Six-Pack Abs

The February issue of Men’s Fitness magazine delivers the skinny on a sure-fire method to achieve the much envied “six-pack stomach.” To get super-defined abs, one must strip away fat and build muscle, according to the special 16-page section. More specific suggestions include eating less rice, potatoes and pasta at the day’s final two meals and replacing them with broccoli, spinach, peas and eggplant. A way to obtain an alternative six-pack look is to carbo-load with your friends Bud, Samuel Adams and Mr. Coors.

Strapping Young Child

Talk about the mother of invention. When Karen Alvarez of San Ramon, Calif., saw her baby flip over a shopping cart while reaching for an apple, she was terrified. Luckily, her then 1-year-old was fine. Later, Alvarez developed the Baby Comfort Strap (about $10) to secure little ones in their seat and to prevent other parents from witnessing a similar scene. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 25,000 kids a year require hospital attention because of shopping cart accidents. And who knows? If you strap them in as toddlers, the memory might encourage them to buckle up in cars as teens. Then again, it could lead to bungee jumping. For more information, visit the Web site: https://www.advweb.com/babycomfort.

Handy Wipes

Fitness nuts have a real love-hate relationship with sweat. On the one hand, lots of the wet stuff usually indicates a good workout. On the other, it can sting your eyes, soak your shirt and gross out the person on the exercise machine next to you. If you’re having trouble packing a towel for the gym, a Laguna Niguel company now offers the “Dry Workout Glove.” You wear it on the back of your hand and mop up as necessary. It retails for $8.95. For information, call (800) 531-7655.

The Beat of a Different Drummer

It turns out “The Macarena” might actually be good for you. Though possibly the most annoying song in history, the popular tune sets a perfect rhythm for a step exercise class, according to an article in the March issue of Shape magazine. Apparently, songs like “The Macarena” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” maintain a healthy pace of between 118 and 128 beats per minute. When music is faster than that, exercisers experience lactic acid buildup and premature exhaustion. Of course, if you hear “The Macarena” one more time, you might experience the same symptoms.