Exercise

This classic yoga pose, downward facing dog, increases the blood supply to the brain and stretches the muscles in the legs, torso and arms. If the backs of your legs are tight, bend your knees so you can lift your hips and lengthen your spine. -- 1) Lie face-down on a mat, placing your hands next to your chest with your fingers pointing forward. Bend your knees, raise your hips and come onto your hands and knees. Curl your toes under, press into your hands and raise your buttocks into the air, moving your thighs up and back.

I have been watching a few of these dance shows on television and have been inspired by the contestants' physiques, weight-loss stories and energy. Is dancing really a good way to get into shape? It looks like fun, but is it good exercise? Darcie San Diego Done regularly, yes, dancing can be a great form of exercise. It burns calories, improves coordination, builds stamina and, most important, it's fun.

When you're lying in bed and can't keep food down, muscle metabolizes first. Dr. Zhaoping Li, my UCLA clinical nutritionist, says the rate is two to three pounds of muscle wasted for every pound of fat. Bug-eyed and big-bellied with fluid after four months' hospitalization for liver failure, I had legs and arms like matchsticks. I could walk no farther than one block. Me, the lifelong athlete, former aerobics instructor and dancer -- now wait-listed for a transplant.

Scientists have discovered what could be the ultimate workout for couch potatoes: exercise in a pill. In experiments on mice that did no exercise, the chemical compound, known as AICAR, allowed them to run 44% farther on a treadmill than those that did not receive the drug.

Performing this abdominal exercise correctly is important so you don't strain your neck or compress your spine. In the beginning, break it down into two separate actions so you can focus on form and technique. -- Karen Voight 1. Lie on your back with both knees bent directly over your hips, keeping your shins parallel to the ceiling. Place your hands behind your head, allowing the weight of your head to be supported by your hands.

One OF the biggest secrets of the fitness world has nothing to do with supplements, steroids or spandex. It is the almost implausible combination of exercise and smoking. There are people, it seems, who do both. We're not talking about mall walkers who light up once a week. These are men and women who compete in marathons and triathlons and go hiking and train at the gym -- who also have a pretty steady cigarette habit.

Sure, smoking is bad for you -- but what happens when you combine it with something really good -- like running eight miles a day? Do you get a healthier smoker? Or an unhealthy athlete? It's one of those is-the-cigarette-half-smoked-or-half-unsmoked conundrums. And there's no definitive answer. "If people can quit, that's the best thing," says Dr. Robert Sallis, director of sports medicine at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana.

Use this stretch to release your back and hips if you've been seated for a long period of time or after brisk walking, hiking or biking. You'll stand taller and feel more energized once your spine and hips have been loosened up. 1) Sit on the floor or a padded mat. Bend your knees out to the side with the soles of your feet pressed together in front of you. Place your hands behind you on the floor, close to your hips, with fingers turned away from your body.

My favorite activities are all outdoors: running, basketball, hiking and beach volleyball. Is it safe to do these activities in the summer when it is so hot? I notice a big difference in my energy level when I work out in the heat -- but is it dangerous for my body? Pat Ventura -- Whether you exercise indoors or outdoors, high temperatures can cause heat injury.

The products: At weight rooms, jogging tracks and football fields across the country, the path to athletic success is often littered with protein bar wrappers and empty protein powder canisters.