Changing the Drill

Q I run 4-6 days a week and recently added yoga with light weights (three-pound dumbbells). I always see a recommendation to do weight training every other day. Does that still apply if I am working light weights and holding poses, rather than lifting to fatigue? It's not like I have muscle soreness the next day. Would it be okay if I do a different sequence every day? I find it easier to keep it up if it's part of my daily routine!

-- Melissa

A I would never want to downplay the importance of downtime -- heck, getting to rest is one of the best parts of exercise. And the advice not to work the same muscles daily in weight training is wise. After all, heavy lifting produces minute muscle tears, and it's when your body fixes them (which takes time) that you get stronger.

But yoga is a different kind of workout, and usually you're not attempting to reach failure (or even fatigue, as you mention). So if you want to start every morning with a few sun salutations and downward dog, that's all right. In your case, even with the weights, it sounds like what you're doing could be sustainable on a regular basis.

Sherri Baptiste, author of "Yoga With Weights for Dummies," keeps up a similar routine daily as she teaches throughout the San Francisco area. She considers the blend the best of both worlds, giving practitioners both the energy boost of a gym session and the bodily awareness of quality mat time. "But you have to be intelligent about it," Baptiste advises. "Draw in new exercises every day to stir it up." As part of that mix, you can include tough weight days, but those need to be balanced by restorative yoga days and days focused more on stretching.

Your plan to sample different sequences fits the bill. Just be aware of how much you're pushing yourself. In theory, three-pound dumbbells don't seem like much, and you say you're not experiencing soreness. But depending on how you use those weights, you could be doing quite a number on your muscles. One tough day with weights might call for a follow-up just using your body. Or even a day off.

To treat myself and inspire confidence, I bought some new microfiber gym clothes (rather than the ratty T-shirts I had been wearing). The first couple of times I wore my outfits I felt like a true athlete, but I have run into a BIG problem. I wash my gym clothes after each sweat session, but within five minutes on the elliptical at the gym they begin to stink! The smell is so embarrassing it almost discourages me from going to the gym. Is it me? Is there something I can wash my clothes or body in to prevent this smell?

-- Amy

Those high-tech fabrics seem ideal for exercise: They feel so soft against the skin! They keep you dry! They prevent chafing! But as you've discovered, there's a downside: They can get more pungent than three-year-old cheese.

"You're not crazy," says Dee Anna Glaser, a physician and professor of dermatology at St. Louis University School of Medicine, who has had patients approach her with the same problem. While these clothes are designed to wick moisture away from the skin, they're not doing anything to shoo away the odors and, in fact, seem to trap them more than plain old cotton.

To banish your newfound stench, you could start by trying one of the specially formulated sports detergents on the market. There are a few brands, including Win and Penguin Sport-Wash, that claim to zap away icky smells that the usual suspects leave behind. Glaser also recommends presoaking problematic items in white vinegar ("Just a couple of teaspoons in a quart or two of water," she says).

Or, you could always go shopping again. Some of these sporty clothes now come with other fancy features, such as antimicrobial treatments, that are supposed to destroy odor-causing bacteria.

Since my surgery in 1999 to remove torn cartilage from my right knee, I have been doing leg extensions and leg curls, among other leg exercises. One week I do light (3 sets, 12 reps) and one week heavy (4 sets, 10 reps, with progressively heavier weights for each set). Someone told me recently that leg curls and extension are really bad for your knee. Is this true?

-- Howard

I'm guessing no one's ever told you that you play golf just like Tiger Woods. But you might be working out like him, thinks Philadelphia-based orthopedic surgeon Nicholas DiNubile. The uber-athlete is on the mend from a similar (though much more recent) knee surgery, and if DiNubile were prescribing a recovery exercise regimen for him, both leg extensions and leg curls would be in it. "They're the cornerstone for building strong legs," he says.

And they're both generally considered safe -- with one exception. Leg extensions can stir up trouble in people with kneecap problems, especially if the weight load is too heavy. "It's natural to be a bit sore in the muscle, but if it's in the kneecap, that's bad," DiNubile says. Since you may be at higher risk for arthritis after losing that cartilage, it's worth checking in with the doc who performed your surgery about whether leg extensions are one exercise to avoid.

Another thing to keep in mind is that almost any exercise can be detrimental if your form is off. So if you're still worried, have a trainer observe your workout, and take the time to discuss anything that doesn't feel right. Lacey Chittle, a trainer at Results Gym in the District, sometimes advises clients having issues with leg extensions to turn their toes out slightly to the side; that can make discomfort disappear. DiNubile tells his patients to make sure they're lifting slowly and steadily instead of throwing the weights up: "Some guys like to go to the gym to demonstrate strength rather than build it." And no offense, but you're no Tiger Woods.