Hey gang!

Who’s excited for summer? Well, I definitely am! I love summer. It’s practically a miracle not to have to bundle up. Great weather calls for great stuff. And no, I’m not referring to the BBQs (though they’re great!), but the thing you do to burn off that hot dog. Got you thinking? Diet? Exercise? Circle the second option and let’s get moving! (Yes, that pun was intended.)

Not exactly a couch potato. Many of us categorize videos with people sitting on the couch, munching on some no-good chips. That doesn’t need to be the case.  If you’ve got a video machine at home, why not put it to good use? Exercise! There are tons of great videos out there, check them out! One thing (actually, more than one)  which is great about this is the variety. You can dance one day, do strength training the other, and yoga the next. And in the comfort of your home!

Don’t be scared! Tons of girls are scared to lift weights since they’re afraid they’re going to turn into a ‘muscle lady’. Nonsense! The opposite is true! Strength training tones you and your muscles form a natural girdle.

Return to Old School. Remember when we were younger we used to play chinese jump rope, ball and ‘catch!’ during recess? Do you remember the fun we had? It doesn’t need to be past tense! Dust off that rope and start jumping!

Anything better than a stress ball? With finals and government exams just around the corner (our French government exam was yesterday and we’ve got History, Geography and Science coming up), tons of girls are starting to really stress it out. Instead of investing in a stress ball, why not do a few jumping jacks? Jumping jacks? Huh? Yup! Exercise is a stress reliever and mood regulator. So, you’re going to be in a good mood all day!

Stretch! After a workout, all we’re in the mood of is a good shower. But before that, you got to stretch! Stretching prevents injury and, I don’t know about you, but that’s one thing I try to avoid.

Now’s the time! The best time to indulge is right after working out. Your muscles are still in the ‘burning calories’ mode — so you’re safe! In fact, you’re meant to eat after exercise. On the other hand, you’re not meant to eat a lot before.

This is one piece of information you’d like to know: Chocoholics, boy do I have good news for you! Studies have shown that eating some chocolate before hitting the treadmill increases your performance (not the ‘Production’ kind). So thank the scientists (after G-d) and bite into that chocolate bar!

We need change! Change your exercise routine every six to eight weeks. For two reasons: 1) You shouldn’t get bored. Exercise should be something to look forward to! 2) Your muscles should work! (That’s the point, isn’t it? Why else would it be called a workout?) After a while, the exercise you’ve been doing gets easy so you broaden your horizons!

Got to run!

Tonni