Jane Fonda (72) is launching WORLD FITNESS DAY on May 1, in Atlanta. GA. she will be joined by leading health and fitness experts, including Richard Simmons, Billy Banks, Denise Austin, Debbie Allen, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. And, if you are not already duly impressed by that line-up, the Pointer sisters and Ludacris will be performing. Now that's a party! And yes, of course I used to wear those lycra/spandex neon leotards and leg warmers a la Jane!

WORLD FITNESS DAY marks an annual initiative to highlight the importance of staying active and getting fit throughout life. Atlanta's Georgia Dome will be transformed into a workout wonder when up to 3,000 people converge on the field for exercise sessions appropriate for most fitness levels. The event will benefit the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, the nonprofit organization Fonda founded in 1995. We can all participate by going to www.UStreamTV to view a LIVE feed of the event on May 1.

A couple of weeks ago, Jane Fonda was interviewed in the NYT Sunday magazine for their special Wellness issue. She said that she liked the word, "wellness," because she is fit and healthy, yet admits to hurting all over! She has a new hip and a new knee due to genetic osteoarthritis. Now days, Jane Fonda walks. She tried to walk outside for an hour every day or ride an exercise bike, which she says is very good for her knee.

Like me, Jane gives homage to Jack LaLanne, who still works out every day at age 95. I can remember my mother doing his TV workout right after Captain Kangaroo (about 1958). In my mat classes, I still use his hip exercise (a killer) of lying on one side of your body and using your top leg to write the alphabet. Feel the burn!

While I remember as a kid JFK starting the President's Council on Physical Fitness, it is actually Teddy Roosevelt who is generally given credit for starting the fitness movement during his presidency by making Americans go outdoors. So. let's all take our various allergy potions, as this is one of the worst seasons ever, and head out doors to join Jane Fonda in Kicking off WORLD FITNESS DAY this Saturday!

Quinoa

When I was growing up, my father used to boast that he grew enough potatoes in our vegetable garden to last until Easter. Rice was sometimes found in chicken soup or stuffed green peppers (yuck!) or we had oatmeal on cold winter mornings (and there many of those in the suburbs of Buffalo) but that was pretty much the extent of grains for our family.

Several years ago, I was introduced to quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) and it is now one of my favorite grains. Some research reveals that quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. It is a species of goosefoot, a grain-like crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal as it is not a grass, but closely related to species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds!

The Incas held quinoa to be sacred and it is believed the Inca emperor would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using golden instruments. During the European conquests, the Spanish colonists scorned quinoa as "food for the Indians," and suppressed its cultivation due to its status as an indigenous non-Christian ceremonial crop. For a time, the conquistadors forced the Incas to grow corn.

I like quinoa because of its nutritional value. Its protein content is very high (12% - 18%) and it contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. Quinoa is also a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Since it is gluten-free and easy to digest, NASA"s Controlled Ecological Life Support System is considering it as a possible crop for long-duration manned space flights.

Easily made in less than 20 minutes, quinoa is great as a breakfast cereal, added to soups or salads or a side dish for dinner. Go to www.quinoa.net for loads of delicious recipes.

The Reformer

For some, their first look at the reformer brings to mind some sort of medieval torture device! There are many brands of reformers, and I find, once someone tries the reformer, they don't want to go back to the mat.

Joseph Pilates designed the original reformer during his internment during World War I. A German national, he was training staff in martial arts at Scotland Yard when the war broke out. Pilates rigged the springs of a hospital bed to provide resistance for the injured prisoners of war.

Unlike other types of exercise machines, which often work only one body part, hundreds of exercises for every body part can be performed on the reformer. Additionally, the reformer can be used to modify some of the floor exercises for conditions such as pregnancy or arthritis. The reformer can also be helpful for people with blood pressure issues, which can make it difficult for them to get up and down from the floor.

I find the reformer to be the perfect tool for personal training, as it is friendly to the novice exerciser as well as the advanced client, some of whom do their workout wearing ankle weights! With my clients, we work on pelvic and ribcage stabilization to get the abs in shape, spine stabilization for great posture and to prevent injury, back extension to relieve the stress and pressure of our work situations and to stretch after the ab workout, flexibility (something most of us spend way too little time on), and hip ranger of motion.

Aging places a gradual wear and tear on the spine, and good nutrition and proper exercise are the best defense against the deformation of the spine. Throughout the reformer workout, we alternate between decompressing the spine repeatedly and focusing on strengthening the lengthened posture.

Finally, our work helps to recondition the pelvic floor, which like any other muscle starts to atrophy after the age of 30 unless it is exercised. Pelvic floor fitness is associated with sexual pleasure, stabilizing the lower back, and helping to prevent urinary incontinence in seniors.