That's Fit

At That's Fit, we've written about Wii Fit several times. But there's another alternative to video gaming exercise that will work with almost any console system. Gamercize is plug and play equipment that will get you fit while you enjoy your favorite video games.

Your Gamercize equipment includes a small device that plugs in to your existing gaming console. You'll be able to set the intensity of your workout here. Then, you can choose from either a power stepper or an endurance cycle. Then plug in your favorite game and start exercising. With the Gamercize modification, your video game controller will stop working when you're not exercising. So in order to play, you've got to work.

I haven't tried the system and, frankly, I question whether I'm coordinated enough to do it. Besides, I'm just not much of a video game fan. But it does seem like playing a fitness game over and over could get a bit boring. With Gamercize, your video game choices are limitless.

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 blew it! I am going on vacation with a bunch of my college buddies and some hot girls in four weeks. I've totally slacked off on my workouts since school ended and now I'd like to get ripped again before we head to Mexico. What can I do at my gym to shred a bit of fat and get buff quick before the trip? I know I'm a dork for slacking, but I also know you can help me improve. I'm willing to do the work! Jason

A. Familiar story Jason! You're not the only one who's taken some time off from their fitness training only to have it blow up in your face. You're also not the first person to try and undo the damage quickly. Four weeks is a pretty decent amount of time, so if you are really clean with your eating habits and start training intensely ... I think it would be safe to take off at least 10 pounds before you see Mexico, and all of those hot girls see you!

Endometriosis is a condition that was discussed a lot in my house when I hit puberty and started experiencing menstrual cramping that brought me to my knees. My mother was diagnosed with it (and told she needed a hysterectomy) when she gave birth to me -- that was, of course, after more than 25 years of truly unbearable cramping during menstruation and 10 years of trying to conceive with no luck. She had seen doctors about the pain and was basically told it was in her head.

So, when I came across this post at Divine Caroline on the "Devastating Effects of Endometriosis," I took a moment to read it over, and boy am I glad I did. It turns out that endometriosis can cause a lot more than just miserable cramping.

Endometriosis "occurs when fragments of the womb lining are found in other parts of the body where they may swell, bleed, and lead to fusing and scarring." Fragments are generally found in the abdomen, but can be found in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and bowel -- even as far away as the lungs. And, it can cause infertility -- between 30 and 40 percent of women with endometriosis are unable to conceive.

Finding your gym workout to be a bit boring? Why not escape from Alcatraz or take a biking wine tour through six different California vineyards? How about doing so without ever leaving your gym?

Crunch Gym, the popular and trendy fitness clubs found in such major cities as New York and L.A., now offer Expresso Fitness Bikes, which allow you to choose from one of 30 realistic-looking bike courses on an attached video monitor. If joining Crunch might be a bit out of your budget, you can try the PCGamerBike at your own home or office. This small, shoebox-sized base with pedals can fit right under your desk and plug into your PC. From there, you can create routes and log distance, time, and calories burned. Check it out at www.gamecycles.com .

Christina Cherif of Oakland Based Urban Gardens (OBUGS), a nonprofit that provides garden-based education programs at four Oakland schools, conducts weekly gardening lessons for first-graders. And when the students see her coming, they cry, "Yeah, the garden lady!"

Dropping seeds into little hands, asking questions about roots and stems, and marveling at the wide eyes and wonder she sees on the faces of her pupils, Cherif is just one person representing the growing trend of incorporating instructional gardening into the school curriculum.

For children in urban environments, especially in low-income areas where access to fresh produce is limited or non-existent, kids don't know much about the origin of food. Bringing gardens to them opens up a whole new world.

"A lot of the kids we work with don't know where food comes from," said Michelle Lieberman, executive director of OBUGS. "A benefit of school gardens is that they see the life cycle."

Interested in helping young minds grow through gardening? Check out kidsgardening.com to get started.

I'm so excited. My husband and I just purchased the Smart Cycle as a Christmas gifts for our kids, ages two and four. The Fisher-Price Smart Cycle Learning Game System is a cool little stationary bike that hooks up to a television and allows children to pedal through learning adventures. Kind of like a spinning class for three year olds, who can learn their ABC's while working out.

My husband and I purposely seek out toys that will encourage our children to be active. Along with the bounce house we keep in the unfurnished dining room and the scooters they zoom around the house on, this Smart Cycle will fit in quite nicely in our playroom.

The Fisher-Price Smart Cycle Learning Game System Cycle retails for $99, but we bought ours for $89 at Sam's Club. I'll look forward to December 25th, when Parker and Ginger can jump on this thing and go for a ride. Of course we do a lot of bike riding outside, but this thing will make rainy days a lot more fun. Hopefully the two of them will take turns nicely.

One of the first rules I learned when I took up yoga was that I had to avoid inversions like headstand, shoulder stand and plow when I'm on my cycle. I never bothered to ask why. But after doing some research, I found out that it's thought that because inversions cause the blood to flow in the opposite direction, it can lead to disruptions in regular flow and even cause endometriosis. ouch!

But don't take this as gospel -- there are no studies to back this claim up. At the same time, there are no studies that show that inversions don't cause problems. So what to do? Listen to your body, and perhaps err on the side of caution.

What do you think?

This is one of those gadgets that made me laugh out loud when I first saw it, and then with a name like "Geek-a-cycle" the giggles only got worse until my stomach hurt. I get that us time-pressed and stressed out Americans of today's world have a hard time finding time to exercise, but this doesn't look all that healthy to me. Is it ergonomical? Plus she's wearing dress clothes and dress shoes so she must not be planning on working up much of a sweat. And I'm sorry, but doesn't this much simpler gadget do pretty much the same thing without being nearly as embarrassing?

But hey, if it works for you then go for it. Exercise is exercise, and I'm the last one to knock anybody for trying. And on the bright side, laughter is great medicine so you'll be doing your coworkers a healthy favor, too.

Are you looking to shape up your abdominal muscles? I remember the first time I realized the appeal of six-pack abs way back when I first saw Janet Jackson's video for the song "That's the Way Love Goes". Miss Jackson changed her look from the former Rhythm Nation-image of a youth in full-black commando outfits, to sexy and sleek wearing a short and slinky stomach-baring top. All the boys at my Jr. High were obsessed with that video, as were the females (for different reasons). Even as teenage girls, we all wanted to have those abs.

Years later, I still have never had a six-pack. I don't actually want them anymore, but I would love to lose a layer of fat and look more toned. While sit-ups were the way to go back in my Jr. High days, the ideal way to flatten your stomach now is through aerobic exercise (to burn off the flab covering the muscles underneath) and by toning through strengthening your core.

As this article discusses, poses like those utilized in Pilates -- ones that work your core muscles through repetitive reaching, bending and twisting movements -- are not only great for toning you stomach but also help strengthen your back. The piece gives instructions on how to properly execute an abdominal cycle, a series of movements that will have your abs looking fab in a mere 10 minutes a day. Whether you're still holding on to that six-pack ideal we all discovered thanks to Janet Jackson, or you're just looking to firm and tone, this is a good way to start.

When you think of being "seasoned" in pretty much any sport you probably picture a pretty fit physique to go along with the skill. But that's not always the case -- interestingly enough there are some sports that you can work at regularly and get good at without necessarily fitting into a sport-specific shape: bicycling for example. Due to aerodynamics and the unique way the center of gravity is used bicycling is much more forgiving of body type and age than other sports like, say, running. It's not uncommon for cyclists to surprise you by not fitting the expected 'mold' of young and rail thin -- instead being of all ages and all body types.

Ladies, of course you can choose to see the negatives and focus on PMS and bloating or whatever, but when your period rolls around every month why not focus on the positives instead? And the rest of the month, as things are happening and changing in your body, why not use all that to your advantage also? Although hormone fluctuations generally have a bad reputation, they can have benefits if you understand them. For example, in days 1-10 of your cycle (1 being the first day of your period) it'll be easier to quit smoking, days 11-14 are the best times to schedule a routine OB appt or to make a large corporate presentation, and days 15-28 are the most conducive to burning and losing belly fat.

Who knew? Mark your calendars!