If running's your thing, you need to invest in a good pair of shoes. But good shoes are hard (and expensive) to come by -- even more so than you think. The Daily Mail recently talked to podiatrists to figure out just which running shoes were worth the money -- and which ones could potentially do damage to your tootsies in the long run.

The bottom line? Trevor Prior, a consultant podiatric surgeon, says that "costly trainers rarely have the technology to justify their price," so don't just head for the most expensive shoes in the store. Click here for their recommendations, ask an expert or visit the Runner's World Shoe Finder to help you find the shoe you need.

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I love The Biggest Loser -- I've been following Bev's updates as religiously as I have the show. And I think it's great for the viewers -- all that encouragement to slim down, shape up and take back control of their health. So I was interested when I saw this article titled Biggest Loser lessons to forget. Huh?

Using the show as motivation to get healthy is a fantastic idea but before you get discouraged that you can't keep up with the show, there are a few issues you should keep in mind, according to the folks over at Divine Caroline:

• Results are not typical. Normal people don't lose more than two pounds a week.
• They put their lives on hold. Contestants spend weeks focused solely on losing weight. The rest of us can't afford that luxury.
  
• They're probably over-training. Think about it -- they go from no exercise to working out for hours each day. This isn't healthy -- or realistic.
• They have trainers. Celebrity trainers are there with them for every workout. Can you afford that? Didn't think so.

Hmm. I never thought of it that way. But I still think the show does more good then harm. Your thoughts?

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It used to be that group classes at gyms were broken into a few small categories -- men/women, high intensity/low impact and so forth. But gyms have started to offer special classes that are designed to benefit much smaller groups. Most recently, gyms are offering classes designed for people with certain conditions or illnesses.

Osteoporosis, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions are just a few of the health problems gyms are starting to target. Depending on the condition, the classes may aim to improve the symptoms and/or reduce risk factors for recurrence.

If you have a specific condition, talk to one of the trainers at your gym. (Or call a local gym if you don't have a membership.) Even if they don't have condition-specific classes scheduled yet, they may have other gym-goers who are interested. In the meantime, a trainer can design a program that works specifically for your health needs.

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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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About 20 years ago, Nike introduced the Air Max Light shoe, which was fairly popular for a while until it was overshadowed by a newer version, the Air Max 90.

Well there are now more than 25 versions of the Air Max, all of them available in various colors for men and women. But, Nike is going back to its Air Max roots with the Nike Air Max Light Retro Running Classic shoes.

A couple of versions, like the ones pictured, are available exclusively through JD Sports. However, there are plenty of other versions from which to choose. Check out the gallery and see which ones you want to collect next!

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In the world of celebrity fitness, there's a few gems and a whole lot of stuff that's just plain funny. Let's take a gander at the lifestyles of the rich and famous and see what we love, and what just makes us fall down on the floor in hysterical laughter.

My dreamboat Gabrielle Reece is on the cover of Pregnancy magazine, because of course she still exercises and stays healthy while she's with child. Known for her straight-shooting fitness advice and Amazonian awesomeness, she's proof you can be hot and pregnant at the same time. Actually, if you check out the pics of her exercises on FitSugar, you'll realize Gabby would probably look hot taking out the garbage with her hair in curlers. Just sayin'. Solid cheers for her, and I won't hear anything otherwise.

Speaking of pregnancy, Trish Sutter, formerly of the Bachelor, wants to lose the last 10 pounds of her pregnancy weight--she's 5'2" and now weighs 116. Ah, body image in La-la land. Us magazine reports on her hatred of her belly, three months postpartum. (Cough.) We'd like to remind her that it's okay to take your time, that many ladies (hi!) hold the baby weight for a while. Jeers, not so much for the weight thing, but because Trish reports, "My friend said that when I came home from the hospital, I'd be back in my old jeans." Honey, anyone who feeds you that lie is NOT your friend.

Of course Us also has the diet and exercise plans for your weight loss, straight from the trainers to the stars. I'm sure you'll be able to follow their exact regimen and program without the benefit of a trainer and personal chef. Yeah. Anyhow, the very best bit comes from Valerie Waters, trainer to Jennifer Garner. Her exercises use a tool she created called, "The Valslide ®." Don't have one handy? Well, "You can duplicate the motion at home using a paper plate on carpet or a towel on hardwood floor." Hold on, I'll get the paper plate out as soon as I stop laughing. Jeers.

Hey, your workouts could result in a happy marriage. At least it worked for Seal and Heidi Klum. Heidi told Oprah she first spotted Seal coming out of the gym wearing bike shorts. So, did his rock-hard physique win her over? Um, I think it was more that the shorts reveal so much about a man. Ahem. I think this is cheers, just because at least he was working out, and at least she was honest about what drew her to him.

The last one comes from the In Style celebrity gallery. Celebs were asked, "What is sexy?" and boy, are there some really hilariously stupid answers. Although it's not a great question either. It'd be all jeers, except Joy Bryant listed her chocolate cake as sexy, and since most famous folks don't even remember what dessert tastes like, we'll give her big cheers for that.

We all know fitness doesn't come effortlessly to anyone. There's hard work and consistency involved in being in shape. Hence the sweatiness. And celebrities are no exception...well, except for the ones who get their bods through a little plastic surgery, but hardly any of them do that, right? Right? This week's celebrity gawking focuses on the fact that, well, it isn't easy.

Jessica Simpson may be getting praise for her toned body again, but she confesses she's lousy at one key component of her regime: jumping rope. Jess claims her lack of rhythm is to blame, and of course her trainer makes her do lots of sets, because trainers are evil like that. She also says if she craves a food, she allows herself a taste, as in, a couple of bites. Livin' large, girl. Now that sounds like it isn't easy.

Lance Armstrong is pretty much the picture of athletic awesomeness, but now that he's training for a marathon, he says running isn't easy. Lance claims riding a bike is more efficient and easier on the body. That's only because he's never seen me ride a bike.

Samantha Harris, host of Dancing With the Stars, resumed working out just two-and-a-half weeks after giving birth. She says her doctor gave her the green light, so she dived in with a yoga class, a cardio sculpting class, a plain old sculpting class... She says, "I'm not trying to drop the weight fast in any capacity." Mmm hmm, whatever you say. I'm thinking the immediate return to exercise isn't, you know...

Lily Allen credits hypnosis for her recent weight loss. The singer dropped many pounds and claims the hypnotism helps her stop eating when she's full and makes her want to get to the gym daily. Allen has blogged about her weight and body issues for a while, and while she's tried to let go of it, she confessed in May that she had "fallen victim to the evil machine." That kind of public weight scrutiny can't be easy.

Forbes interviews the trainers to stars like Jessica Biel and Kimora Lee Simmons for the lowdown on how celebs get their bodies looking good. I'll give you a hint: It sure helps to have the time and money to work out zealously with a trainer. There are also photos of swanky gyms the famous people hit. Exercising with a pro in posh digs still isn't easy, but it's easier than the rest of us have it.

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As Bethany recently revealed, we don't need to spend a fortune to end up with quality running shoes. But that doesn't mean we should jump on any pair of trainers that are on sale. Here are some tips for choosing the best sneakers for you:

• Wear shoes that are meant for the activity you usually do. For example, don't choose tennis shoes if you're a runner.
  
• Shop in the afternoon -- that way, your feet are naturally a bit swollen and you won't end up with something too small.
  
• Remember that your feet change size over the years -- get them measured before you spend money on shoes
• Don't think that you can break shoes in -- if they don't feel good at the store, leave 'em be.
• Bring socks with you so you can properly gage the size -- preferably the socks you wear to the gym. But remember to wash them first!

Sage advice, I think. Do you have any tips to add?

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I've often wondered how celebrities manage to stay so slim and toned all the time. Is there something in that Hollywood water? If it because they can afford personal chefs? Is it all the calories they burn from running from the paparazzi? CNN recently did an article on celebrity trainers and how they keep those Hollywood stars looking so good all the time. The secret? There isn't one.They work just as hard as we do to lose a few.

In fact, have you ever gotten done a workout at 4am? Jennifer Garner has -- on many occasions. Have you ever had a deadline (other than a self-imposed one) by which you need to have lost a few pounds by? Movie stars do -- all the time. Yes, they might have a person trainer all to themselves riding their butt around the clock, but would you even want that? Really?

If you want to find out the truth about celebrities stay so slim, read the whole article.

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MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections, a form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, used to be really only found in hospitals in patients who were already compromised due to other health problems. But more and more athletic trainers (more than half) have reported treating athletes -- healthy athletes -- for MRSA infected skin cuts and scrapes.

MRSA infections are treatable, but not by the usual means, so it's extremely important to identify an infection as MRSA before it gets out of hand and turns into something much more serious. The most probable means of transmission from athlete to athlete is either contact during sports or via towels or other shared locker room items. Symptoms of an MRSA infection include the area being swollen, red, and/or painful -- and it won't be getting much better (if at all) with standard treatments.

If at all in doubt, get it checked out.

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Don't lie! Everybody wants to look like a celebrity. Well, maybe not exactly like a celebrity, but fit and beautiful in your own skin is pretty fair to say. I'm not a celebrity, so I really don't know how easy or difficult their lives are, but I do think it's easier for them to eat healthy and stay in shape with personal chefs and personal trainers at their beck and call. Sometimes they even get several months allotted before a movie just to get as buff as possible...

Must be rough.

So just what are those celebrity personal trainers teaching people like Oprah, Elle McPherson, and Madonna? Everything from focusing on health instead of appearance, to finding activities you like, to being realistic about just how much hard work it takes to get in (and stay in) shape.

Good to know they have to work hard at it, because I sure do!

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