You Asked

Hi Fit!
I've been going to the gym regularly for some time now. I do cardio and some strength training and I thought I was fit. Then I started a part-time job gardening. Now I'm wrangling hoses, hauling wheelbarrows and plants all over the place, digging, and squatting while weeding and planting. It is kicking my ass. Yesterday my back was just killing me after just three hours of planting fifty pots and hauling mulch. Good news is I have actually lost five pounds since I started this job, but do you have any suggestions for relieving that back pain issue?
— Green Thumb, Bad Back

I feel your pain, literally. Gardening is hard work and can really do a doozy on your spine. I recently did an entire Pilates session with a gardener dealing with back pain and will share my tips with you when you continue reading.

FitSugar readers are the curious sort, and you have lots of great questions. Over the last year, you have sent us some interesting ones. When we can, we answer them. Here are our favorite questions from 2010. If you have a fitness or health related question private message us here; I can always share it with DrSugar. Or pose your question to our community in the FitSugar Q and A group. We're all here to help.

Hi Fit,
I am training for a half marathon and I'm up to three miles a run. However, I've never been a runner before and suddenly I've been getting incredibly hungry. So far I've gone down a size since I started training! I've been wondering if I should increase my food intake, but I'm not sure by how much and which type of foods (protein, carbs, etc). Any suggestions?
— Running on Empty

Fueling your body well is an essential part of training for any endurance event. When it comes to running, carbs are king. Carbohydrates turn most readily into the glycogen, aka muscle fuel. But just eating pasta won't cut it, a well-balanced diet it key. To learn why just read more

Dear Fit,
I'm not trying to lose weight and I'm not training for a race, I just love to exercise because it relieves stress and lifts my mood. Once a day just isn't enough for me, so I've been exercising before and after work. I never do the same workout in one day, so I'll run with my dog in the a.m. and then before dinner, go for a bike ride. Or I might swim some laps at my gym, and then later take a yoga class. I just know my personality and I have a hard time standing still. I find that I feel so much better when I sweat it out twice a day, but is this bad for my body?
—Two-Timer

Experts suggest that we do about 30 minutes of exercise a day for health, and you obviously are going above and beyond that recommendation. To find out if there's any harm in that, read more

Dear Fit,
I'm just getting into strength training and have heard that I need to work all my major muscle groups (and not just focus on crunches to get rock-hard abs). Is it better to work all my muscles at every strength training session or focus on different muscle groups each time (ex. Mondays: arms and abs, Wednesdays: back and legs)?
—Trying to Tone Up

I love this question, as it's a really common one, actually. At the gym, I often see women strength training both ways. Some focus on toning certain areas of their bodies each day, while others do routines that work their entire bodies. To find out if one way is more effective, keep on reading.

Dear Fit,
I'm a huge nature freak, loving all creatures big and small. But now that the weather has warmed up, I'm sleeping with my bedroom window open, and cannot deal with the happily chirping birds at 4 am! In my half-asleep stupor, I got up to curse them off politely demand that they quiet down, and was even thinking so irrationally as to start throwing shoes to make them stop. My hubby kindly suggested I sleep with foam earplugs. Brilliant! They work like a charm. I've been wearing them every night for a three weeks straight, but now I'm wondering — could this cause permanent damage to my ears?
—Sleep-Deprived

I'm a light sleeper as well, and can definitely relate to not being able to snooze through birds singing in the wee hours of the morn. Earplugs are a great idea, and I've even had friends wear them to deal with a snoring spouse. To find out if there's harm in long-term wearing, read more

Dear Fit,
I've recently become a running addict and train with a group of people who have an incredibly high fitness level. However, for two weeks within the last month, I wasn't able to exercise and now I'm afraid that I've lost all of the fitness I've built up. I am planning to start back exercising today, so I'm not worried about never becoming fit again, but it has made me curious about how quickly someone can lose their fitness. I've heard it takes only seven days, but I don't know how true this is. Can you help me figure this out?
— Running Out of Time

This is a great question and something a little out of my range of expertise. I consulted with IDEA Health & Fitness Association Expert Fitness Physiologist Jason Karp Ph. D. to research the subject. To hear what I learned, read more

Dear Fit,
I'm trying to get rid of belly fat and I've read that the best way to do that is by doing intervals. I've been jogging slowly for two minutes, and then I sprint for a minute, but by the next time the next sprinting interval comes around, I'm still huffing and puffing. Sometimes, I even have to stop running altogether. How can I recover faster between intervals?
—Catching My Breath

Interval training is a great way to get rid of overall body fat, especially the tire around your belly. But it's not going to work very well if you can't keep up. I have some suggestions, so read more

Cardio is great for your heart and lungs, builds endurance, and burns major calories to reduce overall body fat, but it doesn't do much to sculpt your muscles or prevent injury. That's where strength training and flexibility training come into play, but how do you get started? A FitSugar reader asked this question on Facebook.

Dear Fit,
I have been running consistently since the new year (I actually am following through with a resolution!). I run about three times a week. I'm hoping to incorporate some weight training/resistance/yoga. I know you run and practice yoga. How do you break it down during the week?
— Looking to Tone Up

This is a great question as I'm sure many people want to get stronger, more sculpted muscles, but aren't sure how. To hear what I suggest read more