That's Fit

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name:

Age:

Heroic occupation:

If you're in the military...where are you?

How often do you exercise?

What type of exercise do you do?

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 two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, Can you recommend any good kickboxing videos? I lift weights and run, and I'd like to integrate kickboxing into my routine. Thanks for your help. Samantha

A. Hello Miss Samantha. Great question and you've come to the right place. Kickboxing is actually my sport. I've been training/competing as a full contact kickboxer for over ten years. You're smart to want to include it in your training. I always tell folks at the seminars I teach that I can brag about the sport, because I didn't invent it. Kickboxing literally works every single muscle in your body head to toe. It also offers an insane combination of cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training in one shot.....when done right.

A while back, the physician that has been caring for my lower back injury suggested I go do Pilate's to help strengthen and stretch the muscles that are stuck in a chronic spasm. Now, I've been teaching fitness for 18 years and have been exposed to almost every type of training and equipment under the sun. I'm embedded in it. Strangely though, Pilate's and Yoga are things that have never interested me. I understand the benefit to doing those things, and have recommended them to others. I've just never wanted to pursue them myself. I'm a fighter; literally. If you don't believe me click here. I like to move fast, go hard, sweat, grunt, and pant like a lunatic. I like to GO, GO, GO! The one time I took yoga, I wanted to slit my wrists. The few times I used the Pilate's Reformer, I thought it was interesting....but not anything I'd want to pursue.

So last week I show up at the Gainesville Health and Fitness Center, and the advanced Pilate's mat class was just about to start. Feeling guilty for not following up on my doctor's advice from months ago, I half-heartedly asked the perky front desk chic if there was any room in the class. Yep. There was. And she handed me a little butterfly thing with a number on it to hold my place.

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 two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Dear Fitz. My high school offers very few sports, but I'd like to play something. I'd like to try out for football, but my old-fashioned mother thinks that will make me a "tomboy". What do you think? Katie

A. You've come to the right place Katie! I happen to have embedded myself in the traditionally male sport of full-contact kickboxing, and you know what? It made me a better woman! Sports are sports. Whether you play with a ball, racket, gloves or sneakers...sports are just a more fun way to exercise and flex your competitive muscles. Period.

I loved getting in the ring to try and knock an opponent out. I loved the strategy, speed, and power of the event. Fighting, in fact, is one of my favorite things to do. Some of the girls I've competed against thought they had to take on some sort of macho persona. Short hair, yucky jeans, and mean snarls. I, on the other hand, preferred to act like a monster in the ring and show up to the after-party like a lady in a pretty dress and heels. Embracing my athleticism, strength and courage has allowed me to appreciate how wonderful it is to be a woman. A strong, athletic, educated woman who loves to have the doors held for her.

I just returned from ESPN the Weekend, at Disney World's Hollywood Studios. One of the highlights for me was when I stumbled across an interesting conversation between football all-stars Donovan McNabb, Chris Carter, Tony Gonzalez and a few others. The men were on an open stage being interviewed my Mike Greenberg of the Mike and Mike Show. What caught my attention was the taunting of Tony Gonzalez with strange veggie jokes. Why were they poking fun at this "lettuce man"? Little Miss Fitzness had to stop and listen.

The taunting was followed by Kansas City Chief tight-end Tony defending his vegan lifestyle. I was both surprised and impressed. Tony was bragging about his ability to jump rope and hit the weight room while his teammates were stuck in the mud the day after a game. He's beaten lethargy, increased his energy, and found many more fascinating benefits since he changed his eating habits. The nearly 250 pound tight end is not someone anyone would guess to be a vegan, but I think that's why he's so neat.

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 the most menacing creatures the Octagon has ever known. Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski is a contradiction as one of the Ultimate Fighting Champion's Title Holders, and the kind of guy anyone would die to call their friend. As generous as he is powerful......Andrei is someone I'm proud to introduce you to.

In fact, a couple of weeks ago I watched Andrei win a UFC match on television. Normally, he lives up to his nick name "The Pitbull," but on this night.....the story was only slightly different. He overwhelmed his opponent in a completely lopsided first round, and then chose not to go for the knock out in the second and third (UFC rounds last five minutes). This was very smart of Andrei, as it preserved his win and kept him far from risk. But.....the crowd wanted blood and gave a little "Boo." This is what I love about Andrei. He totally could have left his opponent unconscious if he would have chosen to, but since he didn't go for it....he took responsibility to the UFC fans. The man actually took the microphone post-win and apologized to the crowd! Have you ever heard of that? The guy is both and monster and a gentleman at the same time. A perfect combination.

Andrei is a former police officer and is now playing hero to his sport. Interviewing Andrei was a lot of fun for me. He speaks English extremely well, but I left his "accent" here in the interview. I think it adds to his charm. Enjoy!

Fitz: How did you get involved with Mixed Martial Arts and UFC?

Andrei: When I was a student in the Police Academy. It is a four year school like University here. Every student needs to learn a combat sport and I learned Sambo. I excelled at this and after the Academy I tested myself with cage fighting. I then moved to Chicago and had my first fight with the UFC.

Fitz: What are your workouts like when you don't have a fight pending?

Andrei: I work on my technique in Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu and freestyle wrestling. I also do my cardio to keep in shape.

Fitz: What are your workouts like when you do have a fight in the near future?

Andrei: My work out changes as it gets closer to the fight, and also changes depending on the opponent. I work out six days a week and 6-8 hours a day.

I'm no parent, but anyone who has been around toddlers knows that temper tantrums are pretty normal in child development. If you are a mom or dad, perhaps you use tantrums as a moment to teach, like this article suggests. But there's another claim that comes from the article which may pique the interest of parents (or parents-to-be).

According to the study, children who go through long and violent tantrums are more prone to develop depression. These observations include tantrums that result in self-injury, bouts that are marked by violence to others, or tantrums where the children cannot calm themselves down without help. The study also observed risks when this aggression occurred more than 5 times a day, 20 times a month, or more than 25 minutes at a time.

It's possible this behavior may also be outgrown as the child gets older. If you're a parent, and you observe these tantrums, did your child grow out of it? Researchers encourage parents to seek medical assistance if the behavior doesn't let up. But you know your own kids better than men in lab coats, so take these results with a grain of salt.

Scientists from the American Institute for Cancer Research name 11 food items powerful enough to fight cancer. They don't claim any one single food or food substance can protect you from cancer but the right combination of foods in a predominantly plant-based diet might just do so.

Evidence is mounting surrounding the ability of certain foods to ward off cancer and this evidence credits the minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals in plant foods for providing cancer prevention.

Synergy, this combination concept is called. And here's the combo you'll want to fuse into your diet if keeping cancer at bay is one of your life goals.

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.

Bruce Buffer is known worldwide as the Voice of the Octagon as he announces for the UFC. If you're not familiar, UFC and mixed martial arts is the hottest sport in the world earning fanatics by the millisecond. So is Bruce. He's got a pretty face, hot body, big voice and the business savvy most millionaires still wish for.

By day, the man is President and CEO of Buffer Enterprises, managing not only his career, but the career of his big brother Michael Buffer. If you've ever heard the phrase "Let's get ready to ruuuuuumble!",(Michael's below) which I'm positive you have....Bruce made some money off of your listening pleasure. He's turned a phrase into an empire and he's not done yet. By night, Bruce stands amongst some of the most athletic, aggressive and entertaining athletes in the world. He starts the UFC action with his infamous phrase, "It's time....to begin", and all hell breaks loose. Definitely a guy to keep tabs on.

Fitz: You spend so much time surrounded by some of the most elite athletes in the world at events, how does that motivate you?

Bruce Buffer: I have always approached life with an athletic winning attitude and being surrounded by superior athletes only motivates me more to keep it all together.

Fitz: Do you ever train with any of the competitors you announce for?

Bruce Buffer: I rolled with Randy Couture years ago in which was an eye opener.

Fitz: Who is the last person you'd ever want to be struck by?

Bruce Buffer: Bas Rutten, Chuck Lidell and most any 200 lb. or heavier striker.

Fitz: Sometimes UFC fights get gory. Do you flinch much? Look away?

Bruce Buffer: No, it's all part of the job.

Fitz: Even though it' your voice people pay attention to and value, you're in show business. Besides staying fit, what measures do you take to stay so 'pretty'?

Bruce Buffer: Vanity and personal pride... thanks for the compliment.

Fitz: Where is your favorite vacation spot? Do you workout on vacation?

Bruce Buffer: The south of France or any place tropical with waves. Yes, I workout on vacation by surfing or at the very least 30 or more minutes of cardio.

There's two actually! Both Anthony Field, the blue Wiggle and Paul Paddick (Paddie), who plays Captain Feathersword would be really tough contenders. How do I know this? I trained with them. Big deal you say!? Well, the big deal is that I know the difference between guys who exercise and guys who could pummel you. I'm not only a fitness expert, but I've been competitively kickboxing and working with the ISKA since 1995. I've sat ringside and wrapped big belts around men who have earned the title of World Champion. Anthony and Paddie are tough!

Paddie not only looks the part, barrel chested with bulging biceps, but he's got the moves and the stamina to torture anyone who deserved it. Anthony, a former soldier in the Australian Army, is tall and lean, yet quite muscular. I personally watched the man do about 50 pull-ups with his legs straight out at a ninety degree angle in front of him. Highly advanced. His reach would be spectacular and the amount of force via rotation he could deliver to your poor face by the power in those abs alone would lead to utter destruction.

Laugh at The Wiggles doing silly dances all you want as your kids rock out with them each morning. Just make sure you don't do it if you should cross them in person! Since they are such kind and gentle souls, I would guess they'd let you off the hook...but I still wouldn't advise taking the chance!

When Jacksonville, Fla news anchor Donna Hicken was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided she wasn't just going to fight the disease by and for herself, choosing instead to both battle cancer and raise money for a cure. Now, after surviving two occurrences of the disease, Hicken has organized America's first marathon that is solely dedicated to fighting breast cancer.

Hicken, who relates the battle to deal with and beat cancer to running a marathon, has founded The Donna Hicken Foundation, which aims to help under-served women in the Jacksonville area who have been diagnosed with breast cancer deal with everything from financial needs to psychological ones.

26.2 with Donna The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer takes place for the first time on February 17, 2008 at Jacksonville Beach. Activities at the weekend-long event include a marathon, a half-marathon, a kid's marathon, a pasta dinner, a concert and a health expo. 100% of the monies raised will go to the Donna Hicken Foundation, which has pledged that the majority of the funds will be donated to the Mayo Clinic's Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic.

Approximately 200,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. If you would like to be one of the thousands helping to find a cure, visit the website for 26.2 with Donna The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer and find out more about running in the event as well as being a volunteer.

Apparently they can, in post-menopausal women anyway. In an enormous study that looked at over 36,000 women over 7 years, calcium and vitamin D specifically were shown to reduce the pounds gained in the years following menopause. Not by a lot, but every little bit helps. And of course calcium and vitamin D are also known for helping maintain or even improve bone health.

Whether women choose to get their calcium and vitamin D from their diets or from pill supplements is up to them, but experts are warning that is isn't a magic weight loss trick. Women will of course still need to watch what they eat and exercise to keep that "muffin top" in check.

Let's face it: flu season is upon us. And the plain old flu can affect people in much worse ways than just having a stuffy head, runny nose and other terrible symptoms all day. This article provides a startling revelation about having the flu, saying that this year 36,000 people could die from complications of having it.

That's why staying healthy is so important. Here are some ways to beat the season of runny noses and sore throats. Start out by making sure you are constantly sanitized. If you wash your hands frequently, your chances of contracting the flu are much less. Also try not to rub your eyes, nose or mouth if you haven't taken steps to get clean first. The article points to kids next, encouraging parents to inoculate their schoolchildren due to the fact they spread illnesses easier.

Curbing stress can help too. Even if people take the shot, chronic worry can compromise the effects. However, it is interesting to note that short bursts of stress can actually help. For instance, if someone experiences anxiety right before they get vaccinated then their body will actually benefit. Stay at home and make sure you have plenty of over-the-counter drugs like Advil if you start feeling the flu creep. These remedies will help get through the worst of it, because the natural course of action is to wait it out.

The Guardian is reporting on a revolutionary new way to possibly fight cancer in the future using the common cold virus of all things. By injecting the infected tissue with a cold, British researchers are hoping that this method may complement other popular ways of fighting cancer like chemotherapy.

Because cancer naturally stops a person's immune system from killing it off, a cold virus would find the cellular environment of a tumor very appealing since there is no immune response. Scientists say they would only need to inject a small amount of virus cells because they would quickly replicate and burst the tumor cells. After that it's just a matter of repetition and reproduction.

This way of combating cancer would hopefully target the secondary variety called metastases which goes on to kill 75 percent of malignant cancer patients. We've still got several years of clinical trials before this could become a new weapon. Even so, any lucky break with these stealth viruses could revolutionize how doctors fight cancer.