Keep track of the latest in diet and fitness Twitter trends and opinions with this weekly post. Not only will AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit ask fitness-related questions and share the best responses with you, we'll scour the Twittersphere for the latest buzz on everything from good eats to exercise routines gone bad.

---

Hauling your cookies to the gym is tough enough without the added stress of irritating workout habits from other gym-goers. From awkward staring to uncleaned exercise equipment, see what gym and workout pet peeves drive the fine folks on Twitter a little bonkers.

Regular exercise is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle, but is there such a thing as over-exercising? You bet -- and according to Sarah Brown, fitness expert for ThatsFit.ca, it's more common than you think. What's more, it can be harmful to your health.

If you think you might be guilty of over-exercising, ask yourself a few important questions. Do you seem to spend most of your free time at the gym? Have your sleep patterns changed? Do you seem to be more susceptible to illness than others? Do you suffer from more aches and pains than usual? If the answers to most of these are a yes, it could be your body's way of telling you to slow down.

Instead of working out more, work out better with tips from this celeb trainer.

Keep track of the latest in diet and fitness Twitter trends and opinions with this weekly post. Not only will AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit ask fitness-related questions and share the best responses with you, we'll scour the Twittersphere for the latest buzz on everything from good eats to exercise routines gone bad.

---

Hopping on the treadmill and sweating it out on the elliptical are things of the past for many of Twitter's fittest tweeters. They've put traditional workouts on the back burner and are trying something new. Check out which exercise waters they've tested.

When you move your arms in virtually any direction, your shoulders (a.k.a. deltoids) are either in charge or, at the very least, involved. The ingenious design of your shoulder joints makes the shoulders one of the most mobile, versatile muscle groups in your body. It also makes it one of the most vulnerable. Fortunately, if you commit to doing some basic shoulder training on a regular basis you'll keep your "delts" strong and supple and have a better chance of staying injury-free. It'll help balance out your body's curves too. Want to slim your hips? Chiseled shoulders broaden the upper body and polish your posture, creating the illusion that you've shrunk and reshaped your hips. Plus, firmed up shoulders look killer in tank tops. To get your shoulders in shape, try exercises.

Click through the photo gallery below for our step-by-step workout guide.




Ideally, you should own three sets of dumbbells for shoulder work; typically 3, 5 and 8-pounders. When you first try the accompanying shoulder routine, start with your lightest weight. Do 1 set of each move, 8 to 15 sets per set, 2 to 3 times a week. Once you can easily complete 15 reps of an exercise, move up to the next heaviest weight or try the "challenge yourself" version. Rest assured that going heavier won't bulk you up -- we promise. On the contrary, it'll help you shape, tone and strengthen your shoulder muscles a lot quicker than sticking with a weight that's too light to have an impact.

Mistakes to avoid: Don't arch your back as you lift and keep the movement in control so you don't rock back and forth to help lift and lower the weight. To avoid shoulder and neck pain, don't clench your teeth, hitch your shoulders up, or drop your chin to your chest. Keep these technique pointers in mind and you'll create a beautiful pair of shoulders with minimal risk of doing any damage. (If you tend to have chronic shoulder pain, consult with your doctor or physical therapist before you do these moves.)

Shoulders benefit from a bit of variety so change up your routine every month or so by doing 1 to 2 workouts with exercise bands or by tossing in a set or two on the shoulder press machine at the gym. Yoga is surprisingly good at toning and redesigning shoulders because so many upper body poses depend on them to move and support the entire body. Swimming, especially the crawl stroke, is also a good shoulder shaper.

If your weight, health and overall quality of life weren't reason enough to get active on a regular basis, here's another one that might get you off the couch: Working out can help you fight the flu this winter season. Well, that's according to a study on mice anyway. Researchers from Iowa State University have found that mice who regularly run on a treadmill experience flu symptoms that are far less severe than the symptoms suffered by their lazier counterparts. Even mice who only started exercising right before the flu had less severe symptoms, though the ones who were regular gym-rats (pardon the pun) had longer-lasting positive effects -- meaning their symptoms were diminished throughout the course of their illness, not just in the first few days.

The findings, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, suggest that exercise can really boost the immune system, and while it's not clear whether the results can be applied to humans as well, researchers are optimistic. And besides, it's already the general consensus that regular, moderate exercise helps improve your odds against illness.

Still, don't overdo it -- you can get too much of a good thing. According to Jeffrey A. Woods, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois, prolonged and intense exercise sessions can lead "to increased susceptibility to viral infection." His advice on navigating flu season? "I would recommend everyone get the annual influenza vaccination and the new H1N1 vaccination," he tells The New York Times.

The flu isn't the only thing that exercise is good for -- cardio is more effective than heart surgery.

CrossFit is a multi-faceted approach to fitness that promotes overall functional physical fitness through variable strength and conditioning exercises. CrossFit workouts are performed in a group setting, can be done in 15 to 20 minutes and involve full-body exercised based largely on functional movements such as lifting, pushing, pulling, swinging, jumping and running. The goal is to create a well-rounded athlete by conditioning a number of physical abilities, including strength, speed, coordination, agility, balance and stamina.

CrossFit was developed by Greg Glassman in the 1980s and has been adopted as the workout of choice for thousands across North America, including police officers, military personnel and professional athletes. CrossFit's legion of dedicated followers pledge allegiance to the the program because of its varied nature, meaning that, unlike some typical gym routines, the workout is never boring. CrossFit workouts can be done by people of all ages and fitness abilities.

Ready for a challenge? Try this Crossfit exercise.

P90X is a workout plan designed by trainer Tony Horton which aims to help users get in shape in 90 days. According to the creators, P90X uses "an advanced training technique called Muscle Confusion, which accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus."

P90X is a set of DVDs which include 12 different workouts that focus on a specific muscle group or set of exercises. In addition to workouts, the P90X comes with a three-phase nutrition plan. Phase 1 is the Fat Shredder, a high-protein diet; phase 2 is the Energy Booster, a mix of carbohydrates and proteins with a lower amount of fat; and Phase 3 is the Endurance Maximizer, a diet of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and lower fat, which includes more carbohydrates than the previous phases. There is also a "How to Bring It" DVD that provides a quick overview of P90X, a calendar to track your progress, online peer support and more.

Want to learn more? Discover why Sheryl Crow Loves P90X and read That's Fit Blogger Karla Carrington's review of P90X.

Overwhelmed by all of the "Follow Friday" recommendations on Twitter? Each week AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit search the Twittersphere for the greatest diet and fitness Twitterers, and each week, we'll highlight the best-of their best tweets (no Twits here).

---

Amazon.com

We've long known that self-defense is a good backup skill to have, but when we wanted to know how good of a workout it really is, we went to Tayah Kansik for the details. She told us who should try it (Kansik says anyone can learn it, as long as its in a contained environment, and starting at a young age is ideal), what kind of workout you can get from a DVD (her advice: a "DVD is a great place to start, and is a confidence builder" but it is better to be in a class environment to get more interaction and be able to learn a constant variety of moves and training tips) and more below.

That's Fit: Why do you think self defense makes for a great workout?

Tayah Kansik: From an early age I have competed in most sports from dancing to athletics. I was always fascinated by fighting scenes in films so I decided to take up Thai Boxing. The benefits of martial arts have conditioned me to be disciplined in mind and body. The workout is as hard as the individual wants to make it. The more you put in the more you get out! Many other classes that are taught may only concentrate on separate training, i.e., cardiovascular, endurance, muscular strength, toning, core stability, technique and/or agility. Self defense hits all these areas. Good technique, fitness, strength and speed come with practice and patience.

Keep track of the latest in diet and fitness Twitter trends and opinions with this weekly post. Not only will AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit ask fitness-related questions and share the best reponses with you, we'll scour the Twittersphere for the latest buzz on everything from good eats to exercise routines gone bad.

---

Does going to the gym give you energy to face the rest of your day, or is it an obligation you dread all day? Here's what motivates (or aggravates) these Tweeps:

Photo: planetchopstick, Flickr

Finding a good balance between snoozing and exercising is complicated. "Sleep and exercise have a very intimate relationship; we simply cannot have one without the other," says holistic nutritionist Sarah Brown at That's Fit.ca. But if you're tired, it's usually a workout you need, not a nap. "Exercise can help us sleep longer and more deeply making us feel more alert when we wake up," they say.

Here's what you need to know about fitting in fitness and nixing the nap:

Morning is the best workout time. So get your body out of bed to jump start your metabolism, relieve your stress and improve your mood. It'll help you sleep better at night.

Late afternoon cardio is good too. It raises the body temperature above normal and then drops about four to five hours later, a signal to the body that it's time to sleep.

Avoid a vigorous sweat session after dinner. This is when you body needs to wind down, not gear up.

For more tips on sleeping tight, take a look at what AOL Health has to say about catching some quality shut-eye.

Photo: stevendepolo, Flickr

Do you pick out your work clothes the night before to minimize the morning rush? You might want to get your workout gear ready before the next day, too. FitSugar shares some thoughts on getting your stuff in order before your fitness alarm sounds.

First, you'll want to make sure you're caught up on laundry so you're not grabbing sweaty, stinky gym clothes. Then set out your favorite exercise outfit, sports bra, sneakers and change of clothes (for that quick post-workout change). If you prefer to get fit at home, put a DVD in the player and set out your mat, weights and other equipment so you'll be ready to roll out of bed and in front the TV. Prefer the outdoors? Charge your iPod and other gadgets, fill your water bottle and chill it in the fridge. If you're headed to the gym, make arrangements with your workout buddies and trainers in advance. Whatever your fitness venue, just aim to get your ducks in a row ahead of time, because the less stress you have on workout day, the more motivated you'll be to push yourself.

Speaking of motivation, did you know you can exercise your way to a better mood? Yep, carve out a little sweat time, and you might find yourself smiling more than usual.

sxc.hu

Next time you're sweating it out at the gym, pump up the volume on your iPod. Recent studies showed that women who listened to their workout tunes a bit louder than usual not only increased the intensity of the workout but were in a better mood too. During the study, women who listened to loud music did 36 reps of the leg press, compared to 29 reps for women who listened to low or medium-volume music and 26 reps for those who listened to no music at all.

While the findings were true for both cardio and strength training exercises, the difference was most noticeable in participants who were pumping iron. Could it be that listening to music takes your mind off the fact that good grief, this hurts like heck? Yep, study author Janet McMordie tells MSNBC: "Psychologically, music gets you pumped up and it also distracts you from what you're doing," she says. Additionally, listening to music helps bust boredom in even the most routine workout.

A word of caution, though -- don't crank your tunes too much. Prolonged exposure to levels of 85 decibels or higher can permanently damage your hearing.

Ready to fire up your fitness? Check out our That's Fit playlist, sure to inspire you through the toughest of sets.

What are your favorite workout tunes?

Photo: amazon.com

Usually, when I do a beginner workout video, I feel a little like a fraud -- I'm not much of a newbie when it comes to most forms of exercise. However, I've never done Tai Chi in my life, so I think I was a perfect candidate for "Element: Tai Chi for Beginners."

"Tai Chi for Beginners" takes place in the same perfectly lovely setting as the other Element videos, which immediately put me at ease (I'm a sucker for a gorgeous view). And the instructor, Samuel Barnes (founder of the Tai Chi Works studio in Beverly Hills), has a strong, soothing voice that, like in the other videos, comes through in a voice over so as not to distract from the movements.

The video is broken into three sections, giving you the options for a short or long session. The first is Qi Gong, which focuses on your breath and energy flow. The other two are both Tai Chi, one giving you step-by-step instructions and the other putting the moves together in a moving meditation.

Heading for a workout? Don't avoid eating -- your body needs fuel.