ArcaMax

This is my first time on Kauai, a 6 million-year-old speck of volcanic rock in the chain of ancient Hawaiian Islands that are 2,500 miles away from everywhere else. And yes, there is a Starbucks.

Kauai -- rhymes with Hawaii -- is the lushest, wettest island on earth, and it offers more forms of spectacular and insane outdoor adventures than any...Read more

You're in the park, on the track, at the gym? Terrific! You've squeezed a workout into your crazy busy day. You deserve a Snickers just for showing up.

You've done your stretches, and your muscles and tendons are warmed up, ready to have some fun.

Bravo! May all your dreams of thinner thighs and tighter butts come true.

But, wait ... just ...Read more

Spring cleaning isn't just for crowded closets and messy garages, and it's certainly not just for the women folk.

It's something we all do because it makes us feel so satisfied when it's over, and spring is the perfect time to take it on. In fact, I've read about communities that spring clean together, meeting in little groups, moving from one ...Read more

Just for fun, I started writing today's column, which highlights "4/20," at precisely 4:20 -- the ideal time to draw attention to April 20. That's the day set aside in the '70s to honor America's favorite healing herb, a powerful plant that has been part of human health, well-being and giggles for thousands of years.

Yes, we're talking cannabis...Read more

There are worse things in the world than inner-thigh jiggle, but with shorts season on the way, it's right up there.

The problem is weak and wobbly adductors -- those oft-neglected inner-thigh muscles. Leave them alone and flab happens. You can't lose it completely, but if you connect to them and make them stronger, you will not only ...Read more

Spring has sprung. So what? So now's an extraordinarily good time to notice that the birds are chirping, the buds are popping and your own body is primed and pumped to push you down the path to your own personal well-being.

"Springtime is in the air," writes Kenneth Cohen, a qi gong master. "A good time for spring cleaning of mind and body ...Read more

Last week was the last hurrah... until next winter... for my most invigorating and humbling workout: cross-country skiing. The sun was dazzling; the snow was fluffy, and the Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort in Soda Springs, California -- one of the largest ski centers in North America -- had half of their vast network of trails nicely ...Read more

Sit happens, which is why I've become wildly enthusiastic about the health benefits of standing desks. (FYI: No company is paying me to say this. Darn.)

The science is in: Sitting too much, crushing your kishkes, stagnating your blood, blocking the flow of energy for six, eight, 10 hours a day, is an insult to your well-being.

It's been linked...Read more

"Adam" is a guy I've created to illustrate one big and fascinating idea from a new book by British psychotherapist William Pullen: Movement is medicine.

Yes! Forget the word "exercise" for now. Just moving our bodies -- walking, dancing, jogging, preferably in nature -- can help free us from stress, emotional pain and whatever else we're ...Read more

I'll miss the Olympics when it ends, if it ever ends. I've been tethered to the tube night after night, chip after chip, dazzled by the incredible athleticism on display, constantly humming the Olympic theme song that keeps repeating and repeating: Dum-dum, da-dum-dum-dum-dum... It almost makes me want to run out and buy a Toyota.

Can ...Read more

Let's pretend we're sitting down, face to face, and after some easy chitchat about two-time Olympian Johnny Weir's fabulous fashion statements, I put on my reporter's hat and ask you this one dizzying question: What is the single most crucial factor when it comes to living a happy, healthy life?

Take a breath. Reflect. Have a glass of something...Read more

I'm taking Valentine's Day to heart this year for one good reason: So many hearts are feeling the stress of all that's going on. Anxiety is the cheesy chicken-fried steak of the healthy heart, the open heart, the heart that is so at ease, you barely flinch when someone cuts in line or steals your parking place.

Whether it comes from politics, ...Read more

All the research circles back to the same fascinating/terrifying conclusion: New Year's resolutions are made to be broken. No one keeps them. It's now a month into 2018: Do you even remember what your resolution was?

I'm pretty sure mine involved potato chips.

Relax! Finger-pointing and guilt-mongering, while still part of my cultural heritage...Read more