Ausanta's Fitness Tips:

We often hear that most people perform crunches, or sit-ups, incorrectly. Here's the right way:

1. Laying on your back, press your spine flat against the floor. Bend your knees and keep your feet on the floor.
2. Leave arms at your sides, and raise your upper-body until your shoulder blades are no longer touching the floor.
3. Begin "walking" your fingers forward, forcing your upper body to curl, then crunch a little farther from here, exhaling on the effort.
4. Work within this small range of motion, taking 2 seconds on the way up, 1 second to squeeze, and 2 seconds coming down (not all the way).

Gardening Strengthens Bones
Add gardening to your list of ways to strengthen bones. Besides bringing beauty and comfort to our hectic lives, yard work also helps prevent the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, according to researchers from the University of Arkansas. That's good news for the millions of at-risk women who tend their gardens more than they lift weights.

Strength training still tops the list for building strong bones; however, activities such as bicycling, aerobics, dancing, and gardening are also associated with higher bone-density levels.