lifting weights

Starting any exercise plan, even for a person used to working out, may seem simple on the surface, but there are some pitfalls you need to avoid.

Enter your workout each day with a plan, and always, above all else, listen to your body. It will tell you when you're overdoing it, and it will tell you if you aren't doing enough.

Relying solely upon a weightlifting book or some cardio plan may not be the smartest decision. Each person is different, so give yourself some flexibility and listen closely to how your body feels and reacts.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) -- Running a marathon, grab a carbohydrate bar. Lifting weights, gulp a protein shake.

But climbing into a fighter jet? Butter-soaked lobster might help....

You've finally stopped making excuses to get to the gym in the wee hours of the morning, and are committed to sticking with your fitness mantra this season.

Congratulations! This is a big step, and one that will pay off in more ways than one. Still, logging in time at the gym is just the beginning; if you find yourself spending hours on the treadmill, elliptical trainer or lifting weights and aren't seeing results, you might not be maximizing your gym time.

Breast cancer survivors have been getting bum advice. For decades, many doctors warned that lifting weights or even heavy groceries could cause painful arm swelling.

New research shows that weight training actually helps prevent this problem....

(University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine) Breast cancer survivors who lift weights are less likely to experience worsening symptoms of lymphedema, the arm- and hand-swelling condition that plagues many women following surgery for their disease, according to new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine research published in the August 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The findings challenge the advice commonly given to lymphedema sufferers, who may worry that weight training or even carrying children or bags of groceries will exacerbate their symptoms.