I consider brownies the perfect barbecue dessert. My standard recipe is similar to most; it contains a whole stick of butter, a couple of eggs, and a cup-and-a-half of sugar. That is until I found this recipe in Shape; compared to my go-to, the final calorie count per brownie dropped by 170 calories!

For a lightened-up recipe, these brownies were rich and tasty. To keep the flavor quality prime, be sure to use high-quality cocoa and chocolate chips. Keep reading to see this slimmed-down recipe.

You can do regular crunches all day long, but that gets pretty boring for you and your abs. Bicycle crunches are a great way to target the rectus abdominis and the obliques in one easy exercise. Six-pack, here you come!

Here's how:

• Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground (pull your navel in to also target your deep abs).
• Put your hands behind your head, then bring your knees in towards your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the ground, but be sure not to pull on your neck.
• Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow towards the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving and not just your elbows.
• Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep.
• Do three sets of 20 reps.

Speed is not the name of the game here; go slowly to focus on your form and your breathing. Also, it is not necessary to touch your elbows to your knees as this could cause strain in your neck.

With all the talk about the recent release of Man of Steel, let us remind you of a classic — the Superman. A good supplement to all those crunches, the Superman is a great way to strengthen your lower back and tone your glutes. All you need to do this exercise is your body weight, no equipment (or movie ticket) necessary.

Here's how:

• Lie face down on your stomach with arms and legs extended. Keep your neck in a neutral position.
• Keeping your arms and legs straight (but not locked) and torso stationary, simultaneously lift your arms and legs up toward the ceiling to form an elongated "u" shape with your body — back arches and arms and legs lift several inches off the floor.
• Hold for two to five seconds and lower back down to complete one.
• Do three sets of 12.

Exhale as you lift your arms and legs and inhale as you lower them back down. When you have completed all three sets, or even in between each set, take a Child's Pose to stretch your back.

Being a goal-oriented gal, I have learned I work out much more consistently when I have a goal in mind, like training for a race. If cross training is your thing, why not try a triathlon? Mixing up the endurance sports of running, biking, and swimming helps to keep overuse injuries and boredom at bay.

If you're not up for the challenge of an Ironman triathlon that involves swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running a full 26.2 mile marathon, tackle a much shorter and more doable sprint triathlon which includes a .5 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike ride, and a 5K (3.1 mile) run. The distances may vary a bit from course to course depending on the body of water for the swim and the terrain for biking. Just be warned — a sprint tri is the gateway race to longer and longer distances.

Here is the training schedule, created by the YMCA Tri Club, that I used a couple of years ago when training for my first tri. It is a great training program that slowly builds so it is great for beginners but has easy recovery weeks every three weeks or so. Even if you're not planning on participating in a triathlon, this training schedule might be just the thing you need to get ready for the beach. You can choose to do one workout on each day of the week or double up on workouts to give yourself a rest day.

Continue reading to see the 14-week training schedule.

If you're looking for a cooling and caffeinated pick-me-up, look no further than this antioxidant-rich iced green tea. The addition of citrus increases the antioxidant levels of green tea while giving the drink a refreshing tang. Plus, this recipe is as easy to make as it is to sip.

To see the recipe, just read more.

Many a runner has been sidelined by knee pain caused by the iliotibial band (aka the ITB). But knowing how to deal with this long band of fascia, which runs down the outside of the thigh from the pelvis to just below the shin, can help keep an injury at bay. Knowledge is power, and we want to help keep you on the road.

First off, fascia is a stiff connective tissue (like tendons and ligaments) that surrounds muscles, bones, and joints, providing both support and protection. It's like shrink-wrap; once fascia becomes tight it tends to stay tight, causing pain and injuries. When the ITB shortens, usually due to poor biomechanics (like losing your running technique when tired), it can pull the kneecap out of alignment. The faulty alignment creates inflammation in the joint and pain when bending the knee. This injury, known as iliotibial band syndrome, occurs more in women than men, most likely due to the wider female pelvis.

To avoid overuse injuries, it's important to keep this thick band of fascia flexible, especially if you're training for a race and upping your weekly mileage. Keep reading to learn how.

You can get your heart rate up in the comfort of your own home. Skip the gym and the cardio machine for this short, fun, and hard cardio workout. We think you'll love it! And your arms and legs will feel worked too. Equipment wise you will need a step (for step-ups) and a jump rope. If there are no stairs in your home use a small bench, march in place with some vigor, or up the intensity by running in place doing high knees jog — this advanced variation works the abs too. If you don’t have a jump rope just imagine you do and hop over your imaginary rope.

That wraps up the warmup. To see the rest of the workout, keep reading.

As we transition from cold and flu season to allergy season, it can be challenging to determine why your nose is running — is it a cold or is it allergies?

Sorting through symptoms to determine what is causing your runny nose, a virus or pollen, will help you better manage your symptoms. Here is the list comparing the symptoms of the common cold with those that accompany seasonal allergies that should help you figure out what is going on with your nose.

Itchy nose: Although allergies and colds both produce a runny nose and congestion, allergies create the uncomfortable and persistent itchy nose. The itch generally occurs in the back of the nose and is difficult to "scratch." Folks suffering from nasal pruritus (the fanciest way in the world to say "itchy nose") often scrunch up their faces, like a bunny, to try to alleviate the discomfort.

The sneeze: Sneezing frequently, and sometimes quietly, is common with allergies. Allergy sneezes are an attempt to remove allergens from the nose. Sneezes from colds tend to be loud, deep, and infrequent, attempting to clear the bronchial congestion down in the lungs.

Unfortunately, the list of symptoms is a bit longer, so keep reading.