Obsession with youth is not only the plague of modern society. In the 1930s, a retired British army officer stumbled upon a remote monastery in the Himalayas where the monks were rumored to have found the fountain of youth. Amazed by their age-defying health and energy, he attributed their vitality to a series of yoga-like postures they practiced daily – as had generations of monks for thousands of years. These Five Tibetan Rites are believed to work by stimulating and balancing energy centers in our bodies called chakras that correspond to each of our endocrine glands. "They're like electricity transformers, receiving and regulating energy and transmitting it throughout the body," explains Sydney-based Carolinda Witt, who's been teaching the rites for more than seven years.

Witt says practicing The Five Rites is like flicking these energy switches to ON. And they're easy to do. In fact, she's made modifications that focus on breathing and building core strength so you don't have to be a veteran yogini to get yourself, well, turned on. Plus, it's yoga, so you'll create a leaner, stronger body! Start with three repetitions of each posture daily and in order. Add two per week until you're doing 21 in about 10 minutes. When you finish each move, pause and take three energy breaths. The directions are below.

Rite #1: Spinning
Harmonizes chakra spin rates. Improves balance, focus and coordination.

Rite #2: Modified Leg Raise
Strengthens and tones the core, hips, lower back, legs and neck.

Photo: Getty Images

Did you know that women are nearly twice as likely to suffer knee pain than their male counterparts? So much for gender equality. Whether wider hips, hormonal fluctuations or high heels are to blame, there are precautions athletic ladies can take. This week on AOL Health we feature exercises to prevent sports aches and pains culled from "The Knee Injury Crisis Handbook." Plus, we've got these moves to build hip strength.

Try these three moves to burn calories, build strength and trade saddlebags for strong sexy thighs!

Xercuffs can be found here.

For more innovative training videos, visit Fitzness.com.

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In the days when Marilyn Monroe was the ultimate pin-up girl, the ideal figure was an hourglass one: Big in the bust, small in the waist, big in the hips. You don't see that kind of shape much on the red carpet these days. Instead, the bobble-head look seems to take precedence.

But even out of the spotlight, in the homes of the average folk, it seems the hourglass is disappearing -- we're carrying more weight in our tummies than our hips, according to recent studies, and our hip-to-waist ratios are going down, especially in cultures where women tend to be more financially independent. And our jobs are to blame.

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While being overweight can be detrimental to your health, having a little junk in the trunk might actually be helpful.

Researchers have long known that belly fat can raise your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. New research from Harvard Medical School suggests that subcutaneous fat -- the kind that tends to gather on hips and butts -- may actually help prevent type 2 diabetes.

This is great news if you've got a little extra bulk in your booty, but I wouldn't take this research as a green light to let yourself go. Eating healthful foods and maintaining a healthy weight is still your best defense against health issues like type 2 diabetes. AOL Health has some great exercises to help get your butt in shape. And remember, you can be fit and still keep your curves -- just check out the sexy stars below for proof.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. 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 one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey there Fitzy, I'm in fairly good shape, but I'm sick of my back fat. It sucks! My stomach area is pretty flat, but I have this roll over my hips that I hate. Whatcha got for me? Mitch

A. Hi Mitch. I'm glad you wrote, and yes ... back fat does "suck." I've had it before, the dreaded "muffin top," and I didn't enjoy it one bit. So, how do you get rid of it? That's the million-dollar question today, right? Lucky for you ... you've come to the right place.

Hips are one of those weird body areas where you want a little curve, but not too much. With the right exercises, you can keep your hips toned and dead sexy. Shape magazine has three moves that target your hips. The moves all use some special equipment, so you might not be able to do them at home. But keep them in mind for your next visit to the gym.

• Side-lying leg lift. This move that works your outer hips uses an ankle cuff and a low-cable pulley.
• Machine squat. This variation on a squat, using a hip abductor machine, works your outer thighs.
• Standing side leg lift. A cuff and a low cable pulley are also used in this move that works your inner thighs and outer hips.

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For a lot of women, hips are a bit of a sore spot. Particularly after we reach a certain age, or after having children, our hips can become pack rats of sorts -- holding on to little stores of fat we really don't need. Alive Magazine has a great routine to work the outer hip muscles (hip abductors). Toning your outer hips will help you look awesome in your jeans, but that's not all! Keeping these muscles strong helps maintain balance and reduces your risk of some injuries.

• Clamshells with leg lift. Lie on your side against a wall with your knees bent so they're at a right angle to the rest of your body. Tighten your tummy and, without shifting your pelvis, raise your top leg. After 20 repetitions on each side, you can repeat the same exercise with your legs straightened.
• X walks with tubing. Step on a length of exercise tubing with handles (or a resistance band) with both feet and criss-cross the handles (holding one handle in each hand). Stand tall, with tummy muscles tightened, then take 15 to 20 steps to one side. Repeat in the other direction.

Check out AOL Health for an all-over leg workout.

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Check out your fingers. Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Mine is. Uh Oh. That means I have nearly double the chance of developing osteoarthritis, according to a recent study.

Size differences between ring fingers and index fingers have already been linked to sexual and physical ability and performance in university exams, but researchers have now discovered that arthritis might also be connected to the size of fingers.

Type 3 Finger Pattern is what it's called when people have the common male trait of a shorter index finger, and it's now been linked to arthritis of the hips and knees. More common in women than men, the mechanism that accounts for this finding -- and one linking this finger pattern with early onset menopause -- is unknown.

Sounds like I could be headed for future health issues. How about you?

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I have no idea right now how healthy my heart is. I eat right and exercise well but I've got three factors stacked up against me in the heart department. One: Three years ago, I received the chemotherapy drug Adriamycin for the treatment of breast cancer, a drug known for it's heart toxicity. Two: Then I received radiation to my left breast and chest wall, right near my heart. While I used a special tube for breathing in order to move my heart out of the way at the exact moment beams of radiation zapped this critical area, there's a chance my heart was compromised in some way. And third: I then received 17 treatments over the course of one year of the breast cancer drug Herceptin, also know for it's potential to weaken the heart. Bummer that I had to endure these treatments. But as cancer logic has it, I should be so lucky to have a heart problem 20 years from now because it would mean I'd survived my disease for that long.

Really, all I can do to keep my heart strong now is to continue on a wise eating and exercise path. Which is what I plan to do. I can also take a few measurements to chart my heart health.

The folks at Reader's Digest say if I measure around my waist, above my belly button, and divide it by the circumference of my hips, I'll end up with a telling number. If it's 0.8 or less, I'm all good. Men: You want 0.9 or less.

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If you've got a little cush in your tush and are thinking about dropping a few pounds, you might not want to go too lean, because U.S. researchers announced yesterday that a type of fat that accumulates around the hips and bottom may offer some protection against diabetes.

Subcutaneous fat -- the type that collects just under the skin -- seems to help improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. We're not talking visceral fat -- the kind that collects in the abdomen and can raise the risk of diabetes and heart disease. It's the fat that deposits down lower that appears to shelter some people from metabolic disease.

So, not all fat is bad fat. Celebrate that pear-shape if you have one, then. And consider yourself lucky.

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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.

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In our thin-obsessed society, being curvy isn't exactly seen as a good thing, but according to recent studies, it puts you at an advantage in one respect at least: Recent research shows that curvier women are smarter, and they have smarter kids, too.

It all comes down to high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the extra padding around the hips and waist of women with a hourglass figure. Not only are omega-3s good for a woman's own brain power, but they're essential to the development of baby's brain during pregnancy.

So next time you loathe your curves, consider this study and count yourself lucky.

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Anyone who's ever had a problem with their knees, ankles, hips or another joint -- whether serious or not -- knows the importance of keeping your joints healthy. After all, without they're what keep you moving. So do something good for your joints by following these tips from Everyday Health:

• Keep your body at a healthy weight -- excess weight puts unnecessary stress on joints.
  
• Get regular exercise to build muscle around your joints
• Be cautious when doing heavy lifting
• Don't ignore pain -- talk to your doctor about it
• Move frequently -- don't spend too much time in one position unless necessary
• Wear wrist pads and knee pads when doing activities that might lead to injury.
  

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It's possible to lose weight by diet alone. But it's much more effective with exercise. Exercise speeds up the calorie-burning process, increases energy, triggers heart health, boosts mental health and according to a study published in the December 2006 Archives of Internal Medicine, exercise strengthens bones too.

Dieting without exercise can cause bone loss, say researchers at Washington University. Female dieters who lost weight by only cutting calories lost 2.2 percent of bone density in the spine and hips, two areas prone to fractures. Tack on some exercise to that diet plan, and get enough calcium too, and you can lose weight without losing bone.

Seems a simple formula to me. How about you?

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