Lately, study after study has come out showing that interval training, or burst training, is the most effective way to get in shape, stay in shape and increase endurance. So what is burst training? In this high-intensity interval training, you do a full body exercise for 30-60 seconds, rest for the same amount of time, and repeat until you’ve been going for about 4-12 minutes. The most important aspect of this training style is that, during the intervals, you are pushing yourself absolutely as hard as you can go.

Interval training is perfect for days when you don’t have much time or space to exercise. This video, made by fitness and nutrition expert JJ Virgin, is the best explanation of interval training I’ve seen. I interviewed JJ back in December, and this lady knows her stuff. She explains everything you need to know about how to burst train safely and effectively. Check it out!

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

Today, I invented a new exercise! Ok, not really. I basically smushed together a bunch of different moves into one awesome total body exercise. It works all your major muscle groups – arms, abs, back and legs. This is what happens when you live in a way-too-tiny space. You get weirdly resourceful. Read on for step by step instructions and try out my new move!

1. Walk out into plank position

Begin standing, and bend down to touch your toes. If you need to bend your knees to reach the floor, do that, but try to straighten them as soon as possible. Slowly walk your hands out into a plank position. For an extra challenge, do 1-5 pushups here.

2. Mountain climbers

Jump your right foot in toward your hands, then switch, bringing your left foot in. Repeat as fast as you can, keeping your butt as low to the ground as possible, for 30 seconds.

3. Walk back up to standing

Walk your hands back in to your feet and stand up.

You can repeat this move as many times as you want, depending on how intense of a workout you’re looking for. I would recommend doing it about 5 times in a row.

What do you think I should name my new move?

What I’m wearing: top by The North Face, pants by Soybu.

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Contact her on Twitter.

Is it just me, or is this week crazy? Oh, just me? Awkward. Well, as college students, it’s inevitable that we’ll all have some weeks where everything is just a bit too much. Maybe it’s because you have three midterms and a paper due, or maybe it’s because you had a few too many margaritas…every night last weekend. (Who, me? No!)

So here’s your workout for the week when you have way too much work to get done and can’t even think about going to the gym. Try out this quick cardio blast to get in a good workout and relieve some stress.

1. High Knees

Run in place, but bring your knees as high up toward your chest as possible with every step. Continue for one minute.

2. Mountain Climbers

Drop down to a plank position on the floor, then jump your right foot in toward your hands, and switch feet. Continue for one minute.

Repeat this sequence, alternating one minute of high knees with one minute of mountain climbers, at least three times. You can do it!

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also has a love for cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

It’s getting to that time of the year again. The stress over New Year’s plans, the mad hunt for sparkly dresses and the awkward conversation when you have to ask your aunt for a gift receipt. . In between singing the lyrics to Christmas songs you’ve heard too many times and deciding which sparkly dress is sparklier, it’s quite difficult to squeeze in any workout time. Well, you are just in luck. For the past year and some months, I’ve been bringing you my favorite moves to do in home and on the go.

As you begin to scribble down “go to the gym everyday” on your New Year’s Resolutions list, let me help you with my list of favorite Body Blog workouts of all time – ease into the program and let’s get ready for that summer time bikini body! What? Too early for summer? Okay fine…

initiating the gallery...

If you take a stroll around my city, you’ll see girls and guys alike donning short shorts and track jackets, music a-blastin’ from their iPods. They’re only participating in the latest craze we like to call running. If you haven’t joined the club, now is the best time to do so! Why?

1. Nothing feels better than setting a goal of 5K, 10K, half or even a full marathon…and actually finishing it. Talk about extreme motivation.

2. Trying to get that 6-pack to peek through? Running has amazing cardio benefits that’ll shed an extra layer of fat.

3. You don’t need equipment. Just your fave pair of running shoes and you’re good to go.

4. The running community is extremely supportive. There are fun runs almost everywhere! Check out places like Sports Basement, Lululemon Athletica or Nike.

5. Runner’s high! It exists, trust me.

Need some realistic motivation to actually get up and run? Think of signing up for San Francisco’s very own Bay to Breakers. ESPN named it one of its “101 Things Sport Fans Must Do Before They Die” so you know this has got to be good. Every year in May, you’ll see people dressing up for Halloween 5 months early and raging on the streets of San Francisco. In any other town it may be a little odd, but in SF this is only expected. And it’s just the element of fun new runners and old runners need to get their bodies in motion.

Some months ago, I ran my very first half marathon and I have been inspired ever since. You don’t have to be a frequent runner to do these races. All it takes is determination and you’ll be crossing that finish line in no time. This race, however, with its realistic distance, fun costumes and great views, is probably one of the best ones to start with.

This race began in 1912, marking this year’s May 15th race as the 100th anniversary. Bay to Breakers started because the citizens of the city needed an event to distract them from the recent 1906 earthquake. And now, 10 decades later, with our own economic issues, it’s just as important of a distraction as ever. The 7.46 mile race starts at the Embarcadero, goes straight through our luscious Golden Gate Park and ends up right at the Pacific Ocean. Uh, you ready to sign up yet?

A lot of you may be wondering, “I’m a poor college student. Why would I pay to run?” First of all, it gives you Facebook picture uploading rights. Second of all, you get to sound really fit and awesome by telling everyone you’re running a 12K race. Lastly, you get to attend the Greater Body Expo pre-race, own the official B2B t-shirt, commemorative medal and score tons of goodies post-race. Trust me, you are lavished with lots of swag as a runner.

And, duh, you get to spend a weekend in San Francisco (and stop by the Full House house!), one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

I encourage you to sign up for this race. The new year rush has faded and it’s time to continue your awesome fitness/health high. The best part? I’ll be running this race right along side you (well, not literally) to give you support and tips on how to complete your first 12K race. Join me in running one of America’s most exciting races! You can even wear a tutu when you run. Not that it would be too comfortable, but it would be awesome.

Angela Fang, general manager of the race says it best: “Bay to Breakers is an all encompassing event that unites best-in-class athletes with enthusiastic fans and creates the spirit that is San Francisco.”

What are you waiting for?

Sign up for Bay to Breakers! Need a little push? Follow me @jackelynho and I’ll get you right on track.

Have you ever stayed up all night studying for a final? Blood shot eyes, empty coffee cups, pages and pages of notes…you know, the works. Do you remember sitting there wishing you had diligently studied all semester long, gone to class or stayed awake during the Powerpoint presentation?

Yeah, me too.
Every. damn. semester.

Well, I’m here to let you know that just like studying, the same goes for good health and fitness. We can’t expect to do crash diets or spend 3 hours at the gym on one day to achieve our goal body. There’s no way that’s healthy or realistic. Just like school, it takes a little effort every single day in order to see maximum results. And with Spring Break and summer just a few months away, if you want to feel beach body confident by semester’s end you have to start now.

The secret to having the body you want is actually pretty simple. If you know and understand these three key factors in exercising, you’re off to a very good start.

1. Cardiovascular exercise burns off the layer of fat covering your six pack. You gotta get that heart a-pumping and that sweat a-drippin’ if you want to see some real results! The professionals recommend at least 20-30 minutes of cardio, 3-5 times a week. No, that does not include walking to your kitchen and back. Jump roping there? Okay, now we’re talking.

2. Incorporate strength training or weight bearing exercises into your fitness routine. Sure your abs are hidden somewhere in there, but in order to get them peeking through you have to work on strengthening them. Crunches or sit-ups are a great start! As you get more advanced in your routine, try incorporating full body planks or moves that create muscle confusion, like these challenging (and rewarding!) ab blasters.

3. Muscle burns more calories than fat! This is why #2 is muy importante. Muscles take more energy to function, therefore burning more calories even when you’re not doing anything. If you can build up lean muscle mass, then you are guaranteed to get more from your cardio workouts.

Of course there are more things to ensure a proper fitness routine, but if you want to get started in the right direction, these are the three things you must understand. Combined with a healthy diet, you are on the fast track to your dream body.

I know there are times when you’re going to feel like bingeing (these super cheesy, extra oily fries aren’t THAT bad at 2am, right?) or skipping the gym for a day (or week), but keep in mind how hard you’re working and why you’re doing this. Keep enjoying your life, but vow to make some healthier choices. Whether it be taking the stairs instead of the elevator or banning yourself from the kitchen after 10pm, simply making one change every day gets you closer and closer to your goal.

– Wanna get started? Check out some of my workouts here. I’ll be back next week with more! Tweet me your requests @jackelynho!

So when I do finally muster up the energy to make it to the gym I know I have to make it count. I don’t want to waste any time so I’ve started streamlining my workout by doing exercises that combine cardio and weight training. The cardio aspect gets my heart rate up, allowing the strength training exercises to burn more calories and be even more effective.

I’m all about the multi-tasking and after this workout I feel stronger and skinnier and happy. In fact, I can feel the endorphins kicking in already…

Jumping Lunges
Don’t settle for typical lunges if you want a great butt! Speed up the process by doing jumping lunges. These will spike your heart rate while also toning, so you’ll see results a lot faster. I usually do these in one-minute intervals with a 30 second break between.

How to:
1. With your hands on your waist, lunge forward with one leg.
2. Jump, pushing off both feet and switching your legs in mid-air.
3. Land in a lunge with the opposite leg forward.
4. Repeat.

Up-Downs

Ladies, if football players can do these, we can too. Up-downs burn some serious calories; give you a great ab, arm and leg workout, and can provide some amusement for your lazy roomies. Make them join you, or have them call the shots, boot camp style. Start off doing Up-downs in one-minute intervals and work your way up.

How to:
1. Start by running in place.
2. Every ten seconds, drop to the ground in a push up formation and push yourself back up to your feet.
3. Keep your abs engaged and repeat!

Jumping Squats
Squats work wonders on your butt and legs. Make them even more effective by adding a burst of cardio!

How to:
1. Start with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Squat, making sure your knees are lined up right over your ankles, then jump up.
3. When you land, sink immediately into another squat and repeat.

Bring ‘Em Overs
These might look a little funky to strangers, but you’ll definitely feel it in your abs and legs after!

How to:
1. Bring your arms up by your chin, like a boxer. Stand with your feet together.
2. Grab a nearby stool or pretend there is one in front of you (should be a little lower than your waist).
3. Extend your leg out and bring it over the stool, so it ends up on the other side. Keep your abs tight!
4. Follow with the other leg, so both legs end up on the other side of the stool. Repeat, back and forth across the stool.

Good Mornings
This move is a bit harder than the others, but it gets your whole body moving, while specifically working your abs and legs! If this is difficult, try doing just a few. You will begin building up the muscles and you’ll be able to do more in no time.

How to:
1. Lay down on your back, legs and arms fully extended along the floor.
2. Keeping your arms extended straight upwards, use your abs to roll upward to a crouch, and then to a standing position.
3. Keeping your arms extended over your head, sink down into a crouching position and roll back to the starting position.
4. Repeat!

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:
- Exercisetv - On this site (the online component of the ExerciseTV channel, which, if you have DVR/Time Warner cable, you most likely have available to you for free), there are tons of free full length workout videos available to watch or download that range from cardio to pilates. Here are a few examples: Zen in Your Den, Absolutely Amazing Abs or Ballet Strength Workout.

- Yogadownload – I just stumbled on this site a few months ago, and LOVE it so far. They have hundreds of free 20 minute yoga programs. And that amount of time is just about right for me; I tend to get a bit bored and antsy with super long yoga sessions. Plus, if I’m feeling up to it, I’ll do two different 20 minute routines in a row to change things up. Everything from gentle-hatha yoga to hot-power fusion is available, free of charge.

- Squeezeitin – Although this site is targeted a bit more towards busy moms (which I am far from), I think we can all relate to the aspect of not having much time to squeeze in a workout during a hectic day. So, the short videos with catchy titles like Va-va-va vacuum or Countertop Push-ups reinforce the idea that anyone really can incorporate fitness to their daily life. Sitting around watching reruns of Gossip Girl? Grab some canned foods and curl those biceps. Cleaning your disaster of a dorm room? Do some lunges instead of just meandering around.

- YouTube – Yes, that same youtube that provides us with our daily smattering of entertaining lip dubs and painful, but hilarious, videos of people falling. There’s actually a large amount of health/fitness videos available on there if you have the patience to search. Just to get you going, check out this four part “Weight Loss Yoga” series from a great NYC yoga instructor.

What are your favorites? Any other websites I’m missing?

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.

1. Learn to Recognize True Hunger
When a craving hits you suddenly, ask yourself, “Am I really hungry?” It’s important to gain awareness of what is making you want to eat. If you just ate an hour or two ago, it’s likely this is simply an emotional urge. Wait and allow the craving to pass.

2. Know What Triggers Your Cravings
Start keeping a journal of everything you eat and make note of your emotional state with each snack or meal. This will reveal any negative eating patterns and will allow you to become conscious of what triggers your emotional binges.

3. Find Comfort Elsewhere
Instead of grabbing that bag of Doritos, go for a walk, clean your room, create a list of things you’ve been meaning to take care of and start taking care of them!! If you feel stressed or sad, vent to a friend, write in your journal, deal with your emotions head on instead of numbing the pain with a candy bar. Food is a temporary relief; obviously, it does not fix the problem.

4. Remove Unhealthy Foods from Your Space
Having high-calorie snacks lying around will only tempt you as you try to overcome your eating habits. Get rid of any chips, cookies, ice cream, cheese … anything that is unhealthy. Refill your pantry and refrigerator with low-calorie items and avoid urges to shop for the bad stuff. Again, wait for those cravings to pass. This is about disciplining yourself. You can do it!!!

5. Eat a Balanced Diet
You’re transforming yourself by putting the effort into ending the emotional eating. Now it’s time to become passionate about your body. It is a temple and deserves to be fed only the best. So give it the good stuff — veggies, lean protein, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy. All of these things eaten in balance will give you more energy and promote all over wellness. Number one, eat breakfast. Number two, don’t skip meals. Number three, include foods from the food groups listed above.

6. EXERCISE!!
I doubt anything can combat bad moods better than physical activity. It is the absolute best way to relieve boredom, fatigue and negative emotions. Why? Because exercise releases endorphins which give you an almost euphoric feeling post-workout. I know it’s difficult to jump into a cardio routine when you don’t already exercise regularly, but it can be done. And I promise you’ll feel like a new person once you do.

Here’s to beating emotional eating! Every one of us deserves to feel good about ourselves and you can and will accomplish this if you utilize the strategy I’ve discussed. Share your experience with us!

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.

Anywho, we all lined up and got ready to workout. We began with arm circles, then added in light weights. “Not so bad,” I thought to myself. Looks like I spoke to soon. The workout soon progressed to squats and  ballet barre work and – good Lord! – I’ve never done so many reps in my life. It was CRAZY. I felt the burn in the first 3 minutes of warming up, but the instructor was not forgiving; she kept it comin’.

After an hour of this class, I felt very tight and toned. It felt great to work my muscles in a new way without fear of bulking them up. My main qualm is that there was very little cardio involved. I really like a good sweat and this didn’t do it for me… especially considering it costs $20 a session.

If you’re interested in a good toning workout, but not cool with the hefty price tag, here are some moves you can do on your own, at home or at the gym. (Thank you SELF magazine!)

Jive Hop
Stand with feet together, arms down. Begin hops: jump onto left foot as you kick right leg to side, reaching left arm up and right arm out to side. On next hop, land on the right foot, kick to left and switch arms. Alternate sides for one minute.

Lunge & Lift
Stand with legs together, arms out to sides at shoulder level. Lunge right leg to side, then bring left leg to meet right as you rise onto the balls of your feet, crossing left leg behind right. Drop heels; do a mini-squat (looks like plies in dance). Repeat lunge-squat sequence on left side. Alternate sides for one minute.

Rumba Reach
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Extend left leg to side, pointing toes to the floor; lift arms overhead, palms in. Bend torso as far left as you can with hips square, reaching through fingertips, then bend right. Alternate sides for one minute. Switch so right leg is extended; repeat for another minute.

Jive Cross
Stand with feet together, arms down. Hop onto ball of right foot, kicking the left leg across your body as high as you can and reaching your arms in the opposite direction at shoulder height. Hop onto left foot and kick right leg across body as you switch arm positions. Alternate sides for one minute.

Samba Squat
Stand with right foot turned out, left leg extended to front, toes pointed to floor, arms crossed over chest. Lower into a squat as you raise right arm overhead and left arm out to side at shoulder level. Return to start. Repeat 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat.

Side-Step Trimmer
Stand with feet together, left heel lifted, arms down. Step wide to left, landing with heel lifted, toes turned out and knee bent as you circle left arm up and to the left. Return to start. Repeat 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat.

Click this link to see the moves on video.

If you’re like me and need to shake up your exercise regime, these slimming moves will definitely keep you on your toes … literally. Enjoy!!