Get fit

Shape, Nov, 2005 by Leslie Ryan

--Jennifer Acosta Scott

SEDENTARY AND SURLY

If a big project at the office or a nagging injury sidelines your workouts, your fitness isn't the only thing to suffer; your mood will also sour. A new study of 40 people (55 percent women) shows that when regular exercisers abruptly stopped their usual activities, they became tense and grumpy. "Skipping even a few workouts affects your mood," said researcher Ali Berlin, a graduate student at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., who presented the study at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn., earlier this year. "We found it's important to do something physical--walking or climbing stairs--until you can resume your routine."

--Maryann Hammers

dvd of the month

CAN'T STICK WITH your regular workouts as the busy holiday season nears, but still crave that post-workout energized feeling? Try a quick early-morning session with Jillian Hessel's Pilates Powerhouse Workout (Gaiam, 2005; $10; jillianhessel.com). Designed as a wake-up call, the program combines seated work where you concentrate on breathing and upper-body flexibility with mat work targeting your abdominals and lower body. You'll finish off your 30-minute session with standing exercises focusing on balance and alignment. The draw-back? If you're an advanced Pilates practitioner, this may not be challenging enough.

--L.L.

fitness facts

Q A friend of mine jogs outdoors, but I prefer doing cardio, strength-training and yoga DVDs at home. My friend says that I'm not really exercising because I'm not building up my endurance. Are at-home workouts inferior?

A "Not at all!" says Mindy Mylrea, a trainer in Santa Cruz, Calif., and the star of more than 50 exercise videos. "Many instructors have created extremely advanced DVDs and videos that can give you amazing fitness benefits; some are an hour-and-a-half long." Your friend may be confusing at-home exercise videos with some exercise shows on television, which often cater to a more sedentary population.

In reality, exercisers of all fitness levels can find workouts on video or DVD that challenge them. Although running burns plenty of calories (626 calories per hour for a 145-pound woman) and is a great way to stay fit, some people are more inspired by exercising with an instructor on a tape or DVD. "You've got a motivator right there talking to you," Mylrea says. "When you find an instructor whose personality meshes with yours, you really work hard." Plus, you can get a more well-rounded fitness program--video and DVD offerings include step aerobics, cardio dance, strength training, Pilates, yoga workouts and more.

--Suzanne Schlosberg

fashion & function

zen couture

STRIKE A POSE IN THE LATEST YOGA WEAR IN AUTUMNAL HUES AND SLINKY SILHOUETTES THAT WILL KEEP YOU COMFORTABLE TO THE CORE. By Dinah Erasmus

Corduroy gets creative with Couture Active Wear's halter stretch bra top ($34; coutureactivewear.com).

After class, step into Merrell's comfy stretch-mesh "Barrado" shoes ($70; merrell.com).