Ladies, I’m skeptical. If I hear Glee is a hilarious television show, I will not believe until I’ve seen the football team dancing to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” on the field. If you tell me Special K bars will make me lose weight, I won’t believe until I read the nutrition facts for myself. So when my co-worker raved about the benefits of fitness boot camps, I obviously did not believe her until I tried it myself.

Working out is hard enough already – do you really need someone yelling in your face the entire time? If I want to work out, I can do it entirely on my own. I’m just fine pounding the treadmill alone. With my iPod. And without any camouflage, baggy pants, and whistles! After 7^th grade, I resigned myself to the fact that I cannot do a pull-up, and I am more than fine with that. Plus, boot camp sounded so manly – I don’t want to look like one of those guidos from Jersey Shore.

But my very persistent co-worker convinced me to try out a mini boot camp. Her friend, a certified instructor, was running it for free, which sealed the deal. And because I never suffer alone, I dragged two of my friends along.

We met in the gardens of a nearby private school. Yes, in the good old outdoors. I showed up in a pair of yoga pants and a wife beater. The more experienced boot-campers arrived with their hands taped up like kick boxers and double sports bras. Needless to say, I was a little intimidated.

And then it started.

We began with the normal stretches, did a bit of running, and then were paired with partners for the rest of camp. Suddenly I found myself lunging, army crawling, jumping rope and more, with this partner of mine. Who, by the way, wasn’t one of the friends I brought along. I was sweating, my muscles were burning and I thought I might pass out… but I was having a great time! Going from station to station kept me active and interested, as opposed to my treadmill workouts when I’m counting down the minutes until I’m done. I was also doing a ton of new and different exercises, which challenged me in completely new ways.

And as cheesy as this may sound, I loved having a partner cheer me on the entire time. Can you imagine having someone telling you how great you are, and how you just need to go a little bit farther, a little bit faster all the time? Let’s talk really effective motivation! According to an article in the LA Times, since “people are often paired or grouped for friendly competitions,” boot camps can foster “a camaraderie and support not usually found in regular fitness classes. That camaraderie strengthens with time, establishing accountability, something fitness experts say is essential for sticking with a program.”

My skepticism was nowhere to be found as I punched, jumped, and sprinted through class. I seriously loved every minute of it! I’m not starved for attention, but I was really loving the group support. No matter who I found myself holding up, whose butt was near my face, or who I happened to be carrying up a hill (no joke), everyone believed in me and thought I was strong. It made me feel that much stronger and allowed me to push that much further. Just doing the normal work out at the gym with my girlfriends never resulted in that kind of motivation!

So maybe this skeptic is a believer now. And I’m not the only one. The experts at the LA Times agree that “for people willing to put in the work, boot camps enable exercisers to see results quickly, the better to stay motivated.”

Boot Camp Benefits include:

• Being in the great outdoors
• Having an always-changing workout
• Constant motivation
• Accountability
• Feeling that you’re always challenging your body in new ways

Can’t argue with that.
Have you tried boot camping it before? Would you try it now?

Sound rude? Yeah.
Are they right? Maybe.

But the real question is: does a university have the right to tell students that they have to lose weight?

As of now, Lincoln University is requiring all students with a BMI of 30 or more (which is considered obese) to enroll in a physical education course that meets three hours a week. Receiving a diploma will be contingent on them completing this course.

In other words, you may ace every course you take, but if you can’t walk up a flight of stairs to get to the classroom, you won’t be receiving a diploma come graduation time.

Some students find it unfair that they are being targeted because of their weight, claiming they came to college to get an education, which has absolutely nothing to do with their body mass index. On the flip side, the University claims that they are committed to aiding students in “achieving and maximizing students life goals” and that obesity is a factor that hinders this process.

On one hand the school is helping students adopt a healthy lifestyle (and who wouldn’t want to get credit for working out? Goodbye, gym membership!), but at the same time, is it the university’s job to force students to adopt a certain lifestyle or yank their degree?

What do you think?

There have been so many times that I’ve said, “Oh, I can skip going to the gym today – I’m going to go on a run! And then go swimming!” But what really happens is…. I go to the air-conditioned mall. And eat Panda Express.

So, when one of my girls suggested we take a Bikram yoga class together, I was super excited. Having each other to go with make things fun, and we’d have to pay for the classes, so we’d stay accountable. Sounds like exactly what I’m looking for. Or it did before I actually took a class. Now, I’m just torn.

Love it:

- Weight loss. After a class, you’ve already sweated off some inches. A lot of inches. If those few dehydration-induced losses aren’t enough, the body supposedly burns fat more effectively when it’s warm. The extreme heat increases your metabolic rate, helps to detoxify, and supposedly helps you to stretch more than you would be able to in a normal climate.

- Easy to learn. There are only 26 easy-to-learn asanas. In my class, each pose was done twice and held for 30 seconds each, which was especially nice for me, because I’d never done yoga before with the exception of “Yoga Booty Ballet.” It was easy to follow and I didn’t get lost, but I have a feeling that since it was so easy and monotonous, it could get boring after awhile.

- Hot bod. Since Bikram is more oriented toward weight loss and muscle toning than meditation and mental health, it may be a faster way to get that hot yoga body, which, after looking around the room, is officially my life goal. Everyone in the class was long, lean and totally toned. Clearly, this exercise works… or the heat is making me hallucinate.

- The post yoga high. The best part about Bikram has to be the endorphins and rejuvenation at the conclusion of the session. After this workout, you feel fantastic. It’s amazing to step out of the hot room and let your body readjust to normal temperatures as you mentally absorb what you were just able to do. Your head is clear, your body is restored, and you feel energized, yet calm.

Loathe it:

Obviously Bikram yoga is hot. Extreme heat leads to dehydration. And dehydration leads to death.

Why would we willingly put ourselves in a room specifically heated to a high temperature (usually around 100°) and then exercise? Doesn’t that seem kind of counter intuitive to you? Even the founder of hot yoga, Choduhury Bikram himself, refers to his studio as the “torture chamber.” Excellent…

Not only is the room hot, it’s also humid. 15 minutes into the class I’m wondering why I’m wearing Under Armour outfit instead of a bikini. Or just one giant super absorbent towel. I was dripping so much my hands and feet kept slipping on my mat. Pair that with my dizziness from being so hot and in downward dog for so long and I swear I almost broke my nose and face at least 4 times over the course of this class.

But my biggest Bikram issue was the lack of sincerity involved. Since this type of yoga is more fitness oriented and lacks a focus on mantras and breathing, it felt a little empty. For me, this isn’t a huge problem as it helps to think of the class as more of a physical fitness experience rather than something with a mind-body connection. But if you’re already used to a different style of yoga such as Vinyassa, Bikram might feel almost wrong.

So, now that I’m home, showered and cooled off (thanks to a trip to Jamba Juice), I’m torn on this one. I’ve already paid for 6 more classes, so I’ll definitely be going, but I don’t know if I’m going to be liking! Maybe a little present from Lululemon or Lucy would help…

Have any of you tried Bikram or any other forms of yoga? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!

[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.

When the class began, my girlfriends and I went into the studio and did about 30-45 minutes of intense stretching and warm-ups. Now, coming from an individual who barely stretches when she works out, this was something I wasn’t used to; I was using muscles that I didn’t think I even had! I cramped up quite a bit during the warm up, and I hadn’t even gotten near a pole yet.

Once we finally approached the pole, we started learning how to walk around it, were taught one trick, then eventually built up to a sequence combining sexy walking, the pole trick, and moving our bodies around the pole. It was different; I will admit I started cracking up a few times as the instructor told me to run my fingers through my hair. However, I felt like I got the hang of the simple moves and started to really get into it. After 90 minutes, I was bummed the class was over and anxious to sign up for more.

I enrolled in the six week Level 1 program.

This class is not as I pictured; I imagined lots of raunchy stripper moves, stripper heels and stripper hair. And it’s not. The Pole Dancing class was about strengthening your core muscles and your body, and learning how to connect with yourself as a female. It’s invigorating and empowering…and one hell of a workout!

Not only that – the class was fun! There is no better way to get a workout than in an environment that doesn’t feel like work (until you feel the aches and pains the next morning), and this class was definitely more fun than a 45 minute trip to the weight room.

Pole dancing may not be for you – though I do think everyone should try it! – but some alternative and new form of exercising will be. This class taught me to open up and incorporate something new into my workout routine, and you should too. Hip hop dance? Bike riding? Trampoline classes? Try something different. You (and your body) will not regret it.

(Photo courtesy of newsday.com)