Being overweight can be a real energy drain. When you're overweight, you are literally carrying around a heavier load than you need to. Imagine bringing a 12-pound briefcase everywhere you went - and how free you'd feel to be rid of that "extra baggage". If you're 10 or more pounds overweight, you're also making your body - particularly your heart - work harder to support and nourish that extra fat. With your energy sustaining that extra body mass, there's less available for other work, play, exercise and other life activities. The solution: Lose the excess pounds gradually through exercise and healthy eating. Before long, you'll be feeling more energized.

Both cardiovascular and strength training workouts should ALWAYS be preceded by a warm-up. A warm-up is a low-intensity cardiovascular exercise performed for 5-10 minutes at a level just before perspiration begins. Exercising "cold" muscles will greatly increase your risk of injury.

Carrying hand weights while fitness walking can potentially do more harm than good. Good posture is very important in walking, and carrying weights can throw off your body alignment. Back and knee injuries can result. If you want to take your walking workout to the next level safely, gradually increase your speed and walk uphill more.

Crunches may be the hands-down best exercise for your abdominal muscles. But it's important to understand what you can - and can't - expect from crunches. Crunches CAN: Strengthen your abdominal muscles and give them more tone and definition. Stronger abs can translate into better posture (which makes you look thinner) and improved athletic performance. Crunches CAN'T: Get rid of fat that's on top of the abdominals. You can crunch your way to six-pack abs - but you won't be able to SEE those ripples if they're covered by a layer of fat. To get rid of that little paunch or those love handles, you'll need to lose weight. And the best way to lose weight is to reduce your calorie intake and follow an exercise program that includes both strength training and cardiovascular workouts.

Cross training is an exercise regimen that utilizes several modes of cardiovascular training within a single session. By combining different modes of exercise (e.g. running, biking, stepping, elliptical striding), you prevent the same bones, muscle groups and joints from being stressed over and over. As a consequence, cross training reduces the likelihood of your being injured as a result of over-training. In addition, cross training has also been shown to have a positive effect on cardiovascular function and a person's long-term adherence to a training program.