That's Fit

The warm-up? Check. The workout? Check. The cool-down? Ah ... forgot that one.

After you finish your high-powered cardio or weight training, your workout is still not done, I'm afraid. The oft-forgotten cool-down period plays a significant role in returning blood flow and heart and lung function back to their normal state. It also helps prevent blood from pooling in the muscles you were working, something that can cause dizzy spells or even fainting.

Spend about five minutes walking at a very easy pace. Remember, the point here is to help blood vessels relax and cardiac function return to normal, so take it nice and slow. Adding some stretches as part of your cool-down is also a good idea, though it's best to do it after finishing the short walk.

A recent study revealed that stretching exercises may be effective in reducing preeclampsia risk. In fact, the study shows that stretching may be even more effective than walking or other exercises for women who have had preeclampsia before or were inactive before pregnancy.

Preeclamspia -- or pregnancy-related high blood pressure -- is one of the top risks of pregnancy. Up to 8% of pregnant women experience the condition. During the study, 79 pregnant women who had had preeclampsia before and were inactive were assigned to different groups -- one group walked five times per week, another group followed a non-aerobic stretching exercise video. While almost 15% of the women in the walking group developed preeclampsia, less than 5% of those in the stretching group developed the condition.

If you're pregnant, talk to your OB/GYN about what exercises can be beneficial to your health and are safe during pregnancy.

Feet are, in my opinion at least, one of the single ugliest parts of the human body. That doesn't, however, mean they're not important. They're so important, in fact, that if they're not healthy and well taken care of, the whole rest of the body suffers.

How well do you treat your feet? If you're like most people, probably not so well. Most people stand on them too long while wearing shoes that are too tight and heels that are too high, all the while expecting their feet to go everywhere they want to go every day without giving them any care at all really -- until there's a problem of course. And according to statistics, seven out of 10 of us have problems, varying from simple things like sore feet and blisters to much more complicated and damaging disorders like hammer toes, tendinitis, and unexplained back pain.

Muscle cramps have been a problem for runners for, well, pretty much forever. Unfortunately, even though it's such a common issue, experts have yet to agree on a cause.

Some believe that sweating and dehydration are to blame, while others believe cramping is caused by running hard or for long-distances, or that insufficient stretching and training are at fault.

Regardless of what causes them, I think we can all agree that they are a seriously unpleasant side effect of running, and we'd like to prevent them from happening, especially on race days. Click through the gallery for some tips from Active on how to prevent and treat muscle cramps.

Every day I learn something new from my son. He's so much better at forgiving and forgetting, he throws himself into all his activities with his whole heart, and the second he meets someone new he considers them his friend. They're beautiful lessons to learn and I'm constantly reminded that while I'm the parent and it's my role to teach him, it's also my role to put my jaded adult heart aside and learn from him, too.

When it comes to physical activity we could all take a tip from our kids. Dietblog has a list of 5 things we can learn from toddlers:

• They stay on the move. Toddlers wake up and don't slow down until it's time to go to sleep. They play, play, and play some more. Just the simple act of being in motion more can make an impact on adults' weight control and energy level. If you find you're stuck behind a desk all day, make an extra effort to move a bit more -- by a small stepper for use underneath your desk, get up and walk around the office, stand up and stretch, and make some extra trips up and down the stairs.

Stretching is an important part of any exercise routine. It develops your flexibility -- increasing your range of motion. Stretching will ultimately improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury from exercise.

Stretching a "cold" muscle, however, can be counterproductive. Cold muscles are tight and stretching them in this state can actually cause injury. It's best to warm up with gentle activity for 5-10 minutes before stretching. This minimizes the chance of injury while stretching and ensures that you'll get the most benefit from your flexibility exercises.

Once I've showered and eaten breakfast, morning really is my best time of day. But getting from bed to shower can be a chore, especially when I have to be up before the sun rises. My kids don't have a snooze button, though, so I'm always looking for ways to get my motor running in the mornings.

Here are five Pilates moves you can do while your still in bed in the morning. If your bed is too soft, you can move on to the floor and do them as well. These exercises will stretch your spine, work your legs and abdominals, and hopefully give you the boost of energy you need to put your feet on the floor and start your day.

I took up running a while back, and one of the major challenges for me has been my knees. I've always had problems with them, and running makes them worse. But I've been doing exercises to strengthen my knees and they've paid off -- I'm usually pain-free when I run, and I'm loving it. If you have the problems with your knees but are aching to be a runner, consider these knee-friendly tips from Fitsugar:

• Lose weight to reduce the pressure on your knees.
  
• Start slowly, and get in good physical condition overall before beginning to run.
  
• Always stretch before and after running.
  
• Wear supportive braces if needed.
  
• Practice good form, running with your knees bent and leaning forward slightly.
  
• Watch where you run -- surface matters!

What have you done to reduce knee pain when running?

Even though tons of studies have been done on pre-run stretching, results continue to be inconclusive. Does stretching first increase or decrease your risk of injury? What if you don't stretch first? Depending on which expert you ask, you're likely to get a different answer.

USA Track and Field is conducting a very comprehensive stretch study that they hope will give the running world a definitive answer. Participation is open to anyone who is:

• 13 years old or older
• injury free for at least six weeks prior to start
• running at least 10 miles a week
• able to continue running for at least three months (the duration of the study)
• willing to commit to either stretching or not stretching, depending on which they are randomly assigned.

If you're interested in participating, you can click here to get started. And, rest assured, when the results come back, I'll let you know!

Is your job putting your health at risk? You might not think so. But if you're mostly sedentary during the week and fueling up on take-out for lunch every day, you might not be doing enough to protect your heart. Don't worry -- even the busiest schedules can be tweaked to leave you with more energy and less stress. Check out Forbes recommendations for better health on the job. They include:

• fixing up your diet, not by eliminating foods but by adding in as many servings of fruits and vegetables as you can.
• drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
• finding time for short bursts of exercise -- a quick walk at lunch, taking the stairs, etc.
• planning a lighter, more nutritious lunch.
• teaming up with a co-worker or two who shares your health and fitness goals.
• substituting deep breathing for an stress-eating binge at the vending machine.
• creating a stretching routine you can do in-office to lengthen muscles that shorten when you sit all day and improve circulation.
• finding a better balance between work and home.

It may not be possible to eliminate all stress from your job, but taking care of yourself will actually improve your job performance and help you feel better at the same time.

We already know of some causes of headaches, whether it's from staring at a computer too long or smelling certain kinds of perfume. But what about something that your own body is contributing to cause a headache? This ABC News article points out why neck pain can directly lead to headaches, and how you can fix it.

The way you sleep and even hold a telephone can lead to posture which triggers pain the neck area. Most headaches linked to this symptom are caused due to strain on neck muscles located on the back. Posture where you lean forward too much is an example of a pain-causing position. Ever felt that tight, painful feeling behind the eyes when reading the computer screen too closely?

This posture strains the occipital nerve, which can lead to headaches. While this may not describe everyone's situation, it can pinpoint other people's habits. Stretching the neck carefully can help alleviate this pain, thus relieving headaches. But this example isn't the only tip they provide, so head on over to see other neck-related headache causes!

An oft-forgotten component of a complete workout is stretching. Some people -- I admittedly being one of them -- generally do a few quick stretches before staring my workout, and then hold a few, short stretches when finished. Leaving yoga and other stretching-based exercises out of this discussion, it's fair to say that most people need to be a little more diligent about giving themselves a good s-t-r-e-t-c-h.

Be this as it may, I know I still wondered when the best time to stretch actually is. Before or after exercise? Well, according to The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the benefits are the same whether you limber up pre- or post-workout. A study revealed that exercisers had the same range of motion regardless of when they performed their stretch in relation to their exercise.

So, I guess that the answer is that it doesn't matter as much when you stretch; rather, it matters that you make sure you do stretch. To that end, stretching before and after will make sure you cover all bases. Whatever you decide, always do three, 30-second holds per muscle.

Admit it -- we all know one or two kids that seem to play video games hour after hour without pause. While these kids (mostly boys, from my experience) can become coordinated while playing games more than some acrobats, one thing they're not getting is muscle movement. Well, unless they are playing a Wii.

While the Nintendo Wii continues to receive accolades for getting gamers (and the "rest" of us) off our butts to actually become active in gameplay, many are complaining that sudden use of previously-unused muscle groups are causing pain. The same thing happens if you spend a few months being sedentary and then burn up the tennis court one weekend. Been there, done that.

But the reverse is also true -- for those playing on non-active gaming consoles like the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360 -- muscle non-use can lead to pain once physical activity is required. In many cases, kids going to PE each day will receive a decent workout, but for those others, they need to see some kind of physical activity regularly. That, or those thumbs will be the strongest muscles on those gamer's bodies.

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

I'm not so good about stretching. I don't stretch for the sake of stretching. I don't stretch for relaxation. I typically don't stretch before a workout. Basically, I don't stretch. But I should. There's no doubt it would help my occasional shin splints. It can also do so much more.

Stretching can loosen my tight ligaments and muscles. It can prevent injury and soothe pain. It can limber my overall body and put me in a more positive frame of mind. Stretching is simple. Yet, for me, it's so hard to accomplish.

Some organizations are offering morning stretching to help employees kick of their days in the right direction. I propose you make stretching a priority early in your days too. If you'll do it, I'll do it too.

Before you flex that body of yours, be sure to stretch correctly so you don't hurt yourself. Stretch slowly and carefully to the point of light tension, not pain, and hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Avoid bouncing during the stretch too.

OK, time to get started. Click here for eight simple stretches to start off the day.

There is a welter of information scattered all about the internet and fitness publications, all offering tips and advice on how to improve your health and wellness. Some focus on cardio training, while others on nutrition. And, there are some that focus on those two facets and hundreds more. However, it seems to me that in almost all of this literature, there are very few articles -- save for those on yoga -- that focus on the importance of stretching.

This doesn't come as much of a surprise to me, though. Stretching is easily one of the most boring and uncomfortable parts of a workout; your body is splayed out all over the gym floor, you contort yourself like Mr. Fantastic, and worst of all, you have to do it for a fairly long time. Where's the fun in that?

Unfortunately, fun is one thing that may never come out of regularly stretching. What will, however, is a reduction in muscle stiffness and a restoration to your body's normal range of motion, according to an article published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (one of the few articles on stretching that I could find).

So, it is clearly worthwhile to put some time aside to streeeeeeeeetch out those muscles. I just wish there was a way to make it more fun. If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'm all ears.