There is way too much pressure out there to have the perfectly toned, fit body.  I personally am sick and tired of the air-brused images floating around on magazine covers. 

Rest assured, we will NEVER air brush images in our magazine, so what you see is what you get, period!

With that said, I'm not suggesting that you give up on trying to lose those extra few inches before the fourth of July picnic, however, if you lighten up on your self image you may find that you're pretty happy in the skin you're in. 

Check out Leslie Goldman's new book, LockerRoom Diaries, to see what women are saying.  www.lrdiaries.com.  This fall, Leslie will be a guest on our PBS series to discuss her findings while researching for her book. (Check with your local PBS station for local dates/times of our show.)

The next time you lace up the sneaks or don the yoga attire, keep in mind you want to make the most out of your fitness routine~let's face it, if we're going to carve out time to workout we want the most bang for our buck. 

Fitness Tips

1. Show up:  It's that simple.  Half the battle is making the time for fitness.  If you agree to walk for five minutes a day, you're most likely to do it...once you get started, you'll realize that five minutes is nothing and you'll keep going (aim for at least 20 minutes).
2. Walk on Water: Evidence suggests that walking through water is almost 15 times more resistant than regular walking.  Try running through water and you can burn up to 17 calories per minute...a great way to burn off that bagel. Source: Mary Sanders, exercise physiologist/University of Nevada
3. The Element of Surprise: Try to mix up your fitness routine whenever possible this forces your body to work harder doing activities that you're not familiar with.  You'll use different muscles with varying activites, you won't be bored and you'll be oh so balanced!
4. Early Bird Catches the Worm:  There's more and more evidence out there that suggests early morning exercise keeps your metabolism elevated for several hours...giving you more time to burn calories all day long.
5. Start with fuel in the tank: It's no secret that a light snack such as a banana or yogurt will give you the much-needed fuel to burn extra calories during your workout.  You'll be able to push a little harder and go longer with some fuel in your tank.
6. Bursts of Energy: If you're short on time, try this efficiency trick I used to do while training for marathons.  Include a few bursts of energy in your workout.  If you're jogging on the treadmill, try increasing speed or incline for a minute or so, then bring the pace back down to normal.  Repeat this a few times for a real boost in calorie burning.
7. Beach Party:  You can leave your bucket and shovel at home, but be sure and bring your sneaks.  Running or walking on sand really racks up the calories burned,  it's been said it's almost double than on the roads.
8. Multi-Task: Can you walk and chew gum?  Good, then you can multi-task while you burn calories, too.  Use your arms while doing lower body exercise, such as swimming, rowing or big arm swings while you walk.
9. Find the Time:  You'd be surprised how much free time you have for movement in your day.  You can do squats/lunges in the shower while you're rinsing your hair, do butt squeezes in the elevator (make sure no one is behind you), try bicep curls with your grocery bags while waiting for the bus, do upright rows with your galon jugs of water or milk, take the stairs, park further from your destination AND go back to after-dinner walks with your family.
10. Be Content~Lighten UP:  As author, Leslie Goldman says, "Virtually most women, at one point or another in their lives, have not been happy with their appearance.  It's time we change that pattern"... for our daughers~whether you're a mother of a little girl or not~we all are role models for our women of tomorrow.  LOVE YOURSELF...it's contagious!

Here's to YOU,

Beth Aldrich

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