Make New Friends and Feel Great!

Hello Beautiful Women!

  Sorry for the delay in posting and HAPPY 2011!

We’re well into January - the month of New Year’s Resolutions - and it seems the most popular resolution is to “Get Fit and Healthy”.  And why not? A new year offers a fresh start toward a more healthful you! The American Heart Association writes that daily exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, improve cholesterol levels, boost energy level, alleviate tension and improve the quality of sleep! Furthermore, exercise releases endorphins that make you feel happier!

So what’s the catch? Often we feel the need to “go all out” in order to make a powerful and immediate change. But if results slow or stop, it can feel discouraging. Moreover, working out excessively combined with extreme dieting can lead to exhaustion, injury or worse.  

Instead, try slowly increasing the quantity and intensity of your workouts. If you already exercise regularly, try adding interval training into your workouts.  If you’re a first time exerciser - remember to first increase Flexibility (stretch daily!), then muscular Strength, next muscular Endurance and finally improve your Cardiovascular fitness. Rushing into cardio can be dangerous if your muscles cannot handle the stress - something I learned from fitness expert Jennifer Ricupero.


The Benefits of Group Exercise

I HIGHLY recommend looking for a type of group exercise that you enjoy! Group Exercise is unique in that it creates a supportive, structured environment and introduces you to a new group of people to whom you are accountable. According to Lynne Vaughan, the Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of U.S. YMCA, “People who workout in groups have been found to be more successful in keeping to their workouts then those who workout alone.” Furthermore, when working out in a group environment people encourage each other to push just a little bit further and to try new things!

Group exercise comes in every form and every exercise level! Classes like Yoga and Pilates increase flexibility and strength. Other classes, such as Body Pump and many Step Aerobic classes combine strength training and cardiovascular fitness. My personal favorite are Cardio-Dance classes like Zumba Fitness, which are an extremely fun way to get a great cardio-vascular workout! In addition, bootcamp-style classes offer an intense cardiovascular workout combined with strengthening moves. For those that have injuries, try aquatic group exercise classes; Zumba Fitness even offers an aquatic class! (Check www.zumba.com to find a class near you!)

Resolving to be more healthful is fabulous! But remember, be forgiving to yourself: if you miss a class, take time off or are injured, your year isn’t ruined! Learn from your mistake and keep going!!

Embrace yourself!

~ Jessica