Do you fly through the same cardio workout routine day after day without seeing much improvement to your fitness level? Many women are surprised to learn that to really make progress in your fitness, you need to follow the same principles of conditioning as exercise routines aimed at men.

If you can get through your workout without breaking a sweat, or never work hard enough that you need to interrupt your conversation, it's unlikely you will see much change in your muscle tone, or your fitness level. The most important aspect of any exercise program that gets real results is that it consistently alternates hard work with rest.

The best exercises for women can be tailored to both beginning exercisers as well as elite athletes. If you are just getting started, it's a good idea to work with a coach or a trainer to learn how to do the exercises correctly. This program is ideal for a home workout that you can perform 3 days each week, with a one rest day between sessions. Build up your time, reps and change your body position to challenge yourself as you progress. After using this whole-body strengthener for a few weeks, you may find you are fitter, stronger and more balanced than you were when doing endless cardio sessions on the treadmill or stair climber.

Read More: Best Exercises for Women

To be a great golfer, you need to learn and practice proper technique, but some basic conditioning exercises can improve your golf game and reduce your risk of injury. These conditioning exercises focus on core strength and flexibility.

• How to Build Core Strength
• How to Build Stronger Abs
• The Best Stretches for Golfers
• Conditioning Tips for Golfers

Learn How To Hit Longer, Straighter Drives

How To Prevent Golf Injuries

Common Golf Injuries

The most common golf injuries occur in the lower back, elbows, shoulders, hands and wrists and are generally defined as either cumulative (overuse) or acute (traumatic) injuries. Proper conditioning and swing mechanics can often prevent golf pain and injury

Golf.about.com offers a great "head-to-toe" and the latest equipment reviews.

You may think it's just a bump on the head, but the effects of even a mild head injury can cause long-term damage to the brain.  Researchers have found structural changes in the white matter of the brain in patients with head injuries. And patients with more severe head injuries show more structural changes in the brain that  correlate to cognitive deficits in thinking, memory and attention.

One important finding is that a mild head injuries appears to cause damage only to the outer surface of the nerve (the myelin sheath of an axon).  This sort of damage can be repaired by protecting the nerve from further damage. For an athlete, this means after even a concussion, or what you may think it a bump on the head, it's wise to sit out the rest of the game and reduce the risk of another blow. The researchers also found that the more severe injuries  caused damage to the axon itself, which may not be as easily repaired, and if the axon is completely severed, it is unlikely that it can repair itself.

Read more about this study: Read the study abstract, published in the journal Brain.

Learn about myelin and nerve structure.

Head Injury Immediate First Aid

If you, or your teammates experience any type of head injury, stop playing and sit out the rest of the game. Even if you think it's a mild bump on the head, you may have minor damage that can be repaired. If you return to play, you risk making that mild injury a permanent one.

Learn More About Head Injuries

• What is a Concussion?
• Serious Effects of Mild Concussions
• Girls Suffering More Concussions in High School Sports
• Link Between Concussions and Depression
• Concussion Symptoms and Treatment
• First Aid Treatment for Head Injuries

The benefits of foam rolling for athletes is fairly well accepted in the field of sports medicine for a good reason. It works. Foam rolling is a simple and effective way to provide a great, targeted self massage or to facilitate myofascial release, and break up trigger points. The key to foam rolling is consistency  along with using the right technique.

As far as foam rollers go, there are more styles and designs coming to the market every year.  You can get a basic roller for under $15 or a specialized and textured foam roller for well over $50.

Compare Prices on foam a variety of rollers.

I've been a fan of the Grid foam roller for a while now. It's a great, reasonably priced foam roller that works well. Recently, Trigger Point Performance, the makers of the original Grid added a travel-sized roller to the Grid line-up, the Grid Mini.

At just  5 inches tall and 5.5 inches around, the GRID Mini is a shortened version of the standard Grid. It is small enough to carry (or attach to) a suitcase, duffle, gym bag or backpack.  Founder and CEO Cassidy Phillips wanted a portable roller designed just for travel, saying "self-care is as equally or more important on the road as it is at home. People travel with so much gear as is, and we understand the need for a product that is compact and portable, without compromising effectiveness."   The Grid Mini was launched at the IHRSA Fitness Tradeshow in Las Vegas in early April and became a quick hit with athletes.

I like the Grid Mini for its small compact size. In many ways, it makes it easier to target specific areas of the legs and arms that a longer roller can't get to, but the Mini is a bit less stable than the regular Grid. It takes a bit more focus to keep the Mini upright. The short length means the Mini has a tendency to tip over if you aren't rolling in a perfectly straight line along the floor. I found it best for the legs, but not as easy to use on the back and shoulders.

Have you tried the Grid Mini? If so, let us know what you think in the comments.