That's Fit

Sometimes it's hard being a member of the fairer sex. We're busy. Really busy. In fact, a recent study found that women work a 15-hour day, no matter how many hours they actually put in at their jobs. So it's understandable that we may make a few mistakes throughout the day -- forget to pick up milk, send a child to school without her lunch money, leave the cat out all night. It's just going to happen.

But according to Prevention, women are also making big mistakes when it comes to health. But unlike forgetting to wash your daughter's soccer uniform, making mistakes about diet, fitness, and lifestyle can cost you more than inconvenience in the long run. If you're guilty of some of the following mistakes, take a closer look at where healthy habits rank on your list of priorities and see if you can't make a difference in your own personal health.

So you're exercising regularly and really making it a priority. That's great! But make sure you don't fall into some of these exercise traps. You want to make sure you're following good technique so you can get the most out of your workout. AOL Health shares some common bad exercises techniques:

• Weight overload. Lifting too much weight can, at worst, cause injury and, at a minimum, cause the move to be ineffective. When you're lifting too much you may not be isolating the muscles properly.
  
• Biceps only. The bicep curl is a great exercise, but don't spend all of your strength training time on one muscle. Be sure to work out your shoulders, triceps, legs, core, and glutes as well. When strength training, you want to strengthen all the muscles of your body.
  

I've lost some weight so all of my summer clothes from last year are super baggy on me. So last week I went on a bit of a shopping binge. I ordered t-shirts, capris, and pretty much every other item of summer clothing you can imagine. I'll tell you what -- there's nothing like trying on summer clothing to remind you of all the areas you need to get toned up. Parts and places that look just fine in my winter sweaters sing a whole different tune when only covered by a tiny summery top!

If you're looking to tone up for summer, AOL Body has plenty of great tips for you. Their shoulder exercises are sure to get your upper body looking great in swim suits, tank tops, and tees.

• Shoulder press. Sit on a chair with good back support. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place your feet hip-width apart. Bend your elbows and raise the dumbbells up until they're level with your ears. Raise arms up over your head without locking your elbows. Lower. Repeat.
• Lateral raise. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down at your sides. Raise arms out to the side until they're shoulder-height. Lower and repeat.
  
• Front raise. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down at your sides. Raise your right arm straight in front of you. Lower and alternate with the other arm.
  
• Shrugs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down at your sides. Keeping your arms straight, raise your shoulders to your ears. Lower and repeat.
  

Be sure to click over to AOL Body for further description and images of each exercise.

Misconceptions about how to get fit - there are plenty. By now, most people realize that the old school food pyramid (carb heavy with minimal fat and protein) is a joke, as is the concept of eating 3 squares a day. But, there still are some questions that remain unanswered, mainly because people have been misinformed for so many years. Here are just a few that spring to mind:

1) Lifting weights will make you bulky. This is both true and false - and here's why. If your goal is bulk up - that is, to increase muscularity - lifting weights is absolutely what you need to do. But, if your goal is to slim down and lose weight - guess what? Lifting weights can help you do that, too. The amount of weight you lift, the number of repetitions and sets you perform, the number of calories/carbs/protein you consume, the amount of break time you take in between sets -- all these factors play into how lifting weights will affect your body. The important thing to remember is that you are always in control of your desired results.

2) Long cardio sessions are the only way to lose weight. This clearly ties in with #1, as it again touches upon the significant role that resistance training plays in weight loss. Your body is extremely adaptive; it will quickly become accustomed to whichever way it is challenged. To that end, performing the same - or even close to the same - aerobics workout will only get you so far in terms of your weight loss. If you don't believe me, watch The Biggest Loser the next time it's on. Are the contestants only doing cardio to lose weight, or are they also incorporating resistance training into their routines? The key: the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Your body burns calories by sustaining the life of these muscles.

3) If you workout every day, you can eat whatever you want. I wish this one were true, but I'm afraid it's not. Whoever laid this one on you was either a) genetically gifted, b) 22 years old, or 3) an idiot. Or, perhaps even a combination of all three. Maybe this logic seemed to fly while you were younger - and your body burned calories like a furnace - but as you get older, this natural calorie burning process isn't quite as ravenous. Can you workout every day and eat whatever you want? Of course you can. You just open your mouth, insert food, chew and then swallow. There, you just did it. The better question is: can you workout every day, eat what you want, but still not gain weight? The answer to that better question is a resounding No. Half of the battle is what you're eating, so unfortunately sweating it out at the gym just isn't enough by itself.

I could go on and on with these. Maybe I'll list more in another post. In the meantime, feel free to tell us your favorite fitness misconceptions.

Strength and resistance training is known to be good for your cardiovascular system and body in general, and the American Heart Association has just released new and updated information on exactly how. For those looking to cash in on the those benefits and are just getting started here are the latest recommendations:

• Use rhythmical, controlled movements at a slow or moderate speed
• Exhale on the effort and inhale on the return
• Avoid holding your breath and ensure full range of motion
• Choose age and health appropriate weight, number of repetitions, exercises, etc
• Start out with no more than 1 set twice per week
• Involve the major muscle groups of both the upper and lower body

Keep in contact with your doctor when you're getting started, and be careful not to overdo it -- your muscles need time to adjust to the new activity.

I've got my cardio workouts covered; I have a good routine that is manageable and enjoyable. But I knew my strength training was weaker than it should have been so I called a friend (who also happens to be a personal trainer) for advice. He asked me some questions about what equipment I had in my house and so forth. The next thing I knew, I had a straightforward and effective strength training routine designed specifically for me waiting in my email.

Strength training is an important component of any fitness routine. It can reduce the signs and symptoms of chronic conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis. It plays a key role in development of bone tissue and encourages balance. Strength training also helps manage weight because people with increased muscle mass have higher metabolic rates. Of course, it has to be said that strength training helps you look great -- toned arms and strong abs are certainly a welcome attribute when beach season is here! But maybe the most important benefit of all is that strength training helps you feel strong, capable, and just plain great.

Consulting a personal trainer is a great way to get started with strength training, but if budget doesn't allow, you can get the ball rolling (or get the muscles moving) with these 10 simple exercises from the Mayo Clinic.

When you hear that lifting weights helps people look younger you probably think along the lines of exercise and toning equals weight loss and a younger physique. And while that's obviously true, it's not the whole story. Strength training in particular can actually help you look younger from the inside out by encouraging your body to produce more of a particular growth hormone that is linked with age-related muscle loss and bone density changes.

As we age our bodies slowly decrease the amount of growth hormone produced, but strength training is a natural and healthy way to counteract this process. Just one more reason not to skip the gym!