Athletic-Minded Traveler

Just in case you needed to hear/read it once again...skip the facelift, lipo, tummy tuck, and any other extreme "outer" measures and instead stay young and healthy from the inside!

Reported all over the web today is the University of Toronto's review of 69 different studies demonstrating that adults who moderately exercise for an hour most days from middle age into old age (80s and 90s) had hearts and lungs AS HEALTHY AS THOSE LESS ACTIVE FOLKS 12 YEARS YOUNGER! Other benefits were also cited and the evidence is crystal clear.

Results from a recent University of South Carolina study lead by Professor Steven N. Blair may create waves in the running community.

After thoroughly examining medical and physical activity data on 40,000 men (ages 20 to 90), Dr. Blair and his crew have concluded that in addition to having 53% lower mortality rates than their sedentary peers (no big surprise there), swimmers ALSO have a 49% lower mortality rate than runners!

One of my friends was in Mumbai for the Grand Opening of India's first Bikram Yoga studio. Bollywood stars and local dignitaries (along with approx. 25 American representatives) gathered at the Mumbai Marriott hotel for a 10pm Bikram Yoga demonstration and party to follow on Wednesday night. Grenades exploded and guns were fired at the nearby domestic airport just as the yoga festivities began (airport shootings were not covered by the media).

The Mayo Clinic recently released its top 10 "best bets" for eating well. They are in alphabetical order (bummer, we'd prefer rankings!).

Here they are:

Yesterday Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill requiring chains with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts and other key nutrition data on menus AND indoor menu boards by 2011. California is the first state to implement this requirement. New York City passed a similar law in April.

Many restaurants already provide information on their web sites, but having the info front and center while ordering is a BIG change--and one we applaud.