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. Dear Fitz. I really need to tone by butt, abs, thighs and hips. I am thinking of getting a fitness ball DVD kit. Does this really work well for toning? Thanks. Lisa
A. Absolutely Lisa. The stability ball is one of my favorite toys/tools for fitness training because there is so much you can do with it. Of course the DVD to go along with it should give you some great ideas on how to use your ball. Besides the variety of exercises you can do with it, the stability ball is lightweight, deflatable for travel, inexpensive and fun!
Another version of the stability ball that was just released is called the Ballast Ball by BOSU. It looks exactly like a stability ball, but it is filled with five pounds of tiny beads that look like sand. The Ballast Ball doesn't 'run away' as easily as the regular ball, so it's easier to do things like squats on it without the fear that it will roll away while you're in the standing position. It's also a challenge to throw it up and do a variety of lifting exercises with it. I'm quite happy with mine. Great places online to get these balls are Power-Systems.Com, SPRIFitness.Com and BOSU.Com for the Ballast Ball. I wish you success!
Hey Fitz. I'm a 33 year old active male. I've always been a spritely little chap, running here, cycling there, and partaking in many different sports. Right now I play 5-a-side football (soccer) every Monday night throughout the year and I play 11-a-side football every Sunday from August to May. During the week I either run or cycle to and from work (which is a mere 4 miles each way)....
...Just recently my parents have been nagging me to stop running and take the bus to work. They are fearful that I will run myself into an early grave at worst, or a wheel chair at best. Apparently, my father once knew a 22 year old lad who ran 70 miles a week, he died at that age. The coroners report said 'he had hardened arteries and the heart of of a 70 year old', which my father put down to the running... i.e. too much exertion had aged his internal organs prematurely. I don't believe for one minute that running/jogging can 'age internal organs', have you ever heard of this?
With regards to my personal fitness regime, do you think I am doing too much? From my point of view, I would say I am living a healthy lifestyle... however, I am aware that my joints may be taking a beating... do you have any advice? Thanks. Dom.
A. Ack Dom! You poor guy. I can see it now. You get up each morning with the heart of the champion and the will most of us only dream of having as you jog or cycle to work each day. A textbook example of what more people should be doing. You probably eat really well and feel terrific too. Then you get a headache because of the grief you catch over it. No fun. You should be applauded for your efforts, not the opposite. I've crossed paths with lots of folks from 'our generation' with parents from 'past generations' who just don't get it. Isn't it painful to be berated for doing the 'right thing'? If they only knew what we know, they'd be buying your next pair of sneakers.
My parents used to berate me when I lost tons of weight when I first began my fighting career. The bigger girl they were accustomed to looked waify (yet fit) and it scared the crap out them. They thought I was starving myself or worse. We argued and fought, but it took forever to get through to them that my lifestyle had changed for the better. I switched from eating fried junk and cookie dough to fruits, veggies and lean meats. I couldn't convince them, but one day my mother figured it out herself. I remember overhearing her tell my father, "Fitz eats a ton! She's just PARTICULAR about what she puts in her mouth." And that was that. No more arguing.
Good news #1. Your parents obviously love you very much, and in their own way are trying to prove it by forcing you to relax. Relaxing sounds better and better as we age it seems, and they think you're punishing yourself as you run four miles. Bad news #1. They just don't get it. Generations before ours weren't privy to all of the health and fitness knowledge we have today, so they haven't studied the subject like we have. They probably only read the scary headlines in the paper touting exercise anorexia, or that poor chap with the 'hardened arteries'. Which by the way...I've never heard of happening as a result of excellent fitness habits.
Better News #2. Sounds like you're doing the exact right thing! You make great use of a possibly tight schedule by working out on your way to work and get it done first thing in the day. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Hopefully you add some strength training and stretching into your day as well. Bad News #2. You could be putting a hurting on your joints.
Great News #3. Training-wise, you sound like your heart is as strong as an ox. Nothing bad about that. AND! If you are truly concerned about your joints you can add roller blading or non-motored scooter riding to your list of modalities that get you to work. Doing anything in excess can lead to over-use injuries, so just add some more variety. As far as the soccer goes.....keep doing it as long as it's still fun and feels good.
Dom. You have parents who love you, excellent fitness habits, and the humbleness that lead you to ask me if you were on the wrong path. I imagine you're going to live a really long, really lovely life. Just be sure to wear some bright running clothes so you don't get hit by that bus going towards your job every day.
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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kazoo 5-10-2007 @ 7:22AM
dear Fitz, my name is Jean-Robert, i am a 22 male and love to run and push myself beyond my limits, last year i had shin splint and it seems to be a recurrent thing now. I am not very flexible which doesn't help my case. I was wondering if with some daily stretching this could possibly go away or at least reduce risks of it getting more serious.
thanks
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