To exercise or not to exercise -- that's the question!

What's the answer? It depends on whether you're exercising for the "right" reasons. If you view exercise solely to lose weight, you might just lose that battle.

A recent article in Time magazine suggests that 30 minutes of moderate exercise won't make us thin. How can this be? Well, exercise increases our appetitie and the article says too many of us feel like rewarding ourselves with the wrong foods after our workouts.

"That's true, but don't be quick to stop exercising," says personal fitness trainer J.T. Agenor. "Exercise can lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and other illnesses."

Agenor and his partner, Julie Ripley, own X-treme Fitness Bootcamp and Spa at 144th and West Maple in Omaha.

"Weight loss is individual," says Ripley. "There are so many factors involved that you can't generalize."

Their approach to exercise is about "fitness" and health. Agenor says, "The main objective of fitness is not simply weight loss. It's about living an overall healthy lifestyle with proper training and knowledge." Good nutrition and exercise go hand-in-hand.

Ripley is a big believer in strength training for women. But in addition to building up strength, let's not forget about building up another less talked about muscle -- self control!

If you would like more information on X-treme Fitness and Bootcamp, just check out their Web site at xbootcampfitness.com.