That's Fit

Most abdominal exercises can't quite be called relaxing. You might enjoy them, and they might not be painful, but if you try to tell me any exercises really feel wonderful while you're doing them, I'm going to ... well, I just won't believe you. But that's not really my point.

This week's Fit Gadget, the Multi-Core-Flex Excel Body Gym, is designed to massage your back while working your abs, quads, and inner and outer thighs. Actually, it claims that, in addition to giving you a fantastic workout, it will give you "the most relaxing back massage you've ever had. Its comfortable rounded pads enable you to stretch your entire upper body as well as your back for total relaxation."

Hmm ...

Would you rather be slim and in shabby shape or big and in super shape? If you wish to live longer, bigger is better.

Slimmer folks may seem to have the advantage, says Fitness magazine, but body size may have less to do with longevity than we think.

Researchers have determined that overweight people who are cardiovascularly fit tend to outlive their lanky, out-of-shape counterparts. Fitness -- all it takes is a brisk 30-minute walk most days of the week -- can decrease your risk of premature death by up to 50 percent, even for those with a high body fat percentage. Fitness also lowers the risk for diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension.

More on longevity here at this AOL Body site.

This week I've been sampling Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt, and I absolutely love it. Before I go any further though, let me tell you how I feel about yogurt. I like it, but only if I feel like I'm getting a high in calcium, low in sugar, legitimately fruit-filled snack. Now, there is always yogurt stacked up in my fridge, because I have two little children. But, rarely do I even open up a cup for myself. Not that I would ever buy my babies anything "bad"... cause I don't. But I regularly expect perfection of the things I put in my mouth. I'm simply not willing to waste 100 calories on a teeny cup of yogurt. I'd rather have two big pieces of fruit.

So! I was thrilled instantly by the calorie count on Dannon's new Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt. Each cup boasts only 50 or 60 calories, depending on the flavor. That I can do! The fruity varieties are also full of real fruit chunks. Fresh and healthy fruit chunks, not the icky stuff dumped in from a can. On top of all that, each flavor has proven to be delicious to both my children and me, and then a few of my personal training clients as well.

Before you go give Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt a try, I encourage you to do a side-by-side comparison of it's nutritional content versus that of other yogurts. I did this a few days ago and couldn't find anything as good. This is the type of thing you want to put in your fridge if you're trying to lose weight. It's a great fix for your sweet tooth, while providing a decent amount of protein, calcium, vitamin D and other important nutrients.

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. Hey Fitz. Yesterday I did two classes in a row - Cardio sculpt and Extreme training, which are both really tough. Two days before that I ran three miles to the gym, did a class and ran three miles home. For the first time in a long time I did not enjoy the exercise one bit. I have been exercising regularly for a long time now - usually I love it. I have been practicing good nutrition habits with the occasional sweet tooth fix, drinking lots of water and STILL the number on the scale is staying the same. I feel like I am on the verge of burning out. I can't seem to lose the flab around my tummy - particularly under my belly button and backs of my thighs, no matter what I do. Plus, short of starving myself and getting very cranky, I don't know how to actually lose the weight. Funny how a number on a machine, the scale, can be so vital to my state of mind. It's ridiculous, really. PLEASE - do you have any advice? Cindy

A. Whoa there Cindy! You need a break! Sounds odd for me to say this, but put your sneakers away and sit the heck down! Fitness is not supposed to make us insane, fitness is supposed to help us maintain our sanity. You are burnt out to the max, and need to just let it go for a while. I'm not suggesting forever, but take at least a week off. I know what you're going through. You already have an elite fitness level, but particular parts of your body are just not responding the way you want them to. You have incredibly high standards for your body. That often leads to frustration. Especially when you're 'starving' and running a million miles a week!

National Women's Health Week kicks off on Mother's Day with the purpose of empowering women to get healthy by taking action. Your health should be a major priority, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health has a few steps designed to help you achieve that. Businesses, government, and health organizations across the United States, hopefully near you, will be taking part in this event.

Objectives of the week are designed to teach women the benefits of:

• Engaging in physical activity most days of the week
• Making healthy food choices
• Visiting a health care provider to receive regular check-ups and preventive screenings
• Avoiding risky behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seat belt

Last night, I watched in both horror and hysterics as Bear Grylls, one of my past Celebrity Fitzness Report interview guests, devoured "too many" worms in Zambia -- which left him with an atrocious case of diarrhea. Imagine that!!! He cooked and ate a few big, gooey, spiny worms that he found on a tree, then continued to groan in agony throughout the rest of the show due to his "killer diarrhea." The guy is a combination of handsome, athletic, daring, brilliant, and accidentally hysterical all at the same time.

If you've never seen Bear's show Man vs. Wild on Discovery Channel, it's about time you check it out. Bear was a survival expert in the British Special Air Services (21 SAS). He's an elite adventurer and stops at nothing to teach us how to survive if we ever happen to get stranded in the wild. A part of survival is finding safe and energy-filled food sources. Normally I find this disgusting; typically I watch much of Man vs. Wild with my eyes under my blanket. Lately though, I've been peeking out, because Bear's facial expressions in response to his nasty food choices are side-splitting.

Watching him climb up waterfalls and run through the brush agonizing over diarrhea was priceless. My husband and I squirmed as he ate the worms, giggled as Bear grimaced while chewing on them, and then rolled in laughter as he suffered through his tummy troubles.

This has been a Gwyneth Paltrow-heavy week. First of all, the mother of two spoke up about her battle with post-partum depression after the birth of her second child, son Moses. She said, "I felt really out of my body ... really down ... really pessimistic." She thinks part of the problem was that she stopped taking time for herself and neglected her usual wellness treatments, such as acupuncture and massage.

And, as long as we're talking about Gwynnie and gawking, there's no WAY I'm going to leave out the wardrobe she's been sporting while stumping for her new flick, Iron Man. First of all, there have been shoes -- shoes with heels of half a foot or so. And then the dresses! Gwyneth has been rocking the shortest minidresses imaginable, mostly with great success. She certainly has the body to pull it off, although I'm firmly of the opinion that nobody should wear a skirt so short that there's serious risk of a panty-flash, no matter how fab the legs are.

In other Gwyneth news, her trainer (who she says Madonna stole) gave USWeekly a diet and exercise program designed to allow participants to lose three to five pounds a week. It doesn't look too healthy to me, so I think I'll stick with a more moderate plan and be happy to drop just a pound or two weekly.

Forget installing a monster play set in your back yard. Children play longer and harder when given balls, jump ropes, and hula hoops, according to University of North Carolina researchers. Stationary objects just don't encourage as much physical activity. But a fit-kid kit will.

Fitness magazine recommends filling a big Rubbermaid utility tub with colorful, portable playthings, like these:

First Fitness Obstacle Course
Gertie Rubber Balls
Little Tikes Big Swing Ball
Gertie Hoop and Basketball Set
Alex Toys' Catch 'n Stick Monster Mitts
Wham-O's Original Hula Hoop

An easy way to lose weight is to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Produce is famous for jamming massive amounts of vitamins, nutrients and fiber into very few calories. With most produce, you can consume lots of food for a very low caloric price. More bang for your buck that is!

I ask my personal training clients to try to include at least five meals per week consisting of pure produce. No meat. No grains. Most folks eat at least 21 meals per week, so this five meal plan doesn't deter anyone from getting enough protein. What it does do though, is get them to try new fruits and learn new ways to turn veggies into a meal.

Another benefit to this effort is that by keeping a few meals to just produce, you will more than likely be cutting quite a bit of calories out of the day. Over time, the more you rely on fruits and vegetables for snacks and meals, the more likely you'll be to achieve and maintain your ideal weight.

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?

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: David Anthony Espeut

Age: 34

Heroic Occupation: Lieutenant (US Navy) Resigned- CG-52 (USS Bunker Hill); FFG-43 (USS THACH); Naval Special Warfare Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S)

If you're in the military...where are you? N/A Resigned from Navy as of September 2002, Suspended Special Agent Application to FBI in favor of Starting/Raising Family in Australia

How often do you exercise? Every day: 30 to 60 minutes.

What type of exercise do you do? Jogging (10-20 minutes), walking the dog (10-20 minutes),bench, pull ups, dips, push-ups, abdominals, shoulder exercises, and curls with dumbells. I also freestyle swim at least once per month. Chasing My Kids= Never-ending

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Fitness is just part of my lifestyle. I feel bad, guilty, and weak if I don't. Getting ones blood pumping is a great way to start the day.

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?

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: Erik J. Fritz

Age: 19

Occupation: Bulk Fuel Specialist at the Marine Corps and Navy Reserves Unit

If you're in the military...where are you? Green Bay, WI,

How often do you exercise? Almost every day

What type of exercise do you do? Running outside and on the treadmill, lifting weights, and a lot of push-ups.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Knowing that I have to stay in good shape to pass my PT.

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: Rob K.

Age: 42

Heroic occupation: Police Lieutenant

If you're in the military...where are you? N/A

How often do you exercise? Five times each week.

What type of exercise do you do? Running, strength training, lots of pull-ups, and a variety of cardio machines.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? The knowledge that I'll be glad I did when I'm done. I also feel that the most rewarding workout is the one that you didn't want to do in the first place.

I've learned a lot about diet and nutrition over the past year. Still, I'm sometimes confused by food labels. Drawn to any product slapped with a health claim, I often wonder how good certain foods are for me. How low-fat is a low-fat item, for example? How trans-fat free is a trans-fat free treat? What exactly does it mean if my cereal box comes marked with a red heart and a white check mark?

Woman's Day magazine recently published a chart to help me decode label lingo. See if this helps you too.

"May reduce the risk of heart disease" or "Helps lower cholesterol"
The FDA says if eaten regularly as part of an overall healthy diet, this food may help prevent heart disease and/or lower LDL cholesterol. This labeling is usually found on produce and foods rich in whole grains, soluble fiber, soy protein, and/or plant sterols or stanols.

A red heart with a white check mark
The American Heart Association certifies that this item is low in cholesterol, total fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. It has less than 480 mg of sodium and naturally contains at least 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, protein, or fiber.

A yellow and black "whole grain" icon that looks like a postage stamp
The Whole Grains Council verifies that this product has at least eight g of whole grains in 1/2 serving. If the stamp reads "100 percent whole grain," then it has at least 16 g of whole grains in one full serving. Three daily servings of whole grains are recommended.

"Low Sodium"
Low sodium foods have fewer than 140 mg per serving.

"Low Fat"
This one has less than three g of fat per serving.

"Low Saturated Fat"
Items touted as low in saturated fat have fewer than one g and less than 15 percent of calories from saturated fat per serving

"Low Cholesterol"
Fewer than 20 mg of cholesterol per serving.

"Trans Fat Free"
Fewer than 0.5 g trans fat per serving.