Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

New Exercise Routines Keep Health Interesting

Aired March 22, 2002 - 10:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is National Nutrition Month, and we are taking a look at ways to get healthy and stay that way. Today our focus is on what we call wild workouts, it is a way it take fitness to a whole new level.

And for more on this, we are going to be paging Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He is down in Atlanta. Sanjay, you and I work out at the same gym, so I just want to be a testimonial to your good health and fitness. You know what you are talking about here.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol. We do work out at the same gym, same trainer. And we know that there is a lot of different exercises, a lot of different workout routines out there. One of the problems is that sometimes they can get a little boring time after time.

So we decided to take a look at some of the newest sort of fitness crazes, things that people are actually doing to try and improve the creativity of their workouts. Everything from palaties to karaoke cycling, to underwater spinning, to hot yoga. We decided to take a look at a couple of those more in depth. Tell me what you think.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two, one, go. Pull, pull, pull. Relax your shoulders.

GUPTA (voice-over): HydroRide, an underwater cycling class, takes a ride on a stationary bike to another level.

KATHY CASTELLANO, CRUNCH FITNESS: The concept itself is put what we love, the ride, put it under water, give it 12 times resistance, work against that resistance of the water, retrain the muscles differently.

GUPTA: Participants at this Crunch Fitness in Atlanta are taught speed drills, lifts, and arm work. And unlike most forms of exercise, this class offers aid to those with injuries.

CASTELLANO: I would recommend it for people even that are probably rehabing from knee injuries, ankle injuries, because, again, there is no pounding on the joints. They wouldn't ride as aggressively as I would probably teach the class to a group of trained athletes. They would ride a little slower, maybe a little less tension, but it would definitely benefit them, and help retrain and rehab.

CRISTINA REY, BIKRAM YOGA INSTRUCTOR: Inhale. Bring the leg up, body down.

GUPTA: But if riding a bike in cold water isn't for you, how about exercising in a superheated room? To some, it is called hot yoga, but its official name, Bikram yoga. This class is taking place in a 106 degree room. It is considered a very disciplined way to do yoga, and help you learn more about your body, and your stamina.

REY: And the heat will help you stretch your body, will help you stretch your -- it is like a black smith. You try to restructure your body in cold, you break your body. It is like -- a blacksmith, how you call that? Steel, if you want to modify steel, you have to heat it up, and then slowly you will modify it. And with your body, it happens the same.

GUPTA: And although Bikram may be a good form of group exercise, participants are really encouraged to listen to their own body.

REY: Common sense is something that will keep you safe in every situation almost. And one of the things that this yoga does is make you be responsible for that. We tell people, don't push too hard, do it slowly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: I will tell you Carol, I'm not sure that I could do all those maneuvers myself, there. Some of those exercises may seem a little wacky, but they are creative, and people do seem to come back, and participate more regularly. As always, they inform people to go ahead and check with your doctor or to make sure you are physically fit before engaging in some of these pretty strenuous exercise routines, but they do seem pretty effective.

LIN: You know, you say listen to your own body, and as I'm watching this, my own body is saying, don't try that. Don't go there. How do you know, if you are doing this, you know, while you are doing it, that you may going too far, and you might hurt yourself?

GUPTA: That's right, and that's an important point, Carol, because a lot of people sort of get into some of these new exercise routines without thinking about that. Some of the old sort of rules apply.

If your body is telling that you that it hurts, if there is a certain joint that is aching, you may be overdoing it. You got to make sure to stay really well hydrated before you start any of these things. You know, they were exercising in a room that is 106 degrees, so certainly, dehydration can a problem.

And just make sure your overall cardiovascular fitness, as well as your diet coincides with what you are trying to do to your body physically. But if all those parameters are together, it should be a pretty safe and effective workout routine.

LIN: What is the weirdest workout that you have ever done, Sanjay?

GUPTA: Well, I actually have tried yoga before, and the Bikram yoga that they were mentioning there actually involves 26 different postures, and you go through them.

I wasn't quite as flexible as some of the guys you saw there, but I will tell you, it really does not only focus your body, but focuses your mind. You really can focus on your breathing quite well, as well as all your organ systems, sort of come into some sort of sense of sync. So, I felt pretty good about that. It may be considered wacky, but I thought it was a good workout routine for me.

LIN: I have clearly got to open my mind.

GUPTA: We'll go down to the gym, Carol, and we'll do just that.

LIN: All right. Heat it up. I will be there. See you later.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com