That's Fit

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 is one of those people who really puts me in awe. Desmond Howard has scooped up two of the most impressive and revered awards in the entire sport of football, a Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl MVP. As I sat with Desmond on a sunny and breezy day in the University of Florida football stadium, The Swamp, I wondered what if felt like to achieve such greatness. Most boys feel lucky to make their high school JV football team. To play in college is an honor. To do what Desmond's done ... indescribable.

I love talking to professional athletes because they have had access to the best of the best opportunities in fitness. They have been trained for perfection and have proven to have mastered the art of discipline. Surely, they have something to share!

ince retiring from playing football, Desmond now works as a color analyst for ESPN's College GameDay. He doesn't have the luxury of an aggressive coach barking at him each day to maximize his potential. He trains because he loves being fit, and just like you and me, he has had to find creative ways to work it into his schedule.

On a personal note ... for someone with so much success in one of the most testosterone-driven sports in the world, Desmond was one of the most down-to-earth non-egotistical men I've ever met. He maintained a gigantic smile (with ridiculously perfect white teeth) throughout our entire conversation and was just a pleasure to spend time with. He's smart, funny, and everything I would want my son to become if he followed in a similar athletic path. Plus he praised his Mom, and of course, I want my baby to do that too. If you haven't been able to keep up with Desmond's success in sports, but would like to achieve great fitness as an adult ... read on.

Fitz: You've retired as one of the most successful football players in both the NFL and NCAA. What do you do now to stay fit?

Desmond: I usually try to work out four-five times a week, but it's kind of difficult when I travel a lot. When we do a lot of college football games, I'll ask the Sports Information Director of the university where we'll be if we can use their weight room. Sometimes the hotels we stay in have pretty nice weight rooms too. We really don't need a lot. I try to do cardio. I like the elliptical machine a lot, because it's low impact on my knees. If they don't have that I'll do the stationary bike. I always get in at least 35-40 minutes of hard cardio, work my core, and then work some other muscle group.

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.

This week I got to sit down on a beautiful sunny day, in The Swamp with the very sweet, smart and athletic ESPN College GameDay Analyst Mr. Kirk Herbstreit. No, we weren't knee deep in mucky water. We were in the heart of Gator Country enjoying the breeze after Kirk completed his workout, running zillions of steps at the University of Florida football stadium, The Swamp. Kirk retired from playing football more than 15 years ago, after four years at quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes. But now, he's one of the major faces of college football. Pandemonium strikes college campuses across the country when he -- along with host Chris Fowler and analyst Lee Corso -- set up shop outside the biggest games of each week.

Kirk brings something unique to the team. Every time the GameDay crew heads to the University of Florida, I find more than just the expected crowd of rowdy football fans swarming their booth. There is always an unusual amount of females in a frenzy to get as close a look as possible into Kirk's pretty blue eyes. He's definitely worthy of the attention. From my interaction with Kirk, I think he's a genuinely nice and genuinely thoughtful person. Before we started talking fitness, Kirk shared concerns over all the violence taking place on college campuses. He's a protective father and husband who tries to excel in his career while taking care of his family. He is just plain old sweet! And even though his professional life has been built around sports, he works hard to squeeze in fitness and manage nutritious eating just like the rest of us. Kirk seems to be an expert juggler of life and shares some great tricks for staying fit on the go. He also dishes a few doozies on football.

Fitz: What types of things do you do to stay in shape?

Kirk: It's kind of a lifestyle really. As an athlete I worked out so hard, I could eat anything without paying the price for it. As I got older, I still had that appetite and I was not able to work out as hard as I did when I was playing football. What I really try to do is control my portions, and mix in cardio and strength training workouts four to five days a week. If I can do that, I feel like I'm in a pretty good place. It's just about doing it though!

Fitz: What do you do while you're on the road?

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Chris Wilmont

Age: 34

Occupation: Claims Manager

How often do you exercise? Try to keep it between 4 to 6 times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Mostly weights, but I incorporate cardio to ward off bad doctor visits.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? The inspiration to feel good after accomplishing something for a better me.

There are very few things that make me angrier than hearing about yet another woman or child who has been murdered by a husband or boyfriend. Let me also say that I know that women can be just as abusive to their partners and kids. Perhaps the difference is that we just hear about it more when it's men doing the abusing.

Either way, it is totally unacceptable and yet it just keeps happening. The latest case to bring light to the subject is wrestler Chris Benoit who strangled his wife Nancy and smothered his son Daniel before hanging himself. Only after the news of the murder broke did details surface of Benoit's past abusive behavior towards his wife.

According to this article, Nancy had filed for divorce in the past and stated to a judge that her husband had threatened her with violence in the past. She later withdrew the claim. No one knows why Nancy, or other women in similar situations, are willing to stay with abusive partners. I think it's probably a variety of reasons that unless you are in the situation, you may not understand. That is why I think that it is incredibly important not to turn blind eye to the situation. If you know a friend or family member who you suspect is in an abusive relationship, don't just sit by and let it happen. Try to talk to the person involved, provide information and support. I realize that sometimes it doesn't seem that simple, but if your efforts can save a loved one from Nancy and Daniel Benoit's fate, then it is worth it.

If you would like more information on domestic violence, including help for victims and how men can help stop violence against women and children, take a look at the US Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women page.