How Not to Overtrain During Exercise

Are you training too hard and putting yourself at risk of injury? Here's how to tell if you're overdoing it with exercise.

    So you've finally gotten motivated to exercise, and now you're spending hours at the gym, sweating off the pounds and conditioning your body. But how are you feeling? If you're constantly sore, stiff, uncomfortable, and tired, you might be overtraining and injuring yourself.

Get Motivated With a Fitness Role Model

If you're having trouble staying motivated and sticking with your exercise routine, a role model may be just what you need.

    When starting a workout plan, it can be tough to stay motivated. At first, it's hard to see the benefits that you're getting from exercise, and the big benefits — better heart health, reduced risk of diabetes, weight loss — can take even more time to notice. You know a routine is good for you and that in the end it will all be worth it, but it's hard to stick to it when you can't see the results. Having a fitness role model can help keep you on track and make fitness a part of your life.

How to Get Out of a Workout Rut

Bored with exercise? Get a fresh start with a new workout.

    If you've been doing the same exercises as part of the same fitness routine — using the same old machines, taking the same classes, and doing the same repetitions — for ages, you might be in a workout rut. If you just aren't enjoying workouts any more or aren't getting the same satisfaction or results you used to enjoy, it might be time for a makeover.

How to Stay Motivated to Keep Exercise Exciting

It can be easy to lose your motivation if you get bored with your exercise routine. Here's how to spice up your routine.

    So you've done what you thought was the hard part: You started a regular exercise routine to get fit and healthy. But now you're finding out that keeping up with it is as hard as starting out in the first place. You need to keep exercising, but how do you do it without getting bored and losing motivation?

Muscle Soreness, Explained

Why do my thighs ache during light activity?

    Let's talk about muscle soreness. Delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS as it is often called, is the common – one could even say requisite – result of a workout. If you do an activity you're not used to, such as taking a new type of fitness class, attacking a hill on your bike when you're used to riding on flat ground, or running a far longer distance than you are accustomed to – the difference in muscle use can cause micro-tears in muscle fibers and connective tissue. As your body works to repair itself, you may feel some low-grade pain in the area.

How to Train Like an Olympian

Instead of just applauding the Olympians in Vancouver, get inspired! Use these tips to train like a gold medalist and create a world-class workout.

    You may not be an Olympian, but there are lessons you can learn from them if you want to improve your athletic performance and overall fitness.

Kickboxing Your Way to Fitness

Relieve stress, burn calories, and kick and punch your way into shape with a safe and effective kickboxing workout.

    Cardiovascular or aerobic kickboxing is a good workout for the entire body. Kickboxing borrows movements from karate and other martial arts in order to tone your body rather than knock out an opponent. Many gyms and health clubs offer kickboxing classes, or you can buy or rent kickboxing DVDs to get a good workout at home.

Is Fitness Boot Camp For You?

If you're looking to jumpstart your exercise routine, fitness boot camps are a great way to get in shape and improve your cardiovascular health.

    If you're having a hard time motivating yourself to exercise but want to start burning serious calories fast, a fitness boot camp may be the right place to start.

A fitness boot camp is a type of group exercise program that focuses on boosting stamina, endurance, fitness, and weight loss over a period of several weeks. It's called a “boot camp” because of the team training environment, and because participants are pushed and challenged beyond what they think they can do. Teams of exercisers train together regularly during the classes, which may be run by a fitness instructor at a health club, a personal trainer, or even a former military instructor.

Which Health Club Is Right for You?

Finding a health club that fits your needs will determine if you actually show up and get your money's worth. Get some tips on how to make the right choice.

Benefits of Health Club Membership 

With close to 30,000 health clubs in America, there is probably one that’s just right for you. Some benefits of gym membership include:

Walk Your Way to Fitness

A regular walking workout can benefit your overall health. Find out why fitness walking is so important and how you can get started.

    If you’re like most people, you walk just under three miles every day in the course of your normal activities. Now it’s time to get a little more purposeful. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Surgeon General all agree that at least 30 minutes of brisk physical exercise is good for your health, and walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise to get.

Pilates: A Mind-Body Exercise

Find out what Pilates fitness is all about and if it might be right for you.

    Pilates is a fitness workout that builds flexibility, strength, and endurance without adding muscle mass by focusing primarily on the abdominal, hip, and back muscles, called the body's "core" muscles. It was created more than 90 years ago by Joseph H. Pilates, a German athlete who devised his own exercise technique after studying yoga, Zen, and the physical training used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Pilates was also a proponent of the mind-body connection and his exercises include focused breathing and mental concentration.

Strength Training Equipment: A User's Guide

Strength training is an important part of overall fitness. Find out about the benefits and learn how to design an effective strength-training program.

    You should be including strength training twice a week as part of your overall fitness routine. Research shows that strength exercises are safe for all ages and that strength training combined with aerobic exercise can improve your physical and mental health.

The Benefits of a Personal Trainer

A personal trainer can help you make the most of your exercise routine.

    If you're having a hard time getting motivated at the health club, or just don't feel like you're getting enough out of your exercise routine, consider hiring a personal trainer. More than just an instructor, a personal trainer can help you come up with the right workout plan to meet your goals. Whether it's losing a few pounds, toning up your arms, or flattening your stomach for swimsuit season, a personal trainer can help you get there.

Measuring Your Personal Fitness Level

Body shape, lifestyle, genes, and cardiovascular ability all help to shape your individual fitness factor.

    Evaluating your fitness level is not a one-size-fits-all process. Differences in lifestyle, muscle tissue, genetic makeup, and overall health all help determine your personal fitness level.

"It is an individual measurement that is not always dependent on how much physical activity you do," notes Jim Pivarnik, PhD, president of the American College of Sports Medicine and director of the Center for Physical Activity and Health at Michigan State University in East Lansing .

How to Exercise Safely

Here's why you should bookend each workout with a warm-up and a cool-down - plus other exercise safety tips.

    Your fitness level depends on getting regular exercise, but how you approach an exercise program will determine whether it enhances your well-being or actually causes a problem - the exact opposite of your intention. Push yourself too hard or use the wrong equipment, even the wrong shoes, and you can injure yourself.

Fitness Glossary

How knowledgeable are you about fitness and exercise? Learn the definitions of fitness terms.

If you’re going to walk the walk of regular workouts, you also need to talk the talk. Get started by becoming familiar with some of the basic terms of fitness and exercise.

How Much Exercise Is Enough?

It depends on whether you want to lose weight, increase endurance, or reach other fitness milestones. Learn about exercise guidelines and the importance of determining your exercise goals.

    Before you make a decision on how much exercise you need, you should have a good idea of your exercise goal or goals: Are you exercising for physical fitness, weight control, or as a way of keeping your stress levels low?

Finding Fitness: 10 Ways to Fit In Exercise

    The benefits of regular exercise are unrivaled: Physical activity can help you lose weight and prevent a host of ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Being fit also can help you stay mentally sharp.

    While most people know they should exercise, you may not know where to start or how to fit it into a busy schedule. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity spread out over five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity on each of three days a week.