up on a balance beam in years, I learned plenty of fitness lessons that I've carried with me from my years of chalk dust and glitter. Balance: This Read more