Health: Fitness news.

Too Intense?

Pushing yourself until you stop enjoying a cardio workout may be pointless. In a study from Preventive Medicine, subjects completed a treadmill test that increased in speed and grade until they became exhausted, while reporting their levels of pleasure. When the participants' bodies switched from expending energy aerobically (with oxygen) to anaerobically (without oxygen), they reported feeling increasingly worse. "Exercisers often are told to select intensities based on a general formula, but these approaches may result in levels that are inappropriate," says Panteleimon Ekkekakis of Iowa State University. "Feeling less pleasant is an indication that the intensity is too high."

Stretching the Truth

Conventional wisdom about stretching may be wrong. Although it can improve flexibility, stretching may not prevent injuries, according to a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. "Coaches and trainers encourage stretching before activity, but numerous studies haven't been able to document the benefits," says Julie Gilchrist of ...