Check out – then check off – these ways to get your engine running smoothly this spring!

HOT YOGA

Yoga is an exercise that anyone of any fitness level can do – it’s all about stretching to strengthen your body and increase your range of motion. Hot yoga (often called Bikram), done in a heated room, can help you get stronger, faster. The heat accelerates your body’s flexibility and you will posture more deeply and effectively, allowing the advanced poses to happen sooner. Not to mention – you burn calories, firm up your skin and sleep better at night! Get sizzling at a hot yoga class at Bikram Yoga Folsom, bikramyogafolsom.com.

COOL PILATES

Pilates, on the other hand, is about the cool “core” and the six Pilates principles: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath and flow. It’s closely connected to yoga but focuses on developing core strength and the deep, internal muscles of the abdomen and back. Training in Pilates helps develop stability throughout your entire torso. For chill places to find balance – California Family Fitness in Folsom offers numerous Pilates classes, californiafamilyfitness.com. Energetic Care Pilates & Yoga Studio and Wellness Center in El Dorado Hills offers private sessions as well as an Introduction to Allegro Pilates class, energeticcare.com.

FRESH AIR WALKS

A vigorous walk in the great outdoors doesn’t just get your heart pumping – it’s good for your brain, too. Deep breaths of fresh air help relieve stress and clear your head. A recent study also shows that regular, energetic walks can benefit long-term memory and even improve it in older adults. According to health.usnews.com, a memory center in the brain called the hippocampus shrinks a little bit each year with age, but the adults studied – most in their mid to late 60s – who walked three times a week actually gained hippocampus volume. Take a 30-minute walk on Humbug-Willow Creek corridor in Folsom; or try out the El Dorado Trail between Forni Road in Placerville and Missouri Flat Road in Diamond Springs.

RAISE VITAMIN D LEVELS

Outdoor exercise and sensible sun exposure can improve your levels of vitamin D. This important vitamin is being linked to better immune system function, cardiovascular health and reduced risk of autoimmune diseases and some cancers. The baseline recommendation for adults, at the very minimum, is 400 IU daily. To be safe, have your vitamin D levels checked to see if you are deficient. For vitamins and supplements, visit Revolutions Natural Medicine in Folsom, revolutionsdocs.com; and Noah’s Ark in Placerville at 535 Placerville Drive.

YOUR FEET

Yes, your feet can also use a tune-up before you slip into those summer sandals! Foot.com recommends these tips:
Apply lotion to your feet regularly to avoid dry skin. When you wear sandals you are more prone to getting heel fissures (cracks in the skin).
Use a pumice stone along with lotion regularly to prevent corns and calluses.

Wear properly fitting shoes to reduce the chance of blisters, corns, calluses and many other foot disorders that are caused by poor-fitting shoes. Try a “Foot Reflexology” treatment at Asante Spa in El Dorado Hills, eldoradohillssc.com; or the “Aromatherapy Spa Pedicure” at Waterfall Salon & Day Spa in Placerville, waterfallsalon.com.