Shape Magazine: Motivational

I have been receiving Shape magazine for almost a year at this point, and I am still enjoying every issue.


Magazine Organization

Shape is logically organized, which adds greatly to the magazine's appeal for me. I really hate it when I have to search through page after page in order to find the table of contents. You do have to go through several pages of ads, but the table of contents is easy to locate.

The articles generally start and finish in one location, a nice change from the magazines that require you to flip to several different pages in order to finish reading one article. I have never understood why some magazines are organized in that manner; must be to try to get the reader to look at the ads more than once. Hmmm. I will have to give that one some more thought.


Features

Like almost every magazine out there, Shape has regular features that appear in every issue. These include Editor's Letter and Hot Lines. The Editor's Letter is always an enjoyable read, and the Hot Lines section is where you read what other readers of the magazine have to say about various topics. This section also usually has a specific question directed to the readers that you can answer via email or letter, and if they print your response you often get some sort of prize. For example, one issue offered a free Shape T-shirt for answering "What is your favorite, fast, no-cook recipe?". I enjoy this type of thing in a magazine because it adds to the fun!


Article Assessment

The articles in this magazine are well-written, logically organized, and very helpful. An added bonus? They are also a pleasure to read. Article variety of topic is exceptional; topics range from various types of workouts to beauty and fashion advice to dietary suggestions and recipes.

There are many articles I refer back to from time to time in the various issues, making Shape one of those magazines that is beneficial to keep around.


Negative Aspects

There is only one that I have noticed, and it is my typical complaint about magazines. Ads. Shape has a high percentage of pages dedicated to advertisement. The ads are tasteful and don't detract from the reading enjoyment of the rest of the magazine, so qualify as a minor irritation.


Resubscription Potential

Will I resubscribe when my subscription runs out? Definitely. I would not even consider not resubscribing. In my opinion this magazine is well worth every penny it costs, and subscribing saves quite a bit over what one would pay at the checkstand. Plus, I like the convenience of having the magazine arrive in my mailbox rather than having to search it out at the store.

So what does it cost to subscribe? For a 12 issue subscription, the price is $17.97. I will admit this is more expensive than some of the other magazines I subscribe to, but it is not overpriced for what you get.


Final Thoughts

I consider this magazine to be an excellent investment in health and wellness. The articles are informative, I have found some great recipes to increase healthy eating for my family, and I have also found some great exercises to do while browsing through the magazine.

Shape magazine is colorful and well-designed. The organization of the magazine is very well-done, and I find this magazine very motivational. My teenage daughters enjoy reading it as much as I do, and getting them to concentrate on exercise and health is not always an easy task. Plus, it's fun! What more can one ask from a magazine?

If you have never seen the magazine you might want to pick up a copy at the store before subscribing to make sure it will meet your needs.

Enjoy!