National Dance Day is July 31. It’s a great opportunity to explore dance for fun and fitness. I decided to tell you all about it because it was what such a great workout just learning and practicing the dance. The experience helped to remind me how much fun dance is as well as what a great option for fitness. So, get up and dance everyone. Your body and spirit will thank you for it.

Here’s a fun article from my buddy over at Yeahtips.com. Why is there such fuss about women’s health and fitness? Men don’t seem to have these issues. This is because women tend to prioritize their families first. No matter if they know every woman’s fitness tip, they are hardwired to feel guilty about putting themselves first. So now, there are endless articles, series, and even television programs to make women realize that they need to keep fit and healthy in order to multitask.

In honor of the Mamavation 2nd Anniversary, I’ve decided to start giving away some cool stuff for your home workouts starting with the great Ultimate Body Sculpt Kettlebell DVD from Lauren Brooks.

According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) A new study confirms what many discovered long ago – strength training plays an important role in ridding the body of extra weight. My own experiences certainly support this research as well. I lost more weight once I added strength training into my regular routine.

Fitness Guru Jon Benson recently wrote a great article about what to eat before your workouts. I thought it would be a great one to share here. One of the most common questions Jon gets asked is: “What should I eat before my workouts if I want to get rid of bodyfat?”

Here is a great recipe, especially if you have a bunch of leftover veggies that you are not sure what to do with. It’s also easy to make, which is my favorite kind of recipe for sure. It’s also rather well balanced when it comes to fat, carbs and protein.

Now that I am over 40, keeping young is a primary focus for me. More and more studies are coming out to show the effects of exercise on aging. This is certainly great to keep me motivated with each and every workout session.

Tim D. Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College in London, led a study on the effects of exercise on aging. The results were astounding. They found that exercise appears to slow the aging process. “The data suggests that the act of exercising may actually protect the body against the aging process,” said Spector.

Many people make the same health and fitness mistakes time and time again. How about you? Check this list to see if they are mistakes you make and what you can do to make improvements.