***CLOSED***Congrats to Megan on winning!

Do you ever feel like there’s a huge lull in your life after Halloween?  Like you’ve gone apple picking, you’ve admired fall foliage and you’ve turned your 2nd grade magician costume into a just-like-new Sexy Houdini costume. And now there’s nothing left. (Well, besides stuffing your body full of Turkey and assorted carbs and pies.) It’s just final papers and exams and professors refusing to move your final exam even though it’s on the last day of exams at the last possible time and  all your friends will have already left for winter break.

Fitness Magazine totally understands that this lull happens. But rather than embracing this wah-wah of a few weeks, they want you to fall into health. How? Well for starters, they’re teaming up with us to giveaway a pedometer, Yogi tea AND a $200 Visa giftcard. You read that right. We’re giving away money. It’s for your health.

FitnessMagazine.com is encouraging young professionals – women and men – to embrace a healthy lifestyle whether that means remembering to eat three meals a day, managing your time better so you get to bed a decent hour or reminding yourself to exercise a few times a week to relieve some stress.  They’re also promoting a new online tool created by Aetna – HealthyIs.Aetna.com, which is a great resource to help young professionals get a better handle on their health and health care costs as they prepare to embark on their career paths.  Find out more by checking out their Live Smart Page (also check it out for a chance to enter another great $300 giveaway)

Want to win this sikk (note: sikk is the opposite of sick) gift basket?

1. Tell us what your tip for staying healthy and sane for the end of the year. That’s it. You’re automatically entered to win this amazing prize.  Oh, and make sure to use your real e-mail address so we can contact you if you win.

2. Contest closes at 11:59 PM on Nov. 6th 2011

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US and Canadian residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

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.

It's time to try something new. And that includes wearing an actual shirt to the gym.

If magazines like Women’s Health or Fitness are considered a part of your required monthly reading (or, really, as long as you haven’t been living under a rock), you have probably learned that switching up your workout routine is vital. In addition to being a surefire way to speed up weight  loss by ensuring that you’ll burn more calories, varying the things you do at the gym will ensure that your body is up for any challenge.

Now, if only I had listened…

Last week, I returned home from school for the long-awaited Christmas break and was informed by my mom that I would be accompanying her to her training session. She works out once a week with a nice (and semi-attractive) man who seems to be pretty un-intimidating, and seeing that she is a 52-year-old mom and I’m a 22-year-old rock star in pretty good shape, I figured that it would be a piece of cake. I can run on the treadmill, right? I can do bicep curls with ten pound weights! Bring it on!

Instead, I was forced to endure pull ups (I cannot do these), lunge and squat around the entire room while carrying crazy weighted sticks, lie down on that squeaky medicine ball while doing sit ups, fling around little black weights that looked like cowbells and bruised the inside of my wrists, and lower myself into numerous machines while I pushed and pulled and panted until I could barely breathe. Meanwhile, my mom was just humming to herself and completing her tasks without a word.

Five days later, I can still barely move. When I lift my arms to put my hair in a ponytail, shooting pains soar through my shoulders. Every time I sit down in a chair, my thighs burn. My shoulder blades ache when they press up against the seat of the car. And every time I take a step, I have to hunch over a little bit to ease the pain resulting in a Hunchback of Notre Dame-esque stride that I know must be pretty unattractive. My parents, my friends and my boyfriend are going to kill me if I complain of soreness another time, and I might just lose it if I still have to roll out of bed like a toddler just learning to walk tomorrow morning.

Now, I don’t need Shape to tell me that what I thought was a pretty legit exercise routine – my usual 45-minute run on the treadmill or stride on the elliptical – wasn’t really enough. I wasn’t lifting enough weights (so my strength was suffering), I wasn’t doing enough core work or improving my flexibility (since I kind of hate sit ups and never take Pilates or Yoga classes), and I wasn’t switching up my cardio.

While getting 45 minutes of exercise in each day is good, that alone will not get the job done. Variety is important. And that means variety within your cardio workout – like interval training – and variety in the types of workouts you do – like weight training, core training and flexibility. In order to burn the most calories and see the greatest results from your exercise routine, you must train your entire body, and you really gotta spice those workouts up in the process. Otherwise your body will get used to your routine and it won’t have to work as hard to complete it. Which means, over time, that 45 minutes on the elliptical will burn less calories. And still be just as boring.

As we sit on the cusp of a new year, it’s time to think about what you want to look and feel like in 2010. I don’t know about you, but I know for a fact that I don’t want to feel the pain of getting out of bed. Or sitting in a chair. Or brushing my hair. And I wouldn’t mind getting a little stronger and leaner.

Basically, I’m ready to make some major changes in my routine and you should, too. Sign up for some weight training classes on campus. Seek out a Pilates studio and build up that core. If you’re an elliptical rat, get on a treadmill and start running. Not only will these small changes make your workouts more interesting and effective, but your new strength will increase your endurance, making you able to get even better workouts in down the road.

It’s a win/win. Unlike my current situation, which is a pain/more pain.

There ARE ways to partake in all the festivities while being health conscious, and it only takes a little thought.

High Calorie Drinks vs. Low Calorie Drinks
There are some cocktails that you just have to stay away from if you’re dieting or trying to maintain your weight. Anything with the word “daiquiri” in it is guaranteed to be packed with calories, and this goes for pina coladas (387 calories for just 6 ounces) and thick fruity margaritas (almost 400 calories for 8 ounces), as well. Those slushy coffee-liquor drinks that resemble Starbucks frappucinos (hello, Britney Spears’s fat phase) should be totally off limits, as only 3 ounces of coffee liquor clocks in at 348 calories.

Instead, stick to champagne (the lowest calorie choice, and even more fun when you add some OJ for a morning mimosa), low-calorie beer (I’m loving the 98-calorie Michelob Ultra right now), or a small glass of sparkling wine. Bloody Mary’s are fun too, if you’re starting the beach drinking early (or taking an airplane to your fabulous vacation destination). And remember: the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calorie-count.

The Sugar Problem
Substituting artificial sweeteners, lemon juice, or diet soda for regular sugar can cut your cocktail calories in half. Heat up your barbecues with mojitos made with diet fresca (a grapefruit flavored soda with zero calories) instead of club soda, and substitute Splenda for white sugar. If you refuse to give up on your frozen margaritas, try mixing tequila with low-calorie crystal light lemonade (it comes in flavors like peach, lemon and raspberry) and then adding Sprite zero so you don’t miss out on the bubbly. With this pared-down margarita, you can feel better about enjoying those nachos. Maybe.

Water is Your Friend
We can all agree that it’s almost impossible to attend a cocktail party and pass on the wine. Luckily, wine spritzers have become really popular and couldn’t be easier to make. Mix four ounces of a white wine (dry wines usually have lower calorie counts) with four ounces of a sparkling water (or club soda if Pellegrino’s not your thing). The benefit off adding a little H20 to your drink is twofold — in addition to helping you stay slim, it will keep you hydrated so that your beach day isn’t ruined by a whopping hangover.

I often turn to Fitness Magazine for great recipes, and this month they have a great Sangria Suggestion:

1 bottle dry red wine
1 cup light orange juice
¼ cup brandy or cognac
¼ cup orange liqueur
2 tablespoons sugar
2 medium oranges, sliced
2 cups club soda, chilled
Crushed ice and/or orange peel curls (optional)

Mix wine, OJ, brandy, orange liqueur, sugar, and orange slices in a large pitcher. Chill for at least two hours, and add club soda before serving. Serve over crushed ice and a few orange peel curls. Only 100 calories per serving, makes 12 servings in all.

Who would enjoy that?

I remember the first time I went bathing suit shopping with my mom. I was young, naive and didn’t care what my pudgy body looked like in that Barbie bathing suit. But my mom was a different story. I remember hearing the now-familiar gasp/shreik combination as she pulled on suit after suit…and came out empty handed…in tears.

It is sad but true (and recently proven in a poll by Fitness Magazine): Shopping is no leisure activity. In fact, to most women, it is a nightmare for their self-esteem. Fitness magazine polled 1,001 women about their experiences with shopping and some of the more staggering statistics are below:

64% say shopping for clothes is bad for their self-confidence.

10% have cried in the dressing room.

39% have purchased something that was too small, hoping it would look good once they lost weight.

14% have refused help from sales personnel so they wouldn’t have to reveal their size.

15% have accidentally ripped or gotten stuck in a garment that was too small.

It is sad that women have been reduced to this. The fact that a number inside a pair of pants is more important than the way a woman feels; that women are ashamed to tell other women the truth out of fear they will be judged; that women try so hard to get into a size that is not right for them that they get stuck in a freaking dress.

I know it is normal to find fault within ourselves – every single woman on earth has something she hates about herself – but this poll just blows my mind. It is time for women to stop focusing on the negative and start reminding ourselves of the positive. Yes, I think my ass has a bit too much cellulite for my liking, but damn! does it look good in a pair of jeans. And, sure, I’d like a flatter stomach, but no one seems to notice it when I flash them my killer smile (and pour on the charm).

Ladies, we are always telling our friends how great they are and how hot they look; I think it’s time we remind ourselves of that fact, too.