Q. Dear Fitz, I need to lose only five pounds and want to rev up my walking program in the hope that I can lose these last few pounds. I wear wrist weights thinking this will boost my metabolism. Do you have any suggestions on how to make a walking program more intense? I have heard about walking poles but I'm not sure this is the answer and I think I would feel silly using them on the city streets -- thinking I would look "strange." So if you have any suggestions as to how to put more OOMPH in my walking to lose these few pounds, I would greatly appreciate hearing about it. Thanks. Judith

A. Hey Judith. Love your ambition, and I'm so glad you asked the question. First of all, I do not ever recommend using wrist weights while walking. Adding weight to your wrists will only adding strain to the elbow and shoulder joints as you swing your arms back and forth. Plus they really serve no great benefit to you anyway. Small weights wouldn't amp up your calorie burn significantly and if you want to build the muscles in your arms you'd be much better off just doing specific strength training exercises for your arms!

In order to challenge yourself while walking you can do several things. Walk faster. Walk at an incline. If you don't have hills in your city, find some stairs or use a treadmill on occasion. Adding weighted resistance can be a great idea, but the wrist or ankle weights are definite no-no's. Instead you can look in to a weighted vest. This type of resistance is well-balanced, and will not strain your joints. Weighted vests can make things more challenging as you can carry significant weight this way. You can use a vest with anywhere from 10-40 pounds, and increase the weight as you progress. The benefit of using an actual fitness vest instead of a backpack full of books is that the weight is distributed evenly across your chest, ribs and back.

As far as looking funny goes,forget about it Judith! I think for the most part, when we see others exercising we're more envious and impressed than anything else. If you're working toward better health, you'll always be cool and that's a fact. Click here to check out the weighted vests. Let me know when your five pounds disappear! Fitz

Q. Hey Fitz. I'm 14 and I weigh around 118 lbs. Sometimes I feel too thin. How can I gain muscle without losing weight and getting smaller? Stacy

A. Stacy. Being 14 is hard, right? Too big, too small. Your body is going through so many changes, it probably seems impossible to have any control of it all. I remember feeling constantly frustrated at your age. Ugh! No fun. I'm sure it sounds hard to do, but try not to detail yourself to death. You're body truly is going through massive reconstruction and who knows what you'll look and feel like even next year?

Just as I would tell a teen asking for help to lose weight, focus on your health. If you want to grow stronger, begin strength training. You can go simple at home with some push-ups, crunches and squats. You can also buy or rent some videos that look interesting to you. Ask your school gym teacher for advice, or see if your parents will help you join a gym. Just make sure you have adult guidance if you start training with actual weights.

It's okay for you to want to grow strong muscles. It would really be sad if you obsessed over trying to have a certain body though. Eat with high nutrition in mind, and exercise to become fit. I'm not sure how tall you are, but 118 pounds does not sound frightfully light for a 14 year old. Give it time. Fortunately for you, if you learn great habits today you'll probably never become a person who has serious weight issues in either direction.

Punches & Kicks,

Fitz

Note: The content presented in this Q. & A section is for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as medical advice or substitute for professional medical care.