Mad? Moody? Get to boot camp

Sometimes it's hard to get out of bed to go to class, or to head to boot camp after work instead of collapsing on the couch -- and it's not just physical tiredness that lures us away from exercise. How often has a simple bad mood held you back?

Such was the black cloud I felt on Friday, when a combination of stressful life situations and hormones was making me cranky and cross. But guess what? 45 minutes of strenuous exercise later, the cloud had lifted and I felt genuinely better, a feeling that lasted me the whole rest of the day. At some unknown point in the middle of the workout, the mood went away and what would have been a long, cranky day suddenly became more manageable.

And no, it's not just me...

Research confirms that aerobic activity reduces PMS symptoms, including a study by researchers at George Washington University who investigated the effects of a 14-week aerobic training program on the psychological symptoms of PMS. The conclusion: women with PMS who did aerobic exercise for 45 minutes, three times a week, showed decreased premenstrual depression and anxiety when compared with a sedentary control group. (Link)

Yet another reason why exercise is never just about losing weight -- although that's a great benefit, obviously. It's about being your best self and living the best possible life. Life's too short to not try to make it the best possible, right?

Posted by Kate

Changing the mind set

It's not at all surprising to me that in a world where we're inundated with images of PhotoShopped, half-naked female perfection that an Associated Press/iVillage poll found the following among American women:



Read the whole story here. Some of the disturbing findings:

• Half of women polled don't like their weight, even 26 percent of those whose body mass index or BMI — a measure of weight for height — is in the normal range.


• But just a third don't like their physical condition (meaning their health) even though being overweight and sedentary are big risk factors for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other ailments.


• Women put in a median of 80 minutes of exercise a week, meaning half do even less. The average adult is supposed to get 2 1/2 hours of exercise a week for good health.


• Just 8 percent of women ate the minimum recommended servings of fruits and vegetables — five a day. A staggering 28 percent admit they get that recommended serving once a week or less.

Let's face it, your weight and your physical health are related. The obese are certainly more prone to oft-deadly or debilitating diseases. However, eating 100-calorie snack packs of refined carbs and starving yourself may make you lose weight, but won't make you healthier in any way. In fact, worrying about weight without taking health into account can make you sicker and unhappier.

The main puzzle piece missing with this perspective is mental health/self-esteem. When you eat right, you feel good. When you exercise, you feel good. When you feel good, you're more confident, self-assured and happy in your own skin, even if you're still 10 pounds above your goal weight. You can say, hey, I'll get there! I can do it!

At a women-only fitness program like boot camp, no one cares if your booty has a little bounce in it. No one will judge you for working your way up to more difficult exercises or taking your own pace. No one will blame you if you admit you have insecurities, cravings, disappointments, weaknesses or challenges.

We've all been there.
We all ARE there.
We will all always be there, because we are women living in the same world, facing the same challenges.

Don't let the negative attitude shown in this poll affect you. Anyone out there: What are your struggles trying to becoming healthy instead of just "dieting" or "losing weight"?