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I admire passion, in almost any healthy and non-harmful shape and form, and I love to see passionate people in action. This is why I love Jillian Michaels, her passion for fitness and the way she can inspire and motivate people to transform and become the best of what they can be. I started watching “Losing It with Jillian” shortly after I had my baby and many times the inspirational stories on the series brought a tear to my eye and motivation to exercise.

I have been looking for a new exercise DVD I can use from the comfort of my living room so I was pleasantly surprised to find Jillian’s new kickboxing release. And oh, if you knew me just a little bit you would know I love the idea of a fast fix, especially when it comes to fitness. Needless to say then, the combination of an inspirational trainer like Jillian with the promise of quick results definitely sold the DVD to me!

It can be very difficult for anyone to find the time and energy to exercise on a regular basis. And for new parents it can be even more difficult. Sleep deprivation and exhaustion from looking after a newborn are two common problems that must be overcome. However, getting fit and keeping your mind active is essential if you want to have the strength and energy to properly look after and enjoy time with your baby.

Here are 5 ways new parents can get fit and keep their minds active. None of these exercises require going to the gym or investing in expensive equipment. They are all easy to do and require very little of your time.

1. Stroller Walking

One of the best forms of exercise is walking. Now that you have a baby, you can both get out and enjoy the fresh air. The only things you need are a comfortable pair of walking shoes and a decent baby stroller. There are also jogging strollers on the market if you want to jog or run. A thirty minute walk every day or every other day is a great way to get fit and keep your mind fresh. You'll also be able to enjoy spending time with your baby at the same time.

2. Exercise Ball Crunch

If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s time to start a food journal. Studies show the more often you write down what you eat, the more weight you’ll lose.

A 20-week study by Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research showed the more days a week participants kept a food journal, the more weight they lost. Participants (1,685 overweight and obese adults) who tracked their food six or more days a week lost twice as much weight than those who didn’t track their food.

A year-long study at the Institute for Health Research and Policy showed that participants who kept more food journals throughout the year lost more weight. Participants were 123 overweight and obese postmenopausal women.

Keeping a food journal is a common recommendation for weight loss, whether you’re following a commercial weight loss program, working with a dietician, or reading a self-help weight loss book. Read below to learn about two rules for your journal and three additional benefits.

Two Rules for your Food Journal

Follow two easy rules when keeping a food journal: 1) keep it convenient, and 2) write down everything.

Rule 1. Choose a convenient method of tracking 

Here’s the thing about staying fit: it’s not just about working out and eating well as much as it’s about committing to new ways of doing things. Deciding that you’re going to make changes in your life and then seeing them through.

Oh, hey, you know what else that sounds like? Marriage! In fact, the pledge you make on your wedding day to that special someone is exactly the same kind of pledge you need to make with yourself when you want to stay healthy and in shape. For a lot of us, an impending wedding is enough to get us up off the couch and working out. I mean, you want to look good in your wedding photos, right?

Don’t let all that hard work go to waste! After the engagement ring has been accepted and the “I dos” have been said, why not keep up your fitness promise on your honeymoon? Of course, you won’t want to disrupt a romantic getaway with trips to the gym, but you can integrate some basic workouts into your downtime. Here are some ideas for simple workouts you can do from virtually anywhere.

Say “I Do” to Moderation!

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey obtained in 2009-2010 indicated that 17% of the young population has been obese. There is a rising prevalence of obesity across states and medical costs are on the rise that may reach up to $147 billion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthcare costs for obese individuals are estimated to be almost $1,429 higher than those with a normal weight. The US Department of Health and Human Services also indicated that about 35.7% of the US adult population were obese in 2010.

Our body needs adequate sleep in order to filter toxins, to rebuild itself and to charge its batteries. However, few people know that sleep can actually affect your weight in a positive way. In other words, you can shed pounds in a safe, natural and side effect-free manner with the right amount of sleep. Here you will find the main reasons why sleep helps you lose weight, along with the main pros and cons:

How Can Sleep Help You Lose Weight?

“Whoa!” My friend exclaimed. “You’re skinny!”

I had just gotten back from a 7-day backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains. My backpacking group and I hiked for at least 25 miles, where we climbed up and down 3 passes. It was a grueling experience. Upon returning home, I was so exhausted that I didn’t realize how much looser my pants felt.

I looked down at my own body and realized that I had indeed lost a few pounds. Who would’ve thought walking could make you leaner?

Well, I was wrong. Hiking is so much more than just walking. It’s an endurance workout that burns a lot of calories.

Hiking burns at least 350 calories per hour. It just depends on the terrain, your weight, your hiking speed, your metabolism, and many other factors. For example, a 180-pound man with a 40-pound backpack hiking up and down steep terrain burns more than 600 calories per hour. That’s a lot of calories! Also, hiking is a great exercise for many more reasons.

Hiking is easy.

Who would have thought that being overweight and obese can be prevented using a vaccine? We all have various vaccines to protect us from certain diseases and infection, but a new research has revealed that being overweight is indeed preventable using a vaccine.

This study was published in the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, an open access journal of BioMed Central. This new research could well be the answer to the weight loss problems people encounter especially those who have a genetically-rooted obesity in which dieting and exercise may not be the solution.

The research involved taking a look at the effectiveness of two somatostatin vaccines. These include JH17 and JH18, which are thought to reduce weight gain while promoting weight loss. The study involved mice that responded to these two vaccines.

Current exercise recommendations for good health – that’s for everyone, not just for athletes or those seeking the perfect body – are that we should participate in regular cardiovascular activity and weight training at least a couple of times a week, along with regular stretching. While many people join a gym to pursue such fitness goals, the cost can be prohibitive for those on a tight budget, especially given the recent explosion in living expenses. And the self-consciousness associated with crowded gyms deters many others from gym-going, too. So, what are the options for your at-home exercise regime?

Home-Based Exercise Equipment

You won’t have to look far if you think home-based exercise equipment might offer your personal fitness solution.

Then there are the perennial TV advertorials for endless versions of home exercise equipment, which target our emotions by boasting astonishing results in a short time-frame... but read the fine print! Here again, like most consumer products, we are faced with so much (mis) information that it can be overwhelming to make a considered choice.

Hot Yoga has become a popular practice among many in the United States. There are a number of questions that surround it though: Is it safe? Can I do it? What are the benefits? Just how hot does it get in a hot yoga class? These questions and more are all important to find answers to when deciding if hot yoga is something you want to pursue for your own health benefits.

What is Hot Yoga?

(Photo: your body during Hot Yoga practice. Source)

Hot yoga is a great method for weight loss. Along with practicing hot yoga, incorporating dietary changes will help with weight loss and adding supplements will help improve nutrition.

Hot yoga is performed in a room that is heated typically between 95 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 40 degrees Celsius). During the structured class time, you have 90 minutes of time in which you practice all the breathing exercises of yoga and work on the 26 yoga poses. Like any other type of yoga, if you combine hot yoga with other activity and healthy diet it is a highly effective way to lose weight safely.