Tight muscles. Waning body temperature. Sluggish blood flow. Sound like a set-up for injury? You're right. Regardless of your personal workout choice, one truth applies to everyone: Preparation can prevent injury.

Many common exercise injuries stem from overlooking two basics: warm-up and stretching. Take a closer look...

Warm-up: Before you get started, your blood flow is not what it's going to be. If you're exercising in the morning, blood flow and body temperature are at their daily low. The idea of a warm-up is to swing your body into gear gradually -- not suddenly. A good warm-up consists of slow, deliberate, rhythmic movements -- such as very light bend-and-back movements for waist, arms, legs, and more. Keep it up for five minutes to increase your blood flow gradually. This is called warm-up because it actually makes your muscles warm!

Stretch: After the warm-up, stretch. Why not first? A warm muscle stretches better than a cold one. Like the warm-up, this session should be lightly paced. Focus on each group of muscles you will use in your workout -- head, neck, back, arms, shoulders, pelvis, upper legs, lower legs, and feet. You need to loosen up muscles, and focus on range of motion.

A good stretch lengthens muscle fibers. Long, loose fibers are less vulnerable to injury during exercise. For specific stretches targeted for your activity, consult your trainer, coach, or exercise specialist.

Six rules that make stretching really work:

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Jumping into a jacuzzi always sounds so soothing when you've sprained, twisted or wrenched some part of your body. There's just something about the warm, whirling water that makes you feel as if the hurt will be all better.

There's just a little catch to that moment of pleasure: The soothing warmth -- of jacuzzi water, heating pads or hot baths -- can actually prolong the pain and extend your recuperation.

How does this stranger-than-truth concept work when heat can feel so yummy? Injuries, you see, result in swelling. You can observe the area puff up with severe twists, while minor pulls bring on swelling in soft tissue that you can't really see.

What you want to do -- immediately, if not sooner -- is stop or reduce swelling. That's because any swelling causes damage to tissue cells which slows healing and makes movement of the hurt body part impossible or painful.

Without movement, you can't maintain strength or flexibility, not only in the hurt part but in adjoining muscles that are also forced into inactivity. Once the swelling goes down, you'll have more strength and endurance to catch up on.

Losing the fitness you worked so hard to gain can be frustrating. Watching from the sidelines isn't any fun either. Regaining your workout motivation can be really tough.

Heat actually increases the amount of demon-swelling that will sideline and frustrate. Ice, as much as it makes you cringe, is your best friend.

Even the tiniest twinge or pain will get numbed out from ice packs. Aggressive athletes can use ice after nearly every intense workout because when you push that hard, you invariably tweek a few muscle fibers. Once you get used to the initial sting of the cold, you'll love it. Or most of you will. Some people have zero tolerance and will never get used to the deep freeze.

Here are the guidelines:

Exercise Myths

Fitness Tips - 10 Exercise Myths

Although some old fitness fictions, such as "no pain, no gain" and "spot reducing" are fading fast, plenty of popular exercise misconceptions still exist. Here are some of the most common myths as well as the not-so-common facts based on current exercise research.

1. You Will Burn More Fat If You Exercise Longer at a Lower Intensity. The most important focus in exercise and fat weight control is not the percentage of exercise energy coming from fat but the total energy cost, or how many calories are burned during the activity. The faster you walk, step or run, for example, the more calories you use per minute. However, high-intensity exercise is difficult to sustain if you are just beginning or returning to exercise, so you may not exercise very long at this level. It is safer, and more practical, to start out at a lower intensity and work your way up gradually.

2. If You�re Not Going to Work Out Hard and Often, Exercise Is a Waste of Time. This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from maintaining or even starting an exercise program. Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example, regular walking or gardening for as little as an hour a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

3. Yoga Is a Completely Gentle and Safe Exercise. Yoga is an excellent form of exercise, but some styles are quite rigorous and demanding both physically and mentally. As with any form of exercise, qualified, careful instruction is necessary for a safe, effective workout.

4. If You Exercise Long and Hard Enough, You Will Always Get the Results You Want. In reality, genetics plays an important role in how people respond to exercise. Studies have shown a wide variation in how different exercisers respond to the same training program. Your development of strength, speed and endurance may be very different from that of other people you know.

5. Exercise Is One Sure Way to Lose All the Weight You Desire. As with all responses to exercise, weight gain or loss is impacted by many factors, including dietary intake and genetics. All individuals will not lose the same amount of weight on the same exercise program. It is possible to be active and overweight. However, although exercise alone cannot guarantee your ideal weight, regular physical activity is one of the most important factors for successful long-term weight management.

6. If You Want to Lose Weight, Stay Away From Strength Training Because You Will Bulk Up. Most exercise experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and strength training are both valuable for maintaining a healthy weight. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage.

7. Water Fitness Programs Are Primarily for Older People or Exercisers With Injuries. Recent research has shown that water fitness programs can be highly challenging and effective for both improving fitness and losing weight. Even top athletes integrate water fitness workouts into their training programs.

8. The Health and Fitness Benefits of Mind-Body Exercise Like Tai Chi and Yoga Are Questionable. In fact, research showing the benefits of these exercises continues to grow. Tai chi, for example, has been shown to help treat low-back pain and fibromyalgia. Improved flexibility, balance, coordination, posture, strength and stress management are just some of the potential results of mind-body exercise.

9. Overweight People Are Unlikely to Benefit Much From Exercise. Studies show that obese people who participate in regular exercise programs have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than sedentary individuals, regardless of weight. Both men and women of all sizes and fitness levels can improve their health with modest increases in activity.

10. Home Workouts Are Fine, But Going to a Gym Is the Best Way to Get Fit. Research has shown that some people find it easier to stick to a home-based fitness program. In spite of all the hype on trendy exercise programs and facilities, the "best" program for you is the one you will participate in consistently.

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The key is getting exercise whenever you can, whether it's morning, afternoon, or evening, but by starting your morning with physical activity, you set the day's pace. You get your exercise in before other distractions can intrude.

When you exercise early in the morning, it jump starts your metabolism and keeps it elevated for hours, sometimes up to 24 hours! That means you're burning more calories all day long just because you exercised in the morning!

When you exercise in the morning, you'll find that because of the increased intake of oxygen and circulation of blood in your body, you'll stay energized for the whole day. It will automatically put you in a healthy frame of mind. Whatever other things you may have on your schedule, you will notice that you will be eager and energetic to handle them.

Research has proven that people who exercise in the mornings tend to be the ones most consistent in their fitness regimes and diets.

What is commonly referred to as "yoga" can be more accurately described by the Sanskrit word asana, which refers to the practice of physical postures or poses.

Asana is only one of the eight "limbs" of yoga, the majority of which are more concerned with mental and spiritual well being than physical activity. In the West, however, the words asana and yoga are often used interchangeably.

Read more:

• The Eight Limbs of Yoga

Yoga Poses

Yoga Practice

Yoga Classes

In addition to practicing the poses, yoga classes may also include instruction on breathing, call and response chanting, meditation, or an inspirational reading by the teacher. The variety and amount of this will depend on the individual teacher and the yoga tradition in which he or she has trained. Typically, a yoga class at a gym will be more focused on the purely physical benefits of yoga, while one at a yoga center may delve more into the spiritual side. Some people find that the physical practice of yoga becomes a gateway into a spiritual exploration, while others just enjoy a wonderful low-impact workout that makes them feel great. Whatever your tendency, you will be able to find a yoga class that suits your style.

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Start your day with breakfast.

Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night's pizza!

Get Moving!

It's easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.

Snack Smart.

Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups—a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.

Work up a sweat.

Vigorous work-outs—when you're breathing hard and sweating—help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing

Balance your food choices—don't eat too much of one thing.

You don't have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you to get all these nutrients.

Get fit with friends or family.

Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.

These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group.

Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or in a salad.

Join in physical activities at school.

Foods aren't good or bad.

A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part—or food—is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don't forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, don't eat a third.

Make healthy eating and physical activities fun!

Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous—try new sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You'll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals—don't try changing too much at once.

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