That's Fit

Just wanted to wish all of my fellow Americans a very happy Fourth of July, and to remind everyone why we celebrate. Of course politics can be rough, and the economy sometimes varies, but those things pale in comparison to all that this country has to offer. As I was explaining to my three and five year old children this week, we celebrate our freedom this Friday. As Americans we are able to choose our jobs, choose our religion, choose our spouse, choose our homes, and have as many or as little children as we'd like to have.

Nothing is perfect of course, but America is perfect for me. I rarely walk by a man or woman in uniform without thanking them for their service, nor an elderly man proudly wearing his baseball cap describing which branch of the military he served. I value the local and state law enforcement officers for placing their lives on the line each day to protect ours. I'm even grateful for the sometimes messy brood of politicians we elect to run this beautiful country of ours.

Lastly, I'm grateful for the nation of Americans. Thank goodness the majority of us are really good hardworking people. The good certainly outweigh the bad. I thank you for voting, working, educating your children, volunteering, helping strangers, and just making this country what it is today. I love it here. I'm proud to be here, and I'm grateful to those who laid their lives on the line to provide my family and I the simple yet irreplaceable luxury of freedom.

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name:

Age:

Heroic occupation:

If you're in the military...where are you?

How often do you exercise?

What type of exercise do you do?

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name:

Age:

Heroic Occupation:

If you're in the military...where are you?

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name: Erik J. Fritz

Age: 19

Occupation: Bulk Fuel Specialist at the Marine Corps and Navy Reserves Unit

If you're in the military...where are you? Green Bay, WI,

How often do you exercise? Almost every day

What type of exercise do you do? Running outside and on the treadmill, lifting weights, and a lot of push-ups.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Knowing that I have to stay in good shape to pass my PT.

Think you've got the physical stamina to make it in the British army? You can find out. Just check out this 16-week fitness program, developed by the Army Physical Training Corps, and follow it faithfully. Make it to the end and you will have passed the same test recruits must pass to graduate from basic training.

For those of you serious enough to jump on this fitness challenge, instructional wall charts are available here. And for some inspiration, you might want to check in on Rachel Dixon as she journals her own 16-week endeavor.

At the beginning of her journey, Dixon writes: "I tackle day one's exercises after work. I manage to jog for the prescribed 20 minutes, albeit quite slowly. I'm slightly stiff from yesterday's exertions, so have to stop to stretch once or twice. This minor discomfort is nothing compared to the excruciating agony of performing another 44 press-ups and 66 sit-ups when I get home, though."

Ready to join Dixon and the other trainees out there? If so, please drop us a line and let us know how you fare under soldier-like conditions, won't you?

If you were a cartoon character, stuck in a pile of snow, what would almost certainly be coming to rescue at any moment? A St. Bernard with a small barrel of brandy attached to its collar, of course. A good swig should warm you to the core, right?

Wrong, say the researchers behind the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine's look into this very subject. Evidently, alcohol is just about the worst thing you can drink when you're cold, as it decreases the body's core temperature and increases the risk of hypothermia.

What's more, it also reverses the reflexes that control body temperature. By actually reducing the body's ability to shiver -- which is the body's natural way of creating warmth -- alcohol also increases blood flow to the skin, rather than to the organs.

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. Brrrr Fitz! I live in the waaaaaay cold and am already starting to feel the flab. It's too cold outside to go for runs like I normally do. I can't afford the gym and don't want to look like the snowman on my lawn. What do you suggest? Rick

A. Eeeek Rick! I can't imagine. Literally. I can't imagine, because I've lived in Florida all of my life. It's about 80 degrees outside right now. I have been in the cold and snow though, Norway seems to have a lot, and I do have some recommendations. First, there are a ton of things you can do at home. Sometimes it is just too hot to train outside where I am, so I end up in the same situation you're in now (but opposite).

A treadmill would suit your running needs, but if that investment is too much...here are some ideas. Move the furniture and--jump rope, run in place, do jumping jacks, jump on a mini-trampoline, hit a heavy-bag, dance, do step aerobics, squat jumps, video training, gliding disks, free weights, pull-ups, push-ups, squats, or crunches.

I don't know if there's any scientific proof to back it up, but to me it always seems like the more muscular you are the more weight you gain the minute you stop working out. But whether it's fact or fiction, it certainly seems to be what happened to Army specialist Maggie -- as soon as she was no longer in the military the pounds started packing on big time.

This article actually a pretty inspirational story, whether you go for the diet plan side of it or not. It's a good reminder that even the buffest of people have to work hard to stay that way!