That's Fit

I'm on the plane flying home from the Prilosec OTC Roundtable Discussion with the gorgeous actress, Cheryl Ladd and nutrition expert, Elizabeth Somer, R.D in New York City. They/we discussed the benefits that both a healthy lifestyle and positive attitude can have on today's Baby Boomers. I was happy to see two bright women, both 57 years old, who were able to close in on 60 without being or looking "old". While preserving their appearances and health, they still embrace and enjoy the gifts that come with aging.

Both Cheryl and Elizabeth personify the woman I hope to be when I am of similar age. Not only because they are gorgeous women who have defied the years physically though. Their healthy eating choices, chronic exercise habits, and joyous perspectives on life offer proof that with decent effort one can earn a long, productive, enjoyable life.

I was roaming around Central Park this week while working in New York City , and came across the nicest yet strangest thing. This man, pictured at right, was ambitiously pursuing a workout in the park. That's the nice part.

The weird part is two-fold. First oddity, he was only wearing his boxer shorts. I suppose that is better than frolicking around in a pair of bikini briefs, but still ... it looked a bit silly to me. The second bit of strangeness was his routine. Of course I'm always telling you guys and gals to 'just move', but this dude took that movement to another level.

He flailed his arms around, tip toe jogged in circles, and frequently practiced handstands (at right) against this tree. I both admired his ambitiousness and marveled at his lack of concern for what others thought. I also giggled a lot too.

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

My guest this week became famous as one of the hot, yet capable babes of Charlie's Angels. This role that burned Cheryl Ladd's name and face into our minds forever, in my opinion, will not in the end, be what we remember her for. We spoke recently both over the phone and in person, and she definitely showed a side of her I hadn't expected to see.

Although stunningly beautiful, and more capable of turning heads at age 57 than most women are at 25 ... Cheryl's most impressive quality in my book is her willingness to take care of other women. She's investing a lot of time in guiding and educating other Baby Boomer women about menopause. Menopause is often a taboo, hush hush topic. But Cheryl has embraced her age and stepped up to the plate to help make her personal experience with menopause an educational experience for others. She shared a bunch of private experiences with me and offered advice for growing more beautiful each year. Read on to learn how to age as gracefully and gorgeously as she has.

Fitz: You're an iconic figure in beauty. You've aged flawlessly, and to me ... you're prettier today than you were 30 years ago starring in Charlie's Angels. What can we do, to be more like you?

Cheryl: First of all, I think it's most important for women to have a close relationship with their doctor. It's important to trust your doctor, so when things go weird you are comfortable addressing the situation and taking care of things. Be proactive with your health! You also have to love yourself! Beauty comes from the inside first.

Fitz: Well your outside is pretty fantastic too. Let's start with your fitness routine. What do you do to stay in such great shape?

If you have a hankering for climbing the highest spot around, The Highpointers Club may be for you. While some Americans travel the lower 48 to lay claim to a game in every professional baseball stadium, Highpointer's 1,500 members share a different goal -- seeking to summit as many high points in each of the 50 states as they are willing and able.

It's one thing to stroll up 1,235-ft Charles Mound, the highest point in Illinois, versus completing the several-day technical climb to Wyoming's 13,804 ft Gannett Peak. I've stood atop three Fourteeners in Colorado (14,000 ft or higher), but the only high point I can claim is Colorado's Mt. Elbert. Not sure if my memory of standing atop 6,643 ft Clingman's Dome in Tennessee counts, I think my dad helped haul me up there when I was a young girl.

Highpointers is not just about notching climbs -- their mission includes conservation and preservation of high points and fostering relationships of like-minded climbers. Only 173 Highpointers, past or present, have reached the summit of all 50. Maybe you, too? Sadly, climbing the higher peaks is serious business. Club member James Nasti, aged 51, died this past July 4 on the summit of 20,320 ft Mt. McKinley in Alaska -- his 49th climb.

Our family just returned from a canoe trip in the remote Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. We've done plenty of car camping with the kids over the years, but this was our first family nature experience far away from the safety of four wheels.

We loaded a super lightweight four-person canoe (rented from a terrific operation, Tuscarora Lodge and Outfitters) with about four days of food, camping/fishing gear and other critical supplies last Wednesday morning. Amazingly, it all fit with room to spare.

Then we paddled off into expansive Seagull Lake, relying upon years of honed outdoor skills, common sense, respect for Mother Nature and a desire to introduce our children, ages six and four, to the beautiful, haunting call of the loon. Paddling, hiking, camping and fishing without seeing another soul for hours on end was transformational. Moving to the rhythms of the weather and relying on mental and physical strength to get from Point A to Point B is humbling. We saw moose, a rainbow, loons, big fish on the line and sliced our paddles through some of the cleanest freshwater in the United States. The view from our kitchen camp perch was majestic (pictured).

I realize a trip like this is not on everyone's A list -- but if you're even a little intrigued -- try walking away from your four wheels and give a short trip into the wilderness a try. I promise it will challenge your body, mind and soul in ways you've never imagined. Start building your skills and join a hiking or backpacking club in your area today!

Vanessa Carlton knows how important it is to have a mentor in one's life (hers is Stevie Nicks, who taught her to reach out to other young female musicians), which might be part of the reason she works so hard to stay fit inside and out. The 27-year-old singer/songwriter is not only a successful musician, but she's also an accomplished athlete and and well-balanced individual.

Vanessa jogs as many as five miles, six times a week to stay in shape. She doesn't have a lot of spare time, so when she works out, she wants to "sweat hard." In fact, she participated in the New York Marathon in 2005 when a friend asked her to run it for the Musicians on Call charity. She accepted the challenge and said, "The race itself was a much a mental test as a physical one."

Though she's open to running another marathon, Vanessa has found other ways to relax. She actually went all the way to India to learn to meditate, but found it difficult because she was so active. Now, she practices a walking meditation, and wanders the streets with her dog, occasionally stopping to write down song lyrics that come to mind.

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

While spending time backstage with the mega stars of teeny tot entertainment, I had the chance to figure out how these amazing men from Australia have kept themselves in such great shape. Dancing, jumping, and flying across stages (sometimes twice a day) hundreds of times a year and well into their forties does not come easily. Murray Cook is the red Wiggle who loves to play guitar. Fortunately for him, he also loves to stretch. He took me through the series of back stretches he completes on a daily basis, and in my expert opinion ... his routine is awesome! Back injuries both minor and major seem to bother all of us at least once in our lives. Many of those injuries could be prevented with a simple and consistent stretching routine like the one Murray demonstrates here.

Although I will expand on Randy Pausch, I imagine you're already well aware of who he is. He's the unstoppable man, who has inspired millions and millions of people around the world by his passion for life while he fights an almost impossible battle with pancreatic cancer. I learned of Dr. Pausch many months ago as Diane Sawyer interviewed him on ABC. He blew me away with his humor, dedication to his family, and outrageous courage.

His journey since his diagnosis put him on stage at the University he was a professor at, Carnegie Mellon, for his Last Lecture. This Last Lecture made it to YouTube (embedded below) and then became a best selling book, The Last Lecture. His outlook on life and stories of his childhood and career have inspired other cancer patients to fight harder and regular people to just be better. Although he's truly only concerned with getting his message across to his three young children, he's positively affected millions of others as a side effect.

Recently, President Bush was compelled to write to Randy Pausch. This can't change Randy's fate with cancer, but as a representative of the American people ... it was a fantastic way to show our appreciation for Randy setting a new standard for 'goodness' and dedicating his life to teaching others.

We loved Jennette Fulda's book chronicling her incredible weight-loss journey. We found it to be entertaining, inspiring, and real, all at the same time, and now you have a chance to find out why -- Jennette is giving away a signed copy of her book, Half-Assed: A Weight-loss Memoir to one lucky That's Fit reader!

To enter to win, just leave a comment below before 5 PM Eastern on Friday, July 4 telling us all about your inspiration. Has something or someone inspired you to lose weight? Live healthier? Work harder? Tell us all about it! We'll randomly choose one winner amongst the eligible entries and announce the winner on Monday, July 7. Some other important details:

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us what inspires you.
  
• The comment must be left and confirmed before 5 PM on Friday, July 4.
• You may only enter once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
• One winner will receive a signed copy of Jennette Fulda's Half-Assed: A Weight-loss Memoir.
  
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  
  

Click here for complete official rules.

Everyone of course! I recently returned from a fabulous vacation with my family at Walt Disney World in Florida. Our six-day adventure was non-stop fun, and a major highlight of this trip were our days at the Disney water parks. We enjoyed both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon to the max and would love to go back every sunny day of the year.

I had a little sad moment though as I chatted with a father of two little ones in the kiddie section of Blizzard Beach. We were commenting on what a challenge it was to keep perfect track of our children in such a busy, water-filled place. The poor guy told me he was alone with his children, because his wife didn't feel like she could go out in public in her swimsuit. He didn't want the kids to miss out on the water fun, so he took them himself. She stayed back at their resort.

It made me amazingly sad to think that this woman felt so uncomfortable in her skin that she couldn't even enjoy a beautiful day with her family at a ridiculously perfect place. I know we all feel self conscious at times (including me). And even as my profession is to educate and inspire others to be more fit ... I wouldn't want anyone to place their life on hold because of their body shape or size. That woman is a really special part of her family, and I imagine they missed her very much.

Hooray! Fellow blogger,Jacki Donaldson just brought up a great subject. Using your phone to help you stay motivated works! I use text messages to harass my personal training clients, and I always receive feedback that they've inspired and kept the recipients in line when tempted to go to the dark (not-so-healthy) side.

Having said that, my brilliant colleague, Tracy Benham, is the mastermind behind TxtVox's Get Fit text messages. The girl is a sharp exercise physiologist and fitness trainer (we met getting our Master's Degrees in Exercise and Sports Sciences). Let her in your mind a couple of times a week ... and sooner rather than later ... your body will rockin'! The texts come twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, and are really just there to motivate, educate, and harass you like a personal trainer would.

Go to TxtVox.com. Find the All About Me section, and then check off the box Get Fit! And did I mention that it's free? Oh yes! It is. If you're someone who could use a bit of consistent motivation from a REAL-DEAL professional ... TxtVox.com Get Fit messages are the way to go.

If you're like me, you've spent many days in either the pool or an ocean this summer. When I hit the water with my family, my purpose is to have physical fun. We're not the type to loaf on a chair, hoping to earn a few extra wrinkles before we call it a day. Heck no! We move! We play, we swim, we chase and more. Having said that ... I have two teeny kiddies and that's what I'm supposed to be doing.

Adults however, are entitled to play, chase, and move near or in the water too! Why the heck not? A warm summer breeze offers a great opportunity to feel strong, energized, and in good touch with our bodies. Women's Health magazine offers a bunch of cool yoga exercises to do at the beach. I like them, I really do. And as your adoring online Fitzness Trainer, I recommend you give them a try.

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 one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey Fitz. I am 12 years old and am a little chunky. I have love handles and wish to get rid of them, but I don't know what I should do! I was trying sit ups and crunches, but they don't work. Now I want to know what really works and how I can keep my body in shape without body fat . Everyone says that I'm not fat nor skinny, I'm just chunky. I want to get rid of all the chunky parts, but I don't know what I should do. Please help! Jellybean

A. First of all Jellybean, I want you to change your focus. I know it's hard to be young and uncomfortable in your skin. I too, had that issue before I was a teenager and ended up with a traumatic eating disorder. Trust me ... it brought me only bad things, never good. Don't go there. Instead of focusing on your so-called "flaws", find something about your body you like. I bet your body is loaded with treasures.

Most of the time, when we think of a boot camp, we imagine a really tough fitness routine run by someone with a face only a mother can love and a voice that causes nightmares. However, if you (or a friend) are getting married, there's a different kind of boot camp for you.

The Gaylord Palms Hotel in Kissimmee, Florida, offers a gentle bridal/bachelorette boot camp, where the bride and her friends can spend a weekend relieving stress by working out and getting pampered.

Sure, you could just do a crazy girls' night out, and while the tequila shots and appletinis will probably make you forget about your stress while you're there, they won't do much for you in the long run. Check out the gallery to see what kinds of cool things the Gaylord Palms Boot Camp for Brides offers.

Woody Harrelson is no stranger to fasting -- he completed a 38-day green juice a couple of years ago (he tried to make it to 40 days, but was tempted away from it when some friends offered him homemade Indian food). He really enjoyed the experience, and "definitely felt my electro-magnetic field expanding." And so, he's doing it again, but bigger.

The actor plans to go to a remote island and drink only water for 40 days. It's not for weight loss for a movie role or anything like that -- he just wants to experience it. Woody said, "I've always wanted to do it. I know it's going to be really hard. But can you imagine it? Eating nothing for 40 days? Swimming and surfing every day in a remote place? Where does the mind go?"

I'm kind of wondering where the mind went, but that's just me. I recognize that there may be some benefits to fasting, but 40 days on nothing but water just can't be healthy for one's body.