For many of us, just showing up at the gym gets you a gold star. You took the time, and you made your workout part of your busy day, bravo. But really, just showing up isn't enough. To get the best results, and have your best time, you need to cultivate body awareness: knowing where your body is in space, and how to use your breath to link mind and body. You can't do that if you're spacing out, or turning up your iPod.

Here are three body awareness exercises you can try at the gym (or anywhere else) when you're strength training. They have a dual purpose. They help you get in the groove of going inward while you workout, and they lower your risk of injuries.

— ARE YOU LOCKED OR LOOSE? I see this in the gym way too often: stiff-limbed lifters who lock their knees or elbows as they work through their routine. Not smart. Locked limbs can lead to strained muscles. Your muscles work best when they are tension-free — the counter-intuitive principle behind strength through relaxation. Locking your joints also takes away from the work the muscles have to do, decreasing the effectiveness of the routine. When you lift weights, you want to keep your knees and elbows feeling soft and fluid, not locked and tight.

— ARE YOUR KNEES BEYOND YOUR TOES? Done properly, lunges and squats are excellent exercises for building strength in your lower body. Do them improperly, without noticing where your toes and knees are in relation to one another, and you'd better keep your doctor's number handy. One of the most common mistakes in alignment — in strength training in the gym and in yoga class, too — is allowing your knees to extend past your toes as you lower your body. Don't wait for your trainer or teacher to correct your form. Be responsible for making those little micro-adjustments yourself.

— CAN YOU HEAR YOUR BREATH? Your breath is your best friend when it comes to developing body awareness. It's the link between your body and your mind, and as soon as you focus on it — watching your belly rise on the inhale, listening to the sound of your exhale — you are drawn inward. From that place, better workouts begin. You should never hold your breath when you lift weights. Indeed, you should connect to your breath and use it — when you stretch, when you lift — to release tension and allow the energy to flow in a free and healing way.

EN/X MAILBAG: IN A PINCH, TRY THIS CRAMP-RELIEVER

Cramps are common and mysterious, but not as weird as this recent suggestion that came in a handwritten note from Sally L., who lives in Washington state:

"Dear Marilynn: I just read your article about how to relieve a charley horse. I might make another suggestion. With your forefinger being on the top of your lip and thumb on the inside of your top lip, squeeze your top lip for about 40 seconds, or longer, and you can actually feel the muscle cramp going away. It works! (for the legs)"

OK, it sounds nutty — not as nutty as it looks — but that didn't keep me from trying it the other night when I got a stabbing cramp in my calf. It works! Amazing! Any more goofball remedies I should know about? Email me at myenergyexpress@aol.com so I can share.

EAT THIS UP! AVOCADOS ARE HARD TO BEAT

Avocados are almost too good to be true. OK, the pits are way too big. But they taste great, and they're so good for you. Yes, they are high in fat, but it's the good kind of fat (unsaturated), which raises your HDL (good) cholesterol and lowers your LDL (evil) cholesterol. Just like olive oil.

Avocados also help your body absorb more fat-soluble nutrients — such as cancer-fighting beta-carotene and lycopene and eyesight-saving lutein — from other foods you eat you eat along with them.

So don't be afraid of this delicious vegetable. What am I saying … It's not a vegetable, it's a fruit, and one of the healthiest fruits you'll ever eat. I'm talking about a few slices a day. Moderation is the mantra of a healthy lifestyle: A tub of guacamole is way too much.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN DO IT

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true." — Richard Bach

Marilynn Preston — fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues — is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country. She welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to MyEnergyExpress@aol.com. To find out more about Preston and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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