Follow these 10 tips to make your next run your best and your farthest.

Whether you’re eyeing a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or even a marathon, one thing is for sure — your next race promises to be your farthest and your fastest.

Nervous? Excited? Don’t know where to start? Don’t fret, we are here to help. Follow our expert-approved, 10-step plan to train for your next long-run.

Good luck!

Step 1. Pick a race, any race.

“The first step is to pick the race that you want to enter,” says fitness trainer Kathy Kaehler of Hidden Hills, Calif. “This way you have a date in mind, a time frame to train within and a goal,” she tells WebMD. Find out about local races by visiting your local roadrunner’s club. Not sure if you have one? Visit the Road Runner’s Club of America website at http://www.rrca.org for a list of local clubs. Click on your state for a list of local races.

Step 2. Get a physical before you get physical.

“Before you begin, it’s a good idea to see your doctor and get a thorough physical examination — particularly if you have not had one in several years or if until now you have been fairly sedentary,” says Lewis G, Maharam, MD, medical director of the New York City Marathon and NYC Triathlon, among others. “This exam should include an exercise stress test (preferably done on a treadmill) to try and make sure that you have no obvious heart problems that might surface if you exercise too hard.”

Step 3. Find a running partner or group

Once your doctor has given you the ‘all-clear,’ the next step is to find someone to train with. “Partners and groups are motivating because you are accountable to a group and pushed by people — some of whom are better than you,” Kaehler says. “If you can’t find a club, then try to find a running partner who is equivalent to your fitness level.” Local running stores and your local runner’s club can help you find groups. Many major road races, particularly marathons, also have classes for the benefit of runners training for their event. The park and recreation departments in many cities often provide jogging programs for interested parties. In addition, many charity organizations, notably The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training, offer training programs and help runners raise money for the cause.

Step 4. Dress for success

Though clothes do not make the runner, there is no substitute for the right running shoe, Maharam tells WebMD. “There should be about a thumbnail’s length between the longest toe and the end of the shoe. Without this much space, you can lose your toe nails,” he cautions. Your best bet is to go to a specialty shop to buy running-specific shoes because the staff will better trained at fitting them. Replace your running shoes every 350 to 500 miles because they lose shock absorption and other protective qualities with use. What’s more, “make sure you choose synthetic socks,” Maharam says. “Unlike cotton, synthetic material wicks away moisture and fluid; preventing blisters and the wearing away of your feet.”

Step 5. Train to train

“Most people start running with a health or fitness goal in mind such as losing weight or being healthier rather than a specific race,” says master’s champion runner and coach Gordon Bakoulis, author of How to Train for and Run Your Best Marathon. “You should really be doing a base of 10 to 20 miles a week before you start training for your first long run.” Once you have established a baseline, then training can begin. Remember that the amount of time it takes to train for a race depends on the distance as well as your fitness level, she says. In general, marathon training can take anywhere from six months to a year.

Step 6. Slow and steady…finishes the race.

“For building up distance, the 10% rule works best,” says Bakoulis. “Never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% over the week before. This helps to prevent the injuries that occur when you run too much or increase your weekly training program too quickly.”

 

Here’s how it works: Let’s say you now run 10 miles a week, run 11 miles the next week, then 12, and so on. “Within 8-10 weeks, you will be running 20 miles a week, and what’s more, this gradual increase will help you grow stronger and fitter as a runner,” says Bakoulis, who has completed 26 marathons. “The 10% rule is good to follow no matter what type of race you are gearing up to run. It’s tried and true.”

Step 7. Feel the need for speed?

Speed training involves intervals of running at faster-than-training speed, Bakoulis says. “Training pace is a conversation pace — meaning that you can hold a conversation while doing it,” she explains. “Don’t introduce speed training until you can run 20 to 30 minutes at a conversation pace,” she says. Remember, “if your goal is just to finish whatever race you have set your sights on, speed training is not necessary,” Bakoulis says. However, “if the goal is to maximize performance, then speed training is important.” Speed training gets your body used to racing conditions. Many road runner clubs offer speed-work classes, or you can do it yourself by sprinting the stretches and jogging the curves at your local high school once a week during training.

Step 8. The long and short of it.

The basics of any training program involve a combination of hard runs, easy runs, and long runs. “Alternate your days with hard runs and easy runs,” Bakoulis says. “You can do this by running every other day or by running roughly twice as much on the hard days as the easy days.” Don’t add miles to implement the hard runs. Instead, figure out how many miles you are doing now and divide them up so that you are running more on the hard days, less on the easy days. Get it?

As the race or marathon gets closer, start gearing up for a long run. “For a marathon, a long-run is 18 miles or more, but a long run is shorter when training for a 5K, 10K or another race,” she says.

 

Before your run, do any type of exercise — a light jog, calisthenics, a bicycle — until you break a sweat, says Lewis Maharam. “Muscles are like taffy. When they are warm they stretch, and when they are cold they break.” Also stretch out important muscles — your hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and iliotibial band — before and after your run. “This will not only improve flexibility but prevent injury,” he says.

Step 9. Rest your body and your feet.

“It’s really unnecessary for 99% of runners to run every day of the week. Most people should take at least one, if not three days, off each week,” Bakoulis says. “And you don’t have to run every day either.” Instead, try “non-impact activities such as cycling, swimming, using the elliptical trainer at a gym, or any activity that is not causing you to pound your feet at least once a week,” she says.

Step 10. On your mark, get set, go!

Congratulations. You are now on your way to the starting gate and much closer to achieving your goal. Remember, aches and pains can – and will – occur during your run. If you feel sore on race day, take acetaminophen (Tylenol). Says Maharan: “The temptation is to take ibuprofen, but it can block prostaglandins and blood flow to the kidneys in race conditions.”

How Weekend Athletes Get Olympic Edge

Before two-time Olympic figure skater Randy Gardner could nail the throw triple salchow with his partner, Tai Babilonia, he had to see this complicated jump and landing in his mind.

“It worked almost instantaneously,” the world pair champion, U.S. National pair champion and Los Angeles-based coach and choreographer tells WebMD. “Once you see it in your head, you can do it.”

Gardner and other elite athletes — including those now competing in the XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy — often use visualization, goal setting, and refocusing to help them mentally prepare for important events. Some of these same techniques can also help weekend warriors improve their tennis game and help a person slim down, experts tell WebMD.

Emotional Conditioning

Though physical training and conditioning are obviously important to performance, emotional conditioning or mental-skills training can often help athletes stand out.

“Emotional conditioning is crucial because once you get to any level in sport — whether high school, division I collegiate, the nationals, the Olympics, or even as a weekend warrior — everyone is pretty equal physically. It’s those who can handle noise, stress, pressure, and distraction who are the ones that win,” says Jenny Susser, PhD, a sports psychologist in the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

“Emotional conditioning is the watchword of the universe,” says Steven Ungerleider, PhD, author of Mental Training for Peak Performance: Top Athletes Reveal the Mind Exercises They Use to Excel. “It’s just as important as physical training,” says Ungerleider, who is also a psychologist based in Eugene, Ore.

“Each athlete is unique in the way that they go about mental preparation,” explains Mark Hogue, PsyD, clinical psychologist and sports psychologist at Northshore Psychological Associates in Erie, Pa. “Athletes certainly do a great deal of physical preparation. And to reach an elite status in sport, they must do a great deal with mental preparation as well.”

“Athletes that participate in mental preparation, rehearsal, and skills training tend to achieve a higher level of the elite status,” Hogue says.

Tricks of the Trade

The visualization technique that Gardner describes is a staple in most emotional conditioning programs. But it’s also important to learn how to pick up on the correct cues, says Dan G. Tripps, PhD. Tripps is director of the Master’s in Sports Administration and Leadership program at the Center for the Study of Sport at Seattle University in Washington.

“In a figure skating event, you need to concentrate on your partner and not pay attention to the crowd or the behavior of the judges,” he says. “It’s about narrowing your focus.”

Anxiety, worry, doubts, fears, or butterflies can be reduced with this technique, he says.

Mental training also helps eliminate the element of surprise, he explains.

“It can throw you when your opponent does something that you don’t expect or when your body has an unusual reaction. But if you mentally plan for surprises — and execute them in visualization exercises — then you are not flustered or confused by something that happens that’s out of character,” he says. For example, “if you fall in a preliminary skating run, you can remain poised — then refocus and perform better during the next important round,” Tripps says.

Strengthening the ‘Focus Muscle’

“You need to work to strengthen your ‘focus muscle’ and figure out what is distracting you,” Susser says. Some distractions are positive, she adds, but an athlete needs to determine what distracts him or her negatively and come up with a way to combat it — whether by tying their focus to their breathing or to somebody else on the team.How can a person strengthen his focus muscle?

“If an athlete gets sidetracked by the crowd, I would work with the athlete on how to tune out the crowd and change their focus to the skates or the ice,” she says. The goal is to “switch it to something that will improve your performance instead of distract you and decrease your performance.”

Setting Goals

Goal setting is key, whether you are Michelle Kwan or just want to play some golf over the weekend, Susser says. “The No. 1 thing is to have a good, realistic goal,” Susser tells WebMD. “You want it to be S-M-A-R-T.” That stands for specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic (but challenging) and time-sensitive. “A goal is a road map. It’s also a slam dunk in setting yourself up for success,” she says. “For the weekend warrior, goal setting and feedback-reward mechanisms that maintain motivation are important,” Tripps agrees.

“Focus on process goals such as what you need to do to be proficient or what you need to do to have the desired outcome,” he says. For example, “don’t worry about wearing a size 12 instead of a size 16. Instead think about what you would need to do to wear a size 12,” he says. That’s a process goal.

Establishing Rewards

“Come up with things that tie in rewards to goals like an athlete would,” he says, “For an athlete, awards are winning, medals, and newspaper coverage. But for the average person it can be a day at the movies with friends.”

Expectation management is another important tool. “If you take a couple of minutes to mentally prepare yourself — that can help,” Susser says. “The killer piece for a weekend warrior is expectation. It’s really hard to go back after 20 years and play a sport again … and people don’t prepare for that and get disappointed,” Susser says.

And you have to see it before you can do it, Ungerleider says. “If you are doing the luge, you have to understand the ice ahead of time,” he says. “Weekend warriors can rehearse the tennis match or golf game or swimming competition in their mind. It works for everybody. It’s about preparing and taking the time to do it.”

How to Be Active at Any Weight Size

When you’ve been sedentary and have a lot of weight to lose, starting an exercise program can seem like a near-impossible goal.

Large folks face some unique challenges when they’re trying to be active, ranging from limitations in their movement to finding clothes and equipment for exercising.

Yet the road to a healthier lifestyle must include some kind of physical activity along with a healthy eating plan. It’s possible to lose weight by diet alone, but far from ideal. And research shows that people who’ve managed to lose large amounts of weight and kept it off tend to be regular exercisers.

The answer is to think of these challenges as hurdles, not roadblocks. And remember, the first step is always the hardest.

It’s also important to find activities that work for you. You don’t need to run marathons to gain the health benefits of physical activity! All you need to do is start moving, and gradually your fitness level will improve. As you lose weight, you’ll be able to do more each day.

So take baby steps, and keep in mind that every little bit helps. Most people never regret getting physical activity, but they do regret it when they don’t.

Benefits of Fitness

There is no question that regular physical activity is good for you and makes you feel better. Not only does it help you burn calories to lose weight, it reduces the risk of conditions like heart disease, stroke, blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

Physical activity improves your strength, muscles, bones, and coordination. It improves your quality of life, making it easier to do simple things like walking up a flight of stairs, tying your shoes, or sleeping. Exercise also has many psychological benefits: It helps you feel better about yourself, improves your mood, and allows you to better cope with stress.

Still not convinced? Research shows that the least fit individuals gain the greatest benefits when they improve their fitness levels.

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health, especially if you are sedentary.

Activities for Any Size

Walking is one of the best, and simplest, weight-bearing activities you can do. Dancing is an alternate form of walking that kicks it up a notch. Some good non-weight-bearing activities include water aerobics, swimming, riding a stationary bike, lifting hand weights, and doing stretching exercises. And don’t discount activities such as house cleaning, gardening, and washing the car, all of which qualify as physical activity. Whatever activity you choose, go slowly, and start by warming up your muscles with simple movements such as marching in place and swinging your arms.

Here are 10 simple tips to help get you going:

1. Attitude is everything: “I think I can, I think I can.” Believe in yourself, and know that every little bit will add up to big results over time.
2. Set realistic goals. Start by walking 5-10 minutes a few times per week, then build on your success.
3. Don’t think all activity has to take the form of an actual workout. Move more whenever you can. One of our members works more steps into her routine by pacing while she waits for the microwave.
4. If you can tolerate weight-bearing activity, strap on a pedometer and leave it on throughout the day. Strive to take more steps each day.
5. Schedule mini-breaks of 10-15 minutes of physical activity throughout the day.
6. Only do as much as you can handle comfortably. If you have physical limitations, check with your doctor before starting any fitness routine.
7. Try different movements and activities to find things you enjoy.
8. Turn on some tunes. Listening to music can get you going.
9. Enlist the support of a buddy. Being active is always more fun with a friend.
10. Track your activity progress in the notes section of your journal.

No matter what fitness level, feel good about yourself and what you are able to do now. Don’t beat yourself up if you cannot do a certain activity, just try again next time — and be proud of yourself for trying!

Now, brush off that exercise bike gathering cobwebs in the basement and make a commitment to increase your activity level, even if it’s only a few minutes a day. Make physical fitness part of your daily routine. And don’t forget to have some fun!

Fitness for Couch Potatoes

Are you addicted to your TiVo? Never miss an episode of CSI? Got sore thumbs from clicking from one football game to another?

If TV is a must-see for you, it’s easy to let it cut into your workout time. But fitness doesn’t have to mean foregoing your favorite shows. How about working in a workout in front of the tube? Even fitness experts find TV-watching workouts helpful — and sometimes, a necessity.

Bob Prichard is so busy with his duties as director of Somax Sports, a training facility in Tiburon, Calif., that he doesn’t have a lot of time to exercise. So he’s made it a habit to work out whenever he watches TV.

“I have a treadmill set up in my living room and I walk at a brisk, but comfortable pace, while watching a DVD or TV,” he says. “This way, I get in one to three hours of exercise per day. (I often watch golf tournaments, baseball games, etc.)”

Kinesiologist Shari Feuz, an exercise advisor with the International Council on Active Aging in Vancouver, says Prichard’s approach can work well — as long as you’re working hard enough to feel it.

“It is absolutely possible to improve your fitness level in front of the TV, if the intensity is adequate, just as it is quite possible to go to a fitness center several times per week and NOT improve your fitness level,” Feuz says. Given how much TV most of us watch, exercising at the same time is not a bad idea. Studies show that American men average 29 hours a week of TV watching, while women rack up about 34 hours. That gives us a lot of time to fit in some extra activity.

“This is multitasking at its best,” says Mare Petras, author of Fitness Simply, which includes a chapter titled “Here’s Oprah,” dedicated to fitness in front of the TV.

“We’re an all-or-nothing society,” says Petras. “We think that if we can’t exercise for an hour at a time, that it doesn’t count. But that’s not true. It doesn’t have to be ‘black or white’ with fitness. It all adds up.”

Don’t Touch That Dial

In fact, if you’re not ready to risk losing track of the plot of that fast-moving drama by doing a full-blown workout, you can fit in fitness breaks during the commercials. This can be an especially good option for beginners.

Linda Buch, author of The Commercial Break Workout, points out that a 30-minute sitcom has about 10 minutes’ worth of commercials. Instead of using this time to reach for a handful of cookies or chips, get moving!

Among Buch’s suggestions:

• Pushups. If floor pushups are too difficult for you, start off by standing up with your hands on the wall, then pushing back. Do this 10 times; increase the reps as the exercise gets easier.
• Chair squats. Stand up, sit down, then stand right back up (for even more of a workout, don’t sit down all the way). Do this for the length of one commercial. As it gets easier, do it again for the next commercial.
• Marching in place. Move both your arms and legs; add jumping jacks to increase the intensity.

“Little bits of exercise like these strung together add up to energy expended,” says Buch.

Muscle Up

But don’t stop there. You can do many types of strength training in front of the television, says Pat Woellert, fitness instructor at University Fitness at the University of Cincinnati.

Using resistance tubing or dumbbells (or even books, or cans of soup), do upper-body exercises while seated on a chair. Some to try:

• Bicep curls
• Overhead shoulder presses
• Side arm raises
• Front arm raises
• Triceps extensions

Lying on the floor, do side-lying leg raises for the outer hip and inner thigh, with or without weights. Sitting up on the floor, use resistance bands to do seated rows (pretend you’re rowing a boat).

To get the most out of your prime-time workout, do something different every day, suggests Lynne Brick, BSN, president and owner of Brick Bodies and Lynne Brick’s Women’s Health & Fitness in Baltimore. Fitness pros call this cross-training. The rest of us just call it variety.

“Do the things you like to do,” says Brick. Perhaps a stationary bike on Monday, abdominal crunches on Tuesday, treadmill on Wednesday, jog in place on Thursday, hand weights on Friday.

The Workout

To get started, try this TV-watcher’s workout devised by Petras, which is good even for beginners:

TV Twist

Position:

• Seated on the floor
• Legs extended in V-position
• Arms out to your sides, shoulder level

Exercise: Sitting tall, twist to your right, then reach your left hand beyond your right foot. Come up and do the other side.

Benefits: Stretches and lengthens torso, stretches back of legs, strengthens abs.

Kick, Kick, Kick

Position:

• Facedown on the floor, legs extended
• Prop up on your elbows, abs tight
• Elbows in line with your shoulders

Exercise: Right foot flexed, bend your knee and try to kick your rear three times (kick, kick, kick, and down). Do the other side.

Benefits: Tones buttocks and hamstring muscles.

Prop-Up Abs

Position:

• Facedown on the floor, legs extended
• Prop up on your elbows, abs tight
• Elbows in line with your shoulders

Exercise: Try to lift your body from the floor using your abs, supported by forearms and toes.

Benefits: Strengthens abs and upper body.

Prime-Time Pushup

Position:

• Facedown on the floor, legs extended
• Hands in line with chest, a bit wider than shoulder-width apart

Exercise: Use your arms to push up. Hold briefly, and come down.

Benefits: Strengthens arms and lower back.

Commercial Crunches

Position:

• Lying on your back
• Feet propped up on a chair
• Hands behind your head for support

Exercise: Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you lift your head and upper shoulders. Feel the abs, and keep your lower back to the floor.

Variation: Add a twist to each side.

Benefits: Strengthens abs.

Credit Curl-Downs

Position:

• Lying on your back
• Feet propped up on a chair
• Arms down by your sides for support

Exercise: Lift your hips off the floor; hold the position for a moment. Then slowly lower hips, one vertebra at a time.

Benefits: Lengthens spine, releases tension from lower back.

Technique Tips

Finally, says Jeff Ball, author of Get Fit While You Sit, remember that even workouts at home need to be done properly. He offers these guidelines to help you get the most out of your TV workout:

• If something hurts any part of your body, STOP. You may need to adjust your form to eliminate the problem. If that doesn’t work, try a different exercise.
• Remember to breathe at all times. Holding your breath makes exercising more difficult and could even result in injury.
• Practice each movement before a mirror before you start.
• Be aware of your spinal position, and keep your neck in a neutral position.
• Try to keep muscles that you’re not trying to work relaxed. For example, if you are doing a leg lift, it does no good to contract the muscles of your neck.
• Do all exercises in a slow, controlled fashion.
• Choose a sturdy chair with adequate back support.

Get Fit as a Champion

Get some summertime health and fitness tips from three Olympic medal winners and their coach.

Yippee, it’s summer! Weekends filled with tennis, volleyball, surfing — and all-around fun! And if you’re like most folks, you just can’t wait to get your sports gear out of mothballs and your butt off the couch!

But before you jump feet first into an activity-packed season, take your cues from some top medal-winning Olympic athletes. The 2004 USA Summer Olympic beach volleyball medalists Kerri Walsh (gold), Elaine Youngs (bronze), and Holly McPeak (bronze) — and their coach, Dane Selznick — spoke to WebMD about their secrets for having a safe, healthy, and fantastically fit summer!

While most of us can’t wait to hit the ground running the minute summer is in the air, Selznick says the most important fitness tip he can give is to remind summer athletes to take their re-entry slow and easy. This, he says, is particularly true if you want to avoid injury.

“One of the things I see happen time and again is folks trying to make up for a season or a period of inactivity by going at it too hard when the activity begins,” says Selznick, who was recently nominated for the United States Olympic Committee National Coach of the Year award.

Workout Advice — Olympic Style

What we often don’t realize, Selznick says, is that the body can’t play “catch up.” And the longer we’ve been out of the fitness loop, the more caution we have to take.

“You not only have to take special care to warm up before you begin the activity itself, but you also have to put a limit on how long you participate, particularly the first few times out on the field, the sand, or the court,” says Selznick, who has personally trained more than 160 international sports professionals including 25 Olympians.

As Selznick explains, when fatigue comes into play, you reduce the body’s ability to withstand impact. And this, he says, sets the stage for injury.

Olympic gold medal winner Kerri Walsh agrees. “Even being less active for a month can make a difference. If you haven’t been physically active for a few months or more you have to be prepared to experience some fatigue — maybe sooner than you realize,” says Walsh.

If you continue to press on too hard, says Selznick, disaster is bound to occur.

“Fatigue doesn’t affect joints, it affects muscles, but if muscles aren’t strong your joints take the brunt of the force — and something has to give,” says Selznick. That something, he says, can be a bone, tendon, or ligament. And it could mean a summer on the bleachers instead of on the field.

If you do get injured, Walsh says stop activity immediately and take care of the problem.

“Don’t try to push through. If you are injured, listen to your body and stop, or you risk making whatever happens a lot worse,” says Walsh.

Getting Your Body in Olympic Shape

To help avoid playtime injuries and keep their toned bodies in medal-winning shape, our three Olympians tell WebMD they frequently perform a system of exercises known as plyometrics. These are body movements based on the principle that short muscle contraction is stronger if it immediately follows a lengthening contraction. The end result, they say, is the muscle is able to store more elastic energy — and that means fewer injuries.

Their regular workouts also involve a form of resistance training known as “fast twitch” — which actually refers to the muscle fibers that contract the quickest and generate the most power.

“It’s resistance going both down and up and it works on your core strength. It’s all done on rehabilitation machines and as hard as you push the machine, that’s as hard as it pushes you back,” says Walsh.

But for those of us just a little less active in our sporting life, each Olympian suggests frequent workouts with a yoga or medicine ball for overall strength training that can benefit you in almost any sport.

“It improves core strength and balance. And this can be beneficial no matter what activity you’re doing,” says Walsh.

The Role of Diet

While workouts help tone the body, each medal winner also tells WebMD that diet plays an integral role in maintaining their muscle stamina, particularly in warm-weather competitions. Surprisingly, however, each of the Olympic athletes has a radically different way of jet-fueling her ability.

For McPeak, the self-confessed “snacker” of the group, the secret to her strength, she says, comes from eating at least six times a day and snacking on healthy whole foods whenever possible.

“Right now I have fresh fruit, crackers, Fig Newtons, nuts, a bottle of Aquafina and a protein bar — just to get me through the afternoon,” says McPeak, a three-time Olympian. Her postgame recovery meal is always a protein and carbohydrate mix, but she says for real energy she’s a protein eater all the way. And she says because she doesn’t eat enough vegetables, she supplements with wheat-grass smoothies.

“I don’t take supplements, but I do believe in the wheat-grass smoothies, which I think is important if you’re not going to eat a lot of vegetables,” says McPeak.

For Youngs, the answer lies in avoiding carbohydrates, loading up on protein, and eating organic food whenever possible — including not only fruits and vegetables but also organic beef and poultry.

“I think it’s better for you, I feel better when I eat organic food, though it’s not always possible, particularly when we are on tour,” says Youngs.

For Walsh, the answer lies in just one food supplement: flaxseed oil.

“It’s something that one of our trainers highly recommends. And I’ve found it helps my metabolism, and it helps in the recovery process. I saw a big difference after I started using it in terms of stamina and in terms of healing quicker from injuries,” says Walsh.

All three athletes say they avoid heavy eating before a game, but don’t hesitate to snack on high-protein bars and fruit during a match.

“I’ve always got a protein bar in my bag and I will frequently stop and grab a bite when I feel my energy dipping,” says McPeak, who adds that doing so helps keep her blood sugar stabilized as well.

Heat, Humidity, and Safe Summer Fun

While the fun of summer activity is getting to spend your time outdoors, in most parts of the country a single day in the summer heat can go from uncomfortable to scorching before you know it. This is particularly true if you start your day at the beach or park in the early morning and playtime stretches into the hottest part of the afternoon.

For members of the U.S. Olympic volleyball team, who say they sometimes play in tropical locales where the heat is over 100 degrees and the humidity nearly as high, taking some hot weather precautions is essential to their sporting success.

All the team members agree that keeping your body well hydrated in hot weather is key to staying on your feet. But in addition to water they all say that the more demands the sport places on their body, the more they rely on sports drinks and power bars to see them through.

“I have bottled water and Gatorade with me all the time, plus plenty of fresh fruit, which I also snack on constantly,” says McPeak.

While she says she rarely gets muscle cramps, even in the hottest weather, the athletes who do, she says, often rely on Pedialite and sometimes sodium tablets to prevent problems.

Youngs says she bypasses the sweeter drinks, like Gatorade, and chooses instead water and Phytomax — an electrolyte drink that has less sugar and, she says, more power to refresh and replenish her.

“I’m also constantly eating at tournaments — protein bars, Balance Bars, drinking electrolytes, and keeping my feet up when I’m not playing,” says Youngs.

The one thing she avoids drinking is icy cold water, particularly when her body is overheated.

“When I reach for that bottle of water I always look for the one that has been sitting outside the cooler for a little while. It seems to go down easier and I can drink more of it,” says Youngs.

For a quick cool down McPeak says nothing is better than a cold towel on the back of the neck.

“Sometimes I skip the towel and just pour the water straight down the back of my neck and head. It’s like an instant cool down and it really works,” says McPeak.

Finally, if there’s one Olympic-size message that all three medal winners subscribe to, it’s the liberal use of sunscreen anytime they are outdoors. Indeed, each athlete says she wouldn’t dream of spending even five minutes in the sun without sunglasses, a visor or hat, and the protection that sunscreen provides.

“And we all believe it’s important to keep reapplying it since heavy perspiration can reduce the effectiveness. And if you go in the water, reapply as well for continued protection,” says Youngs.

In addition, all three winners say they cover their body as much as possible when they are outdoors, and, when they aren’t on the volleyball court, they stay out of direct sun.

Secrets of Successful Exercisers Revealed

A new nationwide survey shows at least one-fourth of successful exercisers have full-time jobs, young children at home, or both, and walking is the most popular form of physical activity.

The survey, conducted among more than 20,000 Consumer Reports readers, reveals the secrets of successful exercisers — those people who most closely meet the national recommendations for physical activity by exercising at least a half-hour per day at least three days a week.

The results show that sticking to an exercise routine doesn’t have to be boring or expensive, and it could be a lifesaver. For example:

• 58% of successful exercisers report doing three or more different activities per week.
• 30% of successful exercisers used a fitness facility or gym at least three times a week.
• More than half of those who worked out regularly used exercise to treat depression, a heart problem, back pain, or diabetes and said they and their doctors agreed that exercise helped a lot.

Experts say that to reap the most health benefits from exercise, you need to strive for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, preferably spread out over five days. If you do, the health benefits include a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, some types of cancer, and dementia.

However, if your goal is weight loss, you’ll need to aim for 250 to 300 minutes a week

Tips from Successful Exercisers

In the survey, which appears in the January issue of Consumer Reports, researchers polled 21,750 readers about their exercise habits.

Thirty-eight percent of the respondents were classified as “successful exercisers” and performed moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes at least three days a week (usually more). That group includes 12% the researchers classified as “hard-core” exercisers who exercised at least five days a week and had kept it up for at least five years.

The survey showed that 36% were “unsuccessful exercisers” who did a little exercise but not enough to reap the health benefits. Many people in this group said they wished they exercised more regularly. Fifteen percent of the respondents were considered sedentary.

Researchers found walking was by far the most popular form of physical activity among successful exercisers. In addition, two-thirds of hard-core exercisers walked at least three days a week.

When asked how they fit physical activity into their hectic schedules and stuck to their routines, successful exercisers offered this advice:

• Get out of your car. Many said they walked or bicycled regularly to work. Others arranged their lives so that they could do errands on foot regularly, such as living within walking distance of a grocery store.
• Find activities you enjoy. You’ll be more likely to stick to a routine if you enjoy it. More than half of successful exercisers said they usually or always got “a feeling of joy or exhilaration” from their physical activity.
• Find time to exercise. Successful exercisers recommend working out at the same time of the day, finding a convenient location to exercise, and planning ahead to schedule workouts.
• Use weights. Successful exercisers of all ages were 10 times more likely to use free weights to build muscle strength than those who didn’t exercise regularly.

When starting an exercise program, researchers say it’s important to start slowly, and then gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workout. But the good news is that the survey results also show that once people get into the exercise habit, they naturally gravitate toward longer, more strenuous workouts.

10 Easy Ways to Make Exercise a Habit

Let’s face it: it’s not all that difficult to start a fitness routine. After all, most of us have done it more than once.

The trouble, of course, comes with sticking with it. All too often, our initial enthusiasm and energy wanes, we get distracted by other things going on in our lives, or we don’t think we’re seeing results quickly enough — and we throw in the towel.

Yet many people do manage to hang in there, and would no sooner skip their regular workout than their morning shower. What’s their secret?

A recent study by researcher Diane Klein, PhD, shed some light on the subject. Long-term exercisers (who had been working out for an average of 13 years) were asked to rank what motivated them to keep up with their regimes.

Their answers might surprise you. The exercisers were not as concerned with powerful pecs and awesome abs as they were with feeling good and being healthy.

Here’s how the study participants ranked their motivators:

• Fitness
• Feelings of well-being
• Pep and energy
• Enjoyment of the exercise
• Making exercise a priority
• Sleeping better
• Feeling alert
• Being relaxed
• Weight management
• Appearance

So, once you have your priorities in the right place, how can you become one of the fitness faithful?

WebMD has compiled 10 tips for making fitness a habit in your life. To create the list, we sought the help of Klein, along with long-term fitness buff Roy Stevens and his wife, Wanda, who is transforming her hit-and-miss exercise schedule into an almost-daily habit.

1. Do a variety of activities you enjoy. And remember, there’s no rule that says you have to go to a gym or buy equipment.

“We’ve shifted our perceptions from regimented exercise to physical activity,” says Klein, assistant professor of exercise, sports and leisure studies, and director of gerontology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Having a variety of activities — weight lifting, walking, running, tennis, cycling, aerobics classes — will ensure that you can do something regardless of the weather or time of day.

2. Commit to another person. “The social aspect of exercise is important for me,” says Wanda Stevens, a stay-at-home mom in Austin, Texas. “I’ll let myself off, but if I’ve agreed to walk with a friend after dinner, I won’t let them down.”

She is six weeks into an exercise program, thanks in part to her husband’s support. Roy Stevens, who works as a management consultant, has become her “in-house personal trainer.” They work out together every morning, doing a combination of aerobics, strength training, Tae Bo, and stretching. If he’s out of town, he gives her a wake-up call, and she takes the dog for a walk.

3. Make exercise a priority. “It has to be a non-negotiable,” says Roy Stevens.

He began exercising to manage his weight when he was in the Air Force band some 20 years ago. “We’d travel, and other guys would get off the bus and go eat wings and drink beer. I’d go running.” He’s maintained the exercise habit even during his years working 70 hours a week as a restaurant owner.

There’s another advantage to making exercise non-negotiable. Friends and family members learn that it’s part of your identity, and give up saying things like, “Why don’t you take it easy today?”

 

4. Exercise first thing in the morning. With two preschool children, Wanda Stevens couldn’t find time to work out except on a hit-and-miss basis. Any number of things could sabotage her good intentions to walk or go to Pilates class after dinner. But all her excuses vanished once she started getting up before the kids so she could work out.

“I didn’t think I was a morning person,” she tells WebMD. “But it’s working for me.”

Experts agree that a morning schedule is best. “If you go to a gym, it should be located between your home and work,” says Klein. “Exercise, take a shower, and you’re energized for the day.”

5. Or, exercise on your way home from work. The next best thing to exercising first thing in the morning is to do it on your way home from work, Klein says.

“Don’t go home first,” she says. “I learned that the hard way. There aren’t a lot of people who are so motivated that after they go home and change clothes will go back out again and exercise.”

6. Exercise even when you’re “too tired.” Chances are, you’ll feel better after exercising.

“It energizes us,” says Klein. “You breathe deeply, and your body makes better use of the oxygen exchange. You’ll get an exercise-induced euphoria during the activity and for some time after.”

If Wanda Stevens thinks she is too tired to get up and exercise, Roy shows her no sympathy. “She gets mad, but then she feels better afterwards,” he says.

7. Log your activity. Write down the things that are important to you. It could be how much time you exercise each day, how many steps you walked, how far you ran or cycled, what you weighed, etc.

Some people make a game of it. You may have heard of runners calculating the miles it would take to run from their homes to Boston (home of the famous marathon), figuring how far they run in an average week and setting a target date for “arriving” in Boston.

8. Be aware of all the indicators of progress. It’s great when your clothes fit better and you can lift heavier weights or work out longer without getting exhausted.

But there are a slew of other progress indicators, such as:

• Getting a good night’s sleep.
• Thinking more clearly.
• Having more energy.
• Realizing your muscles aren’t screaming after you’ve helped a friend move furniture.
• Seeing your resting heart rate drop over time.
• Hearing your doctor congratulate you on improved cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density, triglycerides, and blood sugars.

9. Walk — with a pedometer (or a dog). “If you enjoy walking and haven’t exercised for awhile, 10 minutes three times a day will give you 30 minutes,” says Klein.

Use a pedometer, and work up to at least 10,000 steps a day. “Nobody starts out with 10,000 steps,” Klein says. Find out what your daily average is, and, the next week, strive to walk 300 extra steps each day. Increase your steps each week.

“Better yet, walk the dog,” Klein says. That’s how she motivated her sister to exercise. “Twice a day she walks her dog, which is good for them both and provides companionship.”

Wanda Stevens also enjoys walking her border collie and finds there’s another benefit: “It relieves the guilt I felt over not giving her enough attention now that we have kids.”

10. Reward yourself. Are you telling yourself that you don’t deserve a reward for something you should be doing anyway — or that once you can zip your jeans without lying on the bed, that will be reward enough? Well, honestly, how inspiring is that?

Experts say that making behavior changes is hard, and rewards motivate. So decide on a goal and a reward, and work toward it. You might buy yourself a video you’ve wanted after you stick to your fitness plan for one month, or buy new walking shoes when you achieve 5,000 steps a day. Do whatever works for you.

Workout for better sex and to me good in bed!

Better sex doesn’t just involve technique. Keeping a fit mind and body can increase your enjoyment of bedroom antics.

Thought about leading a healthier lifestyle but haven’t gotten around to doing it? Here’s a possible incentive: Experts say people who are mentally and physically fit are more likely to have good sex lives.

“If you feel good about yourself, you are in a better position to feel good about relationships, including your sex life,” says Karen Zager, PhD, a psychologist in private practice in New York City.

“When one is not feeling well, and is exhausted, it can certainly have a negative impact on the quality of one’s sex life,” says Saralyn Mark, MD, a senior medical adviser at the Office on Women’s Health.

This may all seem intuitive, yet many people find the road to a fitter mind and body to be bumpy, especially if it involves losing weight, starting an exercise program, reducing stress, or getting enough sleep.

One big reward, though, is to look and feel better — arguably a plus for good romantic and sensual activities.

Eat Right

While there is no proven connection between a balanced diet and bedroom performance, a poor diet can cause health problems that can possibly interfere with sex.

Studies show animals that get too few calories tend to have weakened immune systems, says John Allred, PhD, professor emeritus of nutrition at Ohio State University. He says illness can be a big hurdle for pleasurable intercourse.

“If you have heart disease, then you might be taking medication that would inhibit sexual activity, or you might be afraid to have a heart attack,” says Allred. “If you have the flu, a high fever, or just don’t feel good … any of these things would be a turn-off.”

Mark Kantor, PhD, associate professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Maryland, agrees, saying, “You will feel sexy if you look and feel good.”

A way to do that is to eat an overall balanced diet and to exercise each day. The two go hand-in-hand, says Kantor, as demonstrated by today’s obesity problem, in which people eat too much food and aren’t active enough.

Move That Body

Being physically active can be a natural Viagra boost, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), which recommends 20 to 30 minutes of moderate exertion a day.

“Men and women who exercise regularly are going to have increased levels of desire,” says Cedric Bryant, PhD, ACE’s chief exercise physiologist. “They’re going to have enhanced confidence, enhanced ability to achieve orgasm, and greater sexual satisfaction.”

If that isn’t motivation enough to work out, consider this: Researchers have found that there is a correlation between waist size and a man’s odds of having erectile dysfunction (ED). The larger the man’s waist size, the greater his chance of having ED (because of a higher risk of underlying cardiovascular disease).

Move That Body continued…

Need more positive reinforcement? Studies show that regular, moderate exercise can have a positive benefit on major sexual problems, such as ED in men and low libido in both men and women.

It only makes sense, say experts, since ED is often caused by poor blood flow to the penis, and exercise can improve the body’s ability to pump and circulate blood throughout the body.

The same can be true for the ladies. In one University of Texas at Austin study, physically active women who watched an X-rated film had a 169% greater blood flow to the vagina compared with when they were inactive.

And there’s more good news. Mark says exercise can promote the body’s release of hormones important for sexual arousal, increase aerobic capacity and muscle strength, and boost self-body image — all definite benefits for between-the-sheets play.

Sweet Dreams

For many of us, a good roll in the sack requires energy and the right mood — elements that can be compromised when we are sleepy or tired.

While there is no direct relationship between slumber and better sex, a National Sleep Foundation (NSF) poll, conducted in 2002, shows people’s moods can be affected by the amount of shut-eye they get.

People who sleep less than six hours are more likely to report they are tired, stressed, sad, and angry than those who sleep more than eight hours. On the other hand, those with few sleep problems tend to report they are “full of energy,” “relaxed,” and “happy.”

In his practice, Russell Rosenberg, PhD, director of the Northside Hospital Sleep Medicine Institute in Atlanta, says chronic sleep-loss patients report not only being too physically tired for sex, but also having decreased libido.

Unfortunately, lower sex drive, tiredness, and grouchiness are the least of worries with sleep deprivation. Research shows people who don’t catch enough winks tend to:

• Get into more accidents. Inadequate sleep affects perception and motor skills.
• Find it harder to lose weight. Not enough shut-eye can affect the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates.
• Have an increased chance of a hormonal or metabolic disorder, which can indirectly put you at risk for medical problems such as type II diabetes and heart disease.

All of these consequences could undoubtedly put a damper on a person’s sex life.

Rosenberg recommends trying to increase your total sleep time, even if it’s just adding a half-hour or more per week. “Try it, and see how it affects your sex life,” he says.

Relax

The brain may be the most important sex organ of all. It is perhaps in the mind where beliefs take hold and flourish about the effects of certain foods on sexual prowess, even as scientists deny any direct connection between diet and erotic fitness.

It is in the mind that people feel self-confident when they like the effects of exercise on their bodies. It is also where they feel happy and energized once they’ve gotten enough sleep.

Yet the inner workings of the brain can also keep a person from focusing on the delights of bedroom actions.

“In order to have a really healthy and pleasurable sex life, you have to be able to dismiss work; you have to be able to unwind and experience pleasure,” says Zager. She says this means being able to temporarily forget about what your boss said, what was in the memo, what bills need to be paid, and what the children need.

Sex requires relaxation and time, adds Zager, noting that some couples may be too stressed and busy to enjoy or even have intercourse. She suggests setting priorities.

“Just how important is sex to you and your partner?” asks Zager. If it is vital to your relationship, she advises finding a way to work it into your schedule and working on making yourself less stressed or tired.

Some recommendations include eliminating some activities from your busy life, delegating jobs to someone else (by giving it to a partner, or hiring someone to do it), and doing an across-the-board cut in time spent on each activity.

To unwind, Zager suggests taking 5 to 30 minutes either to walk, meditate, take a hot bath, do yoga, or sit by yourself. This time can help charge personal batteries and can help make transitions between your work, family, and sex life.

To Your Bedroom Health

Living healthy may, indeed, have its benefits. If you eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, sleep enough, and take time to relax, there’s a good chance your life between the sheets will improve.

Of course, there is no guarantee. But, as Zager says, it all forms a really good foundation.

“If you’ve got a good foundation of stress management, and setting your priorities, and taking good care of yourself, then on top of that, you can build relationships with other people and an enjoyable sex life,” she says.

 

 

Take a Shortcut to Fitness With Circuit Training

While her kids are at dance class, Elaine Magee goes two doors down to Curves gym and knocks out a 30-minute circuit-training workout designed to exercise every muscle in the body.

Actually, because she is a dancer and exercise devotee, Magee, — better known as WebMD Weight Loss Clinic’s “Recipe Doctor” — is not the typical client of Curves. The 10-year-old franchise operation, which now owns one in four gyms in the United States, targets sweatsuit-wearing, overweight females in their 30s who may have never worked out before. There’s little Spandex in sight. No juice bar. No hunks. And the workout? Simple. Just music, an array of circuit-training machines, and the command to “change stations.”

With the popularity of Curves, circuit training has come into its own, although it’s been around for decades. And though the Curves philosophy appeals to many, you don’t have to join any particular gym to reap the time-saving fitness benefits of a circuit workout.

What Is Circuit Training?

Circuit training is short bursts of resistance exercise using moderate weights and frequent repetitions, followed quickly by another burst of exercise targeting a different muscle group.

Because the exerciser switches between muscle groups, no rest is needed between exercises. This gets the heart rate up, which usually doesn’t happen during resistance exercise. Sometimes, to up heart rate further, aerobics are sprinkled between the resistance exercises.

“The stations are all set up with the right machines when I get to Curves,” Magee says. “They are set to give more resistance the faster you go, so you don’t have to adjust that. There are 15 machines. So you go on one machine for 30 seconds, and then jog on a pad for 30 seconds. Then you go on the next machine, and then jog. Once around [the machines] — 15 minutes. We go twice around. Then you’re done!”

A recording signals when to change machines or jog. Every 10 minutes, the exercisers check their heart rate.

“Ideally,” says Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA, in Quincy, Mass., “you get to 40% to 60% of maximum heart rate.”

Why Circuit Training Works

“I am not there to lose weight, but to firm and tone,” Magee says. “But I have noticed that my pants are looser.”

Westcott cites the “classic” Cooper Clinic study done in 1982, which studied the effects of doing a circuit workout three times a week. The study had 77 participants, who were divided into three groups.

“One group did not train at all,” Westcott says. “One group just did the weights. And the third group jogged in between the weight sessions.”

Not surprisingly, the group that didn’t train saw no improvement in its cardiovascular fitness. The weights group improved cardio fitness by 12%. And the weights-and-jogging group improved 17%. (The weights group also improved strength by 17% and the weights-and-jogging group improved strength by 22%.)

Is Circuit Training Enough?

According to Westcott, a circuit workout improves both strength and endurance, and jump-starts metabolism.

“When those women leave the gym, they are still burning a third more calories than they did in the workout — and this goes on for hours!” he says. “Once you build muscle, muscle burns more calories [than fat], so you continue to burn more.”

Although weight training has traditionally been a male pastime (think Ah-nold), it’s important for women, who tend to lose muscle mass at the rate of 1% per year in their late 30s and 40s. This muscle often gets replaced by fat. But you need muscles to cushion joints and help protect against osteoporosis, among other benefits. That’s not to mention the trimmer, tighter appearance you’ll gain by toning up.

Circuit training works because it’s short and sweet and people actually do it. (Many gyms, as well as a chain called Health Inspirations, offer circuit training to both sexes.) “It’s brief, it’s basic, it’s consistent; no frills, over quickly” is how Westcott puts it.

Is Circuit Training Enough?

But is a 30-minute workout enough? “I hate that question,” says Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist of the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. “Speaking purely scientifically, 30 minutes is probably not enough to maintain normal weight over a lifetime.”

The Institute of Medicine recently recommended an hour of exercise a day.

“However,” Bryant continues, “this [circuit] is often done by people who weren’t exercising before.” And he sees why many people are drawn to Curves in particular. “The environment is conducive to comfort — there is no intimidation factor,” he says. “You are not surrounded by so-called beautiful people and figure you’re so far from the norm, why bother?”

Even if your circuit workouts include jogging intervals, Bryant recommends adding some brisk walking or other aerobic activity to your day. “Do things you enjoy!” he urges.

Circuit Training at Home

If driving to the gym (much less working out in front of God and everybody) is a deterrent, Westcott recommends setting up a modified circuit at home. This way, you can also tailor your circuit to your fitness level. Beginners, for example, might use 5-pound weights and move up as their strength improves.

Your home circuit could go like this:

• 30 seconds of squats
• 30 seconds on a stationary bike, or jogging in place or on a treadmill

 

• 30 seconds of lunges (watch those knees!)
• 30 seconds of cycling or jogging

 

 

• 30 seconds of chest presses on a weight bench or sturdy table
• 30 seconds of cycling or jogging

 

 

• 30 seconds of bent-over rows on a weight bench or sturdy table
• 30 seconds of cycling or jogging

 

 

• 30 seconds of shoulder presses (push your arms straight overhead with palms facing out)
• 30 seconds of cycling or jogging

 

• 30 seconds of biceps curls
• 30 seconds of cycling or jogging

 

 

• Repeat the whole cycle at least three times.

And you don’t even need to invest in weights, at least not at first. Bryant says you can fill gallon milk jugs with sand or water to make a weight.

The important thing, Bryant says, is to make an effort. “Exercise is cumulative. Each time you do it, the benefits add to the last,” he says. “I say it’s like loose change. It adds up.”

And to make sure you keep at it, choose an activity that fits into your schedule — and that you enjoy. For Magee, who has been going to Curves four to five times a week for almost a year, the circuit workout fits the bill.

“For now,” she says, “I like it.”

Workout Routines and Ideas

Explore your fitness options and nurture a love of movement.

Fitness isn’t just a plan you embark on, along with a diet, to lose weight. It’s a lifelong love of movement that will help you maintain good health and the physique you want. We’ve compiled some workout routines and ideas to help you along your way.

These recommendations will help you evolve your workout routine and activity plan. The theme is picking something you love doing, and nurturing your feelings every step of the way.

After you read through these workout options, consider journaling to explore your fitness habits, desires, and goals.

Level One: Workout Ideas and Recommendations

Begin by expanding your definition of exercise: You don’t need to run, sweat, or grunt — any opportunity to partake in activity counts as exercise!

If you feel uncomfortable going to a gym, a 10-minute walk, twice weekly, is an excellent first step toward better fitness. If you enjoy and can afford it, get a regular massage as well. Consider buying a good beginner’s exercise tape, too. (A tip: rent exercise videos from your local library and try them out to see which you enjoy.) Another great activity is gardening, an underrated form of stress reduction and exercise.

Get in touch with your physicality by using a Jacuzzi or sauna after a cool shower, or just by taking a bubble bath. Afterward, try some gentle stretching, perhaps followed by another cool-down shower and Jacuzzi. A facial is another good way to reconnect your physical and mental being.

If you feel daring, consider karate, a dance class, or bowling. Enjoy the activities you pick, but don’t make yourself continue with them any longer than you want to; for instance, don’t force yourself to bowl three games if you feel like bowling only one. Remember that your goal is to make yourself healthier and fitter by nurturing yourself and reducing stress.

Level Two: Workout Ideas and Recommendations

Think about bowling, softball, or any other type of entry-level team activity. Many people who aren’t natural-born athletes love team sports because of the combination of exercise and social interaction. (Mall-walking groups offer the same benefit if you’re looking for something less strenuous.)

If group activities aren’t for you, start a walking routine, two or three times a week, for 15 to 20 minutes. If you feel like it, jog for a few minutes during each walk. Do a few jumping jacks, sit-ups, or push-ups — along with stretches — in the morning before work. Jump rope with your kids or buy yourself a Hula Hoop. Take an in-line skating class, or start going out dancing occasionally with friends.

Dance, tai chi, and yoga classes are enjoyable, low-stress fitness activities. Also, consider buying several exercise tapes and try out fun activities including biking, swimming, horseback riding, or even a regular game of Frisbee with your dog.

Focus, above all, on giving yourself permission to enjoy your physicality. If you can, start getting regular massages. If you belong to a gym, don’t feel you must do a strenuous workout every time you’re there. Try going occasionally just for the enjoyment of stretching for several minutes and then taking a Jacuzzi, steam, or sauna bath. You’ll learn to reconnect with your physicality and rediscover your body as a source of pleasure.

By choosing the right exercise program, you can make your natural athleticism work for you. Avoid heavy-duty exercise programs that trim off inches for a little while but may not work in the long run because they can cause burnout.

For long-term results, find activities that you enjoy, instead of merely choosing those that burn calories. You probably already know some of the activities you do and don’t like, so select those you prefer and drop the ones that bore or stress you.

For instance, are you starting to dread your usual five-mile run? If so, give yourself permission to take a leisurely bike ride or swim. Too tired for a 30-minute workout? Exercise for 15 minutes, and see if you feel like continuing. And if you find yourself setting harder and harder goals (“I need to run an eight-minute mile”), reconsider your priorities. Remember that getting regular, moderate exercise is smarter and more effective than forcing yourself to do grueling workouts that can lead to injury or burnout.

You might enjoy the challenge of participating in a run or bike race for charity — a great way to get exercise while meeting new people and helping your community. You might even want to train for a half-marathon, if running is your favorite activity. Just be sure to make fun and stress reduction — not calorie-burning — your top priorities!

Level Four: Workout Ideas and Recommendations

Keep up the good work! Your goal is to establish a healthy, pleasant exercise routine, intermingling challenging activities with peaceful and relaxing mind/body experiences. If you find yourself getting bored, vary your exercise routine with creative new activities. For instance, if you’re tired of jogging every morning, try taking up kickboxing, spin cycling, in-line skating, even a jazz dance class. Spicing up your exercise routine will motivate you to stick with it.

No matter what level of activity is right for you, concentrate on nurturing yourself through exercise. When you do, you’ll feel good — and when you feel good, you’ll stick with your fitness plan.

Some days, that plan might lead you to be the first person at the gym or to sign up for a challenging fitness run. Other days, you’ll be found at the spa, getting a massage or stretching for a few minutes before you take a leisurely walk. It may seem hard to believe, but all of these activities are active ways of achieving true and lasting fitness.

So forget “no pain, no gain,” and focus on the joy of swimming, walking, skating, belly dancing, or even Jacuzzi-ing your way to better health and a trimmer body. Expand your definition of exercise to include any activities that help you relieve stress and “connect” your mind and body — and make a commitment, based on self-love and self-affirmation, to make exercise a priority in your life. When you do, you’ll see your excess pounds and inches come off more quickly and effortlessly.

Most of all, remember that combining a variety of workout routines and ideas can help keep your exercise program interesting so that you’ll be more likely to stay on the road to lifelong better health and fitness.