7 Ways to Hurt Yourself at the Gym

The gym offers so much variety when it comes to exercise, it's tempting to jump in and try it all. But, there are some common mistakes exercisers make that may end up hurting more than helping.

Learn how to avoid injury and get the most of out your workouts with these simple tips.

1. Doing Too Much Too Soon

If you're getting started with exercise, it's tempting to try to make up for lost time by doing everything at once. After all, you want to see results. The problem? You wake up the next morning and realize you need a crane to get out of bed. Some soreness is normal but if you can't function, you went too far.

Tips for getting started:

Ease into cardio. Start with 3-4 days at a light-medium intensity until you get used to the workouts.

Keep it simple. Even if you used to lift weights, your body needs time to adapt. Start with
8-10 exercises and do 1 set of 10-12 reps for the first week or so.

Rest. If you feel sore, give yourself extra recovery days. You may need a few weeks of consistent exercise to build a strong foundation.

2. Holding Onto the Treadmill for Dear Life
Beginners may need to hold onto the rails at first, but be careful: You risk injuring yourself. Holding on puts your body in an unnatural position that could strain the shoulders. It can also affect posture and reduce the calories burned.

If it's a habit, wean yourself off by taking your hands off every other minute, increasing that time each week.

If you're holding on so you don't fall off, slow down. Going too fast defeats the purpose.
If you feel shaky, try taking one hand away and once that feels comfortable, take the other hand away as well.

Keep in mind that it's not just the treadmill. Avoiding the rails on any machine will help you improve balance, burn more calories and move in a more natural way.

3. Using Bad Form
Using bad form doesn't just compromise your workouts, it also puts your body at risk, possibly leading to pain or injuries. Bad form comes in many shapes and sizes, but a few common mistakes:

Straining the knees. When doing squats or lunges, keep the knees behind the toes. Pushing the knees forward puts pressure on the joints and could cause injury. To avoid this, learn proper form for squats and lunges or work with a professional.

Rounding the back. When bending over for an exercise, such as dumbbell rows, keep the back flat or slightly arched to protect the back from injury. To make it easier, bend the knees or raise up until you can keep the back flat.

In general, good form ensures you're getting the most out of each exercise.

4. Lifting Too Heavy
It can be tough choosing the right weights so if you don't have a spotter nearby, it's better to go too light than too heavy. Lifting weights that are too heavy can lead to:
Strained or torn muscles

Losing control of the weight and dropping it

Swinging the weight to complete the exercise, which reduces the effectiveness of the exercise and could lead to injury

Using bad form to get the weights up, which could put your back, shoulders or knees at risk for injury

Learn more about safe weightlifting techniques and how to choose weights.

5. Bouncing When You Stretch
There are different ways to stretch the body. The most common is static stretching, which involes holding stretches for a period of time to increase flexibility. But, one thing you want to avoid is bouncing while you stretch.

When you bounce, you force the muscles beyond their normal range of motion, which can lead to strained muscles or tendons. This is especially true when the muscles are cold and less pliable.

To avoid injury:

Warm up before you stretch or save the stretches for after your workout

Ease into the stretch, only going as far as your flexibility allows. Stretching should never cause pain.

Make stretching a regular part of your routine to maintain flexibility
More about flexibility and stretching.

6. Doing the Same Thing Over and Over

If you've been doing the same routine for months or years, you're putting stress on the same muscles, joints and connective tissue every time you exercise. This could lead to an overuse injury as well as burnout and boredom. Some common overuse injuries include tendonitis, shin splints and stress fractures.

To avoid overuse injuries:

Try cross-training. Try activities that use different muscles and movements. For example, If you run, try something low or no impact like swimming.

Change your routine. Shake things up by changing your workout schedule, trying new moves or changing your method of training.

Work with a trainer. A pro can show you different ways to strengthen and stretch the body to help protect it from injury.

7. Skipping Your Warm Up

If you're short on time, you may be tempted to skip the warm up and jump right into your workout. But the warm up is one of the most important parts of your exercise routine.



By easing into exercise with light movement, you can gradually raise your heart rate, increase oxygen to the body and increase blood flow to the muscles.

Not only will that make the transition to exercise more comfortable, it also prevents injuries by increasing the elasticity of the muscles.

Always allow an extra 5-10 minutes before the workout and warm up with a little light cardio.

"Agassi;A Tennis Pro Or A Woman Pro?"

"Always Wanted To Learn How To Play Tennis But Don't Know Where To Start?"

Do you feel that you are stuck or maybe even going the wrong direction? The biggest danger for a beginning tennis player is learning a stroke the wrong way.

Once the body learns a movement pattern, it's hard to unlearn it. Erasing muscle memory, by replacing it with a new correct movement, is a frustrating and painstaking process.

And the hardest things to unlearn are those we learn as a raw beginner. Flaws you acquire at this stage are deeply ingrained. They can dog you forever, making you miss shots you shouldn't miss.

Don't let this happen to you... Get on the right track now, as a beginner, and you'll soon enjoy your tennis game with great looking strokes and the ability to hit them consistently, time after time, with accuracy and power.

"Sneaky little slim-down tricks"

"Start smart"

Begin lunch and dinner with a veggie-rich salad or broth-based soup, says Pennsylvania State University satiety expert Barbara Rolls, author of "The Volumetrics Eating Plan." "That lets you fill up first on a big volume of low-calorie food and ends up displacing some of the foods you'll eat next -- the choices that are usually higher in calories."

Here's a good salad recipe: Mix 1½ cups of salad greens with ¾ cup of raw veggies like onions, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, or cucumbers; drizzle with 2 tablespoons of low-cal bottled dressing.

"Sneak a snack"

"Ten minutes before each meal, eat some healthy fat (around 70 calories or fewer): a handful of nuts, a few slices of avocado, or a spoonful of peanut butter, for example. That helps activate ghrelin, a hormone that lets you know you're full," says Michael Roizin, MD, co-author with Mehmet Oz, MD, of "You on a Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management."

"Try the 3-hour rule"

"The secret to losing weight comes down to keeping your metabolism alive and active," according to fitness guru Jorge Cruise, author of "The 3-Hour Diet." How do you do that? By eating every 3 hours, give or take 10 to 20 minutes, he says, which translates to three moderate meals with three snacks (100 calories each) between meals.

Though other experts say there's nothing magic about 3-hour intervals, eating small, frequent, portion-controlled meals and snacks can keep your blood sugar level steady, your energy up, and keep you from overindulging.

"Don't Miss"

Have liquid assets"If you're going to drink anything with calories (i.e., fruit juice, soda, sweetened coffee and tea, or alcohol), you need to consciously adjust your diet to accommodate those extra calories," says Purdue University nutrition researcher Richard Mattes, PhD. His research shows that people typically make adjustments to eat fewer calories over the course of a day after eating a solid food like jelly beans, but not after drinking the same amount of calories in a glass of soda.

And if you want to replace sweetened drinks with their calorie-free counterparts, rethink it. Some research suggests that people who drink no- or low-calorie drinks might actually end up eating more, Mattes says. The best thirst quencher -- and a dieter's best friend -- is still plain old H2O.

"Cut out this combo"

Skip those munchies made with white flour and sugar, like white bread, cookies, and pretzels, says integrative medicine guru Andrew Weil, MD. They signal the body to produce more insulin and set the stage for turning calories to fat, fat, and more fat.

Choose your palsStudies show that most of us base how much we eat on what others around us eat, says University of Toronto psychologist Peter Herman, PhD. So steer clear of the big eaters in your social circle, at least when food is around. Sashay over and make small talk at parties with the folks who aren't hovering near the food table.

"Marching to your own caloric drummer requires some independent thought and calculation," Herman says.

"Pare portions"

Everything from beverages to bagels is two to five times bigger today than in the 1970s, says New York University nutrition professor Lisa Young, PhD, author of "Portion Teller" and who has studied the servings dished up in restaurants and by food companies.

"So if you grab a bagel or eat out, chances are you'll be served double what you need," she says. Her advice: Start leaving just a little bit on your plate or, if you can, cut the amount you eat in half. She also suggests that you "use your hand as a portion guide -- 3 ounces of meat fits into your palm, 1 cup of potatoes looks like a fist."

"Be an early bird"

Eat the most food earlier in the day, says Elisabetta Politi, nutrition manager at Duke Diet and Fitness Center, Duke University's successful weight-management center.
"Many dieters try to trim calories from their break-fast and lunch and then get hungry," she says. "Research shows the calories you eat earlier in the day help you eat less at night" -- a good idea since you probably won't be active after an evening meal.

"Step it up"

"Get a pedometer and start walking," says University of Colorado obesity expert James Hill, author of "The Step Diet." To keep the weight off forever, the goal is to take 11,000 to 12,000 steps (around 90 minutes) a day.

"You don't need to do it all at once," Hill explains. Start with 2,000 steps a day, or about 15 minutes of walking. Add another 5 minutes (500 steps) each week. You can find supercheap pedometers at drugstores and big-box retailers to help you keep count. There are lots of other sneaky little ways to add more steps to your day, too: Use a cordless phone and walk while you talk, or get up and walk during TV commercials. (Strategies to rack up more steps)

"Think thin"

"Seeing is believing," says Janice Taylor, weight-loss coach and author of "Our Lady of Weight Loss." "You have to picture yourself thin if you want to become thin." Visualize what you're wearing, where you are, who you are with, and how you feel. "The more vivid the picture, the more real it will feel to you," Taylor says, "and the more likely it will take form."

Shula Lazarus, PhD, a psychotherapist at the North Carolina-based weight-management program Structure House, agrees, though the method isn't clinically proven. "We use it to help dieters visualize a healthy eating pattern and the right portions on their plate. It can't hurt, and it might help."

"Fill up on fiber"

Crowd out calorie-dense foods by ratcheting up on fruits and veggies. "Start by eating one more serving of fruit and one more vegetable a day," says Donald Hensrud, MD, a Mayo Clinic nutrition specialist. Hitting that midafternoon slump? Reach for carrots -- the carbs will give you a lift. Not only does munching on nature's bounty become a good habit, but it'll also help you tap into dozens of disease-fighting phytochemicals and vitamins. The biggest fiber bulker-upper: beans. Just a cup of black beans nets you nearly 15 grams of filling fiber.

"Brush your teeth"

Sometimes the best advice comes from your best friend or, in this case, a fellow Health magazine reader. Barbara Haug of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, says she brushes her teeth right after dinner instead of at bedtime. "I can be a compulsive snacker in the evening," she says, "but I don't like messing up freshly brushed teeth."

Cleansing for a better you!

Your health is directly related to how healthy your colon is. Whatever you eat ends up in as toxins in your bowels. Over a period of time, these toxins build up and cause serious diseases such as obesity, constipation and so on. Having regulated and balanced diet is very important to get rid of the harmful toxins. Apart from this, you can have special colon cleansing diet that can help your colon cleanse up leading to better health. You should think of some ways including good foods that can help your body clean from inside; else any treatment or medication for dealing with toxins may not be as effective, as you expect.

Colon Cleansing Diet

One of the best foods that are good for colon cleansing is raw egg yolk. Egg yolk contains many important vitamins and minerals that are required for your body. You can have at least one egg yolk daily unless the toxins level in your body is in control. There are many ways to have raw egg yolk. The best option is to mix it with some milk and have it. Another option is to add it to some fruit juice or vegetable juice.

If you have never had raw egg yolk, you can spread it on your serving of green salad. It makes an excellent colon cleansing diet that takes care of its peculiar taste as well. Start this gradually, and begin by having one spoon of it for first few days. As your body responds to it positively, increase the quantity and have at least one egg yolk daily.

A few oils such as fish oil, coconut oil, cod liver oil, or olive oil are also good colon cleansing agents. Using these oils doesn’t worsen your toxins level in the body. All these oils are in fact good for your health for different reasons, for example fish oil has important omega-3 fatty acids. Different oils help you to maintain required hormonal balance in the body.

Yeast flakes are another very nutritious food that is almost as good as raw egg yolk. Many important B vitamins and minerals make it a good colon cleansing diet. This is particularly important diet for you if you do not have egg yolk for any reason.

In the process of colon cleansing, whether through exercise, diet or medication, you may feel fatigued, sluggish or tired. In such situations, take some vitamin C rich foods or even vitamin C supplements for required energy. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor before starting the vitamin C supplements.

A well planned diet is a must for effective colon cleansing process. Always consult a specialist physician and seek one’s guidance on what to eat and what to avoid. Explain all your symptoms of any disease so that your physician is able to relate the disease to toxins in your body.

Ensure that your diet consists primarily of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and beans. All these food items are rich in fiber which being soluble in water, prevents constipation. Also, the presence of chlorophyll in many green foods makes these a very good colon cleansing diet. There are some other advantages of chlorophyll as it is useful in healing the damaged digestive tract tissues. People who take less water during the day are more likely to have constipation. Have lots of water to prevent constipation and accumulation of toxins in your body.

Apart from colon cleansing diet, you can use enemas as well. Enema water helps flush out your body completely. You can add coffee to enema water so as to increase its usefulness. Coffee enema is a good detoxifier for your liver. Bentonite clay is another natural product that is a very good cleansing agent for colon. Add bentonite clay water to the enema as it helps in mobilizing harmful toxins from the bowel wall.

Plan your diet and try to have fresh fruits, low salt cheese, carrots or apple in breakfast. In the same way, have large salads of vegetables, one big steamed vegetable, millet, corn or home made soups in lunch. Eat your dinner about 2-3 hours before going to bed. Have salads, steamed vegetables, steamed or grilled fish as your dinner. Eat slowly and chew properly for required digestion of food. Also, drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday.

Foods to Avoid in Colon Cleansing Process

There are many foods and eatables that you should avoid in colon cleansing process. No matter what treatment you take, or what you might be taking as colon cleansing diet, it will not be effective unless you do not take any precautions in terms of your diet. The most notable food items that you should avoid are coffee, black tea, soft drinks, potato chips and junk food, and pasteurized milk. If you take rice frequently, reduce its intake. Apart from these precautions, quit smoking if you smoke.

13 Ways of Staying Fit When There's No Time to Exercise

While looking at an article by a leading fitness guru, I was struck by her emphasis on making exercise a priority and finding a way to fit in your gym time at any cost. Although she's right in principle, I couldn't help thinking that this woman cannot possibly be a working mom with small children!

Those of us who are balancing multiple roles – as parent, worker, spouse, school volunteer, household manager, and responsible citizen -- often find that 24 hours per day simply aren't enough. Fitness gets put on the back burner.

Even if you're lucky enough to be able to set aside time to work out, things like school holidays, childhood illnesses, and teacher conferences have a way of eating up these extra hours along with our best intentions.

You may not have time to go to the gym, but you can still be physically active and boost your metabolism by using a bit of creativity in planning your day. During a recent week when my kids were sidelined by a nasty cold, I started thinking about ways to be physically active when going to the gym was out of the question. I also asked some trainers for their advice. We came up with the following ways to fit exercise into a packed-full day:

1.If you've got a young sports enthusiast in the family, play along. Shooting baskets and kicking a soccer ball around the yard are great ways to get your heart pumping. Thirty minutes of cardio training are recommended, but even five to ten minutes will elevate your energy and speed your metabolism.

2.Take the kids for a walk. If their pace is too slow, add some lunges, jumping jacks, or running in place every few minutes to make yourself work harder.

3.Pull young children in a wagon through the neighborhood. Or give them a ride in a jogging stroller.

4.Let little children ride bicycles or tricycles while you jog behind.

5.Get into some vigorous sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming. These types of housekeeping chores can burn a significant number of calories.

6.We've all heard the benefits of taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Everything you've heard is true.

7.Likewise, getting off the bus or subway a stop or two before your destination on a regular basis adds up to a lot of heart-healthy walking.

8.Do yoga or Pilates while you, or the kids, unwind in front of a movie. While watching TV, do push-ups or sit-ups during commercials. Even one per commercial during a two-hour movie can give you some good exercise.

9.In a sedentary job, take your breaks outdoors and have a brisk, short walk. You'll also improve your concentration and mood.

10.Dance or do aerobics at home. No one's watching, anyway. If you like, include the little ones and turn it into a game.

11.Practice stretching or light yoga moves while talking on the phone, listening to the news, or while dinner is cooking. .

12.Find the high-energy items on your to-do list and tackle these when you need physical activity. Think about washing the car, digging the garden, mowing the lawn, or reorganizing a closet.

13.Get up 15 to 30 minutes earlier than the rest of the family and use this time for a run, a walk, or some stretching and yoga.