Now that you've decided to move your body, let's get started to take care of it. That means feed it right and give it exercise and fresh air and water. Like a plant ... or a pet! Think of yourself as your own pet: If you had a dog, would you keep it cooped up inside for months at a time and never take it for a walk? If you did, the Humane Society would be banging at your door and putting you in jail for cruelty to animals. So many of us should be charged with cruelty to humans (ourselves)! So often, we don't treat our bodies with the same respect we'd give a dog. To feel alive, to feel good, you need to move. And I don't mean you should exercise to burn calories or lose a dress size or look a certain way. Let the fact that it feels good inspire you. Let the fact that it cuts down your stress and helps you feel confident and self-assured inspire you. The physical changes that come with exercise (losing weight, building muscle) are just by-products. If you focus only on the numbers on your scale or the definition in your abs, it's possible you are setting yourself an unrealistic goal and will give up after one month of kick-butt working out if your results don't keep pace with your high expectations. Focus instead on the sensation. Exercise feels great! Being an athlete has been one of the most important constants in my life. It's fueled my self-confidence when other areas of my life were shaky. When I had nothing else to fall back on, I could rely on my powerful strides, jumps, and throws to lift me up and take me-and others-forward. By the time I was seven years old, I was a strong girl, a strong swimmer. That summer I remember using those strong arms and shoulders of mine to save a young boy from drowning in a lake where my familyisited one weekend. When I was approaching the end of high school, the prospect of college was uncertain. My mother had died, my college fund had dwindled, and my future looked bleak. But my athletic ability pulled me through-I attended Syracuse University after winning an athletic scholarship for rowing. If I hadn't been a big, sturdy, disciplined rower, I would never have been able to pursue a thrilling career as a highly paid and extremely busy model in the budding industry of full-figure fashion. Just because we weren't stick-thin didn't mean we could "let ourselves go." We had to be tight, firm, and shapely-a level of fitness I had attained thanks to all my grueling 5:00 A.M. rowing sessions. Today, I am a busy mom who has to keep up with my baby daughter Toby's sunrise schedule. Believe me, this is the biggest physical challenge of them all compared to running a clothing line, writing a book, creating a doll business, writing a column, and God knows what else. Toby demands a lot of energy and so does everything else. But I find the energy I need because I worked hard on being fit, both mentally and physically, for so many years. My body took care of me and hung in there when I had my share of disordered eating and overexercising during my postcollege years. Now it's up to me to protect it, maintain it, and bless it from time to time. Yes, sometimes a busy week goes by and I don't get a workout. But I finally have learned not to beat myself up about it. I just get myself back on track without the guilt. For those of you who think that working out seven days a week, twelve months a year is what you need to do for a healthy routine, think again. Your body needs time to repair between workouts. Balance it out and give yourself time off. It's true, sports and exercise have come easily and naturally to me (wearing makeup and smiling for the camera, now, that was something I had to learn!). But just because you might not be born to pole-vault or perform a triple axel doesn't mean you can't have a healthy, strong, and beautiful body. All it takes is practice, patience, and, more than anything else-CONSISTENCY. It doesn't have to be a painful, grueling, drill-sergeant type of work- out. Just move. Get up and start doing something now! Once you commit to starting, start small. Don't beat yourself up if you miss a day here and there. Walk to the store instead of driving, take the stairs instead of the elevator, shoot hoops with the kid next door instead of flick- ing on the tube. You don't have to climb a mountain your first time out ... but you could try getting halfway up the foothill. "If you've never worked out before or you are really out of shape, you have to start with the basics," says Nicole Weedon, A.C.E certified personal trainer. "Walking is the most basic and natural thing you can do. Find a good pair of cross-training shoes, bring plenty of water, and get yourself outdoors. Try to find a dirt path or soft surface to walk on. This minimizes the impact on your knees. And if you can't get outside, a treadmill will work great too. "Start with a brisk walk for fifteen minutes, 3 to 5 times a week. If after fifteen minutes you feel like you can go further, add on another five minutes to your walk. Keep tacking on five minutes until you feel comfortable doing 45-minute brisk walks. Every week you should see progression. When you are doing hour-long walks with relative ease, you'll be ready to move to the next level. "Keep it simple," says Nicole, "and stay positive. A lot of peo- ple give up when they start an exercise program because they aren't sure what to do and fear failure. If you give it a shot and stay consistent, you will see results and start feeling great. As Emme says, the key is to build a base." Sometimes it's a challenge to put on those running shoes and get moving-especially if you're feelirig rusty. At moments like that, I use the buddy system. Call a friend and meet at a desig- nated corner for an energetic walk. Why not form an exercise group and try a variety of physical activities during the change of seasons. Tennis in the spring and summer, aqua aerobics or swim- ming in the summer (or even all year-round if you can find an indoor pool), cross-country skiing in the winter, and so on. If you meet in the afternoons, a rotating person in the group needs to be on duty to watch the others' children for an hour or so. If you choose to meet in the early morning, a rotating person once again should take turns performing the morning wake-up call. It's great to have that extra push when you need it and get your butt out the door. There is power and motivation in numbers! Or, if you can afford it, set up afew sessions with a trainer to get you started, then take what you've learned and do it yourself. You are not the only one who needs a little motivation once in a while .

The Buddy System! Antonio Sini, head trainer at Crunch in Manhattan, has kept Sex and the City actor Chris Noth in fine form for steamy on-camera scenes since 1998-and for good reason: "If he looks good, I get the credit; if he looks bad, I get the blame!" Noth credits Antonio for keeping him motivated. "1 find working out the most boring thing in the world," says the actor, "but Antonio makes sure I do it, he makes sure I do it right, and we have fun. If I do it alone, every second I'm thinking, 'I hate this! I'm bored with this, 1 won't do it!' " They mix things up to keep it interesting: "We do different exercis- es like stair-climbing and outdoor strength training," says Antonio. "!'II set up obstacle courses for him where he's constantly moving from one obstacle to the next-like what you'd do in a playground. I keep him moving. And if he works hard enough, I give him a water break!" The sweat pays off. "Exercise changes your whole outlook on life," says Noth. "I work out as much for what's going on in my head as I do for my body. Working out makes you clearer of mind and more positive in spirit."

Okay, you're doing great. Now that you're warmed up, you need a routine. Here's my routine: forty-five minutes of weight resistance training twice a week for my overall body tone using low weights and a lot of repetitions. Then I'll either do a cardio workout on the treadmill, a spinning class, or box. Outside of the gym, walking is a part of my daily life. Whether I park at the far end of a parking lot or take Toby out for a stroll, I walk. No matter what. When I need an adjustment in my routine (or a major kick in the rear end), I schedule a couple of workouts with my trainer, Dave Paladino, at Northern Valley Sports Academy. As Dave says, "Life accomplishments can only be attained through great health." Well, if that isn't true enough! It's just juggling the vari- ous roles of mom, wife, and businesswoman that's difficult when I want to get my personal needs met. Whether you're a mom or not, here is a slice of advice from Dave that we all can use: "Being strong and fit will make your day easier just like a good education will make your children's futures easier. Let's face it, moms, if you're not healthy, who will do all these GREAT things for your children and family? Without your health, the road to all great things becomes much more challenging. So I say this: carve some time out for yourself to get a fifteen-minute, half-hour, or, even better, an hour-long workout. Remember a healthy and strong mom pays great dividends to all those around her. There is ALWAYStime for your health." I figured with my newest little addition in my life, I needed to make some lifestyle adjustments. First of all I had to ask Phil to feed Toby for me two mornings a week and give her her bath one night; this way I was able to carve out the time I needed to be phys- ical. Then I had to get into an early-to-bed and early-to-rise sched- ule so I could have the energy to get out and go. When I don't get my exercise in or get enough sleep, I feel sluggish, and if I let more than a week go by without so much as a push-up, I start making excuses-and you know where that takes you: nowhere.

Posted at Thu Jan 31 2008 04:55 PM