Fitness and Muscle Work

By Virginia Anderson Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Featured by WebMD Debbe Geiger admits it: Her motivation to exercise was zero and had been for years. She could summarize her feelings about exercise in two words. “It stinks,” says Geiger, of Cary, N.C. Her thinking changed when she finally found her exercise motivation: commitment to a team. Geiger joined a volleyball team -- after much urging from friends who wanted her to play with them -- and now she doesn’t want to let her teammates down. She’s at the gym with a convert’s fervor on game nights. “There have been lots of reasons I could have missed, and I haven’t,” Geiger says proudly. Geiger’s experience illustrates what exercise experts have learned through research and practice over the years: To succeed in sticking to an exercise routine, people need a reason to carry on when that little voice inside says, "Sit on the couch. Have a doughnut." There are plenty of reasons we should be exercising. Not only does exercise...

feature by webmd Arm toning and strengthening exercises are important throughout life, says Dan Agresti, exercise physiologist and owner of ProActive Health and Fitness in Denver. And the benefits go way beyond looking good in a tank top. Life is a lot better when you're strong," says Agresti. "It's fun to know I can do just about any task." Having upper body strength also helps us combat the physical pitfalls of our culture. "We live in such a flexed-posture society, says Lori Incledon, athletic trainer and author of Strength Training for Women. Being hunched over the computer, in front of the TV, and at the steering wheels of our cars takes a toll, she says. The shoulder girdle becomes stretched, the chest muscles get tighter, and we set ourselves up for decreased range of motion and potential injury. "We're never going to be able to reach for the cup on the highest shelf anymore" if we don't balance out our muscles with exercise, says In...