FITNESS FACT: You can boost your brain power by 10 percent by just 30 minutes of exercise.

Now that summer is unfortunately over, we have to get back into our routine of sleeping, going to class and doing homework. Although I did not miss doing homework, there were some things that I stopped doing over the summer that I used to have time to do between classes—checking out websites and blogs on a regular basis.

As much time as we spend on the computer doing assignments or checking Facebook every 20 minutes between study sessions, there are actually some cool websites that I use to stay up-to-date on new health and fitness information.

So check these out. They’re not only interesting but may be more informative than your friends’ status updates.

BodyBuilding.com

This website has everything—from people’s personal exercise and diet routines to articles about health and fitness. This website may be intimidating at first because there is so much to do, but there are a lot of helpful tools for people of all fitness levels.

If you are looking for new workout routines or specific exercises for a particular body part, then this is the site for you.

But there is one thing on this site that I don’t agree with: the amount of supplements they promote. Don’t be misled; all of these supplements are not regulated and can have terrible side effects. Natural foods and regular exercise are your best bet for a long healthy life.

MarksDailyApple.com

I was turned on to this blog after I read “The Primal Blueprint” by Mark Sisson; he created this blog based off his book. This site offers a lot of the science behind exercise, nutrition, hormones and new health news and theories.

This site sheds light on the more “natural” side of things (hence, his book title). The reason I like this site so much is because information is given about how things work in our body and what we can do to take care of it.

A lot of his blog entries go against the typical information we hear every day about health, but Sisson gives a reason to question it and also answers with credible information. So, if you want to make a change about the way you think about health and fitness, take a look at his website.

TheClothesMakeTheGirl.com

Melissa Joulwan shares her experiences with her workouts, food adventures and random facts in this funny and not-so-serious blog. There are numerous super healthy recipes she shares along with other websites she recommends (which are all good!).

If you’re feeling down or unmotivated, check out her blog and it’ll serve as a good laugh and remind you why it’s important to work hard to keep healthy.

CalorieKing.com

This site is exactly what it sounds like: a calorie search engine for any food, even from your favorite restaurant. This website is more than just nutrition information—it also includes success stories of others, recipes and a nutrition and exercise tracker.

If you’re tracking your calories, CalorieKing.com is perfect. It’s a good site to open up your eyes about how unhealthy a lot of food is!

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