Merrell Cayley High-Stretch Tank Top, Manduka eQua Hot Yoga Towel,Sanuk Yoga Spree, Hugger Mugger Tapas Terra 72"

The health and wellbeing benefits of yoga are widely known. Yoga increases flexibility, promotes good posture, increases muscle strength, helps manage stress and offers respiratory and cardiovascular benefits. It’s no wonder millions of Americans now practice yoga as part of their regular workout regimen.

If you want to take things up a notch in your yoga practice, try some form of hot yoga. Some of the benefits of heated yoga are: improved flexibility and range of motion, release of toxins, improve weight loss benefits, and building the immune system.

There are lots of other forms of hot yoga such as Bikram, Moskha and Hot Power Yoga. Whichever type of hot yoga you try, it’s important to start off slow. Some teachers advice new students to simply sit in the heated room for the first session in order to acclimate to the intense heat and humidity.

Last, but certainly not least, you’ll need a couple of extra essentials for hot yoga sessions:

Hot yoga mat towel: needless to say, you will sweat A LOT when doing hot yoga. So much so that your yoga mat will be drenched and slippery without the help of a super-absorbent yoga mat towel over it. Pick one that’s long and wide enough to cover your entire yoga mat.

Moisture-wicking yoga clothes: choose yoga clothes that fit close to the body but allow a full range of movement. Quick-drying fabrics are always best. Most practitioners of hot yoga opt to wear shorts instead of yoga pants.

L-R:   Reebok EasyTone S/S Top, CamelBak Better Bottle Insulated 6L ,Ecco Performance Tao

It seems like every five seconds we’re inundated by commercials and pop up ads promising the ultimate secret to a thinner, leaner, healthier you. “Lose 10 pounds in 10 minutes!”, “Eat cookies, lose weight!”…the promises go on and on.

Being healthy for the long haul really takes lifestyle changes. They don’t always have to be drastic ones either; there are lots of small yet impactful habits that you can incorporate into your life that will help you on your goal to becoming healthier. Here are just a few simple ones to try:

1.       Walk the walk: Don’t take shortcuts; take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther in the parking lot, take a brisk 30-minute walk in the evenings. Got a dog? Make the most of those daily walks by adding ankle weights and wearing performance walking shoes with specialized outsoles to work more key muscles. Ones to try are Skechers Shape Ups, Reebok EasyTone and Ecco Performance Tao.

2.       Drink lots of water: This one may seem obvious, but a lot of people don’t drink enough water. Try breaking up your day in segments: wake up time to noon, noon to 4 p.m., 4 p.m. to bedtime; aim for three 8-ounce glasses per time segment to get the optimum hydration. Water is also the ultimate detoxifier and is essential in every bodily function.

3.       Don’t skip breakfast: They don’t call it “the most important meal of the day” for nothing! Nearly 40 percent of women admit to skipping breakfast. This can cause you to make poor lunch choices and wreak havoc on your metabolism. Opt for fiber-rich, protein-rich options like granola bar with nuts, peanut butter and banana, nonfat Greek yogurt or a low-sugar ceral. Soy or almond milk are also great breakfast drinks if you’re in a hurry.

4.       Get your zzzs!: Sleep is a very essential part of a healthy, balanced life. While there is no real “magic number” to how many hours of sleep each individual needs, on average, a normal adult needs anywhere from 7-9 hours of restful sleep every night. Creating a relaxing nighttime ritual like a candlelit bath, soothing music or meditation before bedtime will help ease your mind and body into sleep mode.

5.       Snack healthy: Keep healthy options such as fresh fruit, nuts, and low-fat yogurt close at hand. Almonds are also a great way to fill you up in between meals. They’re high in protein and low in saturated fat, plus they’re easy to stow in your bag for on-the-go snacking.

We all know the great benefits of regular cardio workout, but sometimes, the treadmill can be a real drag. A great way to switch up your cardio routine is through swimming. Not only is it a great way to burn some serious calories (up to 400 calories in one 30 minute breaststroke session), but there’s no impact on your joints, so it’s a great workout to supplement more high imapct cardio activities like running.

For swimming laps, we recommend a good one-piece swimsuit , like the ingenious Spanx Chic Deep V Trim One Piece. This not only offers maximum shape control, it offers comfortable style that moves with you.  It offers the tummy control compression that Spanx is known for, so it’s equally as great at the beach or just lounging by the pool.

Check out the rest of the Spanx Swimwear collection on Zappos.com.

Prana makes its first venture into fair trade certified clothing with the Prana Soul Tee. Prana has partnered with Fair Trade USA to support and promote its new fair trade line of clothing.

The beautiful Prana Soul Tee is just the first in this line of socially-conscious clothing, continuing Prana’s mission to offer products with purpose. By supporting Prana’s fair trade endeavors, you are also supporting this new movement towards certified fair trade apparel, helping women in Liberia, as well as other parts of the globe, become more independent in providing for their families. 

prAna Initiates Fair Trade Apparel from Prana Living on Vimeo.

With deep roots in rock climbing and yoga, prAna designs performance and lifestyle apparel and accessories for men and women. prAna is truly unique in its ability to blend purposeful fabrics and features with contemporary style, creating a genuine versatility that has forever been the signature of prAna design. 

At prAna, fit and performance are of utmost importance. Their designs are not only easy-to-wear, but built to fit real people. The Amaya Top is an active top that will keep up with you, no matter how far you go. Guided by nature since the very beginning, prAna is able to draw from nature’s endless amounts of inspiration to make clothing that may be well worn and lived in. Available in three colors, the Amaya Top channels the elements with vibrant hues and earthy tones.

Always looking for new ways to incorporate sustainable materials and practices into their product lines, prAna continues to work on reducing their impact on soils, water supplies and other natural resources. As part of the Organic Trade Association, prAna continues to increase their use of organic cotton, in addition to using other natural fibers and innovative recycled/upcycled materials.

As if the technology in Skechers Shape-Ups wasn't enough reason to get a pair, Kim Kardashian has approved them! If you missed the commercial during the Super Bowl, you can watch it below. With Skechers Shape-Ups, you can tone problem areas just by wearing a pair. The Skechers Shape-Ups Toners shoes features Kinetic Toning Pods that are designed to help sculpt your lower body. They may help burn more calories, improve agility, and strengthen muscles in your legs, buttocks and more. Similar to other Shape-Ups, but without the rocker bottom design, the Toners offer TPU rigid side stabilizers to control lateral motion to maximize balance and workout effect. Fire your trainer and step into a pair of Skechers Shape-Ups.

It’s that time of year again. Put on your party dress, look like a million bucks, make a few resolutions and head out to celebrate the New Year with your loved ones. Knock their socks off this year in the elegant BCBGeneration Strapless Pleated Dress that will put you front and center with a hot look. This strapless dress rocks BCBGeneration signature luxurious pleats and features a rose print all around the fabric. This 100% polyester dress can handle you dancing you the night into the New Year. Don’t forget to pair it will accenting heels and a chunky necklace to make your outfit shine. Ring in the New Year with a fabulous BCBGeneration dress from Zappos.com.

Cold weather shouldn’t keep you from getting in your daily jog and the team at Burton have put together a few choices of stylishly warm outerwear for the season. Stay warm,dry and fresh in the stylish Burton Expedition Quarter Zip top. The DRYRIDE Ultrawick™ 360G stretch microfleece will keep you perfectly warm and dry. The stretch 360° will give you unlimited mobility during every workout. The Burton Scoop Hoodie is another great option with its lightweight DRYRIDE Thermex™ grid fleece for quick-drying, breathable warmth. The inventive gingham check design  and contrast full-zip closure makes the Scoop Hoodie a certified winner for your Winter workout style. 

Burton has fueled the growth of adult and children's snowboarding worldwide through its groundbreaking product lines, its grassroots efforts to get the sport accepted at resorts and its team of top adult, child, and teen snowboarders. Put their expertise to good use on your runs this Winter.