Safina wins her battle for fitness but mind games remain

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The awful pain in Dinara Safina"s back has disappeared. Only the demons inside her head are causing her concern.

Just over a month ago, Safina"s inflamed spine was aching so much she could not even hit a backhand or serve in practice and there were real doubts about whether she would be ready to compete at this month"s Australian Open.

Against all her instincts, she took an extended break, and her back healed itself. Suddenly, she is in Australia and bouncing around like a baby kangaroo before the first grand slam of the year.

There is, however, a problem in her mind that just will not go away -- her failure to win an elusive grand slam title.

The 23-year-old has made three finals in the past two years, including last year"s Australian Open, but lost the lot, all in straight sets.

Her consistency in getting to the finals was recognized when she held the number one ranking for half of 2009 but those three grand slam losses continue to haunt her.

By her own admission, her problems were more mental than physical and she has been refreshingly candid about succumbing to nerves on the big occasion.

"Those three mistakes in the previous finals, I just didn"t put everything together," she told reporters at the Sydney International, the last major warmup before next week"s Open.

"(I) just have to be myself and play my game. I think this is most important.

"That"s it. Not thinking about "this is the final" and winning, losing. Just treat it as another match.

Safina"s dark moods and irreverent approach to tennis have long been a part of her makeup. At last year"s Australian Open, she complained that there was a cable loose in her head, and suggested a hard smack in the face might fix the problem.

Fortunately, her coach Zeljko Krajan did not take up the offer, although he has resorted to some unusual psychological tricks in the past to get the best out her.

And for the larger part, they have been successful.

For someone who grew up in the shadow of her more famous sibling Marat Safin, Safina has established herself as a great player in her own right.

She made the French Open final in 2008 then won a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics later that same year before raising her game even higher in 2009.

She took over the number one ranking when she made the Australian Open final but her achievement was soured when she was hammered 6-0 6-3 by Serena Williams in under an hour.

A few months later, she made the French Open final for the second year in a row but lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova, but hopes the lessons of those defeats will help her in Australia this time.

"I wanted so badly to win (but) I didn"t allow myself to play my best," she said.

"Every time you get older you know things, how to deal better. So I hope I will make it.

"I"m looking forward for Australia. If I was not fit, I would not come here. It makes no sense if you"re not top fit to come. "

How to choose the Dallas-area gym that works for you

Anew year, a new you. You told yourself you were going to join a gym – and actually keep going this time. Just like last year.

And 2008. And 1998.

Fitness centers provide some of the best opportunities to shape up. What you need is a game plan for finding the right place, making fitness goals and sticking to them. Just like buying a house, location is one of the most important considerations when choosing a gym – ideally, close to home or work. Some fitness chains let you have it both ways, allowing you to work out at more than one location.

"The gym that"s most convenient for you is the one you"re more likely to go to," said Kelli Houston, assistant fitness manager at 24 Hour Fitness Sport in Southlake.

Many gyms will let you try before you buy. For example, 24 Hour Fitness will give you a seven-day pass to give it a spin, Houston said.

While you"re trying out a gym, pay attention to its cleanliness and whether there are enough cardio machines to meet demand during peak hours.

Don"t forget to put your personal tastes and needs on the checklist: hours that accommodate your schedule; sign-up and membership fees that fit your budget; child care; and availability of amenities you would enjoy, such as a swimming pool, sauna or senior workout programs.

Ann Orsinger of Dallas recently tried the Park Cities Family YMCA with free passes.

"I tried the yoga class because a Y membership is less expensive than what I am currently spending . . . and I thought it would be great if I could get yoga, a pool and all the other benefits of the Y for less than I am paying now," she said.

But the gold standard for any gym"s worthiness is how responsive its employees are.

"If the staff isn"t willing to help you, how are you going to reach your goals?" Houston says.

Speaking of goals, it"s important to get a new member assessment or to hire a trainer to help clearly define what you want out of your gym membership experience, Houston says.

"We have clients close their eyes and picture what they want – how they feel, what they look like, what they"re doing, who"s surrounding them when they meet this goal. It needs to be so clear they can taste it, they can see it," she said.

Help stay motivated by rewarding yourself. Houston suggests putting incentives at the end of your goals, such as a massage, a new workout outfit, tennis shoes or a pedicure.

One of the strongest motivators of all is pure, sweaty fun. If you don"t enjoy working toward your goals, you"ll risk wanting to throw in the towel.

A friend told Natalie Dickey, a stay-at-home mother of two who lives in Arlington, about how much fun she was having in the group fitness classes at Gold"s Gym in South Arlington. A year and a half later, those classes have helped Dickey lose 85 pounds.

"I do still find myself very intimidated by all of the machines that I walk past on my way to group fitness," she says.

In the classes, "I found support, care and camaraderie that have both encouraged me and challenged me," Dickey says. "I really have learned to love exercise and the feeling of accomplishment I have when I finish a class. "

Christy Robinson is a freelance writer in Dallas. healthyliving@dallasnews. com

Here"s a list of popular Dallas-area fitness centers and their Web sites to help you find the best location.

Health and fitness: MetroSouth Medical Center offers free screenings on New ...

The prospect of a free screening was enough to inspire Felix Cabrera of to wake up early on a frigid day this month and drive more than 30 miles to MetroSouth Medical Center in
.

The screening, which would have cost him more than $200, included a blood-pressure test, measurements of his cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose levels, and an electrocardiogram, or EKG, stress test on state-of-the art exercise equipment.
In addition to offering the free heart screenings, the event highlighted the hospital"s offer of $30 heart checkups through January and February to those who need them most. The target audience is smokers, people with high blood pressure, or those who are
or have diabetes in the family.
"I know my family is at high risk for
," said Cabrera, 42. "I"m also unemployed, so I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity."

Cabrera was one of almost 100 people age 40 and older who attended the screening at the hospital"s Fitness and Lifestyle Center.

Cabrera, who has four children, has already resolved to make healthier choices for himself and his family for the new year.

"I want to avoid bad foods, exercise more and try to relax more," he said.

Staff cardiologists also measured body fat ratios, and people went home with a report of their cardiac risk factors and advice about lifestyle changes they could make to be healthier for the new decade. Those diagnosed with more serious problems were referred to one of MetroSouth"s cardiologists or primary care physicians for further tests and treatment.

"This complimentary exam is our gift of health to residents," Dr. Robert Iaffaldano, an intervention cardiologist, said in a statement. "Studies show that the active management of heart disease factors and risk symptoms significantly enhance patients" quality of life."

The event also put a spotlight on the hospital"s Lifestyle and Fitness Center, offering $20 per month club memberships, a 20 percent discount off normal membership rates.

"The center is probably one of the best kept secrets in Blue Island," said Dr. Stavros Maragos, one of the staff cardiologists tending to patients. "We want to get the word out about it, that this is where people can come to reduce their risk of heart disease."

Cabrera lost his grandfather to heart disease. Gracie Platos of Justice lost her 62-year-old father to heart disease two years ago. This was the first time she had ever had a comprehensive heart screening.

Platos also is a smoker, and she was hoping to learn something from the screening that would give her a further push to give up cigarettes, especially with heart disease in her family.

"I"d pay anything to give up smoking," said Platos, who recently had a baby with her husband, Lazar. "I have bad circulation in my legs, and my dad had poor circulation, and I"m sure I got it from him."

Those interested in signing up for discounted heart checkups in January and February can call 708-597-2000, Ext. 5615.