Allison Payne leaving WGN-Ch. 9

Allison Payne leaving WGN-Ch. 9

Hampered by health issues that knocked her from the prime time anchor perch at WGN-Ch. 9, Allison Payne announced Thursday she is leaving the station after 21 years.

Fitness

Fitness

Fitness only seems simple. In truth, it's anything but ... The ripped go-getter, the weekend athlete, the generally active, the not-quite-idle and the bona fide couch potato all have very specific needs. And those needs (the latest gear, targeted exercises, training regimens, etc.) can vary by activity of choice, age and sometimes injury. Don't be daunted. Check out this gallery of the latest fitness news and advice. You're likely to find something here for you. And, if not, check back. The news is always changing -- just like the advice you get from trainers, friends and the occasional well-meaning if misguided co-worker.

Skip the gym membership, get the pedometer

12:46 PM CDT, August 3, 2011

Ellen Warren: Skip the gym membership, get the pedometer

If you need a reminder to think twice about investing in an exercise bike or a treadmill, it's right there, sitting out on someone's lawn or driveway with a big "For Sale" sign on it.

Staying safe while biking in traffic

1:06 PM CDT, July 27, 2011

Staying safe while biking in traffic

Biking in traffic isn't as treacherous as it might seem. Cyclists rarely get mowed down by motorists from behind — a common fear — and in fact, most accidents don't involve motor vehicles at all.

Pre-sports physical can prevent sudden death among athletes

1:17 PM CDT, July 27, 2011

Pre-sports physical can prevent sudden death among athletes

Between 200 and 300 young people die each year while playing sports. In many cases, the underlying health condition that led to death could have been identified by a pre-sports medical exam.

Taking your workout to the back of the body

1:08 PM CDT, July 27, 2011

Taking your workout to the back of the body

Crunches, curls and sit-ups may be standard workout fare in gyms, basements and living rooms across the land.

Are these shape-shifters?

4:28 PM CDT, July 20, 2011

Are these shape-shifters?

Can you wobble your way to buns of steel?

Tips to lose 100 calories a day

July 14, 2011

Tips to lose 100 calories a day

It's always those 10 final pounds that appear to be the hardest to quash.

3 myths can get in the way of losing weight

July 14, 2011

3 myths can get in the way of losing weight

Calories in, calories out—in theory, losing weight should be that simple. But we're going to venture a guess that the reason two-thirds of Americans are classified as overweight or obese isn't because they can't do basic math. Age, genetics, hormones and the big one—a lack of will power—better explain the disconnect between wanting to lose weight and actually doing it.

'Carmageddon' can be motivation to get out and move

4:20 PM CDT, July 13, 2011

BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world

'Carmageddon' can be motivation to get out and move

Trapped in your neighborhood this weekend due to "Carmegeddon," or just afraid to venture out in an automobile? No worries -- consider using this weekend as an excuse to burn calories doing mind-numbing errands.

Even infants can exercise, say new guidelines in U.K.

5:57 PM CDT, July 11, 2011

BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world

Even infants can exercise, say new guidelines in U.K.

Young children have no excuse not to exercise—even if they can’t walk yet.

Trampoline fitness makes you sweat

July 5, 2011

Trampoline fitness makes you sweat

Some fit men and women are jumping on little trampolines for an hour of intense challenge to their heart.

Hiking on the tech trail

July 4, 2011

Gear

Roy Wallack: Hiking on the tech trail

Getting out in nature for a hike or a trail run can offer an escape from the modern world. But that doesn't mean techie innovations should be left at home, especially when they enhance the experience in a quiet, unobtrusive way. If you want to get there or get back faster and safer, these lightweight devices can help.

Good Form: Weights help strengthen shoulders

July 4, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: Weights help strengthen shoulders

Get strong and balanced rear shoulder muscles by including this exercise in your weight routine. Sitting on a bench or chair makes it easier on your lower back when you lean forward. Begin with 3- to 5-pound dumbbells, then progress to heavier weights as you get stronger.

Working out obesity issues on 'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition'

June 27, 2011

The Unreal World

Marc Siegel: Working out obesity issues on 'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition'

"Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition"

Want a superhero physique? Here's how

June 27, 2011

In-Your-Face Fitness

Want a superhero physique? Here's how

Perhaps you've been to the multiplex to see Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern save the universe from the evil Parallax or to witness Chris Hemsworth's Thor hurl his magical hammer at invading Frost Giants.

Good Form: Get out in front of thigh tightness

June 27, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: Get out in front of thigh tightness

The fronts of your thighs can get very tight, especially if you play sports, train with weights or engage in any other physical activities. Remember to regularly stretch these muscles to help prevent knee, hip or back injuries. Here's one stretch that feels great and is easy to do.

Forgot why you went upstairs? Don't worry — it's exercise!

3:58 PM CDT, June 22, 2011

Ellen Warren: Forgot why you went upstairs? Don't worry — it's exercise!

You know the feeling.

Home workout devices are now affordable and portable

June 20, 2011

Gear

Roy Wallack: Home workout devices are now affordable and portable

For those times when you can't get to the gym — or don't feel like breaking out your credit card to pay the membership fee — home workout equipment is essential. But as these innovative, lightweight and very portable devices show, a home gym doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg or take over the entire living room. They don't even have to stay at home anymore.

Good Form: A little squeeze, a little twist make this a great core exercise

June 20, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: A little squeeze, a little twist make this a great core exercise

This exercise challenges your core strength and provides a nice twist to your spine. Squeezing a soft ball with your inner thighs helps to keep your hips correctly positioned so that you can target the tightest part of your spine, which is usually the mid-back.

My Turn: Husband hangs up his mountain biking pedals

June 20, 2011

My Turn: Husband hangs up his mountain biking pedals

In the last four years, my 42-year-old husband has had three mountain biking-related surgeries. He's had more busted fingers, dislocated shoulders and other injuries than I can recall.

Workout while kids play

3:11 PM CDT, June 15, 2011

Workout while kids play

When my kids are at the playground, I'm usually the only parent making a spectacle of herself. I do push-ups and lunges. I hang from the monkey bars and try to pull myself up. Or I repeatedly squat down, lower my butt until it hits the bench and then stand up.

Battling middle-aged workout burnout

1:55 PM CDT, June 13, 2011

Battling middle-aged workout burnout

I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped into my gym's workout studio to discover that I was the only guy in the place.

Well, about that 10K goal …

June 13, 2011

In-Your-Face Fitness

Well, about that 10K goal …

I picked a bad race for a personal best attempt.

Good Form: A plank pose that goes further

June 13, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: A plank pose that goes further

Build muscular endurance with yoga moves like this one, called "plank pose into chaturanga dandasana." Practiced correctly on a regular basis, you will strengthen your chest, shoulders and arms as well as your core muscles.

Getting a body like Thor or Green Lantern takes copious workouts and a lack of doughnuts

2:01 PM CDT, June 8, 2011

BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world

Getting a body like Thor or Green Lantern takes copious workouts and a lack of doughnuts

The summer of superhero movies is upon us, which means millions will be looking up at the big screen thinking, "Man, those abs are awesome."

Crunched for time? Try this exercise

June 8, 2011

Crunched for time? Try this exercise

If you have time for just one exercise and want a full body workout, try 8-Count Bodybuilders, which work the pectorals, triceps, shoulders, core, lats and hip flexors, said military physical training specialist Mark Lauren, who advocates using nothing but your own bodyweight.

Around-the-town workout with Ugi balls

2:35 PM CDT, June 8, 2011

Around-the-town workout with Ugi balls

Take a modern twist on the old-school medicine ball, add a squish factor to it, and you've got the Ugi ball.

The weary road to a 10K milestone

May 30, 2011

In-Your-Face Fitness

The weary road to a 10K milestone

This is all Jack LaLanne's fault.

My Turn: A hard ride beyond despair on the AIDS/LifeCycle trek

May 30, 2011

My Turn: A hard ride beyond despair on the AIDS/LifeCycle trek

"I can't do it," I wailed into my cellphone in Santa Cruz to my husband in San Luis Obispo. "And I've lost my wallet. Will you come and get me?"

Fibromyalgia and exercise: More tips from an expert

12:50 PM CDT, May 24, 2011

Booster Shots: Oddities, musings and news from the health world

Fibromyalgia and exercise: More tips from an expert

Fibromyalgia expert Ginevra Liptan was our guest Monday for a Los Angeles Times Web chat. We didn't get to answer all of the questions during our hour with Dr. Liptan, but she has answered a few more questions for us here.

Bicycles are getting artsy smartsy

May 23, 2011

Gear

Roy Wallack: Bicycles are getting artsy smartsy

Creative bicycles, long a favorite subject of student industrial design contests, are busting out of art college and onto the streets. This year, there's been an explosion of creative frame designs across the cycling spectrum — road, mountain, electric, commuter — that are nothing short of sculpture on wheels. And unlike a lot of artsy inventions that are good only for mounting on a wall, these two-wheeled wonders not only work but also offer some innovative functional capabilities not seen on bikes with the century-old diamond-shaped frame.

Live Web chat Monday: A doctor with fibromyalgia helps others with the condition

1:07 PM CDT, May 20, 2011

Booster Shots: Oddities, musings and news from the health world

Live Web chat Monday: A doctor with fibromyalgia helps others with the condition

Dr. Ginevra Liptan was nearing the end of her first year in medical school when she felt a muscle tear in her neck while exercising at the gym. The injury began a frustrating odyssey of fatigue and chronic pain that was eventually diagnosed as fibromyalgia.

The myth of ripped muscles and calorie burns

May 16, 2011

In-Your-Face Fitness

The myth of ripped muscles and calorie burns

Whenever I hear about some amazing way to boost resting metabolism, my male-bovine-droppings detector goes berserk. Take the perennially popular one stating that 1 pound of muscle burns an extra 50 calories a day while at rest — so if you gain 10 pounds of muscle, your resting metabolic rate (RMR) soars by an extra 500 calories each day.

Toe a new line: barefoot shoes

May 9, 2011

Toe a new line: barefoot shoes

If you live in Los Angeles or other fashion-forward places where people are eager to try new things, you have seen them: people running around in shoes that look like gorilla feet, modern ninja footwear or high-tech surf booties.

Gear: Shoes for not-quite-barefoot running

May 9, 2011

Roy Wallack: Gear: Shoes for not-quite-barefoot running

Barefoot running has become a hot fitness trend thanks to evidence that it can reduce injuries and strengthen feet. But ironically, many "barefooters" prefer to keep their feet covered. Fear of injuries from broken glass, rocks and other sharp objects inspired the invention of the "minimalist" running shoe, whose essential feature is a thin, tactile and flat bottom that lacks the elevated heel cushion typically found on running shoes. This category — pioneered by Vibram's popular FiveFingers individual-toed shoe-glove four years ago — now includes styles that enclose all five toes together. Hard-core barefooters will scoff at any shoe, even these stripped-down alternatives to traditional running shoes with generously padded soles. But for those who want the benefits of barefooting with some protection, the minimalists have you covered.

Good Form: A bicycle built for you

May 9, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: A bicycle built for you

If you find it difficult to perform the traditional bicycle exercise on the floor because your neck gives out before your abdominal muscles, try doing them against a firm pillow or bolster. Just remember to use your abdominals to press your back against the pillow.

Not motivated? Sign up for a race

May 2, 2011

In Your Face Fitness

Not motivated? Sign up for a race

Forrest Gump discovered his passion for running on the spur of the moment, when a bunch of Alabama bullies were chasing him and his leg braces broke off. But for most of us, developing a commitment to running, cycling or some other form of exercise requires dedication, planning and intention.

Good Form: A diamond when you feel rough

May 2, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: A diamond when you feel rough

After a workout, here's a great way to stretch your back and gluteal muscles. If you have sensitive knees and tight hips, sitting on a yoga block will raise you a few inches off the floor and make it easier to bend forward.

Walking counts as exercise

3:33 PM CDT, May 25, 2011

Ellen Warren: Walking counts as exercise

"People try all these insane diets," then give up when they don't lose weight and don't feel any better, says Vik Khanna, executive director of Health and Wellness for Mercy Health Ministry in Chesterfield, Mo.

A two-for-one workout

May 22, 2011

A two-for-one workout

Most people wouldn't think of combining seemingly polar opposite pursuits such as Pilates and boxing. But the odd pairing makes perfect sense to one fitness instructor.

Study on multi-day ultra-marathon injury rates offers up surprises

6:06 PM CDT, May 16, 2011

BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world

Study on multi-day ultra-marathon injury rates offers up surprises

Ultra-marathoners may be subjecting their bodies to one of the world's most daunting tests of endurance, but the races may not be as rough on the body as they sound, according to new research published this month in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Live chat: Ultra-runner Marshall Ulrich pushes to the extreme

8:21 PM CDT, May 11, 2011

Live Health Chat

Live chat: Ultra-runner Marshall Ulrich pushes to the extreme

See what it's like to push your body to extremes in a live Web chat with ultra-runner Marshall Ulrich on Monday, May 16, at 11 a.m. PT (1 p.m. CT, 2 p.m. ET).

Good Form: Pilates ring adds intensity to workout

May 16, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: Pilates ring adds intensity to workout

Props like this Pilates ring can help spice up your workout by challenging muscles in new ways. To add intensity to your obliques (side abdominal muscles) and adductors (inner thigh muscles), try this new move.

Live chat: Fitness tips from Olympic ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi

May 9, 2011

Live Health Chat

Web chat: Fitness tips from Olympic ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi

Get fitness tips from an Olympian in a chat replay with ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

There's no stopping us

2:57 PM CDT, May 4, 2011

Type 1 diabetes didn't stop these athletes

If you're an athlete with Type 1 diabetes, knowing how to play your body can keep you competing at the highest professional levels.

Rest and recovery: Why athletes need it

April 27, 2011

Rest and recovery: Why athletes need it

Sage Rountree’s new book, “The Athlete’s Guide to Recovery,” is the kind of book I wish I had when I was seriously competing in triathlons. I probably wouldn’t have followed any of the advice because I saw little value in rest and didn't really know how to do it. But it might have saved me from injuries and overtraining as well as improved my speed.

Gear: Getting taken for a ride

April 25, 2011

By Roy M. Wallack, Special to the Los Angeles Times: Gear: Getting taken for a ride

Serious cyclists become obsessed with flashy new miracle-material frames and high-tech componentry, but there's also plenty of innovation among the less-glamorous parts of the bike. Here's proof that essential-but-mundane products like inner tubes, pedals, water bottles and indoor training stands can have a "wow" factor too.

A challenging exercise for the abdominals

April 25, 2011

Good Form

Karen Voight: A challenging exercise for the abdominals

Our abdominals are the body's center of power. They're responsible for initiating many of the movements we make and for stabilizing the spine when we do. Here's a challenging exercise to keep them strong and healthy.

Kettlebells work for Daniel Baldwin, but are they right for you?

April 18, 2011

In-Your-Face Fitness

Kettlebells work for Daniel Baldwin, but are they right for you?

For the past few weeks, I've been sporting big yellow bruises on my forearms. I blame actor Daniel Baldwin and his enthusiasm for kettlebells.

Why walking is not exercise

April 14, 2011

Why walking is not exercise

In his new book “Beat the Gym,” fitness expert Tom Holland asserts that “walking is not exercise.” Whoa!!!

Obese exercise: How four found exercise that worked

April 11, 2011

Roy Wallack: Obese exercise: How four found exercise that worked

I'd never seen anyone this big move this fast.

Obesity and exercise: Pam Newman's working hard to stand and deliver

April 11, 2011

By Roy M. Wallack, Special to the Los Angeles Times: Obesity and exercise: Pam Newman's working hard to stand and deliver

When the music starts up in the Zumba dance class at Big Bear's Mountain Fitness Center gym, everyone is on their feet — except for Pam Newman. She's the 300-plus-pound woman in the back of the room who's lost 100 pounds in the last year by violating the "standing to exercise" rule. That's because she enthusiastically kicks her legs and flails her arms … while sitting down on a bench.

Obesity and exercise: Debbie Bumgardner drops the yo-yo diet, picks up a Trikke

April 11, 2011

By Roy M. Wallack, Special to the Los Angeles Times: Obesity and exercise: Debbie Bumgardner drops the yo-yo diet, picks up a Trikke

Debbie Bumgardner was an overworked 52-year-old legal secretary and frustrated yo-yo dieter from Tarzana who'd gradually cut back on tennis and biking over the years. By early 2010, she was 100 pounds overweight.

Obesity and exercise: How 390-pound Charles Cicciarella began to walk the walk

April 11, 2011

Obesity and exercise: How 390-pound Charles Cicciarella began to walk the walk

Charles Cicciarella, a 36-year-old e-learning specialist from Toronto, had been fat for as long as he could remember. He was a target of bullies during his school years and then ballooned in his early 20s when he began a lucrative career that enabled an immobile lifestyle.

Obesity and exercise: Larry Brooks takes strides toward health

April 11, 2011

Roy Wallack: Obesity and exercise: Larry Brooks takes strides toward health

Larry Brooks had been a football player through high school and college and was athletic well into adulthood — in fact, he was a power lifter into his mid-40s. But by the time he hit his mid-50s, a busy decade of all work, no exercise and drinking as many as 35 cups of coffee each day took its toll. In December 2009, after a bout of pneumonia, the geologist from Keller, Texas, found himself with a 54-inch waist, 40.3% body fat, total cholesterol of 325 and a $300 monthly bill for Lipitor, three beta blockers and other drugs. He weighed 341 pounds.

Exercise strategies for people with autism

2:06 PM CDT, March 30, 2011

Exercise strategies for people with autism

For the typical adult, getting to the gym requires manipulation. You know it's good for you, that you'll feel better after you do it, and that you might actually lose weight and look great if you continue your daily sweat sessions.

Your new gym playlist

2:18 PM CDT, March 23, 2011

Your new gym playlist

We knew our graduate degree in musicology would come in handy eventually. (Yes, we really have one.)

Sometimes getting fit takes an online village

3:04 PM CDT, March 16, 2011

Sometimes getting fit takes an online village

Personal trainers are a resilient bunch. When the economy tanked they drifted from costly one-on-one sessions to more cost-effective small group training.

Meals and exercise fit for a firefighter

March 16, 2011

Meals and exercise fit for a firefighter

At the Glenside Fire Protection District, firefighters know that being in shape will help them deal with emergencies of all kind.

New-school fitness, old-school fun

2:41 PM CST, March 9, 2011

New-school fitness, old-school fun

When most people think of working out, they envision the monotonous treadmill or the bare-bones weights. But fitness doesn't have to be old and boring. Remember when you went for bike rides, jumped on a trampoline or wiggled a hula hoop around your waist just because it was fun?

Coconut water: A health drink that's all it's cracked up to be?

March 6, 2011

Coconut water: A health drink that's all it's cracked up to be?

It was evidently good enough for Gilligan and Robinson Crusoe. But is coconut water a healthy choice for people who aren't stranded on a deserted island?

How to exercise more as a family

4:00 PM CST, March 2, 2011

How to exercise more as a family

Family walks, bike rides and backyard games are great, but there are many ways to make fitness appealing to kids. "You are only limited by your own imagination," says Rogenia David, owner of My Gym Children's Fitness Center of Hampton Roads in Newport News, Va. "Once kids get going, it's hard to stop them." A few ideas:

Looking back?

3:50 PM CST, March 2, 2011

Looking back?

We have a real conflict when it comes to butts.

In-Your-Face Fitness: Another look at high-intensity interval training

February 28, 2011

In-Your-Face Fitness: Another look at high-intensity interval training

Turn your body into a high-powered fat-burning machine!

Good Form: A more challenging plank pose

February 21, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: A more challenging plank pose

Add an extra challenge to your elbow plank exercises by balancing on one leg at a time. It helps to strengthen your core, spine, legs and the deep muscles in your upper back.

Gear: A step up in home ellipticals

February 21, 2011

By Roy M. Wallack, Special to the Los Angeles Times: Gear: A step up in home ellipticals

The elliptical trainer and its smooth oval foot pattern was a hit the moment it arrived on the scene in the mid-1990s, but a good one that could stand up to regular home use without rattling apart has never come cheap. That's doubly true of some of the expensive new sub-categories that have arisen recently, such as the seated elliptical, which gives older exercisers a safer all-body workout, and the suspended elliptical, which has a free-form, variable movement that is a favorite of high-performance exercisers. Fortunately, the market has finally responded with newer, high-quality and affordable alternatives, such as the models below.

Doctors warn about children overtraining in mixed martial arts

February 18, 2011

Doctors warn about children overtraining in mixed martial arts

With more children punching and kicking each other in the name of mixed martial arts, the results are inevitable: More kids are getting hurt, doctors say.

Weightlifting can be helpful for obese kids

1:25 PM CST, February 14, 2011

In-Your-Face Fitness

Weightlifting can be helpful for obese kids

It goes without saying that children who are obese would benefit from aerobic exercise. However, they're likely to find the idea of going for a jog or spending half an hour on a treadmill about as appealing as watching Congress debate the fine points of tax policy on C-SPAN.

The irony of painkillers

February 14, 2011

The irony of painkillers

People usually have good reasons for swallowing over-the-counter painkillers: They're hurting.

Strength training does more than bulk up muscles

February 13, 2011

Strength training does more than bulk up muscles

Strength training has strong-armed its way beyond the realm of bodybuilding.

Resistance training that you can try at home

February 13, 2011

Resistance training that you can try at home

How much strength training is enough to build muscles and garner some health benefits? Kent Adams, director of the exercise physiology lab at Cal State Monterey Bay, says most healthy people can follow the basic guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine, which recommends doing eight to 12 repetitions of eight to 10 strength-training exercises twice a week. (That's in addition to doing moderately intense cardio workouts for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.)

Courses for the muck racers

4:35 PM CST, February 2, 2011

Courses for the muck racers

The hottest thing in running is not a new shoe or energy drink. It's mud. And fire. And other things that get in the way of running but manage, for some, to make racing more fun.

Jack LaLanne was a healthy showoff to the very end

January 31, 2011

In-Your-Face Fitness

Jack LaLanne was a healthy showoff to the very end

Jack LaLanne was an incredible showoff, and with good reason.

Good Form: Counteract the drive time

January 31, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: Counteract the drive time

After long hours of sitting in front of your computer or behind the steering wheel of your car, take a break to stretch your hip and back muscles. This move is simple to do and extremely effective.

How personal trainers stay fit

10:00 PM CST, January 28, 2011

How personal trainers stay fit

You might spot Tamaicka Wilbourn sprinting up a hill on Denbigh Boulevard at 5:30 a.m. Yes, that's O dark 30.

Good Form: Get a leg up on flexibility

January 24, 2011

Karen Voight: Good Form: Get a leg up on flexibility

Try this move against the wall to develop flexibility in your quadriceps, the muscle in the front of your upper leg. Performed properly, you should feel the stretch running from above your knee all the way up to the front of your hip.

What do I do with that?

4:00 PM CST, January 19, 2011

What do I do with that?

There's a lot more to the weight room these days than machines and dumbbells. With bands, discs, ropes and balls in every weight and size, the variety of equipment makes strength training more fun and inviting to the uninitiated. These devices are also a great way to make an old, tired program more interesting.

Jane Fonda wants you to feel the burn — again

January 17, 2011

Jane Fonda wants you to feel the burn — again

Jane Fonda — whose 1982 video "The Jane Fonda Work-Out" sold 17 million copies — is back in the fitness fray. Three decades ago, her signature leg warmers, striped leotards and pelvic lifts spawned a fitness revolution and a whole generation of women who "did Jane," sometimes with a group of friends, in their living rooms.

New fitness DVDS for the older set

January 17, 2011

New fitness DVDS for the older set

If you need proof that regular exercise is a prescription for a more youthful body and mind, look no further than the fitness icons from the aerobics-heavy 1980s. Some of the instructors who first burst onto the scene in spandex are out there promoting new fitness DVDs, decades after they started teaching.

Gym etiquette: Work it out

5:54 PM CST, January 13, 2011

Ellen Warren: Gym etiquette: Work it out

In the gym — as in life — there are dos and don'ts.

How to exercise your brain with variety, focus

5:56 PM CST, January 13, 2011

How to exercise your brain with variety, focus

Physical exercise isn't good for just your heart and muscles. "Any kind of exercise will keep blood flowing to your brain, and there is evidence it may help new brain cells grow," says Gino Colombara, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association's Southeastern Virginia Chapter. These workouts may boost brain health:

Dance works arms, legs, heart

January 3, 2011

Dance works arms, legs, heart

Any doubts about the transformative abilities of ballroom dance should be dashed after watching one season of "Dancing With the Stars" and seeing celebrities going from flabby to fit in a matter of weeks.

January 3, 2011

Fun Fitness: Resources to help you get started

Here are some resources to help you get started in your fun fitness pursuits:

Krav Maga: Get in shape while learning self-defense

January 3, 2011

Krav Maga: Get in shape while learning self-defense

Kicking and punching are great for boosting one's heart rate and toning muscles. But add some self-defense and street-fighting techniques and the adrenaline really starts to flow.

Kayaking: Get in touch with nature and tone your upper body

January 3, 2011

Kayaking: Get in touch with nature and tone your upper body

Richard Hamlin recalls his initial reaction when his wife suggested they take a kayaking trip while in the San Juan Islands: "I said, 'No, it looks like work.'"

Trail running: Run away from life's problems and into a healthy body

January 3, 2011

Trail running: Run away from life's problems and into a healthy body

Not all runners hit the streets for their workout. Trail runners take to the dirt, bounding up and down hills and mountains on hiking trails, working legs and building cardio while getting a big dose of nature.

Surfing: Full-body workout and stress reliever

January 3, 2011

Surfing: Full-body workout and stress reliever

Surfing may be a clichéd pastime in Southern California, but make no mistake, it is physically and mentally challenging. The pros just make it look easy.

The success recipe for fitness: Mix in the fun

January 3, 2011

The success recipe for fitness: Mix in the fun

Put away the eggnog and break out the tennis shoes — it's New Year's resolution time, and no doubt millions have made the pledge to get fit. Many of them will join a gym only to find they're bored with the monotony of cardio equipment and weight training routines.

Gear: Exercise masquerading as old-school fun

January 3, 2011

By Roy M. Wallack, Special to the Los Angeles Times: Gear: Exercise masquerading as old-school fun

Remember how fun it was when you were a kid — jumping up and down, swinging your hips and rolling around on the floor? It was really just stealth exercise, and it can be just as fun for adults with the help of the products reviewed below.

Workout Dos and Dont's

Workout Dos and Dont's

It's the number one resolution for the new year -- to exercise and lose weight. Problem is -- most people go at it all wrong. A little advice to get you back on track.

Workouts at your workstation

December 27, 2010

Gear

Roy Wallack: Workouts at your workstation

You don't need to be a Mayo Clinic researcher to figure out that being glued to an office chair all day makes people fat, but that's what it took to start a revolution. A few years ago, the clinic's Dr. James Levine theorized that raising one's metabolism through low-level, daylong movement could burn at least as many calories as a conventional workout at the end of an inactive day. He proved it by grafting a treadmill to a desk — his test subjects got healthier and walked off dozens of pounds without breaking a sweat at a 1 mph pace. Naturally, that led to the Levine-designed $4,199 Steelcase Walkstation, followed by a host of lower-cost, move-while-you-work accessories, some of the best of which are reviewed below.

Help for a tight torso

November 15, 2010

Good Form

Karen Voight: Help for a tight torso

Here's a simple way to gain flexibility in your lats, chest and shoulders using a wall to support your body weight. Remember to do it after training with weights or whenever your upper body feels stiff.

The six-pack pursuit gets ripped

November 8, 2010

In-Your-Face Fitness

The six-pack pursuit gets ripped

Poor Gerard Butler.

Searching the soul of trail-running shoes

November 1, 2010

Gear

Roy Wallack: Searching the soul of trail-running shoes

As the minimalist tide sweeps across the running world, a battle rages for the soul of trail running shoes: Thin, low-profile padding versus regular cushioning. Do you want the superior ground "feel" and stability of a lower shoe, which can rattle your bones? Or do you go for the taller, more traditional padded shoes that pamper you over rocks and ruts at the expense of that prized feel? We took four pairs out to the trails in Orange County's Peters Canyon for a mano a mano (or is that pies a pies?) showdown.

For that fabulous sculpted body, the Bowflex makes a good coat rack

September 13, 2010

In Your Face Fitness

For that fabulous sculpted body, the Bowflex makes a good coat rack

The people in the Bowflex commercials sure are pretty.

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