The Best Place to Find Answers to Your Exercise and Fitness Questions

(ARA) - Is it harmful to exercise in cold weather? How can you alleviate lower back pain without drugs? What are the best exercises for people with osteoporosis?

When questions like these come up, where do you turn for answers? A lot of people rely on the fitness trainers at their local gym, but is that person really your best resource?

Dr. Stan Reents, the editor-in-chief of AthleteInMe.com, a comprehensive new source of information on exercise and fitness, doesn't think so. "Personal trainers are a great resource if you are relatively healthy" he says.  "But, if you have any type of health or medical condition, they may not be knowledgeable enough."

Frustrated by what he calls a "lack of a reliable exercise and fitness resource for consumers on the Internet," Dr. Reents began developing AthleteInMe.com about a year ago. The site now serves as a clearing house of credible and verifiable information about exercise for consumers of all fitness levels.

In addition to a collection of articles that offer professional advice on a wide range of topics, including diet and nutrition, exercise and fitness, supplements and pharmaceuticals, the site also features tools that allow users to compare features and prices for various types of fitness gear as well as sports nutrition products.

Those who are serious about using exercise to change their lives for the better in 2008 may also want to take advantage of AthleteInMe.com's Fitness Counseling Service which offers access to exercise and fitness advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the privacy of your own home.

All subscribers have to do is submit their exercise and fitness questions via e-mail through the site's Ask The Experts link, and they'll receive a detailed and customized reply from a certified personal trainer and lifestyle counselor within 24 hours. You can ask as many questions as you want as long as you're a member. Click here to learn more about the service or to subscribe.

"We specialize in helping people who are out of shape, or who may have medical conditions and want to make sure they're exercising safely," says Dr. Reents, who himself has been certified as a personal trainer and lifestyle and weight management consultant by the American Council on Exercise. "We can work with your local personal trainer, or, develop a fitness plan based on recommendations from your physician, chiropractor, or physical therapist."

Another handy service offered through the site is access to a calorie counter tool that tells you the calorie and fat content of specific menu items from dozens of franchise restaurants. It converts this information into the number of minutes of exercise you need to do to burn off those calories based on your body weight. Your exercise options are offered as minutes of biking, walking, running, or swimming.

Want to know the consequences before placing your next fast food order at the drive through? Subscribe to PDAthlete by clicking here, and you then can download the latest version to your PDA or cell phone. New updates are posted quarterly.

As for the answers to the questions posed earlier in this article,  you can find those on the site by logging on to www.AthleteInMe.com.

Copyright © 2008, ARAnet, Inc.