Have you ever been to the gym and seen a workout this intense?

Watch this video, then read the gym rules below:

Sure, you’re sweaty (and maybe a little stinky), but that doesn’t mean you should throw etiquette out the window at the gym. In fact, with all those people packed into one place and sweating up a storm, good behavior is a necessity for keeping the peace. We spoke to fitness experts about the rules of workout etiquette so that whether you’re a newbie or a gym rat, you can be sure to fit right in.

Rule #1: Take your calls outside.

Nowadays, with everyone listening to music on their smartphones, it can be tempting to pick up a call—or make a quick one—while you’re working out. Everyone else has headphones on, so no big deal, right? Wrong, says Jennifer Fleischer, an exercise specialist and nutrition and lifestyle coach in San Francisco. “I’m always surprised to see women park themselves on a machine, whip out their cell phones and start catching up with friends while ‘working out,’” she says. Not only will it disturb other gym-goers, but it can also seriously distract you from your own workout. “Keep the cell phones in your locker,” she says. “Your fellow gym-goers––and your waistline––will thank you.”

Rule #2: Don’t hog the machines.

If the gym is busy and you notice people lining up for your treadmill, don’t let your jog last more than 30 minutes, says Ivan Ferran, Director of Clinical Exercise at the Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa in Miami. “A 30-minute workout on cardiovascular equipment like a treadmill or an elliptical is generally sufficient for a great workout.” Similarly, refrain from reserving equipment or a spot in class for your friends. “A gym is not a restaurant. Don’t try to save a space by laying out towels next to you in classes or hanging stuff from a treadmill,” he says. “If another member comes up and wants that equipment or space, they’re entitled to it.”

Rule #3: Use the right weights.

Don’t use weights you can’t handle safely… and quietly. “Even during the hardest workouts you should be able to place your dumbbells or barbells down after using them,” says Fleischer. “The loud noise from weights dropping is often disruptive to other gym-goers and draws unwelcome attention.” Can’t hold tight? Try a set of lighter weights.

Rule #4: Ask for help.

If you aren’t sure how to use a particular machine or how to do a certain exercise, don’t fake it. “It’s very easy to hurt yourself or the machine if you don’t know what you’re doing,” says Ferran. Not to mention you’ll be holding up the line as you struggle to learn. Always ask for assistance from an exercise supervisor on staff. If you’re brand new to working out, most gyms offer a free session with a personal trainer to get you acquainted with the equipment.

Rule #5: Be on time for group classes.

“Arriving late for class is a big no-no, especially at this time of year when classes tend to be packed,” says Danielle Hopkins, a Group Fitness Manager at Equinox in New York City. “Anything more than 5 minutes late is considered impolite, and anything more than 10 minutes late is completely off-limits.” Why the strict rules? Many teachers use those first few minutes to explain what the class will entail and make important announcements. According to Trish Berry, general manager at The Sports Club/LA in Washington D.C., “We ask that members don’t enter a class in progress because, if they miss the warm-up, they could risk injuring themselves”

Read more: Gym Etiquette – Manner Rules for The Gym – Woman’s Day

Becky Moller from AerobicMom.com was recently in the news as she explained how Zumba is for everyone.

Do you see people dancing at the gym and moving their hips? Well, that’s ZUMBA!

Zumba dance workout is in full swing as the winter season comes around.

Now that it’s cold you can come inside…it’s fun!

Zumba is all about choreography!

Most people in these classes don’t consider themselves to be dancers.

“I’m not any good at dancing…it’s a fun way, you don’t even realize you’re exercising!”

Zumba started nearly 20 years ago when a fitness instructor accidentally played a salsa tape for his class and then improvised with the music.

Okay, Zumba-kiddos–here is your official review for Thursday’s midterm–and it’s only going to be available online TODAY–so make sure you leave a comment on this blog post–it will count for your attendance for today’s class. Okey-dokey?

Great, so let’s get started. I will tell you what specifically you need to know from your study guide to prepare for the midterm. Don’t forget to bring your study guide on Thursday–you will be able to use it on the test.

The test format is as follows:  29 T/F questions, 11 Multiple Choice and 10 Matching. The following list coordinates with your study guide and will tell you which questions to review.

Chapter 1:

1. Be able to recognize, name, and define the five basic elements of physical fitness.
1c. Be able to define the term “muscular strength”.
2. Know that the definition of “aerobic” is “promoting the supply and use of oxygen.”
6. Know when your resting heart rate should be taken.
7. Know that unusual stress and illness can elevate your resting heart rate.

Chapter 2:

1b. Be able to recognize a list of Internal Resources, including: hereditary and environmental influences, positive and negative life experiences, wants, needs, priorities, goals, strengths, talents, interests, weaknesses, risk factors, poor choices, beliefs, truths, rules you follow, attitudes, emotions, actions, & behaviors.

2. Know that internal resources affect your motivation through:

• images, sounds, tastes, and smells
• internal self-talk
• body sensations

Chapter 3

1.  Be able to recognize the signs of over-exertion.

3.  Know each of the following injuries and their causes:

• Blisters caused by friction
• Bunions caused by joint inflammation
• Muscle cramps caused by fluid imbalance
• Muscle soreness caused by metabolic wastes
• Shin Splints caused by weak lower leg muscles

5.  Know that you should undertake a new exercise program cautiously, increasing the frequency, intensity and duration gradually.

6.  Know that if you stopped working out, you would lose half you fitness gains in 5 weeks of inactivity, and all of your fitness gains in 10 weeks of inactivity.

Chapter 4:

1.  Know that in a balanced static posture, your shoulders are pulled back and down in a relaxed position.

3.  Be able to describe the correct carrying stance.

5.  Know that developing strong, yet relaxed muscles and flexible joints is important in developing and maintaining good posture.

Chapter 5:

2.  Know that specific fitness testing is only appropriate after obtaining a medical history.

4.  Know that in submaximal testing your HR (heart rate) is tested to 150 bpm.

Chapter 6

1.  Know that the purpose of warming up is to:

• raise the body’s core temperature slightly
• initiate muscular movements
• prepare you for more strenuous moves to come

2.  Know that a warm-up should include medium to low level, range of motion type movements.

3.  Know that static stretching should be done following the initial warm-up exercises when the muscles, tendons, and joints are loose and pliable.

4.  Know that static stretching should encompass all muscles from head to toe.

5.  Know that a static stretch should be held 15 seconds.

6.  Know that breathing should be focused on during stretching and strengthening exercises.

7.  Know that on the Rate of Perceived Exertion scale, you should be at a 2 after your warm-up.

Chapter 13:

1.  Know the 2 types of nutrients your body needs:  foods that satisfy your energy needs, and foods that meet your needs for growth, repair, and regulation of body processes.

3.  Know that the MyPyramid Food System is personalized according to age, sex, and amount of daily physical activity.

4.  Know that the word “diet” means “total intake of food and drink”

5.  Know that the minimum recommendation for daily exercise for all Americans is 30 minutes a day.

6.  Be familiar with the following information regarding key recommendations:

• Weight Management:  Balance calories from foods with calories expended
• Physical Activity:  Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week
• Fats:  Should constitute between 20-35% of total calories
• Carbohydrates:  Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Alcoholic Beverages:  Up to 1 drink per day for women, up to 2 drinks per day for men

Thanks for all the feedback so far on our recent videos on Youtube! We really appreciate it and will take your feedback seriously.

Some of the things we plan to improve:

• The lighting
• Communication
• Frequency of new videos
• Video quality
• New choreography

If you have other suggestions, please let us know.

Here is a fun Zumba Warm-Up routine to the hit song, I Gotta Feeling (the Black Eyed Peas):

STEP 1: HONESTY

“Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable.” (Addiction Recovery Program, p.1)

Women who struggle with food anxiety issues are in a unique position.  No other addiction is portrayed so positively by our culture at large.   All you need to do is pass by the checkout stand at the grocery store to see how losing weight by any and all measures is so incredibly validated by society.  It seems for women, the greatest virtue is to lose weight…the greatest sin to be fat.  We are bombarded with extremely confusing messages that applaud our addiction as a triumph of willpower.  It makes it all the more difficult to be able to stand back and say “I have a problem,” let alone to accept the fact “that your life has become unmanageable.”   Isn’t our addiction what everyone is advertising?

So how do you know when you’ve crossed over that line from being a totally normal woman who values her health, to an individual who is trapped in an unhealthy addiction?

Inside each one of us, there is a little voice of truth.  Some refer to it as their conscience, others call it intuition, and some say it’s the light of Christ.  No matter what your background or who you are, it’s in there.  You’re born with it.  And if you find yourself justifying your actions to your own little voice, not to mention your spouse, close friends, parents, etc., chances are you will only find relief when you admit that you need help.

Benjamin Disraeli said, “One of the hardest things in this world is to admit you are wrong. And nothing is more helpful in resolving a situation than its frank admission.”  If you are ready to reclaim the full and joyful life that is possible on the other side of this addiction, the first thing you must do is admit that you are wrong.

“Rarely do people caught in addictive behaviors admit to being addicted.” (Addiction Recovery Manual, p.1)  In the past, we may have minimized or hidden our behaviors from those close to us.  We may have justified our choices with a feeling of superiority that we were capable of such amazing willpower.  We may have reacted defensively when friends and family showed concern, telling ourselves that they were surely jealous of our weight loss.

But now we know that when we, as addicts, push others away in an effort to delve more deeply into our own addiction it is surely a sign that we do, indeed, need help.   The following behaviors are signs that our addiction has replaced our priorities of family, friends, and faith:

·       Avoiding social situations with those we love because we are afraid of the food that will be served there or that we will be required to eat in front of others

·       Repeatedly refusing social invitations with those we love because of conflicts with our inflexible exercise regimen

·       Allowing our dissatisfaction with our body image to alter our mood to the point where we cannot be civil to our husband, children, or friends

·       Allowing our preoccupation with food, exercise, and body image to isolate us from any loving relationship.  Feeling alone.

I remember the moment when I finally could admit that I had a problem, and thus began my recovery.  At eighteen years old I had lost 20 pounds in 2 months.  While this may sound like a dream come true, it was too much and too fast for my 5 foot 2 inch frame.  At first, no one noticed that I was shrinking, and my busy schedule made it easy to hide that fact that I was barely eating.  I felt a newfound sense of power as my body reacted to the regimen I was forcing upon it.  I had never paid attention to my body or my health, and it was an amazing feeling to step on that scale and see before my eyes digital proof that I was successful.  My achievement-oriented personality ate it up.  It was prom that really started people talking.  Someone came up to me and said, “You look like the same old Becky but someone sucked everything out of you.”   Others, mostly grown women, came up and asked what I was doing so they could do it too.  But no matter what anyone else said, I could easily dismiss the concerns of my family and friends.  My parents had always been overweight: surely they were just jealous that I was getting our genetic weight issue under control.   Certainly they didn’t understand what it took to be healthy.

It wasn’t until my mom took me to a nutritionist at our local hospital that I began to truly understand that “my life had become unmanageable.”  As I described to her the way I ate and why, I felt justified and confident that the nutritionist would stamp me with a big “Good for you!” stamp on my forehead and declare me a model of health and willpower that my mother would do good to follow.  But things didn’t turn out that way.  After I had finished my soapbox rant, she leaned back in her chair and said, “I think we have a problem here.”  She handed me a list of symptoms much like the one I posted in my previous post.  As I read over the list, I was shocked to see that the symptoms described seemed to fit me to a tee.  I sat back, swallowed my pride with the huge lump that was in my throat, and finally admitted to myself that I had a problem.

This was a huge step for me.  And it was a step that would have taken much longer without the insistent, (if annoying & even frenetic) concern of my parents.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have crazy loving parents to help them realize they’ve gone too far.  Some people might even be unlucky enough to have their closest friends be cheering on their addictive behavior.  Whether you are getting positive feedback or negative feedback, if you sit still and listen to the little voice inside of you, you will know if your life is suffering because of your unhealthy attitude toward food, exercise, and your body.

“Today, take the first step in your recovery to a happy and balanced life by admitting to yourself the truth that your life has become unmanageable and that you need help to overcome your addictions.  The amazing thing about this honest realization of defeat is that recovery will finally begin.” (Addiction Recovery Manual, p1)

Whether you are the type of person who is always looking for some revolutionary new plan to make you look like Jennifer Aniston or the kind of person who is never “on a diet” but is always “counting calories,” it is time to take a look at the diet mentality.

I am well-acquainted with chronic dieters, mostly because my mom is a professional at it.   For years it has been the same old story:  in January she goes “on” a diet.  By her first vacation in February, she is “taking a week off” the diet as she’s out traveling and almost exclusively eating out.  Though she initially gets back “on” the wagon, she continues to take the weekends “off” and sees meager results.  Then summer starts and she announces she isn’t going to “live like this” all summer, and stubbornly eats herself sick through family barbecues, evenings at the ice cream shop, and trips to the state fair (ohhh…those Wisconsin cream puffs…legendary).  It’s almost as if she eats even MORE than she normally would simply because she’s “sticking it the man” and proving that she is NOT going to eat the way she is SUPPOSED to eat on her diet.  Of course, September rolls around and reality eventually sets back in and it’s back to the “diet,” having regained all the weight she lost (and then some) to return to the same mental game of on-again off-again eating until Halloween and the holiday season once again derail her and we start again at our familiar New Year’s Resolution.

Exhausting, isn’t it?  Do you know anyone who lives like this?  It may, in fact, be you that waltzes from program to program, the number on the scale bouncing around wildly as you put your poor body through the emotional and physical agony of a rebellious dieter.  Not only is this emotionally draining, but it is incredibly hard on your body & destroys your metabolism.  What is the ticket out of this hell-hole?

Reject the mentality entirely.

In my opinion, “diet” as our society knows it is truly a four-letter word.  It generally implies a short-term period of extreme behavior that leaves its victims feeling starved, shaky, and deprived, and ultimately believing that the body they want is only possible by following someone else’s “rules” of how they “should” eat.

Here are a list of 5 Diet-mentality ideas that you need to reject:

• “Should” v “shouldn’t”:  In any area of your life, if you see things as “shoulds” v “shouldn’ts” you are going to have issues.  Your food choices should be based on a mix of what you know about nutrition and what sounds good to your emotions & your body, not on somebody else’s statement of what you “should” or “shouldn’t” have.  Own your own food decisions and stop trying to live up to somebody else’s ideal.
• “Good” foods v “bad” foods:  no one meal or morsel is going to define you as a person or define the type of body you have.  The more you label foods as foods you “shouldn’t” have, the more you tend to crave them.  Any overall healthy diet has room for a piece of chocolate cake from time to time.  Part of eating is being good to our bodies, and part is being good to our souls.
• Arbitrary rules:  “Never eat past 8 o’clock.”  These & other will-power based rules do nothing but test your tenacity.  Most aren’t backed by research, and can contribute to an addictive feeling of being in control, or a rebellious feeling of resentment and deprivation.  Neither of these emotions is productive.
• Competitive Dieting:  Dieting is one of the most in-your-face pastimes out there.  Just try checking out at a supermarket without having at least 5 different magazines screaming at you with headlines about how some celebrity lost 10 pounds in 2 days.  Try going to lunch with girlfriends that don’t bring up so-and-so and how much weight she recently lost or gained.  It seems that being consistently healthy isn’t newsworthy, but taking extreme measures with dramatic results (however short-lived) is.  As hard as it may be, try to have the confidence to stay above the fray (or fake it ‘til you make it).  Don’t buy that magazine, don’t read that article, don’t egg on the girlfriend gossip.  Homey just don’t play dat anymore.
• Focusing on calories or carbs:  counting calories, carbs, fat grams, whatever, can be an addictive practice.  Ultimately, I have found a much better sense of wellness in focusing on how food makes me FEEL.  I often choose a healthy option over a heavy one because I know I will FEEL better after eating fresh, delicious, nourishing vegetables as opposed to consuming a plate of rich, creamy, starchy pasta.  It’s not about the calories, it’s about FEELING good and FEEDING my body the food that FEELS good to it.

Today, try to actively reject the diet mentality.  Eating well is not a “program” that you go “on” or “off”.  Eating well is about small decisions you make every day of your life, not because you are SUPPOSED to, but because it FEELS better to live this way.  YOU are in charge of your diet, and as you listen to your body and pay attention to what it really needs and wants, you will begin eating better than you ever have before in your life, and enjoying it even more.

So, the new Aerobicmom.com is all about offering perspective, support, and practical guidance.  Every post I make will be geared toward the goal of helping women who struggle with food anxiety and body image.

I guess I should come right out and tell you, I’m going to be using the “A” word a lot.

No, I don’t mean that three-letter word that I generally reserve for my husband when I’m really upset (sorry sweetie).  I mean the word “addiction.”

Aaaah!  Even more scary—“addiction” is a word that conjures up all sorts of images.  From cheesy depictions of AA meetings on old sitcoms to pale & emaciated grungies with needles stuck in their arms, to pink & bloated 30-something males that show up on the child predator list.

Addiction is usually thought of as “somebody else’s problem.”  But here’s a list of questions to help you see if it could be yours:

• Are you constantly thinking about food, weight, or body image?

• Is it difficult to concentrate on the daily tasks of studying or work because of food and weight thoughts?

• Do you worry about what your last meal is doing to your body?

• Do you experience guilt or shame around eating?

• Is it difficult for you to eat in public?

• Do you count calories every time you eat or drink?

• Do you chronically diet only to regain the weight after going “off” the diet?

• Do you feel “out of control” when it comes to food?

• When others tell you that you are too thin, do you still feel fat?

• If you see yourself as thin, do you still obsess about your stomach, hips, thighs, or buttocks being too big?

• Do you weigh yourself several times daily?

• Does the number on your scale determine your mood and outlook for the day?

• When you are momentarily satisfied with your weight, do you resolve to be even more vigilant?

• Do you punish yourself with more exercise or restrictions if you don’t like the number on the scale?

• Do you exercise more than forty-five minutes, five times each week with the goal of burning calories?

• Will you exercise to lose weight even if you are ill or injured?

• Do you label foods as “good” and “bad?”

• If you eat a “bad” or forbidden food do you berate yourself and compensate by skipping your next meal, purging, or adding extra exercise?

• Do you vomit after eating and/or use laxatives or diuretics to keep your weight down?

• Do you severely limit your food intake?

From Bulimia.com  (http://www.bulimia.com/client/client_pages/abouteating_doi.cfm):  reprinted from Anorexia Nervosa:  A Guide to Recovery By Lindsey Hall & Monika Ostroff

Whether those around you think you look emaciated, think you look fabulous, or think you should be trying to lose a few pounds, if you answered YES to a good portion of the questions above, I might be talking to YOU.

The first step in embracing a fuller, more peaceful, and joyful life is to admit that you, in actuality are dealing with an addiction, and that you can’t overcome it on your own.  At Aerobicmom.com, we’ll be talking about practical and spiritual strategies that will help you to regain control of your own life by learning to trust your own body and ultimately, by reaching out to a higher power.  If you have been floundering in the dark, flailing in the water for anything that slightly resembles a life raft, reach out and pay attention.

You can get your life back.  I know because I did.

Am I talking to you?

If you were at one time a regular reader of my blog, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been missing in action.  For quite awhile.  Sometimes we need a good break to get our ducks in a row.   I started this venture about a year ago as a novice blogger, and I wrote simply whatever I felt like.  Sure, the topic of my blog generally interested me, but some weeks I definitely just went for the easiest post possible.  In short, I lost focus of what I really wanted to do as Aerobicmom.

Hence the hiatus.

So I’m back with more focus, more plan, and more passion.  And while I may be narrowing my audience a bit, I’ve identified the audience that I really want to speak to.  So, sorry if you’ve enjoyed the fluffy and mediocre nutrition posts, the quasi-girl- power posts that could easily have come from SELF, Fitpregnancy, or any other of the scores of Women’s Health & Wellness magazines out there.  I’ve asked myself what I really want to do, and it’s to help YOU.

• YOU are women who have struggled for maybe weeks, maybe months, maybe years with BODY IMAGE DISTORTION, ANXIETY ABOUT FOOD, BODY HATRED, EXCESSIVE EXERCISE, or CHRONIC DIETING.
• YOU are women who are so confused about all the mixed messages you hear and read on the newspaper stands that you are ALWAYS SEARCHING FOR SOME MAGIC PROGRAM THAT WILL FIX YOU.
• YOU are women who have gotten so LOST IN THIS PATTERN OF RESTRICTIVE EATING, EXCESSIVE EXERCISE, and BODY HATRED that you FEEL YOU CAN’T COPE WITH DAILY LIVING.
• YOU have LOST YOUR POWER TO LIVE BY YOUR SELF-PROCLAIMED PRIORITIES BECAUSE YOU CAN’T LET GO OF A VERY TIME-CONSUMING REGIMEN OF FITNESS AND NUTRITION.
• YOU are women who HATE WHAT THEY SEE IN THE MIRROR.
• YOU are women who DON’T WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS ANYMORE.
• YOU are women who DON’T WANT TO PASS THIS EPIDEMIC DOWN TO YOUR CHILDREN.
• YOU are women who deep down BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN THIS, EVEN IF RIGHT NOW YOU DON’T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO BREAK OUT OF DESTRUCTIVE THINKING & ACTIONS.

YOU are the women I want to reach out to.  Because I know you’re out there.  And I was one of you.

Well, I don’t know about where you live, but here in the Rocky Mountains, spring has finally sprung!  The past 2 weeks have flown past in a blur of bike rides, stroller walks, and trips to the park.  Spring is finally here!  And in between those pesky rain showers there are ample opportunities to get out and enjoy the sunshine.  Here’s my top 7 list of things to do with your family  to stay active, stay fit, and soak up those long-missed rays.  Enjoy!

1.  Go for a bike ride: Now that our 5 year old is cruising without training wheels he’s keeping up with us on up to 6 mile trips.  And when you’re hitting hills while dragging a trailer of rugrats, you can count this as cardio & toning time.  Skip the gym today!  (In one hour, you’ll burn about 300 calories, not to mention building a beautiful bum).

2.  Take a stroll: You’ll burn more than 200 calories an hour if you’re strolling around the block with your umbrella stroller.   Make that double when tackling hills with a double stroller, not to mention sculpting those calves.  Make sure to keep your pace up to the point where you can feel your heart pumping.

3.  Dig in the Dirt: Take advantage of spring showers and get your garden planted.  You can burn over 360 calories an hour by digging around in the dirt!  And you know your kids will love getting muddy right next to you!  Just make sure they don’t dig up the seeds you just planted!

4.  Spring Cleaning! That’s right, you can even count spring cleaning towards your goals to live an active life.  In one hour of vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing, & shining, you’ll likely burn more than 200 calories.  Talk about multi-tasking!

5.  Hiking: If you live in an area with safe kid-friendly trails this is a great way to get out and enjoy nature with your little ones.  Strap the little one in a baby carrier and bring plenty of snacks for the ones old enough to complain.  Pick a spot that has a destination they can get excited about.   If you can keep them going for an hour, you’ll burn about 400 calories.

6.  Mow Your Lawn: As kids get older, this is usually a task that is relegated to them, but if you enjoy getting some tanning time at the same time you’re checking off chores, then claim the lawn-mowing responsibility as your own.  If you invest in a cost-effective push mower rather than a riding, you’ll burn about 300 calories in one hour.  Plus, it’s a great excuse to get a break from the constant refrain of “Mom!  Mom!” and plug into your ipod instead.

7.  Start a Soccer Game: Considering all you need for this sport is a ball and somewhere that you all agree on as a “GOAL!”, this is a great get-active activity for your family.  Not only will your little ones love you for getting out and romping around with them, but you’ll burn close to 500 calories in a one hour game.

With so many fun ways to get out play with your fam, you might even find you can skip the gym most days.  Incorporating activity into your everyday lifestyle is a great way to foster healthy habits for life and to be a shining example of an active, happy, Aerobicmom!  In fact, The Cooper Institute recently performed a study that compared 2 groups: a structured exercise group and a lifestyle exercise group.  The structured exercise group received a 6 month membership to a state-of-the-art fitness center as well as access to a personal trainer there.  After the 6 months, they were asked to exercise on their own for another 18 months.  The lifestyle exercise group met once a week to learn lifestyle management skills to help them begin and maintain a physically active life, and then implemented these ideas on their own.  They focused on incorporating moderate-intensity activities into their lifestyles as best they could.

After 24 months, both groups had significantly increased their physical activity and fitness levels and improved numerous health parameters.  The average results of the two groups did not differ from each other, and even showed that those who increased their use of the lifestyle skills were more likely to remain at a higher activity level years after the study.  (Healthy Eating Every Day, The Cooper Institute, p.159)

So, here’s the deal.  If you love to break a sweat at the gym, great!  It’s one of the things that gets me through my week!  But don’t despair if the gym doesn’t fit into your budget, your time, or your priorities.  There are plenty of benefits to reap from getting up, getting out, and getting active…toddlers in tow!  So however you want to do it, just get out and move, Aerobicmoms!

Love is in the air!  Well, if it’s not…you’ve only got 6 days left to brew up a romantic atmosphere in your relationship.  If you’re feeling less than amorous because you’re up to your elbows in toddlers, spit up, laundry, and trying to keep a budget, it’s time to focus on getting in the mood.  And you may not have realized that a health and wellness emphasis can get you there!  Here are 5 tips to get you ready for a Valentine’s Day that you and your special someone won’t forget:

1.  Get some rest, for goodness sake!

According to a 2005 study by the National Sleep Foundation, nearly 25% of couples in the United States admit to being so sleepy that they have lost interest in lovemaking.  If you fall into this category from time to time, you are obviously not alone!  Do yourself and your loved one a favor and work extra hard this week to get the kids to bed on time so that you can get the rest you need to be able to give the time and energy you want to give to your sweetheart.

2.  Get Active, Get Sexy!

It’s hard to be flirty and fun if you don’t feel confident and desirable.  People who exercise have an improved body image over people who do not exercise. A study showed that more physically fit men and women rated their own sexual desirability higher than less active men and women the same age. Eighty percent of men and sixty percent of females who exercised two to three times weekly rated their own sexual desirability as above average. As the number of days of exercise per week increased, so did the ratings of sexual desirability.  So, if you’re having trouble feeling like you can work that lingerie, get out and get active this week!  You’ll feel better about you, and that’s sexy whether you’ve got cellulite or not.

3.  Try Yoga

If you’ve never tried yoga, this could be a great way to get in touch with your inner sensuality.  Yoga is all about flow, rhythm, stretching, and breathing.  It can help you find that inner calm and confidence you need to feel sexy.  If you’re a beginner, try Namaste Yoga on Fit TV.  It is a short practice that will warm you up, work you into a 20 minute flow, and then cool you down.   With settings like the forest, a cloudy harbor, and the beach, you’ll feel like you are a world away, and you won’t even realize that you are growing stronger with each dynamic flow.

4.  Try Zumba

While Yoga will help you find your inner sensuality, Zumba will unlock the wildcat you never knew existed!  I never knew I could shake my hips like that–let alone shimmy my shoulders, body roll, pump it and any of the other fun, freeing dance moves we do everyday in Zumba.  The more you Zumba, the more you can let go of all your worries and just have fun moving to the music.  And studies confirm that stress is a major romance-killer!  So, finding a fun, feminine way to burn off that stress is essential to keeping the romance in your relationship!  Yet another reason to Zumba!

5.  Get a Couples’ Massage

My husband and I have a tried and true Valentine’s Day tradition:  a couples’ massage.  It is perfect for many reasons:

1.  We don’t have to try to come up with some “perfect gift” to surprise the other

2.  It is a once-a-year treat that costs us a reasonable $100 and leaves us both feeling like royalty

3.  It is super-relaxing and super-sexy!

Massage has a plethora of health benefits, but of course, on Valentine’s Day, perhaps the best one is that it gets you in the mood for romance!

This Valentine’s Week, treat yourself well every day so that by the 14th, you’ll feel less like an overworked mom and more like the sexy little thing you remember from so long ago.  She’s still in there somewhere!