Hello Spring weather, goodbye gym? Maybe you’re ditching your favorite indoor cycling class because you’re biking in the park, or perhaps you’re skipping your regular treadmill session to hit the outdoor café with some friends. Besides warmer weather, now is also the time of year when New Year’s resolutions start to fizzle. Whatever the reason, Spring can definitely affect how we use our gym memberships. Do you have a gym membership you don’t use? Are You Not Using Your Gym Membership? Yes, because I’ve been exercising outside instead. Guilty. I’m paying and not exercising there or outside. Yes, but I’m keeping it because I plan on using it in the Summer. No, I have a membership and go regularly. I don’t have a gym membership.

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar! By Jessica Hardy Jessica Hardy knew she wanted to be an Olympic swimmer at age 5, when her mom started taking her to the neighborhood pool in Long Beach, Calif. Now, more than 20 years later, she’s a three-time world champion and a world record holder in the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Her next goal? Olympic gold in London. Jessica will be blogging for espnW in the lead-up to this summer’s London Olympics. Follow her journey on espnW.com and read her full blog entry here . How I Fend Off Workout Boredom 1. Hit Instant Replay. When I need motivation at practice, I just picture my competitors inching past me from the side of my goggles. That mental image is enough to drive me. A Bright Idea 2. Sing It, Sister. The last song I hear on the radio in my car before heading into practice always gets stuck in my head. I end up singing it the whole time, and you know what, it keeps me entertained – though my teammates don’t always feel the same way. Playing Hard Ball 3. Go into Detail. During a tough part of practice, I focus on technique with each stroke rather than when on earth the set is going to end. That little trick helps me get through it. Keep reading for more boredom-busting tips.

Bikini season will be here before you know it, so FitSugar reader JessicaSmithTV asked an expert for the best way to start shaping up. She posted her tips in our 10 Pounds Down! community group . Well, it’s official. The release of the 2012 swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated marks the opening of bikini season! And even if you are still snuggled and warm hiding your bod in that turtleneck, the warmer weather will be here before you know it. So don’t wait until you have a beach date to start shedding any excess winter weight. These three simple tips from fitness expert Kate Conti of The Sports Club/LA will have you melting away the extra pounds without major sacrifice, so you can strut your stuff in your swimsuit on the beach this year: Number one: allow up to six to eight weeks for delivery Yes, it may still be frosty outside, but you need plenty of time to allow yourself to get results. Don’t rely on that Master Cleanse to do your dirty work the week before. Start today! “Give yourself plenty of time to get in shape,” says Conti. “If you’ve been sitting around all winter, your body is not going to just snap back into shape in a couple of weeks. Give yourself about six to eight weeks of training before you expect to see any significant results. Your body will need that time to adapt to the added stress of exercise and make the appropriate physiological changes.” Keep reading for the rest of the tips.

Call for Funding: President Obama called for spending an extra $50 million on U.S. HIV/AIDS programs, including $15 million for HIV clinics and $35 million for state drug-assistance programs, the WSJ reports . He also called for putting about 2.1 million more people globally on antiretroviral drugs by the end of fiscal 2013, through the U.S. program known as Pepfar. He spoke at a World AIDS Day event in Washington, D.C. Development Guidelines: The FDA issued guidelines for companies and researchers working to develop an artificial pancreas to treat type 1 diabetes, Reuters reports . Advocates are generally optimistic that the guidelines will encourage innovation, Reuters says. Doesn’t Reproduce: The results of most medical studies, even those that appear in well-respected, peer-reviewed journals, can’t be reproduced by other scientists, the WSJ reports . The current issue of the journal Science is focusing on the problem, which may spring in part from the increased complexity of today’s experiments and variations in equipment or materials researchers use. Calls for Recusal: Conservatives are calling for Justice Elena Kagan to recuse herself in the upcoming Supreme Court case on the constitutionality of the health-care overhaul law because she used to be President Obama’s solicitor general, while those on the left want Justice Clarence Thomas to sit out the case because of his wife’s ties to groups that have advocated against the law, the Los Angeles Times reports . But the paper notes that Supreme Court justices “pride themselves on their impartiality and rarely recuse themselves unless they have a direct financial stake in the outcome of a case.” Image: iStockphoto

The Brooks PureCadence ($120) is part of the company’s new PureProject line of minimalist running shoes. The shoes all feature lightweight, flexible, and eco-friendly materials and are designed to improve your stride. The PureCadence, one of four PureProject models designed for different running needs, is made for the overpronator. Show me a stability shoe that’s lightweight and cute, and I get excited, so I was more than happy to test out a pair Brooks sent over. If you’re in the market for a pair of minimalist shoes for your dry or indoor runs, read on to learn more about the PureCadence. If you’re a regular stability shoe user, your feet will be happily surprised when you slip on these lightweight shoes. Each PureCadence shoe weighs in at 8.3 ounces, but these sneakers don’t skimp on support and cushioning. My feet never felt better, whether I was on the treadmill or running in the park, thanks to the Brooks DNA gel-cushioning, which disperses or firms depending on your stride to give you the support you need. And even though I have low arches, I’m a big fan of the Nav Band that wraps around the shoe (you can see the neon green band in the middle of the shoe in the photo) - you can feel the arch support while you run. My runs felt more light and bouncy than normal, thanks not only to the minimalist design but also the small touches that help correct your stride, like split sole to under the big toe to give it room to balance and push off during your runs (see the split in the sole photo above), and a rounded short heel box helps correct your stride to be more mid- or forward-foot. Keep reading for more about my Brooks PureCadence review.

After the gym, the last thing I want to do is cook – I’m tired and sweaty and ordering takeout just seems easier. But eating the right foods after a workout is essential since it helps the body repair and recover from the hard work it was just put through. Before you give up on the idea of having a healthy, homemade post-workout meal, take a look at these recipes. These meals are a great balance of protein and carbs and take around 15 minutes to prepare! View Slideshow ›

The surefire - and healthiest – way to lose weight is through exercise and a healthy diet. But there are also ways to drop a few pounds that barely involve lifting a finger. And while they’re no replacement for regular gym sessions, these lazy ways to lose weight are great to incorporate into your everyday fitness routine or to employ on those days when exercising is out of the question. Keep reading to see how you can drop a few pounds every year without really trying. View Slideshow ›

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. I’ve had a private practice for a long time, so I’ve coached many people on their weight-loss journeys . Sometimes they feel fantastic as the pounds drop off, as though they’re on top of the world and have energy through the roof. But some people struggle with what I call weight-loss backlash, the physiological and psychological side effects of weight loss that are powerful enough to make you feel downright miserable. Here are three you may encounter (do they sound familiar?) and how to get through the rough patch. Toxin Release According to research published in the International Journal of Obesity , environmental pollutants trapped in fat cells are released back into the bloodstream when you lose weight. The data collected from 1,099 adults looked at blood concentrations of six pollutants as people lost weight. Compared to those who reported gaining weight over a 10-year period, those who had lost significant pounds had 50-percent higher levels of pollutants in their blood. Scientists say the release of these chemicals as body fat is lost may account for feeling ill as you shrink your shape. Advice: This study highlights why it’s particularly important to eat a “clean” diet that boosts immunity and optimizes health as you lose weight. In my experience, low-calorie diets comprised of processed foods or ultra-low carb diets that omit antioxidant rich fruits and whole grains can add to feelings of sluggishness or symptoms like headaches and irritability. My best advice is to eat on a regular schedule to give your body consistency, which plays a major role in regulating hormones, and focus on the quality of your food by building meals made from nutrient-rich balanced portions of veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins , plant-based fats, and antioxidant-rich seasonings. See how to cope with the other negative side effects of weight loss after the break!

Ah, the weekend. If you’re used to a hectic work week, Saturday and Sunday mornings are the best time to spend some time doing the things you weren’t able to get to during the rest of the week. While weekends are good for long workouts, they also can be great for doing things that don’t even require you to lace up your running shoes. Here are some healthy things to you can do when you are getting your day going. Stretch in bed . These can help energize you when you just want the alarm clock to stop buzzing during the week, but taking a few more minutes to do a series of them will make you feel amazing. From a spinal twist to a cobra, do a few stress-releasing stretches before you shuffle out of bed. Make like a barista . Weekday coffee may be just whatever you can grab on your way to work, but take some time on the weekend to figure out your favorite way to be caffeinated. A little bit of coffee has been proven to have many benefits – from reducing your risk of certain diseases to improving your memory – so if you’re a coffee drinker now’s the time to brew the perfect cup, experiment with a French press, and otherwise be able to fully appreciate the beverage. Contemplate . The benefits of weekend mornings is that you can take time to do something you may not have time to do on during the week – nothing. Whether it’s through meditation or just curling up with a book , you’ll be relieving stress and releasing the work week’s anxieties. Have a healthy shower . There are so many things you can do in the shower besides lather up and shave. Take some time on the weekend to do things you may feel like you don’t have time for during the week, like using a homemade body scrub or relieving congestion with an in-shower neti pot.

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. If your New Year’s resolution to get in shape stalled out fast, you might be panicking right about now since bikini season is right around the bend. Making up for lost time with an aggressive workout routine will likely leave you sore, but begging for more once you see your thighs trim down and take form. That burn you feel 24 to 48 hours after an intense workout is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it’s enough to make you want to put down the Kettlebell and pick up a cocktail. But press on! We talked to fitness and nutrition expert Harley Pasternak, M.Sc., author of The 5-Factor World Diet , and trainer to celebrities like Lady Gaga , Megan Fox , and Halle Berry , about why (some) pain is good. “The idea behind resistance training is that you’re basically tearing something and creating a micro trauma in the muscle,” Pasternak says. “When the muscle recovers, it’s going to recover stronger and denser than it was before.” So that soreness you feel the day after an upper-body workout – when you’re hauling groceries into your car and you can hardly lift your arms – is good. Just make sure what you’re suffering from is DOMS and not an injury. “A good way to tell the difference is if the pain is bilateral,” Pasternak says. Having one very sore shoulder after you’ve worked both shoulders could spell injury. If you feel normal soreness in a muscle, ligament, or tendon, it’s DOMS and you can continue working out around it, Pasternak says. In the case of arms and shoulders, you can work your quads , abs, or glutes and then move back to your upper body in a few days. To avoid feeling the pain of DOMS the next time around, Pasternak suggests starting your exercise routine slow. “Increase your resistance gradually so that your muscles adapt to your new workout plan.” He also shared his top four tips to relieve (or avoid) sore muscles, so pain will never be an excuse to skip your workout again – and that’s a good thing! Harley Pasternak Top 4 Tips to Reducing DOMS Warm Up. “Increase body temperature to help prepare your muscles for the shock of an intense workout,” Pasternak says. Stay Hydrated. “A lack of electrolytes can make muscles sore,” Pasternak says, who recommends drinking easily digested fluids so you can power up and avoid an upset stomach. “Look for beverages with no protein or stimulants like Powerade Zero.” (And steer clear of these 10 worst drinks for your body !) Ice Sore Muscles. “Have a cold pack handy to reduce pain and inflammation,” Pasternak says. ACE has an Instant Cold Compress that’s super convenient. “Give it a twist and you’ve got instant ice.” Do Cardio. “A cardio workout increases blood flow and acts as a filter system. It brings nutrients like oxygen, protein, and iron to the muscles that you’ve been training and helps them recover faster. As the blood leaves the muscles, it takes some of the metabolic bi-products with it (like carbon dioxide and lactic acid) that may be causing DOMS.” More from Shape: 30 Surprising Foods that Keep You Hydrated 10 Reasons You Should Work Out with a Personal Trainer