Cara Kempf is a certified personal trainer with the Fitness Zone in Carmel and a group fitness instructor with NIFS in downtown Indianapolis. She can be contacted at fitnessblog@theindychannel.com.

I read lots and lots of books and magazines about fitness and nutrition.

Some are pretty reputable, and some not so much. Being a personal trainer, I have access to better written material than the average person, so I get lots of new information on the business from month to month. So, if you aren't a personal trainer and you want to learn more about the best, newest and most efficient ways to eat right and exercise, where do you turn?

Most people read store-bought magazines and believe they are getting the absolute truth. Among the most popular magazines are Shape, Self, Muscle and Fitness, Oxygen, and Fitness RX. While these magazines can be helpful in developing and maintaining a fitness regime, you cannot rely on them as your only sources of information.

In addition to magazines, celebrity trainers are writing a plethora of books to aid you in your health goals. Gunnar Peterson, trainer to the stars, just released a new book about his training methods and programs. While I strongly believe Peterson is probably a great trainer (due to the results of many that he has trained), I don't believe his methods are going to change everyone's lives. Everyone is different -- what works for some won't necessarily work for others.

My point is that in the ever-changing, ever-evolving world of fitness there comes an extremely large amount of information for you to sift through and learn. In no way am I discouraging you from reading magazines or books about exercise and diet -- I am simply telling you to be careful about what you believe to be the utter truth.

Personally I love Oxygen magazine -- I think it is the best out right now for the public. Still, every once in a while I read something I don't quite agree with and bypass it quickly. When it comes to learning about fitness, there are SO many different sources of information -- USE THEM WISELY. If you aren't sure about something, take it to a trainer and ask his or her opinion. Also, as with any type of research material, check your sources before you pick up something off of the Internet! Books are a great way to gain knowledge (and Gunnar, if you're reading, I've actually heard great things about yours!), but one book will probably not be your absolute saving grace in the exercise world. When in doubt, throw it out!