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14 | December 21, 2017 | Malibu surfside news Sound Off
malibusurfsidenews.com
Don’t Panic, It’s Organic
Keeping your lawn’s fire risk low
Andy Lopez
Contributing Columnist
Invisible Gardener
Recently, I received
an inquiry from a
conflicted reader.
“An agent in my office
also volunteers for a fire
station near his home in
Arizona,” they wrote. “He
was assigned to the San
Diego [Lilac Fire]. He
experienced several bad
situations with mulch igniting
and basically acting as
kindling. We have mulch
everywhere at our home
and are thinking of removing
it. ... Should we replace
it with some rock like pea
gravel or larger?”
First, it is essential to
have healthy soil. Treat
your property as one living
being, and you may see
that there are many things
that will keep your soil,
and in turn its trees, and
also help your property
maintain a low fire profile.
There are several areas
where the application of
mulch, along with compost
and other soil amendments
is required. Such areas
include the garden, fruit
trees, roses, flower beds
and lawns.
Woodchips are not
mulch. I assume the
“mulch” the reader is
talking about is either
decorative bark, recycled
shredded tree, or some
type of tree product. They
will burn and should not be
used as a mulch.
The mulch I am always
talking about is azalea/gardenia
mix; it does not burn
since it is a soil product. It is
made from aged wood and
earthworm castings.
The fire department does
not want the mulch to be
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more than 4 inches, which
is fine if it is a soil mulch.
I would not use woodchip
mulch, especially decorative
bark, in fire-prone
areas.
Small rocks as mulch
will work, but do little for
soil health.
I recommend planting a
living mulch — one that
will not only contribute to
the health of the soil, but
also protect from fires.
Kurapia is one. It does
not burn too quickly,
requires minimal watering
once established and has
roots that will go down
10 feet. Another good
Please see Lopez, 15
Fit For Malibu
The survey says HIIT is a hit
Lori Corbin
Contributing Columnist
Malibu resident
If you believe over
4,000 fitness professionals,
high intensity
interval training (or HIIT)
remains the top workout in
America.
A recent nationwide
survey from the American
College of Sports Medicine
suggests intervals of
intense bouts of cardio
with strength training is the
workout of choice.
Local Malibu fitness pro
Marilee Tiedemann agrees.
“In today’s world, lack
of time is still prevalent,
so we need quick variety
and sequence to fit in at
least three to four times a
week,” she said.
She also feels outdoor
fitness is key here in
Malibu.
“Especially on sand. It
tests your balance, adds resistance,
pads your impact
on joints, and increases Vitamin
D,” she said. “Even
hiking can be switched up
by adding lateral stepping
or intervals. The same with
biking. This is California,
get outdoors.”
Fitness instructor Oz
Folb, of Malibu, is also a
fan of HIIT.
“HIIT is an integrated
and accessible full body
workout that is a one-stop
shop for us, as we are all
pressed to get more done
in less time,” Folb said.
Both pros teach group
exercise, which is second
on ACSM’s top trend list.
Whether it is small group
personal training, which
usually consists of two to
four people, or a packed
class of 40, group exercise
is known for its camaraderie,
energy and even a bit
of friendly competition.
Wearable technology,
which now goes beyond
simply counting steps and
floors, is huge. Fitness
trackers, smart watches,
heart rate monitors and
even GPS tracking devices
can give us the statistics
we need to mark progress
— or the lack thereof.
Many of these programs
also allow trainers to access
data which has been
shown to help with accountability.
Body weight training
and strength training are
also in the Top 10. Lifting
weight is not as popular as
cardio, but most experts
wish it would be. Countless
studies reveal strength
training is the No. 1 activity
to fight fat, maintain
or build muscle mass and
keep bones strong, especially
as we age.
Fitness pro Phil Dozois
reminds us, “If we don’t
incorporate strength training
into the program, then
we’ll see a loss of the lean
muscle mass, which of
course we lose every year
after age 25.”
With the stress of traffic,
work and other challenges,
it is no wonder yoga remains
in the Top 10 fitness
trends.
Tiedemann said yoga
plus meditation should
probably take the No.
Please see Fit, 15