Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

Now this is what I call a hybrid bike:

The manufacturer calls it the Rowbike and promises “all the Total Body Fitness benefits of rowing while getting you outside—having a blast!” I have to smile at how it makes the idea of rowing outside seem so novel—isn’t rowing traditionally done outside?

As a non-swimmer, though, I would rather row on land, and I do prefer to exercise outside. Rowbike seems like a cool idea, but it comes with a high price tag ($775). It also seems like the Rowbike might be more vulnerable to wipeouts and getting hit by cars. Are recumbent bikes more vulnerable? I always wonder that when I see one. On the other hand, the web site claims you burn “approximately 50 percent more calories than ordinary exercise bikes” and “the same number of calories per hour as jogging.”

I might feel self-conscious out and about on the Rowbike, but that’s probably just me. Check out the videos of the device in action.

Antioxidants are said to help prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, cataracts and asthma, and may enhance immune function. You can take supplements to get your antioxidants, but experts suggest that it’s safer and more effective to get them from food sources, like fruit. And there’s no reason fruit can’t be mixed with some other ingredients to make what Self magazine recently called a “healthy happy hour.”

The July issue included recipes for five drinks that count on fresh fruit to add antioxidants and cut calories. Here are a couple that might be worth trying this Labor Day weekend.

South Pacific Mojito (alcohol-free)

Boil 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, and two 6-inch pieces of lemongrass; let cool. Puree in a blender until lemongrass begins to shred. Strain and return to blender. Add 1/2 cup cubed fresh pineapple; 1 cup each of fresh lemon and lime juice; 1 cup sparkling water; and 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint. Blend until smooth; serve over ice. Garnish with mint sprig and lemongrass. Serves 4; 90 calories each.

Red Wine Sangria

Combine 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine; 1/4 cup agave or honey; 1 sliced orange; 2 sliced lemons; and 1 cup each of cherries (or raspberries) and blackberries in a large pitcher. Stir in 2 cups of sparkling water. Refrigerate 1 to 4 hours. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh basil. Serves 10; 115 calories each.

If these don’t catch your fancy, Women’s Health magazine offers recipes for antioxidant-rich white wine sangria, a blackberry sunset, and a melon kiwi-tini. I particularly like WH’s suggestion that white wine has been linked to better lung function. As a runner, can I afford not to drink white wine?

Fantasy football, that is. Bear with me, ladies—it’s not just for men! Sure, plenty of women curse the game because of the devotion their men show to it. But I say, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

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Research on rabbits has yielded early evidence of the healing powers of massage. Scientists at Ohio State University found that massage after intense exercise reduced swelling and muscle damage in the rabbits. Generally, I hesitate to tout studies that involve animals rather than humans—but who am I to hold back evidence that supports getting a massage?

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We probably all know people who go to Weight Watchers and/or the gym. The question is, which is more effective?

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“Voluntary Exercise Does Not Appear to Alleviate Anxiety and Depression.”

Clearly, then, the answer to anxiety and depression must be involuntary exercise.

A twist on the workout playlist

I don’t generally listen to music when I run or otherwise exercise.

I know that puts me in the minority, but it doesn’t mean I’m not iPod-dependent when I work out (as I probably made obvious in this post on my love for my Nike + iPod kit). Instead of music, I depend on podcasts.

Music just doesn’t provide enough distraction for me. I need to be more engaged if I’m going to avoid self-defeating thoughts like, say, “I’m never going to be able to finish without stopping” or “I’m dying here.”  And music doesn’t cover up my huffing and puffing.

Podcasts, on the other hand, distract me, entertain me and sometimes even educate me. So I thought I’d share my 10 favorite podcasts, in no particular order. As the list makes clear, I’m a public radio geek and a politics, news and media junkie, but I also listen to lighter stuff. And plenty of other programs are available.

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Interesting article in the LA Times about a new gym in Portland, OR, that will “use solar power as well as human-powered cycling and cardio machines to generate renewable energy.” The owner expects the gym to initially produce 40 percent of its required energy.

According to the article,

“The gym also features treadmills that use nearly one-third less energy than most of their counterparts because they have energy-efficient, self-regulating, brushless motor drive systems that run more cleanly than traditional motors. And they’ll be switched off when not in use.”

Apparently, most gyms leave the machines running constantly.

It’s a cool idea, but could it catch on?

While I love working for myself, one undeniable drawback is the lack of employer-provided insurance. I was lucky for a while—the COBRA coverage from my last employer ran out just as I began grad school, where I got very reasonably priced student coverage. For the past five years, though, I’ve been stuck with a health savings account (HSA)/high deductible health plan arrangement. How can I describe my opinion of this set-up delicately? It kind of sucks.

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Wow! The LA Times ran an embarrassing article the other day about a hoax that was pulled on Wine Spectator. It might make you think twice about relying on the magazine’s awards when picking a restaurant.

It seems Wine Spectator granted an “award of excellence” to a restaurant whose wine list featured a wine the magazine once compared to “paint thinner and nail varnish.” Worse yet—the restaurant doesn’t even exist!

The perpetrator of the hoax, a wine critic, created a faux web site and menu for the restaurant and submitted a wine list, along with the $250 entry fee. According to the Times, he hoped to “expose the lack of any foundation for many food and wine awards.”

The article reports that, this year, “nearly 4,500 restaurants spent $250 each to apply or reapply for the Wine Spectator award, and all but 319 won the award of excellence or some greater kudos.” That’s more than $1.1 million in fees—not a bad little revenue generator.

Just some food for thought the next time you pick a restaurant based on an award…