Ana's Thinspiration

Jump Rope Start with the jump rope in each hand. Jump off the ground and start swinging the jump rope under your feet. Continue jumping up and down as you bring the jump rope under your feet. When you are jumping and the rope is above your head swing your legs out to the side and return your feet together before the rope swings under your feet again. Continue for 45 seconds.
Bench Dip Sit on a bench or flat chairs and place hands hip width apart with fingers pointing forward. Place feet on the opposite bench or chair with legs straight. Start position: Slide glutes off bench with elbows slightly bent. Lower your body by bending the elbows until elbows are at 90 degree angle. Return to start position.
8 Count Body Builders Start in a standing position and bend your knees and place your hands on the ground. Extend your legs back into a push up position. Bring your knees back in towards chest and stand up. This should be a continuous exercise.
One legged squat with bar Hold the end of the balance bar or chair. Pick one leg up off the floor and balance on one foot while you're holding the bar or chair. While using the bar for balance squat down into a 1/4-1/2 squat. Return to the starting position and repeat for 45 second. Repeat with the other leg.
Stationary Bodyweight Lunge Stand with feet width apart. Take your left leg and step back approximately 2 feet standing on the ball of the foot. Start position: Feet should be positioned at a staggered stance with head and back erect and straight in a neutral position. Place hands on hips. Lower your body by bending at right hip and knee until thigh is parallel to the floor. Body should follow a straight line down towards the floor. Return to start position. Alternate or switch to other leg after 45 seconds. Remember to keep head back, and hips squared and in a neutral position throughout movement.
Opposite Arm Oposite Leg Raise Start by placing yourself on your hands and knees. Slowly raise your opposite arm and opposite leg and extend them away from the body. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side. Repeat for 45 seconds. Keep the movement slow and controlled.
Side Bridge Start on your side and press up with your right arm. Form a bridge with your arm extended and hold for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Seated Fast Arms Starting Position: Seated on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you. Swing arms in a sprinting motion. Elbows should be kept at 90 degrees and keep your hands relaxed. Your hands should come up to shoulder height and should go past your hips in the back. Swing your arms faster.
Toe Touch with balance disc Start by sitting on the ground with your legs extended in a V-formation. Keep your back flat twist and reach with your right hand toward your opposite foot. Repeat with the other hand.
Hip Thrusts Lie on your back with your legs bent 90 degrees at the hip. Slowly lift your hips off the floor and towards the ceiling. Lower your hips to the floor. Repeat for 45 seconds.
Flutter Kicks Lie back on the floor with both knees bent and feet flat. Place hands at sides. Contract abdominal muscles continuously to stabilize trunk (or tuck stomach in by drawing naval in towards spine). Lower back should be in a neutral position. Start position: Straighten both legs so they are perpendicular to floor. Slowly lower one leg to approximately 45-90°. Return to start position and repeat with other leg.
Air Bike Crunches Lie on your back with your hands behind your back and thighs bent 90 degrees at your hip. Simultaneously curl your right shoulder and left knee up towards the center of your body until your elbow and knee touch. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side. Repeat for 45 seconds.
Oblique Crunch Start by placing your left foot over your right knee and place your hands behind your head. Lift your shoulders up off the ground and twist so that your right elbows tries to touc your left knee. Return to the starting position and repeat for 45 seconds. Repeat with the other side.
Scissors Start by lying on your side and raising both legs slightly off the ground. Proceed to kick your legs in opposite directions in a scissor type motion. Repeat for 45 seconds and then switch sides.
Pretzel Twist Sit in upright position. Bring your left knee up and place your foot on the other side of your right leg. Place your right elbow on the outside of your left knee. Gently rotate trunk to side so your body is facing entirely to a side. Hold for 30-40 seconds and repeat. Remember to keep hips squared.
Single Leg Straddle Sit with the upper body upright and your legs spread as far apart as possible. Lean to the side towards one leg and reach out to grab your foot. Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat to the other side.

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Tricep Extenders

Slow and steady wins the race with this exercise, designed to strengthen the back of your arms.
Directions:
1) Stand up with your body leaning slightly forward but your back flat and your abs pulled in tight.
2) Grasp each weight over the top, palms pointing down.
3) With your right elbow bent, lift your arm back so that your arm is almost completely straight. Hold, then release your arm slowly back down.
4) Repeat for 10-12 lifts. Then exercise the other side.
5) Do two sets of 10-12 lifts, building to 3 or more sets as you feel stronger.
Variation: Increase the heaviness of weight.

French Curls

Loose arm flesh gets a quick tightening with this exercise that benefits the triceps, or back of the arms. Be sure to hold the weights tightly so they don't fall.
Directions:
1) Sit on the floor with your legs crossed. Sit up tall with your back straight.
2) Hold the weights so that your palms are in. Extend your arms over your head, with your elbows slightly bent.
3) Holding your upper arms still, slowly bend your elbows so that your hands lower to shoulder level. Do not let them dip further back behind you.
4) Raise the weights back up to the starting position and repeat, doing two sets of 8-12 reps each. Rest for 15 seconds between sets.

Push-Ups

There's a reason the phys-ed teachers always made us do these. They work. You'll strengthen your pectorals (the chest muscles) and your anterior deltoids or shoulders, plus, of course, your triceps.
Directions:
1) Kneel on a mat or towels with your ankles crossed and your hands out in front of you, square with your shoulders.
2) Keeping your back straight with your abs tight and your head parallel with your back, slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest to the floor.
3) Straighten your elbows and return to the starting position.
4) Repeat, doing two sets of 8-12 reps each. Rest 15 seconds between sets.

Bicep Curls

This exercise strengthens the biceps, or the front of your arms. As you improve, lift heavier weights.
Directions:
1) Sit on the floor with your legs crossed. Sit tall.
2) Using an underhand grip, hold the weights at the sides of your body with your arms straight.
3) Bend your arms, bringing the weights toward your shoulders.
4) Hold the position for a few seconds, then return your hands to your sides. Keep your elbows close to your body throughout the movement.
5) Repeat, doing two sets of 8-10 reps each. Rest for 15-20 seconds between sets.
Variation: Work one side, then the other.
Tip: Keep the movement tight and controlled. Don't swing the weights or you will lose the full benefit of the exercise.

Front Lateral Raises

Your delts, or shoulder muscles, get the workout with this exercise. You'll feel it in your upper arms, too.
Directions:
1) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, knees slightly bent. Be sure to stand straight.
2) With your hands holding the weights, palms down, place your hands in front of your thighs.
3) Slightly bend your arms, then lift the weights up to your shoulders.
4) Return to starting position, completing two sets of 8-12 reps. Rest 12-15 seconds between reps.
Variation 1: Work one arm at a time.
Variation 2: Start instead with your hands at your shoulders and lift the weights over your head, then lower to your shoulders and repeat.

Upright Rows

This exercise benefits your upper back. You'll feel proud as your ability to hold heavier weights and do more repetitions increases.
Directions:
1) Stand with your feet wider apart than your shoulders. Your abs should be tight and your knees should be slightly bent.
2) Hold the weights with your palms facing in.
3) Inhale as you lift, raising the weights so your elbows are parallel to your shoulders and your elbows are bent fairly tightly.
4) Hold the weights in position for a few seconds, then slowly drop your arms to the starting position and repeat. Try for 2 sets of 8-10 reps each. Rest for 12-15 seconds between sets.
Variation: As you get stronger, use heavier weights.

Upper Back Firmer

Lifting light weights in short repetitions is a great way to strengthen the upper back and shoulders. Move slowly, and do not swing the weights.
Directions:
1) Sit in a chair, each hand holding a 1-pound weight at the side of your body. Lean forward so your chest is pulled close to your thighs.
2) Slowly lift your arms straight out to the sides, your pinkies up.
3) Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement. Complete 2 sets of 8-12 reps each, building to more sets with more repetitions.
Variation: As you get stronger, use heavier weights.

Back Strengthener

This exercise strengthens the extensors, muscles that tend to be underused and weak at the base of your back. It also strengthens and tightens your buttocks muscles.
Directions:
1) Lie on your stomach with your arms folded in front of you and your chin resting on your arms.
2) Lift one leg up about 4 to 6 inches off the floor. Plant your hips and pelvis on the floor as you do the lifts.
3) Hold for a count of 10 seconds. Then switch to the other leg, holding for a count of 10.
4) Repeat for 5 times on each side.
Tip: When lifting each leg, tighten your buttocks and be careful not to arch your back.
Variation: Shorten the amount of time you hold each leg up but do more repetitions.

Back Stretch

Often known as a toe touch, this exercise wakes up your spine and helps release tension in the back and neck.
Directions:
1) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent and arms relaxed.
2) Tuck your chin in to your chest and slowly roll down until your hands reach the floor. You knees should be soft, not locked.
3) Let your body hang loosely forward from your hips. Hold for 10 seconds.
4) Slowly roll up to an upright position -- one vertebra at a time. Repeat 10 times.
Tip: Move slowly. You'll get maximum benefit if you stretch into the exercise.
Variation: As you get stronger and your leg muscles lengthen, bend your knees a little less. Also, try touching your fingertips and even the palms of your hands to the floor.

Oblique Crunch

Work your lower abdominals with this exercise that will flatten your stomach.
Directions:
1) Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Position your knees about 6 inches apart.
2) Lifting your back off the floor about 6 to 8 inches, reach your hands to the right side for 3 seconds. Rest.
3) Now, reach to the left side.
4) Repeat, doing 10 reps. Build to 25 reps.
If your neck hurts, hold it with your hands, with elbows bent. Keep arms open, not crunched at the ears.

Stomach Crunch

Here's the classic, performed by athletes for centuries.
Directions:
1) Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, elbows bent and open to the ceiling.
2) With legs bent at the knees and feet firmly on the floor, sink the small of your back into the floor and raise up, so that your shoulders leave the floor.
3) Repeat for 25 reps. Build to 100 reps.

Raised Leg Crunch

This exercise has cardiovascular benefits in addition to strengthening your abs.
Directions:
1) Lie on your back with your right leg fully extended. Your left leg should be bent at the knee, foot on the floor.
2) Place your hands behind your head with elbows bent, taking care to keep your elbows open to the ceiling.
3) Lift your head slightly off the floor while lifting your right leg 2 feet off the floor. Keep your leg straight as you lift.
4) Repeat for 10 reps. Then switch legs. Build to 25 repetitions.

Toe-Touch Crunch

Work your abs and strengthen your thighs with this exercise.
Directions:
1) Lie on your back with your arms extended behind your head and knees bent, with toes touching the floor.
2) Keeping your right knee bent, lift it while bringing your left arm up and out to touch the right toe.
3) Alternate, bringing right arm up to touch left toe.
4) Keep the non-moving leg firmly on the floor.
5) Repeat for 10 reps; build to 25 reps.
Tip: If your neck hurts, modify the exercise by holding your head with your hands and lifting it up towards the ceiling for each repetition. Continue to alternate legs.

Bicycle Toner-Pickup

This familiar exercise tightens the abdominals and has a side benefit, too: It strengthens the thigh muscles.
Directions:
1) Lie on your back with your legs in front of you.
2) Prop yourself up by positioning your arms at your sides with your hands at your side or under your lower back or buttocks for back support, elbows to the floor.
3) Alternate legs. First, bring your right knee toward your chin, then lower it to the floor. Then, bring your left knee forward and do the same.
4) Do a minimum of 10 cycles to start, building to 50 cycles.
Variation: For a tougher workout, keep your feet closer to the floor.


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Saddlebag Slimmers

You can do this exercise standing alone, holding on to a chair, or gripping your kitchen counter for support. It tones your outer thighs.
Directions:
1) Stand up straight, and lift your right leg out to the side. Then lower it.
2) Repeat 10-12 lifts, then turn around and repeat with the other leg.
3) Try not to lean as you do the exercise.
Variation: Add a light ankle weight as you do the exercise.

Outer Thigh Press

You'll feel your upper legs growing stronger and your cellulite lifting away with this simple exercise.
Directions:
1) Stand with your feet together, your left hand on the back of a sturdy chair for balance.
2) Your back should be straight and your abdominals tight. Don't allow your body to lean as you do the exercise.
3) With your right foot flexed, slowly lift it out to the side, then lower it. The movement should be slow, tight and deliberate.
4) Repeat for 8-12 lifts with your right leg. Relax for a few moments and repeat.
5) Then switch legs, after turning your body around or moving the chair to the other side of your body. Do two sets of 8-12 lifts.

Outer Thigh Leg Lift

This exercise produces quick results, giving you stronger and more shapely thighs. It's also easy to do while watching television or relaxing on a carpet.
Directions:
1) Lie on the floor with your left side down. Your head, shoulders and hips should all be aligned.
2)Bend your left leg, putting your right hand in front of you for support and balance.
3) Keeping your right leg straight and your foot flexed, slowly raise your right leg. Hold for a moment, then lower your leg. Repeat for 8-12 reps. Relax and repeat.
4) Then, turn around or turn over onto your other side and do two sets of 8-12 reps on that side.
Variation: Rather than lifting your leg, move your top leg forward and backward slowly. You will feel a slight burning as your body gets used to this movement.

Inner Thigh Press

Get to know your adductors or inner thigh muscles with this exercise.
Directions:
1) Stand with your feet together and hold a sturdy chair with your hand, for balance.
2) Hold your body and back straight and tighten your abdominal muscles.
3) With your right leg flexed, move your right leg in front of your left. Squeeze your inner thigh as you move your leg, using a slow and controlled movement. (Leg swinging won't give you any workout!)
4) Return your leg to the starting position and repeat, doing 8-12 lifts. Then rest and repeat.
5) Turn around or move the chair to the other side of your body and repeat the exercise with your left leg.

Inner Thigh Leg Lift

This exercise tightens the adductors, the inner thigh muscles. The stretch is also good for your body overall.
Directions:
1) Lie on the floor on your left side, making sure that your head, shoulders and hips are all aligned. Prop up your head with your left hand and place your other hand, relaxed, in front of you for support.
2) Bend your right leg and place it on the floor in front of you.
3) Slowly raise your left leg off the floor about 8-10 inches (higher as you get stronger). Try to keep the leg straight, toes flexed.
4) Pause at the top of the movement and hold, then lower your leg back to the floor.
5) Do 8-12 lifts on the left leg. Then relax and do another set.
6) Turn onto the other side and repeat for two sets with right leg lifts.

Leg Lift

This easy exercise will get you started on a great butt-tightening regimen.
Directions:
1) Find a sturdy chair and position it in front of you, with your hands holding the top of the chair back.
2) While standing straight, lift your right leg back behind you, keeping the leg straight. Then bring the leg back to the floor.
3) Repeat with your right leg for 10 repetitions. Then continue with your left leg.
4) After one repetition on each side, do another full set. Build to 5 reps of 10 on each leg.
Variation: To build stronger thighs, too, bend your knees slightly while doing this exercise.

Plies

Here's a dancer's exercise that strengthens both your buttocks and the tops of your thighs.
Directions:
1) Stand straight, with legs about 18 inches apart. Squat down, then rise, returning to a full standing position.
2) Keep your knees positioned directly over your feet; try to keep them from falling to the center.
3) Keep your heels squarely on the floor and keep your buttocks firmly tucked under you with your back straight and perpendicular to the floor.
4) Repeat for 10 repetitions, building to 50 reps.
TIP: For a deeper workout, squat all the way to the floor; your heels will leave the floor.

Squats

This exercise starts out easy, but you'll feel the strength you're building as you add reps.
Directions:
1) Stand straight, with legs about a foot apart.
2) Bring arms forward straight out in front of you as you squat.
3) Keep buttocks tucked underneath you and feet firmly on floot.
4) Repeat for 10 reps, building to 50 reps.
Tip: As you build endurance, try to deepen your squats.

Reverse Lunge

Ready, set, lunge. This great exercise builds flexibility and is a great prep before jogging or biking.
Directions:
1) Stand straight, with your legs about a foot apart.
2) With hands at the waist, bring the right leg back into a knee bend. Then come back to a standing position.
3) Repeat with the left leg.
4) Do 10 reps, building to 50 reps.

Butt Lift

This is a great tush-tightener that also adds flexibility in your lower back.
Directions:
1) Lie on your back with your knees bent, about 6-8 inches apart, and your arms at your sides.
2) Lift your buttocks off the floor, keeping your back straight.
3) Repeat for 25 reps, building to 100.
Variation: For even tighter glutes, tighten your buttocks as you lift it off the floor.

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The movement is slow, graceful, and fluid. The effort is almost undetectable. Most people are wearing street clothes, and no one has special shoes.

Could this really be exercise? Absolutely.

Tai Chi is a centuries-old Chinese practice designed to exercise the mind and body through a series of gentle, flowing postures that create a kind of synchronized dance.

Deeply rooted in Chinese meditation, medicine, and martial arts, tai chi (pronounced ''tie chee'') combines mental concentration with slow, controlled movements to focus the mind, challenge the body, and improve the flow of what the Chinese call ''qi'' (also spelled ''chi'') -- the life energy thought to sustain health and quiet the mind.

Found in many community centers, health clubs, and studios in the United States, tai chi is lauded for its gentleness and accessibility.

In fact, almost anyone can do it, even those with conditions that may exclude them from other forms of exercise, says Bill Douglas, tai chi teacher and founder of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day. Seniors, the overweight, and the arthritic can all participate.

Benefits of Tai Chi

The list of benefits that regular practice of Tai Chi can bring is long, according to advocates. It can improve strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. Some research also suggests that tai chi may help to improve heart function and decrease blood pressure.

One of the most significant benefits is stress reduction, says Douglas, who lives and works outside Kansas City, Kan.

Stress is known to aggravate some health conditions, he says. And, according to some estimates, unmanaged stress could be costing U.S. businesses billions each year.

''If we provided tools like tai chi and qigong and other mind-body techniques through public education, every kid could be graduating high school as a tai chi or yoga master,'' Douglas says. ''This could conceivably save hundreds of billions of dollars, not once, but every year.''

Just learning to relax and breathe more deeply can be reason enough to take tai chi, says Warren D. Conner, founder of the T’ai Chi Ch’uan Study Center of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area.

''You can take what you learn from the practice and transfer that to daily life,'' he says.

The Body and the Mind

In tai chi, both the mind and the body are constantly challenged. It is hard to say which benefits more, say experts.

''Initially, benefits are physical,'' says Conner. ''For learning purposes, you start with the body. You learn a set series of movements, all in the same order, and you have to pay attention. When you pay attention, you purchase awareness.''

Santa Fe tai chi instructor Robin Johnson says it’s more like thinking of the two as one.

''Tai chi (and qigong) demonstrate how inextricably interwoven the mental and physical body is,'' says Douglas, author of Stalking the Yang Lu-Chan: Finding Your Tai Chi Body. ''Your mood, your emotional states, and your physical states are all beginning to improve at the same time.''

Practicing tai chi also helps to counteract the repetitiveness of our jobs and daily routines, where our bodies move only in limited ways, Johnson says.

''Sitting in front of a computer all day abuses the body,'' says Johnson. ''We’re not using our body’s versatility. Like a hinge, if you don’t use it, it gets sticky and stuck.''

Super for Seniors

Of course, aging also takes a toll on our bodies. Over time, strength lessens, elasticity fades, joint mobility decreases. Because balance is compromised as well, the likelihood of falling increases with age. In fact, falls are the leading cause of injuries in older adults.

Because tai chi often involves shifting weight from one leg to the other, it can increase both balance and leg strength in older adults.

''Tai chi is the best balance conditioning exercise in the world,'' says Douglas. ''And if tai chi can cut falls in half, that’s a pretty profound thing.''

A 2001 study conducted by the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, reported that seniors who took Tai Chi classes for an hour twice a week reported having an easier time with activities like walking, climbing, bending, lifting, eating, and dressing than their peers who did not participate in the classes.

Tai Chi and Weight

Because tai chi is low impact, experts say, it's a good choice for people carrying extra weight, who often have knee and hip limitations. If you can’t walk or do traditional exercise without pain, tai chi may be gentle enough to get you moving. And with regular practice, they say, you will begin to burn calories and lose weight.

Johnson says tai chi also speaks to the mental aspect of being overweight.

When you're overeating and not moving enough, your body becomes stressed, he says. Practicing tai chi gets you in touch with your body and makes you more aware of its needs.

''If our body becomes more centered,'' says Johnson, ''we don’t need to be compulsively consuming food.''

Tai chi may also help you deal with emotions that can trigger overeating, experts say.

''A lot of times, people are eating for reasons that have nothing to do with nourishment,'' Conner says. ''We need a way to get in touch with what’s really going on.''

Tai chi's mental benefits can also give us the perspective we need to make wiser food choices.

''A lot of our dietary choices are based on our state of stress and anxiety," says Douglas. "After a stressful day, we’re hardly ever drawn to steamed broccoli. We crave greasy, salty food that helps us forget about the stress of the day.''

Take 20 minutes to do a little tai chi, he says, and ''your palate has a whole different need. You’re not denying yourself; you’re just more in tune to what the body is really asking for."

Choosing a Class

Thinking about trying out tai chi? Here are some tips to help you find a class that's right for you:

• Visit at least 2 classes, if possible. Most instructors allow you to visit or sample a class free or for a minimal charge before joining.
• See if you feel comfortable with the teacher and like his or her style.
• Ask the teacher about his or her experience. Questions to ask include: How long have you been practicing? How long have you taught? Who is your teacher?
• Speak to the students in the class. Ask them what they like about it, and what keeps them coming back.
• Make sure you enjoy the class. If it’s not fun for you, you won’t want to go, and you won’t reap the benefits.
• Keep in mind that before starting any new exercise regime, it's a good idea to check with your doctor.

We've all done it. We give ourselves an hour to get in a workout, then end up wasting nearly half of it -- running an errand or two, getting dressed at the gym, chatting with acquaintances we bump into along the way. Even with the best intentions, you can sidetrack your progress if you don't make good use of your time. Think you might be frittering away precious fitness time? Check out what three fitness experts identified as the top 10 fitness time-wasters, and see where you can improve.

1. Spinning Your Wheels. When it comes to strength training, doing too many repetitions with lighter weights equals wasting time.
"When we're trying to build strength and build muscles, we want to attack as many muscle fibers as possible," explains sports conditioning coach Fiona Lockhart.
That means upping the weight and decreasing the reps: "Fifty biceps curls might build muscular endurance but you're not going to build the strength you're looking for," Lockhart says.
Of course, it also takes a lot more time to do 50 reps with light weights than 10 to 15 reps with more weight.
A good rule of thumb: If you're able to do more than 15 repetitions of an exercise, it's time to increase the weight, Lockhart says.
The same is true of cardiovascular exercise. It's easy to hop on the treadmill and type in the same speed, incline, and time every single time. But your body gets used to it.
"If you're trying to maximize time at the gym, work at a higher intensity for a shorter time," says Teri Trese, MS, a fitness trainer at Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa. "If you can get and stay near 85% of your target heart rate, you'll accomplish more for your total fitness."

2. Failing to Plan. If you haven't been this person, you've seen her -- wandering from machine to machine with the 100-yard stare of someone whose mind is elsewhere.
It happens all the time, says Lockhart. You get to the weight room and float around until you find an open machine. Then your time is over, and you've only gotten through three or four exercises.
"Think about what you're going to do in advance, then stick with it," says Lockhart. "If it's cardio, then get on the treadmill or bike and focus. Throw in some two-minute intervals."
For weight training, if you're not working with a trainer, become your own.
"Write a list of six or eight exercises (for different muscle groups) that you are going to accomplish in the given time," Lockhart says. "When you have tasks, you get a better workout."
Have an alternate exercise machine in mind in case the one you want is being used, suggests Debi Pillarella, MEd, exercise program manager for the Community Hospital Fitness Pointe in Munster, Ind.
"You keep your metabolism stoked by keeping your body moving," Pillarella says. "You shouldn't rest for more than 90 seconds or your body will go back to the pre-exercise state and you increase the risk of injury."

3. Using Bad Form. Don't just do the exercise; do it right, says Fabio Comana, MA, MS, certification and exam development manager for the American Council on Exercise.
Improper exercise technique not only poses a greater risk of injury to muscles and joints, it also wastes your time.
You may be thinking you're strengthening one muscle when in fact you are straining another or stressing a joint. For example, doing bicep curls with your knees hyper-extended and your back muscles shortened could do more harm to your knees and back than good to your arms.
Fitness trainers or floor assistants are on hand at most gyms to assist you with proper form. Use them. Ask for someone to walk you through the equipment, showing you proper technique with machines and free weights.

4. Being Too Social. "Social support is great," says Trese. "Knowing that a familiar face will be there at the same time" can keep you going with your exercise regime. "But you don't want to make it just a social hour."
When walking on treadmills with a companion, Lockhart suggests agreeing to chat during the warm-up and cool-down, but to stay quiet and commit to pushing yourself for the time in between.
"Work at an intensity that burns significant calories and is too high to carry on a full-blown conversation," Lockhart suggests. When you work out with a friend or friends, set some rules first to be sure everyone stays on track with time, Trese advises. Try doing 8 to 10 exercises in 30 minutes, and resting no longer than a minute between exercises.

5. Getting Stuck in a Rut. Muscles have memory, says Pillarella. They adapt, they adjust -- and our bodies plateau.
"If you always use the same piece of equipment, your body will become adept at that type of exercise," she says.
Instead, mix it up.
"If you always use the treadmill, get on the bike," Lockhart suggests. "If you always work at the same pace, practice doing intervals -- shorter surges to build your upper-end capacity. It'll jog the body's systems -- make your body wake up and have to regroup."
To add intervals, increase incline or speed for short periods during cardio exercise, says Trese. With your strength routine, change the order of the exercises or rotate from machines to free weights.
"With more versatility, your muscles won't be prepared and your body will not automatically know how to respond," Trese says. This will keep things fresh for your mind, too, she says, "making workout routines less boring."
Lockhart advises varying your exercise program every six to eight weeks if you're working out consistently. This is enough time for the body to benefit from the routine without getting complacent.

6. Watching TV or Reading.

"People tend to get on cardio equipment and think they're paying the piper, but they're so into their book they're wasting precious caloric time," says Pillarella.
The bottom line is that when you're focused on other things, your workout suffers, she says.
You can walk at a 4 mph pace for 45 minutes and burn 300 to 400 calories, says Pillarella. But you could get the same calorie burn in 20 to 25 minutes doing intervals (running or walking as fast as you can for a minute or two) every 90 seconds.
"It's the total number of calories burned that counts," she says.
If you need a diversion to make it through your session on the elliptical machine, try music, suggests Comana. Invigorate your workout with a fresh mix on your iPod instead of spending your time staring at the crawl on Fox News.
"Music can inspire you to pick up the tempo," Comana says.

7. Resting Too Long. The machine you want to use is occupied, so you grab a towel, get a drink of water, run to the bathroom -- and the next thing you know, 10 minutes have passed.
To avoid such time-wasting, rest only 30 to 90 seconds between strength exercises, says Comana.
To maximize time, alternate a set of exercises for your biceps with a set for triceps, he says. That allows you to shorten the rest interval in between -- while one muscle group is working, the opposing group is getting active recovery.
You can also save time during your warm-up by mimicking exercises you'll be doing in the workout. For example, Comana says, if you plan to work your legs by doing lunges and squats with weights, warm up with high knee steps, butt kicks, lunges with a twist, and sumo squats.
"Perform movements that are the same as you'll do in the exercise so that you can better prepare the body for the exercise," advises Comana. "You're warming up the joints while tying into the neuromuscular system to create movement preparation."

8. Isolating Muscle Groups. How can you fit in separate exercises for your biceps, triceps, deltoids and lats when you only have 30 minutes to work out?
For body-builders, concentrating on two or three muscle groups per session might be fine, but this doesn't work for the average person. There's not enough time to get to all the muscle groups in three 30-minute sessions a week.
Instead, says Pillarella, choose exercises like squats and push-ups that target several muscle groups at once. You'll get a better workout in less time and you'll also be training more functionally (mimicking the way you use your body in daily life).

9. Changing Clothes at the Gym. Dressing at the gym can be a big time-waster. Change before leaving work or the house and you're less likely to change your mind about working out once you hop into the car, Trese suggests.
You're also less likely to get into a conversation in the locker room that could shave 10 minutes off your workout.
"Some people even go to the extreme where they wear their workout clothes to bed so they can just get up and go," says Trese.
If you don't like the idea of sleeping in shorts and T-shirt, try laying out your workout clothes the night before to save time in the morning.

10. Waiting until Afternoon to Work Out. With determination, it's possible for late risers to fit in regular afternoon fitness sessions.
But there's no question that people who work out in the mornings are more likely to stick to their routines, Trese says. There's less time to make excuses, and fewer things to get in the way of a workout.
If you promise yourself a 4:30 p.m. walk, it's much more likely something will come up, Trese says. Before you know it, it's 5:30, and you've missed your window.
Waiting until late in the day, "is setting you up for a downward spiral," she says