To prepare, Dutch 23-year-old beauty Kroes, who says she normally eats what she wants because she exercises often, goes on a strict sugar- and carb-free meal plan and spends many extra minutes a day jumping rope. “For other fashion shows you can be skinny, but for Victoria’s Secret, you need definition,” says Kroes, 23. - By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL, AP

I’m impressed. Like most lingerie models they recognize that they have to be fit. Note that she says that she “exercises often”. Even for models it takes effort to look healthy and fit. Like she says, other fashion models are skinny. They simply don’t eat and they don’t have a shape. I find that look unattractive. The VS models are popular because they are fit, shapely and sexy.

Listen to what Kroes says. She has a fabulous body because she exercises a lot, she goes on a strict healthy diet and she does extra fitness work. If you want to be fit and healthy, there you go.

If you are doing a killer leg workout, you are typically going to have to work your body both cardiovascular and muscle. You could sit down and do a hundred curls and not break a sweat. Your legs are simply key to everything looking sexy. If you don’t have fit legs, I’m guessing your bum isn’t looking too fit either. There aren’t too many people that are going to have shapely legs but have a lot of belly flab either.

Having fit legs takes effort. Walking, running, cycling, weight lifting and fitness routines are all keys to having nice legs. You simply can’t help but have nice legs if you are active and exercising. If your legs are fit, the rest of your body will follow. I know. It seems like a “duh” kind of thing. But if I see someone with healthy legs I’m going to assume the rest of them are fit as well. So start working on the lunges and squats. Walk some laps during a break at work. Go for a bike ride. Run. Hike. Concentrate on getting your legs fit and you’ll do more than just have nice stems. Your cardio system will be happy too.

The workout is definitely not hard core. I think it is within the reach of most anyone who needs to get fit, lose weight and get in shape. Here is the workout plan from Yahoo titled “Get a Summer Bod in 4 Weeks”

1. Walk for 20 minutes at a moderate to intense pace, increasing your speed a little every five minutes or so. Then do one set of walking lunges (10 on each leg) bending deeply at the knee with each stride. Next, walk quickly for 5 minutes, and then repeat walking lunges. Repeat 5 minutes of fast walking, followed by walking lunges, 2 more times. Finish with two sets of 10 push-ups.

2. Do 10 abdominal crunches followed by 10 leg lifts on each side (lying on your side). Repeat three times. Then, do 25 jumping jacks followed by 30 seconds of running in place (kicking your knees up high). Repeat 3 times.

3. Walk for 5 minutes, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 4-5 times.

4. Walk your heart out. Go for a 60-minute walk along the beach, in a lovely neighborhood, or hit the streets for an urban trek, but keep a steady, moderate-to-strong pace for the entire walk.

I still don’t think walking is all that great, unless you add hills or some other resistance. I like that the author says to walk with a moderate to strong pace though. There are many people this workout could benefit that can only walk so I can’t be too harsh about it. I just think that when people start walking they tend to take it easy when the intent is too really move it.

The thing I love about this workout is the walking lunges. I do a ton of those a  exercise classes like boot camp and during my solo workouts at the gym. Lunges are fantastic for your legs and glutes.

Core Workout

Obviously the first bosu exercise that you would be aware of is the abdominal workout. Sitting on the bosu and trying to get your balance while doing scissor kicks or crunches. Other core workouts include using a medicine ball and having someone throw it to you as you are seated on the bosu. You catch it, go back slightly, rotate side to side, then throw it back. That’s a killer. Or they throw to either side and you catch it. That bosu exercise really works the oblique muscles.

Chest and Shoulder Workout

In class we flip the bosu over and grip the edge of the ball, hands shoulder width apart. Then we do push ups. Think it’s easy? The bosu is unsteady forcing you to concentrate on balancing your core and obviously strengthening your arms, shoulders and chest. We also flip the it over to the flat side and place our feet on the ball and do more push ups. Additionally, we have used it to do standing shoulder presses. Simply grabbing it at the edge like a barbell and pressing up. It gets tiring after the doing it following the push ups.

Leg Workout

Lunges can be brutal on the bosu ball. Grab yourself a couple of dumbells or place a bar over your shoulder and do a typical forward lunge. Except land your leading foot onto the bosu. It’s not easy keeping your balance. In class we do a lot of squats standing on the bosu. Holding a medicine ball or hand weights. We also do squats holding the bosu over our head. That can be exhausting.

Bosu exercises are very challenging. I cannot say that I look forward to doing them in total body conditioning classes but at least when do I know that I will be getting a great workout.

So the topic of the night seemed to be getting in shape by May so they could wear summer clothes and swimsuits. I felt like a fly on the wall. But I thought it was interesting what motivated this group of women to workout. The thing is having a goal will help you continue to stay motivated to workout. These women know exactly what they wanted to achieve with their workout. Good for them.

Some women in these exercise classes I have seen over the last couple of years. They are regulars to the gym. I wonder about the others though. Will they simply quit once Spring arrives, having achieved whatever fitness goal they had strived for? Would seem a shame to work hard to get in shape, only to let yourself get soft as the Summer progresses, and then have to start over again in January. And from the sounds of it, that seems to be a tactic of exercising for some of these folks. It would be better I think to simply maintain.

As for me, I’m not certain what I will do when Spring comes. Indoor cycling classes will probably give way, as usual, to outdoor riding. I’ll try to attend as many group power lift and boot camp classes during the week as I can. I’m just unsure what to do on Saturday morning. I love the back to back boot camp then group lift classes. But I’m usually riding then. I doubt after those two classes I’d feel much like bike riding. Whatever.

Have a goal and get to the gym. Stick with it and maintain. Take some fitness classes because it’s fun, healthy and challenging. Simple little plan.

There are a ton of books, DVDs and articles written about how to make the most of your workout time when you don’t have any time. To me one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to keep your body in good shape. So find adequate time. Don’t simply fit a workout in. Your body needs more than a daily 20 minute workout.

How many gyms have a 20 minute workout class? Not many I suspect. Aren’t most of them 45 minutes to an hour? When you join some sort of health fitness challenge at your gym, don’t they always require you do some sort of physical fitness for at least 45 minutes? There is a reason for this. Rigorous exercise should be performed for over 45 minutes. It’s hard. It’s tough. It takes time. It can suck. But that is how you will lose weight and get in shape. I’m sorry but that’s just the way it shakes out.

The only 20 minute workout that I can see beneficial is maybe doing some Pilates or Yoga during that time. Maybe the 20 minutes can be part of a greater workout. 20 minutes working out your upper body then 20 minutes working out your lower body. But a full body 20 minute workout or cardio conditioning is just not long enough. OK, anything is better than nothing, but to get fit and get in shape, more time needs to be spent.

I might could relent and suggest that 20 minutes say early in the morning for an upper body workout then maybe 20 minutes later in the day for lower workout, if your time is really crunched. A 20 minute run might be adequate. That is pretty intense. You could get a 2 mile run in during that time. 20 minutes on a bike? Not so much. Although intervals can kick some butt, you still need more time for recovery between each than the 20 minutes will allow.

If all you’re allowing yourself is a 3 times a week, 20 minute workout program to get in shape, I’d suggest it won’t do much. If you have goals of defining your muscles, gaining muscle endurance and losing weight. Less is not more. More is more.

I’m suggesting the 20 minute workout to “get in shape” as not very beneficial. For toning muscles groups it can be adequate time. You won’t create much muscle endurance, but it will help fight the flab. And it can help you gain some muscle strength.

What gyms have to offer is motivation. You may think that is a small concern, one which good money might not need to be spent for. But, sometimes I need a pat on the back. It’s nice to get to know the instructors or trainers. They are always helpful and friendly. Encouraging. Yes you can simply exercise in front of your TV, but what is the fun in that? Who are you going to meet that shares the same fitness goals you do. I think it’s great to see a friendly face at the gym and see how they are doing. They always ask how I’m doing and that’s a nice feeling.

So you don’t care for the humanity of going to a gym. What else does gyms have to offer? Diversity. Equipment. I go to four separate exercise classes during the week. Total Body Conditioning, Group Weight Lifting, Spin Class and Boot Camp. If you are in a class with 20 other people something inside you is going to push you to keep up and get better. I also lift weights on my own. I could never have the variations in weight the gym has. They have 20lbs, 22.5lbs, 25lbs., for instance. I don’t have the room or money to be buying all this equipment. If I get sick of an exercise I simply find something else that the gym offers. If I’m working out at home then I feel like crap that I wasted money on this piece of equipment and I have to go out and buy more more stuff for my change in workout regimen. Convenience. That’s what gyms have to offer.

Also, if I bother to go to the gym, I’m going to work. Taking the time to drive over is a pain but it means that I’m serious about the effort. If I decide to workout at home it’s too easy to get distracted. When you go into a gym, it feels like a gym You are there to get fit. I have fun at the gym. I like being there. I like that I get to know people as they cycle in and out. I like to see people improve. I enjoy seeing people stick with it and lose the weight or change their body shape. It motivates me.

I’m pessimistic about many things, but finding out what gyms have to offer is not one of them. Getting fit and working out is something that I’m always excited about and interested in.

Let’s say you have been pregnant for 9 long months. You may not have felt well enough to exercise. That’s understandable. But you end up holding on to more pregnancy weight than you’d like, have a stretch mark removal problem and realize that exercise could help you a little with these issues. Well, you need to take your time and start slowly and work into your fitness program. You’re starting from the bottom. We all want fast results but it just simply does not work that way. Get motivated and stay motivated, 4 days a week for 45 minutes to an hour, and within 6 weeks you will be in shape.

Conversely, if you’ve been working out for 10 years and injure your knee and rehab it back to 90-100% within a few months, then getting in shape will take a lot less time. Maybe a few weeks. Of course it’s relative too. No, you wouldn’t be able to compete in the Olympics being out for 4 months with only two weeks to get in shape. But if you are an average active guy/gal you should be able to feel like you are in shape within 2-3 weeks, right?

And really your timeline for getting in shape may be quicker than someone else’s. Your goals may be different. If I am trying to get in shape to ride a century then it will take longer for me to be “in shape” than it would for you if you simply wanted to cover a mile walk in 15 minutes. But in general if you are trying to firm up your muscles, gain cardio benefits and get in shape, I would think that 6 weeks out you will see and feel the benefits of all that hard work.

I know many won’t agree with me. If you ask how long it takes to get in shape you’ll hear people say a couple of weeks. A month. I just don’t think so. I do think in 6 weeks, if you exercise hard 4-5 days a week for up to and over an hour, you can achieve fitness that I would consider being “in shape”.

About two years ago I was doing the typical heavy lifting. Three sets of 10 repetitions. It was getting boring and I realized that the last thing I really wanted to be doing was getting bigger. I mean it’s not like I’m a football player or boxer or body builder. Adding bulk seemed stupid. Not that my skinny frame would increase that much, but still, I’m not getting any younger and it just seemed pointless to bulk up like that.

So I was in the gym one day and a buddy suggested I go lighter and do more reps. Go for muscle endurance. It made sense. I mean, I’m far more likely to need muscle endurance than muscle strength. I bicycle. I snowboard. My muscles are pretty strong but they tend to tire. I needed endurance. So I started busting out 20 reps at a lighter weight. Holy crap was that painful. And I continued to do that for the better part of the year and really felt great.

So the YMCA I am a member of had this “challenge”. Four levels. To accomplish the end goal, to be a “Platinum Member” you had to complete the tasks laid out for each level. Bronze, Silver and Gold, leading up to Platinum. For each level you had to go to a different exercise class, complete it and have the instructor sign your card. Other tasks like running, working out, etc. was really on the honor system. You’d have a trainer sign the card that you did it.

Anyway, that was my first initiation into the exercise classes. Well, except for the group cycling. I had been doing that each winter to stay in shape for the rest of the year I would be mountain biking or road riding. So, I went to yoga, pilates, total body fitness, group power lift, water aerobics, boot camp, etc. I hated the water aerobics but loved the rest of the activities. Let’s just say the demographics in the water aerobics class was not to my liking nor was the exercise.

After I completed the challenge I found that I really liked the boot camp and endurance lifting classes. So I stuck with them. I like yoga and pilates but only have so much time during the week. I should really take yoga more. It would help so much with my stretching. Boot camp and endurance weight lifting really kicks my butt. The endurance weight lifting is brutal. The squats are relentless. I use very little weight. Nothing like I would use on the gym floor. For like 6-8 minutes you just hammer your legs: “down in 4, up in 4. Down in 8. Up in 1. Lower half! 8-7-6…” It’s a full body workout. Shoulders, chest, triceps, biceps. Using bar weights, hand weights, resistance bands, bosu ball for abs. Killer. Boot camp is more coordination and cardio work. Lots of running, jumping and lifting, too.

So now I lift on my own twice a week. Go to a group cycling class twice a week. Go to one muscle endurance class during the week and then double up on boot camp and another muscle endurance class on Saturday. I generally take Friday and Sunday off. The Spring/Summer schedule will adjust for Saturday/Sunday morning bike rides and twice weekly rides to replace the indoor group cycling. I may have to figure something out because I’m not sure I want to stop my Saturday morning gym classes. We’ll see how things go over the next few months.

Yahoo has an article they posted that suggests ways to get yourself on track to exercise. It all well and good but I doubt it’s going to get 2 people to give exercising a try. The article lists the following steps to get started if you’re interested:

If you aren’t exercising, figure out what is holding you back. (TV mostly)

Pick something you enjoy doing. (If you want to really get in shape, it might be something you don’t like but learn to tolerate. Sorry, sometimes that’s just the way it is.)

Start with modest exercise goals. (Make your goals attainable.)

Be accountable to someone. (I wish everyone could find an excercise mentor. Guarantee it would help.)

Build exercise into your family activities. (If you exercise, your kids are more likely to do the same throughout their life)

It’s a fine list and all but the same old exercise mantra probably gets old. I think people are comfortable not being in shape. And why should they care really? They can be overweight and still live relatively good lives. They don’t have to be in shape and their heart is going to keep beating just fine. And if it doesn’t, who cares? Modern medicine will unclog their arteries for another ten years or so. So many drugs help combat the effects of bad living.

I prefer to exercise like nature intended. I feel better and I like the challenge of doing it. There’s a lot of people who’d prefer not to move.