Too often we're so eager to start getting into shape that we overdo it, exercising too hard and too fast.  The American Council on Exercise offers these tips before you hit the gym:

• Stretch sufficiently.  Not stretching before you workout is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.  Stretching at least five minutes before you exercise can reduce stress in the muscles and help prevent injuries.  And stretching afterward is every bit as important; it helps your muscles to recover.
• Warm up.  Run around the block or the track a few times.  A warm-up of five minutes or more will deliver needed blood and oxygen to your muscles.
• Don't lift more weigh than you can handle.  You're better off doing lighter weights correctly, and more consistently, than trying to life heavy weights every once in a while.
• Drink a lot of water.  Don't wait until you are thirty or dehydrated.  Drink it during the workout.

Excerpts from June Newsletter 2009.