From marathon runners to desk dwellers, tight hips plague many. The discomfort in your hips might be caused in part by tight hip flexors, the group of muscles that flex your femur and pull your knee upwards. The good news is even a minute of targeted stretching can help! Show your hip flexors some love with these quick and easy stretches.

Butterfly Stretch

• Sit on the ground, bending both knees and bringing your feet together.
• Using your hands, open your feet up like a book. Use your muscles to press your knees down towards the floor. This will help to open your hips up even more.
• Draw your belly button towards your spine. Relax your shoulders and gaze either in front of you or towards your feet.
• You can keep your hands on your feet, pressing your knees down with your arms, or if you want more of a stretch, extend your arms out in front of you. Stay here for at least 5 breaths.

  Keep reading for two more stretches that will help release tension in tight hips.

From marathon runners to desk dwellers, tight hips plague many. The discomfort in your hips might be caused in part by tight hip flexors, the group of muscles that flex your femur and pull your knee upwards, the glutes, and even your inner thighs. The good news is even a minute of targeted stretching can help! Show your hips some love with these quick and easy stretches.

Butterfly Stretch

• Sit on the ground, bending both knees and bringing your feet together.
• Using your hands, open your feet up like a book. Use your muscles to press your knees down towards the floor. This will help to open your hips up even more.
• Draw your belly button towards your spine. Relax your shoulders and gaze either in front of you or towards your feet.
• You can keep your hands on your feet, pressing your knees down with your arms, or if you want more of a stretch, extend your arms out in front of you. Stay here for at least 5 breaths.

Runner's Lunge

• Starting in a plank position, bring your left foot up and around and to the outside of your left hand.
• Hold for 5 seconds and bring the foot back into the plank position. Repeat this movement on your right side.
• Complete 10 reps on each leg.

Keep reading for one more stretch that will help release tension in tight hips.

The infamous lower-belly "pooch" plagues plenty of women, but finding the right moves to target this problematic area is easy. Whether you're a barre buff, yoga star, or gym rat, there's an exercise on this list to suit your taste.

Ab Scissors

For anyone who grew up dancing, you'll be well acquainted with the ab scissors that rock your lower abs while lifting your booty:

• Lie flat on your back. Extend your arms so they're against the sides of your body with your palms pressing into the floor, or bend your elbows and place your palms under the back of your head. Bend your knees and draw them into your ribs. This will make it easier to pull your navel in toward your spine and actively press your lower back flat on the ground.
• Lift both legs straight up toward the ceiling, continuing to engage your abs and pressing your lower back into the ground. Keeping your core strong, slowly lower your right leg down toward the ground until it is a few inches above. Then slowly scissor your legs, lifting your right leg back up as you lower your left leg down toward the ground.
• You may not feel this until you do it for a while, so repeat this move for a total of 20 to 30 times on each leg (or more if you're still not feeling it).

High Curl

Beauties who love a good ballet barre workout will love the high curl:

• Sitting up, place an exercise ball between your upper thighs. Pull behind your knees with your fingertips as you inch your heels closer to your seat.
• Then roll your lower back down toward the floor, and use your abs to lift your chest closer to the ball.
• Complete 15 to 20 reps.

Boat Pose (Navasana)

For all the yoginis out there, a few rounds of Boat Pose will challenge your strong core and tighten up those lower abs:

• Begin sitting on your mat. Bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor, balancing on your tush. Keep the spine long and straighten the legs as much as you can without rounding the back. If this is too hard, then keep the knees bent — you're still working your core.
• Perform six rounds of Navasana, holding the pose for five breaths each. Or challenge yourself and try to hold for 30 seconds to one minute without a break!

Keep reading for one more all-ab exercise.

Thinking about running a half marathon soon? A solid training plan is necessary — and so are some quality tunes to keep you motivated. This half-marathon playlist clocks in at just under two and a half hours, perfect for someone who runs a 10-minute mile. Subscribe to the playlist so you have it with you on your run, then keep reading to see the songs on the list.

As you're planning meals for the rest of this week, take to heart this simple yet profound tip from author and activist Michael Pollan.

Turn off your music and tune in to a quality podcast. Whether you're an experienced yogi looking for a led flow class or you just want to listen to experts talk all things yoga, you'll find a new favorite in one of these podcasts.

Yoga and Other Useful Stuff With Tara Stiles
Yogi extraordinare Tara Stiles has a video podcast series that covers everything from living your best yoga life to weight loss. It's appropriately named Yoga and Other Useful Stuff With Tara Stiles, and we love listening to her perspective.

CorePower Yoga
The CorePower Yoga podcasts offer a mix of information in their various shows. Asana of the Month offers a short video demonstrating yoga poses, while Ask a Yogi answers questions beginners might be afraid.

Kripalu Perspectives
The Kripalu Center For Yoga and Health, a retreat center for yoga and holistic living in western Massachusetts, hosts an enlightened podcast called Kripalu Perspectives. If you want to listen to a traditional podcast format where experts are interviewed, then try Kripalu. You won't be disappointed.

Keep reading for two more yoga podcasts.

Don't waste precious time squeezing your legs together on the boring adductor machine. Instead, opt for these three effective exercises that require no equipment whatsoever.

Pilates Side-Lying Leg Lifts

This Pilates move will help tighten up and tone your inner thighs for bathing suit season:

• Lying on your side, lengthen your bottom leg and cross your top leg over it. Rest either your knee or foot on the floor. Prop your head up with your hand, or rest your head on your arm.
• As you exhale, lift your bottom leg up, and inhale as you lower it back down. Your torso should stay still while you do this.
• Do as many reps on one side for 30 seconds, and then repeat on the other side for an additional 30 seconds.

Keep reading for two more equipment-free inner-thigh moves.

Treat Mom this year with a beautiful brunch celebration. This special spread is completely dairy- and meat-free, perfect for the vegan women in your life. Even family or friends who regularly partake in animal products will enjoy all of the delicious dishes on this Spring menu.

Champagne With a Berry Float

Toast with Giada De Laurentiis's fruit-filled bellini recipe that's only 78 calories per four-ounce serving, or go even lighter by just floating (or muddling) a few berries in a glass of Champagne. Set up a bar of low-calorie brut Champagne and a sampling of fresh berries to keep things simple, light, and elegant.

Veggie Scramble
Instead of an egg-filled quiche, casserole, or scramble, opt for this bright and colorful vegetable scramble starring sweet potatoes, zucchini, and chard. Watch our video recipe and learn how to cook this produce to perfection.

Vegan Eggs Benedict

There's no replacement for the texture and gooey center of a poached egg, but this vegan benedict's lemony, plant-milk-based hollandaise sauce will surprise your taste buds with its dreamy consistency. Top off everything with fresh steamed asparagus and shiitake mushrooms for extra Spring veggie power.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

End on a sweet note with vegan carrot cake cupcakes. This recipe offers all the traditional flavors of the classic but cuts the amount of sugar and calories in half. Best of all, these cupcakes don't taste vegan in the slightest — they're moist, sweet, and plain delicious.

A healthy home-cooked meal is always best, but some mornings are just too hectic. Since skipping breakfast altogether isn't an option, you're forced to resort to fast food. For mornings when you want something other than oatmeal or yogurt, order right with one of these low-calorie fast-food breakfasts. These six options from popular chains have lower saturated fat and sodium than nearly every other option on their menus.

Starbucks Chicken Sausage Wrap
Calories: 300 calories
Total Fat: 10 grams
Saturated Fat: 3 grams
Total Carbs: 33 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Sugars: 7 grams
Sodium: 700 milligrams
Protein: 14 grams

Burger King French Toast Sticks (three pieces)
Calories: 320 calories
Total Fat: 11 grams
Saturated Fat: 2 grams
Total Carbs: 29 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Sugars: 8 grams
Sodium: 260 milligrams
Protein: 3 grams

Wendy's Baked Oatmeal Bar
Calories: 280 calories
Total Fat: 10 grams
Saturated Fat: 4.5 grams
Total Carbs: 46 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Sugars: 24 grams
Sodium: 220 milligrams
Protein: 4 grams

Keep reading for three more options for breakfast.