From Head to Toe

BENEFITS Strength training and other strenuous exercises tear down muscle fiber. During periods of rest, muscles repair and rebuild themselves, getting thicker and stronger. Exercise enables the heart to pump with greater ease during times of rest

FREQUENCY Avoid weight training the same muscle group two days in a row; the muscles won’t have enough time to recover

RECOVERY The fitter you become, the shorter your recovery time will be. If you feel pain the day after your workout, your body needs a rest. If you’re not too sore, continue with your program. If you don’t feel any discomfort at all, increase the intensity of your training

SIGNS OF OVERTRAINING A resting or ambient heart rate of 5 to 10 beats higher than normal; poor sleep; loss of appetite; irritability; and chronic colds

COUNTING CALORIES

Exercise burns calories, offsetting the calories you take in and helping you lose weight. Heavier people need more energy to move, using more calories per activity

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

Sources: Donna Rubin, yoga instructor, BikramYoga NYC Studios; Paula Tett, corporate education manager, Sports Club/LA; The Everything Total Fitness Book, by Ellen Karpay; Getting in Shape, by Carol Dannhauser and Sandra Warren