If you’ve hit the path or checked out the crowd at your local 5K lately, you’ve likely seen athletes wearing tall, colorful compression socks. Some runners—and the companies who make the socks—swear the tight-fitting garments help you stride faster and recover more quickly. But a new study casts doubt on at least some of these claims. In fact, college runners actually exercised for less time when wearing them, according to results just posted online in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Read the full article in Prevention News.
We’ve collected a whole slew of simple, effective strategies for safeguarding your heart health. You don’t have to adopt all of these lifesavers, but give each one a try to see if you can stick with it for the long haul. Who knows? You just might dodge a bullet. Read the full article in Men’s Health.
Fighting with your guy or having your brilliant (or so you thought) ideas vetoed in a meeting can compel you to head straight to the weight room or the running path—and for good reason. A serious sweat session zaps stress, releasing tension and anger, and boosting levels of feel-good brain chemicals including endorphins. 
Belly too big? Think small. Choose from our list of easy, expert-approved, research-backed waist reducers and shrink your gut in no time flat. 
As quickly as exercise scientists work to banish them, new fitness misconceptions rear their ugly heads. Meanwhile, other untried and untrue myths just won’t go away. Here, we round up a few of the most common fitness falsehoods, and ask researchers and other experts to help correct the record. 
Have high blood sugar? Some people can sweat their way to lower levels—but others can’t, even if they lose weight, says new research published in JAMA Internal Medicine. 
Fitness Scoop! for June 2013: Steal surfer’s fit bodies with these landlocked moves. Also, find out why it’s so hard to count during your workout, and find the best sports bra for full figures. 
Ready to give yourself the best present of all this year? How about the body you’ve always wanted, one toned trouble spot at a time. 
Want to jump higher? Squat lower.