Blog Posts by The Editors of WOMEN'S HEALTH

Women are hitting the weight room in record numbers, and a new study found that weight-training injuries among women have jumped a whopping 63 percent. Here are the most common slipups and how to fix them, so you leave the gym strutting--not limping.

RELATED: Top Foods That Boost Workout Results

Skipping Your Warm-up
You wouldn't launch into an all-out sprint the second you stepped onto a treadmill, so you shouldn't jump right into deadlifts the instant you hit the weight room. "Working cold, stiff muscles can lead to sprains and tears," says Morey Kolber, Ph.D., a professor of physical therapy at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. "Warming up increases circulation and improves range of motion, which preps your muscles and joints for action."

The fix: "While opinions about static stretching may differ, a dynamic warm-up can decrease your risk for injury," says exercise physiologist Marco Borges, author of Power Moves. After five to 10 minutes of walking or jogging, do 10 to

6 ways to nail your next #nofilter snapshot

By Casey Gueren, Women's Health

6 Tips to Nailing Your Next Selfie

Ah, Instagram: it can turn a sushi roll into a masterpiece and a silly, arm-length shot into a Facebook-worthy photo. But instead of making photo-sharing easier, the app might be turning us all into perfectionists. According to a new study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, the pictures we upload through the app are often carefully planned and edited.

It takes more than the perfect filter to make a great selfie, so we culled the best tips for nailing this snapshot-and cutting your editing time way down! Use these tricks to take your selfies from simple to #stunning.


4 Reasons You Should Take More Selfies

Perfect the #nofilter beauty look
There's a reason that the X-Pro II filter never fails to make you look like a goddess. It gives your photo a candelit effect that glosses over imperfections while amplifying other features-like your bone structure, lips, and eyes, says San

Break the rules! We dare you.Unlike wine, cheese, and Clive Owen, workout strategies don't get better with age. That's because each year, fitness researchers release thousands of studies that challenge conventional thinking--or at least shed light on ways to tweak it.

We've ID'd nine stale fitness approaches and sifted through the latest research to come up with surprising updates that will help you get lean and land you a scorching body ASAP.

PLUS: 10 Exercise Machines to Avoid

1. Position your hands shoulder-width apart
You often see this in instructions for upper-body moves like bench presses and lat pulldowns. Why? Because it gives you a stable starting point. But that doesn't mean you need to stay there set after set.

"Spreading your hands a few inches farther out stresses more of the inner portion of your biceps; bringing your hands in a few inches builds more of the outer part," says New York City personal trainer Steve Lischin, M.S. Switch up your position after every set for balanced strength and

How to dress your changing body before you're ready to spill the beans

By Vera Sizensky, Women's Health

How To Dress In Your First Trimester

Dressing for Two

If your tummy's popping before you're ready to share the baby news, use these styling tips from Women's Health senior fashion editor Thea Palad to keep your pregnancy secret a little longer. Bonus: They'll be just as cute on you post-pregnancy as they are now.

These pregnant celebrities are growing and glowing as their due dates creep closer. Here's a peek at 10 of our favorite famous bumps

Rock This Trend: Mirrored prints

"Reflecting a print along your vertical axis is instantly slimming and can help hide any weight gain," says Palad.

Color Block Your Bump

Rock This Trend: Color blocks

"Make sure the darker colors are strategically placed over your tummy and any other parts you want to shrink visually," says Palad. Disappearing panels and ombre designs also have the same effect, so the darker portion will help

Sunscreens following the FDA's stricter labeling regulations are hitting shelves, so the EWG has endorsed a new crop of productsHave you made your first drugstore run of the season to stock up on sunscreen? If not, you're in for a surprise: All products claiming to shield your skin from the sun--lotions, sprays, makeup, even lip balms--must now follow new labeling rules mandated by the FDA. Banned are fuzzy buzzwords such as "sunblock" and "sweatproof" in favor of more accurate, research-backed terms that give consumers a clear sense of how well the product protects against UV-induced skin damage and skin cancer.

RELATED: 7 Ways to Protect Yourself From Cancer

On the heels of the new rules comes an annual report from the Environmental Working Group that lists the top sunscreens of 2013. Released last week by the advocacy organization, the report recommends more than 100 products out of thousands currently available on store shelves. To get the EWG's seal of approval, sunscreens had to offer solid sun protection not exceeding SPF values above "50+" (which the FDA warns can give a false sense of security

Just because it's fun doesn't mean it doesn't work up a sweat!Tossing a Frisbee. Hitting the dance floor. Crushing your friend in Wii tennis. They're all great ways to pass the time and let off some steam, but it turns out that some of your favorite hobbies might qualify as actual exercise too.

Even light physical activities--things you view as more fun and leisurely than "fitness"-can reduce stress, punch up your metabolism, and add years to your life. They can also help speed up recovery from traditional workouts and ease sore muscles.

Now, don't go canceling your trainer just yet: Eighteen holes of mini golf or tug-of-war with your pooch doesn't necessarily match the muscle-building, fat-blasting potential of a 20-minute strength workout. But there may be ways to turn these fun exercises into a genuine sweat session.

RELATED: 15 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Bowling
FUN. Let's be real: Your activity consists of walking 10 feet with a (maybe) 10-pound ball, and then sitting back down.

Game Changer: You could use the ball as a free

Whether you're looking for something sporty or feminine, these styles offer the right cut and coverage for your body.

You can rock any style of sunnies (aviator, oversize, wayfarer, cat-eye) so long as you pick a pair with the right details for your face shape