Skip workout mistakes before you run

To get better workout results, simply eat.

"Food is more than something to stop your hunger," says Edith Hogan, a registered dietician in Washington, D.C., and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Chicago. "It is the fuel you need to provide you with the nutrients and energy you need for exercising."

Here's what will happen: You'll short-circuit your workout before you begin if you don't eat a balanced meal. At rest, you should drink eight to 10 glasses of water each day. The three keys to a nutritionally balanced diet for active people are variety, moderation and wholesomeness, Hogan says. The average person will consume at least 1,500 calories a day, but active women might need 2,000 to 5,000 calories, depending on their age and size.

Failing to hydrate

"You should always drink before you get thirsty because by that time, you have already lost 1 percent of your body weight," Hogan says.

Drink 10 ounces of water for every 15-20 minutes of strenuous exercise. Some people might think this is too much water to drink, but it is essential to replace fluid lost through heavy sweating to keep your body working efficiently. And don't worry; water doesn't cause stomach cramping as once thought, Hogan says. Water is necessary to transport nutrients and oxygen throughout the body and take away waste material.

A simple way to check your water intake is to monitor your urine, Hogan says. If you drink enough water, you urine will be light; but if your urine is dark and has a pungent scent, head for the nearest water cooler.

Ignoring your warm up and cool down

Warming up and cooling down is not the waste of time you may think it is.

"Especially for those who want to lose weight, it is important to do a good, gradual warm-up to maximize the effectiveness of the workout," says Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise, San Diego, Calif. "Don't put yourself at risk of injury by stopping vigorous activity quickly. Pulled muscles, soreness and blood pooling can all be symptoms of failing to cool down properly."

Here's what you'll gain from warming up:

• Efficient calorie burning by increasing your core body temperature

• Faster, more forceful muscle contractions

• Increased metabolic rate, so oxygen is delivered to the working muscles faster

• Fewer injuries by improving muscle elasticity and muscle control

• A longer, more comfortable workout because all your energy systems are able to adjust to exercise

• Improved range of motion in joints

• Better mental preparedness for higher intensities by boosting your arousal and focus on exercise

Before running you should walk for about five minutes and spend another five minutes stretching your legs. Before lifting weights, warm up your entire body with calisthenics, and then stretch a wide range of upper-body muscles.

Cooling down should include light calisthenics and prolonged stretching of the body parts that received a heavy workout.

Forgetting your form

Proper form can prevent you from injury and maximize the effectiveness of the movement. Here are some form-busting examples that ruin many workouts:

Running with your arms too high

Your arms should be at your sides; otherwise you'll wear yourself out at a faster rate and increase your risk of shoulder and neck tension during and after exercising.

Slapping your feet on the pavement or treadmill

Run in a manner that absorbs shock effectively. Your feet should roll forward from the heel to the ball of each foot, and avoid bringing them down flat or running on the balls of your feet.

Holding handrails

Don't hold the handrails on a treadmill. This will adversely affect your natural walk and burn significantly fewer calories.

Lifting too fast

Weights should be lifted with strength, not momentum. Spend several seconds lifting the weight and lowering it rather than relying on leverage and gravity. Start with low weight, and gradually lift more in increments of 5 or 10 pounds.

"If you don't use good form, you can injure yourself severely, particularly with weight lifting," says Jennifer Lawler, author of "Weight Training for Martial Artists" (Turtle Press, 1999).

Breathing incorrectly

"Good form in exercising also requires good breathing," Lawler says. "If you don't follow proper breathing techniques, you can cheat yourself [out] of the best workout because you won't get enough oxygen, and you will tire easily."