Q: Be careful stepping onto the machine. The pedals may start to move as you do and it can be easy to lose your balance. Grab the handlebars as you step on to help you stay balanced. Taking a few steps forward on the machine should power up the display. If not, look for a start button. Your arms should be swinging with the handles. When your left foot goes down, straightening your leg, the right handle should be pulled toward your body. Same for when your right leg goes down. Keep the knees slightly bent when straightening the leg on each stroke. Notice that it is similar to riding a bike without ever sitting down, but with less of an up and down range of motion. Faster is not always better on the elliptical machine. Turning up the resistance will make it so that you have to push harder on the pedals which will give your muscles a better work out. The pedals on an elliptical machine can also go backwards. Going backwards not only ads variety to your workout, but it also works muscles that going forward tends not to. Moving backwards on the machine works your hamstrings and glutes. Pedaling backwards can be hard on your knees. Be careful if you have a knee injury. Some machines have movable swing arms and others have fixed. The movable swing arms will give you a more full body workout, but will take some of the emphasis off of your legs and butt. You can choose not to use the swing arms for a more intense lower body workout. This will involve more balance and awareness of your posture. Do five minute intervals increasing the resistance and incline each time. Start with a base pace that feels comfortable but challenging. Do this for two minutes keeping the incline the same. Then increase your speed for two more minutes. Let yourself recover at a slower pace for one minute. Then increase the incline or resistance and repeat the pattern. Depending on your fitness goals you may want to tweak this workout routine.
A: Step onto the machine facing the monitor. Begin pedaling to turn it on. Start pedaling at an even pace. Do not lock your knees. Turn up the resistance. Change up your direction on the pedals. Use the swing arms. Increase the incline and resistance as you go.

Q: If you are playing sports or being active, drink water to make up for your sweating. Aim for eight 8-ounce glasses of fluids on most days. Drink extra if the weather is hot and humid. Water should be your main source of fluid. However, other liquids like coffee, tea, beer, juice, and broth count as well. As a good indicator of dehydration, take note of the color of your urine. Dark yellow can indicate dehydration, whereas an almost complete lack of yellow is usually an indication of normal hydration. Eat healthy foods that contain sodium, such as oranges, carrots, cantaloupe, artichokes, and spinach. Sprinkle salt on your food once a day or so. Drink some fruit juice, vegetable juice, or drinks designed for sports. Salt puts electrolytes in your body, which helps maintain the normal flow and distribution of water into and out of cells. If you sweat a lot and drink only plain water, this may dilute your electrolytes. Magnesium is an electrolyte that is crucial for muscle relaxation. For muscle function, calcium and magnesium work in conjunction: calcium is needed to contract muscle fibers, whereas magnesium is needed to release or relax muscle fibers. Either take a magnesium supplement once a day, or eat magnesium-rich foods on a regular basis. Foods high in magnesium include: most fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy, dark leafy greens, avocados, bananas, dried fruit, and pumpkin seeds. If you are pregnant or have restless leg syndrome, you may be magnesium-deficient. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of muscle cramps. Other signs that you may have a magnesium deficiency include facial tics, trouble sleeping, anxiety, constipation, menstrual cramps, and chronic pain. Magnesium deficiency is common because of diets that are high in processed foods, coffee, salt, and sugar. Stress and malabsorption of magnesium may also play a role. If you are deficient in magnesium, then you may consider supplementing with 300 to 400 mg of magnesium daily as a helpful preventative measure. Check with your doctor first if you have kidney disease or severe heart disease. Deep tissue massages help to reduce muscle tension and promote better circulation, which are factors important for preventing spasms and cramps. If your cramps commonly occur in specific areas (such as the feet or calf muscles), then a focused 30 minute massage in those areas would be a good start. You may derive benefit and value from a massage every few months, or may benefit from a weekly massage. As an alternative, ask your partner or spouse to massage your chronically tight muscles on a regular basis. There's lots of instructional videos on the internet that can teach the basics of massage and offer pointers. Always drink lots of uncaffeinated fluids following a massage in order to flush out inflammatory by-products and lactic acid from your body. Not doing so might trigger a headache or mild nausea. Ill-fitting shoes, shoes without arch support, and damaging shoes like high heels can cause spasms, cramps, and strains within the muscles. Wear shoes that grip your heel, have supportive cushioned arches, and provide enough room to wiggle your toes. Get fitted for your new shoes later in the afternoon because that's when your feet are larger, usually due to some swelling and arch compression.
A: Keep hydrated. Get some salt in your diet. Consume more magnesium. Get regular massages. Wear comfortable and supportive shoes.

Q: The only way to truly conquer your phone anxiety is to figure out what's causing it. Question what's at the bottom of your fear of talking on the phone: Are you worried about saying something embarrassing? Do you fear rejection? Take a moment to really notice the thoughts that go through your head before you make a phone call. Notice what kinds of things you are telling yourself. After gaining some insight into what's driving your fear, try to change them. You can do this by modifying what you're telling yourself about talking on the phone. For example, you might be telling yourself that you'll say something stupid or embarrassing. If this is the case, try to think about times when you have made a phone call and you didn't say anything embarrassing. Now, reframe your self-talk by saying something like, "I have made several phone calls without embarrassing myself. I am capable of having a successful telephone conversation."
A:
Get to the bottom of your fears. Challenge your self-talk.