Television fitness expert Jillian Michaels

NEW YORK – Contestants on “The Biggest Loser” aren’t just overweight. They suffer from being not normal and even half-dead.

That’s according to Jillian Michaels, the buff, tough-talking trainer on the hit weight-loss show.

Michaels said she would never insult the plus-size players she is helping trim down. But sometimes they need an extra push to get the lead out.

“I push them really hard,” the fitness guru says. “They are 400 … pounds! Hello! They are not just going to get on the treadmill and run. It doesn’t work that way.”

The “Biggest Loser” contestants need special attention, and Michaels said her aim is to provide it.

“A normal person, I could be like ‘OK, mama, jump up there. Warm up five minutes.’ You’d be like, ‘OK.’

“THESE people are half-dead. I mean, it’s not the same.”

Michaels marveled that anyone could misinterpret her training style.

“People are like, ‘She’s so mean to them.’ And it’s like, ‘Really? Do you REALLY think so? Do you really watch the show?’ … Now if I was calling them names, that would be mean.”

“The Biggest Loser” airs Tuesdays on NBC.

This image released by Sports Illustrated/Raphael Mazzucco, shows Bar Refaeli on the cover of the Feb. 14 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, on sale now.

NEW YORK – The world knows a lot more about Bar Refaeli today than it did yesterday, including where her tiny tan line falls.

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit unveiled on Tuesday 23-year-old Refaeli as a first-time cover girl, wearing a string bikini by Missoni – and the strings on the bikini bottom are being tugged south.

This gig, more than top fashion or entertainment magazines, can be career-altering as it puts a model’s face (not to mention, her likely fantastically toned and taut body) in front of millions of eyeballs, appealing to both men and women, sports fans and fashionistas.

It’s the cover that matters most, says SI group editor Terry McDonell, but each model – 19 for this issue – gets an equal shot at the cover.

“The cover has to reflect the athleticism and sexiness of the culture. This photo is modern, her hair and swimsuit look natural. You see her freckles. Her body is amazing and she looks intelligent,” McDonell said.

It’s also purposeful, he noted, that the models have healthy, sometimes curvy, figures. “A skinny waif won’t work here.”

McDonell, along with Swimsuit editor Diane Smith and SI creative director Steve Hoffman, sifted through 90,000 photos this year. In consumer testing, it’s inevitable that the raciest one is the favorite, but that’s not the one that lands on the front. “There are marketplace considerations,” McDonell explained. “I want to be at the front of the store, not the back.”

Israeli-born Refaeli, long linked romantically with actor Leonardo DiCaprio, told The Associated Press that she had the feeling that this particular shot of her in the water on Canouan Island in the Grenadines was her shot to be on the front.

“This is the one I felt the most comfortable with,” said Refaeli, who twice before was featured on the inside pages of the magazine. “You have the beach, blue water and a body. That’s it. I liked that the top of the suit was on.”

You can be sexy without revealing too much skin, said veteran supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, who first appeared on the Swimsuit issue cover in 1970 – and then again in 1975 and 1983.

That shot happened at the end of a full day shooting in Hawaii, and she was cold. Someone gave her long-sleeve top to warm her up and when the photographer asked her to take it off, Tiegs refused – and she wouldn’t take off her sunglasses either, she recalled. That photo, she said, really captured a moment, though.

“I remember walking by the newsstand and seeing I was on the cover and picking up a copy or two. That was the celebration then. . . . But I’m still signing covers for fans,” Tiegs said.

SI’s swimsuit issue began in 1964, when February marked the low point of the sports seasons. The NFL ended in December, there were no national televised hockey games and the NBA had only a half-dozen teams. After putting safe-driving tips and dog shows on the cover, SI decided to put an attractive female on the cover and call it a “skin-diving story,” recalls Smith.

It was popular from the start, but Smith thinks it was Tiegs’ cover that made it a phenomenon. However, it was Kathy Ireland in a white strapless bikini in 1989 that remains the best-selling cover.

“I’ve done many, many, many different covers in the fashion world . . . but never had as big a splash as Sports Illustrated,” said Heidi Klum, the cover model in 1998. “I went to ‘(The Tonight Show with Jay) Leno,’ the morning shows in New York and LA – it was a huge thing – suddenly I became a household name,” she said.

But more than the fame, Klum said she appreciates from SI the professionalism shown to a relatively untested model wearing next to nothing. “I had wanted it to be so good. I’d arch so hard . . . but they’d say, `Look sexy with your eyes. Don’t overpose. Be yourself and have fun.”‘

There’s a balance between wholesome and sexy the editors are always straddling, without ever being sleazy, Hoffman said.

The magazine spends an average of three days shooting each model, each with an average wake-up call of 4:30 a.m. because the light is best at dawn, and have about 10,000 bathing suits to choose from.

And even with the outfits so small, SI spends an average of $2,000 in overweight baggage fees per location.

“The logistics are horrifying … but the Swimsuit issue is probably the healthiest of all the Sports Illustrated franchises, and it’s good to be with things that work, especially these days,” said McDonell.

This undated image released by Sports Illustrated/Raphael Mazzucco, shows model Bar Refaeli from the Feb. 14, 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.

The University of North Carolina's Jack Wooten (right) pressures then-Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama during a basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., in this April 29 file photo.

Unlike most guys his age, President-Elect Barack Obama doesn’t sport a gut — in fact, he’s got quite the six-pack by the looks of recent paparazzi pics. Like most of his red-blooded American male counterparts, Obama’s a passionate sports fan. And his basketball jump shot, also caught on camera during the election, is stylin’.

From all outward appearances, the 47-year-old Harvard Law School graduate looks to be in stand-up health, says cardiologist Chip Lavie, medical and cardiac rehabilitation director at Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans. “As long as he doesn’t take up smoking again,” says Lavie, referring to a habit Obama reportedly kicked on the campaign trail last year, but may be struggling with still.

So what’s the health outlook of other guys his age? Read on for a snapshot of how the average middle-aged man stacks up:

Hair

Much less than at 20. One out of 3 guys over 45 has male pattern baldness, says Washington, D.C., cosmetic dermatologist Hema Sundaram. Ironically, age-related hormone changes speed up nose hair growth.

Sleep

1 out of 25 middle-age men suffers from sleep apnea, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Hispanics and African-Americans are more at risk for the disorder, typified by pauses in breathing during sleep and grogginess in the day.

Eyes

Don’t worry, blinking and squinting aren’t likely to be age-related tics. It’s a good bet you’re ready for reading glasses and some eye drops, because dry eyes can plague after 40. Get a glaucoma check now, because it’s more common as men near 50, says Duke Eye Center ophthalmologist Sanjay Asrani.

Ears

Wife complaining that you’re cranking the Springsteen too loud? You probably are. A man’s hearing wanes faster than a woman’s after 40. Preserve it: wear earplugs when lawn-mowing and hunting. And don’t blast the iPod, says Duke hearing expert David Kaylie.

Teeth

It’s unlikely your grandkids will one day ogle your dentures in a water glass on the night table. The introduction of fluoride toothpaste in 1961 is one reason why this generation’s pearly whites will be longer-lasting. But don’t forego twice-yearly cleanings, especially now that cracks and chips are more apt to occur, says dentist Matthew Messina of the American Dental Association.

Gut, and thus the heart

Most middle-age men are overweight, says Lavie at the Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute. “Many are obese,” he says, and a quarter to a third have metabolic syndrome — a combo of risk factors including high blood sugar, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol stats and too much belly fat.

Heart attack risk

For a non-smoker: 3 percent-5 percent

For smokers: Over 10 percent

The odds rise to 10 percent and 20 percent after age 50, Lavie says.

Chance of getting cancer in the 4th decade

Any kind: 1 in 49

Prostate: 1 in 347

Lung: 1 in 529

Colorectal: 1 in 437

Bones and joints

Top concerns in the 4th and 5th decades: overuse-related tendonitis and bursitis. “We see a lot of weekend-warrior injuries, too, like shoulder problems,” says Joseph Zuckerman, professor and chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases. Zuckerman says opt now for lower-impact biking, elliptical machines and weight machines over joint-pounding running and knee-twisting competitive sports.

Sexual health

Erection problems don’t really kick in until after age 50, says Arnold Melman, chairman of urology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. “That’s when aging and damage from diabetes and hypertension can catch up with men by altering the blood vessels and smooth muscles in the penis,” he says. Viagra has helped virility.

Skin

Skin of color may be starting to fold, deepening lines that stretch between the mouth and nose. Caucasian is wrinklier, says dermatologist Sundaram. Rosacea, a reddening of the nose and cheeks, suffered by President Bill Clinton, may flare, too, and flaky, spotty skin can be an issue.

Brain

Multi-tasking and quick recall of last night’s game score may be slipping, but a man in his late 40s trumps his 20-something colleagues in complex reasoning and decision-making tasks. “The frontal lobe of his brain, where those things happen, is at its peak,” says UCLA aging expert Gary Small. At this age, the capacity for empathy is higher too.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the U.S. Census Bureau, Harris Interactive, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Adams Beverage Group, Montefiore Medical Center urologist Arnold Melman, Food Diseases Active Surveillance Network and USA TODAY research

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FORTYSOMETHING GUYS AT A GLANCE

Salary

The median income for the typical American male who works full time is $43,473. College grads make more.

Diploma on the wall

Less than 30 percent of you hold college degrees.

Top sports to watch

Pro football is the No. 1 spectator sport. Baseball is No. 2.

Average weight

189.8 pounds

Average height

5 feet 9 inches

The blues

Middle-aged guys are more depression-prone now, partly due to hormone changes.

Most coveted alcoholic beverage

Hands down, beer. Domestic please, bartender. Men are twice as likely as women to down U.S.-brewed beer.

Meatheads

Meat and chicken win over a veggie medley platter for guys any day.

Bedroom status

The average male has sex 6.5 times per month.

Small broods

The average male has 1.8 children under the age of 18.

Mike Orr, of Cranberry Township, Pa., competes during the World Series of Beer Pong IV in Las Vegas on Sunday. With a $50,000 prize on the line, more than 400 teams flocked to the Flamingo hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip for a chance to bring their skills out of the bar and into the big time.

LAS VEGAS – Don’t let the smell of beer and the rock music fool you: Beer pong is a serious game. Some dare say a sport.

Granted, they tend to be grinning and drinking when they say it.

There was plenty of both going on this weekend at the World Series of Beer Pong IV, a loud and sloshy annual tournament that elevates a college fraternity house staple that includes ping pong balls and beer to an (almost) serious competition.

With a $50,000 prize on the line, more than 400 teams flocked to the Flamingo hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip for a chance to bring their skills out of the bar and into the big time. They wore matching uniforms and talked about focus and strategy.

Some also wore matching hot pants and talked about drinking more Pabst Blue Ribbon, the official beer of the tournament.

But the winner, Ron Hamilton, 25, of Brentwood, N.Y., preferred liquor to beer, and said he got ready for Sunday’s play by drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels.

“The key today was me getting real drunk and my partner not missing, and us coming out and proving we’re the best,” Hamilton said shortly after winning the top prize with Michael Popielarski, 25, of Massapequa, N.Y.

Hamilton said he and his partner — who form the team Smashing Time — met three years ago at a bar in Long Island.

“We’ve been unstoppable ever since,” he said. Hamilton said he planned to eliminate his personal debt and pay part of his mother’s mortgage with the winnings.

The game is played with cups of beer lined up like bowling pins on two ends of a 14-foot table. Team members alternate trying to toss a ping pong ball into the cups. The team that lands all the cups wins, the losers drink.

While one team is tossing, the other is free to create any sort of distraction, hence the skimpy hot pants. “The skill is the psyche out,” said competitor 23-year-old Ryan Young.

Beer pong came to prominence largely in East Coast college campuses in the late 1990s. It has recently left the campus for the mainstream.

More bars are setting up tables and weekly tournaments. A new documentary, “Last Cup: Road to the World Series of Beer Pong,” captures the growing pong culture. “Beer Pong” the video game was designed for Nintendo Co.’s popular Wii game system, but JV Games Inc. changed the name to “Pong Toss” amid complaints about appropriateness for teenagers. The World Series of Beer Pong has seen its ranks swell five fold since its first tournament in 2006.

Devotees say the game is a hit because it requires just enough skill and concentration that you can improve with practice, but not so much that you can’t also have a few while playing.

This World Series of Beer Pong is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Billy Gaines, Duncan Carroll and Ben “Skinny” Solnik. The trio met as students and beer pong aficionados at Carnegie Mellon University.

After graduation, they set out in their spare time to turn the game they loved into a moneymaker. Their site, bpong.com, sells tables, T-shirts, balls and other gear. The company organizes satellite tournaments and is a clearinghouse for detailed and occasionally heated conversation about the game’s rules. This one made it into the world series official rule book: “No player may take offense to anything said or done during a game, even if it involves their mother.”

But the world series’ rules don’t require the losers to drink, a deviation from original game, and a concession, perhaps, to critics. Beer pong and other drinking games have been targeted by those trying to curb binge drinking. Some college campuses have banned the game.

Gaines said beer pong is misunderstood.

“I know the media will say this is a chugging contest,” he said. “This is about a sport, it’s about a competition. They aren’t here to drink. Yeah, they’re drinking, but that’s not why they’re here.”

Associated Press writer Oskar Garcia contributed to this report.

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ON THE WEB

World Series of Beer Pong: www.bpong.com

It’s a new year and time for another round of resolutions. Typically, resolutions take the form of improving personal health, and that involves being more physically active, eating right and losing body fat. Experts are expected to guide us on these issues, and they usually do so by telling us what to do and how to go about it.

As such, our resolutions take the form of “I’m going to do this or that, and here’s how I’m going to do it.” Nothing wrong with having a plan, but if you don’t firmly establish why you are doing something, the what and how won’t take you very far. In fact, not emphasizing why is a major reason most resolutions are abandoned by sundown on New Year’s Day.

Let’s examine some of the whys.

Why

An obvious why is common sense. If you are sedentary and have too much fat on your body, your health suffers in many ways.

Wrong, you say. You are sedentary and carry too much body fat, but you are healthy as a horse. You choose to believe you are the exception to a well-established rule. Maybe so, but are you sure? Or are you basing your assessment of health on the absence of symptoms? Nothing seems wrong, because there is no pain, no fever, no swelling, no shortness of breath, no skin rash.

If this sounds like you, and you are getting up there in years, your body already could be afflicted with several “silent” conditions that sooner or later very likely will rob you of the quality and/or quantity of life.

There often are no overt symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes) or full-blown type 2 diabetes, severe clogging of the arteries, high blood pressure or several forms of cancer.

Big deal, you say, we all have to die of something, so what’s the difference? The difference is a heart attack at age 52 will severely impact the quality of life that remains.

Sure, medical science can now keep us alive for decades, but wouldn’t it be better to live those decades in health rather than taking a fistful of drugs, being limited by an impaired heart and fearful of another attack?

Another why is that times are changing. The incredible economic crises we are confronting demand change, and one of the biggest may be overhauling our health-care system. A major component is likely to be more individual responsibility. In the future, I suspect distinctions will be made for those with self-imposed health risks – smoking, obesity, inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, etc. – and such folks may not like how the new system taxes and treats them.

The biggest why is love. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, there are people who love you and depend on you in some way, and you owe it to them to be the best you can be, and to share life with them to the fullest and for as long as possible. Give them that opportunity by taking responsibility for your health and doing the right things.

This list provides some pretty compelling whys, and, hopefully, at least one of them can serve as a strong basis for your resolution. As to what and how, that’s the easy part, and there are many approaches from which to choose.

What and how

I suspect you already know what to do and how to go about it. You know how to exercise – walk out the door and keep putting one foot in front of the other. If you want something fancier, it’s easy to figure out. As a friend of mine, who is a strong critic of our soon-to-be-former president, likes to spoof and quote him as saying – “It ain’t rocket surgery.”

You know how to eat better, too. For starters, choose one of the following. Cut back on red meat and fatty dairy products; quit snacking on sugary garbage; give up soft drinks; consume more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

The bottom line

Try something new this year. Resolve to sustain your resolution. Do that by first determining why you should make a change. Next, piece together the simplest what and how approach, one that is convenient and comfortable. If it is, you are more likely to do it consistently, and that’s the point.

Have a happy and blessed New Year!

Bryant Stamford is professor and chairman of the department of exercise science at Hanover College in Hanover, Ind. Address questions or suggestions to “The Body Shop,” The Courier-Journal, P.O. Box 740031, Louisville, Ky. 40201-7431

Sledding's great fun and burns calories.

Americans gain an average of 1 pound between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, one study shows. Sedentary people put on 1 and one-half pounds; those who are more active lose 1 and one-half pounds.

We asked three nutritionists to tally the calories in some holiday indulgences, then calculate how much activity it takes for a 165-pound person to burn them off:

Holiday cocktail party

- Two glasses of red wine

- Five shrimp in cocktail sauce

- Six crackers topped with cheese spread

- 1 piece of fudge

Calories 630

Burn it off: Jog for at least 20 minutes three days or chase reindeer through woods for that long.

Brunch celebration

- Eggs Benedict

- Croissant

- Apple cider

Calories 890

Burn it off: Ice skate for 1 hour on two days.

Family dinner

- Two slices of ham

- Sweet-potato casserole (1 serving)

- Green beans

- 2 rolls with butter

- 1 slice pumpkin pie with whipped cream

- Mulled wine

Calories 1,320

Burn it off: Jog for 20 minutes for seven days.

Hanukkah party

- Two potato pancakes (latkes) topped sour cream and applesauce

- 1 doughnut

- 1 glass of sweet wine

Calories 750

Burn it off: Work hard for three hours – preparing and cooking food (grate potatoes, etc.), cleaning dishes, setting table, scrubbing and cleaning kitchen and dining area.

Breakfast on busy shopping day

- A bagel with cream cheese

- Large hot cocoa

Calories 750

Burn it off: Walk briskly (3.5 miles an hour) outside for at least 2 and one-half hours or jog around the neighborhood looking at holiday lights for 30 minutes on three days.

Nibbling on leftover desserts

- 1 sliver of pecan pie

- 1 piece peanut brittle

- 2 pieces of dark chocolate

- 1 cup of coffee with chocolate liqueur

Calories 450

Burn it off: Do a yoga or Pilates class or DVD for at least 50 minutes. Great for burning calories and relieving holiday stress and tension.

Second helpings

- Gin and tonic

- One-half cup mashed potatoes

- Dinner roll

- Piece of fudge

Calories 622

Burn it off: Power walk around the mall (about 4 mph) for at least 1 and one-half hours.

Santa treat

- 4 ounces eggnog

- 2 sugar cookies

- 9 Hershey kisses

Calories 487

Burn it off: Go sledding with the kids for an hour.

Couch potato snack

- 2 cans beer

- 2 ounces chips

- One-quarter cup onion dip

Calories 700

Burn it off: Play touch football for 70 minutes.

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ON THE WEB

For healthful recipes and menus, plus more advice from our bloggers, visit dietchallenge.usatoday.com

The right choices put energy, fun, variety into home exercise, pros say

One workout DVD promises a no-holds-barred calorie blast.

A kickboxing DVD pledges an intense fat-burning routine. And yet another says that hoop dancing burns as many calories as running, but it’s low-impact and sexy to boot.

The ever-growing fitness DVD market is flooded with everything from rope-jumping and belly-dancing routines to yoga for “heavyweights” and 10-minute solutions to tone any body part.

“The challenge is to separate the wheat from the chaff,” says Jack Raglin, an Indiana University kinesiology professor. “So many things are promised. Anything that promises a lot should ring alarm bells.”

Fitness DVDs have pros and cons, but they can be great complements to personal training and gym workouts – or the mainstay of someone’s routine. But risk of injury can be greater when exercisers use equipment that’s too heavy, or when they do too much, too fast without an instructor checking their form.

Lindsey Emery, an editor of Fitness magazine, says DVD buyers should check out users’ comments at amazon.com and collagevideos.com.

The bottom line is deciding whether a DVD will inspire you to exercise. “If you’re a motivated person and a go-getter, you’re more apt to do it,” says personal trainer Tony Brown of OrthoIndy and Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital.

Here are top workout DVD picks from fitness experts:

Good total body package

‘Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Training System’

• Highlights: Twelve DVDs featuring intense workouts centering on different parts of the body, from abs and legs to arms/shoulders and chest. Designed as a 90-day routine, it uses “muscle confusion” to enhance results by constantly introducing new moves, so the body never plateaus. • Recommended by: Mitch Schroder, personal trainer/owner of Better Bodies in Zionsville, Ind. • Why he likes it: “It’s just fabulous. I use it when I don’t have access to equipment. There are many different types of workouts, with the focus on cardio and strength training.” • Cost: $119.85.

Good kickboxing workout

‘Chalene Johnson’s Turbo Jam Maximum Results’

• Highlights: Puts exercisers through a fast-paced kickboxing routine, with body-sculpting moves set to dance music. • Recommended by: Gretta Peterson Yarborough, personal trainer and instructor of Zumba and Turbo Kick at New Lady Fitness and Gold’s Gym in Indianapolis. • Why she likes it: “(Johnson) makes kickboxing more fun by using a lot of rhythmic dance moves. It exercises your core muscles and can really get your heart rate up fast.” • Cost: $59.85 (including sculpting gloves).

Good high-energy routine

‘Billy Blanks Tae Bo AMPED’

• Highlights: Uses classic techniques from boxing and martial arts, combined with dance moves, to develop strength, speed, balance, coordination and body awareness. It’s a good cardio workout. Comes with a weighted bar. • Recommended by: Renee Pillow, personal trainer and bodybuilder in Indianapolis. • Why she likes it: “He says things to get you motivated and keep you moving. He talks about how you have to put it in your mind and spirit and feel it in your body.” • Cost: $35.95.

Good use of equipment

‘Juan Carlos Santana’s Essence of Band & Pulley Training, Essence of Dumbbell Training, Essence of Stability Ball Training’

• Highlights: This series offers a variety of challenging exercises using different pieces of low-cost equipment that work the entire body. • Recommended by: Tony Brown, personal trainer with OrthoIndy and Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital. • Why he likes it: “It gives you a variety of exercises you can do, the majority of them at home, with limited equipment. Just the energy he produces is a good motivating factor to do the exercises.” • Cost: $44.95 each.

Good quickie workout

’10-Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones!’

• Highlights: These easy-to-follow workouts use resistance bands (which are included) in creative and challenging ways. “Tone Trouble Zones” is one in a series of 10-Minute Solution DVDs. • Recommended by: Lindsey Emery, an editor for Fitness magazine. • Why the magazine likes it: “Tone Trouble Zones DVD offers five fast, easy-to-follow routines that help tone your arms, abs, butt and legs. Trainer Amy Bento does a great job guiding you through all of the moves, so you never feel intimidated or confused.” • Cost: $16.98.

Good Pilates workout

‘Total Pilates with Rael Isacowitz’

• Highlights: DVDs for beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts, developed by an internationally recognized Pilates expert. • Recommended by: Lindsey Fella, Pilates instructor and owner of Perfect Pilates Studio. • Why she likes it: “It’s perfect for learning Pilates at home. His precise instructions on how to perform the exercises are just like having an instructor at home.” • Cost: $14.95 each.

Good step aerobics workout

‘Kari Anderson’s Go: Step Workout for Beginners’

• Highlights: Instructor keeps the tempo moderate and previews the moves, while offering lots of options. • Recommended by: Tatiana Kolovou, fitness instructor, Monroe (Ind.) County YMCA. • Why she likes it: “(Anderson) is an outstanding teacher, and this is a great step beginner DVD.” • Cost: $14.95.

Good Zumba workout

‘Alberto “Beto” Perez’s Zumba Fitness DVD Workout Kit’

• Highlights: A box set of four DVDs by the creator of Zumba uses both fast and slow rhythms with a variety of Latin dance moves and music to help tone and sculpt the body. • Recommended by: Gretta Peterson Yarborough, Zumba instructor in Indianapolis. • Why she likes it: “It’s a great cardio workout, and it’s fun. Lots of different styles of international Latin dancing are mixed in. You don’t realize you’re working out until the end.” • Cost: $39.95.

Armstrong

MONT-TREMBLANT, Quebec – Lance Armstrong says fighting cancer is the driving force in his decision to race again.

The seven-time Tour de France winner shared a rain-soaked road north of Montreal on Friday with about 40 cyclists to promote awareness about the disease.

“As some of you may or may not know, I’ve decided to race again . . . to talk about the global circumstances of this disease,” said Armstrong, who wore a yellow jersey before his ride in the fundraiser. “It really starts here today in Quebec and in Canada. The disease doesn’t discriminate. If it wants to come and get you, it will.”

The 36-year-old cancer survivor told Vanity Fair this week he’s fully certain he will compete in next summer’s Tour de France.

It looks as if the West has won.

San Francisco is the fittest big city in the USA, just slightly more fit than Seattle, according to a scientific analysis of 16 cities released May 29 by the American College of Sports Medicine at its annual meeting in Indianapolis.

But not all of the West is in top shape. Los Angeles is near the bottom of the list. Phoenix is No. 11.

To rank big metropolitan areas, health and fitness experts analyzed government data from the 15 most populous cities in the country and Indianapolis, where the sports-medicine group is headquartered. They took into consideration a number of health indicators, including the percentage of people who exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, have access to health care, have health insurance and don’t smoke. They also looked at the environment, including the availability of parks, walking/bike trails and public transportation.

This new analysis, called the American Fitness Index, is different from the rankings of fittest and fattest cities released annually by Men’s Fitness, although some of the targeted health indicators are similar. For example, the magazine’s editors examine such factors as time spent working out, average commuting time, the number of parks and time spent watching TV. Tucson was ranked 14th fittest cities in the 2008 rankings.

Government statistics show that about 66 percent of adults are overweight or obese, which increases their risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. New data out May 28 show that 32 percent of children and teens in the USA weigh too much.

“This epidemic of obesity is catching up with us, and one way we can combat it is to provide an environment where kids and families can exercise,” says Walt Thompson, chairman of the panel that created the new index and a professor of exercise physiology at Georgia State University in Atlanta. His city came in No. 5, but he’d like to help Atlanta move up the list.

“We’re targeting cities because that’s where most people live, and they typically don’t have the kind of environment that supports exercise, as opposed to somebody who lives out the country, where there is plenty of open space,” he says. “Our hope is the cities on the bottom of the list will try to replicate some of the things that cities on the top of the list are doing.”

Many cities already have initiatives to encourage more physical activity, but others need to be doing more, says Barbara Ainsworth, professor in the department of exercise and wellness at Arizona State University-Mesa. “Cities can take this information and use it to improve the quality of life for their residents.”

The sports-medicine group’s physical activity guidelines recommend that adult Americans, ages 18 to 65, do moderate-intensity aerobic activity (walking, dancing, biking) for at least 30 minutes five days each week and strength training at least twice a week for all their major muscle groups, including the chest, back, shoulders, upper legs, lower legs and arms. This could be strength training with free weights or machines or weight-bearing calisthenics such as pushups. It should be done on two non-consecutive days.

The aerobic activities should be done in at least 10-minute bouts, the group recommends. Short spurts of low-intensity movement – shopping, taking out the trash or walking a few minutes in the office or parking lot – don’t count.

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THE FITTEST CITIES

San Francisco is the fittest big city in the USA, just slightly more fit than Seattle, according to a scientific analysis of 16 cities released Thursday by the American College of Sports Medicine at its annual meeting in Indianapolis. The list:

1. San Francisco

2. Seattle

3. Boston

4. Washington D.C.

5. Atlanta

6. Philadelphia

7. Chicago

8. Dallas-Fort Worth

9. New York City

10. Miami-Fort Lauderdale

11. Phoenix

12. Indianapolis

13. Houston

14. Los Angeles

15. Riverside, Calif.

16. Detroit

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ON THE WEB

American Fitness Index