Fit Tip

It's well known that too much inactivity can slow down metabolism and lead to health problems, but it can be hard to fit in a long workout if you're just starting an exercise routine. Because research has shown that just a few minutes of activity can both improve your health and increase your calorie burn, make a goal to get a least 10 minutes of exercise a day.

One recent study found that just 2.5 minutes of intense activity can help you burn an extra 200 calories throughout the day. Another found that just four to six 30-second cardio sprints in between short periods of low-intensity exercise can help lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. The key is to make sure that you are challenging your body with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It can be as simple as running up and down the stairs, doing 30-second intervals of jumping jacks during an evening walk, or trying one of our Tabata workouts: an eight-minute squat and push-up workout, a 10-minute mat workout, or this 10-minute calorie-blasting Tabata workout. With all the benefits of just a few minutes of exercise, there's no excuse not to work up a sweat!

If your schedule is so jam-packed that it's tough for you to squeeze in a workout, it's best to get it done in the early morning. If setting your alarm early to exercise before heading to work seems cruel impossible, here are some tips to get you moving in the morning.

1. Lay out your outfit and all the fitness gear you'll need the night before so when you wake up, you won't waste time searching for a matching pair of wicking socks, a clean sports bra, or your headphones. Also charge any gear you might need, like your iPod.
2. Be sure to hit the hay early so you're well rested, and set your alarm to wake up to your favorite peppy song. Lately I've been rousing from my slumber hearing Rihanna singing "Where have You Been." I'm practically dancing out of bed. If you tend to hit the snooze button way too many times, try putting your alarm clock on the other side of the room.
3. Make a date with a friend or fitness trainer. If you set up a time to meet in the a.m., you'll feel obligated to go, even if your mind and body tell you otherwise.
4. Schedule something exciting and inspirational to look forward to for your morning workout. A 6 a.m. Zumba class with your favorite instructor, sunrise yoga in a heated studio, or a new workout playlist to run to is sure to pull you out of bed.
5. Eat something quick before you workout, but plan a special breakfast to eat after your workout as a reward for your efforts. Nothing make me run home faster than the thought of a nice warm cup of coffee.

Today is Veterans Day and to commemorate the day I thought we should cover where the fitness world and the military collide and that's the ever-popular boot camp. I talked recently with vet Ruben Belliard, co owner of Warrior Fitness Boot Camp in NYC. A former Marine (but I think Ruben would say once a Marine always a Marine), Ruben met his business partner Alex Fell at basic training, and now these two train for triathlons together. Both have seen action overseas but now spend their days helping us civies get our sweat on.

When I think military workout, I think pull-ups. Ruben clarified for me something you might already know: the difference between a chin-up and pull-up is not how high you go, but the grip. With a pull-up, your palms face away from you and this grip means you're relying on your back muscles to pull you up to the bar. The palms-facing-in grip of the chin-up means the biceps and the pecs can assist you in your upward motion. According to Ruben regardless of your grip, if you want to pull your head up toward a bar you need to strengthen your muscles by doing assisted pull-ups first. He suggests using the assisted pull-up machines (our fave way to tackle this move at the gym), superbands (a big rubber band that helps you up), or a friend to push your legs from below while you pull with all your might.

To learn why push-ups are important, keep on reading.

I went trail running yesterday and on my way back, I got a call from my mom. She was furious that I went by myself saying, "Do you know what kind of weirdos hang out in the woods?!" I assured her that I wouldn't have gone if I felt at risk, but I saw her point. There are perks to exercising alone, like time to be in silence and think and the ability to push yourself as hard or as easy as you choose, but it's not always the safest idea. If you prefer exercising outside on your own, here are some ways to keep you protected from danger.

• Always tell someone where and when you're going. I recently saw the movie 127 Hours, and if Aron just mentioned to someone that he was going out hiking alone in a crevice in Utah, he probably could have prevented hours of agony and the loss of his arm.
• Choose a safe location. Now is not the time to explore that new waterfall cliff your friend told you about. Exercise in an area you are familiar with, preferably one that's close to home, which you've visited before. You're more likely to avoid dangerous critters, poisonous vegetation, weird dudes with bad intentions, getting hurt, or getting lost.
• Even though you're solo, don't exercise alone. Choose a populated hiking trail or bike path so that even if you're on your own, help is just a yell away.
• Choose safe forms of exercise. Walking, hiking, running, or biking are usually harmless when you're alone, but if you get into more extreme sports like rock climbing or mountain biking, the risks for getting hurt are greater. Go easy when you're on your own and bring a friend when you want to kick it up a notch.

Keep reading for more life-saving tips.

I've been doing push-ups before hopping into bed for a few months now, and I find it both tones my arms and gets me tuckered and ready to snooze. Push-ups are my all-time favorite upper-body exercise because they are so darn effective. It doesn't take many reps before you feel them, and boy will you feel it in your triceps, shoulders, upper back, and core. Here are some tips to keep in mind when doing this exercise.

1. Check your alignment. Shoulders should be over your wrists and your body in one straight line. If it's too difficult to keep your spine straight doing classic push-ups, lower your knees to the floor — knee push-ups still work your arms.
2. Check your hands. Spread your palms and activate fingertips to protect your wrists. Turn your fingertips slightly inward to help target your triceps. Or widen your hands slightly to target your pecs.
3. Check your abs. Pull your navel in toward your spine to engage your core. It not only tones your abs, but will prevent lower back pain.
4. Connect your breath with your movements to make it easier. Inhale as you bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your torso down, and exhale as you straighten your arms and lift your torso back to the starting position.
5. Push-up variations beat boredom and target your body in different ways. Give these variations a try:
   • Elevated Push-Up: isolates one arm at a time
   • One Elbow In, One Elbow Out: isolates one shoulder at a time
   • Spider-Man Push-Up: targets your upper body and core
   • Diamond Push-Ups: targets your triceps
   • Grasshopper Push-Up: increases flexibility in your back and hips

When you first start running, it's important to think of yourself as a tortoise and not a hare, slowly easing yourself into running two to three miles a day, three to five days a week for about five weeks at a comfortable pace. This way, you can cover a lot of ground, yet still build endurance while minimizing injuries.

Once you're in a comfortable pace zone, you'll notice that you're getting in better shape and building a stronger aerobic system. But, to avoid hitting a plateau, it's a good idea to move out of your now-comfortable cruising pace and push yourself to run faster by doing tempo runs. A tempo run challenges you to run outside of your normal pace for a steady period of time (rather than in short bursts like interval training). To start training with tempo runs, Shape suggests 10-minute tempo runs for beginners, 20 minutes for intermediate runners, and 40 minutes for advanced athletes. What tempo runs do is they get you running faster, but at a speed that you can handle for an extended period of time.

Keep reading for more tips about getting past your normal running threshold.

If you've got a spring in your step because of the nice weather, you may want to enjoy the fresh air by starting a new running hobby. But being a runner isn't just about lacing up fancy new kicks and hitting the pavement. By incorporating a few exercises into your workout routine, you can help prevent some injuries that are common in the running world. Here are a few of them to start doing now.

• Strengthen those quads. Running is a great way to work out your hamstrings, so working on your quads is key to keeping your leg muscles balanced and for preventing injuries like runner's knee. To strengthen your quads, try adding squats to your routine.
• Stretch your IT band. If you've talked to regular runners, chances are you've heard them complain about IT band injuries or knee pain. Be proactive about these injuries by making sure you stretch out your IT band regularly, even if you aren't feeling any pain. Use a foam roller on the outside of your quads or do this standing exercise after a run to ensure you keep your IT band loose.
• Move laterally. Counteract all that forward-moving motion you're doing with exercises that get you moving side to side. Exercises like side lunges and side planks help strengthen stabilizing muscles, which are important for ensuring you're running correctly and efficiently. Doing skater's lunges are also beneficial.

Read on for three more important exercises for runners after the break.

Did you rise and shine bright and early this morning to watch Prince William and Kate Middleton say their vows? Or maybe you turned it into a giant pajama party and decided to stay up all night? Today, millions of people across the world are recalling their favorite moments from the royal wedding . . . they are also rubbing their eyes and drinking copious amounts of coffee, trying to stay bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at their day jobs. If only we were so lucky like the Brits to have this monumental day be declared a national holiday — aw well, at least we can sleep it off this weekend! Here are some tips for surviving today and feeling almost back to new by tomorrow.

Running is just about the best form of exercise (if your knees and back can take it) for so many reasons. It's cheap, you can do it anywhere, it burns major calories, and tones your thighs and bum beautifully. But sticking to the straight and narrow on all your runs can mean you're selling yourself short. To make your runs more effective, you need to mix it up. Vary your workout with one of these techniques the next time you lace up your sneaks.

1. Mix up your terrain: Doing so offers varying degrees of shock absorption for your joints and feet, so changing up your exercise terrain strengthens the muscles around your hips, knees, and ankles in different ways. Instead of sticking to the treadmill all the time, try to alternate your workouts between pavement, grass, dirt trails, sand, track, and your beloved treadmill.
2. Don't fear hills: Whether you're on a treadmill or the open road, add incline to your workouts. Running uphill will burn more calories, strengthen your leg muscles even more, and build your endurance. Then when you run on flat surfaces, you'll be faster and able to run longer distances. Seriously! You will feel like you're flying.
3. Vary your steps: Many runners suffer from repetitive stress injuries because they run the same way all the time. You can help prevent pain by varying your steps throughout your run. Try shortening or lengthening your stride, running with high knees, running in a zigzag pattern, skipping, or running sideways. You may get some funny looks if you're outside, but you can smile knowing you're avoiding injury.