Cleveland-based yoga and skating instructor Kris Fondran created the workout not to impress others by putting pretzel-like poses in motion, but because she noticed that both yoga and skating have similar qualities of balance, rhythm and flow. By blending the two, Kris adds cardio, muscular strength and endurance to the meditative yoga practice.

We started our session sans skates much like a typical yoga class with a meditation and stretching. Since the other writers and editors in the class were also novice skaters, we laced up and started with easy beginner techniques. Once we were comfortable on our Rollerblades, Kris challenged us to add in little aspects of yoga like connecting the strokes to the breath, skating in a rolling prayer position and lunging into a warrior position.

If you’re really looking to practice yoga, Mobile Yoga might not be for you, but I do love it as new motivation to get outside and get on Rollerblades. Even if you’re not near Ohio, you can try out the practice by downloading the workout or watching a video. Or to get started, the next time you go inline skating, focus on your breath and notice the rhythm and flow behind your technique.

If you’ve been hitting the gym hard, completing grueling workouts, your body can actually benefit from a little time off. I’m not talking about the day you took off last week, or the several days you took off when you had that awful cold back in March. A week off after 3 months or 6 months when you’re on top of your game can give your body some much needed R & R. Experts say you’ll return stronger, more energetic and reduce your risk of injury. Right now, I’m on day 8 of a forced break as I’m recovering from surgery that I had to repair a hip labral tear last week (the same injury A-Rod had earlier this year). Maybe a little break months ago would’ve done some good?

So go on, take a workout vacation and enjoy the time off! That said, when you go on your fitness break, don’t breakaway from your diet at the same time–you might not feel the benefits if you return after indulging in a bunch of ice cream cones and umbrella adorned drinks!

Almonds: An easy snack to keep in your handbag or desk drawer at all times, this super food staves off hunger and the sun thanks to vitamin E. Studies suggest that the free-radical fighting antioxidant can help protect skin from UV light, possibly reducing sunburns.

Green Tea: This mighty leaf has had some mighty media attention over the last few years boasting it’s all-around goodness, but when it comes to your skin, it offers anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.

Dark Chocolate: Every healthy diet includes chocolate, right? Dark chocolate has antioxidant powers, too. Flavonols have been shown to improve skin texture and protect against sun damage.

Sweet Potatoes: This orange veggie packs a big punch of vitamin C, which is needed for collagen production. Collagen and smooth skin go hand in hand, so if you don’t want to see wrinkles, get your C!

Read Women’s Health to discover the other seven stars. And for the record, alcohol, salty snacks, fried foods and refined carbs are skin sabotagers so consume them carefully.

You’ll need two small towels for this move. Start in a plank or the position you’d assume at the top of the push-up, keeping your body in a straight line. Then as you use your abs to stabilize your body, make a small clockwise circle with your left palm and then your right. Continue alternating back and forth. Make 3 clockwise circles with each hand, then switch directions and make 3 counterclockwise circles with each hand. Rest and repeat.

For active women, I love the Energizing collection. It promises to bring new life to dull, worn and weary skin. Organic citrus and mint give the lotion, body wash and sugar scrub an uplifting scent (great for jump starting your day) while organic coffee beans tone, complementing all that hard work you do at the gym.

Another highlight–the Nourishing Shave Cream. Traditional shaving creams often contain petroleum-derived ingredients that strip moisture from your skin. But this formula has organic shea and cocoa butters as well as antioxidant-packed grape seed oil.

For the syrup mix 2 cups blackberries (unsweetened frozen or fresh) with two tbsp powdered sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes or until it thickens.

While it cooks, use a fork to combine 1 cup boxed pancake mix, 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ, 1/4 cup flax seeds in a large bowl. Then whisk together 1 cup skim milk, 3 egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp walnut oil (small lumps are okay). Slice 2 bananas.

For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter onto a preheated griddle, cooking until you see bubbles around the edges. Sprinkle on banana slices before flipping. Cook until golden. Top each pancake with about 3 tbsp of syrup.

Milk helps rebuild muscles. In fact one 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the effects of three different drinks on building muscle and burning fat after weight lifting workouts. Milk drinkers saw the best results after training five days a week for 12 weeks. The moo juice helped them build 60% more muscle than the carbohydrate drinkers and 40% more than the soy drinkers. And they lost almost 2 pounds of body fat.

So the next time you need to nosh after the gym, reach for a muscle-building glass of milk. Or mix up a smoothie. Try this recipe filled with antioxidant-packed acai juice, green tea, blueberries and more.

Drool over her abs for a minute, marvel over her bio, rock out to her playlist and then plan your weekend around the Olympics schedule. Coverage of the opening ceremony starts at 7:30 p.m.

While you continue to admire the amazing athletes and their fit bods, do some crunches during the commercial breaks.

If you’re lucky enough to travel to the Olympics in Beijing, use their China version. It’s a good reference of Chinese to English translations for food terms, destination staples, drinks and popular dishes. You might want to stay away from dishes with the word guòyóu (flash fry in hot oil) and gravitate to shucài (vegetables) instead.

When I head to Portugal later this summer, I’ll have a menu decoder to follow too. So I can be sure to choose cozido de grão com vagens á alentejana (chickpeas with green beans) instead of migas à alentejana (fried bread with pork and/or beef). You can also read up on eating in Barcelona, Morocco, Prague and France. That said, I fully support breaking your diet abroad–sometimes you’ve got to try the local fare even if it doesn’t fit your usual low-cal plan–but all in moderation, right?