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FITNESS REPORT HANDHELD TRAINER When Suganthi Balasubramanian started exercising after three decades of inactivity, she found her effort worthwhile but monotonous. "It was just too boring," she said. But that was before she downloaded MP3 workouts from cardiocoach.com. Cardio Coach audios are designed to be used during any kind of cardiovascular exercise. Sean O'Malley, the personal trainer who created the programs, offers encouragement as he guides the listener through workouts. In the past nine months at least six companies - like iTrain and GYMp3 - have started offering downloadable workouts that offer guidance to beginners, inspiration to the unmotivated and a whole new strategy for making exercise more engaging. - New York Times News Service All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. EXERCISE YOUR BACK PAIN AWAY When your back hurts, getting off the couch may be the last thing you want to do - but you should probably make it the first. Researchers at UCLA studied 610 men and women with a history of chronic lower-back pain. After 1 1/2 years, they found that patients who exercised regularly were 31 percent less likely to experience an increase in pain and disability than their sedentary counterparts. Surprisingly, those who regularly did back exercises such as the stretches and strength-training routines often recommended by physical therapists were more than twice as likely as those who didn't do those moves to complain of an increase in pain. Hal Morgenstern, Ph.D., suspects that many people do those back exercises incorrectly. —Your best bet: a daily half-hour of aerobic activity, such as brisk walking or swimming, most days of the week. - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. BE ON THE BALL Now you can get workout in while working Searching for a way to subvert authority by working out at the office? Then look no further. "Working on the Ball" (Andrew McMeel Publishing; $9.95) suggests you take an exercise ball to work and sit on that instead of your office chair. Sitting on the ball while working requires "active sitting" - continuously maintaining balance and engaging several muscles. The book includes a primer on getting started with the ball, with tips including how you should sit at your desk. Once you're on a roll, it offers a couple of chapters of exercises and movements you can do to entertain yourself (and your co-workers). Authors Jane Clapp and Sarah Robichaud say that if done correctly, the practice can improve your posture and your attitude. - Andy Wang Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. PREVENTION NOW You can avoid injuries later Baby boomers take note: You can't stop the aging process, but you can take steps to avoid injury. Dr. Annette Zaharoff, a sports medicine physician specializing in nonsurgical care, suggests the following: — Get a checkup before you hit the field, the court or the gym floor. "Even though you might not be hurting, preventive screenings are very helpful." — Stretch it out. After about 28, muscles start to tighten more and lose a little of their elasticity. If you're not stretching on a maintenance basis, you're going to start to reduce the amount of flexibility you actually have. — Warm up and stay warmed up. Try to "break a little sweat" before starting an activity. This should be done before you stretch. — Ease into it. If you want to run again, start with walking. The same with cycling. Start with less resistance, avoid hills and use an easier pace. - New York Times All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. EXERCISE FOR 2 Workouts benefit pregnant women If you're pregnant and sedentary, your doctor may not encourage you to start a fitness program. That's especially true if you're overweight, because exercise during pregnancy was once thought to be risky for women carrying extra pounds. But a new study counters what some experts call old-fashioned thinking: It shows that overweight women can and should exercise during pregnancy. Active moms-to-be don't just feel better during pregnancy; they are more likely to lose weight post-baby and reduce their lifetime obesity risk, says Dr. Raul Artal, lead author of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' exercise guidelines. ACOG advises all pregnant women to: — Go easy: If you're a beginner, start with as little as 5 minutes of brisk walking a day and build up to 30 minutes on most days. — Stick to low impact: Walk, swim, or take low-impact aerobics classes. — Stay hydrated: Sip water at intervals and don't get overheated. - Rodale Copyright 2006. All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. |
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