Your Excuses NOT to Exercise Stop Here! via Yahoo Shine

By Laurel House via Yahoo

From Fonda-style leg warmers and g-string leotards, to massive gyrotonic machines, to uber-posh gyms, to The Biggest Loser televised boot camp, fitness has come a long way… all the way around. You see, as we learned in the 80s, the best way to get fit is to make it simple, accessible, and inexpensive. Yes, those machines do work… if you use them. And, yes, gyms do work… if you go… which may be why we are now a nation of fat people. It’s too easy to come up with an excuse not to work out: “Exercise equipment is expensive,” “it’s too time-consuming to go to the gym,” “I can’t afford a fitness trainer…” Well those excuses are no longer acceptable.

Thanks in part to the economy; we are going back to basics to get in shape. From at-home cardio on the Wii, walking with friends, and group exercise DVDs, you no longer have an excuse not to workout. To help renew your fitness attitude, May 1st will be the first annual World Fitness Day- a celebration of healthy and active living, and the brainchild of none other than fitness in the flesh- Jane Fonda. Attendees will learn about physical fitness from fitness experts and will be burning calories in group workouts.

To mark the occasion, some serious fitness trailblazers, including Jane Fonda, Richard Simmons, Billy Blanks, Denise Austin, Debbie Allen, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, along with thousands of fitness fanatics, will come together, to transform Atlanta’s Georgia Dome into a workout wonderland, moving to the live tunes of the Pointer Sisters and Ludacris!

More than just celebrating fitness once a year, the concept behind World Fitness Day is to remind all of us that fitness is a lifestyle. Meaning? According to Denise Austin, “Fitness as a lifestyle means that you are dedicated to doing something active every day. It doesn’t take that much to get in good shape. If you’re too busy, tighten your tummy or do twists and rotations at your desk. Walk for 15-minutes at lunch. Just try a little something every day. It will become part of your life like brushing your teeth.” Working in extra steps during your day really does add up. Try this power walking interval exercise with walking legend, Leslie Sansone.

Make exercise and weight loss social by getting girlfriends together, put on a fitness DVD, and start a fitness program for you and your friends to use at your home. If you want to work out with a really big class, ExerciseTV* will be streaming the World Fitness Day “star”-studded classes live. Yes, you can work out with Jane Fonda too, if you tune in… Come on, get in shape girl!