Exercise

Some very simple logic destroys the credibility of the article on the Life Chain demonstration published on Jan. 21. For example, it reports that "3,000 to 4,000 people gathered . . . forming a 5-mile zigzag . . . standing about six feet apart . . ." An exercise in third-grade arithmetic reveals that one or more of the following facts must have been true: 1. There were a lot more than 4,000 people involved and/or 2. They were standing more than six feet apart and/or 3. The chain was considerably less than five miles.

If there is a magic "pill" in medicine, it is exercise. Working out regularly is associated with a broad spectrum of health improvements, including cardiac, bone, brain and lungs. But a new study shows that only one in three U.S. adults is asked about his or her exercise habits by a physician. The data, published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, came from the National Health Interview Survey of 2010, which polls more than 21,800 adults. One in three who had seen a doctor in the past year said they had been advised to begin exercise or continue exercising, researchers found.

Phil Smith had to return home to Grand Junction to find a health care system that could ease his back pain with a simple 30-second exercise -- after physicians elsewhere proposed killing a nerve or surgical fusing of bones in his spine. His experience is a example of how the Grand Junction healthcare system provides some of America's best quality healthcare, at the lowest cost, according to Medicare and the Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare. Smith's experience was a result of work by a task force of Grand Junction health professionals.

Good form makes for a better workout, and that's one of the keys to ballet-inspired barre workouts. These exercises also increase flexibility and tone the muscles without adding bulk. Pasadena-based fitness expert, video host and teacher Tracey Mallett (www.traceymallett.com) is the founder of Booty Barre, a technique that combines elements of dance, yoga and Pilates to strengthen and stretch the body. No prior experience in any of those disciplines is necessary. Make sure the spine, neck and head are aligned and the movements are slow and deliberate.

Everyone knows that exercise is good for the body. But there is a growing awareness among researchers and fitness professionals that working out in groups can provide additional benefits for some. A March 2008 study in the journal Birth by University of Taiwan researchers reported that Taiwanese women taking part in an exercise support program were less likely to have postpartum depression than those who did not.

The George Will column on the free exercise of ignorance is probably the only time he and I will ever agree! JEFF SIROTY Los Angeles

What have you done for your facial muscles lately? Probably nothing, which is just the answer the producers of at least five videotapes and one surgical-steel mouthpiece are counting on. Behind this new batch of exercise elements is the theory that, with the fitness mania in full swing, we've been madly conditioning our abs, thighs and buns. But we've completely ignored what could amount to biceps in our faces.

Compared with other ethnic groups, Hispanic adults spend very little time engaging in leisure time activity. And their lack of playtime may be contributing to their kids' sedentary habits--and excess weight, says new research . The authors of the study, published this week in the journal Pediatrics , note that compared with non-Hispanic white kids, Hispanic kids between age 6 and 17 are much more likely to be physically inactive ...