So, all of you Destination: You (D:Y) users are familiar with how cool it is that the Tracker can differentiate between your walking and running steps by use of accelerometer technology and a complex set of algorithms (mmm . . . math). But what are those “Other Activity” steps that show up in dark blue on your Weekly Progress graph? We’re glad you asked; everyone does.

That Other Activity is movements that were tracked but could not be identified as either walking or running. That could mean any of three things:

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A few stories that got our attention this week:

The new flu season is on its way, so flu shot season is already upon us. The Centers for Disease Control have all-new flu season FAQs plus their first-ever videos in American Sign Language. (CDC.gov)

Fighting childhood obesity doesn’t get much more fun than Baby Loves Disco, a touring afternoon dance party to get tots shaking their booties. Find out when it’s in your town.

Also getting a younger crowd is water aerobics. Fun new options like Aqua Zumba are drawing more than just seniors. (Washington Post)

Economics affects obesity: In Brazil, a booming economy means rising obesity rates. (Reuters)
Obesity affects economics: In the US, there’s a boom for oversize casket companies to suit American’s booming waistlines. (San Francisco Examiner)

Last week, it was deli meat and eggs. (WebMD) This week, it’s ground beef and more eggs. (Organic Authority) If the recalls have you considering a change, check out the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart with tips, meal plans and other tools. (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)

If you want your tax dollars to support safe and convenient access for pedestrians and cyclists in your area, then you may want to support the Active Community Transportation Act. (League of American Bicyclists)

I just returned from vacation last week. And although it is already a distant memory, I enjoy finding creative and fun ways to stay active during vacation. By working exercise into my family’s vacation plans, I don’t end up feeling like a slob by the end of the week, and I don’t have to take time away from them to go to a gym on my week off.

Here are my ways to stay active and still have fun on vacation:

1. Rent bikes for a day, or better yet, for a week. Ride as many places as you safely can, even if they’re 5-10 minute rides. They add up! Or find a trail and go exploring. Just don’t forget to wear a helmet!

2. Take a walk. There’s no better way to learn about a new city or explore a new area. Hiking is great in a mountainous area, and long walks on the beach are always enjoyable. I walk every day on my vacation…even if it’s in 10-15 minute segments.

3. Go kayaking! It’s so much fun, and if you’re near a body of water, it’s usually easy to find a place that rents kayaks. Kids love it, and it’s a great upper body workout.

4. Surf! My husband surfs, so many of our vacations are built around beaches with good waves. Most places with waves have local surf shops that offer lessons for beginners. Surfing is relatively easy to pick up (but hard to master!). If surfing intimidates you, grab a boogie board. It’s less intimidating, very easy to do, and still a lot of fun. Paddling out to get beyond the break is great exercise.

5. Play! My kids are very active, and on most of our vacations, we end up playing baseball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, soccer or even tag. You’ll be surprised at how fast the time goes … and at the soreness you feel the next day in muscles you didn’t realize you had.

Regardless of how you do it, take an hour or so to be active on vacation. Get out and move. I promise you, you’ll be glad you did.

No, not pregnant; just reading this week’s health news:

Is Cherry Garcia really “all-natural”? A truth-in-labeling controversy hits Ben & Jerry’s. (Center for Science in the Public Interest) But one diet guru argues that they’re still more natural than other ice creams. (Huffington Post)

What makes the better breakfast: a doughnut or none at all? (SparkPeople)

Want homemade pickles? Curious for DIY kimchi? Then enter to win the “Ultimate Fermentation Kit” for you or the foodie you love. (Nourished Kitchen)

See what arthritis in moose is teaching researchers about arthritis in humans. (New York Times)

Martial arts are popularly thought of as inflicting pain. But one martial art has been found to relieve some chronic pain. (Health.com)

As the health risks of sports-related concussions gain more attention, new research sees if they may be related to Lou Gehrig’s disease (CNN) and if Wii Fit can help prevent them. (Washington Post)

On a related note, if some video games are touted as providing real exercise, how do we know if they’re effective? (Wired)

Last week, I decided I needed to take a trip. Not a virtual trip, à la Destination: You, but an actual trip. I wanted to go to Denmark. But since it’s over 4,000 miles away (or 8 million steps) and the ticket was $1,500, I decided to do the next best thing, and I went to Solvang.

Solvang is a small Danish town in California, and it is where I grew up. The town is modeled after a Danish village, and that is reflected in the architecture, restaurants, and shops. The best part about it is the smorgasbord of delicious food. I knew I was going to eat a lot, so I needed to get in a lot of steps.

Every morning, I took a five-mile walk (10,000 steps) in and around town before the shops opened. Then, for breakfast, I walked to Arne’s for aebleskivers (1,000 steps each way). Cruising around town, looking at beer steins, wooden clogs, and Little Mermaid statues, got me another 4,000 steps each day; walking to dinner raked in a couple of thousand more. Combining sightseeing, shopping, and yummy food with walking was an easy and fun way to get my steps in for the day while on vacation.

Check out these other fun, themed cities to get your steps in while close to home:

• Paris, Texas – Walk over to the Eiffel Tower replica. This one has a giant cowboy hat on top.
• New Glarus, Wisconsin – Take a long stroll to check out the chalets in this countryside hamlet, affectionately called ‘Little Switzerland.’
• Mt. Angel, Oregon – Be sure to have your tracker on when you are chasing your pup in the weiner dog races during Oktoberfest in this German heritage town.
• Orange City, Iowa – Tiptoe through the tulips, and walk from windmill to windmill in this Dutch-inspired town.
• Lindsborg, Kansas – Forget IKEA (although you could get a lot of steps in there) and check out the handmade Swedish furniture while you get your steps in.

Happy walking!

My wife, the girls, and the dog left on Saturday for a combination sleep-away-camp drop-off and visiting friends in New England.  So I’m home alone for the week.  Well actually it’s Frisky the cat, Bob the parakeet, Jasmine the goldfish, and me living the bachelor life through Saturday.  I may be a fairly pathetic bachelor, but my plan was to take advantage of the extra free time to get some extra work done and workout every night at my leisure.

As a little background, having dinner with and reading to my girls at night are my favorite things to do, but combined, they take a couple of hours.  By the time we’re done, it’s usually 9 pm, which is just too late for me to go to the gym.  The only way I can consistently find time to exercise is to get up at 5 am and run on the treadmill.  If I don’t schedule it and get it out of the way early, it just never seems to happen.  So this week, with the newfound free time, I planned to sleep a little later and get a good 90 minutes at the gym every night.  Well, “the best laid plans” and all that… Let’s review how I have done so far:

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Danica McKellar (from TV’s The Wonder Years) convinced the Today Show audience this week that math is sexy. Since I love numbers and I heart math, this made my day, and I already feel sexier. So in the spirit of her character, Winnie Cooper, use these figures to do a little math of your own:

2,000 = the approximate number of steps in a mile
2,500 = the number of steps taken by an average sedentary office worker each day
10,000 = the much-publicized number of steps you should take daily to maintain or lose weight
5 = the number of miles you have to walk to get 10,000 steps

Now let’s break it down a little differently, so you can see how achievable walking for better health really is:

100 = the approximate number of steps the average person takes in a minute
10 = the number of minutes for the average smoke break
1,000 = the number of steps you could get if you took a walk break while others are smoking
3,000 = the approximate number of steps required to meet the Surgeon General’s recommendation of 30 minutes of daily moderate activity

How many steps have you taken today? Add ‘em up – you will get sexier by the minute!

It’s back-to-school time, and some students will soon learn all about the ‘Freshman 15.’ That’s the number of pounds many gain during their first year of college. And since extra weight from new habits can happen after graduation too, GO’s Back-to-School issue shares 6 ways to drop 15 pounds at any age.

GlobalFit’s healthy living newsletter, GO also features tips on getting to class – Pilates class, that is. It’s helped celebrities like Kate Winslet and Tina Turner get toned and helped athletes like NBA All-Star Jason Kidd and soccer star David Beckham improve their game.

Other A+ highlights from this issue of GO include:

• A Registered Dietician’s take on the Raw Food movement
• An easy Raw Tomato Sauce recipe for a quick, nutritious and cooling meal
• 6 vision-saving steps to keep your eyes healthy
• Safety tips for outdoor activity during these ‘dog days’ of summer

Get learnin’ on these and other subjects by visiting www.globalfit.com/GOnewsletter.

We kick off our weekly news highlights with a few stories on weight loss:

Got a few extra pounds to shed? New research pinpointed one common food group that seems to tip the scales. (BBC)

A separate report finds great promise from online weight-loss programs. (MedPage Today)

Controversy over weight-loss surgery: One doctor claims that she put her career on the line to spare obese teens from painful complications and even death. (Reuters)

Does exercise give you heartburn? Then find out what you’re doing wrong and how to fix it. (New York Times)

Personal trainer Kim Garrison is cracking the books. Her subject: how to be happier. She shares a few lessons in her weekly column. (Philly.com)

If you’re rubbing personal care products into your skin, you’d like to think they’re safe. If you want the FDA to be empowered to help, then sign on to support the Safe Cosmetics Act. (Environmental Working Group)

I love my new classes approach to working out. I continue to really enjoy the variety that taking classes offers me, and I am starting to see and feel the benefits of varying my workout.

I try to find variety in two different ways. First, I try to get a couple of ‘mixed’ classes in each week. As opposed to jumping on a piece of cardio equipment for 40 minutes or so and following that with 15-30 minutes of weight training, I find it so much more efficient to combine to the two in a class. Most gyms have these types of classes that mix cardio and strength training; they’re incredibly challenging and very efficient. I’m typically out of the gym in 45 minutes!

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