Exercise Shorts

What's happening in the world of fitness

* Fitness Resource Associates (FRA) is now offering e-classes at its Web site, www.frausa.com. These classes are live, allowing interaction between the students and the instructor leading the class.

* Walking remains the most popular form of activity, yet few people walk as often, or as briskly, as they should, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While a recent telephone survey found that 75 percent of people who reported walking as their only form of exercise did walk a minimum of 30 minutes per session, only about 33 percent walked at least four times a week. Furthermore, only approximately 25 percent walked at a pace that would qualify as brisk.

Remind your members who prefer walking that they must perform this activity for a minimum of 30 minutes at a time, at least four days per week, at a pace of 3.5 (or more) mph to get fitness benefits.

* If you assume that California is the capital of fitness, you may be surprised to learn that West Coast teens are just as unhealthy as youngsters from other states.

According to a telephone survey sponsored by the California Endowment, California teens are heading toward adulthood at risk of the chronic diseases associated with obesity and inactivity. The survey of 1,200 12- to 17-year-olds found that nearly a third of the participants were overweight or on the verge of having weight problems. Furthermore, the teens spent twice as much time watching television or playing video games as exercising.