Why You Should Work Your Abs First

Your core—the dozens of muscles between your shoulders and your hips—contracts first in every exercise, he explains. All the energy you exert starts in your midsection, and is then transferred to your limbs.

A strong core allows you to apply more force to a barbell, whereas a weak core decreases the amount you can apply.

But in order to prime your core muscles so they fire better during your workout, you need to train your core right after your warmup, he says.

The Truth About How Porn Affects Your Sex Life

There’s a war on porn taking place right now.

A growing chorus is claiming that porn is addictive, that it promotes misogyny and sexual violence, that it leads to riskier sex, and that it's creating an epidemic of erectile dysfunction and destroying relationships.

These are just some of the many reasons the state of Utah recently went so far as to formally declare porn to be a “public health crisis.”

Is porn really such a destructive force, though?

It’s difficult to come to that conclusion when you actually look at what the research says.

Most Physicians Say It Takes 5 to 7 Attempts to Quit Smoking. Here’s Why They’re Wrong

It might take more tries than you think to finally stop smoking for good: Smokers may need close to 30 quit attempts before they finally succeed, new research in BMJ Open found.

That’s well above the 5 to 7 benchmark that physicians usually refer to.

The 5 to 7 estimate comes from how many quit attempts former smokers actually remember having taken in their lives, says the study’s lead researcher Michael Chaiton, Ph.D.

STUDY: 78% Of Health-Care Workers Don’t Properly Wash Their Hands

You’d think your doctor, of all people, would be diligent about washing her hands at work.

But many health-care workers are sloppy with their hand hygiene, according to a new study presented at the 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) conference.

The researchers had undercover volunteers monitor hospital staff—including doctors, nurses, and even housekeeping—as they worked at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California.

7 Signs She'll Be Good in Bed

It's an enigma as enduring as Mona Lisa's small, knowing smile: Sometimes meek women turn wild in bed; sometimes they just lie there, waiting to inherit the earth. Sometimes the chestnut filly with the riding crop turns out to be all packaging; sometimes she's as thrilling as the signs indicated she'd be.

It made me wonder: Is it possible to reliably predict what a woman is like in bed? The love scientists say yes—sort of.

"It's very hard to gauge," explains Helen Fisher, Ph.D., an anthropologist at Rutgers University and author of Why We Love, a new book about the nature and chemistry of romantic love. A woman's high heels, short skirt, and follow-me walk mean little. "Those are signs of intention. But they are not signs that this person is actually good in bed and is compatible with you."

8 Signs It’s Time To Break Up

How do you know when it’s time to call it quits, versus when you’re just going through a rough patch?

We spoke with relationship experts to get a list of eight crucial signs to look out for. If several of these apply to you, and if you’ve worked on them to no avail, it could be time to cut the cord.

YOU'RE FIGHTING OVER EVERYTHING
Fights happen. And some couples just naturally fight more than others.

But if your argument pattern is changing and you’re starting to pick fights over the littlest, most insignificant things, that could be an indication that something’s awry, says relationship therapist Rachel Sussman, L.C.S.W., author of The Breakup Bible.

Why You Bruise More Easily When You Drink Alcohol

A dry mouth, a pounding head, and an upset stomach: Those are just a few side effects you might expect after drinking alcohol the night before.

One you might not think of? Waking up with black and blue marks across your body.

That’s because boozing can make you more susceptible to bruising.

Alcohol is a vasodilator, meaning it causes your blood vessels to temporarily relax and expand.

What to Do If Your Sex Life Has Become Completely Predictable

As the years go by over the course of a relationship, sex almost inevitable becomes routine.

“Boring sex unfolds naturally in long-term relationships, because we all do what works,” says Marianne Brandon, Ph.D., author of Monogamy: The Untold Story. “Then we just keep repeating what works until it becomes a rut.”

Although you can’t rewind the clock—or magically transform your partner into someone new—you can reclaim the sexual energy you once shared. Here’s how.