The snow has finally melted and temperatures are on the rise. That can only mean one thing. Beach season is just around the corner, and people are sweating it out and pounding the pavement to achieve a summer-ready physique.

But only 20 percent of U.S. adults are meeting both the aerobic and muscle-strengthening components of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions physical activity recommendations, said Mekenzie L. Riley, a University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator.

According to Riley, those physical activity guidelines recommend that adults get at least 2 hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as walking, or 1 hours a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging or a combination of walking and running.

The guidelines also recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups, sit-ups, or activities using resistance bands or weights. These activities should involve all major muscle groups and should be done on two or more days per week, she said.

Only 50 percent of adults are getting the recommended amount of aerobic activity, and only 30 percent are engaging in the recommended muscle-strengthening activity, she noted.

Although only 20 percent of adults are meeting both aerobic and strength-building activity recommendations, its a positive development that half of U.S. adults are meeting the aerobic guidelines and a third are meeting the muscle-strengthening recommendations, Riley said.

If you are meeting these requirements, the benefits to your long-term health are indisputable. You are doing a really good thing. However, thats not the only piece to the physical fitness puzzle. The American College of Sports Medicine now says that a sedentary lifestyle is a health risk factor, regardless of whether youre getting the proper amount of exercise, she added.

You might be pulling double sessions in the gym, but if you spend another five-plus hours sitting in front of a computer screen, television, or driving in a car, youre still endangering your health, she said.

Research shows that sedentary behavior -- sitting for long periods of time -- is distinct from physical activity and has been shown to be a health risk in itself. Meeting the guidelines for physical activity doesnt make up for a sedentary lifestyle, she said.

This is a problem because adults are sedentary for 60 percent or more of their waking hours. The risks of sitting all day are the ones youd expect: increased chance of heart disease and diabetes, a higher body mass index, and increased waist circumference. So what can we do? Get up and move!

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To be ready for short sleeves and swimsuits, you need to kick up aerobics

Posted: Tuesday, April 8, 2014 4:00 pm

RCCA sets Stepping On class

The Rock County Council on Aging is offering a falls prevention workshop called Stepping On beginning April 11 in Milton and May 2 in Janesville. Stepping On meets two hours a week for seven weeks and includes local guest experts that provide information on excercise, vision, safety, medications and more.

Ninety percent of fall-related deaths and 70 percent of fall-related hospital stays involve people age 65 and older. The Stepping On workshops are offered to people age 60 and older who live independently in their own home or apartment. Cost to attend the workshop is $10.

Sessions will run in Milton from 10 a.m.-noon on Fridays, April 11 to May 23, at the Gathering Place, 715 Campus St. In Janesville they will be 10 a.m.-noon on Fridays, May 2 to June 20, at St. Marys Janesville Hospital, 3400 E. Racine St. Later sessions will begin in Evansville in July and Beloit in September.

For more information or to register, call 608-758-8455, or register online at http://www.co.rock.wi.us/aging . Transportation may be available to the classes. Scholarships

are available.

Posted in Community, Living on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 4:00 pm.

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RCCA sets Stepping On class

Juniors bag five gold medals

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah juniors shined at the recent National Junior Circuit Artistic Gymnastic Championship which was held in Bukit Jalil from March 27-29.

Despite sending only a small team with two boys from Kota Kinabalu and seven girls from Sandakan, they grabbed five golds, four silvers and five bronzes.

Michelle Elfena Willfrad competing in the girls' 9-12 category was the toast of the team with her two gold medals in the uneven bars and individual overall as well as a silver in the vault and bronze in the floor excercise. Teammate Janniesia Jiniol also took home a gold medal in the vault event and three silvers in the uneven bars, balance beam and the individual overall in the same category.

Sabah clinched the gold medal in the girls 7 & 8 category's team event with their line-up of Tan Mui Kun, Widiah Abd Bakar, Nur Izzreen Dayana and Hani Dylaila Afiqa Suherdy. Tan Mui Kun also took two bronze in the uneven bars and individual overall while Widiah contributed a bronze in the individual overall.

The boys team took home one gold and two silvers with the gold coming from Silvestre Ronaldo Jr. Sunny in the boys' 11 &12 category and he also finsihed second in the individual overall event for a silver while Allan Leong Wei Kin won a bronze in the individual overall.

The team was led by team manager Liew Tong Ee who was also the coach as well as judge in the championship.

He said other officials in the team were Zamri Din who was one of the judges and Loy Billy who was the boys' coach.

He also expressed his gratitude to the Sabah Sports Council and the Sabah Gymnastic Association for their support to the team.

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Juniors bag five gold medals

If you're interested in taking up a martial art, there are a ton of great styles to choose from. There's Judo, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, and of course my own personal style Larussote, which is basically an all Crane Kick form of Karate based on the climactic final scene of the Karate Kid. No matter which style you choose, martial arts can be a great past time. They teach the importance of discipline and physical conditioning. Bonus: You won't have to worry about the Cobra Kai any more if you take up Larussote.

Of all the martial arts, one that is often overlooked is Tai Chi. Sure, we've all heard about it for relaxation and to give older people an excuse to go to the park in pajama pants but what if I told you that Tai Chi also allows its masters to harness the power of telekinesis? Sort of like a Street Fighter character, only there's no tournament so you're pretty much just using your powers for menial tasks at work. Interested? Here's just a sample of the power of Tai Chi telekinesis.

WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME (Unless you film it. Then, please send us a link to the video).

Quick question. WHO was doing WHAT is that video? Once I know I think I'll be able to do telekinetic Tai Chi.

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Oh, THIS Is What Telekinesis Is? We Had It All Wrong

Adi Shakti Kundalini Yoga Center, 6717 Valmont Road, Boulder, 720-252-3962, adishakticenter.com

Instructor: Rachel Zelaya, of Niwot, is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher and has been teaching since 2011. She taught yoga to refugees in Liberia before opening the Adi Shakti center in Boulder. She has also trained with Guru Meher Singh Khalsa, a yoga teacher and author of the book, "Senses of the Soul," upon which this class is based.

What is the workout? A Kundalini Yoga and meditation series that is designed to help participants work with difficult emotions, such as grief, guilt and shame. My class focused on anger. The classes use meditations and guided visualizations from the "Senses of the Soul" book, incorporated with Kundalini movements which are centered on the breath and doing specific, repetitive motions for one to five minutes.

Adi Shakti's website calls Kundalini a mixture of "P90X and yoga, while being rooted to the creative power" of energy.

What's different? Kundalini Yoga is dramatically different from any other form of yoga I've tried. The only familiar move we did was one short downward dog at the beginning of class.

"It's not your typical idea of what you think of as yoga," Zelaya says. "Everything is dynamic movements to move energy to release blocks, stretch muscles and get the lungs and heart pumping, so when you sit to meditate, you have a better chance to go deeper."

For example, we interlaced our hands behind our neck and twisted from the base of the spine from left to right (inhaling left, exhaling right) for several minutes. Or we laid on our backs with our legs 90 degrees toward the ceiling and pounded on the floor with the palms of our hands. (That one felt like an adult tantrum.)

"When people think of yoga, they think of a posture you hold for a while, or flow yoga with sun salutations over and over," Zelaya says. "With this, you take one movement and do it for one to three minutes, which gives the energy a chance to start moving."

Plus, Zelaya wore head-to-toe white cotton, as did many of the students; some wore turbans on their heads.

We also interspersed meditations throughout the class, not only at the end.

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Workout: Kundalini Yoga and Meditation: Senses of the Soul

Perhaps youve been considering trying yoga for a while but are hesitating because of one reason or another.

Perhaps youre pregnant. Maybe youre a runner. Maybe youre a muscle-bound man. Perhaps youre recovering from an injury or surgery, or are over 50 and feel too stiff for yoga.

Heres how yoga can actually be very beneficial in each of these circumstances:

Pregnant: A regular yoga class will generally not be suitable for you if youre expecting a baby. There should, however, be prenatal yoga classes running fairly frequently in your community. Attending yoga while pregnant can have profound effects on your comfort, your breathing techniques during labour (for pain management) and your ability to recover your strength and fitness after the baby is born.

Runner: Yoga is a great complement to running, as it will stretch your overused muscles and bring your body into greater balance. It can also enhance your self-awareness, which is effective for injury prevention.

Muscle-bound: Feeling far too tight to even think about doing some of those poses you see? Look for a specific Yoga for Men class.

Recuperating: A very gentle class can greatly help you in your recovery process. As well, one-on-one therapeutic yoga is perfectly suited to helping you regain your mobility and comfort.

Over 50 and new to yoga: You might want to find a teacher who is also over 50, or who is experienced in teaching mature bodies. Even if youre fit, youll need to learn how to approach yoga poses with respect, and with awareness of joint alignment. Theres a variety of seniors classes offered locally.

Make sure to check with your physician before starting yoga, especially if you belong to one of the above categories. You may also like to speak in advance with a few teachers, to ensure they can accommodate your needs.

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Yoga in special circumstances

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Jaysea DeVoe, 12, teaches her yoga class at the Bergamot Spa in Encinitas, Calif. on March 11, 2014.

Jaysea Devoe is a yoga instructor who has the challenging job of teaching fidgety preschoolers the ancient practice, but once her charges get going, she says, "they really start to focus and listen."

Devoe knows a thing or two about childhood and focus, for she is only 12 years old and just recently became a certified yoga instructor after completing 200 hours of teacher training. She is believed to be the youngest certified female yoga instructor in the United States.

In addition to her pint-size students aged 4 to 6, Devoe teaches teens and fellow tweens in her California beach town of Encinitas and is about to start a family yoga class. Oh, and she just told her dad she wants to look into making eco-friendly yoga mats.

"I feel like I want to do this for a long time because I love teaching so much," says Devoe, the picture of a California beach girl, with long blond hair and long legs to match.

But Jaysea is not alone in her entrepreneurial zeal. Her twin brother is a sponsored competitive surfer and works at a surfboard fin manufacturing company. Her 15-year-old brother is a "professional water man," a spear fisherman, rod and reel angler and surfer who also teaches and has sponsors.

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California tweening: The making of a 12-year-old yoga teacher