Still searching for the perfect workout for 2010 (which starts tomorrow, btw)? Here are the top 10 fitness trends for 2010, according to a survey by the American Council on Exercise. Time and money appear to play a key role in how we’ll be exercising in the year ahead. “Consumers will really look to maximize their workout results while maintaining a close eye on their budgets this year,” ACE Chief…

I can almost guarantee that your resolution to be more active in 2010 will last at least through New Year’s Day. That’s because there are way too many activities scheduled to keep you on the move. Sure, some fall into the intense category. The Triangle Scuba Group plans to dive the frigid waters at Fantasy Lake at 10 a.m. The North Carolina Bicycle Club plans to get together for a…

Got a coffee shop addiction? I do. I’m in one at least once a day. Fortunately, my addiction is straight up caffeine, my delivery system of choice: the Americano. I say “fortunately” because, caffeine aside, you can get in a lot of trouble in your neighborhood coffee shop. Walking into my local Carribou a few minutes ago I picked up their “Beverage Nutrition Guide: On The Trail to Better Health,”…

North Carolina, the 9th biggest state in the country with 9.2 million residents, is unusual because even if you live in one of its urban centers — Charlotte, the Triad, the Triangle, Asheville, Wilmington — there’s likely a wooded area within walking distance. Maybe not a national forest or a state park, but at least a corridor of wild that for any number of reasons has eluded development. For instance,…

Feeling guilty about all those holiday leftovers? Then turn ‘em into a salad! For lunch yesterday, Marcy took leftover turkey, cut it into bite-size pieces, tossed it in with some arugula, walnuts and blue cheese crumbles. She added a dollop of cranberry sauce and topped it with dressing, which we pretended were croutons. Save perhaps for the dressing-as-croutons, it was a healthier use of leftovers than, say, putting a couple…

I’m weak, I could stand to lose 22 pounds and I have the agility of an 80-year-old (I’m 53). I paid $324 for this? On Christmas Day, the Wii Fit entered our home, storming in with the attitude of a boot camp sergeant none-too-happy with its new recruits. It told the 11-year-old she was teetering on being overweight (she’s nowhere near: she eats better than any kid I know and…

If you have to deal with mall drivers one more time, if you’ve got a houseful of I’m-bored-already kids, if you hold your breath and cross your fingers every time you fork over your credit card, if — OK, enough with the “ifs.” I’m getting sweaty, my heart is racing, my chest is tight and I can’t help but feel that a sabertooth tiger is tracking me. Which is exactly…

I miss the old Raleigh Rock Yard, a classic neighborhood climbing gym on the east side of town that closed a couple years back. I miss it in part because it was a great place to climb. But what I really miss is the staff. Courteous, helpful, exceedingly polite. And I’ll bet not one of them was over 16. If you want your kid to develop into a confident, motivated…

If you embark on a new exercise program on Jan. 1 don’t be discouraged if you find yourself hungrier than before. The upside: You’re likely to feel more satisfied after a meal — especially breakfast — which should help keep you from overeating at a meal and snacking. This according to a study at Australia’s Queensland University of Technology and published in the October American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The…

If you’re like me and have kids in school, it’s probably just dawning on you that THEY’RE OFF FOR TWO WEEKS!!! Sorry. Yes, with the holidays comes winter break and a good two weeks of the kids underfoot and constantly asking, “What are we doing today?” And a good two weeks of you saying, “Uh … .” Which is what I found myself saying just a few minutes ago. Which…