Exercise

And expanding guts. You may have heard about the study that examined the separate effects of decreasing testosterone levels and decreasing estrogen levels in men. Yes, we all have both of those hormones. And they affect muscle mass and abdominal fat in all of us.

Maybe more. Because from the summit of Mt. St. Helena in Calistoga, California, USA, you can see the entire Napa Valley, the Alexander Valley and beyond to the High Sierra and San Francisco. An invigorating, self-righteous, guilt-free Way to start a day in California's wine country.

OK, I've been writing about this for years. It's a big part of Raising Your Standard of Living while you Lower Your Cost of Living. But now there's new research that puts a number on the Cost Benefit of regular exercise: up to $2500/year.

Stripped down. No equipment. Boxing without gloves. Without a ring. No opponent. But with a lot of the exercise benefits of the real deal. Great for strengthening your back and shoulders. Not just Better and Cheaper. Better and Free.

The Burbank Trail. Along the Yokun Ridge of Lenox Mountain in Massachusetts' Berkshire Mountains. A perfect example of a green-peace-of-mind hike in a park you never heard of. 60 - 90 minutes that makes your whole day. A little more than three miles with a very gradual 500' elevation gain and 500-calorie burn.

Stripped down. No lawn. No mower. Great for lower and upper body strength and muscle tone. And a moderate intensity cardio exercise, too. Burn 100 calories in 15 minutes. Better and Free. All you need's a floor.

10 days in the French Alps, the Italian Alps and the Swiss Alps. 107 miles of calories-burning in a place where it’s pretty easy to replace those calories. Moderate your local cheese and wine consumption and see the spectacular sights while you burn way more calories than you consume.