• Warm up and stretch
• Use proper technique
• Good posture
• Pay attention to join alignment and be aware of your muscles, etc.

(Taijiquan and other exercises such as pilates are useful in improving posture and also helping gain this type of awareness).

Note: Research shows that tightness in the shoulders and hips is quite common (and this can lead to injury while doing exercises). It is important to do sufficient warm-up, stretching, etc. Muscular strength imbalance should also be addressed. Click on the links below for further reading.

REST! Your body needs rest for 'repairing' (e.g., cells, joints, etc.) and rejuvenation. Don't overtax your body - six days a week of vigorous exercise can be damaging! It would be better to rest one to two days between vigorous sessions.

Hip alignment. Check out this article ("A Simple Lesson in Body Mechanics") by Christopher Caile. Although it refers to karate, the bow-and-arrow stance is also used in many exercises (e.g., yoga, kungfu, taijiquan, etc). http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=28

Paul Chek has got some practical tips about posture. Looking at the pictures, you will come to understand the principles of standing straight (similar to taijiquan, yoga, etc.) Weight training advice also... search on Google for Pau's articles entitled 'Shrug Science' (two parts). Click on http://www.chekinstitute.com

You can also download a video clip of a taichi instructor (Sifu Chu) showing how to align the lower back properly while practising taichi. Although he says 'tuck in' the hips, the more appropriate term is probably tilt the hips SLIGHTLY, at the same time making sure that the 'hinges' in the hip sit down. Visit http://www.chutaichi.com

Practical information about proper stretching, weight training, anatomy, etc. http://www.exrx.net

Animation showing stretching exercises for various bodyparts. Click on

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/bsp/hi/games/3d_body/3dbody.swf

Feet pain? Flat feet is quite common among Asian people... sign include a flat arch, ankles that roll, etc. Do visit a podiatrist or get some orthotics to correct it and then practise walking with correct alignment.

Some of the more reputable people in the scientific community are as follow... you can attend their seminars, talks, read their book, etc and learn a thing or two. 

Dr. Michael Colgan (nutrition - http://www.colganinstitute.com) and

Dr. Michael Yessis (sports science - http://www.dryessis.com)

Nancy Clark has also written a very useful book called Sports Nutrition Guidebook. (http://www.nancyclarkrd.com)

Well-researched and fairly independent info on health supplements. Go to http://www.healthletter.tufts.edu or http://www.berkeleywellness.com

Do check out this useful Malaysian website!

http://www.nutriweb.org.my