Fit Club: You can make a low-tech gym for less money with equipment like resistance bands
Illustration: Michael Klein for Newsweek

Barbara Bushman rolls out of bed as early as 4 a.m. to head to her gym—even though it’s just downstairs. “I don’t really care what I wear or what I look like,” she says about working out at home. “It’s the dogs and me.” She owns free weights, a Universal machine, resistance bands and a treadmill. But that’s not all: Bushman also exercises at the fitness center at Missouri State University, where she is a professor in the department of health and physical education. “I like to mix and match,” she says.

Most of us struggle to find time for just one gym, let alone two. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Americans get at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like walking) or at least 20 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (like running) three days a week, plus some strength training (like push-ups or lifting weights). But most of us fall far short of that goal. As cooler weather approaches, forcing many to bring their workouts indoors, TIP SHEET provides a guide to what to consider before choosing to work out at home or join a gym—or both.

• Cost: Last year the average annual dues for U.S. health clubs were $402—or $33.46 per month, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportclub Association. That price can be a bargain if you go frequently—or a rip-off if you don’t. Novice health-club users should pick one that doesn’t require a long-term contract.

By Paul Tolme 

Calm-water kayak tours are like a nature hike on water, offering the chance to see wildlife and view landscapes unreachable on foot. Void of running rapids or raging surf, calm-water tours are ideal for first-timers. Here are a few locations where beginners can get their paddles wet.

Escape the crowded roads of Yellowstone National Park while gliding across Yellowstone Lake, whose 136 miles of shoreline make up the nation’s largest body of fresh water above 7,000 feet. The park’s animals and geology are on full display here. Bald eagles and osprey hunt for fish, playful otters poke their heads above the surface and grizzlies lumber along the shoreline ($175 for a day tour, $400 for an overnight with a gourmet campfire meal; snakeriverkayak.com).

Lake Tahoe’s legendary clarity and aqua-blue color allow visitors to see down 70 feet and draw comparisons with the Caribbean—that is, until you touch the brisk mountain water that flows down from California’s Sierra Nevada and Nevada’s Carson ranges. Navigate around giant rounded boulders deposited by glaciers and land on a secluded beach for lunch ($85 for a five-hour trip; tahoeadventurecompany.com).

By Tina Peng  

Celebrities have fallen for a wave of trendy juice fasts—or “cleanses”—that purportedly flush the body of toxins. Nutritionist Gayl Canfield of the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa says good diet and exercise habits are more effective and warns that people shouldn’t do cleanses for more than a few days without medical supervision. Here’s what some stars are downing.

L.O.V.E.fast
PRICE: $350 for five days LOCATION: New York INFO: organicavenue.com

Organic Avenue will deliver daily smoothies, soups, milks and salads—all organic and all vegan—to Manhattan customers’ offices. There’s also a less intense L.O.V.E.feast.

Blueprint Cleanse
PRICE: $325 for five days LOCATION: New York INFO: blueprintcleanse.com

The three-day Beginner’s Cleanse includes cashew milk with vanilla and cinnamon; the Excavation Cleanse lasts longer and includes more cayenne to flush out toxins.

Go to the World Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles to see 1,000 performers from across the world—including throat singers from Mongolia and Israeli composer Yuval Ron—perform in 41 events of sacred music and movement (Sept. 13–28; festivalofsacredmusic.org).

Read “The Flavor Bible” by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg ($35). This unique cookbook encourages chefs to ditch their recipes and follow their imaginations instead. The book lists thousands of classic as well as offbeat flavor combinations. Look up “chicken” and you get “figs, honey, thyme and white wine,” among dozens of other serving ideas.

Hear “How to Walk Away” by Juliana Hatfield. After 20 years, the songstress still packs a wallop on her 10th album, featuring edgy tales of heartbreak sung with that classic sweetness.

By Elisa Mala

The Bronx is the only New York City borough that isn’t situated on an island. But that’s not its only claim to fame – it boasts some of the city's most colorful and entertaining attractions. It's an easy subway ride from virtually anywhere in Manhattan, but on the first Wednesday of every month, there are even free trolley rides from midtown. While the borough is often overshadowed by its neighbor to the south (Manhattan), it's worth seeing up close. Take it from NEWSWEEK’s Elisa Mala, who lived just below the Bronx-Manhattan border for a good part of her life.

Ride the Skyfari at the Bronx Zoo, a cable car that soars over treetops, orangutans and more than 6,000 other furry friends at heights of up to 100 feet. Afraid of heights? Never fear – an internal train ride that’s appropriate for children and adults alike stays closer to the ground and covers quite a lot of it. Or try the narrated tram tour at the New York Botanical Garden, where riders can hop on or off as many times as they like to check out one of the city’s few waterfalls, a serene reflecting pool or numerous verdant gardens.

Stroll past the nautical museum, lighthouse, docks and mom-and-pop shops on City Island, an islet off the coast of Pelham Bay Park that is as picturesque as any North England port town. Settled by the English in 1685, it's steeped in centuries of nautical history and feels far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, even though it’s only a few miles away from the skyscrapers.

By Zach Kussin

First considered a home to Roman fishermen in the 2nd century BC, Jávea has since evolved from a small port town to one of Europe’s most popular Mediterranean destinations. Today, visitors can learn about Jávea’s vivid history while enjoying a variety of fun summer activities, especially at the many beaches that dot Spain's Costa Blanca—known to be one of the country's most beautiful coastlines. Located an hour’s drive from downtown Valencia, Jávea gives tourists the opportunity to simultaneously experience traditional Spanish life and southern Europe’s most active outdoor culture.

EXPLORE El Pueblo, Jávea’s old quarter. Previously enclosed by a formidable stonewall to protect Jávea’s inhabitants from troops of marauding pirates, El Pueblo is now open to visitors from all lands…as long as they don’t thieve Jávea’s treasured collection of gold jewelry and precious gems from past centuries on display at the Soler Blasco historical museum. All of El Pueblo’s narrow and winding streets lead you to the Church of Sant Bartolomé. Dating back to the 14th century, this impressive structure made of tosca stone hewn from Jávea’s rocky shores forms the geographic, spiritual and cultural center of Jávea. Besides holding Sunday mass, communions, conformations and festivals honoring the saints, a variety of outdoor concerts, traditional Valencian danzas and plays take place in the church’s plaza for all of Jávea’s residents to enjoy.

CLIMB the Montgó Massif. Standing at 753 meters high, a hike up Montgó’s steep façade gives breathtaking views of Jávea’s entire shoreline, its neighboring towns, Denia and Jesús Pobre, and even the Balearic island of Ibiza on clear days. A variety of guided tours explaining Montgó’s diverse species of flora or exploring its many caverns are also available.

By Anne Underwood 

Kylee Smith, 5, of Richmond, Va., loves cheese—grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, cheese quesadillas. It’s what she doesn’t like that has her mom worried. Kylee won’t eat meat, other than chicken nuggets. Her vegetable consumption is limited to tomato sauce—but only on pizza, not spaghetti. Most nights, her mother has to prepare a special dish just for her. “If we’re eating something she doesn’t like, she won’t even sit next to us,” says her mother, Jean-Marie.

If this sounds familiar, take heart. Children can be notoriously picky eaters—and today’s snack-food culture makes it even harder to channel their tastes in healthy directions. But research is shedding new light on how food preferences are formed—and what we can do to promote healthy eating. The good news: your choices aren’t limited to sneaking puréed vegetables into foods or battling it out over broccoli.

One of the most surprising findings is that it’s never too early to start—not even during pregnancy. Flavorful compounds from a mother’s diet cross the placenta into amniotic fluid, which babies in the third trimester swallow at the rate of a quart a day. “Babies develop preferences for these foods long before they actually eat them,” says Julie Mennella, a biopsychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. Similarly, during lactation, flavors pass from the mother’s bloodstream into breast milk. Mennella has done studies showing that babies whose moms drank carrot juice or ate fruits while breast-feeding liked carrot and peach baby foods better than formula-fed infants did.

Statins used to be for aging boomers and their parents. Now the American Academy of Pediatrics says the cholesterol-lowering drugs can help kids as young as 8 who suffer from extremely high cholesterol levels. (The FDA has approved most statins for kids as young as 10, and pravastatin for those as young as 8.) Doctors stress that these guidelines do not mean that all obese kids should take statins.

In a recent clinical report in the journal Pediatrics, Dr. Stephen Daniels, pediatrician in chief at the Children’s Hospital in Denver, said kids between the ages of 2 and 10 with a family history of early heart disease or those with an unknown family history or other cardiovascular-disease risk factors, such as obesity or diabetes, should be screened with a fasting lipid profile. For overweight kids with a high triglyceride concentration or a low HDL (good) cholesterol concentration, weight management is the main treatment. For overweight kids with an LDL (bad) cholesterol reading of 190 or greater, even after trying diet and exercise, doctors should consider medications. The side effects of statins: mainly the elevation of liver enzymes and muscle inflammation. But Daniels says fewer than 1 percent of adolescents get a meaningful side effect that makes them want to stop taking the drugs. Dr. Frank Greer, chair of the AAP’s committee on nutrition, says, “If your father had a heart attack at age 27, and you have the same lipid profile as your dad, what’s the greater risk?”

By Tina Peng

Caffeine is the world’s most common mood-altering drug, and more kids are consuming it in higher quantities. About a third of 12- to 24-year-olds chug energy drinks, which are often marketed to teens. How much is too much? The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate Americans’ caffeine intake, but Health Canada recommends that children ages 4 to 6 ingest no more than 45mg of caffeine a day (one cup of tea or one can of cola); kids ages 7 to 9 no more than 62.6mg, and those ages 10 to 12 no more than 85mg. Teens ages 13 and up should not exceed 400mg, the same as a healthy adult. An 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 135mg of caffeine; an 8-ounce Red Bull has about 76mg.

Because children weigh less than adults, they’re more susceptible to the chemical’s effects, says child psychiatrist Elizabeth Burger, a spokes-person for the American Academy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. As with adults, caffeine can keep young children up at night and contribute to higher blood pressure, a racing heart rate and a grouchy or overly excited mood. During the summer, caffeine can quickly make your child dehydrated.

By Christina Gillham 

First, the good news: The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Back to Sleep program, which teaches parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs instead of their stomachs, has helped reduce cases of sudden infant death syndrome by 40 percent. The bad news is that babies are now spending too little time on their stomachs, a position that helps them strengthen their back, neck and shoulder muscles so they can roll over and, later, crawl. In a survey released last week, two thirds of occupational and physical therapists reported seeing an increase in early motor delays in children. The American Physical Therapy Association is now urging parents to give babies more “tummy time” while they are awake and supervised. TIP SHEET’s Christina Gillham spoke to Judy Towne Jennings, a pediatric physical therapist and spokesperson for the APTA. (Readers can get more tips by clicking on “Tummy Time Tools” at www.apta.org/consumer.)

Gillham: Why is tummy time important for babies?
Jennings: All development comes from the tummy position. If a baby doesn’t develop the core strength—the muscles of the chest, the tummy, the back, the neck—they also don’t have those muscles to use for breath control, for the tongue moving back and forth and for the ability to form their mouths to do speech. Babies don’t have to use their muscles if they’re sitting in a car seat. They don’t have to use muscles if they’re in a swing or a bouncer seat.

Several new medical studies are reopening the debate over which men should be screened for prostate cancer, at what age the testing should stop and how doctors should interpret the test results, especially in obese men. What the news means for you and your family.

• The background: Prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in men after skin cancer, kills about 29,000 Americans a year. To detect the disease early, many doctors give men 50 and older an annual screening test for an elevated level of a protein called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Higher-risk patients, including African-Americans and those with a family history of the disease, should get screened at 40 and again at 45. Traditionally, most doctors have considered PSA readings above 4 as the cutoff for performing another screen and then a biopsy, but they are now moving toward looking at how PSA levels change over time as a better predictor. “PSA is very inexact,” says Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate cancer for the American Cancer Society. “You can have a very low PSA and still have cancer.”

Rent “Smart People.” Dennis Quaid heads a terrific cast (Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church, Sarah Jessica Parker) as a monumentally self-absorbed widower and college professor in this sharp indie comedy about a dysfunctional family that’s, well, too smart for its own good.

Hear “This Is the Life” by Amy McDonald. This Scottish singer has hit our shores with an album that is exuberant in its folksy energy. Her quick guitar and fast-paced lyrics make for a debut that is sure to leave a bounce in your step. Standout track: the title song ($13.98).

Visit Philadelphia for “Bug Fest” at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Watch a roach race, touch live insects and sample creepy-crawly cuisine at the Ace of Arthropods cookout that’s sure to please the kids, even as it grosses them out (Aug. 16–17; ansp.org).

By Elisa Mala

The city that dubs itself "Hotlanta" has far more to offer than gimmicky sobriquets. Long before hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics, A-town has been setting global records, so eat well and drink heartily, because traversing a town that satisfies all five senses requires more energy than running a marathon.

Born and bred in the Big Apple, NEWSWEEK'S Elisa Mala had never been south of D.C. until this spring. But Southerners were so hospitable that she soon found herself tossing out the occasional "y'all."

EAT at the world's largest drive-in, the original location of The Varsity diner (thevarsity.com). Before taking any order, servers bellow "What'll ya have?" Answer back with the eatery's established lingo: Order a "glorified steak" (burger with mayo, lettuce and tomato), a "ring one" (one order of onion rings) or a "bag of rags" (potato chips). Have to eat and run? Then "walk a dog" and take that frank to go. Southern comfort food like Brunswick Stew, creamy grits and mouthwatering Pecan Pie are on offer at Food 101 (food101atlanta.com).

For modern takes on classic Asian dishes, try Spice Market (jean-georges.com), the first Atlanta outpost from three-Michelin star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, or Straits Atlanta (straitsrestaurants.com), the brainchild of hairstylist-***-chef Chris Yeo and Grammy winner Ludacris. For a white-cloth experience, Joël (joelrestaurant.com) offers some of the most indulgent French fare in town and Bacchanalia (starprovisions.com) lives up to its name with organic dishes that evolve with the seasons.

DRINK at Front Page News (frontpagenewsrestaurant.com), which with two stories, a spacious patio and a lively crowd, is fit to print. The Twisted Taco draws a more laid-back crowd, which matches its charmingly dive-y environs (twistedtaco.com). For an uplifting experience (literally), try the rooftop bar at the Glenn Hotel (glennhotel.com), where the views are as fresh as the drinks.

SEE the entire city through floor-to-ceiling windows at the rotating Sun Dial Restaurant, located on the 73rd floor of the Western Hemisphere's tallest hotel, the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Watch yourself on TV or observe broadcasters in action during the CNN Center Studio Tour (cnn.com/studiotour), which requires an eight-story ascent via the world's tallest freestanding escalator. For a blast from the past, check out the Louvre Atlanta display at the High Museum of Art (high.org) which features a rotating collection from the venerable French institution.

 

Aug. 11, 2008 issue
Tara Weingarten

Maybe you’ve noticed that traffic in your town hasn’t thinned out this summer. If so, you’ve identified a trend. High fuel prices are keeping American families at home, clogging local streets rather than heading to the airport for that exotic faraway trip. Hoteliers eager to tap into our frugality are offering enticing deals to locals that include comped room nights, heavily discounted spa treatments and gratis tickets to local attractions. Dubbing it the “staycation,” resorts are begging their neighbors to give them a try. It’s working.

Michael Gereboff, a 32-year-old health-care management executive, and his girlfriend Lori Cohen, a 31-year-old Ph.D. candidate, last week made a two-hour drive from her home in Arlington, Va., to the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay (chesapeakebay.hyatt.com). The couple bought the hotel’s Chesapeake Bay Experience package (summer rates from $235), which included a $25 gas card, a s’mores kit to prepare at the resort’s outdoor fire pit, a kite to fly on the bay and two passes to nearby Blackwater National Wildlife Preserve. “We’ve gone to the hotel’s spa, we went to the nature preserve, we’ve taken a catamaran tour of the bay and we’re about to rent a speedboat. We could have had the same vacation in Mexico but it would have cost us a whole lot more,” says Gereboff.

At Miramonte Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, Calif. (miramonteresort.com), book a standard room (rates from $155) and get four free passes to Knott’s Soak City. And, kids eat free at the resort. In Austin, Texas, the Crossings destination spa (thecrossings austin.com) has cut rates 35 percent through the end of summer; packages begin at $126.75 and include unlimited fitness classes, three meals daily and use of the infinity-edge pool overlooking Lake Travis.

Southern Californians and drivers from the Phoenix area can hit the super hot Las Vegas desert this summer on one tank of gas. Wynn Las Vegas’s Midsummer Night’s Dream package (wynnlasvegas.com) is a steal at $185 per person for a three-course dinner for two at Daniel Boulud Brasserie, a bottle of Mailly Grand Cru champagne and two premium seats to Wynn’s show Le Rêve. Every Thursday throughout the summer at the Mandalay Bay (man dalaybay.com), Nevada locals get rooms for $109.99, plus 10 percent off food and beverages, two free passes to Mix lounge, two passes to the Moorea Beach Club and two free cocktails at the Eyecandy Sound Lounge.