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.

The major culprit behind the U.S. decline in physical activity may be our own high-tech and increasingly sedentary lifestyle.

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.

If you're an avid golfer, winter weather can really get you down, as you count down the days until spring arrives.

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.

The way you think about exercise can be the crucial factor in sticking with your fitness program.

Before you buy a treadmill or any piece of equipment, stop to figure out what kind of exercise you enjoy.

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.

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.

Knee injuries account for 25 percent of all sports-related injuries, but proper conditioning can help prevent them.

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, but because of this flexibility, it is not very stable and is easily injured.

Exercising outdoors can be fun and enjoyable, but you should keep personal safety in mind before you head out the door.

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.

The four most common heat-related emergencies are cramps, fainting, exhaustion, and heat strokes. These illnesses occur when the body can no longer cool itself properly.

You can lose weight by dieting, exercising, or a combination of both. Including exercise into your daily routine offers other benefits besides weight control.

A training log helps you organize and save information about your exercise routine so you can work toward your important goals.

Many office workers are doing simple exercises at their desks, with surprisingly healthy benefits.

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.

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.

Can you keep on talking while working out? Then you're exercising at a moderate intensity.

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.

Eating smaller, healthy meals distributes energy calories more evenly than large meals and keeps your blood sugar normal throughout the day.

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.

Knowing about common injuries and how to prevent them can keep you on track toward achieving your fitness goals.

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 recover from a health challenge or accident.

Here are some guidelines that can help you make the right choice when shopping for gear.

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.

Having your child wear the appropriate safety gear and use common sense when skating can help reduce the risk for injury.

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.

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 gentle, almost anyone can do it, regardless of age or fitness level.

Invest some time at the gym to get your muscles in peak condition.

Yoga improves flexibility, increases strength, reduces stress and develops a mind/body connection.

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 pushed to compete at a young age.

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.

Start thinking of fitness as fun. If it's something you want to do, then you'll figure out ways to find time for it.

Dance and fitness instructors say swing dancing or swing aerobics can elevate your heart rate quickly.

Many people find exercise more rewarding when they can share the experience with others.

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.

Dumbbells, one of the most underrated and versatile types of exercise equipment, can help you build strength and muscular endurance.

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.

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.

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.

Whether you're stuck on an airplane or glued to a computer, staying put for hours can be risky.

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?

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.

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.

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.

It's important for parents to be aware of how much exercise their kids are getting so they can make adjustments.

As we age, our bodies change. Knee joints have less cartilage; bones become more brittle and connective tissues less pliable.

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.

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.

Walking is easier on your joints, but jogging burns calories more quickly.

While many view golf as a leisure activity, more golfers are becoming fitness-minded. The sport demands superior flexibility, strength and cardiovascular fitness.

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.

Here are some workout ideas to keep your treadmill workout creative.

Need inspiration? Look to these five Americans who show just how physical you can get in later life.

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.

Eight minutes in the morning -- that's all it takes to help launch you toward a fitter, trimmer lifestyle.

While it's true that stretching won't strengthen your heart or flatten your stomach, it can help you reach those goals more efficiently.

Just 15 minutes of flexibility stretching with controlled breathing are ideal before strolling the links, and can result in a stronger game.

Here are tips to help you get the most out of your workouts when you use cardio equipment.

During hot weather, if young athletes don't get enough water to replace what is lost through perspiration, they face the risk of dehydration.

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 minutes.

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.

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.

Coaches should tell players not to tackle or block with their heads or run head-down with the ball.

Energy bars, fitness drinks, protein powders, sports supplements -- are these the best ways to power your workout?

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.

"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 should make physical activity a part of your everyday life.

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.

Yoga is more than a stretching regimen. It can help you build stronger muscles, as well as help you relax and focus.

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.

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.

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.

"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).

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.

Yoga is one of the few stress-relief tools that has a positive effect on all the body systems involved.

For many of us, getting regular exercise is challenging enough. But it can be even tougher when you've taken off a month or more.

To get your kids moving, find physical activities they can enjoy at their own pace -- and become active with them.

For many people, a home gym works better than an actual gym because they don't have to travel to it.

Interval training alternates short bursts of intense activity with periods of "active recovery," which means more moderate forms of that same activity.

Wearing the appropriate type of shoe is the most important part of foot care for walkers.

By knowing your heart rate, you can gauge how fit you are and whether you're working out at a moderate pace.

You can help prevent osteoporosis by including enough calcium in your diet and exercising regularly.

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.

Regular exercise can improve your health and longevity. But doing too much too soon or not taking proper precautions can cause injury.

Pilates is a conditioning program that strengthens the joints and muscles used in everyday actions such as walking, sitting, twisting, bending and lifting.

Even if you live in the city, you can still get out for a walk together to a city park or to the store.

Although exercise is an important for everyone, it's especially beneficial for those who have been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy.

Walking is easy because you can do it almost anywhere and at any time. It also offers a range of health benefits.

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 motion.

The teen years often bring a sharp drop in physical activity, especially for girls.

Walking is one of the best and easiest exercises someone can do.

Before joining a health club, shop around. Choose two or three that you want to investigate, then take these seven steps before you sign up.

Good posture improves your appearance and reduces stress on muscles, joints and ligaments.

It may not be as trendy as Pilates or power yoga, but running still delivers a great fat-burning, stress-reducing aerobic workout.

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.

In indoor cycling workouts (also known as spinning classes), participants ride stationary bicycles specially designed to mimic outdoor bikes.

Here’s a rundown of the latest class offerings you’re likely to find in health clubs and fitness centers throughout the country.

Regardless of which type you choose, yoga is an excellent way to stretch and strengthen your body, focus your mind and relax your spirit.

No matter what your activity -- even standing or sitting with good posture -- you use your core muscles.

As concern grows over children's harmful weight, physical education gets less and less emphasis in many schools.

The best group fitness instructors make exercise fun and help you improve your conditioning by appropriately challenging you according to your fitness level.

Teen girls who are athletes face unique obstacles when it comes to their bodies and how well they perform.

Common injuries include a twisted ankle, sprained wrist, overextended elbow and damaged knee ligaments. Fortunately, you can take steps to help prevent joint damage.

Certain forms of physical activity are better than others at burning calories while you're exercising.

Misconceptions about weight training -- often based on unfounded fears of becoming too muscular -- can keep women from pushing their fitness levels.

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.

What's the best time to exercise? There are some surprising pros and cons to exercising at different times.

Want to go out and play? Here are some ideas.

Unlike most sports, rowing and paddling activities such as kayaking concentrate on the upper body rather than on the legs.

Older adults who want to improve their physical health are turning to warm-water exercise.

Like adults, children should be physically active most, if not all, days of the week.

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.

Doctors and physical therapists say people with arthritis can improve their health and fitness through exercise without damaging their joints.

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.

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.

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.

Not only do baby boomers expect to live into their 80s or 90s, but they are expecting to be independent, one expert says.

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.

The new PE focuses on total wellness and developing lifelong health habits rather than just teaching students sports.

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.

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.

To keep stress at a minimum and reduce its effects on your life, you need to find and practice healthy ways to manage it.

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.

Exercise is good for you. You're probably sick of hearing that message. But did you know too much exercise can make you sick?

Most of us know we should exercise, but we have a lot of excuses for why we don't.

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.

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.

To improve your eating habits and work more exercise into your schedule, consider these tips.

While facial exercises may not give you better skin, overall body exercise probably will.

People who keep lost weight off tend to have several habits in common. Here are strategies that can help you be a successful long-term loser.

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.

To make walking something you can look forward to each day, add the ingredients that appeal to you personally.

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.

Sports injury rates could be reduced by 25 percent if all athletes — professionals and amateurs — followed essential safety, conditioning, and preventive strategies.

Besides being fun, dance offers a range of benefits—physical, mental, and social—that other activities can't match.

Your exercise time can depend on everything from your work schedule to when your kids get up or go to bed.

Circuit training refers to a series of exercises done one after the other with little rest between. A complete series makes up one circuit.

Exercise is good for you. But by doing it intermittently, you run the risk of a sports injury.

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.

This workout can be done at home or at the gym, using your own body weight as resistance, or with weights.

Although many people enjoy water aerobics classes, you don't have to be in a group to work out.

Stretching can keep your lower legs limber and your joints pain free.

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.

If you think that you can’t begin a strength-training program because you have heart disease, think again.

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.

The experts who tell us we need more exercise agree on one thing. Doing something, they say, is better than doing nothing.

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.

The sport helps build strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. Its all-around fitness benefits make it a good springboard to other activities.

When the weather turns cold, it's a good idea to move your workout indoors.

Try to breathe evenly while chewing. If you begin feeling short of breath, take a break between bites.

Yoga can help you beat stress, feel more in control of your life, and stay healthier.

To keep yourself entertained and enthused, wear headphones and listen to high-energy music while you work out.

First decide how you can make exercise a priority. One idea: Put your workout on the calendar just like any other appointment.

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.

Whether the move is to a smaller townhouse, apartment, or assisted living center, physical challenges and a lack of space can confront gardeners.

If you don’t have the time or money to meet with a trainer, just hire yourself to get the job done.

Whether you want to run a marathon or just start exercising regularly, having a goal is an important tool.

Exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) used to be called exercise-induced asthma. The term bronchospasm means tightening and narrowing of the tubes that bring air in and out of your lungs.

At least some anger is necessary for survival. Frequent or intense episodes of anger, however, aren’t good for you or the people around you. If you find yourself boiling mad more often than not, try some of these tips to keep your temper in check.

Healthy lifestyle choices can help you enjoy a better quality of life for an increasing number of years. The best news is that it’s never too late to get started.

Finding ways to get exercise as you get older is a smart and easy way to stay fit and improve your health.

Tai chi is called a mind-body type of exercise because it combines meditation, focused breathing, and physical movement. Because it’s also a low-impact exercise, it may be particularly well suited for older adults, but it’s a beneficial exercise for people of all ages.

The benefits of dancing go well beyond heart health and physical fitness. Dancing, especially group dance activities, provides opportunities for people of all ages to be socially and mentally engaged, as well.

A stroke can cause problems with speech, vision, memory, balance or coordination. It can leave part of the body weakened or paralyzed, among other physical problems.

Snow sports can give you an excellent workout. They are cardio, so they work your heart and lungs, but they also strengthen your bones.

A jump rope is simple and rugged. You can work out with it at the gym or in your living room. And it can fit into your purse or even your pocket.

The secret to the trendy "boot-camp" workout is mixing calorie-burning cardio intervals with moves that build strength using the weight of your own body.

Picking the best sport for your child and providing the right level of encouragement can be a challenge, but with a little research, you will find the sports program that best fits your youngster and your family’s budget and schedule.

A preparticipation examination may be required for any child who wants to take part in a school athletic activity or in an organized sports activity outside of school.

Most people don’t think of heart problems as an issue among teenagers, and for most of them, it’s not. But in rare instances, a teen can have a heart abnormality that can lead to health problems and even death.