10 Good Reasons to Try Yoga
Regardless of which type you choose, yoga is an excellent way to stretch and strengthen your body, focus your mind and relax your spirit.
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10 Reasons to Keep Fit as You Age
"Physical activity has been engineered out of our daily lives," laments an expert on preventing disease. "We used to rake leaves by hand and walk to the market. Now we have leaf blowers and take the car everywhere." So here is a list of 10 reasons why you
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A Guide to Jogging Strollers
Jogging strollers come in a variety of shapes and sizes to match almost anyone's needs, including parents with twins or children with physical disabilities.
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A Rational Diet for Bodybuilders
Many of today's generation of musclemen are told by nutritionists and bodybuilding experts that well-balanced meals will offer enough protein for all but the most intense exercisers.
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Age Doesn't Matter for Yoga
More than ever before, Americans older than 65 are turning to yoga for exercise. What is yoga, and why is it so popular? Yoga is a series of stretches and poses done with breathing techniques. It offers the powerful benefits of exercise. And since yoga is
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Arthritis and Exercise: Q and A
Doctors and physical therapists say people with arthritis can improve their health and fitness through exercise without damaging their joints.
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Athletic Shoes: Lace Them to Fit
Simply lacing your shoes or sneakers properly, along with choosing a shoe that fits your foot correctly, can add comfort to your stride and prevent foot injuries.
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Avoid Injury When You Exercise
Staying active—getting regular exercise—is one of the best ways to minimize the effects of aging. Exercise helps prevent chronic illness and loss of function in older adults.
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Avoid the Top Mistakes in the Gym
Not progressing wisely—exercising too much, too hard, or too often instead of gradually working out longer and harder—is a common mistake made by many fitness enthusiasts. But it’s not the only one.
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Avoiding Joint Injuries
Common injuries include a twisted ankle, sprained wrist, overextended elbow and damaged knee ligaments. Fortunately, you can take steps to help prevent joint damage.
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Basketball: Make Safety a Point
Experts say players can avoid injury by strengthening muscles through a supervised weight-training program before the season. That helps prevent injuries to knees and ankles, the most common court injuries.
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Bench These Six Exercise Excuses
Some excuses—I weigh too much, I'm too old, I have too many health problems—are in themselves strong arguments for increasing physical activity.
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Benefits of Strong Abdominal Muscles
Strong abdominal muscles do more for you than just giving you a trim profile. They help stabilize your torso, which reduces aches and pains in your lower back.
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Biking Your Way to Better Health
Riding a bicycle can be an excellent fitness activity. Cyclists can burn 400 to 700 calories an hour when they're pedaling at a good pace.
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Buying a Bike for Your Child
Most youngsters learn the basics of pedaling, steering and braking on a tricycle or "big wheel" cycle, and around age 4 are ready to try a two-wheeler with training wheels.
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Common Injuries of the Shoulder
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, but because of this flexibility, it is not very stable and is easily injured.
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Creating a Home Gym
For many people, a home gym works better than an actual gym because they don't have to travel to it.
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Dancing Is the Star
Besides being fun, dance offers a range of benefits—physical, mental, and social—that other activities can't match.
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Exercise for Home Bodies
The experts who tell us we need more exercise agree on one thing. Doing something, they say, is better than doing nothing.
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Exercise for the Ages
While regular physical activity is a cornerstone of wellness at any age, it’s during your 30s, 40s and 50s that exercise becomes especially important.
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Exercise for the Seriously Unfit
You can't walk across a room without huffing and puffing. Your arms get tired unpacking a bag of groceries. You're carrying more and more excess body weight. And you can't remember the last time you got any real exercise.
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Exercise Goals for Healthy Living
You know it's important to stay active but still find yourself falling back on old habits. What can you do? Planning for exercise isn't hard if you make it a priority.
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Exercise Your Way to a Healthy Heart
Physical inactivity is just as big a risk factor for heart disease as high blood pressure and smoking are. So, be the exception rather than the rule. Here are eight ways to exercise for a healthier heart.
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Exercise Your Way to a Healthy Pregnancy
You don't have to give up exercising just because you're pregnant. Most women who become pregnant can follow a modified fitness program, with their doctor's approval.
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Exercising for Health and Longevity
In their quest to live a longer and healthier life, many people turn to supplements, herbal remedies and other forms of complementary medicine. But one remedy for a longer life costs nothing and requires no additional studies to prove its effectiveness.
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Feel the Power of a Short Circuit
Circuit training refers to a series of exercises done one after the other with little rest between. A complete series makes up one circuit.
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Fit for the Ages
Need inspiration? Look to these five Americans who show just how physical you can get in later life.
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Fitness Folly Times Five
Do you make these fitness mistakes? Failing to warm up? Using improper form? Doing the same old routine? Focusing work on one area of the body? Exercising too hard or barely breaking a sweat?
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Five Fresh Forms of Indoor Fitness
Cold weather doesn't have to put a chill on your fitness routine, even if the treadmill or stair-stepper seems boring compared with jogging or riding your bike outside.
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Focus on Fitness: Avoid Overtraining
With so much emphasis these days on the importance of exercise, overtraining often gets overlooked. But pushing yourself too hard or doing too much can be just as harmful as not doing enough.
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Follow the Road to Safety
Exercising outdoors can be fun and enjoyable, but you should keep personal safety in mind before you head out the door.
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Foot Care for Walkers
Wearing the appropriate type of shoe is the most important part of foot care for walkers.
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Gardening in Your Senior Years
Whether the move is to a smaller townhouse, apartment, or assisted living center, physical challenges and a lack of space can confront gardeners.
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Get a New Fitness Attitude
Here are strategies that can inspire anyone to maintain fitness motivation—whether you’re an elite athlete or a couch potato trying to get into shape.
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Get in the Swim
Besides providing a good workout for your heart and lungs, water offers constant, gentle pressure on every part of the body, which, in turn, helps improve circulation from the outside in, eases joint and back pain, and increases flexibility and range of mo
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Getting the Most for Your Health Club Dollar
Joining a fitness facility is costly -- from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000 per year. To make sure your money is well spent, manage your membership the same way you would any other significant investment -- by keeping your eye on your goals.
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Give Your Energy Level a Tune-Up
Eating smaller, healthy meals distributes energy calories more evenly than large meals and keeps your blood sugar normal throughout the day.
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Give Your Health a Lift
Weight lifting is one of the fastest-growing U.S. fitness activities. And the American Heart Association recently threw its weight behind weight lifting, too.
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Gym Exercises That Work
This workout can be done at home or at the gym, using your own body weight as resistance, or with weights.
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Here's Why Exercise Matters to Your Kids
Some children are very involved in competitive sports, but many other youngsters get no exercise at all. That lack of exercise is tied to an increase in childhood weight problems.
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How Much Exercise Is Enough?
A private advisory group's call for 60 minutes of physical activity each day are in line with the 2005 USDA Guidelines for exercise of 30 to 60 minutes. The new advice was meant to get people moving, but some experts are worried about recommending 60 minut
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How to Avoid Sports Injuries
Sports injury rates could be reduced by 25 percent if all athletes — professionals and amateurs — followed essential safety, conditioning, and preventive strategies.
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How to Be a Happy Camper -- or Hiker
Whether you're a first-time hiker out for an easy walk in the woods or an expert camping in the wilderness, think about safety before you head outdoors.
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How to Fit In Fitness
To get your kids moving, find physical activities they can enjoy at their own pace -- and become active with them.
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In Gymnastics, Kids Flip for Fitness
The sport helps build strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. Its all-around fitness benefits make it a good springboard to other activities.
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Is It Too Hot To Trot?
If you're not careful, you could wind up with a case of heat exhaustion just as easily as the couch potato next door, no matter how fit you might be.
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Just Do It—But Don't Overdo It
Exercise is good for you. You're probably sick of hearing that message.
But did you know too much exercise can make you sick?
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Keep Clear of Golf's Hazards
While many view golf as a leisure activity, more golfers are becoming fitness-minded. The sport demands superior flexibility, strength and cardiovascular fitness.
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Keep Moving to Manage Your Weight
You can lose weight by dieting, exercising, or a combination of both. Including exercise into your daily routine offers other benefits besides weight control.
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Make Variety a Goal in Kids' Sports
Children should avoid specializing in a sport until they reach adolescence, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. Reason: for every prodigy who becomes a successful athlete, thousands of youths suffer physically or psychologically from being push
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Making Decisions About Fitness
First decide how you can make exercise a priority. One idea: Put your workout on the calendar just like any other appointment.
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Managing Arthritis with Exercise
Exercise has important health benefits for everyone -- regardless of age and physical condition. But for people with arthritis, working out regularly, and within their limits, is critical.
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Maximize Your Exercise Time
To keep yourself entertained and enthused, wear headphones and listen to high-energy music while you work out.
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No Sweat? No Good!
Even if you're fairly well conditioned, overdoing it may lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heatstroke, causing the body to lose its ability to sweat.
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Pedal Your Way to Work
Trading your car for your bike for all or part of your commute can save you cash, increase your fitness and help the environment. You may be surprised at how easy it can be.
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Performance Anxiety Can Choke Up Athletes
Anxiety can help focus and sharpen performance. For some athletes, however, the pressure of performing well takes its toll in the form of performance anxiety, which causes them to do less than their best.
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Pilates: A Core Conditioning Program
Pilates is a conditioning program that strengthens the joints and muscles used in everyday actions such as walking, sitting, twisting, bending and lifting.
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Prime Times to Exercise
Your exercise time can depend on everything from your work schedule to when your kids get up or go to bed.
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Racket Sports: Tops in Training
Playing tennis or racquetball is a fun way to boost the intensity of your fitness program, as well as improve your balance, strength and agility.
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Rating Thirst-Quenching Sports Drinks
Most sports drinks consist of water, carbohydrates in the form of sugar and small amounts of electrolytes, which are minerals such as sodium and potassium that encourage quick replenishment of fluids lost during exercise.
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Ready, Set, Run!
It may not be as trendy as Pilates or power yoga, but running still delivers a great fat-burning, stress-reducing aerobic workout.
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Rev Up Your Walking Workout
To make walking something you can look forward to each day, add the ingredients that appeal to you personally.
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Seniors Can Volunteer Their Way to Fitness
If you try to exercise by yourself, you'll generally come up with any excuse not to do it. With volunteering, you are involved with a group where you have to make a commitment. You're not going to let the group down.
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Shape Up Safely
Regular exercise can improve your health and longevity. But doing too much too soon or not taking proper precautions can cause injury.
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Shape Up to Hit the Slopes
Ideally, you should start to prepare your muscles two months before you go skiing or snowboarding. But as little as an hour of training a week for four weeks can get you ready.
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Simple Exercises to Make You Limber
Stretching is an easy thing you can do to improve your health, yet it's often the most neglected part of people's fitness regimens. Stretching can reduce your injury risk and help you become more limber, regardless of your age and physical condition.
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Snow Sports
Whether you're heading for the mountain to ski or just taking your sled to the hill, you can enjoy a great day out and get some exercise at the same time.
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Sports-Related Knee Injuries
Knee injuries account for 25 percent of all sports-related injuries, but proper conditioning can help prevent them.
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Stay Fit When You Have a Health Challenge
Working out when you have a serious illness or health problem can be challenging. But for most people who have health issues, exercising can improve their prognosis and well-being. In fact, exercise can play an important role in helping you cope with or re
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Staying Fit on the Road
Whether you're a frequent business traveler or heading out on a family vacation, leaving town doesn't have to wreak havoc with your fitness routine.
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Strength Training at Home
Getting to the gym for a weight workout isn't always easy. That's why it pays to have weights at home as a backup, or even as a substitute.
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Strength Training Myths
Taking time each week to build your strength can help you live a more healthy and independent life. Read on to dispel myths and to get the facts about strength training.
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Strength-Train with Yoga
Yoga is more than a stretching regimen. It can help you build stronger muscles, as well as help you relax and focus.
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Stretching at Tee Time
Just 15 minutes of flexibility stretching with controlled breathing are ideal before strolling the links, and can result in a stronger game.
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Super Stretches for Your Upper Body
Fatigue, stress and bad posture can cause stiffness and soreness in the shoulders, neck, chest and upper back. Doing stretches regularly can help prevent and relieve these conditions.
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Swing’s the Thing
Dance and fitness instructors say swing dancing or swing aerobics can elevate your heart rate quickly.
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Take a Lap With Indoor Cycling
In indoor cycling workouts (also known as spinning classes), participants ride stationary bicycles specially designed to mimic outdoor bikes.
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Take Care When You Take a Walk
Children and older adults are two groups at higher risk for injury as pedestrians. Here are some ideas on how to help keep them safe when they are on the street.
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Teach Teens to Stretch
An adolescent athlete can never stretch too much, experts say. Stretching to stay flexible is vital -- particularly when a child reaches puberty and goes through a growth spurt.
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The Best Reasons to Strength Train
Although aerobic workouts like walking or running are important, they can’t take the place of strength training when it comes to building and preserving muscle.
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The New Face of Aging
Not only do baby boomers expect to live into their 80s or 90s, but they are expecting to be independent, one expert says.
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Too Old to Exercise? Not True
When you exercise, you gain more strength and flexibility. Your mood will improve, and you'll be able to think better.
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Treadmill Workouts: How to Go the Extra Mile
Working out on a treadmill can be a fun and effective way to stay in shape. And because it's not dependent on weather conditions, it offers you the flexibility of exercising at any time. Some tips on getting the most out of your workout.
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Using Exercise to Ease Chronic Conditions
"We now know that exercise is the most underrated health precaution anyone, even those with chronic conditions, can take," says J. Larry Durstine, Ph.D., a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
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Using Sports Psychology to Improve Your Fitness
Fitness has a mental component, in addition to physical challenges. Even if you're in great shape, you can encounter intellectual obstacles that can decrease your motivation and stifle your performance.
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Walking Works for Everyone
Walking is easy because you can do it almost anywhere and at any time. It also offers a range of health benefits.
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Ways to Improve Your Workout
A proven way to improve your health is finding -- or making -- the time to exercise. But just going through the motions won't give you the health benefits you want.
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Weight Room No Longer Off-Limits to Kids
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Sports Medicine now say that strength training is fine for kids, as long as they are supervised and don't try to lift too much weight.
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Weight Training for Teens
Once children hit puberty, and hormones make it possible to build muscle, weight training can become a part of a healthy exercise program for youths. Research suggests strength training has a lot to offer some teenagers in terms of health, fitness and fun.
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Weight Training for Women
Misconceptions about weight training -- often based on unfounded fears of becoming too muscular -- can keep women from pushing their fitness levels.
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Weight-Training Moves That Boost Metabolism
Starting as early as your 20s and throughout your 30s, you'll naturally start to lose muscle -- and gain fat at a rate of about 2 percent per decade, especially if you have a sedentary job or lifestyle.
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What’s Up With Shortcut Workouts?
There are plenty of options to choose from if you want to get fit but don’t have 45 to 60 minutes daily to devote to exercise. But there’s a catch to taking shortcuts.
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Why Fitness Really Matters
Simply put, inactivity is hazardous to your health. Study after study has shown that being inactive nearly doubles your risk of heart disease.
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Why Physical Activity Is Important
The more sedentary you are, the more likely you are to lose flexibility, endurance, strength, balance and coordination, which in turn will affect every aspect of your life.
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Work Out on the Water
With a sailboat, canoe, kayak, windsurfing outfit or pair of water skis, you can explore a whole new world of activities. Once you've embraced proper training and safety, you'll get a fine, fun workout.
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Work Out Your Health Club Choices
As people learn the benefits of keeping fit, the decision to join a health club can become easy. Deciding which one to join, though, can be tough.
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Working Out a Workout at Work
The office may seem like an odd place to work out, but you spend most of your day there. Even short bursts of movement count.
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Working Out in the Cold
Cold weather doesn't have to put a freeze on your outdoor exercise program. If you take precautions, you can still work out when the weather turns chilly.
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Your Personal Rx for Exercise Success
Like your signature, the exercise routine you prefer is individual. If you’re outgoing, for example, working out in a group situation could be what keeps you coming back for more. A more reserved person, however, might do better exercising solo.
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