If you’ve been in earshot of me in the last week you’ve probably heard me ramble on and on about this New York Times article discussing what’s the single best exercise. Experts interviewed for the article chimed in with everything from swimming, to burpees, to brisk walks, to high intensity interval training (HIIT).

It got me thinking…what really is the best exercise?

Part of me says, any exercise you will do is the best exercise. But that’s an easy answer isn’t it? Because, honestly, taking a brisk walk is great, but it is not THE best exercise for me personally.

And part of me says, it’s a trick question, because I whole-heartily believe that a body needs a variety of cardiovascular and resistance training at a minimum.

And part of me says, no matter how much I love to hate burpees, if I had to pick just one exercise to do it would be burpees with a push up tossed in the mix. Why? Because it’s an effective cardio and body weight resistance move all in one. In fact, I really should do burpees tmore often.

Now it’s your turn to chime in…What do you think is the best exercise for you?

Now I really must go grab a glass of water and do a few quick sets of burpees…excuse me.

Fitness & Spice is where fitness, food, and fashion get a healthy shake. With that in mind, I thought I’d share a few last minute ideas for stuffing a perfectly healthy Easter basket for just about any bunny on your list . Let’s get started…

FITNESS:

• Jump ropes
• Resistance bands
• Gym bag accessories – Like this new Daily Skin Balance lotion I love that Eucerin sent me. It feels and smells amazing!

FOOD:

• Hard boiled eggs, of course
• Homemade chocolate peanut butter cups
• Individual packages of almonds or microwave popcorn
• Spices. If you live near Penzeys Spices, go straight there and stock up!

FASHION:

• RoadID Personal Identification Wrist Bands (You’re running out of time so just scoop up an eCard here)
• Sport Socks: What Fitness & Spicer couldn’t use new gym socks? Grab some at Target or your local sporting goods store. And if you’re lucky to live near a Lucy store, I’ve heard the chicks really dig their socks

Now I really must go put away the peanut butter cups, I’m stuffed!

There are a lot of events brewing in preparation for Friday’s celebration of Earth Day. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite events happens to be a free coffee or tea offer at Starbucks, but that’s not important right now.

What is important is that Earth Day is creating awareness and education about sustainable environmentally-friendly practices.

Sustainability is the capacity to endure, according to the latest entry in Wikipedia.

The capacity to endure.

The concept of sustainability has been a topic of conversation with several friends over the last few weeks, not in terms of the environmental movement, but in terms of our own healthy-living journeys.

I’ve asked this question to my friends, to myself, and now I’m asking you:

Are your workouts and nutrition programs sustainable? Or are they too extreme, or conversely, not extreme enough?

I’m on a mission to strike a healthy balance in terms of fitness and nutrition. There was a time where I would spend well over an hour in the gym a day. And there was a time where I tracked calories and macro-nutrients in spreadsheets to the decimal point. I’ve even gone to the extreme and tried to endure low carb, low fat, and (gasp!) even low calorie diets. But this type of behavior is not sustainable. Not for me anyway.

Besides, I really don’t want to spend more time in the gym than necessary and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life meticulously counting calories, carbs, fat, and protein. Instead, I’m now focused on sustainable workouts and ways of eating. My workouts are challenging but efficient. My diet is balanced and not-so-calculated or limiting.

And I’m happy to report that my energy levels and my body fat are sustainable.

Now I really must go unplug and get ready to endure a core workout that is out of this world!

I once told you about Wordlock, the clever little locks that use letters instead of numbers as the code.

I use my Wordlock at the gym all the time and you’ll never guess what word I use as the combo. I’ll give you a hint. It starts with an S and rhymes with nice.

Speaking of nice, the good people at Wordlock are making a donation to the American Heart Association for every 10 people they get to “LIKE” their page on Facebook. How great is that? So with the click of a mouse you could support a great organization, you do-gooder, you!

Here’s the link if you’d LIKE: http://www.facebook.com/wordlock

Now I really must go to the gym and then make my donation to locks of love!

You know the kind of workout that leaves you feeling…

…like you’re back on track?

…like you can conquer ANYTHING?

…confident? alive? energized?

…depleted and yet refreshed?

…like you want to make healthier nutrition choices?

…like you have the spring back in your step?

I had one of those types of workouts over the weekend. If I could capture and bottle up that feeling, I’d be rich. And famous.

But we all know a workout high doesn’t come in a bottle, it comes from digging deep, gritting your teeth, and pushing your limits.

If you haven’t had one of those workouts in a while, I challenge you to go the extra mile this week.

If you pull it off, you’ll eat feel like a king.

Now I really must go get off my royal highness and drink another court quart of water.

Now I really must go pick up my HCG diet pills…April Fools!

Got a goal and 2 minutes? Grab a bottle of water and enjoy this Motivational Matinee…

Now I really must go to the gym, I have a feeling it’s going to be a Rocky workout!

I learned two things this weekend.

The first lesson? To remove a broken light bulb still in the socket, cut the power, insert half of a raw potato into the base, and turn counter-clockwise.

The second lesson? If you used the one and only sweet potato to fix the light then you cannot make your favorite Vegetable Fiesta Soup, instead make a light batch of…

Easy Broccoli & Onion Soup

• 1 Red or White Onion, chopped
• 2 cups Broccoli
• 2 T Olive Oil
• 4 cups Water (Surely vegetable or chicken stock would work well here, too)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

In a saucepan, saute the onion in olive oil. Once the onion’s cooked add the broccoli until softened. Pour in the water, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 15 minutes. While the soup is cooking, do a few sets of jumping jacks and push ups. Next, wash your hands. Add the mixture to your high powered blender and blend until smooth. Eat.

Now I really must go before I bust out a souper corny light bulb joke.

1 tank of gas on the way to the gym: $56

1 broken iPod discovered just before cardio: $124

1 broken nail racking someone else’s weights: $26

1 kick ass workout anyway: PRICELESS

For everything else there’s MasterCard.

Have you had a priceless moment lately?

Now I really must go home and recharge!

Raise your hand if you have complained one or more times this week about losing an hour of sleep from daylight savings time?

That’s what I thought.

Don’t worry…you’re in good company. I’ve complained no less than 5 times. Even I’m getting tired of hearing me talk about it of foggy I am.

And then I remembered this video…

What excuses do you need to quit repeating?

Now I really must go grab a quick cup of coffee and hit the the gym!