Forget the forward lunge, ladies. Ditch the chin-ups and pull-ups. And drop the straight-leg push-up too. These just are not fitness moves chicks ought to be doing, says our sister site Lemondrop. They are either definitely dangerous or downright ineffective.

For the complete rundown on risky girl moves and a few you should be doing, click here.

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Once, I was at my son's school during recess and noticed that (other than a few exceptions) it was mostly boys playing kickball and girls sitting in small groups around the jungle gym chatting and playing cats cradle. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but I was reminded of it the day when I read an article about how young and old females aren't as active as males.

Researchers from Liverpool John Moores University followed 10 and 11-year-old children during recess and found that boys tend to engage in more active play than girls. On the flip side of the coin, another study found that women over age 70 are less likely to be active than men.

It's important for everyone to be active. But it's certainly important for girls (during the formative years when their bones are growing) and older women (who need to maintain bone density) to be physically active.

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As a former cheerleader, I'm not even remotely surprised by the recently released statistics showing that cheerleading causes the highest percentage of injuries for female athletes. When you consider the stunts, and lifts, and jumps, and tumbling... it's just not a shocker at all.

According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research based out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, cheerleading accounts for 65.1% of female athlete injuries at the high school level and 66.7% at college level.

The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators has safety rules for college, high school, and all star levels. While injuries can (and do) occur within these guidelines, adhering to the safety rules will minimize injury risk.

Still, knowing all the associated risk, if I were magically transported back to more youthful years, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. Cheering was hard work and awesome fun, and I loved every minute of it.

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FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

Do you engage in "fat" talk? Many women do. It's the norm, actually, for women to regularly say negative things about their bodies. Research proves it.

A study from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina -- home to great white water rafting, by the way -- reveals that "fat talk" is social currency for women. It goes something like this:

"I'm so fat."

"Oh, no, you look great, but my thighs are HUGE."

"YOUR thighs are huge? Look at MINE!"

And so on.

"Fat" talk is not all bad. It creates a solidarity among females. It allows them to open up. It's a way of sharing, disclosing, and receiving reassurance. But wouldn't it be great if we could bond as women without trashing our bodies in the process?

Let's try to minimize our own "fat" talk and see what happens. I predict we'll boost our moods and may even secure a better chance at making healthy choices, perhaps even trimming down.

A positive attitude can do wonders for mental health. So compliment yourself next time you're about to slip into "fat" talk. Surely, you've got a few redeeming qualities you can acknowledge. I know, it seems like bragging, but give a try. I'll go first. I won't tell you about my least favorite body part, although it's tempting. I'll only tell you this: I like my calf muscles. I consider them my best feature, in fact.

That wasn't so hard. Your turn.

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Dieting may cause females to take up smoking, a new study shows. This is particularly true of adolescent females, and is believed to have two main causes -- Nicotine's ability to supress hunger, and the need to replace one addiction with another. I think these findings are also closely linked with self-esteem -- both the need to diet and succeptibility to indulge in unhealthy, yet trendy, habits stem from self confidence. As a bit of an aside, I know someone who loses weight by replacing food with extra cigarettes (she will literally have cigarettes for dinner) and I can't even begin to articulate how wrong and unhealthy that is.

I think this is a very good reminder to promote a sense of healthy body image in our girls. What are your thoughts?

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If you enjoy being physically active chances are you've had at least a passing fantasy or two of doing something more exciting for exercise than whatever it is you normally do everyday, like the treadmill or the swimming pool. Ever pictured yourself hiking through the mountains or navigating a river in a kayak or canoe? How about horseback riding, backpacking, or even dog sledding? Whatever you dream of in regards to outdoor adventuring it may be closer to a reality than you think -- regular women like you and me are having fantastic outdoor adventures everyday through a place called Adventures in Good Company.

You can choose from pre-planned trips, or customize one of your own, and they'll feed you and house you and show you a good time. What are you waiting for?

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