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...

Oprah's Trainer Bob Greene Offers 6 No-Fail Tips on How to Stay Motivated With Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals By Kathleen Doheny Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Fitness guru Bob Greene knows staying motivated and staying in shape can be a challenge, even if you've got solid fitness and weight loss goals -- and a wildly popular television show. As Oprah's trainer, he helped her slim down and stay motivated. It paid off -- she was a svelte 160 pounds when she appeared on the cover of O, The Oprah Magazine, in January 2005. But life and a thyroid problem intervened, and she got back up to the dreaded 200-pound mark. So come January, Greene and Oprah are back to work, determined to stay motivated and drop the weight once and for all. Greene is scheduled to be the first guest Jan. 5 on "Oprah's Best Life Week" series designed to help kick-start viewers' fitness, weight loss, and other goals. The next week, Greene will be on the Oprah.com live webcasts. Also, G...

Better sex doesn't just involve technique. Keeping a fit mind and body can increase your enjoyment of bedroom antics. By Dulce Zamora WebMD Feature Reviewed by Leonard J. Sonne, MD Thought about leading a healthier lifestyle but haven't gotten around to doing it? Here's a possible incentive: Experts say people who are mentally and physically fit are more likely to have good sex lives. "If you feel good about yourself, you are in a better position to feel good about relationships, including your sex life," says Karen Zager, PhD, a psychologist in private practice in New York City. "When one is not feeling well, and is exhausted, it can certainly have a negative impact on the quality of one's sex life," says Saralyn Mark, MD, a senior medical adviser at the Office on Women's Health. This may all seem intuitive, yet many people find the road to a fitter mind and body to be bumpy, especially if it involves losing weight, starting an exercise program,...

Try these tricks to become one of the fitness faithful By Leanna Skarnulis WebMD Feature Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Let's face it: it's not all that difficult to start a fitness routine. After all, most of us have done it more than once. The trouble, of course, comes with sticking with it. All too often, our initial enthusiasm and energy wanes, we get distracted by other things going on in our lives, or we don't think we're seeing results quickly enough -- and we throw in the towel. Yet many people do manage to hang in there, and would no sooner skip their regular workout than their morning shower. What's their secret? A recent study by researcher Diane Klein, PhD, shed some light on the subject. Long-term exercisers (who had been working out for an average of 13 years) were asked to rank what motivated them to keep up with their regimes. Their answers might surprise you. The exercisers were not as concerned with powerful pecs and awesome abs as they were with fee...

Workout Routines and New Ideas for Fitness By Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, MD WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature Explore your fitness options and nurture a love of movement. Fitness isn't just a plan you embark on, along with a diet, to lose weight. It's a lifelong love of movement that will help you maintain good health and the physique you want. We’ve compiled some workout routines and ideas to help you along your way. These recommendations will help you evolve your workout routine and activity plan. The theme is picking something you love doing, and nurturing your feelings every step of the way. After you read through these workout options, consider journaling to explore your fitness habits, desires, and goals. Level One: Workout Ideas and Recommendations Begin by expanding your definition of exercise: You don't need to run, sweat, or grunt -- any opportunity to partake in activity counts as exercise! If you feel uncomfortable going to a gym, a 10-minute walk, twice weekly, is an e...

Get a checkup before a workout A visit to your doctor is wise for anyone beginning an exercise program, but it's crucial for the elderly or others who have been inactive because of health problems. In addition to the obvious -- checking your heart and lungs -- your doctor can help determine if your regimen needs to consider other medical conditions, and the drugs you take for them. "People can sometimes control conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure with weight loss and exercise so they don't need to continue their medications," says William A. Banks, MD, professor of geriatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. It's important to let your doctor know about your new exercise program in case your medication doses need to be changed. "A doctor can also help facilitate the best type of exercise if you have a disability or impairment. For instance, many of my patients have bad knees, so I tell them that if they start running or even walkin...

Zero Tolerance for Excuses Cited by Middle-Aged Exercisers By Miranda Hitti Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD feature by webmd.com Thinking about making exercise part of your life? Just lace up your shoes and get out there, and don't give your brain time to hem and haw about it. That's what successful middle-aged exercisers say they do. Their approach is outlined in May's issue of Psychology of Sport and Exercise. In the words of two women in the study: "I don't think about it. Just do it," and "If you think about it, you can talk yourself out of it." Active people ignored their brain's chatter and made exercise a non-negotiable part of their day, write researchers from Canada's University of Alberta, including Sandra O'Brien Cousins, PhD, professor emeritus of physical education and recreation. Everyone's Got an Excuse Cousins and colleagues heard everything but "the dog ate my sneakers" in their in-depth phone interviews ab...

There is a good system from The Entertainer that will keep you motivated when exercising your cardio. Their system will connected to your heart monitor. If you slow down, it will lower your TV volume. If you don't catch it, the TV will shut off. So keep running and don't slow down. Or you gonna missed the TV Show. You can see how the system setup here

1. Ooze Confidence Tyra, we love you because you strut with confidence. Banks's "SO WHAT!" campaign, which encourages women to embrace their bodies -- flaws and all -- shows that even supermodels can champion the beauty of being super-real. 2. Hit the Road Penelope Cruz gets her fitness outside. "Workouts aren't just about burning calories, they're about getting in shape for the things you love," says trainer Gunnar Peterson. For more ways to get fit without having to step foot in a gym, see our outdoor workouts feature. 3. Be a Fit Mom To shape up for her upcoming movie, The Kingdom, Jennifer Garner did lots and lots of lunges with shoulder presses, says trainer Valerie Waters. In real life, toddler Violet stands in for some dumbbells. 4. Get on the Ball Jessica Simpson uses one for wall squats, says trainer Harley Pasternak, keeping the ball behind her back to maintain proper form as she sculpts her legs and butt. For more stability ball moves, check o...

Ever find yourself thinking you have no time to hit the gym? Sometimes our schedules become so busy the only time any of us have to get in some exercise would be during lunch or at 4 AM. We asked some of Hollywood's busy stars how they find the time to exercise during their busy schedules. If they can manage to look red carpet ready all the time and still find the time to workout — maybe we can too. by Gerri Miller "I worko ut during the day on set whenever I can. You don't need a gym. I run up and down the stairs at lunch, or something." — Kristen Bell , Veronica Mars "I practice very early in the morning, sometimes as early as 4 AM." —Lisa Edelstein, House "I do a lot of hiking. L.A. is fabulous for that, and with the dog it helps. Also there's a class called CardioBarre. It's the best class ever. It's so hard but you take it for two weeks and your butt is three inches higher. It will give you a butt, I promise." —Ana Ortiz, Ugly B...

Follow these tips so you can go far, overcome fears and enjoy every second climbing the bench press ladder. 1. Enjoy All Accomplishments. If you're a beginner benching 135, an intermediate benching 315, or even an advanced bencher benching 675 for the first time, you'll simply amaze yourself! You get off the bench, celebrate, and think "Holy Sh*t!" The animal desire will be burning and you'll be ready to take your benching to the next level and then the next! This will only build confidence to blast through any bench press obstacle you will face in your quest to becoming that bench press super star you always wanted to be! 2. Enjoy The Highs & Learn From The Lows. If you have the determination and bravery to attempt... beginner or pro - feel good about it. (Bravery is doing things even when you know you will lose.) Anyone who ever amounted to something in benching has experienced successes and failure. Remember though, the only moments that can't be reme...