If you don't have proper form when you walk for fitness, you may be missing out on some of the benefits -- you may even be setting yourself up for injury. Los Angeles-based fitness professional Lalo Fuentes has identified some common problems people have with walking form:

• Easy gliders. Some people walk with a very relaxed/cool stride; They tend to bring their legs forward and their heels touch the ground first. This type of walk can put the body off-balance and doesn't work the hamstrings and glutes as much as it should. If this sounds like you, then straighten up -- imagine a string being pulled upward from your head -- your stride will improve and so will the effects of your walking workout.
• Tippy toes. Many people who are into sports are used to being light on their feet. This can lead to a walking stride where the middle of the feet hit the ground first and heels immediately rise, leaving the person practically on tip-toe. The calf muscles are getting a great workout, but the hamstrings are virtually ignored. When walking, you should strike the ground first with your heel and then roll through from heel to toe.
  

When you have proper walking form, your calves, hamstrings, glutes, and obliques will get a better workout. In addition, you'll have better posture -- and, remember, posture has a big impact on your appearance. See AOL Health for more tips on walking workouts.

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Exercise is one of the greatest gifts you can give your body -- as long as you do it right. Check out these three fitness mistakes, guaranteed to up your risk for strain, soreness, and injury.

• Forgetting to warm up and cool down Warming up reduces the risk of injury, and stretching after a workout prevents soreness. Be sure to stretch right, though -- improper stretching can be just as dangerous as not stretching at all. A basic rule: Don't bounce. It will cause tears in your muscles.
• Not cross-training You've got to mix it up, because doing the same thing over and over again results in overused and strained muscles. Get a well-rounded workout by practicing a variety of cardio and strength training activities.
• Engaging in improper form Don't rush through your workout. Pay attention to quality, not quantity, so you don't strain your muscles. Ever blast through a set of crunches and feel all sorts of pulling on your neck? Bad form, indeed.

Are you committing any of these fitness crimes? I am -- I rarely stretch and I mostly run for my cardio. Time for some behavior modification. And you?

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Weight training is a great way to strengthen, tone, and shape your body. In addition, building up your muscles helps you burn fat and improves your bone density. But it's important to keep safety and proper technique in mind when lifting weights. When starting a new weight lifting routine, consider consulting with a personal trainer -- a trainer can give you ideas on a routine that works well for you and can instruct you on proper form. Here are some tips from Revolution Health to get you started:

• Do lift an appropriate amount of weight. For most purposes, a weight that you can lift 12 to 15 times is right.
  
• Do learn to do each exercise correctly. When you use proper form, you get the most benefit and you minimize your risk of injury.
• Do remember to breathe. Don't hold your breath while lifting.
  
• Do balance your routine. For the best results, remember to work all of your muscle groups.
  
• Do give your muscles a break. Alternate days that you work on muscle groups so your muscles have time to recover.

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Weight lifting is great for your body. But if you don't follow proper technique you're not only wasting some of your effort, you're putting yourself at risk of injury. Incorrect technique can cause you to sprain or strain your muscles. You may even encounter more serious injuries like fractures or muscle tears. Revolution Health gives you some things to keep in mind:

• Don't skip your warm up. 5-10 minutes of aerobic activity will warm up your muscles and reduce your risk of injury.
• Don't hurry. Control your movements. A slow rhythm helps isolate the muscles so you know you're getting the most impact for your efforts.
• Don't overdo it. Pushing yourself way past the point of fatigue may cause injury.
• Don't work through the pain. While some soreness and mild discomfort is expected when you're working muscles, pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. Listen to your body's signals.
• Don't forget your shoes. Shoes will give you proper traction while lifting weights.

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Time to fix your form, guys, because you are not sitting on the stationary bike seat correctly, say the experts at Men's Health. You either sit too low or too high. And this is just not right. Here's why.

Too low adds stress on the knees. Too high rocks your hips from side to side. Both are uncomfortable and inefficient. You look funny too. Here's what you should do: sit on the seat and place your heel in the middle of the pedal -- where the ball of your foot would normally rest. Make sure your leg is fully extended, straight down, at the lowest point of the pedal rotation.

If you're already practicing perfect form on the bike, congrats to you. If you're not, get to work, my friends.

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When you're biggin' up at the gym, pushing yourself to the limits as you pump out rep after rep, it's very easy to inadvertently break form.

This is especially true when you approach the end of your set, says a report from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, stating that giving it all you've got sometimes involves a little twisting and turning. According to the report, men and women contort, cheat, and swing their bodies with the greatest frequency when trying to squeeze out their last few reps.

Training to complete failure is not always the best idea. Some swear by it, while others (including researchers) claim that it sometimes does more harm than good. Sticking to strict form and working to the point of technical failure (which differs from complete failure, in that it refers to the point when an exercise can no longer be performed with proper form) is almost universally accepted as the safest and most effective way to train.

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Hey moms, are you trying to lose that stubborn baby weight? Here's a tip: don't leave baby at home with dad or the babysitter the next time you go for a run. Recent studies show that running with a stroller provides you with a much more intense workout without compromising your form or posture. Running with a stroller not only gives you a place to put your iPod, keys and water bottle, but it helps instill healthy habits in your little one early on in their life.

The one catch? You need a stroller that can handle a run. Anyone have any stroller recommendations?

(Via Fitsugar)

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Are you a runner? Are you out there, on the road, putting feet to pavement day after day? If so, there's a good chance that you're no stranger to a little knee pain every now and again.

To help prevent this very common issue runners face, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers the following suggestions on their website:

Stay in shape. Good general conditioning is important to controlling and preventing patellofemoral pain. If you're too heavy, you may need to lose weight to avoid over-stressing your knees.

Stretch. Before running or any other exercise, first do a 5-minute warm up, followed by stretching exercises. Stretching, particularly in the face down position (prone), will help keep the supporting structures around the front of the knee flexible and less likely to be irritated with exercise. For example, when lying prone, grab the ankle of the affected leg with one hand, and gently stretch the front of the knee. Stretch before and after exercise.

Increase training gradually. Avoid sudden changes in the intensity of exercise. Increase force or duration of activities gradually.

Use proper running gear. Use running shoes with good shock absorption and quality construction. Be sure that shoes fit properly and are in good condition. If you have flat feet, you may need shoe inserts.

Use proper running form. Lean forward and keep your knees bent. Also, try to run on a clear, smooth, resilient, even, and reasonably soft surface. Never run straight down a steep hill. Walk down it, or run in a zigzag pattern.

Weeding through all the fitness and diet information out there is difficult -- there's just too much advice, to many rules to follow, too many people representing themselves as experts. So let's go back to the basics. That's what eDiets did with this article. Here are the main things to keep in mind:

• Remember it takes patience and time to build muscle. But it's worth it when you do.
  
• The best workout is the one that works for you. That's the bottom line, no matter what anyone says. The worst workout is the one that gets stagnant, or worse, not getting any exercise at all.
  
• Losing fat is as simple as reducing your calorie intake.
  
• Ratios of food is also important. At least 30% of your diet should be from protein.
  
• Having correct form is more than the weight you're lifting.
  

Want to know more? Read the original article.

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It's just as important to exercise when you're in your golden years as when your in your 20s. You might not be able to work out as hard, but don't let that keep you from being active. Preventing injuries is important, but maintaining proper form and following a few easy tips can help. Here are some tips from Everyday Health:

• Do stand on one leg to improve balance and strength in that leg
• Do warm up for at least 10 minutes before every workout
• Do also do a cool-down
• Don't always doing the same exercises -- switch up your routine every now and then
• Don't just do cardio -- lift weights a few times each week.
  
• Do check with your doctor

How do you prevent injuries?

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Besides looking better, many people start health and fitness programs to feel better also. And nothing will hamper your "feeling better" goals faster than an injury because you jumped in too hard too fast and hurt yourself. Common beginning mistakes and other things to be careful of:

• Before you start, get a physical. Everybody hears this, but for some reason few people actually do it.
  
• Don't do too much too fast. Jumping into a workout plan too fast is like going on a crash diet -- it's bad for you in so many ways. Your body needs time to adjust and 'get into the swing of things.'
• Learn the proper form, and stick to it. This applies to all areas of fitness really, but it is most commonly seen in gym and strength training environments. Injuries can happen all at once, or build-up over time from chronic use of improper form.
• Breathe when you exercise! No breath holding, please. Your body needs oxygen.
  
• Add variety. Keep things switched up to prevent your body from adjusting to your workout.
  
• And perhaps most importantly, stop immediately if you feel pain or discomfort. Paying attention to your body and taking care of yourself is one of your best tools for getting healthier and fitter.

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