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I used to take Pilates at a studio where a very pregnant woman also came in for her sessions at the same time. She was obviously in very good shape, and it was an engineering marvel to see her gracefully swing her body from pose to pose despite her burgeoning belly. But I wondered at the time: How safe is Pilates for pregnant women?

To get a straight answer, I asked top Pilates pro Alycea Ungaro for her opinion on this matter. She's the owner of Real Pilates in New York City and author of the new book "Pilates Practice Companion ." She started off by offering several important cautions.

Ungaro said back-lying poses are considered a no-go after the first trimester. Lying supine puts pressure on a major vein called the vena cava, which can lessen blood flow to your brain and uterus; you may wind up dizzy, short of breath or nauseated. The woman I witnessed at her Pilates lessons spent a lot of time lying on her back. Although I never heard her complain once -- and she showed up for her session right up until the week she gave birth -- that doesn't necessarily mean she wasn't compromising blood flow to either herself or the baby. The instructor should have modified those back-lying moves by placing a pad or pillow under her hip or booty or by skipping some of those moves altogether. As Ungaro pointed out, she also shouldn't have kept her in any one position too long.

Extreme stretching is another concept that's off-limits during pregnancy, according to Ungaro. Pregnancy floods your joints with relaxin, a hormone that is important to help facilitate labor, but also causes joint laxity, putting you at greater risk for strains and sprains. The tendons that hold joints together are flexible but not terribly elastic, meaning that once they're overstretched, they don't snap back into shape. In terms of Pilates, you need to be careful of pushing the range of motion of any exercise to the limit. Even something that feels fine at the time may be doing more harm than good in the long run.

Ungaro also said that sense of balance is a huge issue during exercise in pregnancy -- as if any pregnant woman needs a reminder of that! As the baby grows, your center of gravity shifts. Even familiar ways of moving can become a surprising challenge. "Take extra care during one legged moves or exercises that require a rapid weight shifts," said Ungaro. It's also a good idea to drop anything that feels too shaky from your routine until after the baby is born.

OK, now for the good news: "When done correctly, Pilates can be very safe during pregnancy," said Ungaro. "It's uniquely adaptable for any level of fitness, all types of injuries and any stage of pregnancy. So long as you keep hydrated and stop and rest if you feel breathless, dizzy or light-headed you should do fine with it."

In fact, Pilates done right can help you sail through your nine months feeling more mobile and comfortable and help you bounce back sooner after giving birth. For example, rolling like a ball is a good exercise to do in early pregnancy because it helps unkink tight lower-back muscles. Planks and side planks are also great: These moves utilize the supportive transversus abdominals and oblique muscles to help maintain strength and stability in your torso as your main abdominal muscles stretch and weaken. Standing Pilates footwork, the entire series of arm weights and most Magic Circle moves also get Ungaro's thumbs-up.

If you decide to continue or even take up Pilates while there's a baby in your belly, Ungaro recommends looking for a Pilates teacher who has undergone additional training for prenatal fitness -- something I suspect the preggo woman's instructor did not. Pilates certification programs don't always include a pregnancy fitness module, so ask questions. Make sure your instructor has the proper training, knowledge and experience to work with you.


What are your thoughts on exercise during pregnancy? Got any good stories to share? Post 'em here.

Related Links:
Tips for Pregnant Runners
Is It Safe to Run During Pregnancy?
Folic Acid and Iron Crucial for Pregnant Women

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The average 12-ounce can of cola delivers 150 calories, almost all of them from sugar. So it would seem the more virtuous choice would be to crack open a can of diet soda every time you have the urge for a little sweet fizz. Anyone watching his weight feels virtuous making this choice, because who doesn't believe it protects one's waistline -- and overall health -- from an assault of unnecessary, empty calories?

Maybe it's time to think again. No study to date has ever shown diet soda to be especially useful in helping people prevent or shed unwanted pounds. In fact, there is a growing body of research that seems to suggest that high diet soda consumption is associated with a higher risk of obesity and may surprisingly carry an even greater risk of obesity than drinking regular, full-calorie and -sugar drinks.

In 2005, University of Texas Health Science Center researchers in San Antonio reported their findings culled from seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white American women aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese during the course of the investigation. For those who drank half a can of regular soda on a daily basis, their risk of being obese was 26 percent; for those who drank the same amount of diet soda, their risk jumped to 36.5 percent. Women who drank one to two cans a day fared even worse: Their obesity risk rose to 47 and 57 percent, respectively. In fact, for each additional can of diet soft drink a woman guzzled per day, her risk of being overweight went up by 65 percent and risk of obesity shot up 41 percent.

Although this sounds like pretty damming evidence, few experts are jumping to the conclusion that there is a direct cause and effect between diet soda and weight gain. The study is flawed in that it didn't track eating habits and total calorie intake or caloric expenditure, even though the two subject groups were notorious for their poor diet, exercise and other lifestyle habits, at least as demonstrated in other studies. Still, other investigations have come up with conclusions along the same lines.

One explanation could be that artificial sweeteners alter metabolism and brain chemistry in some way. They may tell the brain that the body has eaten something high in calories, but since it really didn't, the brain directs the body to go in search of those calories elsewhere, like from a sizable slice of pie or a yummy candy bar. Another explanation put forth by the University of Texas researchers is that perhaps people who've already begun to gain weight in the first place switch over to diet soda to prevent further weight gain but don't make the other corrections necessary to either lose weight or stop continued weight gain.

Whether diet soda causes weight gain, is linked to weight gain in some way or is simply a marker habit for obesity (meaning that the fact that someone drinks the stuff is something to watch out for) is impossible to say just yet. Only time and better studies will tell.

If you're serious about getting your weight under control and nothing seems to be working, it's definitely worth trying to at least cut back on artificial sweeteners and see if it helps your efforts. (There are certainly many other reasons you might want to curtail this habit anyway, like cuting back on caffeine, saving money and giving your teeth a break.) If you don't want to give it up, keep a food journal and track your total caloric intake to make sure you're not using diet items as a justification for other poor nutritional choices.

I admit to being a former diet cola fiend myself. I cut way back a few years ago and now have only an occasional can. My weight hasn't changed, but I'm certainly less bloated and I sleep better because of the caffeine reduction and the fact I don't have to get up six times a night to pee.

What about you? Have you ever ordered a diet soda with a ginormous piece of cake? Or do you think diet soda is a vile, evil nectar? Sound off in the comments section or chirp off to me on Twitter.


Liz Neporent holds a masters degree in exercise physiology and is certified by the American Council on Exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She has coauthored various books on health and fitness. Follow Liz on Twitter, @lizzyfit.

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Is pizza a healthy food? - Dina via Twitter

Since Americans consume around 350 pizza slices per second, I think it's safe to assume that many That's Fit readers have scarfed down a wedge or two in the past couple of days. Some of you ate with abandon, believing you've made a good nutritional choice, while others experienced the guilt that comes with crashing a diet. The question is: Who's right?

In nutritionist Keren Gilbert's opinion, pizza is a taboo food. "If you're watching your waistline, my advice is to stay away," Gilbert said. "The average amount of calories in pizza is around 350 and 10 grams of fat, not to mention it's loaded with sodium. If you decide to go for seconds and thirds as most of us do, you can have an entire day's worth of calories in one sitting," said the president and founder of Decision Nutrition.

Another nutrition expert, Jennifer Neily, has a somewhat different point of view. "When ordered 'smartly,' pizza can be a very good choice," she said. "The cheese can be a good source of dairy and calcium."

Neily does agree that pizza is laden with too much saturated fat. Depending on the cheese used, about two-thirds of the fat in a slice is of the artery-clogging variety. And both nutritionists warn that the oil and crust can be serious nutritional culprits if you aren't careful. But despite that, Neily believes there are worse fast-food selections.

Case in point: A Domino's Pacific Veggie slice with veggies, black olives, feta and provolone cheese on a thin Asiago crust is about 230 calories. Compare this to Nathan's Fish 'n' Chips at 1,537 calories, a Del Taco Mucho Beef Burrito at 1,170 calories, Burger King's Whopper with cheese at 760 calories, McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with cheese at 740 calories and KFC's Double Down at 540 calories. (All figures are equivalent to what you're delivered versus per serving.) Put in that context, pizza looks almost like a health food.

With just a little thought, you can reduce pizza's fat and calorie content while upping its nutritional value.

For starters, stick with thin crust. Thick crust and hand-tossed crust are just extra bread and white flour, which means needless calories and very little vitamins and minerals. And don't even think about biting into the new cheese-stuffed crust options!

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Is it safe to lift weights after having breast cancer surgery?

Doctors frequently tell their patients to lay low after having breast cancer surgery. The concern is that overusing the afflicted arm (and armpit) ups the risk of lymphedema, a painful arm swelling that many survivors experience. But last week, a study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania showed that participating in a supervised weight-training program after surgery doesn't increase the incidence of lymphedema -- and may actually decrease it. For many survivors, this study will be a real game changer.

The researchers followed more than 150 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer within the previous five years and who had had at least two lymph nodes removed but did not have lymphedema for about a year. The women were divided into two randomly assigned groups. Under the guidance of an experienced personal trainer, the first group practiced a strength-training program using light weights, which gradually increased over a roughly three-month period, and then continued lifting at home for another nine months. The other group followed the conventional advice usually given to patients after breast cancer surgery and kept their activity to a minimum.

At the end of one year, weight lifters slashed their risk of developing arm swelling by 35 percent, according to lead author Kathryn Schmitz, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and a member of Penn's Abramson Cancer Center.

Only 11 percent of the group developed lymphedema, compared to 17 percent of those in the nonexercising group. The women who'd had the most lymph nodes removed -- five or more -- experienced a nearly 70 percent risk reduction, with 22 percent of inactive participants developing lymphedema, compared to just 7 percent in the exercising group.

This latest study builds on previous research by Schmitz's team, which showed that weight training is safe and effective for keeping lymphedema at bay if you are first evaluated by a trained professional (such as a licensed physical therapist) and then follow a customized strength-training routine. Schmitz hopes her work will put fears to rest for both doctors and patients about returning to activity.

Schmitz pointed out that these findings may prove to be the greatest revelation for African-American women. Currently half of all breast cancer survivors have some sort of arm and shoulder problems, but African-Americans are more frequently diagnosed with later-stage cancer, have more nodes removed in surgery and are more apt to return manual labor jobs after medical care. This makes them prime candidates for developing lymphedema and, without proper evaluation and rehabilitation, more liable to lose their jobs because of it.

With the release of this study, Schmitz called on all women to practice what she's dubbed "squeaky wheel medicine." If your doctor doesn't automatically prescribe a physical therapy assessment and subsequent rehab, demand it," she said.

One important note of caution here: Schmitz does not want women to indiscriminately pump iron immediately after they undergo the knife. Just like heart patients who spend time in cardiac rehab before exercising on their own, anyone who's had surgery for breast cancer should have a trained expert teach them the basics.

Once you get your prescription, tell your physical therapist to go to the University of Pennsylvania's website to download programs the team has specifically developed for any professional working with breast cancer patients. They'll be released to all qualified professionals free of charge, though not to the public. (Schmitz said this is necessary to ensure proper treatment and keep patients out of harm's way.) She also encourages every cancer survivor to review the exercise guidelines for cancer patients released earlier this year by the American College of Sports Medicine.

I'd love to hear what survivors think about this groundbreaking information. Schmitz and her team are certainly interested in your stories and feedback. Post your comments here or tweet me.

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I don't think resolutions are bad. In fact, I think they can be very productive. The problem is that by mid-January, about 30 percent of resolutioners have already slacked off, and fewer than half still stick with their plan by the six-month mark.

Why is this? I think it's because most people blurt out their resolution declarations as they are raising a glass or as they struggle with the zipper on their holiday party dress. If you want a resolution that you'll actually follow, you have to get serious about it. And so, in the spirit of shedding that bothersome holiday pound -- and holiday pounds past -- here are some ways you can give your New Year's resolutions some traction.

Base your goals on more than a fleeting thought. We all have those moments when we resolve on the spot to do something. Those moments can be a spark for change, but having a strong initial commitment helps. You need to be prepared for some hard work, commitment, and, yes, a little sacrifice. The first month is always the toughest. After that, your routine will be established and you won't have to try so hard to make it work. Psyche yourself up to take it day by day for at least 30 days. Constantly remind yourself about priorities and what it would mean to actually make your weight loss happen.

Make your resolutions specific. This is goal setting 101. Saying you want to lose weight is a pretty worthless statement. If your goal isn't definitive, how will you know when you've reached it? Saying you want to lose 10 pounds is better because it's more concrete, but be sure that your numbers are based on reality. Picking a number out of thin air or because you think you should weigh the same as Jennifer Aniston won't get you very far. Look at established measurements like body mass index, body fat percentage, or, at the very least, a height/weight chart.

Create a plan of attack: It isn't enough to show up at the gym or buy a cute new workout outfit. You need to have an idea of how you're getting from point A (right now) to point B (your goal). Think through details like how often you're going to exercise, for how long, where, when and with whom. Write these details down. Post them where you can see them. Track them. Leaving it to chance virtually guarantees a crash and burn scenario.

Have a backup plan: What do you normally do when faced with temptation? Do you dig your spoon in and think, "Eh, I'll start again tomorrow"? Weak moments are inevitable. Prepare for them. When faced with brownies, mashed potatoes or buttered noodles, have a coping strategy in mind. You could laminate a card with your goals on them, keep inspirational pictures at hand or try 10 deep breaths. Whatever gets you through.

Track your progress: I can't stress this enough: Keep an exercise and eating diary. Research shows it can double your weight loss. Write down as much detail as you can think of. This will create a blueprint of your accomplishments -- and failures. If you succeed, you have a step-by-step guide outlining exactly how you did it. If you fail, the reasons are often contained on the pages of your log.

OK, so that's my rap on resolutions. What's yours? I'd like to hear what your resolutions are and how you plan to make them come true. Post your thoughts here or tweet me. Happy holidays!

More Ways to Keep a Resolution:
You Must Have Goals for Losing Weight -- And Keeping it Off
Set and Stick to Your Fitness Goals
How to Set Goals for Weight Loss

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Does it really matter how I breathe when I lift weights? -- Shannon via Twitter

Breathing is such a ridiculously easy thing to do, even new born babies get the hang of it in seconds. Why would anyone need explicit instructions on how to breathe during any sort of activity? Because in the case of weight lifting good breathing makes a difference. How you suck air into your lungs and push it out again is a matter of safety.

Most fitness instructors will tell you to inhale through the nose as you lift a weight, or exert yourself, and exhale through the mouth as you lower a weight, or release the exertion. With few exceptions I agree with this. To explain why this is true I need to get a tiny bit technical, so bear with me.

At peak exercise effort you may push yourself so hard that you accidentally close down your airways (the throat and nasal passages) but still continue to try to force air out anyway, a phenomenon is known as the Valsalva Maneuver. This causes a lot of excess pressure to build up within your thoracic cavity which can be dangerous for a couple of reasons. In the first place, it reduces blood flow to the heart. In the second place, the excess pressure can cause fainting, blood clots to detach from your blood vessels, irregular heart beats and heart attacks. None of these are good things.

People who are older, out of shape or very overweight are at particular risk for having this happen but I was once training a very young fit person who "Valsalvaed" during an especially heavy shoulder press; he keeled right over. So really everyone needs to remember to keep breathing when they pump the iron.

The only exception is during power lifting; power lifters valsava on purpose to create extra pressure around their abdomen which helps to protect their back and create extra core strength. Power lifters are very experienced and know what they're doing - and they don't hold the Valsalva indefinitely.

The best way to avoid holding your breath is to breathe in deeply through the nose as you lift and exhale deeply through your mouth as you lower. This has the added benefit of filtering out dust and germs from the incoming air and also keeping your airways moist. Exhaling through the mouth helps regulate heat and keep you cooler as well. You're also less likely to hyperventilate using this breathing pattern.

So now you know more about the "ins and outs" of breathing than you probably ever wanted. It's actually a pretty important topic and something you should pay attention to. But I would also add: If trying to breathe properly really hangs you up and you get confused trying to remember to move air through your nose and mouth in the right way, the most essential thing to remember is to just relax and remember to keep breathing at all. Never put yourself in a situation where you use weights that are so heavy you have to force the movement, fight to hold good form or feel yourself cutting off your breath.

Make sense everyone? Anything to add? Any experiences you'd like to share on the topic? Post here or tweet please.


More on Weights From That's Fit:
An Effective Guide to Weight Training
Weight Training Dos
Free Weights Versus Machines

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Is it possible to get in shape when you are really far gone? -- Sarah, New Jersey

I really appreciate getting this question because it seems like a lot of fitness information out there is meant for the person who is already exercising. For a newly minted novice, a quarter mile may as well be a 100-mile trek. If you're at this point, it's OK to consider lacing up your walking shoes to a victory -- because it is!

I think too many fitness plans ranked in the beginner category are lofty and thus discouraging. So here, I've come up with an ultra-basic workout schedule with the ultimate goal of completing a two-mile walk. If you're starting from absolute zero (i.e., you're overweight, you're sedentary and you haven't worked out in years), expect it to take you six to eight weeks to make this one happen, and when you do, shout "woo hoo!" You should feel proud when you accomplish this.

In fact, you may be starting from minus one, so if takes you longer than that, that's OK, too. Just stick with it and do as much as you can every day, even if it's just a tiny bit. I promise you, consistency is what will get you to the finish line. I chose a two-mile walk as a good starter goal because it's within the grasp of most people and doesn't require joining a gym or buying a lot of fancy equipment. Fewer barriers equals fewer excuses not to at least try.

All you need is a decent pair of walking shoes, a measured course, and a stopwatch or sports watch with a chronograph. If you're a woman, wear a sturdy, supportive sports bra, too. Dress appropriately for the weather, of course. You don't have to break the bank for the walking shoes; pass up the shelf with the $100 to $200 models and opt for something in a more modest price range. Most shoes that cost around $40 to $50 should offer you enough support and cushioning to get you through this program without feeling aches and pains. However, be advised that most people experience some muscle pain and mild discomfort in the first few days when their muscles are waking up after a long layoff.

Consider doing your walks at a local running track or park path with distance markers to make it easy to keep track of your distance. If neither is available, drive around a quiet area in your neighborhood and note quarter-mile landmarks on your odometer until you have measured off two miles. (If even that isn't feasible, that's fine, too. Just assume that in the beginning, a quarter mile is equal to about six minutes.) Oh, and keep a journal. It's motivating.

To start, walk a quarter of a mile and time it. Try to walk almost every day of the week noting the time and the intensity. (It's OK to miss a day here or there.) Aim for a moderate intensity: On a scale of one to 10, where 10 is the hardest workout you can imagine, you want your session to feel somewhere between five and eight. When you evaluate intensity, consider how hard your heart is pounding, how deeply you're breathing, the pressure on your joints and the overall difficulty of accomplishing the task. The time it takes you to complete the distance will gradually drop as you get fitter.

Once you can walk a quarter mile at a five or lower intensity at least three days in a row, increase to a half mile at least one to two days of the week. After that, gradually increase the number of days you can do half a mile, until you can walk that far every single workout. When you can do half a mile at a five intensity or lower at least three days in a row move up to three-quarters of a mile at least one or two days a week and so on until you can complete the two miles. Stick with a five-days-a-week minimum schedule.

At around week three of this program, consider adding a two- to three-days-a-week basic strength-training program. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something that hits all the major muscle groups and works on overall body strength and tone. There will be plenty of time for fine-tuning later. You should also consider taking a good look at your eating habits. I'm not a huge fan of diets, but I do think everyone can benefit from a nutritional tune-up. In most cases, just monitoring portion control and making an effort to eat plenty of fruits and veggies will get you better results than the latest whack-a-doodle diet.

I hope this inspires you to spring up off the couch and get moving. Those of you who have been there, what further tips do you have to share for those just taking their first steps towards a healthier lifestyle? The best motivation usually comes from those who have succeeded! Post your comments here or tweet them please.

More Stories to Get Started:
The 15-Minute Weight Workout
Tips on Starting a New Diet
Get Good Shoes
Find a Good Sports Bra

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Will better posture make me look skinnier? - Christina, Queens, N.Y.

There's an old saying that goes "If you can't lose weight, at least stand up straight." I think this is one old saw that is absolutely true. Better posture makes you look better instantly by giving you a longer, leaner, more self-assured appearance.

"Although most can't define it, people intrinsically know good posture when they see it," said Leland Vall, certified Alexander instructor and author of the Free Your Neck blog. "There is a lightness with strength, often a clear voice and an attractiveness that has little to do with the standard parameters."

I like this description because it gets away from the idea of trying to jam your spine into the uncomfortable, straight lines of a wooden soldier. Beautiful posture -- or alignment, as it's often called -- should be unforced and effortless; it should look free and easy and open you up so you move more gracefully and breathe more openly. But how do you achieve this?

Different disciplines come at improving posture in different ways so I thought it would be useful to offer a variety of options from different experts. I often find that it's best to listen to many different solutions to the same problem and take the bits you need from each of them.

Alexander Technique
Alexander Technique is a discipline that focuses on body awareness and maintaining body alignment. It is very subtle and uses a lot of imagery to help you envision how to reposition and relax your body. You change the way you use your body by changing your mindset, so many consider it the ultimate "mind-body" exercise technique. (Find more on Alexander and other type of body work techniques here.) I've taken a few lessons and found it hard to grasp but extremely helpful. Two examples from Vall to get you thinking about proper body use and alignment:

Think of your body as a fountain: You may think of your body as a static structure, slowly succumbing to gravity. Instead, envision it as one that is constantly renewed by the pumping of your heart and the rhythm of your breathing. This will help you to stand more naturally.

Think of your body as an archer's bow: This will help you to bend more easily. Instead of pulling yourself down, resist the downward movement just as the bow does when the string is pulled.

Personal Training
"Most of us have jobs that require us to be sedentary for eight to 10 hours a day. All this time spent sitting in chairs results in rounded shoulders and poor posture," said J. J. Valdivia, a personal trainer with New Jersey-based New Fitness Concepts. "To make matters worse, the majority of exercises we perform in the gym are isolation exercises such as bicep curls and leg extensions when the human body was designed to perform total body movements that activate the core."

Valdivia suggests doing exercises such as dead lifts, squats, pull ups and push ups to better your posture. These strengthen the body as a whole and create a more balanced physique. He also recommends rising up from your chair more often; take a break at least once an hour by getting up and going for a walk or at least doing some stretching movements that counteract the time you spend hunched over. One simple stretch is to clasp your hands behind your back, straighten your arms and press them up and back as you lift your chest up. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat as often as needed.

Pilates
Pilates stretches your muscles, improving your posture and helping you appear taller. As someone who takes Pilates on a semi-regular basis, I can attest that one of its primary purposes is to realign your body and bless you with the grace and fluidity of movement. You start to feel this by the end of just one session.

"Exercising with proper alignment will not only significantly reduce your risk of injury -- it will also substantially improve your results," said Alycea Ungaro, owner of Real Pilates in New York City. To this end, she has created the very cool Real Alignment mat. This mat caught my eye because of its unique "balloon illustrations" that mark specific spots for your head, shoulders, navel, hips and feet, as well as a centerline for your spine. These markers ensure symmetrical placement of your body no matter what type of movements you are doing.

Ungaro also put together three posture revitalizing moves specifically for Fit or Fiction readers. Check them out here!

Yoga
Ashley Turner, star of the brand-new "Element: Yoga for Weight Loss" DVD, said that when we stack the joints symmetrically, we place the muscles and structural body in its natural alignment. When practiced properly, yoga can correct misalignments in the physical and energetic body. "Proper alignment ensures injury prevention because you don't place too much weight or stress on any one joint or any one part of a specific joint." Here are three of her best tips for polishing posture:

Focus on symmetry. As you practice yoga (or exercise), scan your body internally and notice if one side is more open than the other (right versus left, front versus back). Try to even out the stretch, openness and flexibility on both sides of the spine. Visualize the breath like water flowing up and down the body, gently dissolving tension.

Follow your breath. We all have natural holding patterns of stress and tension in the body, which create misalignments in our structural body. Tension causes muscle tightness, which then pulls on ligaments and tendons and torques the body asymmetrically. By focusing on the breath (breathing in and out only through the nose; maintaining long, slow, deep breaths), you begin to release tension in the body and increase circulation, which, in turn, allows for more range of motion and a gradual increase in flexibility.

Stack your joints. Try to stack your joints symmetrically in all poses. For example, in plank, shoulders, elbows and wrists should be in one straight line. In warrior two, the knee should be directly over the ankle joint and the shoulders over the hips.

More ways to look thinner instantly:
10 Ways to Beat Bloating
Lose Water Weight
24-Hour Weight Loss

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Is it safe to wear minimalist shoes to run a marathon? Bianca -- Newton, Mass.

You may recall that a while back I wrote a column in praise of minimalist footwear. For those of you who've never heard the term, this is a newish category of running shoe that's lightweight and meant to mimic the aspects of running barefoot -- the same way our ancestors did before Nikes and New Balances were readily available.

The big advantage to wearing minimal footwear is that it forces the foot and ankle to work harder to support the body during movement, just as nature intended. After years of lazing around in stiffly structured shoes with tons of support and cushioning, these joints must finally start pulling their own weight. As a result, much of their natural strength and flexibility is restored.

Keep in mind this is all theory. There really isn't enough research for or against it just yet. Since this is the case, I decided to ask two trusted experts for their opinions on this topic.

Jason Karp is an adjunct professor of applied exercise physiology at Miramar College in San Diego, Calif. He holds a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and a minor in kinesiology, the study of how muscles move and function. He is a certified USA Track & Field coach and travels all over the country coaching and speaking to running athletes.

Here are his thoughts on minimalist shoes: "I've been asked a lot lately about barefoot running/minimalist shoes. I'm not a big fan. For most people who run (who are also overweight), they are putting themselves at an increased risk by not having shoes with shock-absorbing qualities. We tend to copy what the best runners are doing, but while the Kenyans and Ethiopians grow up running barefoot, Americans do not, so it is not a natural way for us to run like it is for them. People can try it, but they would have to integrate it very slowly and systematically into their running. People tend to forget that running shoes have quite a bit of engineering associated with them that are meant to absorb shock and dissipate forces, so it's not like shoes are bad for us."

As the footwear editor of Shape magazine, Sara Bowen Shea tests just about every training shoe that comes on the market. She's very opinionated, which, for our purposes, is a good thing, as she's given us her honest take without holding back. (If you don't believe me, check out the book she coauthored with Dimity McDowell, "Run Like a Mother" -- it's a funny, enlightening take on running after having kids.)

Shea is no fan of the minimalist trend, either. "Right now, in large part because of [the] huge success of the book "Born to Run," everyone is intrigued with barefoot running or minimalist shoes. Vibram Five Fingers are wildly popular, and I've know[n] people who run in them. But for [the] vast majority of runners, I think minimalist shoes are a bad idea. Sure, most people don't need tons of support and stability devices, but people are going to run into trouble when they swing too hard away from that stuff. Cushioning and mild stability help prevent injuries -- I mean, look at top marathon [runners]. They are spending tons of time on their feet, and they are in shoes with both those features."

After running in the New Balance 100s for the better part of a year, I am going to respectfully disagree with my colleagues -- at least in part -- and cautiously recommend that you consider running the marathon in your minimalist shoes if you are a serious runner. Now here are my thoughts on the topic.

I gave the Vibram Five Fingers plenty of chances, but I just couldn't work it out with them. These are the shoes with the five separate toe compartments, and, for me (as I suspect is the case with many runners), therein lies the problem. Every time I try to put them on, it takes me a good five minutes to sort out my toes and try to get them into the correct pockets. I will blame this on my gnarly hammer toes and knobby corns and bunions, but I have run out of patience. I have also found they turn a little flat footed after about five miles. So these I don't think will work for a marathon.

That still leaves you with a decent selection of minimal footwear; there are literally a dozen or so types and brands currently being marketed under that banner. You need to shop around and find what works best for you. You should definitely train, race shorter distances and do your longest training runs in the particular pair of minimalist shoes you plan to run your marathon in. If you train in those successfully, with no injuries or out-of-the-ordinary aches or pains, for at least three months prior to the big race, I don't see why you shouldn't be able to run a full marathon in them, though I can honestly say I haven't spoken to anyone who has. Anyone out there care to chime in?

The farthest I've run in my New Balance 100s is 15 miles, and I've never had any problems. In fact, just the opposite: I used to get a lot of blackened and lost toenails from my toes bumping up against the hard toe boxes of the more structured kicks I used to wear, and that problem has virtually disappeared. (More from That's Fit on bunions here.)

After much "sole" searching, I do agree with Karp and Shea that minimalist footwear probably isn't for most people. I think they'll work best for those on the lighter side of 150 pounds and for those who have decent running form and are largely injury free to begin with. If that describes you, I think you're in business. Comments? Post 'em. Tweet 'em.

And click here for more tips on buying running shoes.

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I've never been able to do a real, honest-to-goodness push-up. I'm turning 40 soon. Should I just give up? Joyce - Brooklyn

I'm glad someone asked me this question. Somewhere along the way, women -- and yes, some men, too -- were given the impression that they weren't capable of doing honest-to-goodness, old-fashioned, full "military-style" push-ups in which you press your body weight up and down while balanced on your palms and toes.

I beg to differ. I have led strength-training groups that have included people of all ages, including women in their 70s (and kids as young as 6!), doing full push-ups in a matter of weeks.

Push-ups are part strength, part skill. Depending on where you're starting from, you can expect to be able to do one complete set of perfect push-ups in anywhere from four to eight weeks if you train properly.

Here is a training program that will get you there. To do it, you'll need a few sets of dumbbells and a workout bench. If you don't have a workout bench, you can substitute a step bench or a stability ball. Oh, you also need a positive attitude. You can do this!

Push-ups mainly work the chest, shoulders, triceps and core muscles. However, it's important to balance out the opposing muscle groups, which is why one workout a week focuses on your back and biceps.

You'll do three to five sets of six to eight reps. Choose weights that are challenging, but still allow you to maintain good form. Rest at least one day in between each workout. When you can do eight reps on nearly every set easily, don't increase the weight but instead move on to the next phase.

Try this and let me know how empowered you feel the first time you press your weight up into the full plank position. I know you will.

PHASE I

Workout 1
Dumbbell Press
Non-Military Push-Ups
Plank (10-second hold)
Shoulder Press
Bench Dips (knees bent)

Workout 2
Dumbbell Row
Biceps Curl

Workout 3
Dumbbell Press
Non-Military Push-Ups
Plank
Shoulder Press
Bench Dips


PHASE 2

Workout 1
Dumbbell Press
Incline Push-Ups
Plank (20-second hold)
Shoulder Press
Bench Dips (legs straight)

Workout 2
Dumbbell Row
Biceps Curl

Workout 3
Dumbbell Press
Incline Push-Ups
Plank (30-second hold)
Shoulder Press
Bench Dips (legs straight)

PHASE 3

Workout 1
Dumbbell Press
Negative Push-Ups
Plank (30-second hold)
Shoulder Press
Bench Dips (legs up on chair or bench)

Workout 2
Dumbbell Row
Biceps Curl

Workout 3
Dumbbell Press
Negative Push-Ups
Plank (30-second hold)
Shoulder Press
Bench Dips (legs up on chair or bench)

Phase 4

Workout 1
Military Push-Ups
Plank (40-second hold)
Shoulder Press
Bench Dips (legs up on chair or bench)

Workout 2
Dumbbell Row
Biceps Curl

Workout 3
Military Push-Ups
Plank (40-second hold)
Shoulder Press
Bench Dips (legs up on chair or bench)

If you've got the desire to conquer some other amazing feat of strength, let me know. Chin-ups anyone? Post your comments here or tweet me, please.

And for more on push-ups, check out Why You Need Push-Ups, and why, once you can do one, you should Never Retire Them from your workout program.

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Do men lose weight more easily than women? -- Marie, Phoenix, Ariz.

There are a lot of cliches about men -- they're slobs; they love meat; they're mesmerized by bright, shiny objects. I won't comment on any of these. But there is one true statement about those with a Y chromosome: They have an easier time shedding pounds.

Men are born with greater muscle mass and less fat than women. Although there's no exact standard, it's generally accepted that a healthy man should carry between 12 and 20 percent body fat, whereas a healthy woman should carry between 16 and 30 percent body fat. Since muscle is more metabolically active than fat, that means men have a head start in the calorie-burning department, even when they are simply plopped on the couch channel surfing. (Note: The American College of Sports Medicine now judges body fat percentage on a scale of above average to below average based on age and sex; you can learn more about these guidelines here.)

Men also have more testosterone, a hormone that just loves to churn through calories and body fat. Women, on the other hand, have more estrogen, a hormone that is programmed to store body fat in order to help women get pregnant and support breastfeeding. This means men have a metabolism that is approximately five to 10 percent higher than that of a woman of the same height and weight.

Back to channel surfing: it seems that women tend to do more of it. One study reported in the American Journal of Physiology found that women burn off 16 percent fewer calories doing daily activities than men, meaning they move less and engage in more sedentary pastimes. And when they do exercise, the study found that their burn rate was 37 percent lower on average than men. There are many reasons for this: Women tend to weigh less, have less muscle and a smaller lung capacity, and move more slowly compared to male exercisers.

Also, it would be hard to argue that men seem to have fewer psychological bonds to food, weight and body image. Even the most secure woman tends to spend a lot of time obsessing about what she's going to eat, not going to eat, the size of her thighs, dieting, pudding, losing weight, gaining weight, fitting into that dress -- the list goes on. As a result, she's constantly falling on and off the wagon, which is likely to further mess with her metabolism and make it even more challenging to lose weight.

I don't have any studies to prove it, but it has been my observation that men typically don't suffer as much from the same issues. They are usually more at peace with their mushy bellies and tight jeans and seem to experience no guilt after consuming a piece of cake. And when they decide to lose weight, they seem to be able to just flip a switch without a lot of pain and agony.

But perhaps I've slipped back into cliches? Maybe women are more secure than I think, and men are secretly counting calories and checking out their butts in the mirror every chance they get. You tell me. Post your comments here. Don't get personal but don't hold back. Or tweet me.

While you're at it, you can learn more about weight loss groups for men and how to choose a weight loss program in general.

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Do toning shoes really work? - Sally, New York, N.Y.

Toning shoes, which are all the rage these days, are a style of shoe with a curvy-convex sole reminiscent of your granny's orthopedic footwear. Sketchers was the first mainstream shoe company to come out with a shoe in this category and to claim walking in them helps improve posture, ease back pain, sculpt the thighs and build a booty that Beyonce would envy, all without entering a gym or brushing past a dumbbell.

MBT was the first unstable shoe on the market and there has been a range of studies on their effects on body mechanics, although much of the research does not focus on muscle strengthening. Other companies (Reebok Easy Tone, Fit Flop, etc.) have followed along in MBT's footsteps to cash in the trend. Now New Balance has entered the ring with The Rock & Tone and True Balance.

Although a lot of complex data has been tossed around about this type of footwear, there's actually little research either proving or disproving the claims about toning. New Balance, like other brands, announced it had performed extensive testing on its models and declared it had evidence to back up the assertions made in its advertisements and press releases.

New Balance says it performed extensive consumer wear testing on The Rock & Tone and that consumers noted the toning effects in as little as one week. Furthermore, these results were supposedly substantiated in the lab by Dr. Joseph Hamill, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts and one of the world's experts on lower-extremity biomechanics, along with the scientists at the New Balance Sports Research Laboratory. The combined team did a variety of tests including electromyography (muscle activity), VO2 (oxygen consumption) and "blind" human perception testing. The True Balance press release pretty much echoes the same.

The problem with all of this? When asked repeatedly, New Balance would not -- or could not -- provide any real supporting data. Those of you who read this column on a regular basis know that when I discuss a topic, I often cite studies and nearly always link to abstracts or published investigations so you can see for yourself what sort of scientific evidence I am using to back up my arguments.

Whether we are talking about shoes, calories or fossils, I would never pass off a press release as a source unless I specifically say so, and then explain why I am falling back on such a shallow snippet of information.

When pushed, New Balance ultimately produced a three-slide PowerPoint presentation summarizing the investigation. It showed the shoes increased the activity in the muscles of the rear and back of the thighs by 16 percent, the front of the thighs by 29 percent and the lower legs by 14 percent; calorie burn was bumped up 10 percent.

Of course, there is no way to verify the truth of these statements, so I take them with a grain of salt. And even if they are true, the presentation says that the tests were performed on a mere 12 subjects. There is some subjective information gleaned from questioning an additional 48 volunteers. Not exactly enough to fill a stadium or even a local road race.

All of this comes on the heels of a newly released American Council on Exercise-commissioned study that looked at the toning shoe category, though not the New Balance models specifically. The investigation was performed by team of researchers from the Exercise and Health Program at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.

Using what appear to be similar tests as the New Balance team (though again, it's hard to know), the researchers found that toning shoes do not deliver the fitness or muscle toning benefits they claim and that they simply do not offer any benefits that people cannot reap through walking, running or exercising in traditional athletic shoes. Granted, this study also had only 12 subjects, so it's difficult to draw any sweeping conclusions. But at least they've made their methods and conclusions readily available for all to see and evaluate.

That's Fit asked four women who are experienced toning shoe wearers to evaluate the New Balance shoes for themselves. All four gave both models high marks for comfort, though all said that any extra work, toning and calorie burn was "subtle at best." Interestingly, New Balance is pushing both shoes for their "aesthetic superiority," which is a fancy way of saying they look less orthopedic than the other toning brands, but all of our testers commented on how aesthetically inferior they felt the sneakers were. In other words, they thought the shoes were ugly. So there you go.

Now it's your turn to weigh in. Has anyone had success developing a bodacious butt from wearing these kicks? Lost some inches? Dropped a few pounds? Have you tried numerous brands and done your own comparison? Have you tried either type of the New Balance? I tried them both and thought they were comfy, but I, too, didn't feel much extra work by wearing them. And I also thought they were kinda ugly, like all the other entries in this category.

I'd just like to say that I am a big fan of New Balance shoes in general. As you can see from my previous review on minimalist shoe brands, they are one of my favorites in that category, and I continue to run in the New Balance 100s. Additionally, here is some more information on toning shoes. Post your comments here or tweet me.

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Will drinking water help me lose weight? - Katie, Penn.

Whether it's South Beach, Zone or American Heart Association, all diets seem to make the same claim: Drinking water will help speed up weight loss. But actually, the evidence concerning this assumption is all over the map.

One 2004 German study found that drinking 17 ounces of water sped up the metabolic rate of volunteers by more than 30 percent for about 30 minutes. When subjects downed six glasses (51 ounces) of water in a day, they burned calories at a rate that would theoretically add up to a five-pound weight loss over the course of a year. The study was quite small, only 14 healthy young people, but the results are compelling enough to make you think twice about passing by a water fountain without taking a drink.

Another study done in 2009 at Virginia Tech found that those who guzzle a glass of water before a meal eat 75 fewer calories. Though just the equivalent of a few forkfuls of pasta or a few bites of dessert, you could theoretically wind up nearly 15 pounds lighter in a year simply by making this one little change. Indeed, the water drinkers lost 44 percent more than the nonwater drinkers over a 12-week period. All good, until you consider that their total weight loss was less than a pound.

Another group's approach to the question is far more clever, in my opinion. University of Pennsylvania researchers examined how drinking water affects calorie consumption by comparing one group of women who ate a chicken-and-rice casserole, a second group who ate the same casserole and downed a large glass of water and a third who ate a bowl of chicken soup containing roughly the same number of calories as the casserole.

Both chicken casserole-eating groups reported the same level of satisfaction and ate approximately the same number of calories in later meals. Drinking water didn't seem to offer any calorie-reducing advantage.

But interestingly, the soup eaters reported feeling the most satisfied and subsequently ate about one-third fewer calories. This led the researchers to speculate that drinking water with a meal doesn't fill you up or leave you feeling any more satisfied, but watery foods may, for reasons that are still unclear, leave you feeling fuller and more satisfied than drinking water with your meal. So perhaps watery foods, rather than water itself, will do the trick.

Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, a childhood obesity pedestrian and author of "Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right," said people often mistake thirst for hunger, turning to food when all they really need is a glass of water. For that reason, it's possible that staying well hydrated can indirectly help with calorie control.

She also points out that when you substitute water for sugary, high-calorie beverages (as I mentioned in a previous post), there is a very good chance you will wring calories from your diet that may be the cause of your perpetual belt tightening. An Oakland Research Institute investigation found that dieters who replace sugary drinks with water lose an extra five pounds a year. This is one of the reasons that Dolgoff asks the participants of her Online Weight Loss Program for kids to drink more water.

Weight control aside, there are plenty of important reasons to wet your whistle. Made up of nearly 70 percent water, your body is a veritable ocean. You lose water during various biological functions, such as breathing, perspiring and urinating. Taking in adequate amounts of water keeps your skin healthy, your brain functioning properly and your blood flowing freely. "But the idea that you must have eight glasses of water a day isn't really true," Dolgoff said. "As long as you're getting the equivalent of at least four through liquids and watery foods, you aren't at risk for dehydration."

Here's a list of some common activities and the amount of water you potentially shed when you do them. Keep in mind that you have a built-in mechanism for thirst, so the best advice is simply to listen to your body and drink when you feel parched.

What do you think? Has water helped you lose weight or do you think this theory is all washed up? Dish your opinion here, please, or tweet me @lizzyfit.

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