That's Fit

My husband, a baseball editor for a national newspaper, taught our daughter how to say "pitching mound" when she was about 18 months old. We are lucky to have a field down the street. We drive by it every time we go somewhere in the car and every time we do, our daughter yells "pitching mound!" with gleeful delight.

We've now started making treks on foot down to the field on a semi-regular basis. And our little girl, now almost three, is learning about the rest of the landscape covered with red dirt and grass and framed by two dugouts. She isn't skilled enough to hit yet. Not even off of a tee. But boy do we run those bases. Over and over. And we jump on them. And we cheer at home plate.

By the time we've walked there and back and run the bases a few times, I figure we got more exercise than most players do during a whole game. And it certainly didn't take nine innings to do it. Quick and easy workout, and the kid's exhausted. Perfect!

With there being so many exercises that target the abdominal muscles, it's really tough to pinpoint which are the best. Everyone's body is different, so that doesn't exactly help make it any easier. Still, there are some exercises that seem to stand out from the rest, either for their effectiveness in firming your midsection or simply because they are less commonly practiced. And sometimes, it's a combination of both of these reasons.

This is certainly the case with the barbell roll-out. The move itself may seem slightly familiar; the roll-out movement itself became quite popular about 10 years ago after TV fitness salespeople hawked various brands of exercise wheels. Then, because some gyms didn't have these wheels, some people actually brought their own. But why spend money on something when you don't have to?

The barbell roll-out is a great exercise for your transverse abdominis, which are primary muscles in the functional core of the human body. And, it can be done with the equipment found in just about any fitness center or home gym. Start by loading a barbell with a small weight on either side (five-pound plates are perfect). Next, kneel down on a towel and grasp the bar with a grip that's around shoulder-width apart. Then, roll out in front of you to lower your upper body just above the floor. When you have reached almost full extension of your arms, hold for a second and then pull yourself back to the starting position.

When I was a kid, I took gymnastics at a local ... gymnastics place (for lack of a better term). I eventually quit, deciding that baseball, basketball and football were more my things. Anyway, the one part of gymnastics I always missed was bouncing around on the trampoline. As the years passed, I've always been tempted to buy one, but for one reason or another never got around to actually doing it. This is a shame, really, because not only are trampolines a lot of fun, using them also burns a good amount of calories.

Studies show that 10 minutes on a trampoline burns just about the same amount of calories as a 30-minute run, and it does so with 80 percent less impact on the ol' bones. Moreover, there are actual exercises you can perform on a trampoline, many of which you're probably familiar with already.

Common moves like the push-up, standing squat, lunges, and even jump squats done on a trampoline require greater use of your core muscles than when done on a hard, flat surface. The instability of the trampoline necessitates a certain amount of stabilization, or else you will tip over ... which is no problem, because then you can literally just bounce right back again.

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.

If there's one thing gyms have a lot of, it's machines. Some of the larger fitness facilities have so many machines that they look more like you'd build a car there than a new body. With so many different machine options available, though, it's sort of unfortunate that you're better off not using any of them.

Many machines are designed to isolate a single muscle by guiding your movement on a fixed path. This may sound like a good thing at first blush, but it's not really that good at all. Over time, the isolated muscle you work can become stronger than its supporting muscles, possibly resulting in muscular imbalance or injury.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't ever use machines; rather, I'm merely suggesting that you do not spend your entire workout -- or even the majority of it -- on them. For maximum return on your effort investment, stick to free weights as often as possible during your resistance training.

I have vivid memories of frequently going to McDonald's as a kid and enjoying a Happy Meal. My metabolism revved like a jet engine at that age, so almost anything that made it down my gullet was used as energy and not stored as fat. Nowadays, If I still at McDonald's as often as I did back then, I'd probably have a body like Grimace.

It's a natural -- though very unfortunate -- fact that our metabolisms tend to slow down somewhere around the age of 25. From there, it slows down by around five to ten percent with each subsequent decade that passes. Does this mean that you're fate is sealed and that you must accept your overweight destiny? Not at all.

By exercising regularly, you can keep your metabolism decline under a great deal of control. For the most part, if you get up and start moving every day you can very well increase your metabolism, or at least keep it to around a 0.3 percent drop per decade, says Dr. John Berardi, author of The Metabolism Advantage.

Depending upon which type of exercise you perform, you mostly use one of the two types of muscle fibers.

The first of the two, slow-twitch muscle fibers, are called upon mostly during aerobic exercise (aerobic exercise in this case means the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process, not a bunch of people jumping around in leotards). Slow-twitch muscle fibers react to slow, long-duration contractions. And, they're typically used at the beginning of a movement.

The second of the two, fast-twitch muscle fibers, are used more often during anaerobic exercise. These muscle fibers are utilized for rapid, short-duration contractions. Once you've started an exercise, the fast-twitch muscle fibers take the baton from the slow-twitch fibers.

If you're looking to add lean and toned muscle to your frame and drop some body fat, follow a workout program that incorporates the use of both types of the aforementioned muscle fibers.

Looking to burn some fat before summer? If your current workout seems to be getting stale, torching calories with an intense resistance/cardio circuit training workout will have you ready to hit the beach in no time.

First, follow a healthy diet. I'm not going to get into specifics about diet, as I'd rather focus on the workout (but, feel free to visit our sister site, AOL Body, for great diet advice and tips). I'm also not going to lie, this workout is tough. You're going to be out of breath, you're going to sweat like an animal, and you're going to hate me for ever telling you about it. But, it will produce results. Check with your doctor first to see if you're good to start a rigorous workout program. If you get the OK, it's time for some action!

Start first with a five-minute warm-up on a treadmill or stationary bike (or just walk around your neighborhood). Once that five minutes is up, it's time to kick things into high gear.

Looking to bring some balance to your workout? Using a Bosu ball may be exactly what you're looking for. Though I wouldn't exactly call Bosu balls a new thing in fitness, it is safe to say that are now becoming very popular in gyms across the country. This is good news for you; using a Bosu ball is a great way to make some old exercises new again, and to incorporate entirely new movements into your workout.

If you're wondering what a Bosu ball is, check out the picture above and to the right. A wide variety of exercises can be performed on either side of the Bosu, making it a very versatile little piece of fitness equipment. Some standard movements, typically done on a flat surface, can also be done to target your core muscles when done on the Bosu. And, there are dozens of Bosu-specific movements that you can perform on your own or as part of a Bosu class at your local fitness center.

Here are just a few exercises to try on the Bosu during your next workout:

• Bosu Curls: Stand on the flat side of the Bosu, using your core muscles to stabilize your body as you perform dumbbell curls.
• V Cycles: Sit on the rounded end of the Bosu with your knees raised off the floor. Lean back slightly and begin pedaling an imaginary bicycle to work your abs.
• Jump and Tucks: Stand on the rounded side of the Bosu. Bend at the hips and jump high into the air, tucking your knees very briefly at the top of your jump. Land safely on the Bosu and stabilize yourself. Repeat several times.
• Bosu Back Lunge: Perform a backwards lunge as you would on a regular surface, only keep your alternating front leg on the Bosu
• Bosu Push-Ups: Standard push-ups done with the hands firmly planted against the flat side of the inverted Bosu ball. This will require you to also use your core and stabilizing muscles to maintain your balance.

I adopted a 10-year-old boy last summer. Prior to that, I used to be quite organized. But since my son moved home, I swear that I've lost my mind. I constantly forget things. And I frequently say the wrong words in a sentence. Just yesterday I drove my son to a doctor's appointment that I thought was at 4:00 ... only to find out the appointment was actually at 5:00. I thank goodness that my head is attached to my body, because otherwise I don't think I'd remember to bring it with me. Luckily, I don't think I'm alone in this mysterious affliction. Most of my friends who are moms do the same types of things so we fondly (or not-so-fondly) refer to our forgetfulness as "mommy brain."

According to this article in Prevention, our forgetfulness isn't because our kids are slowly destroying our brain cells -- it's simply because moms have more to remember. From doctor's appointments, to math tests, to wear-baseball-hat-to-school days, to sports practices, to who likes what/who doesn't like what for dinner ... we're constantly remembering all the minutiae of our family's daily lives. So what can we do to improve our memories?

Having just written about the importance of building a reasonable amount of back strength, I decided it's only right that I also suggest a method of how to go about doing this very thing. So, pull-up a chair and listen, my friend.

On second thought, pull-up yourself! Then lower yourself ... and then pull yourself up again!! The classic pull-up is one of the best exercises you can do for your upper back muscles. Just the other day, I mentioned a variation of this move -- the alternating side chin-up. However, when it comes to pull-ups of any kind, there's one problem that is frequently encountered: they're too difficult. Some people can do 50 pull-ups, while others can't even complete one. Because pull-ups are a body weight exercise, how much you weigh will play almost as big a role as how fit you are in terms of your performance.

Have you ever visited your parents house and stumbled upon a veritable time capsule in the attic? Old photos, mix tapes you made for your high school crush, and even old clothes -- items that you had all but forgotten about now stare you in the face, just begging to be taken with you on your instant trip down memory lane.

What do you do? Of course, you pop the mix tape into the old boom box you also found and press play; you sift through all the old photos, including the entire set from your junior prom; and you eventually get the nerve to try on what were once your favorite pair of jeans. And that's when this whole situation turns from nostalgic to depressing ... and, based on a recent American Cancer Society Study, somewhat unnerving.

According to researchers, women who gained 21 to 30 pounds after the age of 18 were 40 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who only gained five pounds or less. What's more, the study also revealed that women who gained 70 pounds or more doubled their risk of breast cancer. So, if your high school jeans don't even come close to fitting anymore, you may want to consider starting a regular exercise program and following a healthier diet.

Love getting that runner's high? If so, why not try a runner's low ... followed by a runner's high ... and then another runner's low, etc.? Alternating between bursts of high-intensity and low-intensity activity -- commonly known as interval training -- is a proven way to quickly shed body fat and improve cardiovascular function.

In fact, numerous studies have revealed that interval training is more effective than working out at a constant, moderate pace. Not only does it challenge your body to train at a higher level of intensity than it is used to, but it also allows short periods of recovery, thereby allowing you to muster up the energy to blast through your workout without faltering toward the end.

Interval training can be applied to just about any form of cardio workout. Runners can try a 30-second sprint for every 3 to 5 minutes of lower-intensity jogging. Swimmers can try something similar; for every one lap (or half lap, depending upon your fitness level) at high-intensity, complete a few laps at a more measured pace. Whatever your exercise of choice happens to be, you can modify it so that it incorporates intervals.

This Mother's Day, be sure to thank your mom for everything she has given you. All the love, all the affection, all the attention one person could ever ask for. But, there may be one thing your mom has given you that, if you had a say in the matter, you may have respectfully declined: her overweight genes.

Well, mom isn't completely to blame for this; dad's weight factors in equally. An article in Muscle & Body magazine points to a British study suggesting that you have a 75 percent chance of being overweight if both of your parents are. Specifically, it seems that the accumulation of body fat and waist circumference are very hereditary, whereas environmental factors played a far more limited role.

Does this mean you're doomed to be heavy if your parents are? I wouldn't say doomed. Not at all, actually. Predisposed? Perhaps. But that doesn't mean that you can't do anything to change what would appear to be your fitness fate. Regular exercise and eating a healthy diet will work just as well for you to stay fit as it will for someone whose parents are quite lean, so don't even think about counting yourself out before the race even starts.

With the temperature on the rise these days, it may soon be time to break out the grill and officially kick off backyard BB-Q season. Generally speaking, hot dogs, hamburgers and the like aren't known for being the healthiest of foods. But, there are always little healthy switcheroos you can pull on your guests without them even tasting the difference. Turkey burgers instead of ground beef, whole wheat buns instead of those made from enriched flour ... that sort of thing. Still, even with your best intentions at keeping the calories and fat to a minimum, there may be something you're forgetting: the condiments.

That little tablespoon of mayonnaise you slopped on your burger? 100 calories and 11g of fat. The barbecue sauce you slathered onto your ribs? 26 calories, including a good amount of sugar. And, who could forget about the pats of butter you spread across your rolls? Yup, those will cost you 102 calories and 12g of fat. While these, in and of themselves, may not seem to be all that damaging, you have to remember that they aren't the actual food; rather, they are simply what you're adding to it!!

If you want your turkey burgers or turkey hot dogs on whole wheat buns to stay as healthy as they can, swap out ketchup (15 calories per tablespoon) for mustard (10 calories). As for the dips for your chips, don't even think about the 60-calorie and 6g of fat per tablespoon ranch dip. Instead, reach for the fresh salsa, which usually has only 4 calories and 0 fat.