Fit Club: You can make a low-tech gym for less money with equipment like resistance bands
Illustration: Michael Klein for Newsweek

Barbara Bushman rolls out of bed as early as 4 a.m. to head to her gym—even though it’s just downstairs. “I don’t really care what I wear or what I look like,” she says about working out at home. “It’s the dogs and me.” She owns free weights, a Universal machine, resistance bands and a treadmill. But that’s not all: Bushman also exercises at the fitness center at Missouri State University, where she is a professor in the department of health and physical education. “I like to mix and match,” she says.

Most of us struggle to find time for just one gym, let alone two. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Americans get at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like walking) or at least 20 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (like running) three days a week, plus some strength training (like push-ups or lifting weights). But most of us fall far short of that goal. As cooler weather approaches, forcing many to bring their workouts indoors, TIP SHEET provides a guide to what to consider before choosing to work out at home or join a gym—or both.

• Cost: Last year the average annual dues for U.S. health clubs were $402—or $33.46 per month, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportclub Association. That price can be a bargain if you go frequently—or a rip-off if you don’t. Novice health-club users should pick one that doesn’t require a long-term contract.

By Paul Tolme 

Calm-water kayak tours are like a nature hike on water, offering the chance to see wildlife and view landscapes unreachable on foot. Void of running rapids or raging surf, calm-water tours are ideal for first-timers. Here are a few locations where beginners can get their paddles wet.

Escape the crowded roads of Yellowstone National Park while gliding across Yellowstone Lake, whose 136 miles of shoreline make up the nation’s largest body of fresh water above 7,000 feet. The park’s animals and geology are on full display here. Bald eagles and osprey hunt for fish, playful otters poke their heads above the surface and grizzlies lumber along the shoreline ($175 for a day tour, $400 for an overnight with a gourmet campfire meal; snakeriverkayak.com).

Lake Tahoe’s legendary clarity and aqua-blue color allow visitors to see down 70 feet and draw comparisons with the Caribbean—that is, until you touch the brisk mountain water that flows down from California’s Sierra Nevada and Nevada’s Carson ranges. Navigate around giant rounded boulders deposited by glaciers and land on a secluded beach for lunch ($85 for a five-hour trip; tahoeadventurecompany.com).

By Tina Peng  

Celebrities have fallen for a wave of trendy juice fasts—or “cleanses”—that purportedly flush the body of toxins. Nutritionist Gayl Canfield of the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa says good diet and exercise habits are more effective and warns that people shouldn’t do cleanses for more than a few days without medical supervision. Here’s what some stars are downing.

L.O.V.E.fast
PRICE: $350 for five days LOCATION: New York INFO: organicavenue.com

Organic Avenue will deliver daily smoothies, soups, milks and salads—all organic and all vegan—to Manhattan customers’ offices. There’s also a less intense L.O.V.E.feast.

Blueprint Cleanse
PRICE: $325 for five days LOCATION: New York INFO: blueprintcleanse.com

The three-day Beginner’s Cleanse includes cashew milk with vanilla and cinnamon; the Excavation Cleanse lasts longer and includes more cayenne to flush out toxins.

Go to the World Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles to see 1,000 performers from across the world—including throat singers from Mongolia and Israeli composer Yuval Ron—perform in 41 events of sacred music and movement (Sept. 13–28; festivalofsacredmusic.org).

Read “The Flavor Bible” by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg ($35). This unique cookbook encourages chefs to ditch their recipes and follow their imaginations instead. The book lists thousands of classic as well as offbeat flavor combinations. Look up “chicken” and you get “figs, honey, thyme and white wine,” among dozens of other serving ideas.

Hear “How to Walk Away” by Juliana Hatfield. After 20 years, the songstress still packs a wallop on her 10th album, featuring edgy tales of heartbreak sung with that classic sweetness.

By Elisa Mala

The Bronx is the only New York City borough that isn’t situated on an island. But that’s not its only claim to fame – it boasts some of the city's most colorful and entertaining attractions. It's an easy subway ride from virtually anywhere in Manhattan, but on the first Wednesday of every month, there are even free trolley rides from midtown. While the borough is often overshadowed by its neighbor to the south (Manhattan), it's worth seeing up close. Take it from NEWSWEEK’s Elisa Mala, who lived just below the Bronx-Manhattan border for a good part of her life.

Ride the Skyfari at the Bronx Zoo, a cable car that soars over treetops, orangutans and more than 6,000 other furry friends at heights of up to 100 feet. Afraid of heights? Never fear – an internal train ride that’s appropriate for children and adults alike stays closer to the ground and covers quite a lot of it. Or try the narrated tram tour at the New York Botanical Garden, where riders can hop on or off as many times as they like to check out one of the city’s few waterfalls, a serene reflecting pool or numerous verdant gardens.

Stroll past the nautical museum, lighthouse, docks and mom-and-pop shops on City Island, an islet off the coast of Pelham Bay Park that is as picturesque as any North England port town. Settled by the English in 1685, it's steeped in centuries of nautical history and feels far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, even though it’s only a few miles away from the skyscrapers.