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 »

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 »

For seven seasons, Dancing with the Stars has been a crowd-pleasing hit. What’s not to love? Whether you love cheering for your favorite celebrities; watching sexy, sassy, or snarky dance routines every week; engaging in some family-friendly reality fun; or endorsing your competitive side by entering DWTS pools (or voting for your favorite dancer until your votes are maxed out)– Dancing with the Stars really seems to have it all.

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. Read More »

The semester’s off and running, the weather’s getting worse, and next summer feels like an eternity. It’s easy to find your mood plummeting, your motivation waning, and your usually chipper self turning into a snappy betch. Misery has a snowball effect: you’re grumpy, and it rubs off on your roommate; you’re already in a bad mood, and walking into a pop quiz can set you over the edge. Before the blahs take over your body, take time to stop, breathe, recharge and rejuvenate. Here are five quick pick-me-ups to get you out of a funk.

1. Sleep: You’ve been up at the crack of dawn every morning to hit the gym, struggle to stay awake through three back-to-back classes, rush to your part-time job, and finally head home to tackle several hours worth of homework. Of course you’re feeling dreary! Lack of sleep can have adverse psychological effects– take it from a girl who is known to burst into tears at the slightest provocation after pulling an all-nighter or two– so even if you can’t fit in a full eight hours of sleep a night, treat yourself to a long, comatose nap. When you wake up, you’ll be more energetic and alert, so it might even boost your studying stamina later in the week.

2. Treat Yourself: You’ve been running on empty for weeks, neglecting yourself in order to make a good impression on your professors, sorority sisters, friends, coworkers, etc. Do something nice for yourself. If you have some extra cash, buy yourself a new outfit. If you think you look good, you’re bound to feel good, too. Low on cash? Scrape together some change and download a couple of jams on i-Tunes. I mean, they’re only 99 cents most of the time– you deserve it! Get a track that will raise your spirits, like Flo Rida’s “In the Ayer,” DJ Laz’s “Move, Shake, Drop Remix” or, for a bubblegum pop sound, The Orion Experience’s “Obsessed with You.” Then, crank up your speakers and have your own personal dance party for a few minutes. It’ll be worth it. Read More »

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. Read More »