38. You expect to lose about four pounds a week on your diet.
That may happen in the first week, but it’s an unrealistic goal because it’s too difficult to maintain in the long term. A healthy, sustainable weight loss is one to two pounds a week. Plus, studies show that people who lose weight slowly tend to keep it off longer.

39. You’re on a juice fast to “clean out” your system.
In fact, this will rid you of two things you need most: water (which keeps you hydrated) and lean body mass (which helps you burn more calories), according to Stopler. In addition, it prevents you from getting a variety and balance of other essential nutrients found in food and keeps you from learning how to eat in moderation.

40. You take a soy supplement.
We don’t fully understand how soy supplements act in the body. Some studies show that soy compounds in the pill may increase the risk of the breast cancer in some women. If tofu turns you off, try different food sources of soy, including edamame, soy milk, soy nuts and chips, and soy hot dogs, sausage links and burgers.

Continued On 50 Diet Mistakes Even Smart Women Make Part 10

15. You order the fish sandwich at the drive-thru.
Because the fillet is almost always breaded, fried and topped with mayo or tartar sauce, it can have more fat and calories than a plain hamburger or grilled chicken sandwich. Other good options: Subway’s Veggie Delite sub (200 calories, 2.5 grams of fat), Wendy’s plain baked potato (310 calories, no fat), McDonald’s Chicken McGrill without mayo (340 calories, 7 grams of fat).

16. You avoid butter but douse your bread in olive oil.
Fat is fat when it comes to calories, and olive oil and butter both have more than 100 calories per tablespoon. Because olive oil has less saturated, or unhealthy, fat than butter and no dietary cholesterol, it is a more heart friendly choice, says Salge Blake. But portion control is key: Put a teaspoon of olive oil in a small dish so you don’t go overboard.

17. You never eat fruit but drink lots of fruit juice.
You’re missing out on the fiber found in whole fruit, and the juice has considerably more calories. “Besides, eating an orange will make you feel fuller than drinking orange juice,” says Howard Shapiro, author of Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss.

18. You think your frozen coffee concoction is low-calorie.
Think again: A regular Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Coolatta is made with cream and packs 410 calories and 22 grams of fat. A Starbucks grande caramel Frappuccino has 350 calories and 9 grams of fat. You’re better off with an iced cappuccino with skim milk, sans the whipped cream.

19. You choose juice instead of soda.
You might be drinking little more than nutrient-free, high-calorie sugar water. Drinks advertised as “juice drinks,” “fruit cocktails” or “fruitades” are common culprits. Make sure the label says 100 percent juice.

Continued On 50 Diet Mistakes Even Smart Women Make Part 5

You take a multivitamin and a calcium supplement and have cut back on chocolate. You’ve even started counting fat grams and reading food labels, setting yourself well on your way to being the picture of good nutrition. But is your diet really as perfect as you think it is? Check out these 50 common slip ups and the easy fixes that will improve your waistline-and your health.

1. You traded in your morning bagel for a fruit smoothie.
Both have roughly the same calories. “The smoothie probably contains several servings of fruit-providing you with more calories than you think,” says a staff dietitian with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C. A better choice: whole-wheat toast with hummus or peanut butter, and one piece of fruit.

2. You always eat granola for breakfast.
Commercial versions can have as many as 260 calories and 10 grams of fat in one-half cup! Instead, try low-fat granola or Fiber One cereal, which has 62 calories and less than one gram of fat, says nutrition programs manager for Town Sports International.

3. You have a minuscule A.M. meal to “save” calories.
This can set you up to overeat all day long. Good-size breakfasts: two pieces of whole-wheat toast with one teaspoon of peanut butter and a banana; a bowl of cereal with skim milk and blueberries.

4. You eat a large low-fat muffin every morning.
A low-fat apple bran muffin from McDonald’s has 300 calories - only 40 fewer than its apple Danish. Monster fat-free deli muffins can run as high as 700 calories. A single serving should fit comfortably in the palm of your hand.

Continued On 50 Diet Mistakes Even Smart Women Make Part 2

5. Asthanga
Who it’s for:
Runners, cyclists and others looking to break a sweat while improving balance and flexibility.

Mind-body benefits:
Ashtanga, often called power yoga, emphasizes stamina and strength. “It’s popular with athletes or anyone looking for a demanding practice to develop focus and discipline,” says Beryl Bender Birch, director of the Hard & Soft Ashtanga Yoga Institute in New York City.

Take home move:
Plank pose. Begin in a push-up position with hands directly underneath shoulders and elbows close to sides. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. Lift your head and look forward. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

Works:
Arms, abdominals, shoulders, legs

4. Iyengar
Who it’s for:
Active types wanting to increase flexibility (especially- if they’re recovering from an injury).

Mind-body benefits:
“iyengar is known for its focus on proper alignment and attention to detail.” says Leslie Peters, director of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles. Props such as belts. blocks and blankets help you deepen a pose while emphasizing precision. Poses are sometimes held for a minute or more to work on skeletal and muscular alignment.

Take home move:
Triangle pose. Extend arms out to sides, palms facing down. Take a wide stride so Your feet are under your fingertips. Turn right foot out 90 degrees, and turn left foot toward the right 45 degrees. Reach out to the right. and lower your hand to your ankle (or use a block). Keep left arm pointed up to the ceiling, chest open and legs straight (don’t lock knees). Hold for 30 seconds.

Works:
Stretches back, hips, legs

Continued On What’s Your Yoga Style? - Ashtanga

2. KUNDALINI
Who it’s for:
Those looking to relieve stress and focus inward.

Mind-body benefits:
“The word kundalini literally means energy. The practice uses breath, poses and chanting to stimulate the nervous system as well as certain organs to improve clarity and create a sense of calm,” says director of Universal Force Yoga Healing Center in New York City. Much of a kundalini class consists of seated breathing exercises and repeating mantras such as sat nam (translation: “Truth is my identity”).

Take home move:
Sat kriya (meditative breaths). Sit on heels and bring arms
straight up, elbows by ears. Lace fingers together and point index fingers. Inhale, pulling navel toward spine; exhale. Repeat for three minutes.

Works:
Shoulders, arms, the spirit

Continued On What’s Your Yoga Style? - Bikram

“There’s nothing wrong with resolving to get fit, but so many resolutions fail because they approach fitness in the wrong way,” says Jeff Fliehs, director, Life ‘ Time Fitness personal training. The good news is that you don’t have to wait until New Year’s Day to go on a self-improvement program; as Fliehs says, “Any time is a good time to get started on a fitness program.”

Fliehs shares Life Time Fitness tips for rescuing your fitness resolve:

1. RELAX.
Remember that fitness is a continuous pursuit. You have the rest your life to improve it-not just before the holidays begin. The goal is to improve a little bit every day, not to go from couch potato to triathlete in three weeks! Don’t put too much pressure on yourself or you’ll set yourself up for frustration and failure.

2. RESEARCH.
Give some forethought to your fitness approach. Many fling themselves into running or working with equipment without thinking if they really like it. Find something you like to do, because you’re much more likely to stick with it if you do. And collect information about your body-things like weight, pulse rate, body fat content-before you start.

3. REACH SHORT-TERM GOALS.
Know where you’re at to begin with, o you can decide where you want to ‘ go. List some achievable, measurable targets by which to track your, progress. A personal trainer is great for helping you determine what these goals should be. Remember that a complete fitness program should: incorporate fitness, nutrition and edu- ‘ cation for optimum results.

4. REALITY CHECK.
Many fitness resolutions are too aggressive, or even impossible! Be realistic. If you’ve been sedentary for years, a walk around the block may equal success! Good fitness is gradual, measured improvement. No , matter what the television says, you’re not going to have perfect abs or the body you had 20 years ago in 10 minutes a day. If you think you will, you’re bound to fail.

5. REVIEW.
Know that you’ll have to make adjustments and course corrections ‘ along the way. Track your progress and listen to your body. If something doesn’t ; feel right, don’t force it. If you start running and it bores you to tears, try something else Try mixing activities to keep the interest level high.

Resolving to be fit is important, but it’s also important to have a reasonable to have good information about how to succeed and to make sure that you goals are achievable and reasonable. With this approach, short-term setbacks won’t cause long-term failure. It’s never too late to start again and start right.

Are you tired of being told what to eat? Are you sick of spending a small fortune buying the foods called for on a hot new diet plan, only to get sick of it within weeks? Are you bored beyond words with weight-loss plans that call for cooking elaborate dishes every day, only to drop next to no pounds, or no pounds at all?

Take heart-you’re not alone. Diet boredom is one of the biggest reasons weight-loss programs fail. The following plan assures that you’ll be a weight-loss winner this time around, by letting you choose the foods that will make up your daily meals. You find the servings called for on the basic meal plan, and pick the foods on the list that suit your fancy. Weightloss just doesn’t get easier than this! Best of all, you’ll drop up to five pounds during the week you’re on this plan.

Do This, Lose Big
As with any weight-loss program, there are ways to make this plan work best for you:
• Get your doctor’s permission before you try this, or any other, diet.

• Red meat should be limited to four ounces per week. You may have up to two eggs within seven days. Use lean cuts of meat, and trim off all visible fat before cooking.

• All protein sources must be baked, broiled or grilled. Vegetables are to be steamed or eaten raw. You may use mustard, salsa, herbs and spices to flavor your meals. You cannot use salt, which can cause fluid retention.

• Weigh and measure all portion sizes with the use of a food scale and a set of measuring cups and spoons. Be especially careful when measuring fat choices; you may not exceed the allotted amount of butter, margarine, regular salad dressing or mayonnaise at any time.

• Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. You may have one cup or glass of iced or hot coffee or tea daily.

• There’s plenty of variety built into this plan-take advantage of it! Don’t restrict yourself to the same foods day after day, because diet boredom will set in all too soon. Select different protein sources, veggies, and breads-you’ll stay on the program longer and will enjoy it more.

HERE’S AN EXAMPLE OF PLANNING A DINNER USING THE MEAL LIST
1 serving from the Protein list (3 oz. salmon)
1 serving from the Bread list (3 oz. baked potato)
2 servings from the Vegetables & Legumes list (1 cup broccoli, 1 cup green beans)
1 serving from the Fat list (1 T butter)

The perils of using a stair-climbing machine:
There is a risk of tendon damage in the elbows from supporting your body weight on them, as many exercisers do. Leaning also can lead to improperly worked back muscles. If you’re going to regularly work out on this piece of equipment, it’s smart to adopt a lowfat diet as well; some experts warn that not doing so could bulk up your hips, thighs and butt instead of slimming them down.

Buying Tips:
1. Test a stair-climbing machine to be sure the motion is natural and comfortable.
2. Consider a model with upper body options for an all-over shape-up.
3. If money is no object, consider further programming options for intervals, hills and endurance training.

Ways to Make This Workout Better:
1. Don’t lean-you’ll have a less elevated heart rate and will burn fewer calories.
2. Stand straight up, and do not hunch your back over the machine.
3. Use support rails only for keeping your balance and resting your hands.
4. Take small steps when new to this machine; you are at risk of tearing leg muscles if you step up too high.
5. Never rush through a workout-slow and steady will give you the results you crave.

Special pleasures of riding a recumbent bike:
These low-to-the-ground cycles offer a low-impact exercise that enhances muscle strength and muscular endurance levels of the abdominals and lower back as well as lower body muscle groups like the hips, gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. The “full recumbent” position, in which legs are elevated to the same level as the heart, improves blood circulation and reduces blood pressure and stress on the heart more effectively than an upright bike.

The perils of riding a stationary cycle:
Riding a stationary cycle is not a weightbearing activity. You’ll need to add another workout to your schedule that will help build bone mass, and in turn lessen the possibility of developing osteoporosis.

Buying tips:
1. An adjustable seat makes the ride more comfortable.
2. Semi- or full recumbent models can be more comfortable over an extended period of time than the standard stationary cycle.
3. Give a listen before you buy. A loud stationary bike is one you won’t ride very often, especially if you want to watch TV or listen to music during your workout.

Ways to Make This Workout Better:
1. Watch your favorite TV show as you ride.
2. Have a magazine rack attached to the bike. By the time you finish an issue of your favorite read, you’ll have pedaled for 30 to 60 minutes.
3. Join the “Exercise Across America” challenge. The American Running Association developed this plan 10 years ago as a motivational tool for individual exercisers, and does it ever work! Every day you plot the “mileage” you cover on a stationary bike (or walking, or running), and plot how far this distance would take you if you were actually riding cross-country.
4. As you pedal, put more weight on the ball of your foot to work the front of the thigh. Another move for additional hamstring and glutes toning is to put more weight in your heel and really pull with your heel while pedaling.

TREADMILL
The pleasures of treadmill walking:
Just imagine being able to take a safe walk any time of the day or night, in any kind of weather. That’s the bliss that awaits when you own a treadmill. Walking on this machine is a great workout for your cardiovascular system and provides all-over calorie burning; you’ll also build strength and endurance in your legs as you stroll along. Recent studies suggest that people who use treadmills burn 40 percent more calories per hour than while using other cardiovascular machines. Walking along a treadmill is also less jarring to feet, knees, hips and lower back than walking on pavement or ground.

The perils of treadmill walking:
There is a small possibility of falling off the treadmill if you aren’t paying attention, especially if you step onto the machine when it is going at a fast pace. Start the machine off at a speed that will allow you to safely step onto the treadmill.

Buying Tips:
1. Give the treadmill a test run in the store, and learn about all the different programs and features included in that model.
2. The National Academy of Sports Medicine advises purchasing a model in which the base of the treadmill flexes downward, so it will absorb the shock of your foot as you run on the moving belt.
3. The treadmill should not shut off abruptly and jerk your body forward as it does so. The machine should slow down and speed up gradually.
4. A handle on the front or the side is convenient, and it’s also smart to have a foot pad area on the sides to step on when the belt is running.

Ways To Make This Workout Better:
1. Keep your head up in a neutral position.
2. Walk in a natural position, with a natural stride, and use your arms.
3. Change the incline frequently, never increasing it more than eight percent during a session.
4. Wear the right shoes: walking or running shoes are better than cross-trainers because of their broader heel and pronation control.
5. Slightly raise the angle of the treadmill if you are training for an outdoor run. Otherwise, the lack of wind resistance while on this equipment makes the trip seem simpler than it would be on the road.

Do the following five tummy trimmers for a month, and you’ll see and feel a positive difference in the size and shape of your stomach. As you tackle these toners, lie on an exercise mat, thick towel, or rug to cushion your back. Don’t use your head, neck and shoulders to pull your upper body off the floor-use your stomach muscles, and don’t be discouraged if you can’t sit up very high just yet. It’s the effort you make, not how high you sit up, that will lead to a flatter stomach before you know it!

As with any diet and/or exercise program, get your doctor’s permission before you try this routine.

AB CRUNCH 1
BEGINNING POSITION: Lie flat on floor, legs bent, knees together, feet flat on floor. Cross arms over chest.
STEP 1: Keeping knees bent and arms across chest, rise off floor slowly, curling up each vertebra separately until you reach a 45-degree angle (look in a mirror or ask someone to watch your body alignment when you first try this exercise). Keep lower back on the floor.
STEP 2: Return to Beginning Position.
Do this exercise 12 times.

AB CRUNCH 2
BEGINNING POSITION: Lie flat on back, knees bent, heels pressed together. Let knees fall sideways. Lace hands behind head.
STEP 1: Lift upper body off floor as high as possible, using ab muscles to raise head, neck and shoulders. Keep knees relaxed to the sides.
STEP 2: Return to Beginning Position.
Do this exercise 12 times.

AB CRUNCH 3
BEGINNING POSITION: Lie flat on back, knees bent, feet on floor. Extend right arm alongside body, palm up. Cradle lifted head in left hand.
STEP 1: Reach down right side of body, stretching toward far wall with fingertips.
STEP 2: Return to Beginning Position.
Do this exercise 12 times.

AB CRUNCH 4
BEGINNING POSITION: Lie on back, hands behind head. Raise and extend left leg at approximately a 45-degree angle, foot flexed. Draw right knee toward chest, flexing right foot.
STEP 1: Lift upper body off floor and reach for right knee with left elbow.
STEP 2: Return to Beginning Position.
Do this exercise 12 times for each side.

AB CRUNCH 5
BEGINNING POSITION: Lie flat on back, with lower calves and feet resting on a chair. Place hands behind head, elbows out to sides.
STEP 1: Lift head, neck and shoulders off floor.
STEP 2: Reach left elbow towards right knee.
STEP 3: Return to Beginning Position.
Do this exercise 12 times for each side.

Scientists, including Feinman, who met in late June in Brooklyn for a two-day conference on low-carb diets, said followers might be surprised to learn a few things:

1. “Net Carb” doesn’t mean “No Carb.”
The tempting “low net carbs!” chocolates and candies that have flooded the market promise dieters a sweet fix without the sugar guilt. But many of them use sweeteners called sugar alcohols, which may appear on labels as sorbitol, xylitol and maltitol.

Sugar alcohols may not hike blood sugar levels as rapidly as table sugar, says C.J. Segal-Isaacson, a researcher with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, but they may not help you get the full metabolic advantages of a strict low-carb regimen, either.
Some researchers advise calculating net carbs by including sugar alcohol but subtracting fiber-which is indigestible-from total carbs.

2. Low-carb liquor is still liquor.
Boozing can interfere with the fat-burning process, according to the Atkins Website. Low-carbing also can lower your tolerance for alcohol, so you get drunker faster, and drinking can shake your resolve to shun those starchy party snacks.

3. Patience is a low-carb virtue.
Though exercise improves health and enhances dieting, dropping carbs and running laps the same day may leave you feeling lousy.
“It’s somewhere around two to three weeks of sticking to the low-carb intake before the body really adapts,” says Dr. Stephen Phinney of Elk Grove, California, who has studied endurance levels among low-carbing athletes. “That doesn’t mean people need to feel bad when they start a low-carb diet,” Phinney added. “It’s just they shouldn’t push the exercise envelope until they’ve given their body time to adapt.”

4. Take your vitamins-with a grain of salt.
For years, Americans have been warned to limit salt to avoid high blood pressure, but a bit helps the body use important vitamins and minerals such as potassium.

A modest amount of daily salt-3 grams or so-”helps to avoid the headaches, weakness, lightheadedness and muscle cramps that often accompany starting out on a low-carb diet,” Phinney said.

5. Low-carbing isn’t for everyone.
Some dieters - possibly including people with high levels of a blood fat called triglycerides - probably should avoid low-carbing, counsels Dr. Eric Westman of Duke University. People who have a triglyceride level over 500 and go low-carb may develop pancreatitis, in which the gland’s enzymes attack their own tissue and cause extreme abdominal pain, he said.

The Atkins Websites, however, argues that the diet can lower triglycerides. Westman says the best bet is to have a blood chesmistry screening before embarking on the diet.

The secret to losing weight and keeping it off can be summed up in four little words:
Eat less, walk more.
But how much less? And how much more? Doctors Jim Hill and John Peters believe they have the answers, or at least the formula to help people figure out the answers for themselves. They’ve put it all in The Step Diet Book, which comes packaged with a pedometer to make sure you make every step count.

Do The Math, Drop The Pounds
“Don’t even try to lose weight if you’re not going to increase your physical activity,” says Hill, director of the University of Colorado’s Center for Human Nutrition, who has spent the past 25 years studying hows and whys of weight gain and loss.

Hill and Peters co-founded “Colorado on the Move,” a pilot program for “America on the Move.” The “On the Move” and Step Diet programs are based on a fundamental physiological fact: to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. To maintain your weight, calorie consumption and expenditure need to be in balance.

“It’s all about the mathematics,” Hill says. And here’s the toughest part of the equation to crack: Consume more calories than you use and you’re going to gain weight, a fact that has made us the fattest country in the world.

Statistics show that nearly 65 percent of adult Americans are overweight-that’s 120 million people-and half of them are obese. More than 60 percent of American adults do not get the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity a day, and 25 percent of American adults aren’t physically active at all.

Hill co-founded the National Weight Control Registry, a decade-old study of adults who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year. It currently includes nearly 3,000 people who have lost an average of 70 pounds and kept it off for about five years.

Anybody can lose weight, Hill says, but the people in his registry are among the rare few who haven’t gained it back.

“Keeping weight off is different than loosing weight-those are two different processes,” Hill says. “People get a lot of weight, but that’s where the help in keeping it off just isn’t there.”

How To Use A Step Counter
Hook your step counter to your belt or waistband 2 to 6 inches on either side of your belly button. Women in dresses can attach the counter to undergarments or the center of your bra. If you have a large stomach, try placing the counter on your hip. Make sure it is straight and close to your body.

Check the counter’s accuracy by taking 100 steps. The counter should register between 90 and 110 steps. If not. adjust it by moving it closer to or farther from your belly button, then try again.

Wear the counter all day, except while bathing or swimming: Take it off at bedtime and keep a log of your steps.
Step counters come in basic forms that count only steps and fancy-schmancy types that do everything from computing actual distances to figuring out the number of calories burned. Some even talk.

1. KICKBOXING
• It’s for: Anyone looking for a little aggression release.
• Body benefits: Sculpts the major muscle groups including abs, glutes and arms; provides an intense cardio burn.
• Workout tips: Keep elbows slightly bent as you punch; don’t lock your knees when kicking. You’ll need a jump rope.

The Workout
• Fighting stance: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders relaxed, elbows slightly bent and fists in front of face. Return to this position between each of the moves.
• Jabs: Stand as above, left foot forward. Punch with right arm, keeping left hand in front of face. Do 25 punches. Switch arms and foot position; repeat.
• Crosses: Punch with left arm toward right side, turning torso to the right while pivoting off back foot. Do 25 punches, switch sides and repeat.
• Hooks: Punch forward with left arm, bending elbow and arcing the punch, as if punching around something. Turn torso to the right and pivot off back foot as above.
• Punching combo: Do 1 set of jabs, crosses and hooks sequence, 25 reps each, switching sides.
• Jump rope: One minute
• Front kicks: Assume fighting stance, left foot forward. Lift left knee so thigh is parallel to floor; kick forward with heel. Do 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg; switch sides with each set.
• Side kicks: Raise left knee as above and kick heel to left side at hip level. Do 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg; switch sides with each set.
• Front kicks: Do 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg; switch sides with each set.
• Kick combo: Do 3 sets of front, side, front kicks sequence, 10 reps each; switch legs after each set.
• Jump rope: One minute
• Squat kicks: Lower into squat position. As you rise up, do a side kick with left foot; repeat squat. Do 3 sets of 10 reps each leg; switch sides after each set.
• Kick/punch combo 1: Combine jab, cross and front kick; do 2 sets of 10 on each leg.
• Jump rope: One minute
• Kick/punch combo 2: Combine jab, cross and rear kick with squat (squat immediately after returning leg from kick); do 2 sets of 10 on each leg.
• Jump rope: One minute

2. BOOT CAMP
• It’s for: Back-to-basics fans.
• Body benefits: Total-body toner; builds endurance.
• Workout tips: Rest 6 to 8 seconds between moves. You’ll need 5- to 8pound weights and a jump rope.

The Workout
• Biceps curls: Do 3 sets; 15, 20, 25 reps.
• Jumping jacks: Do 4 sets of 20 reps.
• Triceps kickbacks: Extend arms behind you, keeping elbows in at your sides. Do 3 sets; 15, 20, 25 reps.
• Jump rope: 40 revolutions.
• Push-ups: Do 3 sets; 10, 15, 20 reps.
• Mountain climbers: Begin on all fours and push up onto toes. Bring right knee toward chest; alternate feet as quickly as possible. Do 20 times on each side, 3 sets total.
• Squats: Do 3 sets; 15, 20, 25 reps.
• Jumping jacks: Do 4 sets of 20 reps.
• Hydrants: Begin on all fours, elbows on floor. Lift right leg to the right, keeping knee bent and thigh parallel to floor. Do 3 sets each leg; 15, 20, 25 reps.
• Abdominal crunches: Do 1 set of 50 crunches; pulse up for 50 counts; twist to right for 50; twist left for 50.

3. MARATHON DRILLS
• It’s for: Runners training for the 26.2mile endurance event; beginning runners seeking guidance
• Body benefits: Works heart and lungs while burning about 625 calories an hour; sculpts butt, quads, hamstrings and calves.
• Workout tips: Rev up your normal running routine by doing each of these drills for about 30 seconds. Resume your usual pace for 2 minutes after you complete each one.

The Workout
• High knees: While running, bring knees up as far as you can with each step.
• Buttock kicks: Exaggerate your pushoff by kicking toward your buttock with each step.
• Bounding: Skip forward, getting as much distance as you can with each step. Use arms to propel you forward.
• Karaoke: Turn sideways, crossing left foot over right. Step right with right leg; cross left foot behind right. Continue alternating legs for 30 seconds traveling right; switch sides to go left.
• Stride: Pick a point 50 yards ahead, like a stop sign or lamppost, and accelerate to a sprint as you run toward it, slowing down after you reach your goal.