If I were outdoors and happened to see someone leaping over park benches, dangling from tree branches, and balancing precariously on things that most people wouldn’t think to bother with, I’d probably think they were a little bit crazy. Or at least I would have thought they were crazy before I heard about a sport called parkour.

According to Wikipedia, parkour focuses “on moving from one point to another as smoothly, efficiently and quickly as possible using the abilities of the human body. It is built on the philosophical premise that any obstacle, physical or mental, can be surpassed.” Doesn’t that description sound nice? The reality involves much more than that, though.

There are thousands of matches for parkour on YouTube, and this amazing example was posted just a few days ago from a parkour team in Germany:

What gets me is that most people try to exercise safely. We wear expensive shoes designed for the specific activity that we engage in most often; we wear wicking fabric to absorb our sweat; we pay attention to minute twinges in our body that signifies something is wrong and needs attention before it gets any worse.

Indeed, some people have expressed concern about the popularity of this fast-growing extreme sport. According to Jacqueline Stenson at MSNBC.com:

With all the jumps and falls, participants risk stress fractures, ankle and knee sprains, and ligament injuries, among other potential problems, says Ross [spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine], a foot and ankle specialist. And the sport could be quite dangerous if participants attempted over-the-top stunts such as jumping from one building to another, he says.

I’ve never seen anyone do this activity in real life, but it would be interesting to witness. Who are the people who decide to do this? Do they do it by themselves or prefer the camaraderie (and safety) of a group setting?

Adventure Girl has tried parkour, and she has an excellent post about her experience with a training class in New York City. There were both new and regular people there, and the instructors took them through a grueling workout. Adventure Girl said that parkour is “serious physical conditioning and focus, and over the next two hours I got the best workout I’ve had in recent memory.” This was just the warm-up:

* Extensive stretching of all joints – wrists, shoulders, knees, and ankles
* 1/4 mile jog while stretching and loosening elbows
* More stretching with a focus on quads, hamstrings, and hips
* Curb running – running on a narrow curb without touching the ground
* Squats
* Quadrupedal walking – walking on all fours while maintaining a straight back
* Arm circuit – 3 rounds of 4 kinds of push-ups, plank (1 min), side plank (right and left each 30 sec)
* Ab circuit – 3 rounds of plank (1 min), dip push-ups, airplane (1 min), 20 crunches, boat pose (30 sec), 10 leg/butt lifts

(And these classes aren’t just New York City. They’re offered in DC, too — a place called Primal Fitness offers both CrossFit and parkour training.)

Kelley Eskridge thinks that parkour “is amazing — beautiful and exciting, combining talent, skill, elegance and pragmatism (a blend I’ve always found compelling). So fabulous to see the human body in use, in motion, in flight.” She wishes she would have found out about it sooner:

My entire girlhood, my entire life, might have been so different in so many ways if I’d had any of this when I needed self-confidence, when I needed to be living in and learning my body rather than being so wary of it. Oh, the possibilities.

FitSugar describes how parkour first came about.

What do you think? Would you try it?

I don’t like to take pills if I don’t have to. Normally this aversion is fine; I haven’t had any ailments or deficiencies in quite some time that have required me to take any pills on a daily basis. I do take a daily multivitamin and other vitamin supplements (if I remember), and I’m on birth control, but that’s generally about it. That’s why, when I went to the doctor this past May and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I decided I’d try the natural approach first — it was an attempt to fix my thyroid level myself before I filled the prescription for synthetic hormones.

I did some research online. My doctor wanted me to come back for another blood test in six weeks; I identified some changes I could make and decided that if these methods didn’t work, I’d take the pills. Here are some of the thyroid-control recommendations that I found and attempted to implement:

Eat three meals a day instead of mini-meals: This one was different for me because I’ve been a mini-meal eater (usually eating at least 6 times a day) for quite a few years. I’ve made an effort for the past few months to eat more food at one time instead of spreading it out. This doesn’t always mean that I eat only three times a day, but I’m making a good effort.

Limit carbs at dinner: I was good about sticking to this for a few weeks, but I’m not a huge fan of preparing food if I’m not doing it with someone else. This means, on the nights I don’t eat at a restaurant, I usually have a bowl of cereal for dinner. (Not by itself! Cereal and something else.) In my defense, I eat organic bran cereal that has a very high fiber content.

Don’t eat anything three hours before bed: I generally try not to do this anyway, and I’m pretty good at sticking to it. I brush my teeth after dinner when I’m at home, and if I’m really hungry a few hours later I’ll eat something that won’t stick to my teeth, like applesauce or yogurt. This means I can rinse with mouthwash instead of brushing and flossing all over again.

Limit artificial sweeteners: I don’t eat a lot of processed food or use sweetener in my coffee. Most of the fake sugar I consume is through diet soda (but I usually only drink soda when I’m having alcohol with it).

Reduce soy intake: This was a change for me. I’ve been drinking soy milk almost exclusively for about seven years (it originally started as an attempt to consume less dairy, but it resulted in me preferring the taste). I’ve since switched back to regular organic milk and I’m also limiting consumption of other soy products like tofu, edamame, and faux meat products.

Iodine drops: Some people say that having low thyroid can be caused by an iodine deficiency. This recommendation is controversial, which I didn’t discover until after I’d ordered the drops online. I took them for a few weeks before I read another article that completely debunked the original article I’d read. I have no idea which theory is correct, but since the danger of having too much iodine is supposedly worse than not having enough of it, I stopped taking it.

Natural thyroid supplement: This was something I decided to add. My mom recommended a natural-products website that she goes to all the time, and I found something there called Thyroid Helper. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try, so I ordered it and have been taking it regularly since May.

So I did those things, and I went back six weeks later (per my doctor’s instructions) to have my blood drawn again. Instead of improving — or even staying the same — my thyroid levels were even higher. I wasn’t all that surprised, though…the symptoms I’d been experiencing hadn’t gotten any better, either. My doc wrote me a prescription for Synthroid and I started taking it yesterday.

I’m not overjoyed about taking it. I’ve been reading about a natural thyroid medication called Armour Thyroid, but it sounds like it can be hard to find doctors (except natural physicians) who will prescribe it. More research is needed on my part, but in the meantime I didn’t want to put off taking something any longer. I’m tired of feeling lethargic. I want to get better.

Do you have hypothyroidism? What’s your treatment method?

Related Reading:

Call Me Mama is very happy with the natural doctor she sees about her thyroid issues, saying she was looking for someone “that would treat my symptoms, not just my lab results.”

Merry from Cranky Fitness talks about the importance of having certain things checked (including thyroid function) when you’re eating right and working out, but not losing weight.

Brittany Walker has a tumor on her left thyroid lobe and has to have a thyroid lobectomy.

I have no idea what it takes to plan a conference. I’ve planned meetings and taken care of various types of logistics at my job, but that’s on a pretty small scale compared to organizing something of this magnitude. First you have to think about big-picture things, such as choosing a city and the venue. You have to decide on an agenda, and whether you’ll serve food, and how much you have to charge attendees in order to make sure you can pay for everything. Will there be sponsors? Who will be your speakers? And most importantly, will anyone register?

Enter FitBloggin’10, a conference whose goal “is to educate, inspire, share, network, and learn how to blog your way to a healthier you.” They’re planning “events and panels geared towards anyone who blogs or is interested in blogging about a healthy lifestyle.”

FitBloggin’ is the brainchild of Roni Noone (I’ve heard that other fitness bloggers are collaborating with her on this conference, too, but rather than attempting to list them all I’ll ask them identify themselves). She blogs at Roni’s Weigh — in addition to a number of other sites — and will be a speaker at BlogHer ’09 next week. She also spoke on a panel at the regional D.C.-area BlogHer conference last fall.

I have to admit, I think the idea of a fitness conference is pretty cool. Next week I’ll be attending my third BlogHer summer conference, and I must admit I’ve always wished they had a specific track dedicated to health and fitness topics. Why don’t they? Well, there’s only so much time, I suppose, and there’s a lot of stuff to fit into that time.

Is FitBloggin’ strictly for fitness bloggers? Absolutely not. There are plenty of people who write about exercise and living healthy on their blogs, but also write about other topics, too (including myself). And just like there are people who attend BlogHer conferences who have never-ever blogged before (yes, I’ve met them), or because they want to find out how to get started, FitBloggin’ won’t turn you away just because you don’t write exclusively about health and fitness.

Due to all the preparation that must be involved, it’s no wonder that a conference taking place next March (3/20/10, to be exact) would already be asking for input, suggestions, and recommendations. (Heck, even the folks who plan the BlogHer conferences begin planning the next year’s conference as soon as the current one wraps up.)

Additional information:

Location: “FitBloggin’10 will be hosted at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront. Located on the edge of Baltimore’s historic Inner Harbor and steps from downtown. The Marriot is located in Maryland’s newest neighborhood, Harbor East.”

Tentative schedule: It’s just a rough outline right now, but it’ll give you a good idea of what they’re planning. It looks like there are three discussions scheduled (and possibly having a choice of more than one option if they end up having multiple sessions).

Call for ideas: Roni said, “I hope to get more information about, and for, sponsors in the next month but more importantly I’m interested in what YOU want out this event. After all, if it’s a place to connect, learn, grow and network what is it you want to connect, learn, grow and network about? I’m hoping to see if my ideas are on the right track but to also make this conference a place where we, collectively drive it’s direction.”

Contact: You can leave a comment on any of the posts on the FitBloggin’ site, or email Roni at roni@skinnyminnymedia.com.

What do you think of a fitness/health blogging conference? Would you attend if you could?

Related Reading:

Merry Mary said that she’s “all for the idea” of FitBloggin’ and “will be there no matter what I have to do (sell a kidney for plane fare? hitch hike to Baltimore?).”

Stacie facilitated a fitness workshop for the Go Red Girlfriend Women’s Conference, sponsored by the American Heart Association. She says she “had alot of fun encouraging women to use simple dance and movement as forms of exercise in order to improve their health and decrease their risk for cardiovascular disease.”

The first time I went to a BlogHer conference in the summer of 2007, I did a lot of walking. The conference venue in Chicago wasn’t close to the location where I was staying (it was a friend’s apartment, which means it was free), so I used a variety of means to get to where I needed to go — there was public transportation, too, but I remember there was quite a bit of walking involved.

This wasn’t the case at the BlogHer ’08 conference in San Francisco. I was staying in the same hotel where the conference was taking place, so except for a few excursions outside (usually in the evening when I was on my way to a bar or party), there was very little physical activity involved. By the time I got home three days later, I was feeling quite sluggish.

We’ll be back in Chicago for the ’09 conference coming up later this month, but I won’t be staying with a friend this time. Just as I did in San Francisco last year, I’ll be staying at the hotel where the conference is taking place. While this situation could potentially be detrimental, I’m determined not to let the same thing happen again this year.

You see, I learned my lesson. While I had a great time in San Francisco, I didn’t get to see very much of the city. And even though I’ve been to Chicago once before and was able to see a few things during that trip, I know there’s an immense amount of stuff remaining to be seen. I’m only going to be there a few days (and I still plan to spend a fair amount of time inside, participating in the conference and talking to a lot of fabulous ladies), but I’m definitely going to have a better plan of action this time. I’d really like to identify a few places I want to see and make a point to make sure those visits happen. (Preferably I’ll be able to walk there from the hotel, so I can incorporate the whole activity-thing but not be too far away if I need to get back.)

In most cases when I travel, it’s not hard to keep up a decent level of activity. When I visit a place I don’t normally go, I like to walk and explore. I enjoy walking anyway, so in an unfamiliar place it’s really the best way for me to get a feel for my surroundings.

One thing that I’m not so familiar with is business travel — but I can see why keeping up a normal activity level could be difficult, depending on what your job is. I mean, what if you’re expected to stand on your feet in a small area for most of the day, like a vendor manning a table at a conference? You may not be moving much, but it can still be tiring — so there’s a good chance that the last thing you feel like doing when you leave for the day is to go for a walk or lift some weights.

There are a variety of things you can do to stay active while traveling away from home; things you don’t need a lot of equipment for, like walking or running for cardio, or body-weight exercises and resistance bands for building or maintaining muscle. Just make sure you venture out of that conference location (or whatever else is keeping you hostage). I think you’ll be glad you did.

What do you do to work out while traveling?

Related Reading:

Charm City Kim says that she works out every day, even on vacation.

Fit Celeb tells us how to stay slim while taking road trips.

Baltimore Fitness Examiner: Maintain Fitness Levels While on Vacation

That’s Fit has numerous tips for working out while on vacation:
Bike riding on vacation just got easier
Ward off vacation weight gain
Pack your pedometer

For some people, staying fit qualifies as a fun hobby. They choose to do things they enjoy, like running, biking, swimming, or rock climbing (or all of those things, and more). Other people know that they should move, so they choose activities that are convenient and effective — even if they don’t particularly like to do them. But what makes someone go from just liking (or putting up with) exercise to saying, “I LOVE to work out?”

Personally, I find it hard to imagine that someone can have a good time on an indoor cardio machine, like a treadmill or elliptical. Even when I used an elliptical machine on a regular basis, I would never have said that I was enjoying myself. Sure, you can tell me that you don’t mind it — that you’re easily distracted by the television or music and it makes the time goes by “so quickly” — but a good time? When I think of pumping endlessly away on an indoor machine versus getting up early to bike outside in the crisp morning air…it just doesn’t seem like a fair comparison.

To be fair, it’s impossible to enjoy physical activity all the time, even if we’re doing something we normally love. While I prefer to be outside because it helps the time go by faster, I certainly don’t like it every time. Of course the best situation is being outside when the weather is beautiful and I have a lot of energy — but that doesn’t happen nearly often enough. I went for a walk a few nights ago even though I didn’t really want to; the air was a little humid, and my legs were sore because of the lower-body workout I’d done the previous day.

I was glad when I got home, and no, I didn’t particularly enjoy my walk. Still, I was glad that I’d gone out, especially since I could relax on the couch afterward without feeling quite as slug-like. But did I go out for a walk because I wanted to? No. Did I go because I felt like I had to? “Had to” is a strong term, but I knew it had been a few days and that I needed it. So I guess I went for a walk because I felt like I should.

Now, working out with weights, I actually don’t mind that so much. I like the feeling of walking out of the gym, barely able to lift my arm to unlock the car door because I’ve exhausted my upper body. But do I love weights so much that would I do it even if I knew I wouldn’t see any results from it? Of course not.

Yes, I definitely work out because I feel like I should. No, I don’t always love it. But I do like the results — which is why most people spend time working out, I suppose. Exercise doesn’t just improve your physical appearance, it makes you stronger, increases your endurance, and helps maintain a positive mood. Given all those advantages, it’s definitely worth it to me.

Do you love to work out, or do you do it because you feel like you should?

Related Reading:

Roni’s Weigh: Roni says she loves working out, but it was a gradual process to get to this point.

I convinced myself for so long that I was not athletic. That I didn’t like the gym or working out. I made fun of gym rats, calling people who exercised on vacation insane. I really thought I just wasn’t built for exercise. Then S.L.O.W.L.Y. things started to change. [...]

Now…I’m embracing my new hobby. And that’s really what it is, a hobby. I enjoy it. It’s an outlet. It can be social yet solitary. I can measure my success by weight lifted, miles ran, time, even muscle tone. Not to mention it has health benefits and makes me feel fantastic!

Cindy’s World: Cindy loves working out “so much that sometimes I wonder why I didn’t choose a career as an athlete of some sort rather than as an artist.” She was encouraged by a recent article in the LA Times about “the original owner of Bally Total Fitness who is 76 and still in GREAT shape and kicking butt in all kinds of athletic endeavours.”

Phillygrrl used to work out, “but that was back when I worked at a gym and it was free.”

I hate hate hate working out. In general. I have no will-power, never have. I used to work out, but that was back when I worked at a gym and it was free. Now that I’m actually paying for a membership, I rarely use it. What’s it been, seven months already? That was a waste of $150. Shoot. I would’ve been better off investing in yoga gear so I could at least fool people into thinking I work out. (A yoga mat can also double as a floor rug, people.)

That’s Fit: Top 5 Reasons to Always Be Fit

It seems like I’m always hearing something about races. Someone is either thinking about participating, or is currently in training, or has just completed one. There are all kinds of options, too — whether it’s something short like a 5k, or a 10-miler, or a marathon, or even triathlons. Even if they’re not taking place right here in my geographic area, I still end up hearing about them because they’re constantly being written about online.

Sometimes I’ve met these race participants in person; others I know only through blogging. Although I also know plenty of people who’ve never taken part in this type of organized event, it’s certainly not due to having a lack of options.

What tends to catch my interest are people who have participated in one of these events for the first time. I like hearing these stories because there’s always so much clarity in the details. Everything is new and exciting — you’re not sure exactly what to expect, and most people experience a sense of accomplishment and pride no matter what their final result.

You’d think — since I enjoy hearing about other people’s experiences — that maybe I’d like to add a story of my own. But I’ve never participated in a race. And I’m not sure when, or if, I ever will.

The reason goes back to certain things I’ve said in the past. Like…I’ve never been a big goal-setter. And while I’m not a late riser, I don’t like getting up earlier in the morning than I have to. I also have this personality where I really don’t like feeling like I “have to” do something.

Another thing is, I’m not a big fan of competing against other people. I like games that I can play by myself. Yes, I know that races don’t have to be competitive unless you want them to be. But when I think about doing something I enjoy, I think about jogging through my neighborhood. Alone. I don’t think about strapping myself to a heart-rate monitor, and I don’t care how long it takes me to run a mile.

Taking this approach to fitness is my choice. I work out because I want to work out, not because I’m being forced to or feel “like I should.” I don’t always find it fun, but it’s always my decision. If I were to specifically start training for something, I worry that I might start to resent it — and I don’t want that to happen.

Is that a silly reason not to do something? Maybe. But at least when I’m looking for inspiration, I know where to look for it. Here are a few posts about first-ever race experiences:

Sarah at Recipes, Reviews, Running and Rants ran her first race this month.

Wow. What an amazing weekend. I ran my first ever race and can’t wait to run another! Haha, I guess I’ve caught the racing bug. I’m not gonna lie, I thought I was going to puke, or keel over, or die when I was running, but afterwords…it’s the best feeling EVER!

I ran [the 5k] in 25:58 and am SO HAPPY! I placed 2nd in my age division (20-29 years) and 4th in the women’s overall (out of 209 women!) and 27th out of all 381 runners!

When Angela at Oh She Glows ran her first race, it helped to think about her reasons for running.

I chatted with a couple runners during the 1st km to try and relax myself. I talked with a couple women and told them about the fundraising and it instantly reminded me WHY I was running the race. Not to win, not to run the fastest I have ever run, but to run it for Chris and for Cancer. It really was as simple as that.

Running with High Heels On has a detailed report of her first marathon.

The Running Bug gives advice for preparing to run your first race.

Once in a while, I like to take some time to explore fitness options that I haven’t tried yet. While some of them are better left to braver people than I (like the trapeze classes I wrote about last week), I usually end up finding a few things that I could see myself doing. I also like reading about the experiences other people have had while trying these things — it gives me an idea of what I could expect.

Ultimate Frisbee

The Fitness Diva was inspired to try Ultimate Frisbee after she watched a video that was posted by one of her neighbors.

Now that I’ve joined their group, I will be havin’ me some fun in the park with this new pursuit. I love anything that’s competitive, adrenaline inducing, and that makes you have to run until you feel like you might have to puke!…Yep. Ultimate Frisbee, here I come!

Chi Running

Race Raiders explored the Chi Running technique and wonders if it could be right for you? (I’ve always wondered if I saw someone running the Chi Running way, if I’d even be able to tell. People tend to have their own unique styles anyway.)

Putting it all together sounds a lot easier than it is. I had no idea if what I was doing was correct and was getting pretty frustrated with the whole thing. But I knew the way I was running before wasn’t working, either, so I decided to keep trying. I found out on their website that they have workshops that teach the method and after about three more months of trying to figure it out, I decided to try a workshop.

Aerial conditioning

AerialGirl110 shares a video of herself doing an aerial silks routine. Check it out — she literally climbs up a long piece of silk that’s hanging from the ceiling and does all kinds of crazy (impressive) moves. Her “about me” explains why:

[M]y general purpose and use of this blog is to be my reflection journal/notes for my Senior Project. Basically, my Senior Project is to learn aerial acrobatics. I take classes, observe, and watch performances at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts in Germantown.

Kinesis Wall

Ashley Ceaser, writing for the Nike blog, tried a kinesis wall — it uses a pulley system to incorporate cardio, strength training, balance and toning exercises.

During the circuit, I moved from one module to the next. In the alpha module I combined a cable cross movement for my upper body with a squat for my legs, which raised my heart rate. These compound movements went on through the module, so after 30 minutes, I felt like I had worked out twice as long. However, because of the fluidity and the 360 degree dynamic movement of the cables I could see how this system would be perfect for all levels of fitness.

Laughter Yoga

Experts say that laughter yoga can lower blood pressure and boost immune function. Laughing Laura is a laughing yoga instructor and talks about the benefits of having Laughter Yoga in the Workplace. (I’m not sure how I’d feel about that. Laughing is good…but laughing with certain co-workers? Hmm…) Here are some of the benefits:

* Boost to morale
* Improved personal/professional performance
* Enhanced teamwork, trust and enjoyment at work
* Increased energy and ability to manage stress
* Enriched quality of work/life balance
* Heightened workplace creativity
* Improved customer care and service delivery
* Decreased absenteeism, burnout and turnover
* Improved productivity and organization
* Fewer accidents and compensation claims
* Overall better employee health

Bar Method

Nicole at LA Pretty tried the Bar Method. Did she like it? Well, the title of her post is “My new ass is brought to you by…”

All classes are taught in a carpeted studio and students are all in their socks – I’d advise getting slipper socks or Pure Barre socks because the little pads at the bottom really keep you from sliding all over the place. You grab a mat, a teensy basketball, a resistance band for stretching, and 2 lb and 3 lb weights. (Yes, I chuckled egoistically to myself too when I saw the 2 lb weights – who works out with those? But believe me, after holding a pose with a 2 lb weight for a while, it’ll feel like 50.)

Have you tried (or do you regularly participate in) a fitness activity that’s not quite mainstream?

Of all the random activities I could see myself enjoying but haven’t yet tried — horseback riding, for instance — flying through the air on a trapeze has never been included in that list. While it certainly sounds cool, it’s just not something I can picture myself signing up for. I think I’ll stick to reading about it, and also…watching it. Because, you see, a new trapeze school has opened in Washington, DC and their temporary location is outdoors (9th and H St NW), not far from my workplace.

It officially opened last weekend, but there wasn’t anybody there when I walked by yesterday morning and afternoon. The schedule is posted on their website, though, so I’m totally planning to walk by and check it out.

From what I’ve been able to tell, most trapeze classes are located in large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. Even if you don’t live near any of those places, though, it’s something to keep in mind if you’re vacationing in one of those areas. It’s definitely not your normal tourist-type experience.

The price for a class in DC is between $45-$55 for a two-hour session, plus a one-time $20 registration fee. That could get pricey if you’re taking classes regularly, but it’s not bad at all if you’re just looking to try it out.

Apparently (and understandably), the most nerve-wracking experience is grasping the trapeze bar and leaping off the platform for the first time. The Trapeze School website has a good description of what to expect — and I must admit, they make the first swing sound pretty good.

It’s only the first time once. You’re finally standing on the platform 23 feet above the ground. You have the safety lines securely fastened to your belt, the instructor is holding you, and you are holding the bar. Leaning out over the edge of the platform, you may be eager to go or be wondering what the heck you’re doing up there. [...]

There may be one moment of fear just as you commit your body to the task. Once you’re off the platform it’s all bliss. You’ll swing back and forth a few times, perhaps swinging your legs a bit, but mostly enjoying the pleasure of flight. It is a feeling like no other and one that you will expand upon in future jumps.

In the Washington Post, Petula Dvorak says the Trapeze School Flies in the Face Of Capital’s Button-Down Ways.

The temporary location…will provide a sidewalk show for four months, during which time passersby will be able to watch Washingtonians scream for their lives as they swing high above an asphalt parking lot — and a safety net, of course.

[T]he school has already received calls from several white-shoe D.C. law firms interested in having their lawyers spend some non-billable hours fighting their demons en plein air.

Liebchen attended a trapeze class in Baltimore. She wasn’t happy with her first performance, but she’s looking forward to trying it again in DC.

Flying through the air, check. Greatest of ease, not so much. First, there was the little matter of climbing to the top platform, holding on to a deceptively heavy bar while leaning over the edge, and trusting the instructor to hold on to you by your belt. (Oh, hey trust issues. Haven’t seen you in a while — how’s it going?) [...]

Now that trapeze school is practically down the street (and a few metro stops away), I’ll be able to brush up on my maneuvers. My knee hook was getting a little rusty. Plus, it’s a great upper body workout (i.e. you’ll feel sore as hell the next day, but it’ll be completely worth it).

Angela was a little too comfortable with the supportive, burly arm of her instructor around her waist to want to let go for the first swing.

As I stood there trying not to ponder the abilities of a human body to withstand a fall from this height, I fancied myself floating gracefully and twirling effortlessly from bar to bar, a modern day Georgina of the Jungle. Then came the commands from the teacher below, “Ready… Set…” And next he would soon say “Hup” — but I didn’t want to hear the “hup” because “hup” meant burly arm would be gone, and it would be me, my death grip, a lot of momentum, a poor knowledge of physics but a keen understanding of what gravity does to a human brick. [...]

Then came the next command, “Let go with your hands.” To which I actually responded “I don’t want to.” The teacher repeated the command. I repeated my refusal. This went on for a while until I finally complied. I think I tasted my spinal fluid in the back of my throat.

JC Kwok tried a trapeze class on her 30th birthday. She was nervous, but she found the experience “amazing.”

My first swing on the trapeze was so much scarier than I thought it would be. I felt silly because I screamed the entire time I was swinging on it! They had us jump off the platform, swing through the air, and then hook our knees onto the bar. After that we had to let go of the bar with our hands so that we were hanging upside down, and then grab on again, take our legs off the bar, and then do a back tuck dismount!!

When they first told me I would be doing all that I was like “HUh? Excuse me?!” But after getting over the initial scare and shock of flying through the air, it was actually not as bad as I thought it would be and it felt really fun, free, and liberating!

Miss Bleeker attended a class in New York City. When asked why she did it, this is her response:

trapeze class you ask? what are [a] bunch of wedding nuts doing flying through the air? i know, our mothers said the same thing. but what can we say? the weather in NYC has been outrageously, criminally, ridonkulously gorge. and when you’ve been on your feet for four days straight, nothing feels better than losing the shoes and relying on your hands and gravity to do the work for you.

Erin Abrams at The Glass Hammer said, “the experience was totally worth it.” And then afterward…

I left the trapeze school feeling vaguely smug and empowered, as if I had a secret super power. You better believe I ordered the photos, at 20 bucks a pop. The next day, I woke up with solid black bruises across the backs of my legs that looked like I had been beaten with a baseball bat.

(Also, Flickr user LaTur took this amazing photo at the DC Trapeze School opening weekend.)

Would you try a trapeze class? Have you?

If I’m meeting a guy for a first date, I’ve never once suggested that we go to a gym and lift weights together, or run a few miles, or hit some balls at a batting cage. I like to pay attention to what they’re saying, and if I’m doing something strenuous I tend to focus on that instead. But these activities — otherwise known as fitness dates — are popular with a lot of people.

I think first dates are made for sitting (over coffee, dinner, or drinks) or for walking. If we’re sitting, it shouldn’t be in an environment so loud that I can’t hear what the other person is saying. Walking is good, too. That’s the advantage of living in a walkable neighborhood that’s nice to look at, with parks and a waterfront and good places to eat. I’m happy to slow down my normal power-walking gait in that situation.

Another reason I don’t want to do a fitness date right away is vanity. If I’m going to take the time to fix myself up, I don’t want to ruin my look by getting sweaty. At least in the beginning, I want to be seen as presentable and put-together. We both know that the other person doesn’t always look like that — and you have to get sweaty at some point in order to look good in your clothes — but I like to make a good first impression.

Now, I can certainly see why some people wouldn’t agree with me on this. You could be an on-the-go type person who hates to sit. Maybe you know in advance that both of you have a common interest, like rock climbing or horseback riding, and you capitalize on that. Maybe you even met in the first place by doing a physical activity, like a co-ed softball team or Ultimate Frisbee.

(Or you could have met at a gym, although this has never worked for me. It seems that most male gym-goers are of the “look, but never say anything” persuasion. It’s nice not to be bothered at certain times, but other times you’re kind of like, “Hey, you, Mr. Buff. Over here.” I mean, if someone strikes up a conversation with you while they’re sweaty, and you’re sweaty, too, then obviously they think you’ll look even better later.)

I would, however, be willing to work up a sweat with someone without worrying (too much) about how I looked…once we’d been on a number of dates. If a person enjoys being active, you’re bound to appreciate it if your guy has the same inclination. I used to go to the gym regularly with a then-boyfriend (often that was first thing in the morning, sans makeup). And several guys I’ve dated have offered to teach me how to swim, although I’ve never taken any of them up on it. It would also be nice to try a new activity together that neither of us had ever done before.

Fitness dates are awesome and I wholeheartedly agree with them. I just think I’ll wait a while to make the suggestion.

Related Reading:

Ozzie Jacobs at Examiner.com talks about the advantages of having a fitness date in a pool.

Your Tango: Fun And Free: The Exercise Date

Vitamin G (a blog affiliated with Glamour magazine) has three good reasons why a fitness date is good for your relationship.

FitSugar suggests going on a fitness date to the batting cages.

Like many people, I have a desk job. Except for a few months at a fast food restaurant when I was 16, and a year working as a hostess at The Olive Garden (both of these positions required me to stand for long periods of time), I’ve had a desk job since I was 18. For the most part, this has worked in my favor.

These jobs have provided me with healthcare benefits, retirement accounts, and comfortable salaries, in addition to teaching me many things I didn’t know. I’ve met friends who have lasted for years and continue to be instrumental in my life, long after I left that workplace for something new. I guess it’s fair to say that my desk jobs over the past 11 years have contributed to the person I am today.

Not only that, desk jobs are pretty much the opposite of strenuous (unless you’re looking at it in terms of mental fitness, or stress levels, or how fast you can type). And, you know, this is often okay with me. It’s nice to know that no matter how I’m feeling on a given day — barring some sort of ailment, discomfort, or injury — I can go to work and do what I need to do. I often send up a silent thanks that I’m lucky enough to work in a temperature-controlled environment, especially when it’s super cold outside, or on those miserable, oh-so-humid summer days.

The downsides? Oh, there are many of those, too. You have a valid excuse to be sedentary for most of the day. Feeling like you’re stuck indoors on those beautiful days when you just want to romp around and soak in the sunlight (totally distracting). Not to mention, spending eight hours on a computer can make people feel like they haven’t accomplished very much at the end of the day. Even if you’ve fulfilled everything that was expected of you, technically your results are located on a hard drive somewhere.

That’s why I have a lot of respect for people who do physical jobs for a living. They have to get out there and do their job regardless of whether they feel like it or not. When I get to work, I sit down in my chair and drink a cup of coffee. When those people get to work, they…well, they do actual (physical) work.

When I think about physical jobs, I’m not just thinking about people in the fitness industry, like personal trainers and group fitness instructors. Look at workers who clean hotel rooms; daycare teachers who run after kids all day long; nurses; professional landscapers. These people are active because they have to be. Sure, some people are more hardworking than others, and some people get the job done faster and better in a shorter period of time. But in general, those people work physically harder than I do during the day. They put my small efforts — taking a lap down the hall to talk to co-workers, purposefully printing to a faraway printer — to shame.

Sometimes I get those feelings like, “I’m not doing enough,” and “I’m tired of sitting here,” and I wonder if I couldn’t be doing something more action-oriented and physical. But on the other hand, I feel like I shouldn’t complain — there are probably a lot of people who have to stand on their feet all day who wouldn’t mind sitting behind a desk like I do. So, at least for the time being, I’ll sit during the day and continue to try to move around as much as I can.

What do you think are the pros and cons of a fitness-related career?

Related Reading:

Kelly at Fitness Fixation lists the advantages for her of choosing a career in fitness.

I get to learn new things all the time. I love learning, it’s responsible for so much of the dork in me. Exercise probably saved me from being one of those people who hangs around grad schools and community classes forever. I get to learn new things all the time, and I have so much to learn about the things I even know something about, and it’s great. There’s always sports and athletic shit I want to pursue, and now I have the baseline fitness level and confidence to try it, and if I had my way, I’d probably take seventeen different classes a day, and probably drop dead of sweaty exhaustion in a week, but die happy.

I read this post of Becca’s some time ago, but sometimes I’ll go back and read it again just because I like it so much. She quit her profitable day job to work as a CrossFit instuctor. My favorite quote:

Opportunities are not luck — opportunities are rewards we are handed because we earn them.

Sagan knows the importance of having a good fitness teacher.

When I used to go to the YMCA, I would faithfully attend step classes and kickboxing classes almost every day of the week because I grew so fond of my teachers and the classes that they taught. All of the instructors were volunteers so they were there because they wanted to be there (not the case with many university profs, I might add), and this in turn caused their energy and enthusiasm to rub off on the rest of us.

Tiffany at Swata Young Professionals is an athletic trainer, and volunteered for one of the breast cancer 3-Day 60-mile walks last year. She said she’s proud of her profession and was glad she was able to help.

Almost every walker asks, what do you do for a living, and it is great to answer back “I’m an athletic trainer.” It all makes me proud to be a part of this profession and to surround myself with those who work tirelessly (and tired!) to help out those in need.

Bev Sklar at That’s Fit sometimes dreams about becoming a bicycle messenger.

Mun Fitness Blog: The Story Of an IT Programmer Who Made a Career Switch to Fitness World

New York Times: The Case for Working With Your Hands. (Tired of working behind a desk? You’re not the only one.)