That's Fit

"Mom, come here," my five-year-old Danny said to me the other day after summer school. "I have an exercise to show you." Clearly, I went running to see what my littlest guy had in his fitness bag of tricks. "You lie down," he said. "And cross your arms like this (across the chest)." Then he told me to sit "criss-cross-applesauce" -- that's elementary school speak for sitting with your legs crossed. He wanted me to sit on his feet so they wouldn't budge. So I did. And here's what he did: A sit-up. A perfect, so-very-cute sit-up.

Danny did four sit-ups and was so proud of himself when he finished. We exchanged high fives, and he moved on.

Danny and his older brother are spending three hours each morning during June in a summer enrichment program where they're learning a little, playing a lot, and reporting to PE class every day. Every day. I love it. During the school year, they go once per week for 40 minutes. This summer schedule is going to spoil me -- and them too. They love their gym time. Joey has been practicing new stretches, they both have been demonstrating "crab crawls," they're learning to do pull-ups, and now sit-ups are coming home. Thanks to "coach," who is teaching my boys their new moves, summer school is tops.

I have just come across the coolest thing I've seen all day -- Girls on the Run. It's a program designed to encourage "preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running."

Girls on the Run holds 5K events and pairs up a girl with a running buddy -- that could be you! According to the Girls on the Run Northeast Florida Chapter's website, "a running buddy chaperones and mentors one or two girls through her two 5K experiences: the Practice 5K and the RITA CASH 5K. That means keeping pace with the girl, ensuring her safety, and cheering her on!" Each location might be slightly different, but you get the point.

You'll be running slightly over three miles, encouraging a young girl to get involved in fitness, and building her self esteem. Just try to find something that's not to like! If you're interested (and I hope you are), check out the website for locations near you.

via FitSugar

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: Alexandra Harris

Age: 51

Occupation: Life Coach

How often do you exercise? I eat seven days a week, and I exercise seven days a week!

What type of exercise do you do? Power walking, light weight training (for muscle tone), and yoga (for balance, flexibility, and occasionally turning my organs upside down). I think there's something really healthy about moving your organs around!

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:

I remember viewing forced exercise as punishment well into high school. I never ran for fun. I ran because I was late for practice, or because we hadn't played well the night before.

Having coached youth sports, I understand the need to have some sort of punishment, and it's totally logical that the punishment be something that will also benefit the players. However, it's also important that the kids realize that's why you've chosen this consequence.

I've spent many, many hours coaching youth sports -- girls' volleyball and basketball, mainly -- so I'm pretty sure I'll forever keep my ears perked up for ideas on how to help kids learn about sports. A recent article in The Newark Advocate had just that -- teach kids to love sports by letting them tell you how to play.

Think about it -- kids love to play because it allows them to be creative. If you're trying to teach your daughter to play basketball, by all means teach her the basics of shooting, passing, and dribbling, but let her use her imagination to create new ways to play the game.

Cancer is a scary thing to tackle alone, so a lot of people reach out for help when they get news of this nature. Having someone in the family with this situation, I can attest to how dizzying it can make a person feel when advice is coming from every angle. However, "cancer coaches" are now starting to become more widespread that offer help with information, not advice.

These patient navigators are an outlet for someone to talk with about options and other help they may need to consider. The article says that an ideal candidate for this supporter should be someone who can lend support. This includes mental reinforcement, because not everyone has a strong family to lean on. The coaches should also be able to lend a hand with sorting through information and resources.

Objectivity is also important, because these people may have survivor experiences of their own. Either way, volunteers doing this (and paid workers alike) are turning out to be a valuable asset. Almost 90 locations have these coaches available, and the American Cancer Society wants to take it further. It's good to hear about straight-forward solutions to information overload that involve real people for once.

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 weeks featured guest is Coach Billy Donovan, of the 2006 and 2007 National Champion Florida Gator basketball teams. I chose Coach D. not only because he's brought endless excitement and pride to my Alma Mater, the University of Florida, but because he epitomizes athleticism, perseverance, determination and success. Don't we all wish for that! Coach Donovan just oozes excellence.

He's one of the youngest yet most intense, and successful coaches in the history of NCAA basketball. A master of the court, Coach Donovan and his Florida Gators are still riding high from their second straight National Championship. His 2006 team was the underdog going into the championship game against UCLA, and shocked the nation with a dominating 73-57 win. 2007 was an entirely different story. Donovan's' Gators were picked as the number one team at the beginning of the season and completed it in the same way. With a commanding win 84-75 over Ohio State, the Gators made history as only the seventh team ever to win back to back titles.

Billy played guard at Providence College under the infamous Rick Patino, and went on to play one year for the New York Nicks as well. Although his success as an athlete was impressive, Billy Donovan was born to coach. He runs a first class program, with top notch recruiting, a unique ability to inspire teamwork, and a great attention to academics. I love the fact that he makes no excuses, and takes no excuses. A fine rule of thumb for anyone trying to become better at sports, fitness, or anything else in the world.

Fitz: What do you do to stay fit?

Coach Donovan: I try to run/walk and lift weights at least 5-6 times a week.

Fitz: Do you utilize the guidance of your UF athletic trainers for yourself?

Coach Donovan: Yes, very much.

Fitz: You've spent the last two years coaching NCAA Basketball National Champions. Have your championship years been more chaotic than the rest? How does it all affect your personal fitness level?

Coach Donovan: Because of the time demands, it can be very easy to fall out of a workout routine. But I try to do my best.

Fitz: Do you make time to exercise during the March Madness tournament?

Coach Donovan: Yes. I do try to make time each day.

Fitz: What's on your MP3 player?

Coach Donovan: Stones, U 2, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan

Fitz: What's your favorite healthy dish?

Coach Donovan: Yogurt for a snack and any type of fish for dinner.

Fitz: What's your favorite sinful indulgence?

Coach Donovan: Ice cream and cheesecake.

Fitz: Do you ever play ball with your teams?

Coach Donovan: No. My playing days are over!

Fitz: If you were to play or coach any other sport besides basketball, what would it be?

Sometimes people get so good at separating their work life from their home life they lose track of the fact that whether we like it or not the two are connected. Although it's necessary to be able to "turn off" and leave your work on your desk when you leave to go home, it's still a fact of life that who you are at work and who you are at home intersect a great deal. The author of an article on eDiets, John McKee, says that many times the strategies people use to succeed in their jobs and careers can also be used to help them succeed in others areas in life, like with goals for weight loss and healthy living.

He calls it "The Four Windows Method," and it breaks down something like this:

Although losing weight is one of the most difficult things for a person to do, I doubt many people would argue with the fact that keeping it off might be just as hard, if not harder. The maintenance is in part so darn difficult because it doesn't just require willpower for a specific period of time while you're focused and seeing results, it requires diligence to create permanent lifestyle and habit changes, even when you've met your goal and the satisfaction of seeing the effects is over. Fighting to stay the same is a completely different game than fighting for change.

Deciding to hire a coach or personal trainer used to be as simple as going to the gym and signing up for a weekly appointment with a member of the staff. But technology complicated things. Suddenly the Internet made it possible for a coach from anywhere in the world to give you a personalized fitness plan... while you sat one your couch eating donuts, emailing your coach about all the wonderful progress you'd made.

The e-coach can be a convenient, less expensive way to get professional guidance towards your fitness goals. But this type of hands-off training only works with certain personality types. Some of us get a little relaxed when there's no personal involvement. We need motivation just as much as professional instruction.

Telephone coaches are a happy medium for people who need a little bit of personal push to get motivated but don't have the time or money for weekly personal meetings with a trainer. Telephone coaches may not be able to track your physical results, but they can get a better sense of your personality and what motivates you by hearing you talk about your goals and experiences. Plus, they'll be able to hear you if you're eating donuts.

[Via Families.com]