Kimberly Garrison

THURSDAY, DEC. 14, 2006

• 3:00 p.m. KEMPER PARK BIKE RIDE: 13-14 mph, 15-20 miles. I will continue this ride into the second week of December. After that, work does not allow the luxury of riding. Rides will resume in January, conditions permitting. Kemper Park is located on Valley Road in Warminster, between Street and Bristol Road. Contact David C. Atkins at 215-675-4597.
• 6:00 p.m. BIKE ATLERNATIVE TO TRAINING INSIDE: Social Event, Two Hours +. Come join Suzie & I for a hike in Fairmount Park. Hiking boots, water and a light are suggested. We will start at the parking lot at Bells Mills Road west of the trail. Any questions, give me a call. Contact Richard Terry at 215-675-1536.
• 6:00 p.m. GROUP TRAINER BIKE RIDE: Every Tuesday and Thursday night thru the winter, unless circumstances prohibit, there is a group trainer ride 6:10 at Cycle Sport. We follow training videos for a 40min to 1hr workout, not including warm up and cool down. People wishing to "ride" with us need only bring their bike and trainer. The workout is as hard or easy as you wish, so riders of all abilities are welcome. Contact Harry at 610-565-9535.
• 6:30 p.m. TRAIL BY NIGHT BIKE RIDE: Leave Corner Ketch Development (call for directions) for a ride on paved or gravel roads through the White Clay Preserve. You need a hybrid or mountain bike with a set of good lights for the front and at least a flicker light for the rear. There are a few spots where there are ruts in the road so a 10W light beam for the front should be used at a minimum. Bring your sense of adventure. NO GO if the temp is below 40 degrees at the start of the ride (www.weather.com for Newark, DE). We're afraid of ice forming in spots that may be hard to see. For more information, contact Mario Nappa at at 302-239-1179.
• 6:30 p.m. TRAIL RUNS: Thursdays Runs consist of approximately 4 to 5 miles of unique trails varying in degrees of difficulty, but all within the serene confines of the Wissahickon Valley. NO FEES, no shirts, no pants required. All runners, speeds, skill levels welcome! Fun food and Cash Bar afterwards courtesy of the Valley Green/Wissahickon (meet in front of Valley Green Inn). Call 215-849-9080.
• COPING WITH HOLIDAY STRESS: The demands of the holiday season can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. Discuss a variety of strategies to manage holiday stress and anxiety as well as the “winter blues” at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, 111 South 11th Street, Philadelphia. Call 1-800-JEFF-NOW

Here's the latest Philly Fitness and Health Podcast. This week Kimberly talks to Gavin McKay, a young man who has already been around the world and created his own fitness system, Fusion Cross Training, integrating three principal workout areas. He talks about his innovative approach and how he arrived at it at such a young age. Be fit, be strong and be your best with Philly Fitness and Health.

THROUGHOUT THE year, I get lots of mail from Daily News readers wanting answers to fitness questions. The good news is many of you are exercising. The bad news is many of you are getting poor results, using bad form or experiencing setbacks due to minor or chronic injuries.

Here are 10 of the most common exercise errors and the error-proof solutions to get you in tip-top shape going into 2007.

1. You try to spot-reduce.

You've been doing 2,000 crunches every day and yet that six-pack still eludes you? Once and for all, working a specific body part to reduce fat in that area does not work. To lose fat you must eat less, do cardio to burn the fat and strength-training to tone and shape.

THURSDAY, DEC. 21, 2006

• 10:00 a.m. CELEBRATE THE WINTER SOLSTICE ON THE WADING RIVER: We'll paddle 6 miles from Hawkin Bridge to Evans Bridge. Join us for our annual solstice celebration as the sun begins anew its journey to longer days. Contact leaders to confirm trip. Contact Leaders: George & Leona F. at 609-259-3734.
• 1:00 p.m. WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Pennsylvania plays Drexel at the Palestra, Philadelphia. Call 215-898-6151.
• 6:00 p.m. GROUP TRAINER BIKE RIDE: Every Tuesday and Thursday night thru the winter, unless circumstances prohibit, there is a group trainer ride 6:10 at Cycle Sport. We follow training videos for a 40min to 1hr workout, not including warm up and cool down. People wishing to "ride" with us need only bring their bike and trainer. The workout is as hard or easy as you wish, so riders of all abilities are welcome. Contact Harry at 610-565-9535.
• 6:30 p.m. TRAIL BY NIGHT BIKE RIDE: Leave Corner Ketch Development (call for directions) for a ride on paved or gravel roads through the White Clay Preserve. You need a hybrid or mountain bike with a set of good lights for the front and at least a flicker light for the rear. There are a few spots where there are ruts in the road so a 10W light beam for the front should be used at a minimum. Bring your sense of adventure. NO GO if the temp is below 40 degrees at the start of the ride (www.weather.com for Newark, DE). We're afraid of ice forming in spots that may be hard to see. For more information, contact Mario Nappa at 302-239-1179.
• 6:30 p.m. TRAIL RUNS: Thursdays Runs consist of approximately 4 to 5 miles of unique trails varying in degrees of difficulty, but all within the serene confines of the Wissahickon Valley. NO FEES, no shirts, no pants required. All runners, speeds, skill levels welcome! Fun food and Cash Bar afterwards courtesy of the Valley Green/Wissahickon (meet in front of Valley Green Inn). Call 215-849-9080.
• 8:00 p.m. IRISH SET DANCING: MacSwiney Club, Greenwood & Walnut Sts, Jenkintown, PA. Call 610-446-9338.

THE HOLIDAY season is filled with parties and festivities. Whether it's an an office party, family dinner or New Year's bash with friends, there is always one thing in common: holiday drinks.

Beverages, especially alcoholic ones, contain many empty calories that can quickly add up to the calories of an entire meal. This could surely sabotage your weight-loss goals. To keep you on track over the holidays, here are 10 tips for healthy holiday drinking:

1. Stay hydrated. Staying properly hydrated is critical at all times but especially during the holiday season, when many of us are stressed and rushing about and not always eating or drinking properly. The body's preferred beverage is good old-fashioned water.

If you are going to indulge in holiday libations, drink plenty of water throughout the day and, at the party, chase each alcoholic beverage you drink with a glass of water.

Here's the latest Philly Fitness and Health Podcast. This week Kimberly talks to Andre Berto, a hotly recruited 2004 Olympic Boxer, about his path to fitness, his plans for the future and his tips for staying fit whether you box or not. Be fit, be strong and be your best with Philly Fitness and Health.

You can post any questions at the COMMENTS link or e-mail Kimberly at kimberly@phillynews.com.

ONE AFTERNOON while working out, whom did I run into at the weight room in the 12th Street Gym? None other than actor Glynn Turman, perhaps best remembered as Col. Taylor on the NBC-TV show "A Different World."

I asked him what he was doing working out at the 12th Street Gym and he told me that he was in Philadelphia to perform in the Wilma Theater's production of "My Children! My Africa!"

"Cool," I said. I'm a fan of the courageous South African playwright Athol Fugard, and also of Philadelphia's own Wilma Theater, which has consistently and bravely produced some of the most avant-garde, provocative and thrilling moments I've experienced in the theater.

Nearly every day I would see Turman working out, and one day I requested an interview and he agreed.

I knew that Turman was a veteran screen actor who had starred in the cult classics "Cooley High" and "J.D.'s Revenge," and most recently played Mayor Clarence Royce in the HBO hit show, "The Wire." However, I was blown away to discover that he is also a stage talent and a recipient of the NAACP's Lifetime Achievement Award for Theater.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2007

• 8:45 a.m. NUTRITION INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING-MT. HOLLY 2007: 895 Rancocas Road, Suite 3, Mount Holly, NJ. Meet for individual counseling with a registered dietitian who will work with your food preferences & develop a strategy to achieve your goals. Nutrition advice for diabetes, allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, etc. Different fee plans are available depending upon the number of visits you need. Please note that our cancellation policy requires 48 hours advance notice, so that we may make this appointment time available to another patient, otherwise you will be charged $25. For an appointment, call toll-free 1-888-Virtua-3 (1-888-847-8823). *Please note: Some appointments are reserved for gestational patients.
• 11:45 a.m. NUTRITION INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING-VOORHEES 2007: One Carnie Blvd., Voorhees, NJ. Meet for individual counseling with a registered dietitian who will work with your food preferences & develop a strategy to achieve your goals. Nutrition advice for diabetes, allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, etc. Different fee plans are available depending upon the number of visits you need. Please note that our cancellation policy requires 48 hours advance notice, so that we may make this appointment time available to another patient, otherwise you will be charged $25. For an appointment, call toll-free 1-888-Virtua-3 (1-888-847-8823). *Please note: Some appointments are reserved for gestational patients.
• 6:00 p.m. ALTERNATIVE TO TRAINING INSIDE HIKE: Social Event, Two Hours +. Come join Suzie (Chesapeake Bay Retreiver) & I for a hike in Fairmount Park. Meet in the parking lot on Bells Mill Road (west side of the path). Bring hiking boots, appropriate clothing and a light. We will hike the hills going out and come back on Forbidden Drive. Any questions, give me a call during the day. Contact Richard Terry at 215-654-5670.
• 6:00 p.m. GROUP TRAINER BIKE RIDE: Every Tuesday and Thursday night thru the winter, unless circumstances prohibit, there is a group trainer ride 6:10 at Cycle Sport. We follow training videos for a 40min to 1hr workout, not including warm up and cool down. People wishing to "ride" with us need only bring their bike and trainer. The workout is as hard or easy as you wish, so riders of all abilities are welcome. Contact Harry at 610-565-9535.
• 6:30 p.m. TRAIL BY NIGHT BIKE RIDE: Leave Corner Ketch Development (call for directions) for a ride on paved or gravel roads through the White Clay Preserve. You need a hybrid or mountain bike with a set of good lights for the front and at least a flicker light for the rear. There are a few spots where there are ruts in the road so a 10W light beam for the front should be used at a minimum. Bring your sense of adventure. NO GO if the temp is below 40 degrees at the start of the ride (www.weather.com for Newark, DE). We're afraid of ice forming in spots that may be hard to see. For more information, contact Mario Nappa at 302-239-1179.
• 7:00 p.m. NEW BEGINNINGS WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY ORIENTATION: An introductory education class for patients preparing for weight loss surgery at the Barry D. Brown Health Educ Ct, 106 Carnie Blvd., Voorhees, NJ. There is no commitment at the session to enroll into the New Beginnings program. It covers program expectations, preparation for surgery & care after the procedure. To register, call toll-free 1-888-Virtua-3 (1-888-847-8823). *Friends/family need to be registered due to room constraints.