REAL CHOICES: Before the week is out...

Saturday 20 March 1999 19:02 EST
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Do this

Now then, now then. Veteran marathon runner Jimmy Savile may well wish that "treading" had been around in his training days. The latest US exercise fad, treading aims to take away the boredom and loneliness of indoor running by getting people to do it in groups. And no need to queue for a machine (everyone has one) or worry about your staying power while you stare critically at yourself in the mirror. Your instructor ensures you get a great 30-minute workout by making use of gradient and speed, and your mates keep up a spirit of healthy competition. The classes use interval training techniques that mix hard efforts with recovery periods. And, according to Holmes Place gym in London, you don't need to be super- fit: the workouts can be tailored to suit each person. Treading is becoming so hip that, like the "spinning" exercise bike fad, it has its own offshoots and lingo. You can "trek" on "Star Trac" treadmills. And "powerjoggers" can indulge in the less strenuous "striding". Bye, bye, solitary jogs. Time to tread instead. IK

Holmes Place, The Plaza, 120 Oxford St, London W1; tel: 0171 436 0500.

Watch this

Fed up with children kicking sand in your face on the beach? Well, before you rush off and book an adult-only holiday, check the small print or you could find yourself at Hedonism II. Besides sunshine, this Jamaican resort offers non-stop parties, non-stop fun and - yes, you guessed it - non-stop nakedness.

"No one cares what size you are," one male holidaymaker assures viewers of Pleasure Island, a documentary about the resort. The scenes of naked bodies bouncing along the beach confirm it. This might be the 18-30 experience but it's not for the 18-30 age group - maturity, in a physical sense at least, is the norm.

This week, a group of American swingers arrives and even the British are shocked by their pranks. But while you may turn on to giggle at all that flesh, it's the soap opera element that will keep you hooked. Will Paul give in and decide to marry Kim, and will Maggie throw off her depression at the same time as her clothes? You could well end up hooked. RB

`Pleasure Island' is on ITV, Fridays, 10.30pm.

Wear this

Bags on belts and straps are so de rigueur this spring, darlings, it's almost frightening. No one will be safe from them, which means we must rebel immediately. CD bags, such as the one pictured by Case Logic, are a far better choice, not least because they show you have a mind of your own. Their intended purpose is to transport portable CD-players, but no one uses them for that now. People have discovered they make fab, dead cheap bags (this one costs pounds 15) which hold more than those so-called trendy ones that you can just about slide a travel card into, if that. AB

Case Logic CD bags are available from record shops.

Show this

I can feel something that feels like sun on my skin, which means... lots of exposed flesh will start making an appearance in the coming weeks. While these fake tattoos won't hide many blemishes, they will detract - important word - from your less than salubrious bits. And they're so much nicer than the real thing which is now too naff for words. These fakies come in a henna colour or black. They are meant for wrists, ankles or necks, but are stretchy so you can wear them round whatever limb they fit on. Buy them now and discard them by June, by which time every annoying little schoolgirl will have one. PS: Not to be worn over tights. AB

Fake tattoos, pounds 4 for wrist, ankle and arm size, pounds 5 for neck size, from Agatha; tel: 0171 495 2779.

Play this

As a 30-year-old woman, I've never really understood how grown men become addicted to computer games. That is, until recently, when I was introduced to a beat-'em-up game. I was pretty good at it and thrashed nearly all my opponents. Anyway, as anyone who spends their weekends in front of the telly playing rather than watching will know, the big big date in the diary this year is now in September, when the Sega Dreamcast system (arcade quality, don't you know) becomes available here. This is the fastest, most sophisticated game yet. You can pick it up on import - at a price. Thankfully, some clever dickie at Paul Smith has installed one in its jeans shop for you to have a go on for free. Right now they've got Virtual Fighter 3tb on the system, and if you ask them really nicely they may even show you the Sonic Adventure. Power Stone and Sega Rally. Hold onto that console. ZB

Paul Smith Jeans, 9-11 Langley Court, Covent Garden, London WC2; tel: 0171 379 7133.

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