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.

When we take control of our exercise, we take 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.

But what if I've pushed too hard and am 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.

Shouldn't I slow down now that I've reached 50? If you've read any of my other articles, you have probably noticed that I am not focusing on seniors, even though this is supposed to be a seniors' site and a lot of people have the mistaken idea that we should slow down as we age chronologically. In my opinion, nothing could be farther from the truth. Muscle knows no age, unless you let it.

I have students in my fitness classes that range from 20 years of age to over 70 years of age, and many of us who are over 50 can outdo many of those who are under 30. I believe strongly that it is up to us to challenge ourselves physically, keep at it on a regular basis, and know that you can become even more physically fit than you were in your 20s.

I am not suggesting that if you have been rather sedentary that you jump right in with high impact aerobics and heavy weight work. Everyone needs to work at his/her own pace. But, don't use age as an excuse not to push and challenge yourself. Remember a little bit of pain is OK.

What if I'm just not in the mood to work out? Will missing one or two days hurt that much? First of all, if you are in a bad or so-so mood, a good workout can improve it almost instantly. Many researchers attribute the exercise-induced mood lift to several biochemical changes in the body, including a rush of endorphins to areas of the brain that control emotion and behavior. Also, exercise causes you to breathe more deeply, which delivers stimulating oxygen to both mind and body, elevating your mood.

Missing one or two days of exercising won't ruin your body physically, but will make returning to the gym or exercising that much harder. Over the years I have seen this phenomenon again and again. The more often we skip a workout, the harder it is to get back to exercising. Part of it is that we've gotten out of the habit and the other is that subconsciously we are remembering and dreading the pain we experienced when we started.

So, I suggest saying to yourself that you will start and work out at least ten minutes. Then, you will start feeling so good after ten minutes of exercise, you will keep on keeping on.

Remember, work that body! Push! Push! Push!

As always, check with your own healtcare professional before undertaking any diet or exercise program.