Rowing machine in the gym – waste of time or a good way to get in shape? Sandra Kearney – Texas

Nothing is a waste of time if you put in the effort and practice good form. The rowing machine is no exception. At the gym, I like a rowing machine that consists of a flywheel, fan, and cable with a handle attached to one end. You pull the handle toward you as you slide the seat backwards. The fan creates air resistance, which makes the movement feel pretty close to skimming across the water. If your gym has one of those rickety hydraulic powered row-thingies it's time to ask yourself why you belong to that gym.

When you're trying to get in shape for a rowing or paddling sport, you'll love working out on a quality rowing simulator. Even if you never plan to hit the water, you may learn to love rowing for its ability to combine upper body, lower body and cardio conditioning all in one package, something few other cardio workouts can do. Contrary to popular myth, rowing isn't bad for your back. If you do it correctly, you initiate the movement from your legs and buttocks; this eliminates excess stress on your back muscles.

Men and women become less fit as they age, according to a new report in the October 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

This should come with a big "duh". But it also comes with some good news.

First the not-so-good news. "The U.S. population is aging and is becoming more obese and sedentary", the authors tell us. No surprise there. But it's a vicious circle. Cardiorespiratory fitness of both sexes declines with age: two of the best indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness are body composition (fat vs. muscle) and physical activity.

The more fat you've got and the less active you are, the higher the chances of disease, not to mention the ability to function independently.

And by the way, the decline gets worse after age 45, and it's worse for men than for women.

What to do, what to do?

Researchers from the University of Houston studied about 20,000 women and men between 20 to 96(!) in a study called the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study between 1974 and 2006. The 30 years of data collected on such a large group of people offer some strong take home messages for anyone who wants to age well. (Here comes the good news.)

Love handles refer to fat deposited on the sides of the waist. These unsightly bulges are also known as a spare tire or a muffin top, which occurs when excess fat hangs over a person's waistband.

Most people agree that having excess fat around the midsection is undesirable. Research shows that abdominal fat leads to higher risks of heart disease, diabetes and even certain types of cancers. But how do you go about getting rid of love handles?

One way to effectively eliminate love handles is to lose weight by following a reduced-calorie diet and by consistently doing cardiovascular exercise.

As you begin your diet and exercise program, you can disguise your love handles by wearing clothes that fit properly. Avoid too-tight clothing, low-rise jeans and midriff-baring shirts. Opt for pants that go around your natural waist and for women, skirts and dresses that sit at your natural waist.

Check out AOL Health's belly-bloating foods to avoid or eat belly-flattening foods. AOL Health also has sections on how to burn ab fat and ab workouts.

Scared of needles? Thirty minutes on the bike is more effective than heart surgery.

Zumba: The word definitely sounds more like a festive tropical energy drink than a workout and I'll admit, until recently I'd never heard of it either. But if trend tracking is to be believed, this Latin-themed aerobic dance workout may be on the way to your gym even as we speak. As of July 2009, classes were being offered at over 40,000 gyms in 75 countries. And spinoff genres--among them Country Line Dancing Zumba, Aqua Zumba, an even Zumba Gold for seniors are gaining ground.

The Zumba story's a pretty winning one: Back in the 1990s, Alberto Perez, a young aerobics instructor teaching in Cali, Columbia, arrived at his class only to realize he'd forgotten all his tapes. Luckily, he had plenty of salsa and merengue tracks in his car -- he grabbed them, and proceeded to improvise the whole class to those beats. People loved it and there was, he says, just no going back. In 1999, he paired with some enthusiastic backers and brought the concept stateside, where it became something of an American Dream fitness story. Zumba's landed everything from book deals and videos to a partnership with Kellogg's (it's been featured on the back of their cereal boxes as part of a fitness campaign for the Hispanic market).

By now it's almost a farce. Contestants on "The Biggest Loser" are pushed to run mind-numbing sprints on the treadmill. The contestants hesitate, saying, "I can't do it!" The trainer gets in their faces, calls them on their fears, and screams until they get back on the treadmill. Pushed to completion, the nearly-collapsed contestants develop looks of awe on their faces and praise the trainer and the show for helping them face and conquer their fears. You have just experienced treadmill sprinting, "Biggest Loser" style. And this season, it appears to be happening every episode.

So how do we mere mortals pull off this exercise without a TV crew? Is it even worth it to do treadmill sprints?

Sure, and here's an easy way to start:

• Practice jumping onto the metal runners on either side of the treadmill. Use your arms to support your weight as you open your legs to each side of the moving belt. Be sure you can do this quickly and easily, in case you need to perform this movement during the sprint.
• Increase your speed by 25 percent of your normal pace, so if you usually walk at 4 mph, jump it up to 5. If you normally run a 10-minute mile (6 mph), try running at an eight-minute mile pace (7.5 mph). Try to stay on the treadmill for 20 seconds. If you feel like you're going to fall, or if you feel dizzy, stop immediately.
• If you're successful at the increased speed, try to keep it up for 30 seconds the next time. Do two or three of these sprints during your first 30-minute treadmill workout. Over the course of the next month, attempt to increase the amount of time you continuously sprint to two minutes.
• Once you are regularly sprinting for two minutes at a time, do three or four sprints per workout.

Sprint training can be done once or twice per week. It increases your cardiovascular endurance, your anaerobic threshold and will give a little goose to your calorie burn during the workout. The sprints allow you to burn about 20 to 30 more calories a session, about the same as a Hershey's kiss!

If you're just getting started, try this beginner running plan.

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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?

Is it possible to go too hard and too long when you're working out? Sure enough, says Love+Blueberries expert Dr. Natasha Turner, author of "The Hormone Diet," who weighs in on how more exercise isn't always better.

Turner often sees women doing too much cardio exercise, like running five days a week for up to an hour. You don't need to work out for an hour straight, says Turner, because unless you're a very conditioned athlete, after 40 minutes of exercise, your stress hormones will start to rise -- and this tears down your muscles. Going shorter is key -- and so is strength training.

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You probably already know that swimming burns more calories than walking, but did you know that walkers tend to lose more weight? That's because the coolness of the water seems to slow fat loss. Swimming's great exercise, so if you love it, keep on doing it. But there are plenty of other great tips for maximizing your workout in this quiz over at AOL Health.

No one wants to waste time and energy on a workout that's not going anywhere. If you're looking to create an efficient cardio workout that maximizes the number of calories burned, here are some tips:

• Head for the hills: Whether you're on treadmill or trail, hills instantly boost the intensity of a workout, making your muscles work harder and burn more calories.
• Try intervals: Interval training or speedwork is an easy way to maximize a workout.
• Add in arm work: Using your arms when you walk will increase your speed and make you work harder too. Just be sure to keep your arms in close to your body, bent at a 90 degree angle.
• Eat a healthy diet: Overeating packs on pounds, but under-eating will quickly undermine your workout too.

What workout tips and tricks give you the biggest bang for your cardio buck?

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Hopping on the treadmill or running the same path every day can get boring, and the repetitive motion can wear on your muscles. FitSugar says we should break out of the rut and include at least three types of cardio in our weekly routines. Make your three sports swimming, biking and running and you might just get yourself in shape for a triathlon. Hey, Kristen will convince you that the sprint tri is definitely doable for the average gal or guy.

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That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader. We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other. That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.

Besides showing you off, we want to reward you for all of your hard work! Adidas is giving gorgeous gym bags to each featured member. To join, please send Fitz your answers to these questions, with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Mark Allen Church

Age: 42

Occupation: IT Project Manager

How often do you exercise? Most of the time, I train four times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Cardio and weights twice a week. I also play racquetball and mountain hike once each week.

What gets you to work out, even when you're feeling lazy? Knowing I can avoid the energy drop that comes from missing exercise.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our Thats Fit fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Fitz. My husband and I are ready to purchase a cardio machine for our home, but can't decide which to buy. He wants to get an elliptical machine, but I want a stepper so I can burn more calories. Which machine should we get to help us lose weight the fastest? Angie

A. Hello, Miss Angie. What an exciting purchase to make! I'm thrilled that you two are investing in your health, which is vital for ensuring a long and happy life together. Cardiovascular training is beneficial for your heart, lungs and weight-loss efforts. I'm happy to help you choose the machine that is right for you.

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Simon Cowell once quipped that a bigger stage was in order when she stepped on it, but former "American Idol" contestant Mandisa is the real winner now. She recently lost 75 pounds.

Get ready for spring with a pair of new running shoes. Kristen has the top picks of 2009.

Dane Patterson was eliminated from "The Biggest Loser" three weeks ago, but what he really needs to be ashamed about is faking the last three miles of his marathon. Does his redo redeem him?

High protein diets may help you trim the fat quickly, but are they really the best choice? Ashley's got the scoop. (Hint: If it's got the word "diet" in it, it's probably not.)

Jonny thinks cardio isn't the best exercise for weight loss, but he says that's not a reason not to do it. With cardio losing out to the more efficient interval training, are you still taking those long walks or run?

Karla's found that weight loss has changed the way she looks at her love life ... desperately seeking balance. Did weight loss affect one of your relationships in a positive or negative way?

Experts think they've narrowed down the pace of a solid, healthy walk -- 100 steps a minute. But did they account for varying levels of fitness?

Shin pain in my nemesis, which is why I want to hug Fitz for her advice on preventing and treating shin pain.

Fit and 50, Megan Mullally loves Pilates and was once addicted to step classes. Learn more about how this "In the Motherhood" star stays looking so hot.

Here at That's Fit, we're constantly telling you what we think about things, but sometimes it's nice to know what you think. So from time to time, we'll ask you a question. Don't be afraid to speak up -- we love feedback.

When you think of working out, what does that entail? Going for a run? Visiting the gym? Following along with a fitness DVD? Whatever your favorite activities are, the best workout routines are those that are well-rounded. I know that I love cardio workouts. There's something about huffing and puffing at the end of a routine that makes me feel like I really accomplished something. But I know how important -- and effective -- strength training is for my body. So I wonder ... is strength training a part of your workout?