Fitness

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome is known for his coolness and he seldom gushes about a draft pick. He got a little excited when the team made UCLA offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden the franchise's first draft pick in 1996, but there wasn't much jubilation when the team selected Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs or Chris McAlister. And then came Thursday night. As members of the Ravens' front-office staff walked to the podium at The Castle to talk about first-round pick Matt Elam, the safety out of Florida, Newsome appeared ecstatic, at least for Newsome.

Let's be honest. It isn't really that hard to tug at the heartstrings of a Baltimore sports fan. This is a town where nostalgia lives full-time, so Saturday's Oriole Park tribute to Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver couldn't help but strike the right note. Weaver probably took a break from arguing with the Big Umpire in the Sky to listen in while Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken, Rick Dempsey, Buck Showalter, National Baseball Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson and Earl's son, Mike Weaver, remembered the greatest manager in the history of the Orioles franchise.

Main Street is finding its inner peace. After opening Gogo Guru, a women's yoga and fitness clothing shop, in Historic Ellicott City in November 2012, Hilary Brich expanded her operation with a yoga studio in February. Brich's original plan was to simply provide the shop's patrons with information about where in the neighborhood they could practice yoga. But with most of the studios being more than a few miles away, she noticed a problem. “People kept asking where to do yoga but didn't want to go farther away than they had to,” says Brich.

Selling a house is rarely easy and quick, but the transaction for the three-story end-of-group brick rowhouse at 200 Warren Ave.e in Federal Hill was just that. The property listed and sold simultaneously, closing for $950,000 after being offered at $995,000. Little wonder. The home was built just five years ago in the same architectural style and detail as the older homes around it. Additionally, it is within walking distance to the Inner Harbor and shops and restaurants on Light and Charles streets.

Don't be intimidated by the bikini-clad posterior in the poster in the window of Pop Physique, a new fitness studio in downtown Baltimore. You don't need to wear American Apparel-esque leotards and hot shorts for this class - yoga pants and a tank top will work just fine. Created in California by former ballet and Pilates instructor Jennifer Williams, Pop Physique is a one-hour full-body workout that incorporates ballet barre, Pilates and isometric movements with core strengthening.

It's a sunny morning in Westminster, and the pulleys are squeaking, the weights clinking as a half-dozen members of a small gym give the equipment a workout. Bouncy music comes though a stereo's speakers. A trainer encourages a client on a treadmill. A large banner on the wall reads, "Believe In Miracles!" Gina Gilligan-Della said she has seen more than her share of those. Gilligan-Della, 48, is the founding president of TheraFit Gym, a fitness center designed to serve individuals with severe physical disabilities from spinal-cord injury to the after-effects of stroke.

Seniors are moving to the lyrics, "Friday night I crashed your party, Saturday I said I'm sorry" from Billy Joel's "You May Be Right. With a song list that includes "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," the Greater Baltimore Medical Center-sponsored Fit for Life program prides itself on exercising and having fun. "The class is a social outlet," said Sally Ransom Knecht, a group coordinator. "Our purpose is getting fit but also developing relationships and caring for one another.

Move over, Zumba. There's a new fitness craze in town. Piloxing, which is a fusion of Pilates and boxing, debuted in Columbia last fall and continues to grow in popularity. Piloxing's blend of the cardiovascular benefits of boxing and the muscle toning of Pilates makes for a well-rounded and challenging workout, says Megan Cooperman, a group fitness supervisor for the Columbia Association, which hosts classes at local gyms. “You work your upper body and develop strength from boxing,” she says.

A sofa cover is a quick way to give your furniture a makeover while transforming your space in the process. Try this polyester Amelie Slipcover by Surefit. The blue-and-cream-colored Amelie collection is French-inspired and mixes prints (plaid, floral and foulard patterns) for a clean finished product. Geometric and floral patterns are huge this season, and with its classic look, this piece will have staying power. The slipcovers are available in different sizes: pillows ($19.99) to full-length sofas ($99.99)

Virginia Commonwealth will add women's lacrosse to its athletics lineup beginning with the 2015-16 season in order to maintain compliance with Title IX, the school has announced. The VCU Board of Visitors on Thursday approved adding the sport to its intercollegiate athletics program, which currently sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports programs -- eight men's teams and eight women's teams. Over the past four years, the number of student-athletes per academic year has consistently been between 265 and 279, and student-athlete composition has generally been equal between men and women.