That's Fit

I just received this press release for a SLEEP promotion, and as I'm a huge fan of sleep, I thought I'd pass it along. I really do value sleep and thought that this constituted a good enough reason for me to take a nap. Work keeps me up to late, and the kids wake me up far too early. If you're like me and just need a great excuse to get some extra Zzzz, read on, grow inspired, and then conk out. Maybe you can even participate and win yourself a fancy bed!

--SUMMER IS FOR SLEEPING? EXHAUSTED AMERICANS CHALLENGED TO SLEEP-IN ON LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

Sleep Number by Select Comfort® Kicks-Off Sleep-in Challenge on First Day of Summer to Help Combat Mortality Causing Illnesses - (June 5, 2008) –Just one more hour of sleep each day can help extend your life by reducing mortality causing illnesses including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, respiratory disorders and high blood pressure, according to new researchSo, instead of packing more activities into your day, the sleep experts at Select Comfort (NASDAQ: SCSS), the nation's leading bed retailer and maker of the Sleep Number bed, challenge Americans to adopt better sleep habits by signing a pledge here to sleep one more hour each day beginning June 20, the first day of summer and the "longest" day of the year. All those who pledge are entered to win a free Sleep Number bed and sent valuable sleep and lifestyle tips to help them achieve deeper, restorative sleep to improve physical and mental health and performance, which might extend their life and increase their bedtime comfort.

Now that we're into May, there's no doubt that spring is springing. You'll need to dig out a few things: The barbecue, the lawnmower, the sun dresses, the flip flops, and perhaps most frighteningly, the bathing suit. Yes, that's right -- all the failed post-Christmas promises will reveal themselves with a vengence when you step out of the cabana for the first day on the beach. But don't fret -- it's not too late to do something about it.

We're teaming up with our friends at AOL Body to bring you America Takes It Off: Summer Quick Fix Challenge. Each week, we'll offer you tips and tricks to get you looking your best in time for summer. Watch for these great upcoming features:

• Each Monday, we'll issue you a Summer Quick Fix Challenge.
• Don't be shy -- reveal how many pounds you've lost each Wednesday in our Summer Quick Fix Poll, and we'll keep track of your progress in our Wednesday Weigh-in feature.
• Each Friday, we'll reveal how you did and talk about what worked.

Are you ready to take on the challenge and welcome a new you in time for summer? Yeah, we thought so. We'll see you back here on Monday, May 5th for our first Summer Quick Fix Challenge.

That's right! I went running with the Livestrong legend, and you can too!

Nike+ has created a 40 minute running workout featuring Lance Armstrong, and they generously allowed me to download and review it. And I'll tell you what -- 40 minutes on a treadmill has never gone by so fast. The mix of music included songs by artists like Weezer, Beck, and The All-American Rejects and, more importantly, had Lance Armstrong coaching me through the workout.

I definitely liked the extra motivation -- every time I wanted to slow down, I heard Lance's voice and thought of that scene in Dodgeball where he sees Vince Vaughn in the airport bar and talks to him about quitting:

Three years ago, seven staffers from the Live with Regis and Kelly show faced off in a fitness and weight loss challenge. Partnering with SELF magazine's exercise and nutrition experts, these challengers lost loads of weight and body fat. Fast forward to now and many have gained back both the pounds and the fat. Some put on a little weight -- one contestant gained one pound -- and some are carrying upwards of 20 extra pounds. So they're back at it -- the same seven, another 12-week challenge, again with SELF magazine, and this time the stakes are higher: Everyone involved wants the results to stick.

It's not always people who fail at weight loss, remarked one SELF editor on Tuesday's Regis and Kelly weigh-in show. In fact, 85 percent of those who lose weight gain it back. It's often the diets that fail. Find the right diet, the right exercise, the right commitment and change should be permanent -- right? Only time will tell for this crew.

To chart the progress of the hopeful seven, turn that TV on each morning or simply log on to liveregisandkelly.com for updates -- and for tips you can use at home.

Sabrina Bryan, former Dancing with the Stars hopeful and member of Disney's Cheetah Girl singing group, is committed to fighting childhood obesity and promoting health body image among young girls. How exactly is she doing it? With a hop-hop fitness DVD, that's how.

"My opportunity with the project was to bring a health-conscious topic up in a fun way for girls," says Bryan whose three-part workout (called Byou: pronounced Be You) was a team effort with Healthy Kids Challenge, a nonprofit that focuses on creating children's nutrition.

Bryan, 24, remembers clearly body image issues she experienced during her adolescent and teenage years.

"I went through this whole, 'I hate my body,' thing," she said.

Becoming active in sports and dancing was key for Bryan who practices balance in her adult life.

"It is good to have balance," she says. "Anything that is too one way or the other is where you end up doing binge kinds of things which is not what we want in the minds of young girls."

For more on Bryan's dance outreach, visit the official Byou site.

Need a challenge for the upcoming year? Then consider this one -- the National Body Challenge 2008, sponsored by Discovery Health. It's a free, comprehensive fitness and weight-loss challenge that provides the tools and inspiration for getting in shape, shedding those extra pounds, and adopting a healthier lifestyle. Who couldn't use that kind of motivation?

Mark your calendar for December 27, 2007 -- that's when you can register online -- and get ready to access online and television tools beginning January 5, 2008. The challenge lasts for eight weeks -- it ends March 2, 2008 -- and in that amount of time, anything is possible.

Once registered, participants will establish their goals and create customized plans to suit their needs. It all starts with a weigh in -- either online or at one of four mall kick-off celebrations, taking place at Alderwood Mall, Seattle, WA; Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL; Columbia Mall, Columbia, MD; and Short Hills Mall, Short Hills, NJ.

Here's what you get if you sign up, besides a kick in the pants to make good on your health goals: Free access to online customized meal plans with more than 1,000 nutritional recipes, a personalized weight and activity tracker, extensive information from doctors and health and fitness experts, a free eight-week membership to Bally Total Fitness (restrictions may apply), a weekly newsletter, and more.

Ready to give it a go? Click here to get started. What have you got to lose, besides a few pounds?

Katie Holmes, refreshed and sporting black, open-toed heels, attended husband Tom Cruise's Lions for Lambs movie premiere on Sunday night -- just after she'd finished running the New York City Marathon.

No major recovery was required for Holmes, who finished the race in 5:29:58.

"Isn't she amazing?" said mom Kathy of her 28-year-old daughter. "She's such a good girl. We're so proud." Hubby Tom echoed the sentiment.

"I know, I know. It's amazing."

It is amazing. I am so impressed by those who can finish such a grueling 26.2-mile challenge. Truly impressed.

Way to go, Katie!

FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

I'm getting the hang of this mind-over-matter thing. You know, that ideal state that is so hard to master at times -- like when I'm running and the urge to quit is so strong. I'd stop in my tracks in an instant if it weren't for finding that right frame of mind that allows me to push on through. Sometimes I don't find that perfect place. Lately, though, I've been doing pretty good -- when it comes to candy anyway.

A big bowl of Halloween candy sits in my kitchen pantry at this very moment. It's a combination of the junk my two little boys begged off our neighbors during trick-or-treat on Wednesday, and it's ooey, gooey, and oh so sweet. There's a little bit of everything in that gigantic orange bowl. There's chocolate, lollipops, chewy candy, hard candy, and lots of sugary gum. And I promise you, despite the temptation that will flutter through my brain on occasion, not one piece of that stuff will pass through my lips. I've been eating Halloween candy every year for as long as I can remember but this year, I just won't do it. It's a mind-over-matter thing.

I haven't eaten sweets since May. The longer I go without indulging, the easier it gets. It's become my personal challenge. Staying away from sugar makes me feel like I'm winning a challenge. And I guess I am. I'm winning a personal health match, and I don't want to get knocked out the game. If I stay focused -- and keep memories of sugar-induced headaches alive -- I won't cave in. The candy is merely matter. My mind is so much more than that. Yours is too. Put it to work and you'll see just how much you can overcome.

I was watching TV last night, flipping at high speed through all the channels with my handy-dandy remote, when I remembered the long-ago days requiring an actual walk to the television set for a little channel surfing. It got me thinking about technology, about how the very thing that is revolutionizing the world in so many ways -- think electronic medical records, on-line banking, the fact that I'm publishing this post in cyberspace for all to read -- is also making us one lazy mass of people.

How about automatic garage door openers? Growing up, I remember hustling out of the car, often on cold and snowy days, to manually lift my family's garage door. Once our car was nestled safely inside, the door had to be yanked back down. These days are long gone. Now, I have a button in my mini-van programmed to shoot that garage door up and down at a moment's notice. I don't think I've ever even touched my garage door with my hand.

Sprinkler systems. Remember watering your lawn with a sprinkler attached to your hose and dragging it from place to place until every blade of grass got a drink? Now we have the luxury of sprinklers running on auto pilot. We also have drive-through and drive-up options at almost every restaurant around. We don't even need to exit our cars to collect our carry-out slop. And riding lawn mowers. We're not talking traditional technology here but still, it illustrates my point. I saw a neighbor plowing through his miniature-sized yard the other day on his big and burly John Deere ride-on. Could the 30 minutes it might take to manicure his entire lot of grass be so difficult?

As people, and later, as parents, we set many goals for ourselves throughout our lives. Many of these goals are met and subsequently replaced by newer, often grander goals. We enjoy challenge in our lives--it makes us faster, stronger, smarter--kind of like the bionic woman.

But sometimes, every so often, a goal takes on a life of its own. Sometimes it becomes too large and looms out there in front of us as the golden carrot we will never reach. These goals become so enormous and encompassing (especially as we use all our energy to strive to meet them) that everything else gets left in the shadow of that giant goal.

And most of the time it's those smaller things, and the smaller goals, that are just as if not more important than the big goal.

When I first decided to run the New York City Marathon it was really for no good reason. I'd never wanted to run it in the past. I never had that strong desire that haunted my dreams. I enjoyed running, liked being fit, that kind of thing. But never once did I say my dream was to run a marathon, let alone the biggee in NYC.

Does it feel like you're always doing cardio and never seeing results? I can relate -- I used to walk for an hour a day every day and though I thought I would be super fit and trim after a few months, it didn't happen. While my walks were great in the sense that they allowed me some precious time to de-stress, I didn't start really shaping up until I started challenging myself a bit more by running or scaling big hills. On my old walks, the terrain was flat and I spent more time looking at the scenery than challenging myself.

My point is that you can't stagnate and expect to see results. You always have to challenge yourself. Fitness Magazine has this great article on how to make your cardio work for you. And my advice if your daily walks aren't paying off like you thought they would? Head for the hills, job or do anything that leaves you out of breath -- then you know you're working.

Did you accept my challenge and walk yesterday? Did you take great big steps, pump your arms, and work your heart all at the same time? If so, leave a comment and tell us how it went, how you felt, how you might continue pushing yourself in the direction of physical fitness.

I walked -- for a half-mile. Then I ran for 2.5 miles. It went well. I felt invigorated and strong. And I vow to continue walking and running for as long as my body tolerates it. Fitness is a priority. Always.

The American Heart Association urges everyone to take up walking and other healthy habits as part of their daily routine to live longer, stronger lives. Start! is the name of their movement. And that's exactly what you should do: Start walking. Now. As soon as you start exercising, your blood pressure will decrease. So will your risk for heart attack and stroke. Your cholesterol will improve. You might even lose a few pounds. You'll surely gain some energy too. Start! And see for yourself.

Ready for a challenge? I've got one for you. Don't worry, you won't be alone as you conquer the feat I'm about to assign. I'll do it with you, and so will other readers -- won't you, readers?

You've got the whole day to complete your task. Get up early and get it over with, tackle it at lunch, make it an evening appointment. All that matters is that you do it. You'll feel better after you do. I promise.

And your homework is: Walk. Today, I want you to take a brisk, feel-it-in-your-butt, pump-those-arms power walk. Since I don't know your fitness level, I can't tell you how much to accomplish as you work that body. But I will say this: Push yourself. Sweat. Breathe heavily. Struggle a little.

I picked up my Pre-K kid from school today and checked his cubby for take-home items. His little wooden box typically contains artwork, parent notes, and an occasional permission slip. Today, I found a magazine that read, Parents' Game Plan for Good Health. It peaked my interest -- so I flipped through the pages before I even left the school parking lot. What I discovered was pretty good. It went like this:

Get the Family Moving
Walk the dog or toss a football. Just move. And do it together.

Cut Screen Time
Ditch TV and video games, and your kids will spend more calories.

Basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal, who is known as much for his impressive game as his impressive stature (the Miami Heat center stands at over 7-feet-tall, weighs well over 300 pounds and wears a size 23 shoe), is helping a group of obese kids get into shape on his new reality show, Shaq's Big Challenge.

The hoopster, who's physique proves that being fit doesn't necessarily have anything to do with size, says that some of the biggest problems facing kids today is the amount of fast food they consume on a regular basis, the lack of mandatory physical education programs in many American schools and the fact that most would rather play video games than run around and play outside.

As this article points out somewhat hilariously, Shaq is a bit dated on his knowledge of today's gamers -- he cites Sega and Atari as two of the systems kids are going crazy for -- but otherwise all of his points are pretty valid. And as the latest talk speculates that this generation may be the first ever where kids will have a lower life expectancy than their parents due the extreme rise in obesity, it's good to know that more and more people are willing to bring attention to the situation. Check out the show's website for Shaq's Daily Drills, Shaq's Snack Attack and more.