We always want you to have a fun and safe time working out. That's why we put together this list of fitness do's and don'ts to help make sure you're getting the best workout you can without putting your health at risk. 

Fitness Do's

Warm Up. Don't just jump right into it. Give your muscles a little time to wake up and stretch out. This helps to prevent injury and also lets your body perform at it's best. 

Stretch More. You improve your flexibility, range of motion, prevent injury and reduce the risk of tight muscles or strain. Be sure to stretch right after your workout while your muscles are still warm. 

Hydrate. Always bring a bottle of water with you to the gym and drink from it regularly—before you feel thirsty. Your body can't perform when it's dehydrated so drink up before, during and after your workouts.

Find “Just Right.” It's always about finding the happy medium. If you workout too hard you risk getting injured. If you don't work out hard enough, you're not really working out. Really pay attention to how you feel after your workouts. You shouldn't feel like you can't move but you shouldn't feel comfortable skipping a shower either. 

Fitness Don'ts

Lifting Too Much. If you think you're ready to move up in weight, do it gradually. If you have no idea where to start, underestimating is the safest and most efficient way to find the right weight.

Lean on The Machines. Stair-climbers, elliptical machines, cross trainers, and treadmills may seem like equipment made to lean on, but this may put undue stress on the wrists and back. Check your posture throughout your workout and pay attention to which muscles are getting tired first.

Jerking Around. If a free weight is so heavy that you must “jerk” it up to get it to move, you’re probably straining your muscles and working your way towards and injury. 

Get Carried Away With Workout Snacks. If your workout lasts less than two hours, you shouldn’t need energy bars or sports drinks to fuel your workout. Most of those foods are high in calories and if you don't really need them then they are doing more harm than good. 

What fitness rules do you live by?

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more fitness and nutrition tips!

Stretching is important!

It's the best way to improve flexibility and to prevent injury and soreness. What you might not know is that stretching can also improve strength and balance. Most people don't stretch because they think it looks funny or they just don't know what to do. Here are six of the best stretches you can do that cover almost all of your muscles. 

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more fitness and nutrition tips!

Did you know that different foods can protect your DNA and fight disease at the same time?

Certain foods can influence your epigenome, preventing it from switching on bad genetic behavior, according to a 2010 study in Clinical Epigenetics. Diets that are rich in these "epigenetic-modifying compounds" actually do help to reduce the incidence and severity of disease. It's incredible how much we've already learned and how much we're still learning about nutrition and health in general.  Here are some of the foods that help protect your DNA. 

GREEN TEA
Key compound: Polyphenols
Genetic effect: Helps the epigenome suppress genes that trigger breast cancer and possibly other cancers
Best dose: Around three cups a day
Also find them in... Strawberries, dark chocolate, apples

BROCCOLI SPROUTS
Key compound: Sulforaphane
Genetic effect: Protects the epigenome and reduces cancer risk
Best dose: Around one cup a day
Also find it in... Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower

FAVA BEANS
Key compound: Genistein
Genetic effect: Reinforces the epigenome and inhibits cancer cell growth
Best dose: Around a quarter cup a day

Read more at Women's Health: 

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more fitness and nutrition tips!

How much exercise does it take to stay healthy? How about to lose weight? Many people are overwhelmed by the thought of giving up more of their precious time to go to the gym, but it's not as bad as you think. There are 1,440 minutes in ever day and you only need to spend 30 of them exercising to stay healthy and prevent disease or 50 of them to lose weight, and that's only five times a week! So if you do the math thats only one out of every forty eight minutes of your day (five days a week) that you would need to dedicate to working out.  Look at the infographic below to get a little perspective and then decide if that chunk of time is worth improved health and disease prevention.  

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more fitness and nutrition tips!

Working out does wonders for your health and for your body, but it can't do it all. You need to pair a good workout routine with a smart, steady and healthy diet. More importantly, you need to eat the right foods at the right time to fuel your body and to get the best results out of your workouts. Here are some tips to help you plan. 

What to eat before your workout:

Your muscles rely heavily on carbs for energy, especially during intense workouts. Complex carbohydrates like whole wheat bread or pasta, fruit and veggies paired with a bit of protein work best as your pre-workout meal. Be conscious of the actual volume of food you eat as too much might slow you down during your workout. 

What to eat while you workout:

Most of your workouts won't require you to eat, but you should hydrate every 15-30 minutes. If you are planning on an extremely long endurance workout you might consider packing an energy bar or some fruit to help maintain your blood sugar for the entire distance. 

What to eat after your workout:

The best thing to do is to eat right after your workout. You should eat within 60 minutes of your workout but anything past 2 hours will reduce your body's ability to use the food to recover. After your workout your body NEEDS PROTEIN! This gives your muscles the building blocs they need to repair the damage from your workout which means more muscle and stronger muscle for you. The last and most important thing to do is REHYDRATE! Your body can't run at it's best unless you keep it hydrated. 

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more fitness and nutrition tips!

We all love saving calories here and there. We do that by making healthy choices, but what if the foods you thought were healthy were secretly loaded with calories? Unfortunately that is the case. Here are some foods that might be sneaking by your calorie radar. 

1. Raisins - They definitely aren't bad for you but one little box has 129 calories and you can get the same from two full cups of grapes. 

2. Grape Nuts - This healthy and filling cereal offers over 400 calories for just one cup. It's also loaded with sodium so our recommendation is to seek out one of the many other healthier options. 

3. Peanut Butter - It's great in moderation but consider that just two tablespoons offers as many calories as a Snickers bar. 

4. Dark Chocolate - Yes, it is the healthier option and is proven to provide the body with anti-oxidants, but, again, it's all about moderation. Some bars have as much as 600 calories. 

5. Greek Yogurt - The plain kind is loaded with protein and low on carbs but most people don't like the taste of plain. This is where the problem starts. The flavored varieties of greek yogurt crank up your sugar intake so flavor with caution. A teaspoon of honey might be just enough to sweeten it up for you. 

6. Whole Wheat Bread - Just because it's healthier, doesn't mean it has any less calories than any other variety of bread. Look at the label before you get too bread-crazy. 

7. Olive Oil - Just two tablespoons comes with over 200 calories. It has been proven to be healthier for your heart than other cooking oils but that doesn't mean you can drench your meal in it. 

8. Trail Mix - It's a mix of a bunch of healthy ingredients so it can't be all bad right? Just one cup can put you up an extra 700 calories!  It was designed to be high in calories to help sustain hikers as they worked their way through dangerous trails and up mountains, not just a snack for everyday Joe or Jane. 

9. Ramen Noodles - Admit it, ever since college you've had the occasional craving. One block of Ramen adds close to 400 calories to your day making it a meal instead of a snack. 

Find more deceiving and calorie loaded snacks here. 

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more health recipes and nutrition tips!

You've been doing so well, but the big day is almost here. The day of chocolates and sweets and a big fancy dinner, Valentine's Day. Some might be facing the terrible decision of trying to avoid the sweets all together or to just give in to temptation and work it off later. Lucky for you, we found  a few great ideas from Shape to help you make the best compromise possible. 

Here are some healthier sweet treats to enjoy:

1. Chocolate Ginger Mousse  

175 calories, 4.5 grams fat

No Valentine's Day is complete without some chocolate! Indulge your sweetheart with this creamy mousse recipe from Chef Anthony Stewart of the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida. Healthy ingredients like tofu and ginger juice are masked by a rich chocolate flavor. Your valentine will never guess this dessert is sugar-free with zero grams of trans fat!

Ingredients:
4 oz. Hershey unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c. hot water
12 oz. extra-firm silken tofu
1/4 c. Splenda
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. fresh ginger juice (grate the ginger root and squeeze to extract juice)

Directions:
Combine cocoa powder and hot water in a stainless steel bowl. Cook slowly over a hot water bath for 5 minutes until the mixture is like fudge. In a food processor blend tofu for 1 minute, add fudge, Splenda, vanilla extract, and ginger juice and blend until smooth. Place mixture in parfait glass. Garnish with raspberries or as desire and serve cold.

Makes 4 servings.

Find More Recipes Here. 

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more health recipes and nutrition tips!

This may seem contradictory to most healthy eating tips you've heard, but it works. Snacking helps you control your blood sugar and your hunger which in turn prevents craving-driven binges and makes it easier to control your portion sizes. The key to making this work is choosing the RIGHT SNACKS. Here are some of the best. 

1. Kashi Chewy Granola Bars - They're made with real nuts and whole grains and they offer a low calorie intake for the amount of fiber and protein you get in return. 

2. Frozen Peas And Corn - Celery sticks can drive a lot of people away from snacking on veggies but try grabbing half a cup of these frozen treats. They're a bit sweet and refreshing at the same time and have the right nutritional content to satisfy you till the next meal. 

3. Plain Greek Yogurt - Stay away from the high-sugar and syrupy flavored varieties. Instead grab plain greek yogurt with no fat, low calories and plenty of protein. If you need to sweeten it up try adding fresh fruit or a little bit of honey. 

4. Fancy Up Your Apple - We all know what they say about an apple a day but they also help with weight loss. It's easy to get bored of eating an apple whole so try chopping it up and mixing it with walnuts or a spoon of real maple syrup. 

5. Oatmeal - Oatmeal is more filling than dry cereal and offers the same amount of calories and fiber. A great way to start your day or the perfect snack to bring with you to the office. 

Find more healthy weight loss snacks here. 

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more health recipes and nutrition tips!

Don't you think that you deserve a nice relaxing evening...in a hot tub? You work out, you work, you cook and clean and do all of the things that NEED to get done, don't you deserve some nice relaxation? We think you do and that's why we want to give you this hot tub from Prestine Pool and Spa! Find out all of the different ways you can be entered to win below. 

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more fitness and nutrition tips!

Cravings attack without warning and there's almost nothing we can do!

"Almost" is the key word and "willpower" is your new weapon of choice. Sometimes it feels like it's near impossible to fight back your sweet tooth or to tame your cravings for salty snacks, but it can be done!  We put together few tips to help you arm yourself with enough willpower to overcome any craving that may attack.

1. Spend Time Thinking About Absolutely Nothing - Some people call this meditation but the point is that it works. When you have so many ideas and to-do's running through your brain you start to do things, like snacking, without really making the conscious decision. Take about five minutes a day to clear your head and think about nothing. This will actually make it easier for you to be conscious of all of the decisions that you make. 

2. Outthink Yourself - Think ahead to all of the points in the day that might cause you to break down. The 2 o'clock snack attack, Happy hour after work, donuts on the break table etc. Once you identify all of these traps, create a better alternative. Bring some healthy snacks to counter any temptation at work and schedule  a workout or activity with a friend for happy hour. 

3. Weigh Your Consequences - Every time you're faced with a craving or a temptation, think about your goals and how much work it will take to keep you on track. If you eat that jumbo cream cheese muffin you're going to have to go back to the gym tonight or cut your dinner down to almost nothing. When you see the negative consequences it's easier to say no. 

Find more fitness and health tips here. 

Don't forget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more health recipes and nutrition tips!