Written by Inés de Sequera-23 May 2013
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Get your dance fitness gear on and Jazzercise!

There's no limit to your fitness options! Exercise can be fun!

Dance and Jazzercise your way into those skinny jeans! It's true, exercise can actually be enjoyable. I find one of the best ways to keep fit and make time for fitness is to have a fun activity. If it's the same old boring routine or hamster wheel running on the treadmill, I personally would have absolutely no motivation whatsoever to exercise!

So let's throw it back this Thursday and check out the fitness trend from 1969: Jazzercise. Created by Judi Sheppard Misset in the 60's , Jazzercise combines jazz and dance aerobics, yoga, Pilates, resistance training, and kickboxng movements to create a total body workout that's fun and yields results. Just as in any good workout, jazzercise can help increase your cardiovascular endurance, strength and flexibility giving you those "feel good" vibes one can get after a successful workout!

If you ask me, dancing sounds like a lot more fun than a machine in the gym with sports TV on the overhead! Check out this entertaining demonstration by Steven and Chris with fitness expert Assata McKenzie: Jazzercise the Calories Away and learn more from the Jazzercise website!

Image source: Jazzercise Facebook

Written by Inés de Sequera-19 March 2013
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Get your exercise groove on!

Put on those tunes and get pumped to move. There's nothing like a good song to get you going!

I have a confession: I always get lazy before a workout! I'm not even kidding, before every workout, I sit myself down and realize that I begin to make up any excuse I can thinkof to avoid getting out of my house and driving to a dance class or the gym! Other than pure will power (which, let's face it, is difficult to muster more often than not!), the only thing I can think of that ever helps me get my head out of that mind set is a really good song.

Not only does music help me concentrate at work, it helps me to want to move and keep on going! A good song with a really great hook is usually all I need to get myself off the couch and, at the very least, dance like a fool for an hour in my kitchen! 

So I'd like to share with you my top three make-me-want-to-jump-up-and-move workout tunes of this week:

First up, let's take it back to the 80's with Duran Duran's The Reflex and Human League's Don't You Want Me Baby! We all need to take it back every now and then...

And someting that's a little more recent than those first two... Surfer Blood's Swim:

Enjoy and get moving! Sound off in the comments below and share your favourite tune!

Written by Inés de Sequera-27 February 2013
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Anyone can be red carpet ready!

Take inspiration from these celebrity workouts and adopt a fitter, healthier lifestyle!

It's award season (I realize I am writing this post-Oscars but no matter) and I'm finding many fabulous resources for new workouts! Also floating around the internet and flashing on our TV screens are images of celebrities wearing beautiful gowns and dashing tuxedos. I have to say that seeing all that glitz and glamour makes me want to exercise. I may not be wearing a gown for the Oscars anytime soon (I'm not ruling out the possibility either), but I don't need to go to an award ceremony to work towards feeling amazing in my clothes. Who needs a red carpet to be red carpet ready? Not me and definitely not you!

So what kind of exercises do these celebrities do to get themselves in shape? Everyday Health shares their workout tips and routines from ten famous ladies in Red-Carpet Fitness Routines and from ten famous men in Work Out Like a Star.

Everyday Health pulls inspiration from such famous names as Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Aniston and Helen Mirren to George Clooney, Sting and Denzel Wahington. These fabulous fitness tidbits will give you and me some great ways to enhance our exercise routines!

Image source: Everyday Health | actresses, actors

Written by Inés de Sequera-07 February 2013
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Did you know that exercise does more than slim your figure?!

Read on to discover 24 fabulous benefits of getting your exercise groove on!

We often talk about how exercise will help you control those cravings and lose the weight you want to lose. But there really is so much more to exercise than that! Exercise comes with many benefits, both physical and mental! For example, it makes you strong, physically yes but also mentally. Think about it: when it would be so much easier to just plop yourself onto the couch after work or stay bundled up in blankets early in the morning, and you stll get yourself up and moving? Mental strength!

In my internet searchings for interesting tidbits to share, I came across an article at BC Living, 24 Awesome Benefits of Exercise. Here are 24 awesome (like they said) reasons why we should all get at the very least, 30 minutes of exercise three times a week. If you are like me and looking for some motivation, this article will be a big help!

Until tomorrow everyone! Get your exercise on!

Image source: captainchas.com

Written by Inés de Sequera-07 December 2012
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Jump your way to fitness with this Friday's Fitness Trend, Kangoo!

These shoes are going to bring you to whole new fitness heights, literally...

I'm back with another installment in the PGX Friday Fitness Trend series and I'm bouncing in with a funny, intriguing, maybe even absolutely hilarious but looks-like-so-much-fun fitness trend in the form of Kangoo! So what is Kangoo and how does one do it? Well, it's all about the shoes!

Kangoo Jumps are bouncy rebound shoes that will have you, quite literally jumping higher than ever without impacting your joints! Three scientific studies have shown that with their patented Impact Protection System, these bouncy boots have the ability to reduce impact on the knees by up to 80%! If you suffer from a sports injury or the effects of one in the past, these shoes might be something to consider.

"Their impact reduction also significantly enhances the healing process after sport injures or surgery, relieves pain, and provides the opportunity to exercise in a way that will also alleviate some of the symptoms of diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, etc." More information (a lot more) and the scientific papers from these studies are available on the Kangoo Jumps Health page.

Without reading through the details of the many benefits of Kangoo Jumps, I think it's safe to assume that these shoes will give your muscles a decent workout. If you wear them running, you'll get cardio exercise combined with the core muscle engagement required to keep you balanced on spring loaded shoes!

If you're close to any Kangoo classes why not give it a try? If anything, it does look like a lot of good, laugh out loud, silly fun. That sounds like the best way to work out! Read about New York Times writer, Daniel Krieger's experience with Kangoo and enjoy this hopping video of Kangoo featuring NYC trainer, Mario Godiva.

Image source: iuliamusat.blogspot.ca