Body section: Metro Weekly magazine, Washington, DC newspaper

Fitness: Work-Out Wisdom

Take simple steps to avoid some common gym maladies

Published on January 21, 2010, 5:47am

January is a hot time for gyms, as well it should be. Among the dozen most popular New Year's resolutions compiled by the U.S. government are ''get fit,'' ''lose weight'' and ''reduce stress.'' Joining a gym fills the bill on all fronts. But before you head to the gym, you may need to check-in for a checkup. ''People over the age of 50 who begin a gym regimen should check with their doctor that their heart is up to that,'' ...[more]

Seasonal Shift

Keep feeling good -- and looking good -- with the changing seasons

Published on October 8, 2009, 12:00am

Just because winter is approaching does not mean you have to get SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder. And with swimsuit season long gone, if you've given up on your fitness regimen you may be making yourself more susceptible to it. If your excuse is that you're finding it harder to make it to the gym as the days get colder, it's time you found fitness inspiration some other way. ''Fitness classes are an interesting way to keep the fun in ...[more]

Mist Kissed

The liquid alternative to suntans can light up your skin as summer fades

Published on September 3, 2009, 12:00am

Where there are large populations of Caucasians, in this contemporary world that sees them more likely to toil beneath fluorescent bulbs than a noonday sun, a celebration of tanned flesh seems de rigueur. The theorized threat of a melanoma death has not killed this sensibility. Add a threat of premature wrinkles to the International Agency for Research on Cancer's July announcement that tanning beds have been upgraded from ''probably carcinogenic to humans'' to the IARC's most dangerous rating that simply ...[more]

Bod Jobs

With summer approaching, you'll want to look your best for the beach. Here are a few tips to get there fast(er)

Published on June 11, 2009, 12:00am

The season is upon us. Maybe you haven't made it to Rehoboth or some similarly gay, sunshiny holiday spot just yet this year, but that invitation could be right around the corner. Perhaps you're just seconds from getting that text from your pushy best friend: ''SOBE 4 7-4-09!!'' South Beach for the 4th of July should be a welcome invitation -- as long as you've gotten yourself back into summer shape. No one will argue with your myriad excuses if ...[more]

In Electric Company

Achieving higher levels of intimacy with Body Electric

Published on April 30, 2009, 12:00am

It's not easy for most, stripping down to your birthday suit with a group of strangers. ''It was very uncomfortable for about 10 minutes,'' says Marlon Fixico, 51, a gay Washingtonian, discussing the first time he took part in a Body Electric workshop. That was back in 1995. ''There's only so long you can look at a dick until they all look the same,'' he says. ''I mean in different shapes.'' Body Electric For those unfamiliar with Body Electric, it's ...[more]

Spa Hurrah

Whether you're in need of a facial or a massage, area salons are offering more custom spa services than ever

Published on April 9, 2009, 12:00am

Different skin types deserve different facials. But that doesn't mean you have to break out the cucumbers and mud when perfecting the right combination of ingredients for your face. Now is as good a time as any to put your skin care needs in the hands of a professional like Chet Alan Bennett, owner of C. Alan Barber Salon at 923 U St. NW. ''I personally, as the owner, do custom-blend facials,'' Bennett says of his face-pampering procedure that runs ...[more]

Sneeze-Free Spring

Some spring-cleaning steps should help indoor allergens bite the dust

Published on March 26, 2009, 12:00am

You can't hide inside this spring and summer to avoid Washington's cruel allergy season. And when you find out what's lurking in your humble home, you won't want to. That's because indoor allergens -- generally the byproduct of spider-like, microscopic dust mites -- are just as bad, leaving you sneezing and itchy-eyed as surely as anything floating in the air outside. ''What we call a house dust mite is actually a microscopic insect that lives on our skin and tends ...[more]

Baby Got Fat

Finding a healthy way to navigate a weighty issue

Published on January 29, 2009, 12:00am

There's no easy way to tell your partner that he's gained weight -- and that it's time to do something about it. For a local, 44-year-old gay man, his partner's family provided the ''my, you've grown'' wake-up call. Asking to hide his name, for obvious reasons, he tells the story of visiting his Brazilian partner's family on their turf -- the land of sinewy beach gods -- a few years ago. ''I hadn't thought I'd gained that much, but when ...[more]

Fit Versus Fear

Beating anxiety about your ''before'' body may be the first step to a new you

Published on December 11, 2008, 12:00am

People are often motivated to get their bodies to a gym by looking at the ''before and after'' photos of the success stories. ''If he can do it, so can I,'' might say the out-of-shape wannabe. Then comes the rub: How will you feel stepping into a gym for the first time with your ''before'' body? Sometimes that fear alone may be enough to sabotage those Hydroxycut dreams. Taking baby steps and setting small goals, such as just making an ...[more]

Stuck On You

Removing an unwanted tattoo is neither easy nor cheap

Published on November 13, 2008, 12:00am

Maybe, before you came out of the closet, you got a tattoo to signify your eternal love for Heather, your date to the prom. Maybe you waited until you were a true-blue gay man to honor Madonna instead. Or maybe you got the gay man's equivalent of a gang symbol, the tribal tattoo. If you've soured on your sentiments and loyalty - and since the relationship obviously didn't take off - what can you do? Can you remove the tattoo? ...[more]

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