Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here..

Q. Yo Fitz! I'm on a tight budget. If I can only buy one thing for fitness, what should I get? Randy

Hey Randy, Tight budgets stink sometimes, but they're great at helping us prioritize and the answer to this question emphasizes that. I say, if you can only invest in one thing......get sneakers. With an awesome pair of kicks you can do just about anything. Run, jump, climb stairs, walk, skip, dance, cycle, squat, kick, strength train, etc... On the reverse side, you shouldn't be doing most of those things without a supportive pair of sneakers.

I was just certifying a terrific group of fire fighters today to become in-house personal trainers at their fire department. While teaching them the basics of muscle function, I drove home the fact that they should be able to train everywhere from the fanciest gyms to the desert. You don't NEED equipment. Equipment is nice to have, but a lack of it is never an excuse to skip out on exercise. No matter where you are......if you have your sneakers, you can put them on and go!

Once again. Sorry your budget is tight, but there are worse things in the world. More importantly, your priority is on your health. Can't put a price tag on that!

Q. My husband has gained about 40 pounds in the last year. I'm worried about him, but don't want to say anything cause I fear he'll think I'm just not physically attracted. The last thing I want is for him to feel picked on or ashamed. What do you suggest? Stacia

Poor Stacia. That's a tough position to be in. I remember long ago my college boyfriend and I got into this. He was a skinny little guy. REALLY thin. But he had horrific eating habits and rarely exercised. I was legitimately concerned about him and tried to address the issue by telling him I thought he needed to exercise. I was worried about his health. He asked "what? Are you saying I'm fat?" I said, "of course not honey! You're not fat! But...you HAVE fat!" That was a bad thing to say. We argued a bunch and his feelings were really hurt. It was horrible, because my intentions were loving and genuine.

So! The moral of that story is that I don't think there is a good way to address this touchy subject head on. Maybe take the back door around it. Try asking him to help you get in shape by joining you in walks or at the gym. Maybe even ask him to help you train for a 5K race. Start cooking really healthy meals and blame it on your fitness goals. Clear the junk food out of your house too, so it's simply less accessible.

While doing all of this I would definitely ravage him a few times. That will distract him from thinking you're dis-interested in him. It may even make him think a bit more about taking care of that body of his. If he starts to make progress with his weight, pour the lovin' on even thicker. Don't we all respond to positive feedback? Good luck Stacia. I wish you and your hubby a long healthy life together.

Punches & Kicks,
Fitz

Note: The content presented in this Q. & A section is for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as medical advice or substitute for professional medical care.