Results tagged “fitness”

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.

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.)]

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."

                     

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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...

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?

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.”

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.”

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

...and then America pants and wheezes after half a block The state fitness data released yesterday found that LAUSD students "are less physically fit than the state average" (Daily News). There's no surprise in that. But you have to admit, it's really lame. We live in California for heaven sakes! This isn't flatland cornfield Illinois where gym class is a required five days a week, kindergarten through senior year (and that state still has...

Jason Goodwin discusses and signs The Snake Stone 7pm @ Vroman's

I went to my introductory session with Andy Petranek one morning while taking a "sick day" at work. I had been searching for a gym that taught Crossfit, a special brand of fitness recommended to me by a friend. I e-mailed Andy to ask about the class schedule, and next thing I knew I was in my workout clothes and standing in the alley between 14th and 15th Streets in Santa Monica wondering what...

Holy smokes! Giant fish on the MTA, Paris Hilton in jail, then out, then in again, Al Gore, goatses, blumpkins, Matt Damon, and baby art critics! It's been a busy week across the Ist-A-Verse, and here's a smattering of what's been going on. In Gothamist's neck of the woods, they found out that many things are possible: A man caught a 40+ pound fish off the Rockaways and took it home on the subway. Graffiti...

When we heard that a Georgia couple were sentenced to prison yesterday for the death-by-vegan-diet of their infant son, we got a little bit pissed off: "DAMN VEGANS and their DAMN DIETARY RESTRICTIONS! Now they're killing babies, what's next?? Muzzling tigers so they can't hunt their prey? De-fanging sharks so they can't devour fish? Ruining Christmas???" Then we calmed down a bit and took a closer look at the story: the baby's death was...

Last year, when the Amgen Tour of California cycling race finished in Redondo Beach, Floyd Landis was the golden boy in the golden jersey, the winner of the seven-stage race down the California coast.

UK supermarket giant Tesco was pressured to take down a link to a stripper pole after a mother of two discovered the item in the Toys and Games section of the Tesco web site. “I’m no prude, but any children could go on there and see it," the 33 year old mother from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire told a newspaper, the Sun UK reported. A spokesperson for Tesco said that the link will remain in...

LAist was on the road last weekend – to the OC and Laguna Beach. While we didn’t run into Kristin Cavalleri and company, we did manage to have a good time despite the fact that we’re a) not rich; b) not blonde and c) not driving a 7 Series. Now, here’s a good tip if you want to do a relaxing summer getaway to Laguna: Stay in Irvine. Most of the hotels in Laguna...

Men's Fitness magazine announced the top 25 fittest and fattest cities in America. Baltimore (huh?) beat out cities like Honolulu, Colorado Springs, Tucson, San Francisco and Seattle to claim the top spot.

LAist isn't one of local sites that slams The Los Angeles Times on a regular basis and we don't want to minimize the significance of our Governor seemingly having a very high-value conflict of interest but is his relationship with Wieder Publications really worth the main lead of the day? The Times coverage of the London bombings has gotten much better as the week has gone on (and slate even notes that they have the "most morsels" today) but this fitness story doesn't seem like it warrants above the fold and super big type (not to mention visual aids)...at least not yet. The Susie Peña autopsy and Chief Bratton's press conference yesterday is just one of the local stories that could've filled that space.