With work and family responsibilities, and feeling drained in the evening from a long, busy day, often the only time you can squeeze in your workout is to set your alarm for four, five, or six in morning to sweat it out then. Early morning workouts are a great way to start the day and relieve any pre-work stress. Plus getting it done first thing in the morning means you don’t have to worry about fitting it in during the rest of your crazy day. With that said, there are some things you need to consider if you choose to exercise in the a.m. Since you’re getting up pretty early, make sure you’re not compromising on getting enough shut-eye. Most people need about seven to eight hours every night, so be sure to hit the hay early enough to get your sleep quota. While getting in regular exercise can help you lose or maintain your weight, not getting enough sleep can actually slow down your metabolism and cause your body to store fat , undoing the good you’re doing by making time to work out. Also, because you’ve been without food for at least eight hours, you’ll need to eat a little something to give your body enough fuel to work out. Exercising on an empty stomach causes your body to hold on to fat and target your lean muscles for fuel instead, breaking down the muscles you’re working so hard to build. Your lean muscles also help to boost your metabolism, so you definitely don’t want to lose them. Eat a little something that includes easily digestible carbs and protein. If you’re not sure what’s appropriate, here are tips on how to choose the right pre-workout snack . Before hitting your cardio workout at full speed, make sure you warm up for at least five minutes first. It’ll make your body and mind more alert, which will help prevent clumsiness that can lead to injury. Stretch and hydrate after your workout, and refuel with a healthy post-workout snack or light breakfast that includes protein and carbs.

Patients considering hernia repair can now use a free app for mobile devices, designed by a leading surgeon, which can help predict their chances of experiencing chronic pain and discomfort after an operation. The app, CeQOL , which stands for Carolinas Equation of Quality of Life, is being officially launched tomorrow at the American Hernia Society meeting in New York, but is already available for download. It is aimed at men, who comprise the majority of hernia patients. As reported in WSJ last month, more than 30% of patients may experience chronic discomfort and pain after hernia surgery. The pain is often linked to surgical mesh and other devices used to repair the hernia, a bulge of the intestine or body fat through a weak area in the abdomen. It can also be a result of internal damage done to the body by the hernia itself before surgery. B. Todd Heniford , who designed the app and is chief of the division of gastrointestinal and minimally invasive surgery at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C. ,  tells the Health Blog  that the aim is to get both doctors and patients to use the app to help them discuss potential risks and complications prior to surgery. “I like informed patients who come to me with questions, and the app can help us get down to what our patients want out of surgery and what they are afraid of,” Heniford says. But physicians may often not have such conversations with patients and don’t have detailed data at their fingertips to give patients an idea of what the potential for complications are, he says. Heniford, president of the hernia society, notes that 35% of hernia-surgery malpractice cases in the U.S. are related to post-surgical pain. The hernia app is based on data from the International Hernia Mesh Registry, an ongoing study including hernia-surgery patients from ten countries. The registry used the Carolinas Comfort Scale — a questionnaire designed for hernia repair by the medical center — to measure those patients’ self-reported pain and quality of life before surgery, 30 days after the operation, and again at six months, a year and two years. After patients use the app to answer questions about themselves and their hernias, the app generates a percentage chance of having some form of discomfort a year following surgery, based on data from the registry. The app also has extensive information about hernias and surgical procedures. While his app is only for hernia patients, Heniford says he hopes more such apps will be developed that synthesize medical evidence to help patients make decisions and understand risks and side effects. “People need this not just for hernia surgery, but for when they preparing for things like taking medicines for heart failure or undergoing chemotherapy,” he says.

Whenever you resolve to eat healthier or fewer calories, it can be easy to fall into the diet trap – thinking that you just have to power through for a few weeks eating only lettuce in order to meet your weight goals. But instead of dreading the idea of healthy eating, think of your new goals as a lifestyle change, not a diet, with these tips. Get creative in the kitchen: When you’ve resigned yourself to eating the same healthy thing over and over again, you can get bored with your meals pretty easily. If you’re apprehensive about trying a new healthy food or you just don’t know where to start when it comes to making a healthy meal plan, check out our delicious healthy recipes index for endless ideas. Don’t use ultimatums: Crash dieting sets you up for failure; a better solution is to think of your new eating initiatives as something sustainable. That means that while you may have to cut back on your daily doughnut habit, you shouldn’t deprive yourself of your favorite unhealthy foods forever. Have a cheat day or have treat or two, mindfully, so you’ll be more apt to stick to your new eating plan. More tips for staying away from the “diet” mentality after the break.

Infant Formula Test Results: The FDA and CDC said late Friday that tests of factory-sealed Mead Johnson infant formula pulled from some store shelves after a Missouri infant died from a rare infection showed no traces of bacterial contamination, the WSJ reports . The agencies said there was no need for a recall of the formula and that it could continue to be used following the manufacturer’s directions. They added that the bacteria, Cronobacter sakazakii, was found in an opened container of the Enfamil Newborn powder and also in water used to reconstitute the product. Testing to determine the source of the contamination will continue, the paper says. Rethinking a Treatment Regimen: Some researchers are challenging a protocol for treating anorexic patients in the hospital that involves starting out with a low-calorie feeding regimen that often produces weight loss at the beginning of the treatment period, the New York Times reports . Instead they’re pushing for more aggressive feeding; some physicians are saying caution is necessary, however, because feeding patients too many calories at first can cause physical and psychological problems. A Pain in the Neck: A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine find that spinal manipulation by a physical therapist or chiropractor and a home-exercise regimen both outperformed medication at relieving neck pain, the WSJ reports . After 12 weeks, about 80% of patients in the non-medication groups reported at least a 50% reduction in pain levels vs. about 70% of people assigned to medications such as ibuprofen and muscle relaxants. Activity and Performance: A review of previously published research that appears in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine offers some evidence that participation in sports or physical activity may be associated with better academic performance, the Los Angeles Times’ Booster Shots blog reports . Still, the authors of the review said that future research needed to objectively measure how much activity study participants were getting, and to quantify how much activity is necessary to produce a school-performance benefit. Image: iStockphoto

If you’re at risk for a stroke, you're more likely to suffer from mental decline, according to a study published Monday in the journal Neurology. “Our take-home message is identifying and treating high blood pressure is very important in preserving brain health,” said Dr. Frederick. W. Unverzagt, professor of psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine. Unverzagt and his colleagues found high blood pressure and other risk factors including diabetes, cigarette smoking and prior heart disease were good predictors of those most likely to develop cognitive impairment. Each 10mm increase in systolic blood pressure  (the top number) increased the risk by 4%, the study found. Age was also a significant risk factor. Each decade doubled the risk of cognitive impairment, similar to the risk of stroke. The National Institutes of Health-funded study followed more than 23,000 people 45 and older for an average of four years. During that time, 1,907 developed significant cognitive impairment. The group suffering mental decline during the study was significantly older and more likely to be male, African American, living in the Stroke Belt and less educated. The Stroke Belt consists of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana. People living in the stroke belt are more likely to die from a stroke than people living in other parts of the country. Investigators determined cognitive impairment using a simple telephone test asking subjects for the year, month and day of the week, and also testing their ability to recall three words given to them after a short delay. Each correct answer was worth one point. Participants who score five or six at the start of the study were retested annually. Scores of four or lower were considered cognitive impairment. The study didn’t do any brain imaging, but Unverzagt said he suspects the people who showed a mental decline suffered from micro or mini strokes. These are tiny interruptions in blood flow to the brain. A full-fledged stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and killing brain cells. A stroke often results in dramatic symptoms like numbness on one side of the body or profound problems with memory, language, speech or vision. Stroke, which affects 795,000 Americans every year, is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of disability. The results were part of the ongoing Reasons for Geographical and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Participants represent about 1,600 of the 3,000 counties in the United States. George Howard, principal investigator for REGARDS, said African Americans are more likely to suffer from strokes overall and almost twice as likely as whites to have a stroke before age 65. The study, which began in 2003, is trying to decipher the causes for racial and regional disparities in stroke. Neurology is published by the American Academy of Neurology.

When working out, sometimes all you can think in those last five minutes is, “Can I be done already?” While five minutes might not seem like a lot, check out this chart to see how many calories you can burn in that time. It might even give you the extra push you need to go five minutes longer than you planned.

Delicious though they be, decadent Valentine’s Day chocolates can only be classified as cheat day fare. In honor of the upcoming holiday of love, we offered up inspiration for appetizing, chocolate-free heart-shaped recipes , and now it’s time for a second course. Here are 10 adorable suggestions for shaping beloved staples and inspiring smiles from your dinner date - no added sugar or creamy filling required. Because nothing says “you have my heart” like a wholesome meal made with love. View Slideshow ›

Meet FitSugar reader TiffanyG11 and check out the fitness goals she posted in our Get Fit For 2011 community group. I have been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 10 years. Actually, longer if you consider all the years I spent playing sports while growing up. I was the starting point guard on my college basketball team and at that point I was in the best shape of my life. I was motivated, dedicated, and determined. After college I became a personal trainer to help motivate and inspire others. Recently, I became the fitness manager at my gym and have now found myself spending countless hours behind a desk and not taking the time to take care of myself. That is my goal for 2011 . . . take care of myself so I can take care of others! I am going to stretch everyday, read more, get eight hours of sleep, increase my cardio, and register for a fitness competition in May! Be well and here is to a great 2011! We’re on week two of our Get Fit For 2011 giveaway. For the second challenge , b e sure to post a day of your food journal to enter our weekly giveaway of a $100 Nike gift card and a chance to win our grand prize – a four-day fitness boot camp in LA!

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar! Ring in 2011 with a kettlebell. It’s one of the ultimate toning tools; an at-home or at the gym superhero of sorts. Kettlebell workouts can blast up to 300 calories in just 15 minutes all while sculpting sexy strong muscles. Get swinging with this total-body toning move from The Biggest Loser’s, Bob Harper. Move: Single Leg, One Arm Pull You’ll need: A Bob Harper/GoFit Contour Kettlebell . Beginners try a 7-10 pound bell, more advanced 15 pound for $39.99 (shown in picture) How To Do It: Stand up tall. Hinge at hips with chest coming down, lift back foot off ground and hold out parallel to the floor. Perform a one arm row. Keep elbow tucked and close to body . Complete 10 reps on each side. This works your abs, lower back, and arms. More from SELF: 3 Hot New Weight Loss Tips