1. Is it’s location convenient?

Getting to the gym is challenging enough alone! So reduce your odds of staying committed and make sure they gym you choose is close to either your home or where you work. Close, like 15 minutes away.

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2. What’s are the hours of operation?

When you plan on working out is an important quality when considering what gym is right for you. If you want to get there before work and they don’t open until 7 a.m., then this is not the gym for you. Also do you plan on taking classes? If so, check out their current schedule to see if the class times coincide with your availability.

3. Do you fit?

Take a tour no matter what. Look at the upkeep of the facility, is it clean? Do the members look like you, meaning will you fit in or be intimidated by the type of members that currently work out there? How does the gym staff handle the members? Are the current members happy? Don’t be afraid to ask, a candid opinion coupled with your personal assessment will either enhance or diminish your experience, so make sure you fit.

4. Can you afford it?

The higher the quality the gym the higher their membership dues will be. Find out what qualities in a gym are important to you and which ones are not. You pay for what you get so figure it out before signing any contracts. Most gyms offer specials during off peak and peak seasons, such as the New Year when everyone is trying to get in shape, and early Spring when those people have let their resolutions go and membership has declined. Also most rates are negotiable so ask about stipulations in order to get the best rate for you. And lastly consider fronting the cash. Sometimes if you pay for an entire year or even two year membership upfront as opposed to month to month you end up saving major cash. Places like Costco offer deals like this too. A two- year contract to any 24 Hour Fitness is $320. This ends up being $13 a month as opposed to the normal $37 a month. Hello.

5. Does it ride well?

Test drive it. Most gyms will let you workout for free for a couple days or even a week before fully committing. Take advantage of this for this indeed will be the best way to confirm all the above and ensure that you find the perfect gym for you.

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Let’s face it, we all get into a slump. No matter how good our intentions are to get to the gym at least three times a week, boredom will eventually set in and you’ll find an excuse why you don’t need to show up.

Just like your wardrobe, your workout routine needs a quick pick me upper, especially if you’re doing the same cardio routine or running on the same old piece of treadmill-rubber day after day. Read on for exercise boredom busters that’ll turn your workout around.

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Sick of Going Solo

Become a groupie to automatically get a workout buddy or two. Having a companion jogging, cycling or lifting weight together will keep you from feeling lonely. You and your partner can even compete against each other to boost the moral. However, while exercising together, do not just talk constantly until you lose the focus in doing the exercise.

Tired of the Treadmill

The number-one mistake runners make is going one speed, at one incline, every workout. Play with the control panel. After a 5-minute warm-up, jog for 2 minutes (at 5.5 mph, for example), then walk for 2 minutes (at 3.5 mph) or sprint (at 7.0 mph) — surprise yourself! Repeat for 20 to 30 minutes. Or work the treadmill into a circuit. Place a pair of 5- to 8-pound dumbbells beside the machine, and jump off every 3 minutes to do 1 minute of arm toners.

5 Everyday Rituals For A More Meaningful Life

Done Spinning My Wheels

Whether you take a studio cycling class or pedal on a stationary bike, bring your mind (and the motivation) back into your workout. Set a positive intention before each biking session that answers the question, “How do I want to feel?” Create a 30-minute playlist of your favorite high-energy hits, then change the way you ride with every song — crank up the resistance, stand up and cycle, pedal faster, etc. The new tunes and techniques will help keep things fresh.

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Can Health Rules Be Broken?

a baby with Trey who was not ready to be a daddy and she dumped him!

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Want Killer Legs? Try These Exercises

1. Take your lunch break.
The reason the U.S. Department of Labor mandates breaks during the workday is because it is insane to work non stop and not eat, let along stretch your legs! So honor the laws in place for your health and stop scarfing down your turkey sandwich at your desk. Instead, go out and pick up lunch, power walking on the way there and back. After awhile make it harder and pick a locale further away from your office. The faster you get used to walking the more calories you burn. Win, win, WIN! Don’t want to buy lunch out every day? That’s cool, pack your lunch and power walk to a nearby park or playground. Not only will you get a much needed break from the office, but your quick commute will serve your body and mind in a way that lunch at your cubicle never could.

2. Run your errands.
Stop texting and emailing your coworkers silly one liners, and take the chance to unglue your hips from your not-so-cushy-chair and actually walk to their desk. You may think this lends a minimal calorie burn, but a little activity done often goes a long way! So goodbye sedentary lifestyle, hello extra burn.

3. Work-Out (for real).
Staring at your computer not only makes your eyes cross after a couple of hours but also makes you the chic no one wants to “cross.” So break up your work day with a quick workout. 10 minutes tops. Do each exercise 10 times, or for an extra challenge try and pump out as many reps as you can in 30 seconds. Perform this circuit once or even 2-3 times a day and wallah…you just clocked a legitimate session.

Try these exercises

• Tricep Dips – Place your hands under your hips and slide of your chair. Keep your body parallel to the chair and lower your hips by bending your elbows. Make sure you are not just dropping your hips up and down. Roll the shoulders back and engage your tricep muscles (those sexy muscles in the back of your arms). Swivel chairs are great because they are unstable and therefore make you engage your core much more, so don’t be afraid to wobble a bit.
• Leg Lifts – Super discreet since your legs will be tucked under your desk. This triple whammy will work your quadriceps, core, and stretch your hamstrings all at the same time. Begin by extending one leg out in front of you and flex your foot towards your ankle. Tighten all the muscles in your leg and slightly lock your knee. Without relaxing your muscles or bending your knee, lift your leg up and down. Do 10 reps and then switch sides. Too easy? Drape your bowling bag….I mean your purse across your shin. The weight coupled with the instability of your bag will definitely kick things up a notch.
• Bicep Curls – Sine you have your 10lb purse near by might as well work the front of your arms (your biceps). Hold your purse in a way that your wrist is neutral and curl your purse towards your shoulder. Release and repeat 10 times before switching sides.
• Tummy Tuck – No knife necessary. Flatten your abs by squeezing your knees together and drawing them up towards your chest. For the easiest version hold on to the sides of your chair. Once your core strength increases remove your hands and play with holding the knees up a little longer before lowering them back towards the floor.

4. Woosah.
Make your world a better place by taking 5 minutes every now and then to relax, stretch, and breathe.

• Spine Twist. Sit tall in your seat and wrap your hand around the opposite knee, keep twisting by looking behind you. Hold for three deep breaths before repeating on the other side.
• Chest/Upper Back Stretch. Sit tall and interlace your hands behind your head. Inhale and stretch the chest muscles by pulling the elbows back and the shoulder blades together. Then exhale and draw your elbows together while gently relaxing your neck in order to stretch the upper back. Repeat 3-4 times.
• Hip Stretch. Cross your leg, ankle to opposite knee. Sit tall as you gently press the knee of the crossed leg down towards the ground. Hold for three deep breaths before repeating on the other side.
• Hamstring Stretch. Open up the muscles in the back of your leg by placing your heel on top of a hip height object, such as a small filing cabinet. Keep your leg straight and reach towards your toe without rounding your spine. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Guiltless Goodies: 3 Sweet Recipes That Will Keep You Skinny

Mmmmm mmm mmm (black momma head shake). No judgement and no worries, because the good news is you don’t have to choose. You can have both: fly hair and a fit bod to match. So calling all those “1 out of 3” girls, keep reading so you can finally stop letting your hair disrupt your healthy.

Not all styles are created equally. In the “Black Girls Workout Olympics” natural hair girls who rock their hair natural definitely take the gold. If that’s you, then thanks to your hair choice you can go hard in the paint when it comes to your workout since a little sweat wont kill your kinks! But hold up…you silver and bronze medal girls are not exempt. Where there is a will there is a way…so keep reading.

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To shampoo or not to shampoo, that is the question. No matter what medal hangs around your neck the key to maintaining any black girls hairdo while working out is to lock in moisture. Sweat and working out kind of go hand in hand, but too much sweat can be super drying and therefore damaging to your tresses. So try and limit your shampoo days to once a week (pH balanced/sulfate free suds of course) and opt for either a dry shampoo (if you have relaxed, natural blown out hair, weave or locks), sudsless shampoo, or a rinse and condition regimen (if you have natural hair that is not heat manipulated/dependent) on the days your drenched in sweat.

Up your “hair product” game. I have worked out my entire hair life (through relaxers, natural hair…kinky and fro-ed out, and blow outs….long and sleek). And I can say that the key to working out and maintaining lovely locks is: styling products. With natural hair, leave-in conditioner is my BFF. The more the better…before, during, and certainly after workouts. And with natural blown out hair don’t opt out on the heat protectant or anti-reversion styling products. They not only protect the hair from heat and environmental damage but they also lead to a better blow out. The better the blow out the better it will hold up during jumping jacks. Recommendations: Giovanni Direct Leave In Conditioner, Keihl’s Hair Conditioner and Grooming Aid Formula 133, and John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray.

Sweat it out before you blow it out. I get it, who wants to spend hours and dollars at the salon only to sweat it out in Zumba class? No one. So woman know thyself and the intensity of your workouts. Not all workouts have to leave you drenched in sweat. So if you get your hair done on Friday’s your weekly workout may start of with lower impact workouts such as yoga, pilates, strength training, or even brisk walks. Each day kick up the intensity so by Friday you are literally slipping in your own sweat!

Pull it high to and let it dry. Your blowout can and will survive your morning run if you do two things. One, pull it into either one or multiple ponytails on the top of your head (the higher the better) using a cloth based hair tie. Test drive this; depending on your hair, certain hair ties leave a crease while others don’t. And, two….no matter what let your roots dry before your release your locks. Impatience will certainly lead to puffiness, so WAIT. Ok ok I hear you….I am not wearing a ponytail to work. Well then….either opt for a super chic bun (make sure ends are loosely tucked or else you will have moist ends) or pop a couple rollers in so your ponytail is full of body and fun.

Bring back the sweat band. 80’s fitness gear never gets old when it comes to upholding your do, so tie down your edges girls with either a cotton scarf or headband (not silk….silk can’t handle sweat and 30 mins is not going to break off your edges…so don’t fear the cotton). Also to lock in moisture, oil your scalp and edges pre workout. Wasup coconut and jojoba oil. The oil will definitely help repel some of the super drying sweat you accumulate in spin class, so don’t skip this step sistah.

Be Cool. Last but certainly not least, keep your mane under control by opting to work out in cooler climates/environments. Getting your burn on outside when it is cooler can make a difference when it comes to the amount of sweat you build up. I run outside all winter and also rock a natural hair blow out most weeks. So lace up and bare the cold girls. And when winter is over, don’t fret….get up under the AC or a fan during your indoor workout and still keep your scalp a little less sweaty. Boom!

Stressed? Why Not Stretch It Out

Total Body Workout For Those On The Go

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Here is a post-holiday action plan to get you feeling back to normal again from our partners at blackdoctor.org:

1. Embrace Those Chores

“Housework is the best way to fit in a workout without even knowing it,” says Shannon Griffiths, group fitness director for Lakeshore Athletic Club in Boulder, Colo. Scrubbing, sweeping, vacuuming … they all burn calories.

Even cooking fires up the calorie furnace, says Griffiths, especially if you’re moving around the kitchen. So put on perky music and boogie down while you bake.

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Simple NON-Food Related Tips To Help You Eat Less & Lose Weight

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Get cute right after your workout

4 ways to tone your body in time for summer.

1. Tone Up on the Treadmill

“Save time at the gym with this 10-minute cardio/sculpt session: Hop on a treadmill holding a three- to five-pound dumbbell in each hand, and set the speed to a brisk walk. Do a one-minute set each of shoulder presses, biceps curls, triceps extensions, side laterals, front laterals and standing triceps kickbacks one after another as you walk. I’s an amazing upper-body challenge that also gets your heart pumping. Do this series two or three times each week. As you improve, work up to doing four-minute sets.”

–Michael George, trainer and owner of Integrated Motivational Fitness in Los Angeles

2. Power Up Your Runs

“Adding wall sits to the end of every run will strengthen your quads, hamstrings and glutes, improving your speed and endurance. Lean against a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart, then squat until your knees are bent at 45 degrees. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds; work up to doing 10 sets. Add a challenge by including heel raises: Lift your left heel, then the right, then lift both together twice.”

–Mindy Solkin, owner and head coach of the Running Center, New York City

6 Smart Moves To Trim Your Body & Sharpen Your Mind

3. Chart Your Progress

“Stay motivated using a fitness report card. Jot down these subjects: Cardio, Muscle Conditioning, Flexibility and Attitude. Set goals (for example, doing 10 “boy” push-ups) and grade yourself A through F at least four times a year. When you see how much you improve, you’ll want to stay in great shape.”

–Ken Alan, Los Angeles–based personal trainer

4. Try This All-in-One Toner

“A side-step squat with wood chop works your arms, torso, abs, back, legs, inner thighs and butt. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a three- to four-pound medicine ball in your hands. Bend your arms up so that the ball is at eye level over your right shoulder. As you bring the ball toward your left knee, step out with your left leg and bend it no further than 90 degrees, keeping your right leg straight. Return to the starting position. Do 10 to 15 reps and repeat on the other leg.”

–David Kirsch, trainer and author of The Ultimate New York Body Plan (McGraw-Hill, 2004)

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Walk Off That Belly Flab

Here’s a 10 minute sample workout to help you burn calories:
0:00 to 1:00 – Warm up with a brisk walk (outside or around the house)
1:00 to 2:00 – Jumping jacks
2:00 to 3:00 – Jump rope (pretend if you don’t have a rope)
3:00 to 4:00 – Run as fast as you can for 1 minute (in place or outside)
4:00 to 5:00 – Ski hops: Stand with feet together, bend knees and jump a few feet to the right and then left, landing with bent knees.
5:00 to 6:00 – Jumping jacks
6:00 to 7:00 – Walk as fast as you can
7:00 to 8:00 – Jump rope
8:00 to 9:00 – Jumping jacks
9:00 to 10:00 – Cool down and catch your breath

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The Top 10 Threats To Our Health

The Hottest Celeb Pics

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Are You Armed & Ready For Allergy Season?

Want to get rid of that belly fat? Here’s an ab workout that will help you shed those pounds in your mid-section:

What are the 5 misleading fitness myths? Find out here.

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4 easy recipes to get rid of belly fat.

(From TMZ)

Model Tyson Beckford gave a brief tutorial on how to get perfectly chiseled physique — but, thanks to his profuse use of profanity, we had to bleep most of the lesson.

Watch the video:

Really???

Tyson Beckford Won’t Work For Less Than A Mil!

Tyson Beckford: “I Wanna Be On Top Of Obama”

(From exercisetv)

Treadmills can be tiresome. And not necessarily because you are working up a sweat! The problem? Boredom: the ultimate exercise killer. Instead of sacrificing your hard-earned body to mind games, get on the newest workout bandwagon- old school-style.

Nostalgia is lifting our spirits (and our butts), taking us back to 8th grade when exercise was still considered fun. Hula Hooping and Jump Roping aren’t just for kids anymore. In fact, they are some of the most efficient, effective, inexpensive, and yes–fun ways to workout without feeling like a hamster on a cardio machine.

Take time out to take care of you

Don’t Huff It. Hoop It!

Huffing it is so yesterday. Hooping is becoming the exercise of choice for everyone from hipsters to boomers all looking to make their workouts do more in less time and ACTUALLY enjoy it. Though still rooted in whimsy, hoopsters have reinvented the fun after school activity, transforming it into an adult exercise tool that is seriously effective when it comes to toning muscles and shedding fat. In fact, Kellee McQuinn, Founder of KidTribe, an international children’s fitness company and an ExerciseTV Trainer, lost 2 dress sizes in 2 months from hooping alone! She chooses to incorporate the hula hoop into her workouts because “Hooping is non-intimidating and non competitive. It’s also a lot more social and fun than other traditional work-outs; but most of all, people are happy when they’re hooping. It doesn’t even feel like exercise!”

Watch the video below:

Black Oscar Winners and Nominees

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You don’t have to be a world-class athlete to get a medal-worthy body. Six of America’s superstars shared their go-to toners with self to create this total-body workout. Go USA!

You’ll need A dish towel, an exercise ball and a pair of light (3- to 5-pound) dumbbells

Lindsey Vonn’s back buffer

Lie facedown with midsection on ball, hands on sides of ball, legs extended, toes on floor. Extend right arm and lift left leg until you engage butt (as shown). Pause; switch sides. Do 12 reps.

* works back, abs, butt

Make 2010 the fittest year of your life

Ellery Hollingsworth’s leg-up

Stand on right leg, hands behind head. Tilt torso forward, lifting bent left leg (as shown). Return to upright; twist torso right (left leg off floor). Repeat sequence on opposite side, twisting left, for one rep. Do 10 reps. Switch legs; repeat.

* works legs, back, abs, butt

Want more exercises? Click here

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Top 4 common workout mistakes

Sherri Shepherd recently went to the gym to get her body in shape for a segment on “The View”and from the look of this workout she may have had other things on her mind.Take a look:

Sherri Shepherd

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The challenges of working out go beyond just drumming up the motivation to go to the gym.

(From shape.com)

Find out what pitfalls you need to be aware of and follow these suggestions to avoid injury and maximize your workouts:

1. Forgetting to Stretch Before Workout Sessions

Even if you’re pressed for time, you should always warm-up and stretch before workout sessions. Try using a foam roller to loosen up since you shouldn’t lift weights with cold muscles. “Rolling out your muscle tissue before you train is critical for optimal blood flow, muscle contractions and releasing muscle adhesions and knots,” says Ashley Borden, a Los Angeles-based celebrity trainer.

Make 2010 the fittest year of your life

2. Overtraining

Workout mistakes can also occur if you exercise too frequently. “The body is a machine that responds best to consistency; it’s not a reservoir you can fill up with calories and burn all in one day,” says Borden. Focus on the specific body part you’re training and give your body enough time to recover. Following fitness tips like this will give your muscles enough time to recover between workouts.

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(BlackDoctor.org) — It’s nearly 2010, the year of completion, and it’s time to build a great new body. By exercising three to five times a week for at least 30 minutes (make at least two of those workouts strength training) you can have the body you want in no time.

Winter: Base-Building and Boredom-Busting

Your resolutions probably came with a regular gym membership and not-so-regular motivation. But this is when you need a schedule most. You have to build a solid foundation of strength and cardiovascular health before you can move on to more intense and more fun activities. If you haven’t exercised regularly, start with 2 days a week. Hit 6 weeks, and it’s a habit. Start here.

Beat the post-holiday bulge

Stay Low

Keep your cardio intensity lower than about 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, or a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. If you push too hard, you’ll peak early and burn out. Plus, you’ll burn fat by doing 30 minutes at 60 to 70 percent. When you train at lower intensities, you’re teaching your body to use fat rather than carbohydrates.

Be Spontaneous

Every once in a while, choose exercises the way you’d browse through a bookstore go in without a plan. You can do anything, just whatever you feel like, for 30 minutes to an hour. It’s a great way to avoid boredom, and you don’t have to wait for machines. For cardio, follow the guidelines outlined above. For strength, keep your weights low (low enough so that you can complete two to three sets of 10 mildly challenging reps), or just do one set of each exercise, mixing them as you please without thinking about what’s coming next.

Click here for more tips

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How to stick to your New Year’s fitness resolution

Are you having a really tough time motivating myself to get to the gym in the morning?  Let’s face it, this happens to the best of us. We hit a point when for some reason, the LAST thing we feel like doing is moving our butt…even though we know we should and that it is good for us.

Truth is, these phases are normal. If anyone claims otherwise, they would be lying. But just because your inner-devil has won over your inner-angel does not mean that it has won for good! Here are a few ways to overcome your burnout period and move into a more motivated frame of mind from sheerbalance.com:

1. STOP Exercising. Yep, you heard me right. Stop exercising. Take a week off and don’t feel guilty about it either. Burning out is a sign that you may have been overdoing it. Allowing yourself to not exercise will give your body a break and, even more importantly, your mind a rest. The more we berate ourselves into having to go to the gym, the more we feel that it is a chore…something to loathe. Giving yourself a break will help your mind reset its attitude to be more positive.

2. Do a Little Research. Chances are that you have been doing a similar workout or exercise routine for awhile. This may be part of why you are burnt out. Without actually doing the exercises, read up on recent fitness trends, talk to friends about classes or exercise types they really enjoy and scope out what may be new offerings in your area or gym. Getting some fresh ideas will help you feel excited again about exercising and finding activities you enjoy.

Get in shape by dancing

3. Set New Goals. Having goals helps us to focus our attention on an outcome versus the process, giving us something to look forward to. Maybe you want to train for a marathon. Maybe you want to gain muscle and decrease your fat (calculate your Body Fat here). Maybe you want to become a black belt in a Martial Art. Find something that you can be passionate about to help you get motivated again.

4. Find a Partner in Crime. Having a friend who wants to stay fit with you can help you through the rough patches of exercise. Make sure, however, that your workout buddy is someone who has real dedication to the task at hand and whom you can count on to push you when you need the push!

5. Get New Music. If you are struggling with cardio, in particular, get a new workout playlist. Music can be a huge motivator to get you moving. If your playlist gets stale, it can have the opposite impact on you. Keeping music fresh will help you stay interested and distracted when your workout is feeling a little long.

How do you get over your workout burnout?

Want to trim down? Try walking?

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These are tough times all over. We all have cut back on things we enjoy doing, but it doesn’t mean you have to give up working out. Here are three exercises you can do at home:
1. Cardio Push-up (works the legs, butt, shoulders, back, and core)
Squat with your arms bent at waist-level. Shoot your hands above your head like you’re shooting a basketball. Bring your hands to the floor and kick back your feet so you’re in a push-up position, then do a push-up. Jump your feet back to your hands, and spring up into the next jump. Repeat 10 times.

Get your body ready for fall

2. Waist Whittler (works the abs, obliques, thighs, glutes, quads, and shoulders) Lunge to your left, with your hands down at your sides (palms facing inward and fingers to the floor), and hold for two seconds. Bring your right foot up so it’s next to your left knee. Then bring your arms above your head with your palms facing each other, and bend at the waist to the left as far as you can without toppling over. Do 12 to 15 reps on one side, then 12 to 15 on the other. (If you have three- to five-pound dumbells-or even bottles of water-use them and lower the reps to 10 to 12.)

3. Bicep Curl/Shoulder Press. (“This exercise will throw off your balance, so you’re working your stabilizing muscles-the smaller muscles mainly in the back and abs,”. You’ll need 3- to 10-pound weights, bottles of water, or half-gallon milk jugs for each side.) Holding the weights, squat down like you’re doing a curtsy, with your right leg in back. At the same time do a bicep curl on both sides with your arms in a “V” position. Come up out of the curtsy and lower you arms, keeping your elbows tight to your sides. Bring your left knee up to your chest so you are balancing on one foot. Push your arms straight up into the air, then back down to your sides. Anytime you bring your arms overhead in a repetitive motion, you’re bringing your heart rate up. Repeat 15 times on each side if you’re not using weights, 10 to 12 times with weights.

4 reasons why you need a workout buddy

Here are four reasons why you need a workout buddy:

1) First and foremost, people tend to stay more motivated when they have someone else there to encourage them along the way. A buddy can help stay on your case when you start to “slack off” and they can also help you compare successes. They can really help you to maintain your accountability. In addition, a fitness buddy offers up some friendly competition, which also stimulates and maintains motivation.

2) Sometimes people simply need a friendly reminder that they need to do things, and a fitness buddy is perfect for this. They can help to remind you it’s time for your workout, or that you need to go grocery shopping for some fresh produce. No matter what the reason, they make a great resource for helping to keep you in check, and sure that you’re holding up your end of the bargain.

Spinning 101

3) If you enjoy walking around your neighborhood as a form of exercise, a walking buddy is extremely important for safety reasons, and so you will have someone to chat with along the way. Walking with a partner makes the entire trip seem much easier and it helps it to go by faster. This concept also applies to working out at the gym. Your fitness buddy can be your spotter and can encourage and motivate you to lift just five more pounds this week. They can also be good for carpooling so you both save a bit of money on gas and on transportation.

4) When you feel a bit discouraged, you can turn to your buddy for advice or help. They can be a great support system in times of need or when you’re just feeling down. It’s also nice to have someone who is going through the same thing you are, and whom you can share a goal with. There are countless reasons why having someone to share your fitness journey is a good idea for you, but for them as well.

VIDEO: Turn your workout into playtime

Backyard boot camp:

This workout is fun and something you can set up in your backyard to create a circuit-style boot camp. Bring out your music, have your friends blow a whistle (or set a timer) when it’s time to move from station to station. You can do it on your schedule. Set up stations with what you have. Even without any equipment, you can set up a station for sit ups, pushups, squats, lunges and running in place. You can add equipment like a jump rope or stationary bike for cardio, a baseball bat to hold over head to do stretching and twists or dumbbells to enhance your squats and lunges. Be creative with what you have, at a minimum your body is a great weight.

Shorten your workout and burn fat faster

Intervals, Olympic street style:

Running the same distance on the same course every day can get boring. Adding speed and variety to your running sessions can truly spark your running. Whether it is block-to-block, tree to the next tree or phone pole to the next, set up small distances so that you can do a full-out sprint. Then, recover to the next distance with an easy walk or jog. Continue to repeat this for a few sets and build up the sets you do over time. This same type of speed work can be done at a nearby high school track.

Community workout trails:

Check out your local area to see if there are any local trails/paths that are already set up with exercises you can do at each station. This gets you outside, varies your routine and gives you a new challenge at each station–especially the pull-up bar!

Tour de You:

Get off the spin bike at the club and head outdoors for a trail ride. Cycling outside, whether on the road or a mountain bike path, is a refreshing way to tour the neighborhood. You can even take it to the next level by commuting to work on a bike as a personal green initiative.

Click here to read more

How To: Get A Sexy Back

Don’t have time for the gym or a long workout? Here are three quick moves you can do at home (if you have a stability ball) or right before your cardio session at the gym. These three exercises will get your heart rate going and fat burning through your body all day long.

8 ways to tame a raging appetite

Get cute right after your workout

(From blackdoctor.org) If you are an extremely busy, but fitness forward woman, you are probably often forced to squeeze your workout in during your lunch hour or before the evening PTA meeting. In an ideal world, you’d also have time to shower, fix your hair, and dress to impress. But in the real world, you don’t always have time for all of this. Instead of skipping your workout altogether in lieu of extra shower time, consider some of these shower alternatives for time-pressed exercisers.

Workout Clothes
There are many different ways to refresh your body, from head to toe, starting with your workout clothes. Sitting around for hours in sweaty clothes isn’t very comfortable or appealing to your co-workers. Bring a change of clothes to the gym, everything from socks, to shirts and even undergarments. Women especially need to bring a change of underwear to prevent yeast infections that might arise when wearing damp or sweaty undergarments for too long.

4 ways to tone your body in time for summer

Consider buying exercise clothes made from synthetic fabrics that are specifically designed to whisk away sweat, keeping you cooler and drier, such as Dri-Fit by Nike, Double Dry by Champion, or Cool Max. Cotton clothes retain sweat and moisture, making your sticky and stinky. Also, wear breathable socks, not dress socks, while you work out. Women should always wear sports bras, not only for support, but also so that they can change back into a clean, regular bra when finished.

Head to Toe
If you have long hair, pull it up or back while on the treadmill or lifting weights. This way, it’s less likely to fall down onto your neck or face and pick up the sweat that lies there. Carry a small towel with you to wipe off excess sweat while you exercise. Never touch your hands to your sweaty face, as this spreads bacteria and increases the likelihood of acne. Just use your towel (blotting, not wiping) instead!

When you are done with your workout, let your hair back down. You can apply hair freshening products (in spray or powder form) after exercising to help neutralize or refresh the smell of your hair, such as Aveda Light Elements Reviving Mist or KMS Turnstylr Do-Over Cleansing Spray. Powder products also help decrease moisture and oil, keeping hair looking and smelling great until you have time to shower later.

Bring some disposable body wipes or towelettes (available at most drug stores and online). These wipes remove excess oil from your skin. Some varieties are gentle and can be used on your face, while others can be used all over your body. These are great option when you don’t have time to shower and they’re small enough to keep a pack in your gym bag or car. Try Crabtree and Evelyn Citrus Travel Towelettes, L’Occitane Green Tea Refreshing Towelettes for Hands and Body, or Avon Clearskin Deep Cleansing Cloths.

Get the best arms ever

A foot deodorizer can also help you feel clean after a heavy workout. After removing your workout socks, apply foot spray or powder directly to your feet before putting your regular socks back on. Some of these products go directly into your socks or shoes, and even baking soda works well. Either way, look for a product that kills germs and bacteria (which thrive harbor in warm, damp areas and cause foot odor), such as Gold Bond Medicated Foot Powder or Crystal Spray Foot Deodorant.

Shower Time
Obviously, showering after a workout is the best option. It cleans the sweat from your body and helps prevent both acne and that post-exercise funk. Just in case time allows, stock your gym bag with flip flops for the locker room shower, a clean towel, and a shower caddy. Save yourself packing space and time by bringing along travel-size and double-tasking toiletries, such as a shampoo that cleans your hair and body.

It’s great that you’ve chosen to work up a sweat and fit exercise into your busy day. By packing just a few extra things into your gym bag, you can freshen up and go about the rest of your day with confidence.

If we aren’t having fun yet, why will we keep doing it? In this world of instant everything, we can get really bored with out daily crunches, walks and even those classes that had been such a blast when we first signed up for them six weeks ago. What is a person who wants to stay active and have a good time to do? Mix it up!

First and foremost, have FUN with it. Don’t think of exercise as a chore or a task, think of it as something to look forward to. The second it starts to bore you, move along. Find a new shiny form of exercise that will keep your attention as well as keeping up your heart rate.

Some great ideas to get you moving and keep you moving are:

1. Get your friends involved. Start some MOVING groups with your friends, walking (you can use www.WalkOffObesity.com to find people in your area), skipping, running, bicycling, rollerblading, swimming and more. Get creative and think about some unique things you can come up with.

What to eat after a workout.

2. How about a book & bicycling club? Read a book and then talk about it when you get together for your weekly rides. Think outside of the typical exercise box and maybe switch it up enough the people in your group won’t have time to get bored.

5 misleading fitness myths.

Read more here.

(From shine.com)

Think you need to go to the gym to get a body that’s really strong and sculpted? Not so.

Hover squat Hover above a chair seat as if you were going to sit down, without letting your butt or thighs touch the seat. Hold for 30 seconds, building up to 1 minute. Do these whenever you get a moment, aiming for once an hour.

Kitchen dip Every time you’re in the kitchen, perform triceps dips using a kitchen chair: Stand in front of a chair as if you were going to sit down, then bend knees and lower hips, placing hands on the seat edge, fingers pointing forward, arms straight. Walk feet forward, and with feet flat and torso erect, bend and straighten arms, keeping butt close to chair seat without touching it. Do 8-15 reps.

Shopping squeeze As you push your shopping cart, or whenever you’re walking, contract your butt muscles as tightly as you can and keep them contracted as you walk. (No one has to know!)

For more tips, click here.

(From shape.com)

What exercise are you not into? Read more here.

Click here to find out what 10 steps can help you lose weight.

[From CNN Health]

First lady Michelle Obama has a fashion following, with blogs tracking her daily garment choices.

She’s on the March cover of Vogue in a sleeveless silk sheath. Then there was the purple sleeveless Narciso Rodriguez she wore to the president’s joint session of Congress on Tuesday. And she’s on the cover of the latest People magazine in a lacy pink number, also without sleeves.

Those toned arms are becoming a trademark. And a source of inspiration for some women.

Rylan Duggan, a personal trainer who runs Go Sleeveless, a blog that instructs women how to tone up flabby arms and “eliminate bat wings,” said that in addition to asking how to get “Madonna arms” or “Kelly Ripa arms,” clients are now asking about getting “Obama arms.”

“The Obama effect has been that women of all ages have been inspired to take responsibility for their health and their body,” said Duggan. “As the first lady of the United States, at 44 years old, and with two young children, Mrs. Obama has shown the world that you are never too busy to take care of yourself and look good doing it too,” he said.

Exercise advocates are also fans. “She’s a great role model,” said Jessica Matthews, a continuing education coordinator for the American Council on Exercise. “Women shy away from strength training, because they’re afraid of big muscles. She shows nice toned arms and that it’s not going to lead to this myth of a bodybuilder type.”

Women don’t have the hormones to develop huge muscles by strength training, unless they’re working out to an extreme or taking steroids, Matthews said.

Obama has said she exercises in 90-minute workout three times a week with a personal trainer. The first lady told People magazine that during an average day in the White House, she and the president get up at 5:30 a.m. and usually work out and have breakfast.

Not everyone thinks Michelle’s arms need to be seen all the time, though. In fact, some people think it’s downright inappropriate! To read the rest of the article, click here.

Don’t have toned arms? Want some? Find out how to get ‘em here.

What’s YOUR best body part? Find out how to flaunt it here.

Every woman wants a tummy that’s tight and toned. With summer right around the corner, here’s a quick workout to help you achieve those flat abs you desire.

Click here to see the video.

Click here to find out the 5 ways to stay in the gym.

Click here for easy recipes to get rid of belly fat.

Want a butt like Kim Kardashian? Here’s your answer!!! Kim K is working on a new fitness DVD for curvier girls?

Kim recently told PEOPLE magazine that she’s filming her own fitness DVD which includes three-hour rehearsals.

I’m flying to L.A. first thing on Sunday morning to film my own fitness DVD on how to tone up and stay in shape for a curvy body,” Kardashian, 28, told PEOPLE Friday night at the 6th Annual Leather & Laces Super Bowl Party in Tampa. “It’s going to be a grueling day.”

So what exactly is on Kardashian’s agenda? “First of all, there’s a three-hour rehearsal where I have to do all the exercises over and over,” Kardashian explains. “Then I have to actually shoot the DVD. So I’ll be working out for hours on Sunday while all my friends are having fun.”

While the reality star didn’t originally plan on missing the game, a scheduling snafu forced her to make a tough decision. “When we first chose Feb. 1, we didn’t know it was the Super Bowl,” she says. “And after we realized it, I thought that this [video] was an important thing for me to do.”

And important for her target audience: curvier girls.

“For young girls to see exercise videos that have only skinny girls…well, that’s something they can’t attain,” says Kardashian. “I want this to be something that can be realistic for most girls.”

Why would you want a body like Kim? Peep the pictures below.

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