I just had my fourth lesson today and I’m hooked, line and sinker. The capoeira music, the movements, the partnership, the psychological challenge – all of it combining to give me something to completely get lost in during that 1.5 hour lesson. Once again I am visualizing my performance, seeing and feeling the movements in my head.  I have found my new physical passion at last. The feeling that my calves have been bludgeoned and the taped up blisters on my toes  – my teachers promise me the pain will all be over soon. But to be as good as these guys, I think I’m looking at 20 more years in the roda!

Today was a storybook Saturday in southern California. I got a challenging workout at capoeira; my meals came from the luscious local stands at the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market; and I played on the water with a friend and my stand up paddle board. A great workout, good food, and friends, what more does a girl need? (Well, maybe I can think of a few other things, but I’m not hear to dwell on that which I do not have right now!)…

My introductory lesson in Capoeira, a Brazilian Martial Art, was the highlight of my entire week. Professor Chin masterfully shared his trade with a dynamic warm up, the basic movements of Capoeira, and a completely non-threatening sparring session to close. I’d seen a friend practice capoeira many times before, the perfect packaging of his strength and agility with the graceful movements was mesmerizing to watch. As a personal trainer and athlete, I was every bit as captivated learning the movements myself. The beat of the afro-brazilian music made the movements feel more like a beautiful dance than a preparation to fight. I noticed that I had a smile on my face the entire time, even though trying to do a cartwheel after 20 years was a huge challenge.

Thank you Professor Chin; I can’t wait to do it again!

‘Faugust’ took a time out today, giving me my first view of the Channel Islands in weeks. Enjoy this shot from the stairs on the Mesa near the Douglas Family Preserve, site of Sol’s 7 am outdoor exercise group.

Sol Fitness Adventures is pleased to present a new online directory specializing in alternative healing for mind/body/spirit/planet:  All Things Healing.

Search the site to find holistic-minded fitness experts like Melanie Webb, explore the mystical art of meditation, or find community coops that support a greener, sustainable lifestyle.

You’ll want to at least check out the site for it’s jungle-themed soundtrack and zen-like homepage design – sure to set your mind on a healing frequency to counter the waves your computer screen is emitting as you read this blog…(and by the way, thanks for reading!)

Where is your next EPIC adventure? Even more important, how do you prepare physically and mentally? Tap into your competitive edge with Melanie Webb’s outdoor fitness adventure coaching. Now preparing clients for Mt. Kilimanjaro, The Playa, and NYC (New York City!?)

How often have you met someone who signed up for an incredible outdoor adventure trip thinking they would have plenty of time to train and prepare? Before they know it, the trip is 4 weeks away, life has gotten busy, and they aren’t ready. There are two choices at this point – 1. Go anyway and hope for the best; or 2. Blitzkrieg the sport-specific training and find an expert to coach you along the way.

This is the kind of fitness training that gets the outdoor adventure guide/personal trainer/gear head in me so excited that my energy overflows as I coach my clients toward their fitness goals. To summit a mountain, spend a week in the desert, or be on your game in the Big Apple requires much more than simply ‘showing up.’ As your fitness adventure coach, I will help you develop a strategic plan, research the physical demands of the destination, select the right outdoor equipment, and prepare you mentally and physically for the challenges ahead. Preparation becomes part of the experience, the trip itself is the climax, one which will exceed your expectations because you invested the time and energy to achieve it.

So plan that adventure trip! Live the life. Tap into your fullest potential. Accomplish your fitness goals with Melanie Webb of Sol Fitness Adventures.

Because fitness is more than a gym workout – it’s a way of life!

Santa Barbara Mind Body Specialists

Being fit involves more than bicep curls and crunches. Don’t forget the healing side. The local experts on this page will help you accomplish your fitness goals; soothe sore muscles; make spinal adjustments when necessary; and guide you to overcoming substance abuse or behavioral obstacles. Your local Santa Barbara mind body experts are here:

• Make the connection between mind and body with expert personal trainer and outdoor adventure guide Melanie Webb. (805) 722 – 4599 or soladventure.com
• Soothe sore muscles with the healing touch of massage therapist Yolanda Chasteen at Spa Escape. Find Yolanda at (805) 456 – 9208 or spaescapesb.com
• Receive rapid relief with the expert methods of Dr. Kara Gochnour. (805) 687 – 0533  or DrKaraGochnour.com
• Kick those nasty habits with the assistance of Dr. Adina McGarr. (818) 518-6775 or mysantabarbaratherapy.com

Fitness is more than a gym workout – it’s a way of life!

Two years ago I blogged about my urban garden in Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park. Each day I’d ride there on my bike, putter around, and enjoy the simple pleasure of the peace and quiet of my garden haven. Teaching my young urban friends about fitness and nutrition and sharing my harvest with my personal training clients made the garden even more rewarding.

Now that I live in Santa Barbara, California, farmers market produce is abundant. The idea of being a ‘locavore,’ eating food from your own community, is shared by many in this environmentally conscious city. But I still want the feeling of being involved in the production of the food I eat. Two months ago I built garden boxes in my own backyard. My careful preparation of the soil – I use the lasagna gardening method of layering compost, soil, and other organic material – has resulted in a promising crop of organic vegetables.

Growing our own food provides great nutrition, saves money, and is therapeutic. But I would suggest that growing our own food, whether it’s a tomato plant in a pot on the 20th floor of a high rise apartment building in New York City, the salad greens in the four little garden boxes I’ve built in Santa Barbara, or the many fenced urban gardens of Washington, D.C. should become part of our environmental consciousness. The transportation of produce around the country not only requires too much fuel and wasteful packaging, but separates us from the very earth we sprung from. Humans need to be grounded, to feel dirt under our nails, and most of all, to be connected to the food we eat.

Enough of my banter – time to go harvest my local Santa Barbara produce!

Who was your first fitness guru?

I gotta give props to my first guru, the first lady of fitness, Jane Fonda, for a bold comeback at the age of 73 to host World Fitness Day in Atlanta, Georgia (Atlanta, huh?). Check out the star-studded workout of Jane, Billy Banks, Denise Austin, and the man himself, Richard Simmons. The personal trainer in me is breaking into a sweat just thinking about all those fitness gurus under one roof.

And the Pointer Sisters, too, get out of town! Jane Fonda AND the Pointer Sisters, my first home video workout and my first cassette tape.

In case you missed Jane’s step aerobic workout in 1992, here you go:

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘core fitness’? Did you know that an effective ‘core’ workout consists of more than old-school crunches and sit ups?

A well-rounded core workout combines exercises that strengthen the back, butt, legs, and last but not least, the abs. Every person, from every age and background, can benefit from a regular program of core fitness exercises.

Sol Fitness Adventures personal trainer Melanie Webb brings a new brew of core fitness to Santa Barbara with her “Core Fitness Fusion.” Rather than follow one formulaic training method, Core Fitness Fusion is a smooth blend of strength training, yoga, floor Pilates, and Foundation exercises. Participants strengthen the back, butt, legs and abs in a dynamic group setting. Class regulars have decreased back pain, gained rotation in their golf swing, and lost inches off their waistline.

Taught at the Montecito Country Club,  members and nonmembers alike are invited to attend this dynamic group exercise class.

Details:

What: Melanie Webb’s Core Fitness Fusion

Where: Montecito Country Club, located at 920 Summit Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108

When: Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 am

Members: $15/class

Nonmembers: $20/class

For more information email info@soladventure.com, or call 805.722.4599

USA Today Magazine offers women one more reason to join Sol Fitness Adventures walking group in Santa Barbara: normal-weight women prevent weight gain by doing an hour a day of moderate-intensity activity such as brisk walking.

The Strong Woman’s Guide to Total Health, by Miriam Nelson, a leading researcher on exercise for women, discusses ways to get more creative with walking in order to reach the hour-a-day goal of exercise. For those who are stuck sitting at a desk all day, try these methods to get more steps:

* Take 100 steps around the office every hour
* Walk the long way to the bathroom
* Walk one city block = about 200 steps
* Take a 20 minute brisk walk during your lunch hour = 2,000 steps

It is recommended that American’s strive to walk up to 10,000 feet/day. The best way to track your progress is to get a handy pedometer and watch your activity level to fall into one of the following categories:

* Fewer than 4,500 = very sedentary
* 4,500 – 5,000 = sedentary
* 5,500 – 7,500 = getting there, but you need to step it up
* 8,500 and up = you’re active, stick with it

Give yourself the jump start you need to walk your way to better fitness. Sol’s walking group meets at 7 am Monday and Wednesday at the Douglas Family Preserve, Linda Street Entrance. Walk to the sound of crashing waves, the smell of morning dew, and the feel of the warm sunrise on your skin. It’s so beautiful you’ll feel invigorated mentally as well as physically. See you there! Contact us for more details.