Hallie McClave

Hallie graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science and has been working as a coach and personal trainer since 2002. An avid athlete, Hallie has competed in over a dozen triathlons, including the USAT National Championship in 2002. She finished her first marathon later that year. In 2004, Hallie took a break from competition to complete her certification as an Ashtanga yoga instructor through It's Yoga in San Francisco. She then spent two months in India studying under Sri K. Pattabhi Jois at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore. She has been teaching group fitness classes and sharing her advice on nutrition, physical activity, balance and overall health since her return.

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This is a column about health and fitness for the real world, time-pressured woman. I'll offer my advice and perspective on moving and eating in a stressful world, comment on current trends and share some common sense nutrition dos and don'ts. I hope you'll join me!

The holidays are upon us...

That pastry-filled period between Thanksgiving and Christmas seems like the perfect time to start a blog about health and fitness... My bio reads true - I have a degree in exercise and sport science and have spent years focused on fine-tuning my body (and the body of anyone around me willing to sweat) through diet and exercise. But, sidelined by injury and now firmly ensconced in the day-to-day hum drum of the 9 - 5 desk job, I am asking the same questions formerly posed by my clients - real women in the real world.  How do I find the time to get to the gym, get outside, grocery shop, cook healthful meals and not succumb to the tempting plate of holiday cookies in my office's communal kitchen? Even as someone who knows all the tricks - and has seen them work - I am still facing the daily challenge of trying to stay healthy and active in the midst of "real life". The experience has been humbling, but now I understand better than ever the struggle to find that balance - health, fitness and fun in an ever-stressful world.
    As I seek to find answers - and to offer common sense advice along the way - I have to acknowledge one truth: I will never look like a Hollywood movie star. Unless you have four hours a day to exercise and money to burn, most anyone outside of Hollywood will not look like a Hollywood movie star. But health isn't necessarily about fitting into a size two, and "diet" isn't necessarily about finding your way to South Beach or into The Zone. Today, I can appreciate that my heart beats and I know how to laugh and a holiday cookie or two in December won't do me any harm. (Life is too short to miss out on holiday cookies.) In the coming weeks, I will do my best to offer some useful tips for enjoying - without overindulging - those holiday treats and for finding time to keep moving in the midst of real life and holiday chaos.