Photo: Nike

Complicated GPS devices, heart monitors and sensors are staples of many a runner's wardrobe. But for those of you who want to pound the terrain without being hooked to too many gadgets, there's one running accessory that you might want to try: The Nike Sportband.

It's pretty simple, really -- it looks like a watch and, by communicating with a small sensor that you insert in or attach to your shoe, it measures you mileage, pace, time and calories burned. Once you've logged a few miles, you hook it up to your computer, and it downloads your workout data to the Nike Plus website, where you can monitor your progress, set goals and keep tabs on how many miles you've covered, giving you grounds for major bragging rights. And at $59, it's not as expensive as buying an iPod and Nike+ Sport kit combination.

We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.

When was the last time you tested your nutrition smarts? AOL Health's "Nutrition IQ" quiz will challenge how much you really know about what you're eating.

And to discover the nutrient-richness of your foods, check out our meal evaluator tool to see just what (vitamins, calories, fat grams, protein content) is in your favorite foods.

Plus, do you know what your target heart rate is? Are you achieving it? Use our heart-rate tool to find out. The American Heart Association tells us knowing this number is important because it lets "you measure your initial fitness level and monitor your progress in a fitness program."

The pedometer tops the list of simple tools that track fitness, and most fitness experts will tell you to rack up 10,000 steps a day on yours. But while a pedometer can tell you how many, what it can't do is tell you if you're stepping fast enough to really do your body any good.

Moderately intensive physical activity -- we know we need to get at least 30 minutes of it a day, but what exactly is it? Researchers at San Diego State University think they know. They put volunteers on treadmills, then used pedometers to count their steps and monitors to track the volunteers' heart rates. The results? 100 steps a minute is the perfect pace for fitness.

"Because health benefits can be achieved with bouts of exercise lasting at least 10 minutes, a useful starting point is to try and accumulate 1,000 steps in 10 minutes, before building up to 3,000 steps in 30 minutes," says lead researcher Dr. Simon J. Marshall in a news release.

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The American Heart Association's Go Red campaign draws attention to heart disease in women. The organization recently announced the nine women that are going to be the faces of the campaign.

While having a celebrity promote a cause is inspiring, I think having real women -- women that could be your friends, sisters, neighbors -- is even more inspiring. Take 39-year-old Cathy for instance; she's an athlete but when her heart rate skyrocketed unexpectedly she went to the doctor and was later diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. Or 53-year-old Patricia who underwent surgery after learning she had a severely blocked artery; while on the operating table she went into cardiac arrest and was miraculously revived. Their stories are going to be aired on NBC soon; AHA has an airtime schedule for your convenience.

You can also take inspiration from the seven real women that are the faces of AHA's Choose to Move fitness program.

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