Refreshingly sensible advice from LA Times Mag . . .

Pausing during an Urban Hike to capture a shot of my calves . . .

In a world full of diet and exercise fads, and a media that continually propagates them with ad-libby headlines "shed (number) of pounds/inches from (problem area) in (unrealistically low number) days," I was surprised to see that this month's LA Times Magazine had a really well-written article on personal trainer Tracy Anderson and her balanced approach to eating and exercising healthfully.

Her dozen or so tips include the obvious "don't [crash/fad] diet" & "trust your body to take out the trash" (i.e. no need to detox!) but also a good dose of self- and reality-acceptance advice, like giving yourself the OK to gain the few pounds of "boyfriend/girlfriend" fat when falling in love (due to eating out more frequently than usual,) or maintaining your discretion [and modesty] (which is what I did when I was actively aiming to lose weight, long before I started this blog, I didn't feel the compulsion to broadcast my plans to revamp my habits and have countless eyes watching me onwards -- I just did it solo, and made me my biggest cheereleader & competitor over the last 35-40 pounds.)

Anyhow, check out the article here and love to hear what you think of her advice.

Don't Ignore Flexibility!

One of my favorite stretches after a cardio or lowerbody strength workout -- great for hip, butt and thigh muscle groups.

In the three primary areas of fitness, flexibility is often the most overlooked aspect; I see it all the time from observing and hearing about my friends' routines, they may pump some major iron or go on uber-lengthy running/cycling sessions, but when I inquire about their warm-up/cool-downs or any flexibility-related component, more often than not I get a blank stare or a quick "that's for sissies" brush off. Oh, what a big mistake.

On the surface, stretching and flexibility exercises aren't as outwardly sexy as muscle-building strength workouts, nor does it compare to the calorie burn of a cardio session, but it definitely has its own benefits that makes it an important part of any well-rounded exercise regimen. Experts agree that it helps with:

- muscles' range of motion
- injury prevention and recovery
- reducing post-workout soreness
- stress relief

And most importantly, being flexible actually improves your ability with strength and cardio workouts, since your body is less likely to be fatigued, better able to stay in proper form and recover faster afterwards, letting you work harder and longer without setbacks such as lactic acid buildup, muscle tightness and injuries, not to mention gently setting a positive mood in preparation for, and recovering from, a session too!

Personally, I do a combination of yoga, pilates and active stretches (the last is particularly great for Type A folks too impatient to stay in one posture for an extended period of time.) Sometimes it's a simple 5-minute warmup and cooldown around my usual workout, other times it may be a 30-60 minute routine dedicated to improving flexibility, but I try to incorporate it in at least three times a week.

I may not be a human pretzel anytime soon, but I'll at least be happily finding my calm in a sun salutation instead of limping around looking for ice, pain cream or pills after a race or a game.

P.S. Of course, it should be noted that if you have already strained/pulled/injured a muscle, do check with your doctor before stretching it since that may aggravate the injury -- and when it is OK to engage that body part again, just like all other workouts, ease into it progressively and with caution rather than immediately doing the "regular" full load.

Mixing Things Up

Some exercise equipment at home

I've never been one for a regular (read: repetitive) workout schedule; as much as I would like to quickly improve how much weights I can lift, or how far/fast I can run, I'd be bored out of my gourd if I am doing the same set of exercises day after day (and I suspect that's a big reason for many folks that fell off the workout wagon.)

And so, I like mixing up my routine -- not only does it work out my entire body in all sorts of ways, it keeps it fun and challenging so I really don't mind doing it 6-7 days/week.

Some of the things I integrate into my mix:

- Running: yes, a rather mundane exercise but it's also one of the best calorie burners so I aim for two days a week. But I change up the routes and I occasionally load up a playlist of energetic, upbeat music if I am not as worried about my pacing.

- Cardio-dance: admittedly a bit dated since it's very 80s retro-aerobics, but it's a decent cardio workout and the dance moves really help keep shoulders, waist, hips and legs in shape. And who knows, maybe you can take a move or two to the club when going out.

- Athletic Intervals: whether in the form of football runs, basketball shuffles, volleyball spikes or cardio-kickbox, I like these a lot since they usually employ some plyometrics, short bursts that really builds power and endurance.

- Lifting the weights: I try to incorporate at least a little bit of strength training five days a week, muscles burn calories around the clock and helps keep me looking athletically-fit instead of overactive thyroid-emaciated. Again, like running, I give myself great versatility here so I don't get bored. In addition to classic lifts with my dumbbells, sometimes I'll do core-based moves with stability ball, or use a resistance band with my cardio workouts to give it that extra oompf!

- Pilates: better for days when I want to exercise at a more relaxed pace but still feel a burn, this is excellent for core-strengthening and developing ab/back muscles.

- Yoga: decent for developing strength, nice for relaxation, and wonderful for gaining flexibility, which is often neglected as part of fitness but very important in helping to prevent injuries.

And so that's my "routine" that's anything but (I can pretty much do a different 40-80 min. workout for three weeks with no repeats!) and works well for keeping me engaged and persistent. But whatever you want to incorporate into your regimen, be sure to keep it fresh and varied so you'll stay challenged, have fun and keep at that goal of building and maintaining fitness.