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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, January 14, 2006

SATURDAY SCOOPS
Get off your 'okole

 •  U2 tickets at Blaisdell, stadium, outlets today
 •  Hale Noa benefit gig at Bishop Museum
 •  Shashmaqam performs at East-West Center

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Go for a walk: We've got some of the best year-round walking weather, so take advantage of it. Take an after-dinner stroll around your neighborhood. (Bring the dog for bonus points.) Start with 10 minutes, then gradually increase your distance and speed. If you're already a walker, change your scenery. Walk the two-mile loop around Lanikai or Kapi'olani Park.

Advertiser and wire library photos

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Take a hike: Consider this: You can burn up to 800 calories on a two-hour hike. That's a lot of cookies! The Sierra Club, Hawai'i chapter, is hosting a full-moon hike at Makapu'u at 5:30 tonight. It's an easy one-mile ridge hike to the lighthouse lookout. Call 942-0145 or visit www.hi.sierraclub.org. You can also hit the Diamond Head trail, the most traversed one on the island. This 1.4-mile roundtrip hike is easy and paved — with guardrails. Be sure to bring water and sunscreen.

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Learn yoga: It's commonly known that yoga can help keep your body flexible and your mental health in check. And according to the National Institutes of Health, such relaxation techniques can also lessen chronic pain such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome, and lower blood pressure and heart and breathing rates. Not bad. Yoga Hawai'i charges $5 for first-timers. There are classes today at its Kaimuki studio at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Call 739-9642 (739-YOGA) or visit www.yoga-hawaii.com. Bring a towel or mat. Check with a doctor before signing up.

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Hit the surf: Surfing is a great — and fun — way to strengthen arm and back muscles. Beginners should take lessons to learn proper technique. It costs about $35 from a stand at Kuhio Beach. Or contact Hawaiian Fire, run by local firefighters, for lessons that start at $97. Visit www.hawaiianfire.com. For you regular riders, get current conditions at www.surfnewsnetwork.com or check with lifeguards. Just get moving.

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We know the goals. No more snug jeans! No more sleeping in! No more french fries and chocolate shakes for lunch!

But just how are we supposed to get back into shape this year? And is it really going to be as painful as it sounds?

"Just moving is what it's all about," says KC Carlberg, founder and director of Try Fitness. "People can do as little as marching in place for five minutes or walking up a flight of stairs or doing push-ups from your kitchen counter. Every little action will add up and pretty soon you can get a big result."

Here are some things you can do right now to get moving and — let's hope — get you back on track to fitness this year.

BURNING UP

Common activities and approximate calories a 154-pound person can burn per hour:

MODERATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

  • Hiking: 370
  • Light gardening/yard work: 330
  • Dancing: 330
  • Golf (walking, carrying clubs): 330
  • Bicycling (less than 10 mph): 290
  • Walking (3.5 mph): 280
  • Weight lifting (light): 220
  • Stretching: 180

    VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

  • Running/jogging (5 mph): 590
  • Bicycling (more than 10 mph): 590
  • Swimming (slow, freestyle): 510
  • Aerobics: 480
  • Walking (4.5 mph): 460
  • Heavy yard work: 440
  • Weight lighting (vigorous): 440
  • Basketball (vigorous): 440

    Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.