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 has something many of us have dreamed of having; Olympic Gold and a successful professional career traveling the world as an athlete. Russian born skater, Ilia Kulik, is living the dream and spent some time with me to chat about it. Ilia endured many grueling years of competition which lead him to win an arsenal of shiny medal, including some heavy gold in Nagano, Japan in February 1998.

It was fun hearing of the ease in which Ilia prepares and performs magically on ice around the world today. He's now enjoying his work on the Smuckers, Stars on Ice tour. This father of two shares some unique insight on the lifestyle and fitness habits of a former world champion. Has he maintained the ability to perform jaw-dropping jumps? Has he gained weight from a decrease in training? Read on to find out!

Fitz: What goes through your head while actually skating for the Gold Medal during the Olympics?

Ilia: You know, I worked very hard on only focusing on techniques and my skating routines. Nerves can kill you, so the most important rule about competition is to conquer nerves. I didn't have time to be nervous, I had to focus on every detail of what I was doing.

Fitz: That is really hard to do! Were you actually able to do that?

Ilia: Yes! In fact I was perfect in concentration. That's why I had success.

Fitz: What was going through your mind when you were standing on the podium being awarded Olympic Gold?

Ilia. Ahh! I was exhausted! I was trying to relax, but it was very hard to do and I was very tired. It wasn't until a couple of days later that I really got a grasp of what I had actually accomplished. In fact, my wife won two Olympic Gold medals. She too, was overwhelmed with her first victory. She says she enjoyed the second win much more though. She was able to relax and absorb it all.

How does your city rank? Self magazine recently collected data on 100 major metropolitan areas in the country to find out which cities had the healthiest lifestyles, least environmental concerns, most community resources, and best disease statistics. After compiling their data, they ranked the cities from 1-100. Want to find out how the cities in your state faired? Click here.

The country's healthiest place for women -- according to Self magazine, anyway -- is Honolulu with low obesity and depression rates and good air quality. The city lost points for high property crime rates, low number of health clubs, and long commutes. The unhealthiest is the Motor City. Detroit's high rates of obesity and violent crimes -- twice the national average -- sent it to the bottom of the list. In its defense, however, Detroit scored points for its high number of parks, low drinking rates among women, and good dental health.

I'm not sure exactly how Self developed their ranking scale or if this information even means anything, but it's kind of interesting to look at. If you live in one of the cities on the list, let me know what you think of your ranking and if it seems appropriate.

For most Americans, vacation comes in two different shapes and forms: some or none. Which is why when the time does roll around we can come off a bit picky about how we choose to use that time and where we intend to spend it. Remember, this is almost like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some. If you want to spend this well-earned time on an exciting, refreshing, and healthy journey away from home, consider a yoga vacation.

Currently, more than 20 retreats in the continental U.S. and much more abroad offer yoga getaways. According to Yoga Journal, picking your dream yoga destination can be just as tiring as the workload you carry in your 40-plus hour work week if you don't know what to look for. This article helps those ready to escape to happy holistic times by providing the 411 on retreats and resorts. Know the difference, because it can make or break your dreamy vision of the place upon arrival. They offer numbers to outfitters in Hawai'i and places as far out as Molivos in the Greek Isles and India. Naturally, you should have an idea of the kind of yoga practice you're into, but a new environment may also be a good time to try something completely new. Their best advice is to start with your local instructor, who may be able to recommend interesting yoga getaway options.

Want more tips? Check out the full article. Have you been on a mind-blowing yoga vacation and want to share? Throw some of your own suggestions out into the blogosphere.