Myths abound in the fitness world like this one: women shouldn’t lift weights if they don’t want to end up with bulging muscles like male body builders have. However, there is plenty of good fitness advice out there. Get fit with these favorites.

1. Learn and practice meditation or yoga regularly. Not only your body needs to be fit, so does your mind. Both of these fitness methods can also help you relieve stress, control your breathing and improve your posture.

2. Keep your eyes fit, too, with regular eye examinations, especially if you are looking at a computer screen for many hours each day. And turn your eyes away from your screen for 5 minutes each hour. Focus on object farther away to exercise your eye muscles.

3. Don’t neglect your hands when spraying down equipment in gyms after each use to help keep germs from going around. And clean your hands throughout the day, as well, to help keep unwanted germs from making your sick.

4. Don’t let winter fool you. Your face could still sunscreen for outdoor activities out in the sun, like skiing and sledding.

5. Slow down the aging process by avoiding orange and coconut oil fragrances. These fragrances have psoralen in them, which reportedly speeds up the aging process.

6. Herbal teas are better for you than coffee, as caffeine in coffee can dehydrate you. And green tea is particularly a good choice of beverage. It helps with digestion, metabolize fat and is in part a natural diuretic, safe and mild.

7. Whole wheat bread is healthier for you than white bread. Whole wheat offers you more fiber, helping reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and other illnesses.

8. Don’t just spin your wheel on an exercise bike. Keep a journal and monitor your progress. You could really be doing pretty much of nothing if you aren’t exerting a little effort. And each time you increase speed or force, your body is quick to adapt. So monitor and grow with the flow.

9. Be realistic with your fitness goals. The average weight loss that’s successfully kept off is 2 lb. per week. So shooting for more could be like shooting yourself in the foot. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure.

10. Take short mental breaks throughout the day to give your mind a rest. Also allow it to fantasize and visualize what you want your body and life to be like when you reach your fitness goals.

11. That you need to stretch before you exercise is a myth. Stretch afterwards. You can warm up a little beforehand, if you like, with a couple minutes of brisk walking or biking.

12. Reach out to others to learn what’s appropriate for your gender, age group and body type with regards to fitness. Find fitness friends at the local YMCA or other gym and online at social networking sites like MySpace and fitness forums.