The other day before my Step 'n' Sculpt classes, one of the students was asking me about some sort of exercise belt she had seen advertised on TV.
It was supposed to whittle one's waist.
Would I recommend it? She was whining because she was unhappy with the bulk in her midriff.
I had noticed in class that she never took part in the abdominal routines, but worked her legs - which are beautiful - instead, so I mentioned that what she needed to do was to work those "abs.
"   Her reply was, "But they hurt and the exercises are so hard to do.
" And, then, thinking about her answer as I started to teach, I realized that we all have areas that are more difficult for us to work on.
And because none of us enjoys pain, we tend to work on the easier parts and to only work out on the days when we feel "more like it.
" Not that we are lazy - it just takes a lot of determination to keep on challenging our muscles, our stamina, and our natural resistance to even mild pain.
  Taking Control of Our Exercise, Takes Control of Our Lives.
  It is so easy to think up a number of excuses for not going to the gym or working on a challenging area of our body.
I even have days when I am so busy and have so much work to do that I might be tempted to forego working out, but luckily because I am an instructor, I have to show up.
The interesting fact is that, no matter how tired or stressed you may feel before your start your workout, working out will rev you up and effectively lower your level of tension.
  A study performed at California State University, Long Beach, found that just 10 minutes of brisk walking can give you up to two hours of increased energy.
With its ability to divert people's attention away from their worries, exercise can produce calming effects lasting up to five hours.
Also, when we meet our fitness goals, we feel a sense of accomplishment, which raises our self-esteem and makes us feel more capable of dealing with other sources of stress in our lives.
  If You Are Sore from Yesterday's Workout   A recent study at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, shows that people who engaged in light activity the day after a strenuous workout experienced less soreness than those who didn't.
"Consider soreness a sign of progress, not an obstacle or a reason to quit," says sport psychologist David E.
Conroy, Ph.
D.
, an assistant professor of kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University.
"Say to yourself, I'm sore because I worked hard, and my body's adapting to the routine.
"   One caveat here is that there is a difference between muscle tenderness and injury.
If you experience a focal point of pain with redness and/or swelling which persists, you should probably contact a physician.
I must admit that because I work out so regularly, I love feeling the light soreness in my muscles the next day.
I know I'm getting even stronger and more physically fit.
  So, keep up the good work.
You'll be glad you did.