Moves to tone the triceps consistently top the list of requested arm exercises for women. The triceps can be tricky, but the right moves can help you avoid that jiggly arm look and carry kids or groceries with ease. Your triceps help straighten your elbow, and they help your chest muscles when you are pushing something, whether it is a barbell or a lawnmower.

Try these two triceps toners:

Triceps Kickback: Stand next to a weight bench with a small dumbbell in your right hand. Place your left hand and left knee on the bench.

• Bend your right elbow so your upper right arm is parallel to the floor.
• Keeping your elbow close to your waist (don't let it fly out), extend your arm behind you until your entire arm is parallel to the floor. Lower the weight to the starting position and repeat.

Not at the gym? Try the One-Arm Triceps Dip:

• Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place your hands about a foot behind your butt, with fingers pointing towards your feet.
• Be sure that your hands are shoulder-width apart.
• Straighten your arms so your butt is off the floor.
• Keeping your hands and feet firmly planted, bend your left elbow and lower your but to about 2 inches from the floor.
• Press your left arm back to a straight position.
• Repeat with the right arm; alternate arms for about 60 seconds.

As with any exercise, lift with a smooth, controlled motion and don't bounce or jerk.

One of the most important elements of women's fitness is finding the right sports bra. It sounds like something minor (especially to men) but the right bra can make a difference between a great workout and a lot of pain and discomfort.

Fortunately, sports bra technology has come a long way. You can find the right fit regardless of your cup size, and you can find the right amount of support for high-impact activities in which you bounce up and down (such as running or step aerobics) as well as low-impact activities (such as yoga or weightlifting).

Most styles of sports bras will provide enough support for mild to moderate impact activities for women of most cup sizes. But for high-impact activities, even smaller chested women should look for a bra that minimizes bouncing and holds the chest in place. Some women are more bothered by even minimal bouncing and prefer a smaller size and tighter fit than they would buy in an everyday bra.

Most sports bras fall into one of two categories: compression or cup. A compression style bra provides maximum support for all activities for most women with A-C cup sizes, although depending on the shape of your breasts, you may find a cup style more comfortable.

A cup style sports bra is a great option for women who want a more feminine shape under their workout clothes and for larger-breasted women. Cup styles are available, including sports bras with underwires, bras that fasten in the front or in the back, and bras that have extra padding in the straps for additional comfort.

It almost goes without saying, but get an okay from your ob-gyn to continue with a modified yoga practice during pregnancy. In fact, yoga is one of the best forms of exercise for pregnancy because you're not putting the same impact on your joints that you do while walking and running. And staying active during pregnancy is an important part of women's health.

As you get bigger, use more props such as blocks and straps to help you work through poses, and use a wall or a chair to help you keep your balance when you're doing balancing poses.

There are certain poses that you should do while pregnant and others you should avoid.

Poses to do: Balancing poses (with the aid of a wall or chair) and hip opening poses are safe to do while pregnant if you are not experiencing any complications. Squats will help stretch your hips in preparation for delivery, and you can use blocks to support yourself when you get too big to squat comfortably without assistance.

Poses not to do: When you are pregnant, avoid deep twisting poses or any pose that puts pressure on your stomach, such as forward bends. Avoid backbends, too, because they are intense poses and it is easier to strain a muscle while pregnant due to the hormonal changes in the body that increase the laxity of muscles and joints in preparation for labor and delivery.

If you are new to yoga, avoid any inversion poses such as headstands or shoulder stands while pregnant. If you are an experienced yoga practitioner and you do these poses regularly, you can continue them through the second trimester if it feels comfortable.

Running is one of the best exercises for anyone looking to lose weight because you can do it anywhere, anytime.

To maximize the benefit from running workouts and weight loss, plan to work up to at least 40 minutes of continuous running because the body starts burning fat for fuel after about 30 minutes. Running develops fat-burning muscles, and a bonus from using running as a fat-burning workout is that your body will keep burning fat for a few hours after your workout is over.

Distance running, rather than sprinting, is the way to lose fat from running. If you don't have much speed, you probably have more "slow-twitch" muscle fibers, and you may find it easier to adapt to runs of 40-60 minutes or more. But sprinters need not worry. Those with fast finishing kicks and more fast-twitch muscles can adapt to longer, slower runs, but it may take a month or so of gradually building mileage.

It is essential to increase your total mileage gradually (no more than 10% each week) to avoid injury. Even if you are very fit but new to running, start with 20-30 minutes five times a week, but if maximum fat-burning is your goal, the best bet is 40-60 minutes three times a week.

Some fitness experts advocate running with hand weights to enhance fat burning. Although carrying weights increases the workload and may result in some additional fat-burning, it's not worth the added risk of injury--extra weight means extra stress on your muscles, joints, and tendons. It's better to leave the weights for strength-training workouts and run an extra mile instead.

When you want to take your fitness to the next level, a workout plan that involves interval training and heart rate monitoring can help you reach your goals.

If you are training for a race or if you just want to run faster, speedwork in the form of interval training pushes your body beyond its comfort level in small, measured doses.

Although interval training and heart rate monitoring can be boring, it teaches you a sense of pace and helps you judge whether you are running too fast or too slowly.

For an interval workout, choose a measured distance and a set number of repetitions. For example, if you are training for a 10-K race, 400-meter repeats are a great interval choice. If you want to improve your marathon, mile repeats are what you need.

Measure your interval distance on a road or run on a track. Run each interval slightly faster than your goal pace, but not all-out; this makes the interval training seem less difficult than a race. Aim for about 80% of your fastest pace. You should feel tired but capable of running more at the end of an interval workout. If you have a hard time assessing how hard you're working, a heart rate monitor can help. Follow the directions and use a monitor to determine your heart rate for 80% of the maximum, and consult it during the interval workout. Be sure to jog for a minute or two between each 400-meter interval to allow your heart rate get back to normal.

How many intervals should you do? Start with 4-6 and if you are following a multi-month training plan you may be doing up to 16 400-meter repeats if you are serious about running a fast 10K.

Even though you are healthy and motivated, if you are a busy woman with a family, it can be challenging to make time for fitness, health, and exercise. But you can do it with a little planning and an open mind to an array of options.

Get help: Enlist your spouse or a neighbor to watch the kids while you go for a run or swim or go to a yoga class.

Bring the family along. On an easy workout day, if they are old enough, let kids bike alongside while you run. Ideally, you can make family fitness the norm in your family so you can increase your activity level while enjoying time together. Some ways to promote family fitness that can also help busy women lose weight:

• Take a picnic to the park and then kick the soccer ball around for half an hour.
• Get in the water and splash with your kids when you go to the pool.
• Walk along the sidelines during your kids' sporting events; don't just sit in the stands.
• Take family walks after dinner (with the dog, if you have one).
• Set up a home gym. You can find a stair-climber, treadmill, bike, or strength training equipment comparable to what you'll find at a gym that you can purchase for home use. But keep these points in mind when choosing your equipment:
• Find a good spot. Put your bike or treadmill near entertaining distractions such as the TV or stereo, not in an isolated corner of the bedroom or basement.
• Measure your space before you buy.
• Bargain hunt. Prices on home exercise equipment vary widely, and the flashiest aren't always better; seek advice from stores that specialize in fitness equipment.

Cardio workouts are fat-burning workouts; they should be part of any women's fitness plan. Aim for some type of cardio activity five days a week, but plan at least one day of rest to let your muscles repair. Even if you are motivated and working hard to get in the best shape of your life, training hard every day can cause burnout and overuse injuries. That said, if weight loss is your goal, you should plan on at least a 45-minute workout at a level of intensity such that you can still talk, but you feel like you're working.

Cardio is shorthand for cardiovascular exercise, which is the type of exercise that strengthens the heart and lungs and burns lots of calories. You'll know you are getting a cardio workout when you are breaking a sweat and breathing hard.

Cardio exercises and machines will fit your cardio needs. Do you like to exercise outdoors? You can run, bike, walk, or rollerblade year-round as long as you dress for the weather. Not keen on braving the elements? Find a gym with a selection of cardio equipment, such as treadmills, stationary bikes, stair climbers, and elliptical trainers. Be sure to have a qualified gym instructor show you how to use the different types of equipment if they are new to you, then try a few machines and decide what you like, or spend 20 minutes on 3 different machines for an hour's workout.

Do you thrive on group energy when you work out? Classes for cardio exercise include everything from step aerobics to cardio kickboxing and belly dancing.