We're still talking about the games and feeling the Olympic spirit. Here's what's still making news.

1. Paralympics Closing Ceremony To Air Live on CTV Sunday 10:00 pm EST.

Canadians are still pumped up with Olympic excitement so it's been a huge disappointment to go from 24/7 coverage to almost no live coverage of the Paralympics. I caught some of the sledge hockey and curling and really enjoyed watching. I would have watched much more if it were available. There's been a huge outcry from Canadians who feel Paralympics athletes are just as important as our Olympians and should be treated with the same respect. CTV has really been taking it on the chin. So after coming under huge public criticism for not broadcasting the Paralympics opening ceremonies live, CTV has announced they will air Sunday's closing ceremonies live across the country in both English and French at 7 p.m. PT, or 10 p.m ET. Originally, they weren't planning to cover the closing ceremony at all. Brian Williams will anchor for CTV alongside three-time Paralympics Games gold medalist Marni Abbott-Peter. Claude Mailhot and Claudine Douville are hosting for RDS.

2. Pay it Forward for Canada's Paralympics Athletes




Pfizer Canada has been a supporter of Paralympics sport in Canada since 1996, contributing more than $2 million. Now a new, fundraising viral film is set to raise up to $50,000 for Canadian Paralympics sports. The film entitled Believing in Yourself can be viewed at morethanmedication.ca.  Every time someone views the film at and sends it to a friend, Pfizer will donate $5 to the Canadian Paralympic team.

The short film features Canadian sledge hockey star and gold medalist Todd Nicholson. Like all Paralympic athletes, Todd overcame big challenges to fulfill his dreams. Nicholson is shown during a grueling workout with steely determination, as a narrator describes the obstacles and setbacks he was able to overcome on his way to earning a place on Team Canada. A promising young hockey player, Nicholson was paralyzed in a car accident in 1987. In 1992, he joined Canada's Paralympic sledge hockey team and has played at the international level ever since. His story proves that no goal is too big -- and that, if you believe in yourself, you really can do anything.

Share this film and help raise money for the Paralympics sports. The film can also be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and other social media sites.

3. Still Waving the flag
 

During this year's Winter Olympics, K'Naan performed his Troubadour single " Wavin' Flag " after the medal ceremonies in Vancouver. A new version of Wavin' Flag, has been recorded to help the victims in Haiti. The song has been specifically reworked to include lyrics reflecting the disaster, while still keeping the song's message of hope.

Calling themselves Young Artists for Haiti, a cross-section of 57 of today's biggest Canadian music stars took part in this historic recording. Almost a week after the opening ceremony, they gathered on Feb. 18 in a Vancouver studio and over two nights recorded the song. Participants include Justin Bieber, Jully Black, Pierre Bouvier from Simple Plan, Broken Social Scene, Tyler Connelly from Theory of a Deadman, Fefe Dobson, Drake, Elisapie, Esthero, Nelly Furtado, Emily Haines from Metric, Jacob Hoggard from Hedley, Ima, Chin Injeti, Pierre Lapointe, Avril Lavigne, Lights, Matt Mays, Justin Nozuka, Kardinal Offishall, Sam Roberts, Serena Ryder, Deryck Whibley from Sum 41, Hawksley Workman and Nikki Yanofsky.

To download the song from iTunes, click here. The single will benefit Free the Children, War Child Canada and World Vision Canada.

The Olympics wasn't just an athletic event for the athletes. Sleep deprived fans like myself are just recovering from our own endurance event of watching television into the wee hours of the night for 17 days straight. I loved all the thrills and spills, every victory and defeat. Here's a mash-up of my favourite  moments, mis-steps, meltdowns and things that made me say hmmm..

1. Noteable: Tom Brokaw describes Canada to Americans


In case you were watching the Canadian channel before the opening ceremony and missed NBC's Tom Brokaw in a pre-taped six-minute video profile of Canada, it's well worth watching to get a glimpse into how Canada is being branded to Americans. Brokaw gives viewers a rousing overview of Canada from it's panoramic geographic beauty, to our $1.2 billion daily trading partnership and the fact that Canada is the largest supplier of oil to the U.S. The flattering portrayal has been described as 'a valentine to Canada." Feel the love.

2. Memorable: KD Lang singing "Hallelujah"



K.D. Lang never sounded more glorious than during her performance of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah at the opening ceremony. Dressed in white, standing barefoot on a tall, circular pedestal, with no orchestra showing, she was mesmerizing to watch. The crowd of 60,000 people held up white flashlights and waived them slowly. Her performance was one of the highlights for me.

3. Memorable: Alexandre and Frederick Bilodeau

"I'm doing it for Frederick."  With these words freestyle mogul skier Alexandre Bilodeau stepped from the gold medal podium and into our hearts. Bilodeau flaunted his brother Frederick, who has cerebral palsy, everywhere he went and they were wonderfully unselfconscious. One of the funniest moments came when the entire family was on CTV with Brian Williams and someone showed up with a bottle of champagne a glass for Frederic.Alexandre mentioned Frederic wasn't allowed alcohol but Frederic wasn't going to miss this opportunity. The smile as he gazed into the glass was priceless. It occurred to Brian Williams that it might not be such a good idea to get a handicapped person drunk on national television, but Frederic was already giggling as he downed his champs.

4. Mis-step: Commentator David Pelletier Rags On Ukrainian Skaters Costumes


Ice skating costumes exist in a world of their own and I make no attempts to understand why they're so overdone. So what if a skater chooses to look like Avatar on ice. I've come to accept these flashy outfits as part of the high-strung nature of the sport. What I wasn't expecting was the embarrassing way figure skaters turned commentators David Pelletier and Jamie Sale totally ragged on the shiny metallic costumes of Ukrainian pairs skaters Morozov and Volosozhar. Pelletier wouldn't stop laughing and snarked at one point "Figure skating is a sport - you just don't dress like that at the Olympics. It looks like their competition made their uniforms." I thought this was a petty, mean spirited comment not worthy of national broadcast. Honestly, when did he become a fashion critic?

5. Meltdowns: Sven Kramer's Lane Change Error Costs Him Olympic  Gold

6.  Hmmm?: An Olympics Without  Doping and Failed Drug Tests.

Vancouver seems to have come out squeaky clean with no reported failed drug tests, no doping scandals. NOT ONE! I find that amazing in this day and age. Either the testing methods have improved immensely or the drugs are getting harder to detect. It was kept quite low key, but 30 athletes had been dropped from various Winter Olympic teams and prevented from coming to Vancouver because of doping violations. Hmmm.

7.  Hmmm?: The Men's Bobsleigh Tights


Can someone tell me  what was the purpose of the spider man design on the butts of quite a few  blobsleigh uniforms? Is it a new performance fabric? (Photo above: Ivo Rueegg and Cedric Grand of Switzerland ). Hmmm.

8. Memorable: Speed Skater Charles Hamelin and Girlfriend Leap Over Walls Into Each Other's Arms.



The cutest moment ever. Not only was short track speed skater Charles brilliant to watch in the 500 meters, his girlfriend also got a workout screaming and cheering him on from the stands. Then immediately after the winning his first gold medal Hamelin made a dash for the end boards at Pacific Coliseum, leaping over the barriers into the arms of his girlfriend Marianne St-Gelais. With the crowd roaring, the two embraced and kissed with Hamelin giving her a friendly booty slap." Loved them.















9. Memorable: Canadian Athletes Donate Prize Money to Charity .

With all the focus on winning and getting medals, some athletes were also thinking of the less fortunate. Jennifer Heil, Alex Bilodeau and Clara Hughes donated their federally funded medal-winning prize money to charity. Heil, who won silver in the women's moguls, is giving her money to the Because I Am a Girl campaign, for which she is an ambassador. Alexandre Bilodeau, the gold medalist in moguls is donating $25,000 to the Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Centres in support of research into cerebral palsy. Bilodeau's brother has cerebral palsy. Clara Hughes, who won bronze in the 5,000 meters, decided to donate her entire $10,000 winner's bonus to the Take a Hike Foundation.

10. Memorable: The Golden Moment

This was so sweet.  Sidney Crosby saved Canada from a nervous breakdown when he scored the winning goal for an overtime  3 - 2 victory  over the United States. Tense and exciting, this was a big-time game that exceeded its hype. With over half the nation watching and a record setting number of Twitter tweets during the games, this winning goal will probably emerge as the most memorable moment of the Olympics. By winning the final event of the Vancouver Olympics, Canada earned its 14th gold medal -- the most by country at any Winter Olympics.

How beautiful were ice dancers Tessa Vertue and Scott Moir during their Gold medial winning performance last night. I was so nervous for them I had to watch without the volume because those announcers just make me so nervous with their background commentary. Even without sound, you could tell it was a winning performance. It looked sensuous and magical. Deftly switching between channels, I quickly cause the performance with commentary and then I know for sure they would take the gold.

The synchronization of these athletes along with their dexterity and flexibility performed at such breakneck speed is dazzling. They worked with gymnasts and acrobats from Cirque de Soleil to clean up their spins and lifts. Their combination spin seemed endless with many different positions and edge changes. In one lift (photo left) Tessa was balancing on Scott's right thigh with her arms outstretched while he stayed in a deep-knee, spread-eagle bend before she flipped forward and into his arms. It takes tremendous core strength and they make it all looks so effortless and graceful, yet you just know they are operating close to their maximum heart rates with intense lactic acid build up. By the end they're practically gasping for air. Then there's the mental strength it takes to stay focused and exist within the moment of the performance, plus the expressions on their faces while performing all those athletic moves. Sublime.

They blew away the competition with a score of 221.57 points, the second-highest ice dancing point total in history. At ages 20 and 22, they are also the youngest Olympic ice-dancing champions in history. 
Their training mates, U.S. champions Davis and Charlie White won the silver medal with 215.74 points. The camaraderie between them and US skaters Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White was truly touching. They could hardly wait to hug each other. They are training mates and these two teams pushed each other to perfection. "I don't think either of us would be where we are without the other. We help each other on our bad days, and even push it a little more on the good days," Moir said. "To have each other up there on the podium, side by side, it's amazing. They're such great people. I'm sure they wanted to be up on the top of the podium, but they don't show any of that to us," Moir added. "They're just such great friends, and they gave us the best hug." Both couples gave performances that will stand the test of time.

I want to acknowledge the passing of iconic British designer Lee Alexander McQueen and the influence his fashions had on emphasizing the body. On February 11, 2010, news broke that the 40-year-old McQueen was found dead in his London home, an apparent suicide, just days after his mother (Joyce) died and before the showing of his Fall 2010 collection. He was an international fashion superstar known for his electrifying fashion shows, impeccable tailoring and non conformity. 

One of his earliest and most enduring innovations were pants cut so low waisted that they were called "bumsters". Worn slung ultra low on the hips,  some did not even cover the rear, yet they are credited with initiating a low-rise trend that eventually caught on with every mainstream jeans maker in the world. Almost all of the jeans available now are hip-huggers.
 
For women, it meant a heightened focus on not just the waistline, but also the abdominal muscles that are front and center. If you weren't waif thin or svelte enough to pull the look off, then you better hit the gym to seriously tone that mid section. Core strength has always been a hallmark of overall fitness, but women were not expected to have a six pack. Having feminine curves meant you could have a soft stomach. Most girls, when sitting down, have a little bit of a belly. But this dropped waistline left no room for any excess flesh. The 'muffin top' is an urban slang for the belly bulge that happens when wearing low-slung jeans. All around you could see women either tugging down short T-shirts to cover up their exposed midriffs, or hiking up hipster jeans to hide bum cleavage. 

Once the look of the dropped waisted silhouette took hold, celebrities like Britney Spears, Janet Jackson and Jennifer Lopez ran with it in spectacular fashion. Core workouts became de rigueur.

I met Alexander McQueen in Paris. I had tagged along with fashion journalist David Livingstone, for the launch of his mens collection. I remember he was eating a sandwich when we arrived. Physically, McQueen was a chunky fellow. Years later, after leaving his post at Givenchy, he embraced liposuction and dieting to transform his stocky form into a lithe physique. In June 2001, he is said to have jokingly commented about his own physique: "I always try to look taller and slimmer and I've got a cute, tight little arse." As proof he bent over to demonstrate, and revealed frayed low-slung, bumster-style Levi's.

His creativity and eccentricities will be greatly missed.

The 2010 Vancouver Olympic games are finally underway. After all the pomp and opening ceremony, we're down to the real purpose of the game: elite athletes giving their all in the pursuit of Olympic medals. What does it take for an athlete to own the podium? The pressures of hurtling down those moguls and flying trough the air require a level of training, discipline and determination that most of us never get a glimpse into.

For example, try learning to walk again. Freestyle moguls skier Jennifer Heil (above) won Canada's first medal--a sliver-- of the Vancouver Olympics. Four years ago, the 26 year old had to do just that. She had begun to favour one side of her body and had to change all her bio-mechanics to realign the movement in her hips, knees and ankles to balance her body. She had her trainer on hand to constantly remind her of these adjustments. Then she had to integrate these changes into her skiing.

Heil's account of her grueling training program is chilling. The pain is intense and the goal is to train past the point of puking your guts out. Four times a week she runs 300 stairs for 45 minutes, sprinting to max capacity. There's also a lot of plyometrics (jumping and hopping) training to the point of absolute blowout that makes you so dizzy you can hardly finish you day, stand up or walk to the car. In a sport 30 seconds or less you have to train to be better by the mili-second. "We have to train in the lactic acid pain zone. In other words, you have to train past the vomit stage," says Heil. At the gym they have a 'puke bucket', decorated with names and dates.

The thrill of Olympic victory is sweet, but getting there is sheer agony. Clara Hughes, Olympic speed skater and champion cyclist, describes how with each lap around the rink, the  pain becomes so intense it feels like razor blades in her body, and by the third lap they are in her eyeballs. Racing in the 3000 meter on Tuesday, Hughes finished fifth. "That was one of the best 3k races I have ever done," she said. "I did it to the best of my ability and that crowd was incredible."

It just blows my mind to consider the amount of squats needed to build the legs of a champion speed skater. Just look at the size of their thighs.

Powering up the mind of an elite athlete is also part of the training plan. The key areas of mental preparation are imagery, focus, perspective and energy management. Mental trainer, Dr. Peter Jensen, has been working with Canadian athletes since Calgary 1988, where he used visualization as a tool to help improve Elizabeth Manley's performance. "When I asked Elizabeth to visualized her 4 minute long skating program, she did it in 2 minutes. She was rushing her imagery and that could affect her performance. We worked on filling in more details to extend her visualization."

In Vancouver, Jensen is the mental trainer for the women's hockey team. He says that 35 minutes before each game he checks in with the team to see how hyped they are. "If arousal is too high before the game your focus and attention narrows and you miss information. You choke."

And after all that mental and physical preparation, Jensen concludes the most important X factor to winning is to have a loving, playful attitude to your sport. You have to find the child in you that loved that sport. Play, have fun, do your sport joyfully."

Play's the thing.

Internationally acclaimed fitness and nutrition expert to the stars Harley Pasternak (also a Toronto native ), was in town late January for the Canadian launch of the latest innovations in his rapidly expanding health and lifestyle company. (www.harleypasternak.com). Pasternak was also scheduled to appear on the Shopping Channel over the weekend to introduce these items to the public. In the crowded, highly competitive world of personal trainers turned lifestyle brands, Pasternak has successfully created his own unique, best selling program. Tall, tanned and charming, the superstar trainer made time for a media breakfast held at GoodLife Fitness-Union Station to preview his latest products. 



5-Factor Fitness exclusively at GoodLife Canada
GoodLife Fitness has entered into an exclusive deal with Pasternak to offer his distinctive 5-Factor Fitness program to GoodLife Members across Canada, beginning in the spring of 2010. (www.GoodLifeFitness.com). 

The 5-Factor fitness solution gives participants 5 weeks of unlimited access to the 45-50 minute training sessions. It's based on the workouts Harley designed for his celebrity clients.


5 Factor Fitness DVD with Meal Plan
This is Pasternak's first exercise DVD. It includes three workout DVDs--each broken down into 25-minute daily workouts, a meal plan that details the five key ingredients he believes are essential for healthy eating, and 191-page 5-Factor Journal with useful tips that's fun to use as it helps you track your success. This five-week fitness program focuses on eating five meals a day and five workouts a week which can be done all at once or in five minute phases so it's flexible and adaptable. The 5 daily workouts are short, intense and targeted: 3 exercises, each done for a total of 75 repetitions gets you results. Great  cuing and motivational tips throughout. 5-Factor DVD $32.96

Harley Bar 3-in-1 Workout Bar      
Pasternak says he first scribbled the idea for this workout tool on a napkin. This three-in-one workout bar can be used as a traditional weightlifting bar or disassemble to have the ends functions as hand weights. Extra weight can be added to the bar and hand weights. (weight range from 2-20lbs). It all comes apart and fits into a trim carrying bag which is a great space saver.

If you've been lifting hand weights for  a while, adding a bar weight will  help keep the muscle adapting. It's padded so it comfortable when you hold it on your shoulders during squats...like the 75 in week four's video.5-Factor Exercise Bar $32.96

5-Factor World Diet
The 5-Factor World Diet is Pasternak's 3rd. book. It combines the healthiest nutritional and lifestyle habits of the world's 10 leanest and longest-living nations: Japan, Singapore, China, Sweden, France, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Greece and Israel. Canada didn't make the list. It takes his 5-Factor Diet principles--five meals a day, five core ingredients, five-minute prep times--and incorporates the best foods and nutritional habits from  the world's healthiest countries. You'll be inspired to try the delicious, easy to prepare recipes that will spice up your diet and improve your health.
5 Factor World Diet book $32.96

5-Factor Meal Delivery via
Licious Living
Hollywood celebs get their meals deliverd and now so can you. 5 Factor Meals delivery service is available in Toronto and Vancouver through Licious Living. (www.liciousliving.com) The six-day program, provide three daily meals and two snack delivered directly to your doorstep. A security sealed cooler arrived with your meals. It's overnight delivery so if you live in an apartment and need to open the front door, get ready for an early wake up call. The program mirrors the meal delivery service he developed exclusively for his celebrity clientele in Los Angeles. "We don't do fad diets," says Licious Living co-owner Deanna Embury. We choose programs that are healthy and deliver results. This does that and more. Licious Living started a healthy meal delivery service five years ago in Vancouver and expanded to Toronto. It recently opened its first retail store focusing on healthy food in downtown Vancouver's Bental Centre.

5-Factor Snacks
Two words...potato chips! Pasternak has a line of 5Factor snacks including a peanut butter protein bar and potato chips in three flavors: Zesty Ranch, White Cheddar and Sweet  Honey BBQ.(Harley said that Lady Gaga had to explain her stash of chips to Canadian immigration when she was performing in Toronto ).  All the snacks are approximately 150 calories,  5 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein. 5 Factor Chips $29.90 (box of 21 bags)


All products available at  www.theshoppingchannel.com

Even high performance female athletes are not impervious to issues of body image.

Jana Rawlinson, an Australian track star headed to the London 2012 Olympics, reportedly had her breast implants removed because she was concerned they were negatively affecting her performance. It is thought that breast implants may a have a negative affect on an athlete's performance by adding extra weight to the body and slowing speed. The hurdler has stated, "Every time I raced I panicked about whether I was letting my country down, all for my own vanity...I absolutely loved having bigger boobs, but I don't want to short-change Australia either. I want to feel the most athletic I can."

Rawlinson won the 400m hurdles at the 2003 Paris world championships and four years later in Osaka, Japan.

 She says she got the implants because she was unhappy with her athletic figure. "When I looked in the mirror I just saw muscled arms, broad shoulders and big, strong legs," she said. "These are assets I need to run well, but they didn't make me feel like an attractive woman. There are a couple of girls - who I won't name - in world athletics who are Olympic champions, but they look like men and I don't want to be like that."

Numerous studies indicate that women athletes often struggle with attaining the muscular body needed to compete successfully, while at the same time feel pressured by expectations to conform to a lean and toned ideal. Track athletes are reported to have the highest body dissatisfaction scores and the highest internalization of athletic media messages. They suggest that women participating in leanness-promoting sports experience greater body dissatisfaction.

Rawlinson has stated that she may get implants again after she's finished her athletic career.

The growth of small scale, boutique fitness clubs are a  significant trend in the fitness industry. Within the last year, a number of small fitness boutiques have opened in my neighbourhood along Eglinton Avenue West.  This boom is somewhat surprising considering the economic times, not considered the best for new business start-ups.  However, it appears more and more people are choosing small boutique fitness clubs and studio's offering pilates, yoga, personal trainers and aerobics. These boutique clubs are on a smaller  more intimate scale, allowing for customer service, personal attention and education about your body and its needs. They're  a deliberate contrast to big  chain-owned gyms and clubs with their squash courts, rows of treadmills, and  logoed gym bags for sale.  Will 2010 be the year I scrap my traditional gym membership for something smaller, more personalized?

I've been thinking about changing my gym for the last year. After 15 years at the same facility, I feel like a number to the staff, I'm bored with the location and no longer feel I'm getting my money's worth from the club. We all know when it comes to fitness, change is good. Perhaps it's time to say so long to the traditional health club and  hello to a small boutique gym like the 3 listed below.

Body and Soul

378 Eglinton Ave. W. 2nd floor

(www.bodyandsoul.ca)

Opened since July 2009, Body and Soul is located in what was a large pool hall. There's tons of space, free weights and machines, a cycling room, treadmills and equipment. Nice change rooms.

eMbody Fitness

490 Eglinton Ave. W.

(www.embodyfitnessclubs.com)

Slated for opening January 2010 is eMbody Fitness is a luxury boutique fitness concept geared at the savvy 35+ set.  It's a 5000sq fit space promoting connecting with those in your community while focused on health & wellness through fitness. They'll offer  tried and true routines as well as  new programs like Gravity Training and TRX Suspension training which I'm really looking forward to trying.

Detox Club

574 Eglinton Ave. W. 2nd floor

(www.detoxclub.ca).

Certified personal trainer Marci Figuer, opened  Detox Club in the spring of 2009.
Great circuit training machines. Her dance background and personal training approach encourages high standards for  exercise form, focus and results.

I've been working from home the past 9 years and while it does have its benefits, one of the most difficult aspects is that it's easy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle. I often end up sitting in front of my laptop for hours without getting up. It's not like I need to go far to speak to someone or get a coffee. I'm mostly sitting at my desk in a high back office chair or sitting on the couch with a lap top table. Both options are so uncomfortable. 

I've written of my efforts to adopt the growing trend of people sitting on stability balls at their desks as a way of engaging their core muscles, improving posture and getting in a little bit of a "workout". Enthusiasts say using the ball in place of your regular desk chair forces you to change your sitting position in order to keep your balance. These often-imperceptible movements keep you from damaging your body from remaining in one place all day long. 

Well I've tried it and fit's pretty hard.  I got tired quickly  and started slouching again.  The ball roll's away every time your stand up. And the size of the ball makes it difficult to fit under my desk comfortably. Just when I was ready to ditch the whole idea, I met Gwen Rose, President of Wheels-of-Fitness (www.wheels-of-fitness.com) at the Can-Fit-Pro Conference, who introduced me to a new fitness tool--the ball chair on wheels. 

A ball chair is a hybrid between a standard chair and a stability ball. It's a chair that uses a stability ball in place of a regular seat. Rose allowed me to test drive the Zenzu Ball Chair for a week. 

It has a base with rolling wheels (adjustable in height) that makes it easier to maneuver and doesn't roll away when I leave my desk. There is a removable padded adjustable height backrest, which is a nice to have when you choose to relax a little or just want more support. 

While stability balls usually come in 55cm, 65cm, and 75cm sizes, this particular ball is a little smaller (45cm), which works well for me since I have a small opening under my desk, between drawers on each side, and my old ball wouldn't really fit there.  And of course, there is the bonus that you can remove the stability ball from the chair base and exercise with it. 

To be honest, it's still tiring when you're not accustomed to sitting with such great posture for hours on end. I started sitting on it for 1 hour and then I'd feel uncomfortable and switch to my ordinary chair the rest of the day. I obviously wasn't getting all I could out of this piece of equipment. 

Personal Trainer Jo-Ann James, owner of Vital Steps, 1701A Avenue Road at Fairlawn (wwwvitalsteps.com) has been using the ball chair in the office and during one n one personal training for a few months. "From a practical standpoint it's compact and keeps you in a nice upright perched position that assists in core strength," says James. "Sitting is one of the worst positions for the back. We found that using the ball chair made our posture much better because it's active, dynamic sitting. With this design, you can't fall of and there is a backrest that keeps you conscious of where you spine is. We've just converted 2 of our office desk to the ball chair."
(see photos above).

She also uses it for one on one personal training. James explains that "because it does have wheels on it, you want to make sure the person has good balance, good control. You can work sitting on it or  take the ball out and do a whole routine with that. Work the upper body with over head press, front arm raises,  and bicep curls done with free weight or tubes, another ball, or the body bar." Here, James demonstrates a few exercises using the  ball chair.


.

We're living in a brave new virtual world of avatars. By now everyone knows that James Cameron's film "Avatar" is a huge hit. I saw the film in 3D on the colossal Imax format. Seen on that scale, it was a totally absorbing experience. The clarity of the 3D is truly remarkable, and it's all undeniably dazzling achievement. The film's central creations are towering athletic blue-skinned aliens, the Na'vi, whose tall physiques, to me, resemble that of the African Masai tribesmen. They were created by encoding the actors' faces and movements into digitally drawn figures. Even though the bodies are computer generated, this was no voice-over work for the actors, who had to act out and embody the lithe and expressive creatures created by Cameron.

Zoe Saldana, 31, is the other worldly, athletic warrior princess Neytiri. Saldana's role is intensely physical. She has said that James Cameron told her he would push her every day until she said stop. Apparently her and co-star Sam Worthington (who plays Jake Sully, a wounded marine in a wheelchair) would show up hours before the days shooting to lift weights and work out in a specially designed gym trailer on the set. She also had to learn the bow and arrow. According to Garrett Warren, the film's stunt coordinator and Zoe's personal trainer, Saldana trained six days a week for seven months. Incredibly fit to begin with, she gained five ponds of pure muscle on her lithe physique with this intense training program.

Monday: 90 minutes wushu (Chinese martial arts), 90 minutes weight training
Tuesday: 60 minutes archery, 90 minutes weight training
Wednesday: 90 minutes wushu, 90 minutes weight training
Thursday: 60 minuets archery, 90 minutes weight training
Friday: 90 minutes wushu, 90 minutes weight training
Saturday: 2 to 3 hours horseback riding, 90 minutes weight training
Sunday: Rest

Avatar the movie will no doubt give a big push to the development and use of avatars in our everyday lives. For years now, people have been creating avatars--virtual likenesses--to inject some personality into their Internet presence, and perhaps dabble in a new identity along the way. The popular game Second Life (secondlife.com) has become a slowly growing phenomenon where people from around the world interact in a fantasy digital world. Resident  users create 3D avatars in meticulous detail from body shape to designer wardrobe. There's also the Nintendo Wii Fit exercise system which assigns players an on-screen avatar, called a Mii, based on personal data. Avatars offered through Internet tools such as Weight View and My Virtual Model simulate how a user would look if she lost a given number of pounds.

Now comes a study showing that creating a Second Life avatar, or virtual representation of oneself, that is thin and physically fit may encourage individuals to become healthier and more physically fit in their real lives, states a study by researchers at RTI International. The research showed that women who create trim, physically fit avatars are more likely to practice healthy habits when they hop offline. "It seems likely that women may adjust their identity to be consistent with their avatars," said Elizabeth Dean, research survey methodologist and the study's lead author. "They may be inspired to exercise if they see their own avatars exercising." She adds that the public health urgency surrounding the issue of obesity means that any intervention that might possibly affect real-life health should be considered. "Health professionals are starting to use virtual worlds to conduct research and even provide treatment based on the idea that people are influenced by their avatars," said Dean.

Some are predicting virtual reality and avatars are going to revolutionize how people can get information on training, nutrition, and just plain staying healthy.

Stay tuned.