Learn the Thriller Dance with us

This Halloween we decided to replace our Thursday night Mambo Mania class with Michael Jackson's "Thriller." In less than one hour, our students learned the routine and this video takes you through the process. Enjoy!

Dance-based Fitness Takes Back The Spotlight

TV shows like "Dancing With The Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance" have rekindled that flame for dance in so many of us and have many people fondly remembering the 80's when dance-based aerobics dominated the fitness scene. I often hear my clients reminisce about old aerobics classes and videos. They loved the challenge of learning and performing new choreography, plus it was downright FUN!

Finally, I have great news for my clients and all of you -- the demand for dance is BACK and becoming popularly known as "retro aerobics!" You can read more about it on AOL's that's fit, but in a nutshell, more and more gyms across the country are offering a variety of dance-aerobics classes. People are revisiting the classics, like my friend Kathy Smith's first aerobic videos from the 1980s (check out her classics now available on DVD). I have always believed in dancing as a workout and have based my career around it. I can't think of a better way to sculpt your entire body and ignite your metabolism -- all while having an absolute blast! This is a trend that I've been committed to my entire life, and I'm thrilled to see America embracing a form of movement that not only shapes your body, but lifts your spirits too. So, let your hair down and take my Mambo Mania class or update your dance/aerobic video collections with one of my Mambo Mania dvds! Let's party towards our personal best!

What to Eat Before Mambo Mania - Yummy!

Clarita's favorite pre-Mambo Mania snack tip!

Snacks To Keep You On Track

It's very easy to fall into the junk food trap when you are on the go in your car, at the office, or in between getting the kids homework done and dinner ready. By keeping healthy snacks handy, it is easy to steer clear of the chips and candy. Here are a few of my favorite snacks that are tasty, travel well and keep me goin' when I'm on the go: pop open cans of tuna with crackers, pre packaged carrots, celery sticks with low fat dressing, or almond butter, high protein low carb power bars, almonds, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, bananas, apples, oranges, strawberries, blueberries and lots of water!

Also, when you do your weekly shopping for all these healthy snacks make sure you don't go to the grocery store hungry! You don't want your belly tempting you to make bad decisions. And if you fall off the wagon and end up eating a candy bar during the weak, don't beat yourself up... just stop by for a class at Personal Best.