Some brain powering words of wisdom...

Here are some exciting things to know about how our brain responds to exercise and diet! I think it's good for everyone to know that the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet are much more than just how you fit in your jeans...

So, how important is going to a fitness facility? According to a 2007 Columbia University study, working out at a fitness club may help you sprout new cells in the dentate gyrus, an area of the brain vital to memory. Researchers measured blood volume in the brains of adults who worked out four times a week for four months and found that all that activity sparks the production of more neurons. Man, I must be reeeeaaaallly smart! Hehehe :)

What's another way to get smarter? DANCE! "Few activities stimulate as wide a variety of brain systems as dancing does," says Daniel Amen, M.D., author of Magnificent Mind at Any Age. "Dancing requires everything from coordination and organization to planning and judgment." Ditto for martial arts. "Both require you to position different parts of your body simultaneously and in synchronicity—and with dance, you've got to move along to music," says John Ratey, M.D., author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. "That's a lot of mental stimulation." See, ZUMBA, Hip Hop, and Turbo Kick don't only get your fitter and happier, but also smarter!

Here's some nutrition must know, Larry McCleary, MD, and author of The Brain Trust Program says that the best brain foods are those that would rot if the power went out. Pick fresh fruits, veggies, and lean proteins and avoid the dreaded duo, trans fats ("they diminish brain cells' ability to communicate with each other") and high-fructose corn syrup ("it can shrink the brain by damaging cells"). See, I've been telling you all trans fat & HFCS are EVILLLLLL!! McCleary also says that eggs are the best breakfast for the brain!

This next nutrition nuggets is really interesting since so many people are anti-juicers because of the sugar that goes along with juice drinks... But in a 2006 University of South Florida study, people who drank three or more 4-ounce glasses of fruit or vegetable juice each week were 76 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who drank less. The high levels of polyphenols—antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables—may protect brain cells from the damage that may be caused by the disease, says study author Amy Borenstein, Ph.D. Eight six-ounce glasses of water a day will do you good, too. "Your brain is 80 percent water, and if it's not hydrated, your neurons can't perform properly," says Dr. Amen. Just choose the right kinds of fruit & veggie juices- like ones that say 100% juice- then READ THE INGREDIENTS!! Some have HFCS in them!!

And one more for ya, Drinking five or more cups of green tea per day can make you 20 percent less likely to experience psychological distress than if you drink less than a cup, according to a new study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Yummmm!

Success is Easy, But So is Neglect by Jim Rohn

Hey everyone!! This excerpt below is written by the late and great Jim Rohn, who was one of the most influential and powerful motivational speakers and authors of our time (well, longer than "my time" haha). Enjoy! I hope you get as much out of it as I did! ~Christine

People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes and the seminars, and to get around other successful people. They said it probably really wouldn't matter. If I had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I'm a millionaire and they are all still blaming the economy, the government, and company policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.

In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.

It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity - America, and much of the free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history. It is not the lack of books – libraries are full of books - and they are free! It is not the schools - the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.

Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply neglect.

Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.

Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more... and on and on it goes.

So my suggestion is that when giving the choice of "easy to" and "easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy"; but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

What do we do in a Personal Training Session??

So, you may have seen our June Promotion where you receive 5 FREE Personal Training Sessions with me just for buying a month's supply of Shakeology. I've had some people ask, "what do you DO in a pt appt?" So, I figured I would give you more info so you can decide if it's something you should add into your life!

Each session is 30 minutes long (don't worry, you'll be glad it's only 30 min by the end... hehe).
Most clients meet with me two or three times a week. On the first day of each week, we do a body analysis (take measurements & body fat) and talk about our nutrition habits from the past week. Then we get into the workout. PT workouts are tailored to each person's ability & goals. We are able to focus on what YOUR body can do, while pushing you to go a little further. We also use different equipment and exercises that we aren't able to use in a class setting. Everyone who has experienced a personal training session has said that it is what they needed to get to that next level in their workout.

If you would like to personal train but don't want to buy a month's supply of Shakeology, I am running a special- 30 min session is $10/session!

How to read a Nutrition Label!!

So, you are at the grocery store, longingly staring at the cartons of milk that sit in front of you. Which one do I buy? Nonfat or 2%? Soy milk or Almond milk? If you are like most people, you have no idea how to read that nutrition label on the back of every food container. And if you are like even more people, you usually end up making the wrong decision on which product is best for you! Well, I'm gonna give you a few good tips so that next time you are in your fav store, you can pick the right choice for you and your family. Please note that I am NOT a certified dietitian. When I was pregnant, I met with an awesome dietitian weekly who taught me all of this great info!

Let's take the example I used above to compare labels- MILK.

Things to look at when looking at the nutrition labels....

FIRST: Serving Size- Look at the serving size and then how many servings are in the package overall. Ask yourself, how many servings will I be consuming?

2% Milk & Nonfat Milk- Serving Size: 1 cup for each (these are from those little milk cartons so Servings Per Container is 1) Makes it easy in this case- we will be consuming exactly what this container says, don't have to do any adding!

SECOND: Calories- Now that you have determined how much you are going to consume, you can look at how many calories are in that serving size, and if need be, do the math to figure out how many calories you will be consuming...

2% Milk- 120 calories (45 calories from fat)
Nonfat Milk- 80 calories (0 calories from fat, guess that's why it's called nonfat... haha)

Looking at how many calories come from fat is important! Although it's good to have SOME fat in your diet, you don't want to overdo it. For example, Macaroni & Cheese has 250 calories in 1 cup, 110 of those calories are FAT CALORIES. Listen, put down the box and walk away!

How many calories should you be consuming in 1 serving? Here is a rough answer for you- 40 calories is too little (meaning, you aren't gonna get much satisfaction from this food!), 100-150 calories is a good place to be, and 400+ calories= DANGER! YOUR PANTS WON'T FIT THE SAME AFTER EATING THIS! Now, of course, you can't use this for EVERYTHING but it's a good cheat sheet when you are comparing labels!

THIRD: Fat- Now, like I said earlier, you want to eat some fat in your diet, fyi you people who think that cutting out ALL FAT will get the job done, WRONG! But, you want to make sure you are eating a LOW FAT diet with the healthy fats that your body needs. What are the "ok" fats to eat? The "unsaturated fats" such as POLYUNSATURATED & MONOUNSATURATED. Eating these kinds of fats can actually help lower your blood cholesterol level! I know, right!?!!? Where can you get this kind of fat? From fish, nuts, and avocados, to name a few. Now, what are the "NO-NO" fats? Saturated fats and the worst of them all, TRANS FATS (also known as hydrogenated fats)!!! STAY AWAY FROM THESE AT ALL COSTS! "But Christine, I thought that everyone stopped making trans fat foods!" Nope, unfortunately, that is wrong, the FDA made it mandatory for companies to show that there is trans fat in the food, but they can still produce it. Where do we see trans fat? Some margarine, white breads, cake & cookie mixes, and fast food restaurants (of course!).

2% Milk- Total Fat 5g (Saturated fat 3g, Trans fat 0g)
Nonfat Milk- Total Fat 0g (again, makes sense! haha)

Now, comparing Total Fat to Calories, how much fat should be in the foods compared to the calories being consumed? Again, this is just a ROUGH answer, but a good cheat sheet just the same- for every 100-150 calories, try to stay around 2 grams of total fat.

FORTH: The next thing to look at is FIBER, SODIUM, SUGARS, & PROTEIN! I'm not going to get into depth with these but here is an easy way to know you are getting the right foods- go for the foods with MORE FIBER & PROTEIN and LESS SODIUM & SUGARS.

As for our Milks- both milk have the same Sodium, Fiber, Sugar, and Protein grams.

FIFTH: Vitamins- this is kinda a no-brainer- the more vitamins you can put in your body, the better!!

As for the Milks, they both have the SAME amount of vitamins. This is IMPORTANT to know because a lot of people think they need to buy the 2% milk because it has more calcium, but nope! they have the same amount of nutrients! So, the verdict is, BUY THE NONFAT MILK!! There really isn't any reason not to have nonfat milk, unless it's because of taste.

SIXTH and LASTLY: Ingredients! The first FIVE ingredients are the most important ones to look at because those are going to be the bulk of the food. What do you NOT want to see in the first five ingredients? HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!! Don't be fooled by those darn commercials claiming that it's ok in moderation, it's really not... but unfortunately for us, it's in A LOT of the food we eat, like KETCHUP! But, don't worry, Heinz is the first to come out with a ketchup that has NO HFCS! So, find it and replace your fridge with it! New studies are linking obesity with HFCS! Overall, look for WHOLE FOODS in your ingredients, not man-made replacements!

Hope this helps, everyone!!!! :)

SHAKEOLOGY 3 DAY CLEANSE

Ok Bouncers, I will be going through this with all of you who are participating in the Slim Down Challenge, but here is what Shakeology is, and what the 3 day cleanse consists of. I stole this info from Christine Dwyer's blog, she's the bomb. ;)

Try a sample of Shakeology at Bounce for $5 or buy it at www.teambeachbody.com/bounceaerobics. Click on SHOP!

The Science Behind the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse
by Steve Edwards, Director of Results

I like to call the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse a “performance cleanse.” This is because it was designed to be done with a workout program. Let’s take a look at how this differs from other cleanses, how to tailor it to your needs, and what to expect if you decide to try it.

First of all, it’s not a true cleanse. It’s a calorie-restricted and nutrient-dense diet plan. Traditional cleanses contain very few calories and nutrients. Compared to the much more popular Master Cleanse, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Traditional cleansing diets are done to rid your system of toxins and bring it into homeostasis. They also contain a spiritual aspect. This process can take a long time, which is why you may have seen coworkers walking around the office in a zombie-like state for weeks on end—swilling a strange concoction of lemons and maple syrup.

The Shakeology cleanse is nothing like that. Depending on how you decide to do it, you’ll be eating frequently and consuming between 800 and 1,200 calories per day, and it could be even more should you feel the need. The point of this cleanse is not calorie restriction, per se—it’s nutrient efficiency. The aim is to get the most nutrients possible into the fewest number of calories. The goal is to put all of these calories to use as a part of your exercise program, to rid your body of undigested foods and toxins, and to bring your hydration levels into homeostasis. The result you’re after is not weight loss—though it will likely occur—but for your body to be running more efficiently. This should make you feel lighter and more energetic, even though you’re doing an exercise program.

How It Works
Your eating structure doesn’t change. You still eat every few hours while you’re awake. Each meal should have a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber. And while you’re not eating as much food as you’d normally eat, your calorie-to-nutrient ratio is extremely high. This means that you shouldn’t restrict the actual nutrients you’re getting by too much, so activity can continue as normal.

We recommend you try to keep your shakes to just Shakeology. Adding fruits of any kind, or seeds (for fat and fiber), or the Shakeology Fiber supplement, can and should be done as you see fit.

Ditto for your one solid meal—a salad. As we all know from any salad bar, the definition of salad can be varied. The goal of the salad in the plan is to keep your calories coming from natural sources (no artificial ingredients should be added, including artificial salad dressing). Aside from that, you can add ingredients as necessary. Keep your meat intake to four ounces or less, but add veggies, seeds, nuts, fruits, and legumes in quantities to satiate you.

The goal of the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse is to optimize your performance. You want to eat enough to fuel your day AND your workout. The foods you’re eating are so high in fiber and nutrients that it’s virtually impossible to overeat. You’ll be consuming so much fiber, along with enzymes and digestive aids, that your body’s ability to flush excess foods quickly will be at its peak.

What to Drink
Water, of course, is recommended in quantity. This is vital to any cleanse, because one of your goals is to bring your hydration into homeostasis. When your electrolytes are out of balance—the main problem we have is salt—you often retain water outside of your cells. This situation, which we refer to as retaining water, is cured by drinking more water. As the excess salts are diffused, your body begins to hydrate your cells (using sodium as it should be used) and flush the water held outside the cells. So, oddly enough, you drink water to eliminate water retention.

Sodas, alcohols, juices, etc., should be eliminated entirely during a cleanse. Coffee and tea, which are diuretics, should be minimized at the very least and eliminated if possible. Again, performance is the key, so if you need a cup of Joe as a pick-me-up, go ahead. Just use only as needed, and don’t use additives. Eliminating sugar and chemicals is vital. However, do not use energy drinks or soda for this purpose, including the ones with artificial sweeteners. Coffee drinkers may find that switching to black tea during a cleanse will give you the energy you’re looking for with less upset. Coffee’s acidic nature can heighten the effects in a negative way during your cleanse.

Why You Won’t Lose Weight
I should say why you might not lose weight, but I wanted to get your attention. Most people will lose some weight during a cleanse, but that is not the goal. Those with a lot of undigested gunk in their systems will lose weight as it’s flushed out. Those of you who are properly hydrated and already eat well are less likely to lose. For those of you who need to lose weight, take heart: you are setting up your system to use nutrients more efficiently and improving your ability to lose weight through structured diet and exercise. So while you may not lose much on the cleanse, you’ll be more prepared to lose weight later.

Another reason why we don’t always lose weight on cleanses is due to a stress hormone called cortisol. Restricting calories is stressful to the body, and it reacts by releasing cortisol. Cortisol is performance-enhancing in the short term, but if you somehow keep your body stressed for long periods, it creates havoc in your system and can cause you to doggedly hang onto weight in a type of survival mode. We don’t want this to occur, which is one reason the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse is short. It’s important not to remain in a highly calorie-deficient state for long periods of time, especially when you are trying to exercise hard.

Here is the full plan:

The Shakeology® 3-Day Cleanse
The key is to follow the same regimen all three days.
Essentials:
3 Shakeology shakes per day
2 cups of green tea per day
1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day (optional)
1 salad for dinner—can include fish or poultry
No dairy or extra sugars (this includes almond and soy milk)!
Drink 2 to 4 liters of water every day
Only use low-fat dressings, and go easy on the salt and/or pepper to taste
2 snacks before/after any of the major meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Fruit is optional, and it is discouraged (however, some of you will need the calories while others may not)
Power-workout participants (those who are already super conditioned) are recommended the higher numbers of calories
For maximum results, do NOT use additives
Dinner salad may include WHITE GRILLED PROTEIN—poultry or fish only

Daily Regimen:
1 cup of green tea to start the day

Breakfast:
1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
1/2 cup of fruit (60 to 90 calories)—optional
Ice to taste
8 to10 oz. of water

Snack 1 (85 calories):
1 piece of fruit (apple, pear, orange, banana mango, etc.)

Lunch:
1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
Ice to taste
8 to 10 oz. of water
1 cup of green tea or a detox tea

Snack 2: (you can have the second snack before or after dinner)
1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
Ice to taste
8 to10 oz. of water

Dinner: Salad with grilled white fish or poultry (roughly 340 calories)
Greens—3 servings of vegetables, plus 4 oz. of grilled white meat (fish or poultry)
2 tablespoons of dressing—no more!

Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:
1. How many calories per day?
800 to 1,100 calories per day

2. How often can I do the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse?
Ideally, you should do it once per quarter (every 3 months)
As the seasons change
Before starting a new workout program
When you feel you need help breaking through a plateau.

3. Should/Can I still do my workouts during the Cleanse?
Depends on the individual
You’ll have less energy than normal, so consider doing it during a recovery week
Try not to do in the middle of P90X® or INSANITY®

4. Can I do a 1-day or a 2-day cleanse instead of a 3-day?
Yes! Some people will see results with one or two days
We recommend against continuing the cleanse for more than three days

5. Should/Can I take other Beachbody® supplements during the Cleanse?
Results and Recovery Formula™: No, too much sugar/calories
Others (Omega-3, etc.): Not necessary, but won’t hurt either

Wanna try Shakeology? Come get a $5 sample at Bounce, or go to www.teambeachbody.com/bounceaerobics and click on SHOP!

So this morning I was listening to KLOVE and Chantel Hobbs was on with the morning DJs. She's a weight loss motivational author and although I have heard of her before, she really spoke to me this morning. She used to be 350 pounds and then one day, finally had a spiritual conversation with God that changed her life! Here is some wisdom from her...

10 Uncomfortable truths about Losing Weight

1.
Losing weight IS about being sick and tired of knowing you can do better!
2.
Losing weight IS about your willingness to stop letting food satisfy your emotional needs and figuring out when it’s OK to love it!
3.
Losing weight IS a long-term commitment to exercise and fitness, non-negotiable!
4.
Losing weight IS not supposed to turn you into a food obsessed person, stressing out over what isn’t “authorized” on the plan-instead you must plan for the day by keeping it simple!
5.
Losing weight IS a math problem- You have been taking in more than your body can use, so it’s become a storage unit. It’s time to use up the “fat reserve”- it’s a necessary part of reversing the process, coming out of hibernation!
6.
Losing weight IS about finding out that you can do better and that you are stronger than believe, physically and mentally!
7.
Losing weight IS going to require self-sacrifice daily! All worthwhile things do!
8.
Losing weight IS about peeling off the label that you have been wearing that screams “I know I can do better”, to BE DONE WITH IT-once and for all!
9.
Losing weight IS about becoming discontent will settling for instant gratification, while learning that true pleasure comes from achieving a goal and making new ones regularly!
10.
Losing weight IS one of the hardest things you will ever do, if you make THE BRAIN CHANGE happen - this will be the last book you will need about this subject for your entire life! HOW DOES THAT SOUND??????????

Looking for some good books? Get her "Never Say Diet" books!

Are you drinking enough water??

It all started with a cramp in my foot at the beginning of my Pilates class last night. Then the cramp moved up to my calf, then my hamstring, and then my quad!!! What was going on??? It's then that I realized that I had just worked out for three hours and only drank one 16 oz bottle full of water. Yup, I was definitely dehydrated and it made me think about the importance of water, not just for weight loss, but for your body's overall well being! I can't stress enough how important it is to drink water all day long, especially when working out!

There has been mixed reviews when it comes to the temperature of your water. I can help clear some of the controversy up for you. Cold water is best!!! I know some of you are gonna come back at me with magazine articles that say luke warm is better, but I'm here to tell you that cold water will help shock your system in a good way!!

So, just to keep this blog short, drink 8 glasses of water a day- more if you workout!!

Bounce's SLIM DOWN CHALLENGE NUTRITION GUIDE

So you missed the Nutrition session of our Slim Down Challenge? Here is what you missed...

NUTRITION HELP DURING THE NEXT 7 WEEKS:

What’s the plan???

The average total amount of calories that you should intake during this challenge is 1500 calories a day. How do you know how many you are eating? Start keeping track!! Keep a journal and write down everything you put in your mouth.

BREAKFAST is the most important meal of the day! It starts up your metabolism which means that you will burn MORE CALORIES throughout the day if you eat a good breakfast! What’s a good breakfast? Well, for some of you, you’ll be eating two; one before your workout and one after. Remember to drink A LOT OF water all day long!!!

BEFORE YOUR WORKOUT: eat a small wheat pita with some PB on it!
AFTER YOUR WORKOUT: how about an egg white omelet with yummy veggies of your choice & feta cheese with a small bowl of oatmeal or some wheat toast? Add some fruit if you worked extra hard in class! Grapefruits are great fat killers!

LUNCH in some countries is the biggest meal of the day! It makes sense because it gives you fuel to do everything you need to do for the remainder of the day til your next snack! So what are some healthy options for lunch? Eat some tuna and a big helping of veggies- you can even put it on a wheat/multi grain wrap! Just make sure to check the calories on the wrap before you buy it! Do you want something hardier? How about some wheat pasta with marinara sauce! Drink water!!!

SNACK TIME is important because you don’t want to ever have that “hungry feeling”. What’s a good snack? Try some yogurt with granola or fruit. Or some cottage cheese with fruit, or even some celery with PB! Oh and remember the water!!!

DINNER is most of our favorite times to go out to eat. Is this ok?? Sure! But only once a week, if that! Otherwise, make some fish, chicken, turkey, or veggie patties with steamed veggies and a sweet potato. Stir fries are great with brown rice, chicken, and veggies! Drink that water!!

SNACK TIME at night isn’t a bad thing!!! Eating after 9pm is ok, too!! Remember, you don’t want that “hungry feeling” especially when you go to bed! Just make this snack low-carb to carb-free! Water!!!

Are you counting? That’s 5-6 small meals throughout the day!!!!!

If you want to see even more weight loss, I recommend replacing lunch or dinner with a Shakeology meal replacement shake! I will have samples here at the front desk for you to purchase and try it! I’m also going to tell you about the Shakeology 3 day cleanse next nutrition session!
GOOD LUCK! LET’S MAKE THIS SLIM DOWN CHALLENGE A SUCCESS!!!

I need a class before bed! What do I do?!?!

Oh no!!! It's 10:00pm and you just ate 3 slices of pizza and two brownies! What do you do? If you are like me, you can't imagine going to bed knowing that the 1000+ calories you just ate are sitting there in your belly!! I have some easy little exercises you can do so you don't feel like a blob before bedtime.

Easiest solution first- walk around your house! Vacuum the living room or mop the kitchen! You'll actually get an extra benefit from doing this because not only will you burn some of those calories and keep your metabolism working, but you'll clean your house at the same time! Woohoo, win win!

Wanna go a little further? How about jogging up and down your stairs? I like to give myself a goal when doing this so it doesn't feel so monotonous. Tell yourself you are going to go up and down the stairs ten times. Then once you've done that, do it ten more times! Although getting all sweaty before bed is the last thing you want to do, let your forehead perspire a bit!

Now drop and give me twenty... YES, pushups! What a great way to burn some quick calories and help your body continue to burn even after you are done! I also like to throw in some squats and crunches, again, giving myself a goal to work with. Twenty of each exercise is a nice place to start. Then if you feel up to it, do twenty more.

My last tip is to drink some water! Sure, you may have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, but it's worth it. The water will help flush everything out and not make you feel so bloated the next morning.

Ok, now go to bed and get some sleep! Did you know that getting at least eight hours of sleep a night helps raise your metabolism?

Hope this helps on those naughty nights when you are "forced" to eat those deliciously fatty foods. :)

FITNESS MUST HAVES!!!

If you are serious about fitness, then you need to have the right gear! Here are some of the accessories that I feel are MUST HAVES if you want to take this "getting healthy thing" to the next level!

NUMBER 1 most IMPORTANT MUST HAVE: a great pair of sneakers!!! Unless you have decided to only take yoga and pilates classes, then you NEED a supportive pair of sneakers to workout in! Find a cross training sneaker with a lot of cushion in the back and the front of the sole! Also, I highly recommend buying a high impact insole to put in those bad boys. Even if you don't do a lot of high impact movements in class, you still want to give your knees extra support. Also, replace your sneakers every SIX-EIGHT MONTHS!! I know sneakers are expensive but they are the most important part of you workout. Without a great pair of sneakers, you might as well jump up and down while kneeling on cement... ouch.

NUMBER 2 MUST HAVE: a heart rate monitor/calorie counter!! How else will you know where you are at? I recommend the kind that comes with a wristwatch and band that goes around your ribs (Polar & Sportline have good ones) or around your upper arm (bodybugg). Once you get one, you'll never know how you survived with it!

NUMBER 3 MUST HAVE: a weekly routine!! You need to have a plan of attack to reach your fitness goals! How many days a week are you going to get to a fitness class? What classes are you going to take? Important questions!! My recommendation is to have a well balanced workout routine of cardio & strength training. Maybe Monday, Wednesday, and Friday you get your strength training in by taking a Bootcamp, INSANE 101, or Strictly Strength class. Then Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday you get some serious cardio in by taking Turbo Kick, ZUMBA, or Hip Hop! Just make sure to give your body AT LEAST one day off to rest, if not two! You don't want to over-do it because this can lead to injury and can cause you to plateau.

NUMBER 4 MUST HAVE: awesome fitness attire!! Ok, so some of you don't think this is important, but I do!!! I feel that you want to workout more if you feel confident when you look at yourself in the mirrors in class! I mean, you can't help but take a glance at yourself while doing a squat, so make sure you like what you see! Get clothes that make you feel good and are comfortable to move in!

My FAV ways to stay fit!!!

Yes, I know what you are thinking... "Christine, we already KNOW your favorite way to stay fit is by taking aerobics classes... that's why you own an aerobics studio!" Fiiiine, you got me! I just LOVE taking/teaching aerobics. Why? Well, because without music and friends, cardio bores the heck out of me!!! I am just too hyper to jog on a treadmill or step on a darn stepper! I need to be engaged and motivated, and I think MOST people are the same way!

So why don't more people take aerobics classes? It's because they are scared to look stupid in front of others, either because they don't think they will keep up physically or because they don't think they are coordinated enough. Well these are not good reasons for someone to stay off of the fitness floor! There are aerobic classes for everyone, no matter what age, size, or gender! You just need to determine which is best for YOU!

My favs for the "out of shape" person? Hoopdance, Tahitian Groove, Pilates, and Self-Defense! The great thing about these classes is that they are all low impact. After taking a couple of these classes, anyone can jump into Hip Hop, Turbo Kick, Zumba, and Bootcamp!

My favs for the "uncoordinated" person are definitely Bootcamp, Hoopdance, INSANE 101, Circuit Power, and Pilates. These classes have less choreography to follow so no one feels defeated!

Overall, everyone needs to have a well balanced workout plan of cardio & strength training. If you love to dance, take all of the Zumba and Hip Hop classes that you want, but make sure to throw a Bootcamp class in there AT LEAST once a week! If you love the strength training classes, remember to give your muscles a rest the next day by taking a cardio class like Turbo Kick!

Don't have time to get to classes? Buy a workout video that is fun and really works like Turbo Jam (home-video version of Turbo Kick), Hip Hop Abs (the creator, Shaun T, taught me a lot about how teach a great Hip Hop class when I trained with him three summers in a row!), or INSANITY! Go to my website to purchase one of these videos for the days when you can't get to the studio. www.teambeachbody.com/bounceaerobics. Click on SHOP!