By Peggy O'Farrell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Calendar

This way: Trainer Candy Stephens will lead "Walk Your Heart Fit," a four-week, low-impact walking class starting at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at Conscious Living Center, 114 Wellington Place, Mount Auburn. Cost: $50. Registration: 621-3600, Ext. 6.

Power up

Register: Sign up now for Walk this Way at Fort Hamilton Hospital, a new walking challenge to help participants reach 10,000 steps a day. $20 for booklet and pedometer. 856-9355.

Work it: The makers of Degree deodorant are looking for two volunteers - one male, one female - to mold into their Degree Everyman Ironman.

Winners will receive training, supplies, lodging and salary reimbursement, all in preparation for competing in a real Ironman triathlon. Deadline is April 30. Information: www.degreeironman.com

On screen

Stronger: Breakthru Pilates Sculpt from Anchor Bay Entertainment offers a combination of mat Pilates and strength and sculpting moves using hand weights. Cost: $9.99 on VHS or $14.98 on DVD. Available at video retailers (www.collagevideo.com/breakthrough) or (800) 546-1949.

Tips

Motivate: Try these tips from the American Council on Exercise to keep friends and family inspired to get fit:

• Set a good example.

• Make fitness fun. Try basketball, skiing or another sport instead of the treadmill.

• Multitask: Combine exercise with walking the dog, etc.

• Train for a charity event together.

• Set short-term goals.

• Offer to be a workout partner.

• Use inspirational music.

• Don't preach or nag.

Visit www.acefitness.org for more ideas and information.

Shelf help

Guide: The New Glucose Revolution Pocket Guide to Losing Weight (Marlowe and Co.; $6.95) by Jennie Brand-Miller, et al, explains the theory behind the glycemic index (GI) and lists foods with lower GI values.

Research

Fatter: A moderate-fat diet is easier on the heart for overweight men and women who want to reduce their risk of heart disease and diabetes, new research shows.

Christine L. Pelkman, a nutritionist at the University of Buffalo, found that dieters who followed a moderate-fat diet had better health profiles after six weeks than those who followed low-fat diets.

Participants who consumed a diet containing 33 percent fat (moderate fat) reduced their heart disease risk by 14 percent based on lipid profiles. Participants on low-fat diets (18 percent fat) reduced their risk by only 9 percent, results showed.

Moderate-fat dieters also maintained healthful levels of "good" cholesterol and improved their "good" to "bad" cholesterol ratios, the study showed.

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Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone, 768-8510; fax, 768-8330, or e-mail pofarrell@enquirer.com