Heart-Friendly Exercise Advice

Exercising regularly isn't only good for your waistline — it's also one of the best things you can do for your heart.

    A sedentary lifestyle is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, so becoming just a little more active can decrease your heart disease risk and increase your longevity. If you're worried you're too out of shape to get started, don't be. "It's more dangerous to remain sedentary than to start an exercise program," says Barry A. Franklin, PhD, director of the cardiac rehabilitation program and exercise laboratories at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.

How to Exercise With Health Conditions

Learn about the benefits of exercise for everyone — even if you're not in perfect health.

    There are many benefits to be gained from regular exercise. It can lower blood pressure, improve heart function and blood sugar control, alleviate depression, ensure good sleep, decrease risk of cancer, and help manage weight, says Susan Joy, MD, director of the Women's Sports Health Program at the Cleveland Clinic.

10 Steps to Speed Weight Loss

Making simple changes that either cut out or burn off extra calories will add up to weight loss over the course of a year.

    If you're struggling with weight loss, then you already know it's the little things that add up — the "little bit more" at the dinner buffet, the "little bit too tight" feeling of your clothes. But what if you also knew about the little things you could do every day to increase your weight- loss success? Here they are.

Getting Fit With Zumba

Zumba has a huge following for a reason - the dance classes are not only fun, they also whip your body into shape. Find out how Zumba can help you reach your health goals.

    Zumba is a workout disguised as a dance party — an effective aerobic exercise delivered with a Latin-inspired beat. With dance classes being the most common choice for the more than 24 million Americans who participate in aerobic fitness classes, it’s no wonder that Zumba has zipped to the top of the list in popularity at gyms and fitness centers across the country.

Quick Ways to Speed Up Weight Loss

    It’s only natural to want quick weight loss results once you make the commitment to shed a few pounds or more. But this is one area in which slow and steady is the way to go. “Permanent weight loss can only be achieved when one makes a lifestyle change,” says Peter Vash, MD, MPH, executive director of Lindora Medical Clinics in Costa Mesa, Calif. and assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA’s Center for Health Sciences in Los Angeles. Eating a healthful diet and sweating it out regularly are the best ways to reach your weight-loss goal. But here’s how to make those two pound-shedding tools work to your advantage.