Fitness and Exercise - Safety & Injury Prevention

A look at how music can impact athletic performance, with guidelines for safety (no earbuds on busy streets) and choosing the right tune.

Overuse injuries are extremely common, and can be caused by everything from intense athletic training to sitting at a desk. Here's a look at how they occur and how to safeguard your body against them.

Maintain Good Exercise Hygiene--and Your Health

Explore tai chi (pronounced tie chee ), the exercise that combines breathing, meditation, movement, and strength.

Sure, you cool down after you exercise. But there s more to recovery than walking at a slower pace. Here are the four components of an effective post-workout recovery.

It's important to be aware of how your body responds to the cold. Brave the cold without the bite of howling winds and low temperatures by keeping these expert tips in mind to prevent hypothermia.

Snowy terrain brings wintertime fun for "kids" of all ages. Preschoolers as well as retirees can partake in skiing, snowboarding, and sledding, which are very safe activities when done correctly. Avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room by taking these precautions.

Foundation Training, a series of movements developed by a chiropractor, is an active approach that has helped many overcome back pain and get on with their lives.

Relieve stress, reduce pain, and even improve your mood. If you lack the time or money to see a professional masseuse, here's how to reap the benefits of this therapy in the comfort of your own home.

If you want to lose weight, running is the clear winner. But there are many benefits of walking, too. Here's the whole scoop.

When the temperatures rise, freshen up your workout by exercising in the fresh air. Here's how to maximize your efforts, and also stay safe, while breaking a sweat in the great outdoors.

Nearly any exercise can be modified to compensate for injuries, or even pregnancy. Here are some ideas.

The key to exercise success? Rest. Learn why, plus get important tips for incorporating recovery into your fitness routine.

Reducing the risk of injury is just one of the benefits of a good stretch. Read on for simple stretches to keep you flexible from head to toe.

Is your workout working for you? Here are four moves to strengthen and stretch the muscles you use most.

While some exercises can cause your neck pain, performing these may remedy it.

While it's praised for its meditative approach to exercise, some experts are critical of the high incidence of injury.

Learn how to build strong bones and protect against osteoporosis.

The gym is great for improving health, but it can also be a danger zone. Some of the biggest safety issues happen right after your workout.

Fitness imparts a slew of health benefits, but if you re living with certain diabetes-related complications, some exercises could end up doing more harm than good. Here s how to navigate through the confusion and find a workout that works for you.

You don t need to shy away from running in freezing weather as long as you re properly prepared. Here's how to get ready and go.

For many long distance runners and other athletes, diarrhea is an unwanted workout buddy. It affects up to 80 percent of marathoners and other extreme athletes.

Some experts say you'll burn more fat if you exercise on an empty stomach. Others assert your athletic performance will suffer if you don't fuel it with the right food. Who's right?

Why is the barefoot running movement gaining popularity? Is it simply a fad popularized by a few outspoken naturalists? Or is there science that backs a more natural approach to running?

Forget about that famous "runner's high." Serious runners will tell you: running hurts, at least at first. If you can't run away from the pain, should you run through it?

Exercise is the best medicine for almost everything that ails you, but what should you know to make sure you don't push yourself too far if you have heart disease?

Here's a new idea that just might be the best way for aging people to get fit.

If you've resolved to start walking more, be sure you don't walk right into injury or pain. Follow our tips to avoid everything from blisters to shin splints.

What can you do to treat this condition or prevent it from happening in the first place?

Nothing's more convenient than working out at home. You throw down your mat, grab your weights, pop in a DVD and voila--you're exercising. For too many people, however, that workout DVD puts them on the fast track to injury. Here's how to protect yourself.

Your knees have a heavy load to bear. They support a good percentage of your body weight and have been doing so since you learned to walk. So it's no surprise that as you get older, your knees may experience a little (or a lot) more trouble than they used to.

Know what to watch out for whether you're going for a jog or lifting weights.

Studies show that lowfat milk is a better choice than sports drinks or soy beverages for replacing lost fluids and repairing muscles after endurance exercises and strength training.

Every day, thousands of people put themselves in harms way by doing something healthy: exercising. They hit the track, gym, court, or pool with such extreme that they end up doing more harm than good. So how much is too much?

Understanding why this is the case can help prevent further tears, sprains, strains.

When an individual gets pain at the elbow, frequently the diagnosis is tennis elbow. This condition is considered to be the result of irritation of the tendons from the muscles that extend the wrist and fingers found on the top of the forearm.

Trying to leap back to last season's performance level without appropriate training can be the fast track to a sports injury this spring.

What causes muscle cramps in the first place, and how can they be avoided?

Read on to learn about this method that's helping fitness fanatics get back on their feet.

Will caffeine help take away the pain? Read on to find out.

This common and painful condition could be hampering your workouts, but how do you know if you have it?

Recent reports are questioning whether some of the most popular ab exercises are effective--or even safe.

Here, ten fun moves to get you all limbered up.

If you have arthritis, you may be apprehensive about exercising your upper body for fear of hurting yourself or causing pain. Relax. Exercising is actually beneficial.

Whether you re a senior yourself or have a special one in your life, read on for simple ways to get in shape remember, a little can go a long way.

Read on for seven tips that will help keep daily runners on track.

What do you reach for after exercising: a sports drink or a bottle of water? Your decision could determine how well you recover from your workout.

Read on to find out when exercising while sick is a good thing and when it s better to curl up with a big bowl of chicken soup.

How well you treat your sprain, strain, or tear will determine how well you bounce back. Here, the dos and don'ts of recovery.

Here, get common sense advice on how to avoid common gym injuries and prevent chronic pain in the future.

How do we find more balance in our bodies? Start by trying these five fun balance exercises they re fun, easy, and can be performed right in your living room.

Sports hernia, an increasingly common type of sports injury, can cause chronic pain and loss of function. Learn about the causes, symptoms and treatment of a sports hernia.

You don t have to be a wilderness expert to go into the woods, but it's important to have a good understanding of The Great Outdoors.

Although back pain is common, it doesn't have to be inevitable. Follow these easy tips to reduce your risk.

Read on for four ways to stay in the game.

Chris Bergland, winner of three triple ironman competitions and a Guinness World Record holder for the most distance covered on a treadmill in 24 hours (153.76 miles), talks about the importance of a perfect fit and how a sneaker that s wrong for your foot will surely sabotage your fitness efforts.

Think running is out of your league? Think again. This helpful guide will get you moving in no time.

Want to avoid injury and get the most out of your workouts? Avoid the following fitness mistakes.

Follow these tips to avoid having your Saturday morning run result in a weekend warrior injury.

How to spot the worst gym habits and what you can do to improve your own.

Working out the wrong way can do more harm than good. To prevent injury, avoid these common fitness flubs.