Stretching on Shine

Secrets to workout success: Do you really need to stretch?

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The time we designate to exercise is precious, particularly when we have commutes, carpools, cooking, and six-thousand other things to squeeze into our schedules. Every single moment, from jumping into your yoga pants to racing to the treadmill from the locker room, counts.

When I finally get to the actual exercise, I want to pack in as much sweating, calorie-burning, and de-stressing as I can into my thirty minutes or hour. I admit, that means I often breeze past or even skip stretching. I want to go and then I want to stop, making the few minutes it takes to ease my muscles in and out of the exercise seem like a big pain.

"The Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper says this is a mistake. Stretching to both warm up and cool down the muscles is critical for a successful workout. Here, Bob explains:

Biggest Loser - Bob's Workout Secret #2: Stretching @ Yahoo! Video

Fact or Myth? A Complete Fitness Program Includes Daily Stretching

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Do you really need…

Stretching in the Shower: 3 Reasons You Should Try It!

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I recently read a suggestion about stretching your muscles in the shower after your workout (if I could remember where I read this, I would tell you, but I read so many articles and magazines I can't keep them all straight!). Anyway, I decided to give it a go because a few months ago I jumped…

Get Fit At Any Age

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Just because it’s a cliché doesn’t mean it’s not true. “Age is nothing but a number,” says ExerciseTV Trainer, Patrick Murphy. “I have some clients in…

Lose weight without even trying!

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First stop: Check out the new 5-Star Day widget.

OK, I turn on my computer and Yahoo comes popping up—I love this homepage since it always refreshes and tells me cool facts and useful items and yes, breaking news. It's where I learn about things like Ashton's Twitter surpassing the 1 million followers mark and beating CNN and the release of the ship captain and other news. And then I also see (every now and then) my own content from SELF, like how to eat to be healthier and lose weight. Well, I have a new application that, while not at an Ashton level of popularity, is certainly worthy of a gander: It's the SELF 5-Star Day, and it's so easy to use that you can lose weight no matter what you like to do for exercise or how you want to define your own healthy diet.

How Best to Start the New Year? Just Take a Deep Breath

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As we get into the New Year, thoughts of improving your health may come to mind. How best to turn these thoughts into reality? A first simple, yet essential, step is to think about your breath.

Your breath is an essential tool to your health. Controlled breathing often...

Stretching off your weight

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First things first, with ANY new exercise, consult your doctor before starting. LISTEN to your body and remember that you don't have to be in pain to get an effective workout! No pain, no strain! We have all read the shirts that say, "I'm not fat, I'm just too...

Back in Action! 5 Tips for Avoiding Back Pain

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Nowadays, it seems like a take-charge attitude and over-filled lifestyle are societal norms. Because we want to do what we want and we wonâ€™t take no for an answer, suffering from back pain just isnâ€™t an option. Despite our desire to do it all without any...

Namaste

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I have flirted with yoga over the years, taking a class here and there (including a brief dalliance with a Bikram "hot yoga" studio; my main memory of that has to do with struggling not to pass out in a pool of my own sweat) but never making much of a commitment to it. I kept getting bored...

Fresh Fitness Tips: You asked for it!

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Thanks for the great questions. Keep them coming!!!!! Lebier wrote: Is it still a good idea to stretch after doing yoga & pilates? Both seem like they stretch me out a lot as it is. Answer: Most of us skimp on stretching. I'm guilty! However, yoga and pilates classes do a good job of...