Did you know that stretching your muscles is just as important as strengthening them? All of the muscles in your body have an optimum length. If all you ever do is work on strengthening, your muscles will actually shorten and become less efficient because they’re not working from this optimum length. So every time you exercise, you want to make sure to stretch out the muscles you have worked. Stretching is also a great way to relieve tension in the body, which is perfect after long hours sitting at a desk. So here are a few quick stretching tips, and ideas for stretches that are great after a workout or just a long day.

Quick tips:

- Hold stretches for at least 30 seconds to increase flexibility

- Don’t “bounce” or “bob” in stretches (instead of reaching for your toes, pulling back, and reaching again, over and over, reach as far toward your toes as you can and hold it)

- Remember to breathe!

- Don’t over stretch – you should stretch as far as you can without feeling pain. If you are really stretching, you’ll feel tension in the muscle, but it shouldn’t hurt badly.

1. Touch your toes

Easy, you know this one. Try to relax your head and neck for a better stretch.

2. One leg toe touch

Bend one knee, straighten your other leg, and reach for your toes. Even if you don’t feel it intensely, this is a great stretch for your back as well as your hamstring.

3. Neck curl

Begin sitting up as straight as possible, with your legs extended out in front of you. Place your hands behind your head (like when you do crunches). Slowly curl your head down toward your legs, rolling through your neck and back one vertebra at a time. This is an intense stretch for your legs, back, and neck. It’s great after a day of too much sitting, but don’t overdo it.

 4. Runner’s lunge

Also a familiar stretch. Make sure to keep the bent knee directly over your heel – your bent knee should make a 90 degree angle. Keep your extended leg as straight as possible.

 5. Standing quad stretch

Stand on one leg, and bend your other leg and grab on to your foot. You can make this into a balance exercise by trying to hold on to your foot with both hands, or hold on with one hand and stabilize yourself by holding on to the wall with the other hand.

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. When she’s not dancing or writing, she can be found exploring the city, and let’s be honest, spending way too much time on the internet. Follow her @garnethenderson.

One of the most common misconceptions about getting super sexy abs is the idea that you only have to do crunches or ab exercises. False! To get that sleek front side, it’s also important to take care of its opposing muscle: the back.

Your core is comprised of your back and abs, so if you want a strong core (and more body stability) you gotta work everything. In addition, if you have any back pain (from sitting over a computer all day….or doing other things that I won’t ask about), strengthening those muscles will get rid of those problems! Plus, with all these awesome backless dresses and cute bikinis coming out, we can’t neglect these lovely muscles. I mean, backs are sexy!

So here are some easy exercises to really get ready for summer, no gym required. In fact, these moves are so basic you can even do it when you’re passed out on the floor on Saturday afternoon.

If you’re like most gym-going girls, you believe that lifting any weight above 10 pounds will make you too bulky. There’s a fine line between looking toned and looking like superwoman — no one wants biceps that will make people think you’ve been chugging Muscle Milk. However, according to fitness experts and a recent study carried out at the University of Arizona, this fear of heavy dumbbells is unwarranted.

In order to develop bulky muscles, you need to be consuming an excessive amount of calories (i.e. more than the recommended 2,000 per day for most adults) in addition to pumping serious iron. If you use heavier weights without consuming those extra calories, however, you will actually see more results in less time than with those dinky little baby weights.

The trick is to do sets of 8 reps at 70 to 80 percent of your ability three times a week. This means that while your arms will be aching by the end of each exercise, you should be able to finish each set without cheating. The scientists who led this experiment followed a group of 122 women for six years, and found that the people who stuck to this exercise routine lost more weight than women who completed more repetitions with lighter weights.

Of course, if you’re trying to seriously beef up your arms, this may not be the best approach. But for women who are lifting weights simply to tone up and slim down (since we all know that muscles continue to burn calories even when your body is at rest), the combination of challenging weights and fewer repetitions will burn the most body fat — especially in the intra-abdominal region.

Since we’ve officially approached bikini season — it was 80 degrees in Boston on Wednesday, and the academic quad at Tufts turned into a beach — toned arms are essential. Need some help? All you need is a set of dumbbells and a barbell (which looks like a three-foot long dumbbell and is available in any gym) to complete these 3 easy routines.

1. Barbell bicep curls: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and curl the barbell so that the weight is in line with your shoulders. Keep your elbows still at your sides. Lower the barbell down and repeat. (This can also be done with dumbbells, and can be done using one or both arms at a time.)

2. Barbell bench presses: Lie on a bench and hold the barbell at your chest. Extend your arms, lifting the barbell up so that your arms are almost straight. Don’t lock your elbows. Lower slowly and repeat.

3. Dumbbell tricep presses: With both arms extended towards the sky, hold one dumbbell in both hands. Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head, bending elbows gently. Raise arms and repeat.

While most people’s gym routines differ – I, for one, have always been an elliptical girl and hate the stationary bike – it’s safe to assume that almost everyone incorporates a “cool down” into their cardio program. After running for 30 minutes at 7 miles per hour, you’ll knock your speed down to 3 and spend five minutes jogging or walking before you hop off the machine. Many pieces of gym equipment even include a 5-minute cool down automatically, tacking it on to the end of your desired workout. All of this is supposed to prevent soreness or muscle damage and relieve strain on the heart.

According to University of Texas physiologist Hirofumi Tanaka, however, there’s no proof that a cool down has any positive benefits on the body. “Everyone thinks it’s an established fact, so they don’t study it,” he said in a recent New York Times article. The article notes the ambiguity of the concept as a whole, noting that it’s not even clear what a cool down is supposed to be or how long it should last.

Apparently, the cool down became standard gym practice after it was reported that muscles become sore after exercising due to the accumulation of lactic acid. This theory has been reported false, leading people to believe that reducing the intensity at the end of a workout (which was supposed to let the lactic acid dissipate slowly) is unnecessary. The article does note, however, that blood can build up in your legs and feet if you stop running (or biking or ellipti-cizing) shortly, making dizziness or even fainting a possibility.

The article adds that because lactic acid has been discovered to be beneficial, it might be better not to cool down. A study of a group of cyclists showed that cooling down wasted the lactic acid; when they just stopped without reducing their speed gradually, the lactic acid was turned into glycogen, a muscle fuel.

So what does this mean? It means that you don’t have to waste that extra ten minutes at the gym cooling down. In fact, for better results, it means that you shouldn’t. Finish your desired workout, grab your things and head home. Then use that extra time for something more productive, like studying, making a healthy snack… or stalking your crush on Facebook.

There’s a great many things to do and places to see in this world of ours.  As humans, our lives are pretty short (and if you party like I do, it’s probably going to be even shorter).  So we have to prioritize!  We have brains for a reason and that reason is…reasoning (well, at least some of us use them for that purpose: see comment about partying above).  Let me be your voice of reason as I show you all the things you should be doing right here, right now.

It’s hard to be sure of what to eat these days.  Health reports come out with a study against a certain food one day and for it the next.  Do I eat the egg yolk or do I stick with the whites?  Are pomegranates that good for me?  How many more vitamins do I really need to take?  It’s confusing.  And I don’t like being confused about food.  I just like eating it.

Everyone’s heard the old adage, “Everything in moderation.”  Sounds pretty obvious, right?  You can eat your egg yolk (as long as you don’t eat five eggs a day) and not feel guilty.  Even dessert isn’t off limits if you don’t gorge yourself.  So this is why I’m going to give a shout out to something that has gotten a lot of bad press lately: meat.  It seem everyone is jumping on the vegetarian wagon, what with all the new vegetarian options out there.  Hey, I don’t have anything against tofu (I actually love tofu, but that’s a different story), but I have to defend my meat.  It’s delicious, packed with nutrition, and can be used in a million different ways.  Here’s why you should eat more meat:

Stronger Muscles – Meat has mad amounts of protein.  The health benefits are endless and as college women we suffer from some of the lowest protein levels of any age group (I blame cafeteria food).  Have a steak, gobble a burger, or grab a pork chop to pump up your protein levels.  There’s a reason they make protein powder: it helps build up your muscles and makes your workouts more effective.  If that means I’m going to get more benefit from the same amount of work (true story), then I now have a reason to drag my butt from the couch and go to the gym. With a steak.

Guy Cred – Meat has long been considered a man’s domain.  Men are in charge of the grill, they are the ones who traditionally hunt game animals, and they tend to be masters of meat preparation.  If you practice a bit or even take a barbecue class (they have those), you will get major respect when you step up to the plate and pull off a perfect medium rare steak (instead of a charred hunk of flesh).  You’ll probably get a Woman Of The Year award or something from Spike TV.

Shiny Hair – Want hair like you see in the shampoo commercials?  Then save your money on expensive product and head over to your local butcher instead.  Meat, particularly red meat and fish, can make your hair look all shiny and amazing like you’re an Herbal Essences model.  This is because of the high levels of iron and protein in these foods (and the fat content, which can be beneficial).  So, not only will your hair benefit, but your nails and skin will look amazing as well.  Done deal.

Piss Off Some Vegetarians – Sure, it may be petty and wrong and you might not even know any vegetarians, but some of them deserve to be antagonized.  Whether their patched-up, baggy corduroys piss you off or their unidentifiable, stinky vegan mash makes you sick, there’s a sure-fire way to get back at those annoying plant eaters:  eat meat.  This is what portable meat was made for, people!  Hot dogs, hamburgers, corn dogs, shish kabobs, and anything else that you can eat on a stick or with your hands.  Sweet, delicious revenge.

More Bang For Your Buck – Okay, so meat isn’t cheap.  However, it does have a ton of nutrition.  So if you were to try and get the same amount of nutritional value from veggies, you’d end up paying more for the massive amounts of greens you’d need in comparison to the small amount of meat that does the same thing.  See the value?  And I’d much rather have a turkey burger than five pounds of salad.  Just saying.

Look Classy – Nothing says “I’m a classy lady” better than a filet mignon.  Or a rack of lamb.  Extra points if you can actually cook these things (and cook them well…).  Think about it: every movie that includes a romantic dinner or a expression of extreme wealth has meat.  Steak Oscar, and coffee-rubbed hunks of beef (okay, now I’m hungry) are all a great way to say, “I’m classy and enjoy great food.”  Trust me, you’re not gonna see any tofu casserole on the menu of the restaurant on the top of the Eiffle Tower.

Having now survived a full week of fat camp, I think I can safely say that I probably have never worked as hard in my life as I have since I got here. I’m incredibly out of shape (which adds to the difficulty), and it’s been a big change for me. It’s been a good change, however; I needed to get out of my comfort zone.

Prior to this, my comfort zone entailed usually half-heartedly participating in team sports and eating bad food. Here I cannot and do not get to do either of these things. The biggest issue for me has probably been waking up early to do a three mile walk each morning. Considering that, if left alone, I can sleep until 8 PM, getting up to do such an activity is a big thing for me.

I’ve really learned how to let myself go a little however, which I definitely needed to do. All my life, I have had no athletic ability and try to hide it at any cost. But for the first time, I now play sports such as soccer and basketball with enthusiasm (meaning I actually run instead of walk), which makes me feel great. I’m forcing myself to take full advantage of this experience (except for when I did a boxing class, taught by a former bodybuilder, and broke down and cried in the middle) and my body is constantly reminding me of that by keeping me sore all the time .

But it’s good sore, right?

My daily cuisine has also changed quite a bit, and obviously so. The camp focuses on a special diet that emphasizes on low or no fat (12g max a day) and less than 1500 calories or so (preferably less than 1200).  For that reason they serve us extremely lean chicken and, instead of beef, bison, which has no fat and tastes exactly the same as beef. The food is not very good (and therefore I don’t eat much of it), but I guess it could be interpreted as a good thing.

I will give this camp one thing – they definitely keep you busy. Between five different activities each day and extra fitness classes (and gym time), I’ve had quite a bit to do. As a result I really don’t have time to write a long post about all of this, because my schedule is just so tight. And I’m just in so much effing pain from all of the mandatory exercise and the extra working out I’ve been putting in that I don’t know if I have the energy to describe everything I feel right now. I’m definitely feeling active!

By the time you guys will have read this I will have had my first weigh in – wish  me luck!

Now, the woman-in-trench-coat-peeping-through-blinds picture that accompanied the headline immediately got me excited for the juicy confessions of some private investigator. Boy was I wrong. Instead, Dr. Harry Fisch, author of Size Matters, decoded what size, shape, texture and taste (!!) mean when it comes to a guy’s libido. So, read on to find out what it means if…

…He’s Trim Around the Middle.

Cosmo Says: If the guy’s got a spare tire, all that extra fat will break down testosterone much faster than lean muscle, and “testosterone is the gas that drives the car. If it’s low…he’ll be tired, he’s not going to be able to exercise very much, he’s less likely to be in the mood, and his fertility will be lower.”

Kari Says: Interesting. I didn’t know a little extra padding could be so detrimental to a guy’s sex life. I mean, a huge potbelly is definitely going to lower a guy’s chances of getting laid, but I had no clue it would affect his performance/ potency when he eventually does bed someone. Testosterone must be pretty damn important.

…He’s Got Guns.

Cosmo Says: Yes, Kari, testosterone is pretty damn important. If you want to have great sex, find a guy who’s “trim and jacked” because all those muscles mean more testosterone. Also, tall, thin guys with bodies like noodles don’t produce as much, and some guys won’t produce a lot no matter how much they workout, those hopeless wimps.

Kari Says: Ugh, it’s nice to look at all those fake baked guidos glistening while they spot each other at the gym, but it’s another thing entirely to want to sleep with them. Even if they are producing mucho testosterone (and I’m not sure how black market steroids affect that hormone post-cycle), I think I might rather sleep with noodle boy and have mediocre sex than get my bump and grind on while jamming to house music. Just sayin’.

…He Parties Smart.

Cosmo Says: “Smoking and heavy drinking have the same effect on a guy’s mojo as a Rosie O’Donnell striptease.”

Kari Says: Poor Rosie, but ugh, vivid mental image. Anyways, Dr. Fisch explains that cigarettes constrict bloodflow to the penis, making erection a sometimes issue. But if a guy reeks of cigarette smoke, has yellow smokers’ teeth or has a red pleather Marlboro jacket (that he acquired by saving all those cigarette box tops), he’s gonna have issues wooing the ladies long before his junk doesn’t work. And the alcohol thing? Obviously, if a guy’s so toasted that I fear for the leather seats in my car, all he’s getting before bed is some ibuprofen and a bucket by the bed. But what if he’s still coherent and only slightly slurring? Well, as a victim of whiskey-dick syndrome, I can attest to the disappointment that comes along with alcohol-induced impotence. I agree with Dr. Fisch here.

…His Testicles are in Top Shape.

Cosmo Says: “Check out the size of his testicles, each should be the size of a walnut.” Also, check out the temperature, because if they’re running too hot, it might be because of a vein cluster called a varicocele. Find this by cupping his balls and running your thumb all over.

Kari Says: Cosmo, I’m beginning to be overwhelmed with all the testicular action you provide every month. You’ve taught me how to use them to enhance foreplay, control orgasm, and now determine future fertility risks. The uses for male reproductive organs will never end! The act of sneaking around his sack to find potential baby-making problems does seem kind of creepy, though; could you imagine if the guy noticed your facial expression was a little to concentrated? “Uh, what are you doing?” “Oh, nothing. Just exploring your reproductive value while pretending to pleasure you.” Awk.

…He Has Stellar Semen.

Cosmo Says: “You can glean a lot from the volume, clarity and taste of a man’s semen.”

Kari Says: No. Effing. Way. Cosmo, you have never shied from going into all the gritty details of all things sex, but there’s no way you would devote a column of an article to semen consistency, right? Wrong. Apparently, I’m supposed to measure out about half a teaspoon of jizz to determine if a) something is wrong or b) he masturbates a lot (I’m gonna go with b.) After that, I should check out how cloudy or clear it is—his ejaculate, not the weather—to see if he’ll have difficulty fathering my children. Finally, I should give it a good swish around my mouth to see if it’s salty (masturbates a lot) or sweet (hasn’t come for a while.) Pass. On all of the above.

…He Takes Just Long Enough

Cosmo Says: If he comes to fast, that sucks. If he takes too long, he could be masturbating too much, or he’s on anti-depressants and/or anti-anxiety meds.

Kari Says: Well, I’m definitely not gonna argue with you on this one Cosmo and Dr. Fisch. But in the second scenario, if he is taking a little too long (and there is such a thing, gentlemen!), I’d probably chalk it up to the masturbating thing before demanding a list of his prescriptions.

So what do you think? Good tips for determining a guy’s sexual abilities and reproductive health? Would you ever use any of this advice?

We are busy girls; there is no doubt about it. We’ve got class, and study groups, and student groups and work, and somewhere between all of that, we need to work out. And we need to get the most out of that limited time we have.

So we run to the gym, hop on the treadmill for 45 minutes, pack our things and move onto the next item on our daily agenda: the shower. We don’t have time to waste on stretching – we’ve got beer and pizza calories to burn, baby. Stretching is just an extra little thing, anyway; it’s not that important.

That’s what I used to think, but it turns out that stretching can be the most important part of a workout. Well, if you don’t want to mess up your body and do want to see more obvious results.

Stretching improves our flexibility, which is important for far more than just a few extra tricks in the bedroom. According to Body and Mind, stretching:

• Improves muscle balance around a joint, thus improving posture.
• Reduces the chance of injury when playing a sport or in every day activities.
• Increases the blood and nutrient supply to muscles and cartilage, thereby also reducing muscle soreness after training.

Every workout should end with a stretching session. For tips on how to stretch, click here. Doing stretches incorrectly will do more harm than good!

For ideas on new types of stretches to incorporate into your routine, click here.

Working out is important, but don’t forget to take care of your body in the process. And stretching is a great reward at the end of a difficult workout; why wouldn’t you want to do it!?

[Exercise, health and fitness are an important part of every woman’s life. But how do you know if you’re doing it right? And what new findings, tips and advice will help you reach your health fitness goals? Kelly, our fitness guru, will keep you updated every Monday with the latest and most beneficial news and advice for your health and body. Even if it involves some...er...alternative workouts.]

Now, I know what you may be thinking: I’m the same lady who, a few months ago, wrote a blog about how I felt about the ladies of the pole. You know – strippers. Now, while I voiced my opinion on how I felt about my boyfriend visiting them, I did not (and made it a point not to) bash strippers for what they were doing (their job).

So, when my girlfriend called me up a few weeks ago and asked me if I’d like to try a new workout class, which happened to be Introductory Pole Dancing, I was game. Hey, if nothing else I could get a feel for what it’s all about and maybe learn a thing or two… Plus, I had heard it was great exercise.

So, for $15 bucks, I signed up for my 90 minute (very long class!) workout around the pole.

When the class began, my girlfriends and I went into the studio and did about 30-45 minutes of intense stretching and warm-ups. Now, coming from an individual who barely stretches when she works out, this was something I wasn’t used to; I was using muscles that I didn’t think I even had! I cramped up quite a bit during the warm up, and I hadn’t even gotten near a pole yet.

Once we finally approached the pole, we started learning how to walk around it, were taught one trick, then eventually built up to a sequence combining sexy walking, the pole trick, and moving our bodies around the pole. It was different; I will admit I started cracking up a few times as the instructor told me to run my fingers through my hair. However, I felt like I got the hang of the simple moves and started to really get into it. After 90 minutes, I was bummed the class was over and anxious to sign up for more.

I enrolled in the six week Level 1 program.

This class is not as I pictured; I imagined lots of raunchy stripper moves, stripper heels and stripper hair. And it’s not. The Pole Dancing class was about strengthening your core muscles and your body, and learning how to connect with yourself as a female. It’s invigorating and empowering…and one hell of a workout!

Not only that – the class was fun! There is no better way to get a workout than in an environment that doesn’t feel like work (until you feel the aches and pains the next morning), and this class was definitely more fun than a 45 minute trip to the weight room.

Pole dancing may not be for you – though I do think everyone should try it! – but some alternative and new form of exercising will be. This class taught me to open up and incorporate something new into my workout routine, and you should too. Hip hop dance? Bike riding? Trampoline classes? Try something different. You (and your body) will not regret it.

(Photo courtesy of newsday.com)

While most people tend to focus on the right types of cardio to get their most successful workout on, it’s not the only way to tone, shape and define our bodies into what we want them to be.

Lifting weights can often get a bad rap; lots of women think that weight lifting is designated for those big, steroid looking macho men that hang around the gyms. But, little do some know, weight lifting is perfect for all shapes and sizes; it’s just a matter of finding what works for you.

According to the lovely safe-weight-lifting-for-women.com, weight lifting can help women:

• Have easier weight loss or weight maintenance

• A leaner, stronger body

• Improved appearance

• Better posture

• Lower blood pressure

• Increased resting metabolism rate

• Improved balance and coordination

• Stronger bones, and protection against osteoporosis

Bet you didn’t know that, eh?

What is the best way to incorporate weights into your workout to become a toned, but feminine buff chica?

If you don’t belong to a gym where you can use the free weights, go to a sports store and buy 5lb and/or 10lb hand weights. Then, grab a chick 8-minute Workout DVD, or go to an online workout website like FitSugar.com, where there are various videos demonstrating tutorials on how to workout. If you have a gym membership, talk to a trainer or try a weight lifting class, like Muscle Jam or Boot Camp.

Whatever you choose, make sure to incorporate weights into your weekly routine. Cardio is great, but it is by no means the only workout you need to get into tip top shape.