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!

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!!

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.

- Add Weights: A lot of people who work out think running on a treadmill or biking a few times a week is enough. It’s not. While cardio is the best way to burn calories, it leaves your body thin and lean, but not defined. Adding weights into your routine will tone your lean body and give you a nice, tailored and fit shape. Make an appointment with a trainer to set up a weight training program, or go to FitSugar.com to learn some fun workouts for toning that bod.

- Add Classes: If you’re a cardio gal like myself, adding some strength or dance classes will up your workout regime and give you some new exciting ways to look forward to working out. Pilates and yoga are great for strength and toning, and dance classes (salsa, hip hop, Zumba, or even, pole dancing!) are great ways to get cardio on a different level. Bring your friends along to help them with their weight loss resolutions (and make it more fun for you).

- Think Outside the Box: If you’re bored with your normal workout routine, take up a sport that will give you a new and fun way to workout. Have a bunch of girlfriends who want to all get fit? Start hiking on the weekends or playing softball with them; it’ll be a bonding experience, PLUS a workout!

By increasing your intensity, or starting a new workout plan, you’ll shed those holiday pounds in no time!

What’s more, the show has proven that working out can be fun, and that dancing is an excellent way to shed some unwanted pounds, build muscle, and start living an overall healthier lifestyle. I know I signed up for Zumba and impulsively bought the DWTS Cardio Dance workout DVD without batting an eye.

As DWTS has increased our awareness of fun ways to stay fit, it’s also a great vehicle to demonstrate that fitness comes in all shapes and sizes. In the past, we’ve seen DWTS combat some of the Hollywood stereotypes that distort women’s body images across the country. Remember when all 167 pounds of Laila Ali made it to the top three? How about when Sabrina Bryan, who is “chunky” by Hollywood standards, was sent home simply because everyone thought she was too talented to need their votes?

Most importantly, consider the fact that normally the beauty queens and supermodels are the first to get the boot: Paulina Porizkova, Shandi Finnessey, and Shoana Moakler are among the competitors who never saw round three, and thus, they all blend together into one generic DWTS loser, while fan favorites like Marisa Jaret Winokur show you that being skinny doesn’t mean you can move.

That being said, the enormously talented professionals with DWTS also have very different looks, which is great, because it shows that they are all very individual, not just some manufactured dancing Barbie doll. However, this season I’ve been disappointed to see the media scrutiny that Cheryl Burke has had to deal with. Just because Cheryl doesn’t have the rail-thin body of Edyta, it doesn’t mean she’s gotten “fat,” and either way, DWTS shouldn’t be the show to decide who’s fat or thin, because for several years, it’s been more about techniques and talents than the number of ribs that protrude when someone arabesques.

If I had Cheryl Burke’s body, I’d be thrilled. Not only would I look amazing, but I’d know I was in great physical condition. So why is it that two-time champ Cheryl is suddenly under scrutiny? Girlfriend can move– and isn’t this a dance competition? Karina Smirnoff and Edyta Sliwinska’s outfits are getting smaller and smaller, and our former champ, Cheryl, is being put under a microscope.

I’m not saying Edyta is at fault for being so skinny with such a huge rack, or that Karina’s to blame for making me second-guess the cheeseburger I had at lunch. I just thought that the lesson we learned from the first six seasons of DWTS was that “fit” comes in all shapes and sizes. Edyta, Karina, Cheryl, Julianne, Kym, and, this season, Lacey all put in grueling hours as they patiently teach their partners to dance like pros. Just because they have different body types doesn’t mean that one is “fat” or another is “better.”

So please, DWTS fans, media, paparazzi, and whomever else is trying to turn my favorite dance competition into an anorexia playground, just back off. I would love to have one of those girls’ bodies… but I would much rather have their talent.

Water aerobics gets a bad rap. If it were a category on “Family Feud”, a survey of 100 people would probably tell you it’s for middle-aged women in gaudy glittering swimsuits, the elderly, those recovering from sports injuries or people who can’t do dry-land workouts. While water aerobics does fulfill a lot of those needs, it is also a great alternative to a traditional workout, especially in these warm summer months.

I’d tried out water aerobics before but it had been a few years. I was called back to the pool by a good friend of mine who insisted we try something different. This time, it was the deep stuff: AquaCardio in the diving well of one of the university pools.

We arrived early and exchanged nervous greetings with some other first time students while we waited for the instructor to arrive. She rolled in with 5 minutes to spare and looked like a woman on a mission. She wheeled in giant carts of buoyancy belts, Styrofoam weights and aqua noodles. At the same time, three middle aged women came out of the locker room. Fears of a future filled with floral-print, skirted swimsuits entered my thoughts. What had we gotten ourselves into?

We put on our belts, grabbed the noodles and a pair of weights and jumped into the pool. I sat on the edge of the deck before launching myself into the water. My belt kept me from going under and it was nice to be in the deep end without having to work so hard. I thought, “This is going to be a breeze. A little kicking, maybe some floating on my back and we’ll call it a day.” I really should’ve known better.

Our instructor, Leah, turned on the boombox and played some dance-mix style pop music. She showed us the four or five basic moves on land before getting in the water. When you’re in 12 and a half feet of water, there’s only so much you can do. We learned the jog, the wide jog, the jumping jack, the cross country ski and the flutter kick. Our hour of cardio was based on these five simple motions.

Actually, I shouldn’t say that; they’re simple when you’re on land and telling your roommates about them in the kitchen. When you’re in the pool and feel like you’re running through sand, it’s kind of a different story.

The format of the class was straightforward. The class doesn’t move to the music, or with each other. Leah would call out what we were doing and we did it at our own pace until she told us to change moves, directions, or intensity.

The beginning of the class went well. “Cross country ski to the left,” Leah yelled over the music. I kept my fingers together and bounced around in the water like a maniac. Water aerobics, especially the deep stuff, is great for your abs since you spend the better part of an hour trying to keep your core upright. You can feel it almost right away, but since it’s low impact, nothing is too sore afterwards. I was flying through the motions, still pretty proud of myself and then…

“Ready to begin the workout,” Leah barked. Whaaaaa? I was already getting tired. For a moment, I could’ve sworn I was sweating in the water and the workout hadn’t even started yet. I gritted my teeth and decided to woman up. How bad could it be?

45 minutes later I had my hands extended over my head in a V-shape. My legs were kicking feverishly. “Chins dry everyone!” Oh God. Do you know how hard it is to keep your head above water when your arms are outstretched? I had a new respect for lifeguards, capsizing survivors and people who’ve made it out of quicksand.

The deep water class was no joke. I’m doing a triathlon in just under two weeks and I think this class was harder than most of my workouts. It’s a different skill-set and a set of muscles you don’t think about everyday. But unlike my Tri workouts, I felt refreshed afterwards. No soreness, not too tried and pretty invigorated. I could’ve taken on the world…or at least a big sandwich.

So maybe those middle aged women with their ugly swimsuits and foam noodles are onto something. I don’t know if I’ll make the trip twice a week but I can definitely see adding deep-water aerobics to my exercise arsenal. If your college or health club has a pool, chances are they offer it as well.

Have any of you tried out water aerobics? What are some other classes I should look into? I’ve heard good things about Zumba, but is it just hype?

Photo: UW-Madison Division of Rec Sports

Well, I knew when I started this diet that I would hit a slump. I just didn’t expect it to be so early.

The scale in my room is excessively kind and flattering, and tends to give me a weight that is about ten pounds off. Now, I knew this, but I was never very good at reading the little notches. I assume my consistent 227 was right; however, at a recent visit to Health Services, I decided to check my weight on their scale. The result was not encouraging.

230 is more than I ever wanted to weigh. 230 is something like a hundred pounds heavier than the “recommended” weight for women my age and height, and though I don’t really have any interest in being the recommended weight, I don’t want to be gaining weight. To say I was upset was an understatement. Of course, being upset, I decided to do what any hormonal, depressed college female would do: eat chocolate.

I fully intended to eat that Dove bar, too. But then I thought about it. I didn’t know if the extra three pounds was from muscle mass, or if I was retaining water the way I normally do (I have been drinking a lot of a water, so it was entirely plausible). It could have been anything that lead to that, and who was to say it was exactly three pounds? And the scale didn’t know me. The scale didn’t know how much I amended my diet, how much my body hates me after a half an hour on the elliptical, how hard it is to NOT eat those french fries. So, finally, I decided to suck it up and buy myself a scale that measures fat percentage and water retention.

Let me explain a little how these scales work. Once you stand on them (some of the really high-tech ones want you to plug in your age and height), they send a small electrical signal through one foot and wait for it to come out of the other. It doesn’t hurt, obviously. The amount of time it takes for the signal to go through one foot to the other is how the scale measures the amount of fat and water in your body. Some work better than others in terms of measuring fat versus water retention. Some aren’t even scales, but nifty hand-held devices.

Of course, I can’t entirely blame this on the scales, as much as I really want to. My metabolism has always been notoriously slow; I can detox for a week and gain a pound. Lucky for me, I stumbled on an article that told me various ways to raise my metabolism. Some I’m already doing, but others – specifically the workout tips – are easy enough that I can do them once a day.

Morning Yoga: I fell out of yoga a long time ago, and I’ve regretted it ever since. It energizes you and relaxes you at the same time, and talk about improved posture! I wandered over to ABC of Yoga for a few exercises, and I try to do one from each group every morning, varying it to keep my body guessing.

Afternoon Stretches: Goodness knows that I start slumping come two or three o’clock. Stretching boosts circulation and eases the upper body tension you get from sitting all day, whether it’s in class or at the computer. Now, I can’t really afford to LEAVE my chair, so I do the stretches right there. Erm, here. Really! Check these out. Again, I do one from each section and change it daily for variation.

Evening Strength: The one thing that’s been missing from my workout is strength exercising. I’ve heard from everyone that building up muscle not only raises your metabolism, but combined with cardio can make the fat melt. Well, I’ve seen no fat melt yet, but I have started snagging a pair of 5-pound dumbbells (change the weight according to how much you can do; don’t make it EASY, but don’t strain yourself).

The exercises the article mentions are nice, but I’ve never been good with doing things without seeing them done…and once again, I really can’t afford to leave my chair in the evening, especially when I have to read that 30 page article for class tomorrow. After a quickie search, I found this guy on Youtube. It’s not the full video, but by the end I felt like I had done a full work out. Ouch. If you’re into this kind of thing, you might want to invest in his video.

So, that’s the story so far. This is one hell of a struggle, but I’m determined to come out on the other side. On the bright side, though I don’t have too many major changes to report, I noticed something this morning while I was putting lotion on after a shower:

I have some damn nice calves.

Current Weight: 230.

Current Size: XXL, or 20/22.

Bad news New Years Resolutionites: looks like all that work you are doing at the gym isn’t quite as impressive as you have been lead to believe. Nor will it lead to the extreme or quick results you have been counting on. A recent article in the New York Times is claiming that the calorie counters on your favorite machines – especially the cherished, Elliptical – are wrong. Sometimes way wrong.

This news isn’t a total shock to most people – I mean, unless you are slightly delusional or in denial, you should be able to tell that a 30 minute stint on the cross-trainer could not possibly burn 500 calories – but it is still a little disconcerting. What is the point of having calorie counters on machines if they are so off? And how many calories am I burning during my workout?

According to some, that shouldn’t matter. Instead of counting calories while working out we should be focusing on the fact that we are getting exercise, helping our bodies and prolonging our lives.

That is all well and good, but as a girl who is continually trying to lose a few pounds, calorie burning is what my workouts are about. I don’t necessarily eat the exact amount of calories I burn during my morning workout – which is a good thing now that I know the numbers on the machine could be as much as 3X the actual amount I am burning – but I do work out in order to burn more calories and lose more weight.

So, besides investing in a BodyBugg that I so clearly cannot afford right now, what can I do to ensure I am getting the most out of my morning workouts and not waking up at 5 AM just for the hell of it?

And, can someone please pass this information on to the 50 billion people that recently joined my gym as part of their New Year’s Resolutions? Maybe this will make them realize that the gym is not the best idea and I can spend an extra ten minutes burning calories on the treadmill instead of waiting for it.