The original lyrics are deconstructed and reassembled at will by a rapper riding shotgun on the groove. Fitness is a good thing to have in your life. The instructor--a striking woman dressed in an oversized black T-shirt and baggy black sweatpants, with a shock of braids tied up overhead--glides effortlessly to the right in an intricate sequence of hip-hop dance steps. The 30-odd students behind her mimic each move to a T. “Turn it, turn it!” she yells, and everyone reverses field. “Grapevine! Do it!” Only by screaming into a handheld mike can she momentarily raise her voice above the music. “Grapevine, grapevine! One more, one more! Five, six, seven . . . Whe-e-e-e-e-e-e-w! All right!” After 10 minutes of this, the instructor stops the tape. By now her students are sweating rivers and sucking wind, but they appear to be having the time of their life.

No more driving to the gym, waiting for equipment, over-crowded classes and expensive fees. You can be your own personal trainer. Variety: As they say, Variety is the spice of life. The same is true for exercise. One of the reasons some people fail at fitness routines is because boredom sets in. Not a problem with the wide selection of different exercise programs available. Do step aerobics one day, maybe some kickboxing aerobics or yoga the next. The possibilities are endless and this is an excellent way to keep enthusiasm up and weight down! Confidence: Looking better and feeling healthy are directly tied into self-confidence and energy. If you know you look good, it shows in all aspects of your life. Having the body you want shows in your personality, how others see you and most importantly, the renewed vigor and attitude will carry over into all you do.

Use very light weight and high reps for the first set of each bodypart worked. (Begin with 25% of one-rep max and use strict form.) Slowly increase the weight used over the course of your workout, pyramiding up to the heaviest amount. For a cardio workout, your warm-up should: increase your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, dilation of blood vessels, joint lubrication and muscle and tendon elasticity. It should also include: Low-level aerobic activity that uses the same muscle groups and similar movement patterns that will be used during the main workout. Static stretches for all major muscles groups, especially the lower body.