Monday, December 20, 2010

Sunday, December 19, 2010

SwagHER Body Image and Fitness Boot Camp with Yaisa - January 3, 2011 - January 31, 2011

SwagHER Fitness is a fusion of body image empowHERment through resources varying from workshops, workbooks, online resources and activities combined with the most popular and effective fitness workouts. SwagHER is defined as style, attitude, confidence, positive body image and self esteem, self love combined with the ...latest and popular fitness trends ranging from Zumba, Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Kick, Hip Hop Hustle, Insanity, Boot Camp, and my own creation hip hop step.

SwagHER Fitness helps women achieve their health and fitness goals of weight loss, toning, and strength, but ultimately to help them to improve their confidence and to embrace and celebrate their bodies from head-to-toe.

SwagHER Fitness was created to celebrate women, leading them on a path of self esteem, self acceptance, health, and fitness that's fun and collaborative. Through ladies-only fitness classes, body image activities and workshops, this one of a kind program encourages and facilitates women to create a new definition of beauty.

SwagHER Fitness Boot Camp – (BEGINNING MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2011, 5:30-6:30): Get inspired, energized and tone your body – with the assurance that no Marine drill sergeant will be screaming at you. It's strength training with bursts of cardio, highlighting your fitness goals. All fitness levels are welcome – don't let the name scare you. Classes are taught by a certified fitness instructor. Lose fat; improve cardiovascular endurance, increase strength and flexibility.


Location:  Trinity Baptist Church, 801 N. Peters Ave., Norman, OK

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

WEEK ONE: Mirror Mirror on the Wall

    WHY DOES BODY IMAGE MATTER?
    Body image is defined as how you perceive your appearance.  It also can be a perception of how you feel others perceive your body.  In addition to your appearance, body image is also about your beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and actions that relat to your appearance.  In order to understand the meaning of body image, ask yourself the following questions about your own body image.
    1. Are there aspects oof your physical appearance that you really hate?
    2. Do you think more about what you dislike about your looks than about what you like?
    3. Do you spend a lot of time worrying about what others think of your looks?
    4. Are your looks really important to you in determining your self-worth?
    5. Do negative thoughts about your looks keep popping up into your head and playing like a broken record?
    6. Do you avoid particular activities or  situations because you feel physically self-conscious?
    7. Do you spend a lot of time, effort, or money trying to improve your looks or to achieve physical perfection?
    8. Do you rely on clothes, cosmetics, hair products to try to cover up the "flaws" in your appearance?
    9. Do you often search for the ultimate diet, the most effective fitness program, the right clothes, or the most flattering cosmetics or hairstyle?
    10. Do your feelings about your looks get in the way of accepting yourself or enjoying your everyday life?
    11. Do you have difficulty accepting the body that you live in? 
    12. Do you have a hard time accepting compliments about your appearance?

SwagHER Body Image and Fitness Boot Camp not only helps to improve your appearance through cardio and resistance training but also gives you an attitude adjustment.

Given that it's a new year, milions of women have resoluted to lose weight or to schedule an appointment to have a cosmetic procedure such as liposuction.  These remedies offer a quick fix and may make a women feel better about their body.   Along those lines, SwagHER Fitness wants to help women look better and feel better about their bodies but ultimately to help them change their body image. 
  1. Introduce yourself (name, reason for signing up for boot camp, hobbies, New Year's Resolution, a fitness tips, and anything else that you wouldn't mind sharing)
  2. What are your expectations of SwagHER Body Image and Fitness Boot Camp?
  3. What’s your body story? Have you always loved your body, or is it something that has evolved over time?
  4. How have you learned to love your body?
  5. What was your biggest hurdle in loving your body?
  6. How has your view of your body changed over the years? Are you gentler, or harder on yourself?
  7. What makes you feel beautiful? How do you care for yourself?
  8. What do you love about your body?
  9. How is your first week going?
  10. How are you adjusting to starting boot camp at 5:30am?
  11. I've defined SwagHER Fitness as: a lifestlye to help women develop a confident body image and self esteem along with a healthy attitude about fitness and health.  In your own words what comes to mind when you hear the word "SwagHER"?

Body Image versus Reality

Over two years ago I developed a college course focusing on women's issues covering topics such body image and self esteem. 

I created a course packet with readings ranging from eating disorders to plastic surgery.  In addition to assigning reading material along with lecturing and showing films, I scheduled several guests speakers to share their personal experiences of having gone under the knife to those who battled with eating disorders.


My body image course has proven to be popular each semester but there are limitations and the class is not meant to be based on feelings and emotions, and I have to grade students.  I had a few Oprah and Dr. Phil moments when I wanted to reach out to students because I knew that they wanted more than information about body image but also needed coaching and more guidance using all of infomation that they had learned in my class.  
In response to this issue, I created SwagHER Fitness combining my research, body image teaching experience, my fitness expertise, and my passion and activism to help empowHER women.

In order to get an understanding of body image, view the video Body Image versus Reality

After viewing: 
Define body image.
In your opinion, what effects body image?
Now think about your body image, evaluate your body image on a scale of 1-10 (one being the lowest and ten the highest).  Discuss your evaluation of yourself.

SwagHER Body Image and Fitness Boot Camp with Yaisa

Welcome to the SwagHER Fitness online community!



Thanks for joining the discussion to help you along your fitness journey. 

Below you will find more information about the boot camp.