Some fitness video games may not leave you breathless

With the holidays upon us, no doubt some people will be considering fitness video games for gifts, because they've been touted by some health experts as a good way for people to get some exercise without leaving their living rooms. It appears, however, the games may not all be created equal.

Take the Wii Fit, for example. Thought to be a good way to get kids, especially, off the couch and moving, some experts now believe some games may have limitations. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse tested 16 men and women ages 20 to 24 on a treadmill to find their maximum heart rate and maximum oxygen uptake (called VO2max). They were then shown how to use the Wii games, which included Free Run, Island Run, Free Step, Advanced Step, Super Hula Hoop and Rhythm Boxing -- games the researchers determined were the most aerobically challenging. Participants had their heart and VO2Max rates monitored while playing.

Island Run and Free Run scored the highest, burning 5.5 calories a minute, raising heart rates to 60% of maximum and VO2max to 38% of maximum. The other games showed a lower calorie burn, from 3.3 calories a minute for Free Step to 3.8 for Rhythm Boxing. Comparing the games Free Step and Advanced Step to the real thing, the real thing fared better: the average step-aerobics class burns about 11.8 calories a minute.

A similar 2008 University of Wisconsin study tested Wii Sports games. Though playing the games did burn calories and elevate heart rates, the numbers weren't spectacular. Playing golf burned about 3.1 calories per minute, raised heart rate to 50% of maximum, and elicited 20% of VO2max. Tennis came in at 5.3 calories per minute, 59% of maximum heart rate and 33% of VO2max, and boxing scored highest at 7.2 calories, 74% of maximum heart rate, and 44% of VO2max.

Boxing's score qualified it as the only game that the American College of Sports Medicine considers powerful enough to increase or maintain cardiorespiratory fitness. Again, playing the real game burned more calories: Virtual baseball only burned an average of 4.5 calories a minute, while the real thing burns 7.3 calories a minute. Faux tennis: 5.3 calories. Real tennis: 8.1 calories.

But another game fared a bit better ...

Eat the bird, then feel the burn -- at no cost

By late this afternoon there's a good chance your gut will be groaning from the pound of mashed potatoes and the better part of a pumpkin pie you ingested. While your inclination might be to sleep off that food coma tomorrow, we have a better idea: go work out. For free.

Several area gyms are open for free to non-members the day after Thanksgiving and through the weekend, the better to help you burn off some of those billion calories. It may even inspire you to get a jump start on the whole New Year's resolution thing.

"The holidays are a notorious time of year to pack on pounds," says Dave Reiseman, vice president of communications for Gold's Gym, "so we wanted to give consumers a fun way to battle the bulge. Our message is to enjoy your Thanksgiving meal, but along with that turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy, come get an extra serving of cardio, squats and yoga."

Here are a few places where you can treadmill to your heart's content, or crank out a few bicep curls. If nothing else, it'll get you in shape for trolling the malls. And if you want to know exactly how much exercise you need to do to burn off what you ate, check out this blog post that spells it out.

Total Woman Gym & Day Spa: This gym for gals only has 10 locations in Southern California and is opening its doors to nonmembers from Friday to Sunday. Facilities are stocked with cardiovascular and strength training equipment, and group exercise classes are offered.

Gold's Gym: "Trim the Fat Friday" is what Gold's calls their workout-for-free day (for local residents with ID). This offer also goes from Friday to Sunday, and trainers and nutrition experts will lend guidance on how to avoid the pitfalls of gluttony this season. Note to members: Some Gold's Gyms are open today, so do a pre-gorging workout and enjoy the holiday guilt-free.

24-Hour Fitness: Gyms are open to nonmembers from Friday through Sunday at all of the chain's 400-plus locations. Club amenities vary--some have pools, some don't, etc.--but you'll be able to feel the burn regardless.

So go sweat, and take it easy on the leftovers.

-- Jeannine Stein

Photo of the Total Woman Gym & Day Spa in Laguna Hills courtesy of Total Woman

Age may have its advantages in endurance sports

Endurance sports such as ultra-marathons, ultra-triathlons and cycling marathons have exploded in popularity over the years. Among them is the grandaddy of the genre, the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, which began in 1974 and meanders through the Western States Trail in Northern California. A new study looked at how the race has grown, and finds some interesting trends among the runners -- mostly that they've gotten older and faster.

Researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs' Northern California Health Care System and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond analyzed details of the thousands of people who have competed in the race from 1974 through 2007. About 3,459 runners have finished the race since its inception, but the profiles of those men and women have changed. Many more women, for example, are competing: from 1986 to 1988, women made up 10% to 12% of the field, but since 2001 that has almost doubled to 20% to 22% of all runners.

Competitors are older too -- the average age of male and female race starters has gradually increased since 1986. In 1986, the average male runner was 41, but between 2000 and 2007 the average runner was 45 to 47. Researchers chalk those statistics up to the fact that more women age 40 and up and more men age 50 and up have been competing, and also fewer men under 50 have entered the race.

From the very first race, the average age of the top five finishes has risen from the early 30s to the late 30s. While the top five men have shown only minor changes in finish times between 1979 and 2007, not so for the women -- they've improved 37 minutes every 10 years from 1980 through 2007. That means the differences in finish times between the top five men and women have gotten smaller by 4% per decade, to about 14% in 2007. The researchers note that there was a 12% time difference between top five finish times for men and women in both the 2007 Hawaii Ironman competition and the 2007 New York City Marathon.

The study appears in the December issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

-- Jeannine Stein

Photo credit: Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times

Rapid, irregular heartbeats while exercising may not spell doom

The feeling can be scary: While exercising, the heart begins to beat quickly and irregularly for a short period of time. No wonder, then, that many people who experience it stop working out, afraid that they might have a heart attack.

Despite previous studies showing a link between that type of rapid heartbeat (called non-sustained ventricular tachycardia) and sudden death, a new report suggests that people without underlying heart disease may have little to fear.

Researchers examined data on 2,234 men and women ages 21 to 96 in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging who did at least one treadmill test that measured the heart's ability to pump. In that group, 3.6% developed non-sustained ventricular tachycardia with exercise that lasted, on average, about three to six heartbeats at about 175 beats per minute.

Death rates overall were higher in the group with tachychardia than the non-tachycardia group (29% versus 16%), and were higher among men and increased with age. However, after adjusting for gender, age, and people who early on developed heart disease risk factors, there was no significant increased risk between the groups of death overall, or death from heart disease, or having a heart attack.

"So long as a medical examination shows no underlying heart disease or other serious health condition, then people should continue to live a normal lifestyle, including a return to exercise after clearance from their physician," said the study's lead author, Dr. Joseph Marine, in a news release. "Our results suggest that brief, non-sustained ventricular arrhythmia during exercise testing should, generally, not cause undue alarm in patients or physicians," added Marine, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The research was presented Monday at the American Heart Assn.'s annual Scientific Sessions conference in Orlando, Fla.

-- Jeannine Stein

Photo credit: Rick Meyer / Los Angeles Times

A possible link between anabolic steroid abuse and kidney damage

Abusing anabolic steroids can carry numerous health risks. In a new study of bodybuilders who abused the substance, a link may have been found between that misuse and serious kidney problems.

In a study presented recently to the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrologyin San Diego, researchers looked at a small number of bodybuilders who had documented long-term abuse of anabolic steroids and kidney complications.

Among the 10 men, some had proteinuria, or high levels of protein in the urine, as well as renal insufficiency, or poor kidney function caused by reduced blood flow to the kidneys. Five had full nephrotic syndrome, indicated by proteinuria, low levels of protein in the blood, and high cholesterol. Nine had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, or scarring in the kidneys.

After they stopped using steroids, almost all of the bodybuilders' kidney problems improved. One study participant, however, developed advanced kidney disease and needed dialysis. Another of the bodybuilders resumed his use of steroids and developed kidney dysfunction again.

Researchers believe that the problems could be related to their substantial gains in muscle mass, which signals the kidneys to step up filtration. That added stress could lead to kidney damage. They also noted that similar organ damage is seen in morbidly obese people, but in bodybuilders it seems to be even more serious.

"Athletes who use anabolic steroids and the doctors caring for them need to be aware of the potentially serious risks to the kidney," said Dr. Leal Herlitz of Columbia University Medical Center and lead author of the study in a news release.

-- Jeannine Stein

 Photo credit: Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

More screen time may mean less lean time

Watching hours of television isn't the best thing kids and teens can do. Studies have shown a connection between high screen time volume and obesity rates.

A new study found a correlation between longer hours of television watching and lower levels of muscular fitness in young adults, but that connection was true regardless of how much physical activity they were getting.

The study group consisted of 381 men and 493 women (average age about 19) who were part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. The study participants self-reported via a questionnaire on how much moderate to vigorous activity they did, and how much television they watched. The men and women were also tested for trunk muscle strength and jumping height.

Among the men, 21% said they did at least seven hours a week of brisk exercise and 28% said they did less than two hours a week; among women, 7% exercised briskly for at least seven hours a week, and 41% did less than two hours per week.

Watching television for more than two hours per day was popular -- 49% of men did it, as did 54% of women.

The Finnish researchers also discovered that the most active women outperformed the least active women in trunk extension and trunk flexion tests. Women with the lowest physical activity levels also had the lowest scores on the jumping test.

The guys had similar results -- the most active also had the highest trunk muscle strength and did better on the jumping test.

Also, men and women who watched television for more than two hours a day did worse on all muscular fitness tests compared to those who watched less than two hours a day. However, it was also noted that spending time watching TV was also linked to low muscular fitness despite how much physical activity the men and women got.

"One of the most startling findings in our research was that about half of the young adults studied were watching TV at least two hours per day," lead author Niko Paalanne said in a news release. "That equates to nearly 15 hours per week -- time that could be spent doing healthy, productive activities."

The study appears in the November issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

-Jeannine Stein

Photo credit: Sean Gallup / Getty Images

Older people with knee pain may get help from tai chi

Knee pain from osteoarthritis is a common and often chronic ailment for older people. But a new study finds that practicing tai chi exercises may not only reduce osteoarthritis pain, but improve function as well.

Tai chi is a Chinese martial art with a mind-body connection that emphasizes flexibility, balance and strength. Tai chi has been used in a number of research studies because of its health benefits. Many believe that practicing the slow, controlled movements reduces stress while enhancing muscle coordination and flexibility and increasing energy.

Forty people with knee osteoarthritis, average age 65, were recruited for the study by researchers from the Tufts University School of Medicine. Half were randomly placed in hour-long twice-weekly tai chi classes for three months. The classes included self-massage, tai chi movements, breathing techniques and relaxation. Participants were also asked to practice tai chi for at least 20 minutes a day at home while maintaining their usual physical routine.

The other 20 participants acted as the control group, attending twice-weekly hour-long sessions on osteoarthritis that included information on diet and nutrition, plus ways to treat the condition and how to handle stress. They also took part in full-body stretching exercises and were encouraged to stretch for 20 minutes a day at home and follow their regular physical regimen.

After the three months, those in the tai chi group saw a substantial drop in knee pain compared with the control group. The tai chi group also saw more improvements in function, depression and health status.

In the study, the authors wrote that though the exact mechanisms are not know for how tai chi may improve knee osteoarthritis, "synergy between its physical and mental components likely plays a major role. First, tai chi may enhance cardiovascular benefits, muscular strength, balance, coordination, and physical function. All of these are thought to be able to reduce joint pain."

The study appears in the November issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

-Jeannine Stein

Photo credit: Daniel Sorabji / AFP/Getty Images

This Santa's abs should be on your holiday wish list

This is the time of year when children delight in festive decorations, kitchens bustle with preparations for tempting meals, and people flock to the Beverly Center to see the new Hunky Santa.

Hunky Santa is a 9-year-old Beverly Center tradition of featuring a brawny, not blimpy, Santa Claus in weekend shows that also include performers executing daring acrobatic moves (Hunky Santa is there from Nov. 27 through Dec. 24, and regular Santa appears during the week). Wearing an open, faux fur-trimmed red vest, Hunky Santa proudly shows off his buffness, and his abs are on many people's wish list. That makes him something of an ambassador for healthful living, especially for kids, since most know Santa only has a jolly old fat guy.

The 2009 edition is actor and model James Ellis, who sports a 10-pack and some wicked pecs, which probably come in handy while climbing up and down the chimney. Since a chisled physique doesn't happen by magic, we asked Ellis to tell us about his workout regimen. Like the Hunky Santas before him, Ellis has a long athletic history and is ultra-disciplined about his diet and workouts.

As a child, he was motivated by older sisters who ran and a father who lifted weights. His athlete-ography includes track and field, wrestling, basketball and, most recently, body building. Although he works out about seven days a week, Ellis insists that's not the only important aspect of training. "It's getting your rest and making sure you eat right," he says. "You're not going to put on muscle if you don’t eat right. Also, people don't get enough rest, and that's when you build muscle." On the nutrition side, he favors lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and indulges every now and then in pizza.

He works out almost every day -- sometimes even twice a day, breaking up strength training routines so that muscle groups aren't overtrained. For cardio, he runs, does in-line skating, snow skis and rock climbs.

"My goal is to help people in any way I can so they can have a healthy lifestyle," Ellis says. "Being Hunky Santa is all about making people happy and having a great time, but it's great if you can also be a role model for the kids."

-- Jeannine Stein

Photo: James Ellis. Credit: David Myrick

A clean house and a toned body: What more could a multi-tasker ask for?

Anyone who has cleaned a house -- really cleaned a house -- knows that all that elbow grease can translate into a fairly good calorie burn.

But what if you could combine cleaning with an actual workout, targeting muscle groups and elevating your heart rate?

Carolyn Barnes has done just that with Clean Momma, an exercise regimen combined with housework chores. That's right, you can firm up your abs while sorting lights and darks, get stronger glutes as you load the dishwasher and tone your quads while wiping the floor. She swears her toned, cut physique is the result of doing just that, not from spending hours on weight machines.

Barnes, a former dancer and mom of two turned entrepreneur from Encino, developed the program out of necessity: "When I had my second child, I wasn't able to go to the gym," she says. Used to exercising, she missed working out. "I started doing a ballet class around my house while I was cleaning up (plies, leg lifts), and that slowly morphed into a more specific workout. ... I started making little rules for myself -- every time I'd bring a sippy cup to the sink, I'd do ten push-ups. Breaking it up throughout the day, I'd do over 200 push-ups."

This routine allowed her to stay fit and have a reasonably clean house, something with which, she says, many mothers struggle (although the workout is suitable for anyone). "We're so maxed out and nobody has time to squeeze all of this into their lives. With this program, you'll get the dishes done and tone things up and you smush it together and you do it."

The program includes push-ups against a sink, squats while putting dishes in the dishwasher, and training inner and outer thigh muscles while cleaning the floor (the last exercise, when done repeatedly, can also elevate the heart rate). Barnes has a video on her site explaining the concept and a new DVD that goes through a house room by room suggesting specific exercises for various tasks. Proper form and the use of core muscles are emphasized. On Barnes' team of experts are a registered dietitian and a chiropractor, the latter with certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Assn. and the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

We like that the workout stresses functional training and doesn't require equipment. However, for some, it might take getting used to, since most of us don't do leg lifts while folding laundry. Barnes agrees that it might require mental agility to remember to multi-task: "You have to train your brain to say now is the time to work out," she says. "But once you get the hang of doing it, it's like being on autopilot. And if I do squats while I'm loading the dishwasher, then I don't feel like I didn't get a workout in."

-- Jeannine Stein

Photo credit: Kristoffer Luna

Moderate amounts of protein, rather than a lot, might be best for muscle

Protein is essential for building muscle, but how much protein is needed is often disputed. Many bodybuilders, for example, tout large amounts to develop serious musculature.

But a new study says smaller may be better. Researchers tested 34 men and women--17 young and 17 elderly. They divided them into four groups, giving some younger and older participants 12 ounces of beef, and the other younger and older participants 4 ounces of beef. After eating, all had blood samples and thigh muscle biopsies taken.

In all groups there seemed to be little difference in protein muscle synthesis. Eating 12 ounces increased it by 46% in both the young and elderly groups, while 4 ounces sparked a 50% increase.

The researchers pointed out some limitations: Most people eat a variety of foods during a meal, not just protein, and some studies suggest older people may not synthesize protein as well when they combine it with carbohydrates, as compared with younger people. The authors also speculate that protein synthesis might be greater if protein were eaten near the time of physical activity.

The study's senior author suggested in a news release that people might want to redistribute their protein intake throughout the day: "You don't have to eat massive amounts of protein to maximize muscle synthesis, you just have to be a little more clever with how you apportion it," said Dr. Douglas Paddon-Jones, associate professor in the department of physical therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. "For breakfast consider including additional high-quality proteins. Throw in an egg, a glass of milk, yogurt or add a handful of nuts to get to 30 grams of protein, do something similar to get to 30 for lunch, and then eat a smaller amount of protein for dinner. Do this, and over the course of the day you likely spend much more time synthesizing muscle protein."

The study was partly funded by the National Cattlemen's Beef Assn. Checkoff Program and appears in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Assn.

-Jeannine Stein

Photo credit: Armend Nimani / AFP/Getty Images