Yep, I’m a huge proponent of sleep. I’m not joking – two nights in a row of only six or seven hours of the zzz’s leaves Christine a very broken, and more than willing to break something over your head, person. I’m more of a 8-to-9er. Caffeine only breaks my adrenals down further when I haven’t gotten enough sleep, so never mind trying to get good work outta me if my head didn’t stay on that pillow from 11pm-7:30am. That’s part of what this new wave feminism is getting at: women can work smarter if they get enough sleep, instead of working longer hours in order to fit into the ever elusive Boy’s Club. Ok, I can dig that. But Naomi Wolf, one of my favorite female voices of reason, makes a darn good point:

“Your dad might look a little scary.” Scary? What is this, Halloween? What Steve means is that they just cut a big nasty hole into his scalp, sawed open his skull and chopped up his brain like a slab of sirloin, and he’s gonna look the part. The part of a man taken apart and put back together. Humpty-fucking-Dumpty. I wonder if I will be able to tell now? Will I see the cancer under his skin or smell it rotting on his breath? “I just wanted to warn you. Try to act as happy and as normal as possible. It’s very important… and keep the visit short. He needs to rest. Two days ago the sun fell through the window like a promise of summer. Dad and I leaned against the kitchen table and joked and crunched tuna melts. That was happy. That was normal.

To honor the wonders of Valentine’s Day (yes, I’m being sarcastic), we decided to put together a little prize package that includes a lot of truth around the ups and downs of love. The packet includes an amazing anthology from The Sun Magazine entitled, The Mysterious Life of the Heart, the latest movie from award-winning filmmaker Kara Herold, Bachelorette, 34, and a couple of other sweet goodies.

Many people think losing weight is simply about looking better physically. Some might also jump on the weight-loss bandwagon due to health concerns. But what many people fail to understand is that losing anywhere from several to more than a few pounds can effect the whole person by creating a positive outlook on life. Each of us is a whole being, made up of a mind, body, and spirit. When one of those entities is out of balance, the other two feel it – and are unfortunately “brought down” in the process. This can lead to low energy levels, depression, and eventually, disease. The key is not to try and work on all of those areas all at once, but rather to find your way in through one area, which will end up touching the other two.

As the new year opens, many of us are resolving to get off the couch and get our bodies into shape. But if we don’t examine our underlying attitudes towards exercise, then we may end up facing some mental barriers to getting physical. Changing your mind might just be the first step to changing your body. Here are a few common notions – and their truths – that I have witnessed as a personal trainer.