A Spring Breakout: New Sports

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SPRING IS THE SEASON OF REBIRTH, so now's the time to give new life to that tired workout routine of yours. Burned out from biking? Never want to step foot on a treadmill again? Shake up your sweat sessions with these three trends set to take D.C. by storm.

» UNDERWATER KICKBALL

Joining a kickball league has become this town's most important rite of passage -- well, right after devouring a jumbo slice in Adams Morgan. But the latest crop of Hill kids may ditch the field version to transform the game into a pool party.

"We realized we could get to see chicks in bathing suits all year this way," jokes Mitch Patterson, 28, founder of Better Wetter, the Fairfax-based league hoping to plunge several popular activities into the pool (coming this summer: bocce and croquet).

Patterson and pals' real motivation for the change of venue is to take the childhood favorite to the next level. When it's their turn "at bat," players dive into one corner of the pool while hurling a 20-pound ball with their feet. Members of the opposing team then retrieve the ball and try to paddle it to one of the other corners of the pool (the "bases") before the batter can get there. No one is allowed to come up for air for the duration of the play. "It's just so much more intense when you can't breathe," Patterson gushes. "I always feel like I earn my post-game beer."

» WII: MARATHON

Long-distance running was once the bastion of the impossibly lanky, but now everyone's convinced they have what it takes to be a marathoner. Expect even more folks to jump on the bandwagon now that Nintendo has launched its latest title for the popular Wii console: You Can Marathon ($50).

The game offers several training programs based on your initial skill level. But regardless of ability, anyone can run through gorgeous landscapes thronged with adoring crowds. The Wiimote can be used to trip, jab or elbow aside fellow runners; a wireless Wii pedometer ($90) keeps track of distance.

The bonus for players like Jamie Steinberg, 22, though, is that it keeps them on track no matter the weather. "I could never do the treadmill for more than 10 minutes, but this keeps me running for hours," he says. The one drawback: Steinberg's so addicted he's been skipping meals and pulling all-nighters in an attempt to conquer the Ultra-Marathon 100-Mile Challenge.

Despite anecdotal reports that obsessed gamers are ending up hospitalized for dehydration, torn ligaments and heatstroke, school districts in Alabama are already considering swapping out gym class in favor of "Marathon" to fight childhood obesity.

» YOGA FOR SELF-DEFENSE

Strength, flexibility, peace of mind -- is there anything the ancient Indian practice of yoga can't do? Apparently not. The latest news out of San Francisco is that poses can be used to ward off predators. Celebrity instructor Kelee Greywolf will be showing how downward-facing dog can get one out of danger at a workshop this Friday at Flowery Yoga (8 p.m., $20; see Floweryyogamd.com for info).

"By aligning your chakras, you can create an invisible propulsive shield around your body," says Greywolf, who conceived of and perfected the technique as a Navy SEAL. With proper body positioning, she explains, an attacker can't help but be overwhelmed by the balancing yet lethally destructive force of asanas. "They quickly realize that anyone who can do Warrior Two with impeccable alignment is not to be reckoned with," she adds.

Attendees can expect to learn sequences geared toward specific situations (including carjackings and bar fights), and learn which organic grains and plant oils can help improve the defensive power of a yoga practice.

Written by Hicky Valet/Express

Photo by Express contributor Lawrence Lucky