Namaste, Yogis. A day completely dedicated to you and your practice is coming to the Topanga Community Club on Saturday, October 22. The first annual Yoga Day L.A invites yogis of all levels to participate in this community event in a tranquil, outdoor setting. more ›

A couple of years ago, LAist's An Tran wrote a Workout Wednesday piece about trainer Jenna Phillips' Mission: Possible outdoor booty busters around Los Angeles. But what about those of us who don't really care for the outside with its wind, rain, bugs, dirt, and slack-jawed yokels? Well, fret no more! Jenna Phillips now offers Mission:Possible workouts in the splendor of the great indoors at several clubs around Los Angeles ... more ›

Walking into the Equilibrium pilates studio, you can’t help but feel that this isn’t your typical sort of fitness studio. Surrounding the dozen or so pilates contraptions (that appear, on first glance, to be reconstructed from medieval torture devices) are chandeliers, crystal charms, and black-framed mirrors. People generally consider pilates to be a workout system for women and the décor, even if unusual for a gym, appears consistent with that stereotype. But Equilibrium offers a men’s only class, which is why I was there. more ›

Grace, camaraderie and pure celebration of the body are timeless and fundamentals of Movement Studio LA, which features exceptional pole classes--a trend that has lasted--on some of the most majestic silver cylinders LA has seen. Opened just under a year ago, Movement Studio LA is the vision of A-list pilates trainer, Elizabeth Ordway - a place for the woman that wants to reconnect with the little girl inside her that revered the site of a ballet barre and a demi-plie and who celebrates her own feminine power. more ›

Whether you want to be Dita Von Teese, Gypsy Rose Lee, or nearly naked Princess Leia, there’s a stage near you just waiting for you to shake your tassels and live your dream. Thanks to the rise of amateur burlesque, pasties are the new black. This rising tide of sexy, saucy stripping as retro art follows a trend of burlesque going mainstream. more ›

Considered to be the pioneer of the modern fitness movement, Jack LaLanne died this afternoon of respiratory failure caused by pneumonia at his Morro Bay home, reports the New York Times. He was 96. more ›

Your Daily Thread's Tracy Hepler offers up her picks for the best summer workouts to be found in L.A. on the Huffington Post today. The list is pretty yoga-intensive, from posing for inner peace and outer toning in Runyon Canyon to on the Malibu Pier. One of the quirkiest picks has to be "Running from the Paparazzi," which is running workout-meets-sightseeing tour, taking what celebs do to avoid TMZ to a whole new level for exercise buffs. So what are some other great outdoor workouts to check out? How about running the stairs at the Hollywood Bowl in the morning (when maybe you can catch that night's act rehearsing), or aerial training at Cirque School? Give us your ideas for summertime fitness! more ›

The Glassell Park neighborhood is getting a small, but nice public health boost this morning. City officials along with Council President Eric Garcetti will dedicate a 1/3-mile jogging trail on the perimeter of the park outside the Glassell Park... more ›

Los Angeles County is recognizing April as "Healthy Parks Month," a nation-wide celebration, after Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas urged the Board to recognize the endeavors of the Healthy Parks Program. more ›

Manhattan Beach's 40-year-old Sand Dune Park has been behind a chain link fence since August, when city officials closed it down for what was supposed to be about a month of maintenance work. Only the popular fitness and recreation spot hasn't reopened, and many fear it will remain shut down because of a fear of destruction from over-use or "neighborhood problems" like parking. more ›

It seems like just yesterday we were prepping to dive into the deep end of Summer 2009, and now with Labor Day Weekend upon us it looks like it's time for us to start coming in from the water. Well, that's the case for most City of L.A. Public Swimming pools, as all but seven city seasonal aquatic facilities will close on Labor Day. You can get your swims in this afternoon until 5, Sunday from 1-5, and Monday from 1-5 if you're in need of a cool down and find yourself without a pool to dip your toes in. more ›

SoCal Diet/Lifestyle Coach/Trainer Sean Croxton has a bone to pick with KFC. In this video he analyzes the ingredients in their new Kentucky Grilled Chicken and he isn't happy with the findings. He's also not too pleased with Oprah Winfrey, typically health-forward, who is pushing this product. One might assume that grilled chicken is a lesser evil than fried. Perhaps, but KFC's new KGC is chocked full of trans fats and MSG. LAist wonders, is KGC finger licking good? [Full ingredient list on the KFC website (PDF.)] more ›

California's Department of Public Health and the California Conference of Local Health Officers released their annual report on the state of our health late this week, and it looks like "Los Angeles County residents are less likely to die of lung cancer, suicide or car crashes than residents of most other California counties - but more likely to die from heart disease and diabetes, according to the Daily News. In fact, our county "ranked 48 out of 58 in deaths from heart disease and 46 in diabetes." more ›

Who wants to spend hundreds of dollars a year on a gym membership when Mother Nature gave us California's glorious and varied landscape to explore for free, right? Some of the spots get talked about more than others, while others just sit quietly, doing their thing, and possibly remain unexplored. Up above Burbank are some lovely hills--you may have driven up there to have a meal with a view at Castaways, or you may have stuck to the lowlands--and they boast Wildwood Canyon park. There are a couple of miles worth of trails (described as "moderately strenuous") open inside the park, so grab your shoes and some water, and head on over. more ›

Last November, the Pasadena Marathon was all set to have its inaugural run, but Mother Nature had other plans, leading to the event's false start. SoCal's air was saturated with smoke and ash from the Triangle and Sayre fires, and the race was canceled the night before. But tomorrow the race is on again, and about 2,000 folks are expected to participate in the marathon, which will cover the requisite 26.2 miles beginning and ending at Pasadena City College. The day will also include a half marathon, bike tour, 5k race, and a fun run/walk. If you live in, or are headed to Pasadena, be advised there will be street closures in effect; check here for details. more ›

Does anyone else hear the overwhelming sounds of silence? Where once elipticals whirred and treadmills whizzed, now there are only crickets. From Santa Monica to Echo Park, aerobics studios are feeling a chill wind blow. It seems, friends, as though no one can afford their gym membership anymore. But an empty wallet is no excuse for clogged arteries, and in fact, exercise will get your mind off depressing stuff like that pesky recession. Here are some ways you can keep your resolution to get in shape without breaking the (already broken) bank. more ›

Health and fitness: it's a gift category upon which one must tread delicately. Give the wrong person a piece of fitness equipment and you risk wreaking havoc upon a fragile self-esteem, or simply having your gift received with the silent treatment and a single, lonesome tear rolling down their cheek. more ›

This year, with the official start of the holiday season tragically mired in a financial fiasco, the fires and soaring temperatures feeling more Summer than Fall, and Prop 8’s passage reminding us all we’ve still a long way to go, it’s enough to think drowning your sorrows in gravy and cheese balls is the answer to all of life’s problems. So, as tempting as it is to stress eat (think Jack Donaghy of "30 Rock") and entirely abandon 2008’s diet and exercise resolutions, a recent and highly publicized article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is reminding us yet again that it’s crucial to be smart about food choices. With the belly fat-wielding juggernaut of Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah, and the Holiday Party on the horizon, we here at the ScientIST bring you a helping of science and common sense to successfully navigate the next few months. Your waistline can thank us later.
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Two intrepid runner/writers. One race. Your inside peek at the lives and workouts of the LAist Nike+ Human Race Team. LAist Contributors Melissa Moore and Angel Magana talk all about it. more ›

Undoubtedly, some of the best things about living in Los Angeles are our varied terrain, eclectic architecture, landmarks, and fascinating history. That's why when you've hit treadmill and Stairmaster burnout and can't take another day of watching Montel on closed captioning in your gym, taking things outside and into the city's beautiful hills can be a welcome respite from workout drudgery. One great workout walk combines the best of the city with some kick-ass cardio--and some stunning views to boot; it's a walk through Upper Beachwood Canyon and it includes all 6 of the neighborhood's 85-year-old staircases. more ›

Today's edition of LAist's Workout Wednesday series was submitted to us by Lori Allen. more ›

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With year-round great weather, awesome beaches, and a short drive to the snow, Los Angeles is the perfect place to get sweaty. more ›

I’m a sucker for natural scenery. I like a vast blue sky, a sparkling snow-capped mountain, a breezy sprawling plain. But around Hollywood where I live, I find that exercising in the outdoors often means kicking up dust and breathing in smog, only to take in the beautiful sights of dried out vegetation and dog poop. more ›

I’ve always been a worker-outer. But lately, as I’ve spent more and more time on the cardio machines at 24 Hour Fitness, I can’t shake feeling that I’m just a hamster on a wheel in a vicious human experiment. To combat my paranoia and possibly find a mentally healthier hobby, I’ve decided to scope out what else LA has to offer in a weekly series, “Fitness for the Easily Bored.” So far, I've explored Hoopdancing and Dodgeball. This week, I'm going medieval with... more ›

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions – it just seems like paving the way to letting myself down sometime mid-February. Besides, if I can’t stick to something in, say, June, why would I be able to stick to it in January? more ›

I’ve always been a worker-outer. But lately, as I’ve spent more and more time on the cardio machines at 24 Hour Fitness, I can’t shake feeling that I’m just a hamster on a wheel in a vicious human experiment. To combat my paranoia and possibly find a mentally healthier hobby, I’ve decided to scope out what else L.A. has to offer in a weekly series, “Fitness for the Easily Bored.” more ›

I’ve always been a worker-outer. But lately, as I’ve spent more and more time on the cardio machines at 24 Hour Fitness, I can’t shake feeling that I’m just a hamster on a wheel in a vicious human experiment. To combat my paranoia and possibly find a mentally healthier hobby, I’ve decided to scope out what else LA has to offer in a weekly series, “Fitness for the Easily Bored.” more ›

Photo by Ryan Jesena in his Photo Essay of Burning Man 2007 more ›