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BEING A LITTLE LAZY HELPS WORKOUT PLANS STICK

If you're just starting a workout program, here's the best thing you can do: Less than you think. Seriously. Starting with a full-on aerobics or weight-training routine (or both) or even the wrong trainer from day one is like building a house on quicksand - it just won't be around long. See, as you've been sitting on the couch, your muscles have been busy losing the proteins that act as energy factories in your cells (mitochondria) as well as the contractile proteins that give a muscle strength. So before you go for any gold, you need to rebuild those first. Skip this step, and your house will sink. All you need to do is walk before you can run ... or lift weights. Simply spend 30 days in a row walking for 30 minutes every day, either all at once or in increments of 10 minutes or more. This helps you rebuild enough of the energy factories in your muscles that you can then progress to building strength. Then, build strength wisely: First, add 30 days of every-other-day strength training for your core muscles (including not just abs and back, but also gluteals, quadriceps and hamstrings, plus shoulder rotators). After that, add 30 days of additional strength exercises (for chest, shoulders and arms) every other day. (See www.realage.com for exercises that target these areas.) Now, you're ready for aerobics, krav maga or whatever vigorous activities look good to you. Why you'll be successful: You've set yourself up that way. The walking allows the resistance exercises, which, in turn, make it less likely you'll have to quit the stamina due to injury. So tie your walking shoes on and prepare to feel better than ever. It's really amazing how easy it will become.

WHAT'S YOUR STOMACH TRYING TO TELL YOU?

Could you have an ulcer? You might, even if you're not the stereotypical overachieving Type A. What most people don't know is that they're usually caused by an infectious agent, not by reading or worrying about financial reports. There are plenty of other misconceptions about ulcers, too. Let this true-or-false quiz help you separate myth from fact (and help you tame that ulcer, if you have one!): 1. You can get an ulcer by kissing. True or False? True! The most common cause of ulcers is a bacterium called H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori, if you want to get formal). When you kiss, you can ping-pong the bacteria back and forth between you and your partner until you both get treated for - and rid of - it, at the same time. 2. If you have an ulcer, you'll feel worse after eating. True or False? False. One of the ways to know whether it's an ulcer or the recurring heartburn problem known as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is that eating often makes ulcers feel better because food neutralizes some of the stomach acid that's irritating the ulcer.3. If you can stand the pain, you don't have to get it treated. True or False? False. You shouldn't be living with any kind of pain, and sometimes the ulcer erodes multiple layers of your stomach and causes bleeding within your digestive tract. Not pretty. In some studies, olive oil has looked promising as a way to kill off H. pylori - but that's only in a test tube so far. The best treatment for it today is to see your doctor for a course of antibiotics tailored to that bad bug.

CAN YOUR MOVIE CHOICE MAKE YOU FAT?

Having trouble choosing between the comedy and the tearjerker on movie night? Consider this: Laughs are better for weight loss. Why? Because you'll snack less. When a group of people in a study watched a sad movie, they ate close to 30 per cent more buttered popcorn than when they watched a happy film. In another piece of the study, people watching the saddies also ate more M&Ms. That doesn't mean you have to cut out every Lifetime movie ever made if you want to reach your weight goal. There's an antidote to overeating while sad, and it may be as simple as reading nutrition labels. Not because some of what passes for food is so junky that it's laughable. But because reading the nutrition facts on the popcorn caused people to eat less. That's great, but we also recommend taking your snack strategy to the next level: Even better than just reading labels and eating less popcorn is to switch to air-popped corn. Spritz it with a little oil and add spices, and you'll get rid of 2/3 of the calories that movie popcorn packs in there (lobby for the change at your theatre). So read labels, and be mindful of your mood when snacking. And have your hand entwined with your significant other's, not in the popcorn bag.

RETHINKING THE SUN

Just as the message is starting to sink in that the only safe tan is a fake one, along comes the news that soaking up a little sunshine here and there might actually strengthen your immune system. What? Yes, you heard right. Researchers noticed that while rates of skin cancer - as well as several other types of cancer - tend to be higher in sunnier latitudes, patients in these regions seem to fare better when it comes to fighting the disease. Their secret defense? Might be the extra vitamin D they score from living in a sunnier clime. Your body converts inactive vitamin D to active vitamin D when your skin is exposed to strong sunlight. "D" stands for defense: This vitamin turns on a gene that checks your DNA for errors and kills cells - like cancer cells - that have them. Your body activates vitamin D from the sun fast. But sunlight leaves your skin vulnerable to skin cancer and wrinkles, and inflammation from burns needlessly uses up your stem cells. Just 10 to 20 minutes of summer sun gets you the D you need for the day. Or, use sunscreen and rely on vitamin D supplements.

THREE SECRETS FOR EASIER TRAVEL

Here's how to get off a plane feeling fresh and healthy: 1. Carry a bottle. Don't depend on airlines' mini bottles of water to get you the moisture you need to counter dry cabin air. Tuck an empty water bottle into your carry-on and fill it up from a fountain after the security check. Sip it all flight long. 2. Make your carry-on multitask. Take one that you can put under the seat in front of you without taking up the whole space. In flight, rest your feet on it to help reduce foot and ankle swelling. And get up every two hours to reduce the risk of dangerous blood clots. 3. Pack snacks. Trans fat and salt aren't good for you on the ground, and they don't magically get healthier at 30,000 feet. Pack your own energy-giving snacks, such as fruit, nuts, celery sticks or whole-grain crackers.