Sometimes just the thought of working out at the campus gym was enough to give me a near-panic attack. When I wanted to have a solid sweat session (usually donning sweatpants, no makeup and a worn out sorority event t-shirt), the last place I wanted to be was on display in front of the whole campus. Where, let’s be honest, I would inevitably run into my uber-attractive grad student TA, that boy I may or may not have made out with Friday night or my ex-boyfriend’s new annoying girlfriend who seemed to think it was a good idea to get fully made up before the gym so that she resembled a melting troll on the treadmill.

All of those reasons are why the idea of working out in the privacy of my own apartment or dorm, was much more appealing from time to time. When I lived in my sorority house, my roommate turned me onto Denise Austin and her DVDs. Unfortunately, our floor space was limited so we couldn’t easily exercise at the same time, but somehow we each managed to squeeze in quite a few workout sessions in that tiny room.

Luckily, that experience prepared me for living (and working out) in a tiny NYC apartment post-college. However, funds are limited to say the least, so I can’t afford to buy DVDs extraneously. That’s why, in the time since I’ve been out of college to now, I have discovered a number of great, FREE workout options that you can follow to get fit, toned and best of all, do them in your underwear at home!

Here are some of my favs:
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There have been countless instances where I’ve found myself shoveling nachos, ice cream or third helpings of dessert into my mouth. Realizing my own utter gluttony, I’ll drop the spoon or the cheesey chip and think, “What in god’s name am I doing?” Because the truth is I’m not even hungry. I’m bored or annoyed or just craving something that has nothing to do with food.

It took me years to identify any of this as emotional eating. I think because almost all of my girlfriends experienced the exact same thing. We’d even declare Sunday as the “Day of Eating” which made it OK to binge on the “bad stuff,” i.e. s’mores, pizza, bagels with cream cheese, to list a few. And the next day, of course, we’d all be at the gym, furiously working off the excess calories.

Looking back, I see how incredibly unhealthy and unbalanced this was. Yet, so many people turn to food to comfort themselves. In order to forget feelings from sadness, anxiety, loneliness or boredom, they reach for high-calorie, sweet, salty and fatty foods. And usually, they wind up eating way too much, which of course contributes to weight gain and guilt.

The good news is, all of us can regain control of these habits and get back on the healthy path. Read More »

Forty-five minutes on the elliptical, on the treadmill or in a spin class – that’s my usual cardio routine. But, like many fitness fanatics, I tend to get bored easily. There always comes a time when I crave a workout adventure to keep me motivated.

I’ve sweat through an hour and 30 minutes of  bikram yoga; I’ve trained for and run a half marathon. So when my very good friend suggested I try something called Xtend I was totally down.

I’m sure most of us have heard of the latest fitness trend that incorporates ballet and pilates. The Tracy Anderson Method, Physique 57 and Fluidity are examples of this intense stretching and strengthening program. Xtend is the one found in good ole Hoboken, NJ.

Quite honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, I was told to wear spandex, so I new there would be lots of bending (or maybe some sort of 80’s movie dance routine). But the class regulars explained that I would soon be very, very sore. This excited me because I absolutely love having sore muscles. You really know you’ve gotten a good workout when you can’t walk down stairs the next day. Read More »

Katrina doing the Fitness Model Circuit Workout

Do you ever look at pictures in Shape or Self magazine and wonder how the models get their perfect bodies? Well, most likely they have been Photoshopped to perfection, but in real life, they are not far from it.

When I was in California recently, I was lucky enough to have Karena Dawn, a fitness model, show me and my pal Katrina the workout she used to get in shape for a recent shoot with Shape Magazine. It’s a total body fat burning circuit workout you can complete in just 20 minutes! Try this routine three days a week and you will have a magazine-cover body in no time.

Self Magazine Fitness Model Workout

This workout is 20 minutes, and includes a resistance move followed by 30-60 seconds of cardio, like running up stairs, jumping rope, running, or even jumping jacks. Best part: you do not need any equipment or a gym membership to complete this workout. You have no excuse not to get in shape! Read More »

Vsit with Tricep Extension

Welcome everyone to the last season before summer: Spring! To celebrate the wonderful season of blooming flowers, running outside, and the warm weather, get started on that bikini body with a circuit workout: Spring Into Swimsuit Shape!

It’s a 30 minute circuit workout you can do at the gym or in your dorm (or apt for you cool upperclassmen). There is some equipment involved, but if you don’t have it, I’ve provided below a list of alternative items you can use to get a similar burn.

To get the most from your workout, make sure you are eating the right post workout foods! Now, onto the plan… Read More »

In order to lose weight and keep it off, finding a fit activity that you love is essential. If you loath the redundancy of a 30 minute workout on an elliptical, treadmill or bike, here are some of the best new fitness classes that may be offered right now at your school!

Zumba

If you love to dance, this exercise is a must try! The latin inspired fitness dance class took sports gyms by storm in 2008. According to the official Zumba® website, “Zumba® Fitness was created in the mid-90’s by Colombian native Alberto “Beto” Perez, a celebrity fitness trainer and choreographer for International pop superstars. Inspired by the traditional cumbia, salsa, samba and merengue music he grew up with, Beto paired his favorite pulsating Latin rhythms with the red-hot international dance steps his clients loved and Zumba® Fitness (Spanish slang for “to move fast and have fun”) was born!” Click here to find the nearest Zumba class to where you live.

Pilates

Pilates really works your core and creates a leaner looking midsection. It will teach you how to suck in your beer gut without having that “sucking it in” look on your face in pictures. If you are naturally thin and are looking for a way tone up, this is an awesome exercise that will even make you look taller! For beginners you will most likely just use a mat and your own body weight. You will break a sweat, but this is not a heart pumping exercise. You may not even realize the muscles you are using during class, but you will definitely feel it the next day. I personally have noticed the slimming and toning effects after just as little as 2 classes. If your school doesn’t offer Pilates classes, you can check out a few of my favorite routines for free here. On average, Pilates burns about 330 calories per hour. Read More »

[I like to think of myself as a pretty easy going gal, and try not to sweat the small stuff. But sometimes (ok, maybe slightly more often) the general cluelessness, carelessness and overall stupidity of some things and or/people really gets to me. I find that venting is the most efficient way to rid myself of the stress that idiots, wrong meal orders, lack of cell phone etiquette and cheese flavored products (that don’t even contain any freaking cheese!) induce.

So, in an attempt to avoid an ulcer or an unfortunate road rage incident, I vent to you, dear reader. Please feel free to join in and comment about anything–really, anything–that pissed. you. off. this week. Let it all hang out. I feel you.]

Cell phone companies: Lately, all these upbeat and happy-go-lucky cell phone company commercials (in addition to the fact that my phone has, miraculously, not been stolen for a few years) led me to lower my guard towards the vicious corporate cell conglomerates. Until yesterday.

I practically skipped out of the store getting sticky fingerprints alllll ovah my new Vu. I had barely blinked when I signed away on the $264 transaction and sold my cell-soul for another two years (I like to pretend I’m really rich when I buy expensive things that are necessary purchases…it makes parting with my very small funds a lil bit easier). Then my boyfriend called; he had dutifully been doing some comparison shopping, as he’s well aware of my tendency to impulse buy. He had found the same phone, same deal for $135… before the rebate. Naturally, I went to return my phone and buy take the cheaper deal, only to find that, no, the company could not reverse the contract they JUST processed. And, no, I could not return my phone because apparently they examine it for microscopic scratches and cite a $75 “re-stocking” fee. So it was either keep my phone, or pay to return it. After my contract expires, I’m switching to carrier pigeon. Read More »

We are busy girls; there is no doubt about it. We’ve got class, and study groups, and student groups and work, and somewhere between all of that, we need to work out. And we need to get the most out of that limited time we have.

So we run to the gym, hop on the treadmill for 45 minutes, pack our things and move onto the next item on our daily agenda: the shower. We don’t have time to waste on stretching – we’ve got beer and pizza calories to burn, baby. Stretching is just an extra little thing, anyway; it’s not that important.

That’s what I used to think, but it turns out that stretching can be the most important part of a workout. Well, if you don’t want to mess up your body and do want to see more obvious results. Read More »

Now that the holidays are over and my jeans are extra tight from the cookies and cakes I stuffed in my face the past week (I know you’re feeling it to0, ladies!), it’s time to start thinking about how to improve (and drop the holiday weight) for the New Year.

Instead of making that vague “I’m gonna work out this year!” resolution that never works, why not take a more focused approach? Here are a few resolutions that will get you on track for actually fulfilling your fitness goals in 2009. My opinion: start small:

- Start a Workout Program: If you don’t work out regularly, make it a point to do so. Join a gym (many have holiday specials still going on until Jan 1st!) and get into a routine where you hit the gym a few times a week. Don’t set an unrealistic goal (“I will run 10 miles, 4 days a week.”) – even if it’s just to start walking on a treadmill or taking a pilates class or two, you’ll never believe the difference it can make!

- Increase Your Workout: If you’re a regular, every day worker-outer like myself, start increasing your daily dose of exercise. For example, I normally run 1.5 – 2 miles a day and do ab work for about 15 minutes. Starting this week, I am upping my workouts to at least 2.5 – 3 miles a day with increased stretching and core focus on my abs to get that six pack (wishful thinking!) by the summer. Read More »

[Exercise, health and fitness are an important part of every woman’s life. But how do you know if you’re doing it right? And what new findings, tips and advice will help you reach your health fitness goals? Kelly, our fitness guru, will keep you updated every Monday with the latest and most beneficial news and advice for your health and body. Even if it involves some...er...alternative workouts.]

Now, I know what you may be thinking: I’m the same lady who, a few months ago, wrote a blog about how I felt about the ladies of the pole. You know – strippers. Now, while I voiced my opinion on how I felt about my boyfriend visiting them, I did not (and made it a point not to) bash strippers for what they were doing (their job).

So, when my girlfriend called me up a few weeks ago and asked me if I’d like to try a new workout class, which happened to be Introductory Pole Dancing, I was game. Hey, if nothing else I could get a feel for what it’s all about and maybe learn a thing or two… Plus, I had heard it was great exercise.

So, for $15 bucks, I signed up for my 90 minute (very long class!) workout around the pole. Read More »