If you have a few paid, but unused personal training sessions lying around on your gym account, it's time to schedule them. Consider re-gifting fitness to the giver -- yourself.

My husband and I purchased a couple dozen personal training sessions two summers ago, but after my achilles rupture last summer and our crazy-busy lives, we never used them all. They don't expire, they're just quietly waiting to be flexed.

So for my birthday last week, he surprised me with a coupon for three personal training sessions at our gym. He scheduled 'em for early morning and offered to babysit the kids while I learn new strength-training and cardio tricks. I was pretty psyched to receive this re-gift and am looking forward to a trio of intense workouts with a sculpted trainer named Denny. If you're thinking about personal training, here's a helpful article to get started.

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I almost hate to write a story about Britney Spears. I think the media attention she has gotten is nothing short of disturbing. But it looks like Britney is starting to take positive steps to get herself well again and, for that, I give her kudos.

After an overwhelming dose of Britney at gas stations and convenience stores and malls, it's been good to see that she's been staying out of the papparazzi's camera lenses for a while. And more recent reports show her doing things like going to dance classes. Now, Bally Total Fitness representatives have stated that Britney is working out at two LA-based Bally's gyms.

The 26-year-old singer has hired the company's two top trainers -- she is currently their only client. She's been working out for the past three weeks. The Bally's rep stated that she's been working out up to three times a day. That seems potentially excessive to me, but if she's under the guidance of experienced trainers I'm sure it's all kept in balance with her overall health in mind.

Check out AOL Body for more celebrity fitness scoops.

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I've often wondered how celebrities manage to stay so slim and toned all the time. Is there something in that Hollywood water? If it because they can afford personal chefs? Is it all the calories they burn from running from the paparazzi? CNN recently did an article on celebrity trainers and how they keep those Hollywood stars looking so good all the time. The secret? There isn't one.They work just as hard as we do to lose a few.

In fact, have you ever gotten done a workout at 4am? Jennifer Garner has -- on many occasions. Have you ever had a deadline (other than a self-imposed one) by which you need to have lost a few pounds by? Movie stars do -- all the time. Yes, they might have a person trainer all to themselves riding their butt around the clock, but would you even want that? Really?

If you want to find out the truth about celebrities stay so slim, read the whole article.

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The importance of exercise doesn't diminish as a person ages, and today's baby boomers are putting their own stamp on fitness. Experts estimate that 37% of health club memberships belong to people over the age of 55 and the the average age of a typical personal trainer's clients has risen from mid-30s to early 40s.

Fitness is especially important for those in their later decades because it's a time in life when age-related diseases such as arthritis and heart disease can rear their ugly heads. Exercise can ward off age-related diseases and help ease some of their symptoms, and maintain strength, agility, and balance as well. Personal trainers specially trained to help seniors can make proper adjustments for health and ability levels and teach those in the later decades to exercise without injury.

Most important, I think, is the idea that it's never to late to get out there and get moving, even if you've been sedentary for years. After you've consulted with your doctor, you can start taking slow but steady steps towards being an active person again.

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As Bethany reported on recently, personal trainers are a great way to engage in a formal and social contract to ensure you get the exercise you need. I've found them very valuable to not only provide sage advice on getting in shape and staying there, but as a friend to cheer you on to a healthier lifestyle.

It's gratifying to know that almost a million small children (pre-teenage as well) are using personal trainers to help them build confidence and motivate themselves into a healthy disposition as they enter adulthood. Personal trainers dealing with kids, though, should be not only certified but trained to deal with children, as Bethany pointed out.

To me, this shows busy parents can take the time to make sure their kids are getting the exercise they need and more. So many kids currently are overweight from lack of activity and eating more food than needed that these kinds of measures, hopefully, are swaying those attitudes more towards the healthy side.

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Geri Halliwell (you might remember her way back as Ginger Spice) has a trainer who clearly means business. And, whoah. Both of her thighs put together are smaller than his one humongous bicep.

The lovely thing is seeing a celeb working out in public with a trainer, rather than keeping them locked inside a private gym and fueling the insistence that famous folks are tiny because they have extraordinarily high metabolism, have cellulite-resistant genes, keep fit by chasing their kids around their estates, blah blah blah blah.

Whether this is just a normal part of Geri's routine or she's getting back into platform-boot-strutting shape for the rumored Spice Girls reunion tour this winter, I say: Go on, girl, with your working out self and your big old bad-ass personal trainer!

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More and more retired athletes are getting jobs as teachers and trainers for fitness classes across the country. This is one of those topics that has pretty decent arguments for both sides, in my opinion anyway. Retired athletes have what many fitness instructors don't have -- real and actual experience in a specific field. They've developed tricks and tips from their own ups and downs, and really know inside and out what does and doesn't work for them. But on the other side, most (if not all) retired athletes have no official certification in the health and fitness field, and what they share may or may not be safe and effective. Maybe they've figured out what worked for them, but how are they are helping you figure out what will work for you? Or at helping you avoid injury?

Bottom line is that I think it's great if retired athletes want to share their knowledge and experience with others. As long as they're upfront and honest about qualifications and certifications, etc, people can make their own decisions. After all, this is America, and if some fitness icon wants to say "Hey, here's how I got where I am today" then good for them. Just make sure you do your homework, know what you're getting into, and take care of yourself.

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About 10 years ago, I had the best schedule a person in my industry could ask for. I had to be at work at 9:30 in the morning, had an hour an a half for lunch, and left at four each afternoon. It didn't take long for me to see the advantages of this schedule, and a co-worker and I signed ourselves up for gym memberships. We met each morning, took a class or worked out, and still had plenty of time to get showered and off to work -- often a half hour early! It was probably the most consistent and varied exercise routine I've ever had.

Though gym memberships soar in January, the sad fact is that by June many of those people are sheepishly driving by their gym or tucking their membership cards into the back of their wallets. Want to make sure you don't become one of those statistics? This article has some good tips for newcomers. First on your list should be making sure you find a reputable gym and look your contract over closely. Personal trainers are another great way to increase motivation, but again, make sure you're working with a certified professional. Finally, take it slow, choose activities you enjoy, and don't expect to overhaul your body overnight. Even if you don't see changes right away, the health benefits began with your first workout.

My schedule and my life look very different than they did 10 years ago, but exercise is possible even when life seems hectic. Schedule in a workout just like you would a meeting or a doctor's appointment and treat it with the same importance. With a little dedication, you'll still be working out -- and be in great shape -- when next January rolls around!

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According to this article players in the fitness industry are trying to get the bar raised for personal trainers -- meaning that they want better training and higher standards required to become a personal trainer. At the moment, it's not that hard to gain employment as a personal trainer, and that's a little scary considering how easily someone could get injured at the gym because of careless or uneducated instruction. It's suggested that people take a 4-year bachelor's degree and undergo certification to become a personal trainer.

I think more education and higher standards are a great idea. What about you?

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