That's Fit

The push-up is one of those exercises that's enjoying a boom in popularity these days for one simple reason: it works. And it's for this reason that I do push-ups regularly. Or at least I try to--sometimes it's harder than it looks. But I recently discovered something about my push-ups that's helped me get a handle on them.

For months, out of fear of hurting my wrists, I insisted on spreading my hands only as wide as the short end of my fitness mat was in order to cushion them properly. But my fitness teacher recently alerted me to the fact that my hands were too close together -- they should be as wide as your elbows, and I had mine at shoulder width. Since I figured this out, push-ups have been much easier on me.

Yeah, I know. You probably already know that your hands should be wide. My point is this: We all get used to doing certain exercises a certain way, and sometimes we forget to check what the proper way to do them is. So if you're struggling with the push-up, I would recommend checking out eHow's instructions on the proper push-up technique.

Prevent muscle mutiny with these four feel-good moves from the April issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now! Instead of letting a great workout leave you feeling miserable, use some of these suggested exercises to prevent muscle imbalances in your: back, knees, neck, and shoulders.

Ball Squat with tubing

Pain-prone area: Fronts and sides of the knees
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and wrap resistance tubing around your knees so there's no slack in the band. Place a stability ball between the middle of your back and a wall, but put only enough pressure on it to keep the ball from falling. Squat down as if sitting on a chair, pushing out against the tubing to keep your knees from caving inward. Press back up to start. Do two sets of 12 reps, resting for 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

By now, we should all be aware of the importance of breathing. After all, it's what keeps us alive, right? So why is it that when we work out our hardest, we sometimes forget to breathe? That's when our bodies need it the most--when we're pushing our limits and challenging ourselves to the max.

So how's your breathing during your workout? For me, it's the weights that make me forget my breath. I take a weight-lifting class a few times a week and funny though it sounds, I usually need to be reminded by the instructor to breathe--otherwise I'll hold my breath until I get a short break. No wonder I get dizzy sometimes!

These days, we have access to an overwhelming amount of fitness gadgets and gizmos, not to mention snazzy programs and classes that incorporate everything from martial arts to hula hoops to modern dances and the like. But, like many things in life, we are often exposed to so many flashy and new ways of doing things that we eventually come back to the inevitable truth: that the old way of doing things is sometimes the best way. Another way of putting it? Simple is best.

Don't mistake me for old fashioned--I've tried the super cardio hip hop dance kickboxing classes, and some of them really do work at whipping you into shape (and they're fun too!) But at the end of the day, some of the best exercises are the ones that we, and our parents, and our parents' parents all learned in school: Things like running, jump-rope, calinsthetics and so on.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com 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 two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Dear Fitz, I want to take one of the BOSU classes at my gym, but I've never done it before and I'll feel like a total dork if I bust my butt on one of those things. Plus I'm a guy. Mostly girls take those classes. Should I bother? Eric.

A. Ahhh! Eric, you are too cute. First of all. The BOSU is a balance tool and is designed to make people wobbly. Until that is, they earn the strength and control to not only stand on top of it, but do some tricks too. Second. You can stand in the back of the classroom if you don't want to be a spectacle. Third. Most people in a BOSU class are too concerned with their own balance to have the time and ability to look at what anyone else is doing.

We are, as they say, a society that is drowning in information but starving for knowledge. This certainly holds true when it comes to health and fitness. With so many exercises from which a person can choose, it's easy to see why the best choices are not always made.

Speaking from experience, the best approach is to find what works best for you and then sticking to it. How do you know if your workout "works?" Results are always a good indicator; improved strength and endurance, loss of body fat and increase in lean muscle mass, improved circulation, etc. Another way is to take a good look at your workout and determine if you are maximizing your workout time. Are you performing exercises that are worth your while? Or, are you risking injury, placing undue stress on joints, and/or using techniques that produce poor results? To help you along in that determination, WebMD offered a listing of the 9 Least Effective Exercises.

For the most part, I agree with much of what's on this list. However, there are a few exercises that I think landed on this list undeservedly. But, again, this just goes back to figuring out what works best for you. Hopefully this list helps you do just that.

Want to get a leg up on healthier airplane travel? It's not a bad idea, given the threat of dangerous blood clots -- also known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) -- that comes from extended periods of time spent sitting.

The longer you're airborne and the more you fly in short time frames, the greater your risk for DVT. Fortunately, there's something you can do to prevent this serious condition from striking: Exercise.

Exercising right in your airplane seat will keep your blood circulating properly. Northwest Airlines recommends a whole list of exercises -- ankle turns, knee lifts, shoulder circles, knee bends and more -- and you can access them right here. Take a peek, jot them down, and pack them in your carry-on bag. They'll surely come in handy next time you fly the friendly skies.

For years, I had the same fitness routine: I would head to the gym with my friends, and we'd do our usual routine of exercises while chatting and reading magazines. After a while, we noticed we hadn't really shaped up much. What gives? We wondered. It's pretty obvious now though -- we were wasting time, putting too much effort into gossiping than working out. For us, it was more about being social than getting fit. Now I work out alone (except when I join a group class) and I'm much more productive that way.

If you're finding your workouts easy and painless, chances are you're not doing much good for yourself. And really, if you're not there to work out to the best of your ability, why bother paying for the gym membership and wasting all that time there? But, if your goal is to get fit, here are some things to avoid:

I've always been skeptical of workouts that promise results in short amounts of time -- it just doesn't seem possible, does it? But the truth is, if you work out hard, a short workout can be more effective than a long one that you only do half-heartedly.

My point is, eDiets has put together a set of exercises that they say can get you a better butt in only a minute. A minute? Really? Everyone has an extra minute to spare. The key is resting, or rather a lack or resting -- your one minute will be tough but hey, it's only one minute.

Want to know the workout entails? Click here.

More than two-thirds of the half-million Americans who have knee replacement surgery every year are women, according to the November 1 issue of Ladies Home Journal. In the next 25 years, as baby boomers continue to age, that number is expected to increase by 673 percent. Ouch.

Check out these facts: Young female athletes are more likely than men to injure their knee-stabilizing anterior cruciate ligaments. Women with wider pelvises have the least stable knees. And more than two-thirds of people with osteoarthritis, which leads to knee pain, are women.

What's a woman to do? If your pain has already begun, look into physical therapy and prescription and over-the-counter medications to alleviate discomfort. For prevention, you can identify fitness activities that support the knees. To get you started, here are some sample good-for-the-knees exercises.

We all know it can be difficult to sneak healthy practices into busy workdays and hectic schedules. Sometimes the chore of working out and eating right becomes so overwhelming we let these tasks fall off our priority lists. Ditching good nutrition and physical fitness is never a good idea, though, and with a renewed commitment and a little creativity, these routines can stay right where they belong – at the top of our to-do lists. Here's how:

• Stash fiber-filled snacks like almonds and dried fruits in your desk drawer. Drop the same treats in your purse, briefcase, or car for days when you're on the go.

• Carry a water bottle wherever you go. Sip on it throughout the day, especially when tempted by a trip to the soda machine.

• Keep sneakers on hand for quick power walks during lunch.

• Strategically place a few hand weights so you can grab them when the baby is sleeping, when the boss is out to lunch, when your kids are playing quietly on their own.

• Drop a jump rope in the back of your car and jump your little heart out at rest stops during that long family car ride.

• Don't forget the old stand-by exercises that require nothing but your trusty body. Think push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, and squats and do them wherever and whenever you get the chance.

For more ideas on how to work in fitness, check out this resource.

A reader commented on my post The Core: All it's cracked up to be with a question about the specific exercises I mentioned -- push-ups, pull-ups, dips, squats, lunges, touch-downs, and planks. He wanted to know how to do some of these since the names themselves are not so self-explanatory. Since I neglected to include the how-to details, I'm back, this time to clue you in on how exactly to strengthen that core of yours. Here goes.

Most of you probably know how to do push-ups, but click here for a refresher. As for the rest, you can find them by clicking on the name of each exercise. The only one I've omitted is the touch down. When I find a good tutorial link, I'll pass it on. For now, though, the following line-up will keep you plenty busy -- and plenty fit too.

Pull-ups
Dips
Squats
Lunges
Planks

For more how-to tips for almost every exercise imaginable, visit this site.

Do you own a stability ball? Or do you use one regularly as part of your workout? If you answered no, then you're definitely in the minority. Those big bouncy stability balls are a staple of fitness these days -- in gyms, homes and even some offices. They're the focal point of many workouts and fitness classes, and if you've ever used one, you know why -- even doing a simple crunch seems to reveal muscles in your abs that you never knew you had the next day.

I've been working out with a stability ball at the gym for a number of year now. I pretty much stick to working my abs when I'm using the ball, but there are other body parts to can work out with the help of your ball. And if gyms aren't your thing, get one for your home. They're relatively inexpensive and though they take up a bit of room when inflated, they have many uses -- try yours out as a chair.

Here are some great ways to put the stability ball to work for you:

OK, so I didn't feel much of a burn during my baby workout this morning. But I did practice a few exercises, and I surely spent a few calories all the same.

Now when I say "baby," I don't mean anything small, mini, or itty-bitty. I mean "a baby." A real baby. A beautiful baby girl with chubby cheeks and chunky thighs and a crooked little grin that warms my heart. At 15 weeks of age, my niece Tori is the perfect 14-pound bundle. Perfect for snuggling, squeezing -- and weight lifting.

We're a great pair, Tori and me. I need a little weight-bearing exercise and she needs a lot of attention. Together, we make quite a team. I get to lift, squat, lunge, and balance with her. And she gets to move, groove, and kick-start a lifetime of physical fitness with me.

Just because summer is pretty much over doesn't mean that you have to go into workout hibernation for the next 6 months. The best way to be swimsuit ready for next summer is to stay, or get into, shape over the winter months. If running or all of the fancy equipment at the gym isn't for you, or if you're simply looking for a change, why not try out this water workout that promises you can lose a size in as little as two weeks if you devote yourself to it.

In-pool exercises include the Egg beater, which works arms, legs and abs, the Surf's Up for abs legs and butt and the Toe touch for shoulders, back and abs. There are 8 exercises in all, which will work pretty much every body part that you could possibly want to tone. Plus water workouts are low impact on joints and since you're in the pool, you can stay cool while working up a sweat.