At NetSweat, we believe that exercise and healthy diets are keys to long-term health, but they must always be balanced with spending with friends and family. Given this approach, we believe people should make time for both.

We've developed this page to both provide information on ways to exercise and eat healthy diets. We've also included links to what we consider to be among our favorite fitness sites.

Injury Prevention - Abdominal Strength and Flexibility

The number one key to any fitness program is the prevention of injury. Two of the best ways to prevent injury is to strengthen your strong abdominal muscles and increase flexibility. Why? Strong abdominal muscles prevent back injury by improving posture, therewith reducing back strain. Flexibility provides better range of motion and lower risk of pulled and torn muscles.

One of the best ways to accomplish both is through yoga. We are big advocates of yoga because it combines abdominal strengthening exercises, weight bearing exercises, flexibility, and relaxation. Simply put, it is our favorite form of exercise. If you are interested in learning more about yoga or are looking for yoga supplies, you may want to take a look at Wai Lana Yoga.

A regular stretching routine can also yield noticeable benefits. Although a bit dated, the Stretching FAQ still contains much useful information.

Diet and Weight Loss

Proper nutrition is probably the largest foundation of good health. However, if a diet is overly strict, you are not going to stick to it over the long-term. This is why we recommend WeightWatchers.com®. Weight Watchers allows you the flexibility to celebrate with friends or answer that certain craving while simultaneously keeping you on your weight loss (or weight maintenance goals). You can join today by clicking on this link.

For information about food safety and nutrition, the FDA Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition is a good site to visit. You can also go here to comment on proposed regulations or submit petitions.

Cardio

The benefits of aerobic exercise (cardio) are numerous. Faster metabolism, stronger cardiovascular system, lower risk of heart disease, less body fat and that's just to name a few. In short, aerobic exercise should be a part of your fitness regime.

There are multiple ways to get cardio in; it really depends on what you like to do. Swimming (including water aerobics), cycling (including spinning), skating, and elliptical trainers all provide minimal impact. Walking, hiking, skiing, and snowboarding provide low to moderate impact. Aerobics and running are, obviously, high impact activities.

There are several great web sites for cardio. Among our favorites are:

Turnstep.com - This site has a tremendous encyclopedia of aerobics routines. This is a must bookmark site for any aerobic instructor.
Dead Runners Society - The Dead Runners Society is an email list filled with advice about running. Several cities have local "Deads" chapters.
Swimming World Magazine - Has a great database that allows you to create swimming workout according to your ability, preferred stroke, and time you want to swim.

Here are some places to go for really great deals:

NetSweat Online Running Store - We have a comprehensive selection of running apparel and shoes for both men and women, at some really cheap prices.
PerformanceBike.com - If you're looking for cycling equipment or clothes, this is the place to go.

Weight Lifting

Weight lifting strengthens tendons and ligaments, increases bone density and builds lean body mass - which burns fat!. By the way ladies, weight lifting helps prevent osteoporosis

There are two sites that we still recommend, though both are aging. Yet, there is so much good information between the two, it is worth spending several hours at both:

Weighty Matters - This site includes advice for both beginners and advanced weightlifters with information pulled from news groups, forums, and email lists.
WeightsNet - The home of the Weights Newsletter, which dates back to the beginnings of the Internet and had a wide range of discussions on strength training and bodybuilding. (Plus, issue 1086, September 1995, has one of the earliest mentions of NetSweat.com).

If you're looking for weight lifting equipment (both home and commercial), you can find a huge selection and great prices in the NetSweat Exercise Equipment Store.

Disclaimer: The sites mentioned on this page are third-party web sites. NetSweat.com, and its owners, are not responsible for the information provided on them. These sites are listed solely for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor before starting any fitness regime.