That's Fit

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 became famous as one of the hot, yet capable babes of Charlie's Angels. This role that burned Cheryl Ladd's name and face into our minds forever, in my opinion, will not in the end, be what we remember her for. We spoke recently both over the phone and in person, and she definitely showed a side of her I hadn't expected to see.

Although stunningly beautiful, and more capable of turning heads at age 57 than most women are at 25 ... Cheryl's most impressive quality in my book is her willingness to take care of other women. She's investing a lot of time in guiding and educating other Baby Boomer women about menopause. Menopause is often a taboo, hush hush topic. But Cheryl has embraced her age and stepped up to the plate to help make her personal experience with menopause an educational experience for others. She shared a bunch of private experiences with me and offered advice for growing more beautiful each year. Read on to learn how to age as gracefully and gorgeously as she has.

Fitz: You're an iconic figure in beauty. You've aged flawlessly, and to me ... you're prettier today than you were 30 years ago starring in Charlie's Angels. What can we do, to be more like you?

Cheryl: First of all, I think it's most important for women to have a close relationship with their doctor. It's important to trust your doctor, so when things go weird you are comfortable addressing the situation and taking care of things. Be proactive with your health! You also have to love yourself! Beauty comes from the inside first.

Fitz: Well your outside is pretty fantastic too. Let's start with your fitness routine. What do you do to stay in such great shape?

A few months back I went to a place I like to call "Man Heaven" and wrote a few articles about it. Man Heaven is also known as ESPN: The Weekend at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida. The event was jam packed with dozens and dozens of your sports lovers' heroes from today and yesteryear. Football, basketball, baseball, tennis, hockey and golf stars flooded the theme park with ample opportunity for each Disney guest to get up close and personal with the athletic love of their life.

Of course, there were also a ton of female fans decked out in their team jerseys, but truly....this event was for boys. Young boys, elderly boys, and every boy in between. I saw big groups of men in coordinating jerseys riding the tram to the park, and then I saw tons of father/son duos shooting baskets with their favorite hoops star.

The event isn't until early next March, so you'll have plenty of time to book your air, hotel, and ticket reservations. He'll have lots of time to squirm with anticipation for the big event. Trust me.....if your guy loves sports, he will love ESPN: The Weekend and love you even more for sending him to it.

It's hard enough to find sunglass that look good and feel good -- it gets even more complicated when you throw sports into the mix. You need to make sure your sunglasses stay put, of course, but if you're doing something active, like running, you also want shades that don't weigh too heavily on your nose or cheekbones.

Oakley has always made a point of designing glasses that stay where they need to be, which is why they've been popular with professional baseball players, volleyball players, and golfers. Take a look through the gallery and see which ones suit you and your sport!

Golf professional Gary Player's schedule last week included traveling from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Hawaii back to West Palm then to Philly, on to L.A., then to Bangkok (for only five hours), to Beijing, then to London, Morocco, Casablanca, Germany, and finally back to West Palm Beach.

And, in case you didn't know, the man is 72 years old.

Early on in his career, Player devoted himself to fitness (which is what he credits with the fact that he's able to manage such a schedule). The golf world called him crazy for lifting weights and adhering to a strict exercise routine, and many believed he wouldn't last on the pro tour. Not only has he lasted, but he continues to be strong and healthy. Plus, he's set a fitness standard for guys like Tiger Woods, who Player ran into at the gym in Dubai.

Player is adamant that people, including those joining him on the PGA tour, realize that fitness isn't just important for your golf game or so you look better -- it's necessary for a long, healthy life. And he's some of the best proof of that I've seen.

There's no doubt that Luke Wilson is a certified Hollywood hottie. He always looks comfortable, whether he's on the red carpet, jogging, or heading out for a day of golf (even sporting this cheesy mustache!).

Puma obviously recognized this as a marketable trait (in addition to the fact that Wilson has been ranked a Top 40 Hollywood Golfer by Golf Digest) and enlisted him, along with pro golfer Johan Edfors, to create a line of specialty golf products. We can expect to see chrome details and high quality Merino wool in the collection, along with personal color combinations and selections. It's all inspired by golfers of the 1950's, when dressing for the course meant dressing.

Wilson's selections are reported to be darker, casual colors, with Edfors opted for bright colors like pink and green. Additionally, there's rumored to be a golf shoe that can be worn off the course by removing the spikes. Don't plan on waiting until you get your newest Luke Wilson wear to bust out your clubs, though -- we won't see this collection until May.

A bunch of NCAA basketball coaches and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) declared war on cancer this past weekend by partnering with the American Cancer Society for Coaches vs. Cancer, a nationwide collaboration that empowers coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer.

The Coaches vs. Cancer concept, spearheaded in 1993, has led to programs such as basketball tournaments in November and Suits and Sneakers -- coaches nationwide were encouraged to wear sneakers with their suits while coaching this weekend to remind fans about eating right, exercising, and making healthy lifestyle choices. There are boutique shopping events in April, golf invitationals in June, and Referres vs. Cancer, a fundraising campaign that began this weekend and concludes with a presentation at the Final Four.

Thanks to the NABC and everyone who has helped since this program's inception to raise $40 million in direct revenue for the American Cancer Society's. Score!

The golf world is getting a makeover -- out go staid and stale golf polos and slacks, in come some fancy new designer duds from acclaimed designer Stella McCartney. She's made a deal with Adidas which has her designer clothing and accessories for the sport. Says McCartney, ''I think it is about time that women who play golf can now echo what they wear in everyday life on the green. It's exciting for me to bring a bit of an edge to golf."

It's nice to see the fashion world starting to extend its reach to the world of fitness -- after all, someone might be more motivated to work out if they have something nice to wear, don't you think? And maybe this move will encourage some otherwise inactive women to at least take up golf. Let's hope they walk the course to get some form of activity in.

There will be a shortage of toys this coming holiday season due to underestimated demand and the whole toy recall thing -- you know, because of the lead paint and toxic plastic used in the production of some children's play things. "Say it isn't so," you might be saying. Me? I say this is the best news I've heard in a while.

I'm always looking for excuses to not buy toys. We already have a house full and in my opinion, they are a grand waste of money. Most toys, with the exception of imagination-builders like blocks, puzzles, and games, have a shelf life of a few hours for my two guys. I can't begin to list off all the trinkets we've brought home that ended up swiftly stuffed into some toy bin without a second thought. So yes, I like that the toys shelves may be a little bare this year. "See kids, no toys, sorry."

Now don't think I'm a Grinchy old mom or anything. I love presenting my kids with gifts that make them happy, and Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Learning about this trouble with toys just gives me more motivation to be creative, to purchase items for my kids that have a little more staying power and really matter in the long run. I'm thinking physical fitness here. Just imagine the possibilities.

As we reported earlier this week, Golf superstar Tiger Woods has recently opened up about his fitness routine, getting older, keeping at the top of his game and life as a new dad after he and wife Elin welcomed the first child, a girl named Sam, into their lives.

A family that plays together stays together, and Tiger's admitted that he and Elin did cardio work together well into her seventh month of pregnancy. He also admitted that while he is the fastest runner in the family, his wife outranks him when it comes to endurance, and if the two competed in a marathon, she'd win for sure. Way to go Elin!

Although golfers are many things, they are not generally thought of as being amongst the buffest athletes in the world. Unless you're talking about Tiger Woods.

In an upcoming article in Men's Fitness magazine (the August edition) Tiger Woods talks about the fitness routine that has helped him stay in such great shape, along with how things have changed as he's gotten older and when recently (on June 18th) he became a father. Among other things, one of the fitness challenges Tiger has faced is gaining weight, not losing it. He's successfully built strength and flexibility with a demanding 6 days/per week workout regimen that includes stretching up to 40 minutes before each session, core exercises, endurance runs of 7 miles and speed runs of 3 miles, along with weight training.

Whatever you're doing Tiger, it's working!

When you're thinking about fitness, golf may not be the first activity that springs to mind. But don't be fooled by the khaki pants and polo shirts! If you skip the cart and walk the course, golf can have health benefits. While golf certainly won't replace cardio workouts that really get your heart pumping and keep your heart rate elevated for an extended period of time, it's a healthy and enjoyable addition to an overall active lifestyle.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center conducted research that determined that golfers who walked the course exceeded the minimum threshold of exercise intensity, a level which has been proven to promote health. Researchers estimated that regular (four days a week) golfers who usually ride a cart could burn approximately 3,000 more calories per week if they walked. Assuming all other physical activity and caloric intake stayed the same, this extra calorie expenditure could result in a 3 pound weight loss each month.

Here are some golfing tips for beginners.

Nothing makes time fly like having fun, and what better 'time' to have time flying by than during your workout? Finding something you genuinely think is fun that also burns loads of calories will not only help you get fitter faster, but it will make it easier to motivate yourself to get started every day and stick with your exercise routine. Spring isn't officially over yet, so take advantage of the season of new beginnings and good weather and join a league or start playing a sport to burn some extra calories and rekindle your fitness regimen and motivation. Here are just a few sports that will do wonders for your physique, (among other things!):

• Soccer is obviously great for leg and glute muscles, plus all the running around is great cardio for your heart. But what you may not realize is that soccer also gives your core and arms a workout as they keep you balanced, and your hips, knees, and ankles get stronger as they work to keep you stabilized.

With February just about over and signs of spring popping into the air with a few warm days, the golf courses in my area saw a line at the tee box that hasn't been present in just about 4 months. I heard a lady at the grocery store telling one of her friends that it wasn't going to be long before her husband would be out of the house just about every day until after the sun sets and there was enough time for him to down a few cold brewskies. I love golf personally and share in the sentiment that time on the golf course helps me forget about everything else in the world and there is nothing better than chasing that hole in one. I would much rather stare at a nine iron than a waffle iron. So how do relationships survive when golf courses are thriving? Does the term "golf widow" ring a bell? Even summer vacations are planed around where interesting courses designed by big name architects can be played. Which leads many wives to boring days in a hotel room or an outlet mall or by the pool talking to other golf widows.

Here are a few tips to help your relationship survive the golf obsessions of your spouse.

1. Find a hobby of your own and don't feel guilty for spending time enjoying it.
2. Plan an outing with the two of you for one night a week and stick to it for respect of each other.
3. Split the household chores between you and do not nag each other about them if they are not done until the last day of the week.
4. Do not do each others chores. Respect each other and take care of the home responsibilities together.
5. Set a schedule for times that you each will spend time with the children or taking care of the pets.
6. Plan a vacation with another couple so that you have someone to hang out with while your spouses play golf. The time to make your pitch is definitely now so you can also pick a place that has something to do while your spouse plays golf.
7. Solicit joint participation in the game of golf from your spouse. This requires an open mind, a closed mouth, and the "Patience of Job".

I would like to close with a joke that I heard from one of my golf friends. There was this guy who went golfing every day, it didn't matter what kind of weather it was because he was hooked on golf. One day he left the house early and headed for the golf course, but it was so bitter cold that he decided he wouldn't golf that day and went back home. His wife was still in bed when he got there, so he took off his clothes and snuggled up to his wife's backside and said "Terrible weather out there." She replied, "Yeah, and can you believe my stupid husband went golfing?"