Posted: 10 May 2010 08:03 AM PDT

YMCA Programs: We build strong kids, strong families, strong communities.

Summer Sports and Specialty Camps

Get out the calendar and get your kids ready for loads of fun this summer. The Y features camps to keep kids involved for the entire summer. The camps are designed to pique the interest of youngsters and perhaps get them involved in activities for the future. In addition to every day summer day camp, other camps include:

• Tennis Camp. Two sessions of tennis camp will be offered this summer. The first will be held the week of June 7 through June 11; the second will be the week of July 5 through 9. There is a beginner's class, 9 to 10 a.m., and an intermediate class, 10 to 11:30 a.m. The classes are available to members and nonmembers with a limit of 20 children per class.

• Gymnastics Camp. This camp will focus on gymnastic skills on the floor, vault, beam and bars. The camp is for youths in kindergarten through 10th grades, and participants will be grouped according to skill level. Gymnastics camp is open to non-members as well as members. This camp is set for June 14-19 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

• Tumbling and Cheer Camp. Whether a beginner or more experienced, kids in kindergarten through 10th grade will enjoy tumbling and cheer camp. The camp will focus on tumbling skills as well as cheer basics, including jumps and stunts. Participants will be grouped according to skill level during the camp, which will be held June 21-25 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Sign up for any"or all"of these camps at the YMCA front desk. For additional information on any of the sport or specialty camps contact Bill Davis, Teen & Family Director, 895-9622, ext. 21.

Aquatics

Morning Splash swim lessons are an easy and convenient way to get children to learn to swim. Splash is a two-week program meeting from 10 to 10:30 a.m. on Monday through Thursday with Friday as a makeup day. Members and nonmembers, who are 3 through 12 years of age can participate. For convenience, there are four separate sessions, June 14-24, June 28-July 8, July 12-22 and July 26-Aug. 5. Register at the YMCA front desk for any of these sessions.

If a two-week swim session is too intense, or doesn't fit in your schedule, there are plenty of four-week sessions of swim lessons available throughout the summer. The next session begins June 7, for Monday/Wednesday classes, or June 8, for Tuesday/Thursday classes. There are preschool swim lessons for children 3 to 5 years of age and youth swim lessons for kids 6 and older. There is no better place to learn to swim than at the YMCA, so register soon at the front desk. Any questions concerning swim lessons can be directed to Tiffany Petts, aquatic director, ext. 37.

Water Fitness Classes

The weather is warm and so is the Y's warm water therapy pool, where we offer shallow water aerobic fitness classes. Water aerobics classes promote cardiovascular fitness, muscle tone, endurance and flexibility"all without stress to the joints. You do not need to have swimming skills, so get a group together and hit the water. There is a cardio aquacise class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 to 10:50 a.m., and on Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 5:50 p.m. For those who suffer from arthritis, the arthritis aquacise class is Tuesday and Thursday from 10 to 10:50 a.m. There is even a session for men only on Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 to 10 a.m. and on Friday from 9 to 9:30 a.m. And it's easy to attend any of these classes. Simply pay by the class or purchase a convenient water fitness card at the front desk. These aquacise classes are open to members as well as nonmembers.

Professional Rescuer CPR/AED American Red Cross Certification

The next scheduled class will be held on Sat., May 15. This course offers adult, child and infant CPR, rescue breathing and more. At the conclusion of the class, participants should feel more confident in their ability to act appropriately in the event of an emergency. The course is also great for nursing students. Class runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a minimum enrollment of 5 is required. Registration must be made by the Thursday prior to the class. Call Tiffany Petts, ext. 37, for more information.

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Gwyneth Paltrow Shares 'Iron Man 2' Workout Regimen - TheInsider.com

Posted: 10 May 2010 09:51 AM PDT

While spanning the world to promote box office topper 'Iron Man 2,' Gwyneth Paltrow has been repeatedly asked how she got toned to portray the slender Pepper Potts. The actress blogged about her intense core exercise routine and her daily nutritional menu.

Calling the aerobics "arduous," Gwyneth has made the routine available for fans to achieve the same lean figure of her character. "I asked my business partner and trainer Tracy Anderson if she would share with us the terrifically difficult leg series she made for me to do during the filming of the movie," she said. "This 26 minute long video was an amazing start for getting the butt and legs I had always hoped for."

Do not be fooled. That is not all it takes to transform into Pepper Potts. This series of exercises is the grand finale. Preceding it, Gwyneth endured a 45 minute dance cardio workout and arm drills. She stressed that eating habits are also key, adding, "I followed her strict diet for five days to lose my extra winter weight."

Gwyneth admits that she did not commit to this super health-conscience lifestyle forever and sometimes resorts to this crash diet to be red carpet ready. "Now, I am not a good dieter and I cannot ever do it for long, only when there is a goal in sight, which there was in this case. This regime got me into the shape of my life and I continue to return to it when I have a specific event so that I can do ridiculous things like be a 37 year old mother of two and wear shorts!"

To see Gwyneth in tip-top shape, watch 'Iron Man 2,' in theaters now.

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Get in shape, Bollywood-style - Canada.com

Posted: 03 May 2010 04:54 PM PDT

Rahul Manoharan is not in the "no pain, no gain" camp when it comes to fitness. He thinks working out should be fun, so fun that you don't notice the pain. That is why he teaches a form of Bollywood dancercize called Shiamak's Bollywood Workout.

It really gets the heart pumping with its high-energy Bollywood music, helping participants lose weight and get fit. But that's not what people remember.

"The first thing that anybody would look forward to is that it is a fun workout," says Manoharan. "Because you are dancing the whole time, and learning new moves, you do not even feel like you are working out at the same time. One hour goes by like a blink of the eye."

You can check it out on YouTube, where it's hard not to get caught up in its infectious, happy vibe. Watching it also gives you a sense of how physically demanding it can be, but all you remember after you do it is how much fun you had.

The workout follows the basic tenets of aerobics with a warm-up, followed by cardio, followed by core work and flexibility and, finally, a cool-down. But this is no step class. Every move is dance-oriented, says Manharan, incorporating the sensual Indian moves in a fluid way.

There are the bhumkas, pelvic moves similar to those of a belly dancer; there are jhabkas, shimmy-type moves; and there are nakhras, which are all about attitude. Manoharan says the program also incorporates salsa, hip hop and contemporary moves.

Like other dancersize programs, Bollywood benefits more than just your abs or your cardio strength. It also exercises your brain as you learn the moves and it builds good posture as well, says Manoharan.

"You don't have to be a dancer to take this class," he says. "Just come and have fun. The dance happens automatically."

Bollywood had come to Vancouver before last year's Oscars telecast, but when Slumdog Millionaire won best picture, interest in the dance form and workouts took off.

When it started a year ago, four workouts classes were offered in two centres in the Vancouver area. Now, 13 classes in nine recreation centres around the Lower Mainland offer Shiamak's Bollywood workouts. And other facilities like the Glen Pine Pavillion in Coquitlam and the Renfrew Recreation Centre in Vancouver offer their own version of the form.

kgram@vancouversun.com

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.