That's Fit

Singing sensation Fergie won't be caught in a gym, and it's not because she isn't concerned about her body. It's quite the opposite really -- have you seen the girl's body lately? It rocks. It's another reason entirely that keeps Fergie from indoor workout facilities.

It's the outdoors.

Fergie keeps her body toned by running on the beach, hiking, and climbing up and down the Santa Monica steps -- a steep stairwell above the ocean. Fergie works out in the fresh air every day. Not a bad idea, I say.

Want some outdoor alternatives for your exercise routine? Take a peek at this site.

For women who exercise, a sports bra is an essential piece of workout gear. For one Colorado state hiker, her sports bra became a lifesaver.

Jessica Bruinsma fell while hiking in the Bavarian Alps. Too injured to leave the place where she fell, she took off her sports bra and tied it to a cable that lumbermen used to transport timber. As luck would have it, the cable was out of service when she fell. When it was repaired, her bra moved down the line until it reached the bottom, alerting workers who then called authorities.

Jessica's quick thinking may have saved her life, but she's not letting this accident slow her down. If she recovers from this injury in time, she plans on training for a marathon.

Until I adopted my son last summer, I had never really gone hiking. At least not where hiking was the main reason for going out -- I had reluctantly hiked to campgrounds and other destinations, but I'd never hiked strictly for the sake of hiking. I just didn't see the point.

Then, last summer, my son and I discovered a wooded area in a neighboring town. It's right off the main drag, but there are acres and acres of protected woods. The trails are groomed and the inclines are gentle, so it's definitely a playground for the novice hiker.

I thought I was doing it for some quality time with my son. To my great surprise, I found that I enjoyed it for myself. There's something about hiking that is a true escape from your life. Deadlines, bills, dirty dishes, and life's other little stresses just seem so far away when you're surrounded by nature. Even on the easy trails my son and I choose, I still get a great workout.

There is a wooded area in a nearby community that's open to the public. Though it's smack-dab in the middle of a city, you really feel like you're escaping to the wilderness there. My son and I like to visit it for day hikes and he also likes to ride his bike on the trails. Though the trails are groomed and maintained for public use, off-trail it's a woods like any other. If you're not careful, you can definitely run across some of the poison plants -- poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. You can avoid the itch by recognizing the plants:

• Poison ivy. In some areas poison, ivy grows as a vine. In others it's more of a shrub. The identifying trait is it's three-leaf configuration.
• Poison oak. Poison oak is somewhat similar in appearance to poison ivy, but the leaves are shaped more like an oak tree's. The underside of the leaf is lighter than the top and is covered in hair.
• Poison sumac. Common in swampy areas, poison sumac is a woody shrub with leaves arranged in pairs and clusters of green berries.

Mommy and Daddy can't decide what we want to do today. Haul the jogging stroller to a hiking trail along the Potomac River? Hook up the bicycle trailer and head out on the Washington and Old Dominion trail?

Either way, stuff with wheels will make a good workout in the nice weather possible with our toddler. Some might think it's crazy to have three strollers, as we do. But once your kid weighs more than 30 pounds, putting them in a body carrier just doesn't work. We've put plenty of miles on the jogging stroller, and not all of them jogging. Trekking over grass, mud and stone is nearly impossible without one. Certainly, an urban or suburban walk around town serves as a wonderful workout with a conventional stroller, too. We just love being among more trees, water and wildlife. And the jogging stroller makes it possible.

As for the bicycle trailer, that was last year's Father's Day gift before we spent a family weekend vacation in Chincoteague and rode rented bikes around the nearby Assateague Island. Our daughter loved cruising along, looking out the plastic windows, safe from the mosquitoes that seemed to be hatching faster than you could say no DEET please. The really cool thing is that mosquitoes couldn't make a swift landing on our skin with the breeze whisking past as we peddled.

My point is that stuff with wheels have been a crucial element for our active family activities that have been well worth the investment. You don't need to spend a lot, either. Both the jogging stroller and bicycle trailer were purchased at Target for a little more and a little less than $100, respectively.

I think I've already found my Christmas gift wish for this year. True, it's a bit early to be thinking about snowy December, but it's actually the seasonal sunshine that gave me the idea.

Voltaic is a company that designs backpacks and bags that capture the sun's energy and use it as a power source for electrical items such as iPods, cell phones, and GPSs. With small solar panels on the bag itself, as little as an hour of sunlight can keep your iPod pumping for three hours. This is the perfect item for the hikers out there who like to have a little creature comfort available during workouts.

The bag itself appears to be quite durable and big enough to store your water bottles, extra clothing, and even your laptop (you can write an email to your boss once you reach the summit of the mountain, telling him or her that you will be working from home for the rest of the day). And, with the new Generator computer bag, you'll have all the power you need to keep your laptop running.

I grew up in Michigan, and every winter was COLD. The only fluctuation was in whether it was cold and dry enough for thick ice to form on the lake so we could safely ice skate, or whether it would just be cold and miserable outside.

I always looked forward to summer -- we had a pool, and the minute it looked like we wouldn't have another freeze, I would beg my folks to uncover it so I could get in. Now, the temperature when we first took the cover off was generally about 60 degrees, so I couldn't exactly spend a day swimming in it, but it was a step toward those summer days of swimming for hours on end, getting out only because Grandma said I had to eat something for lunch.

This got me thinking of what summer outdoor activities I look forward to most as an adult. I still love going to the pool, but now that I live in Florida, I love taking a vacation to the beach. I get up early (usually) and take a long run along the beach, and generally go for a couple more long walks in the sand during the day. Between that, throwing around a football, and jumping through waves, I get a great workout and have a blast.

What summer workout are you looking forward to most? Check out the gallery for inspiration and be sure to vote in the poll!

Planning on doing some backcountry hiking this year? You may finally be able to leave the iodine tablets at home. A new gadget called the SteriPen Journey LCD ($129.95) uses UV rays to disinfect the water and make it safe to drink.

Not much bigger than a writing utensil, the SteriPen is easily stashed into your backpack. Though UV pens have been available before, the SteriPen Journey LCD has a screen that counts down the seconds for you and flashes a smiley face when it's done. Because it can take up to a minute and a half of stirring for 32 ounces of water, having a timer that lets you know you've done the job right is important.

Drinking water will still need to be filtered, and the SteriPen won't work in water that isn't clear. But it's an efficient addition to the high-tech hikers backpack this spring. Another, less expensive UV pen called mUV ($49) is in limited production, but hasn't been fully released yet. The SteriPen Journey will be available in stores in April.

If you're planning on hiking this summer, add a set of trekking poles to your birthday wish list. I turned my nose up at them until I tried out a friend's and was immediately hooked. Here are a few benefits of these lightweight metal wonders, so unlike leaning upon a single traditional walking stick carved from wood.

• Hello muscles! Trekking poles bring your arms, chest and shoulders into the hiking equation, building muscle all the while. Why should your gluteus, hams, quads and calves realize most of the benefit?
• Take a load off your knees. Using poles takes significant pressure off the knee joint, distributing part of the load to the upper body. If you think trekking poles help you uphill, just wait until you try them on a pounding downhill, which can be killer on the knees. I relied heavily on trekking poles when hiking the first year after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Ten months post-surgery and on a nearly month-long mountaineering/camping honeymoon, I wouldn't have had near the confidence tromping around at high altitude on sketchy footing without poles.
• Safety. Break a tent pole? Twist a knee or ankle? Trekking poles can step in and be your best friend for life, acting like claws on snow and ice and preventing falls, especially when a heavy backpack has you suddenly off balance. I've found them tremendously helpful on high altitude snowfields. They've boosted my confidence on tricky moves along thin, precipitous trails -- exactly what I needed physically and psychologically to keep sure-footed and prevent a more serious fall.

If you're looking for ultra-cheap, just try out your ski poles to get a feel. Ultralight, anti-shock trekking poles are the ultimate and can cost $100 and up. I adore my LEKI poles. The ability to collapse them down is also a key feature -- you can adjust them for a perfect fit and lash them to your daypack/backpack when you need free hands for a scramble. Here's a good article expanding on the benefits of trekking poles, including helpful hints on technique.

We may be over the hump, but the holidays aren't over yet! Are you headed somewhere to celebrate the New Year? I'm hopping on a plane, which means just when I want to look my cutest for the party I'll be smack in the middle of eating out all the time and having no time or place for my usual exercise routine. I may not be able to do exactly what I normally would at home, but many exercises travel just fine. Some that can be done almost anywhere with little or no equipment:

Love hiking? I do, especially in fall, when the days are cooler and the yellows, reds and oranges are so vivid and gorgeous. Hiking can be hard on the feet though. If you're considering a hike in the near future, consider these tips from Fitsugar:

• Wear hiking boots that cover the ankles. They will help stabilize your ankles in case you roll them.
  
• Clip your toenails before you go. This will help protect your feet from injury within the boot.
  
• Wear wicking socks -- they will help prevent blisters
• But in case blisters do pop up, bring some mole skin or band-aids.
• Rest your feet by taking off your boots every now and then.

How do you keep your feet pain-free on a hike?

Walking can be one of the cheapest physical activities to do (heck we all do it every day to some extent) but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of options out there for spending money and making the whole experience completely tailored to how you like it. You can get clothes specifically designed to block wind and wick away sweat, and shoes made just for the surfaces you usually walk on. Socks that add cushioning and reduce friction, gadgets to measure everything from your vital signs to how far you've gone, and germ-resistant water bottles that calculate how much water you need to drink are just a few of the ways you can make your walking experience more enjoyable.

What's one piece of fitness gear you can't walk without?

Each week, Debbie will share her goals, challenges, successes and tips on how to fit in fitness when caring for a rambunctious toddler.

I have loved every second of my outdoor workouts this season. I wouldn't trade my spring and summer hikes for the world.

As autumn approaches and I sense the chill in the air, I also fear impending doom.

I know that I can continue exercising outside for months to come, and there was a time I even hiked through the single digits and the feet of snow. But I find myself thinking ahead, knowing that I will likely not get outside as often as I do now.

The thought of inside exercise raises my heart rate, and not in a good way. I loath my treadmill, I flee from my elliptical and the gym gives me the heebie-jeebies. Sure, I love my strength training that I do all year round, but fifteen minutes a day is not enough.

So, in planning ahead for my inevitable indoor exercise incarceration of sorts, it occurred to me that I will finally be able to get in the yoga that I have been meaning to do more often. I'll get out those DVDs and maybe even look for a Kundalini class in my area.

What type of exercise do you look forward to in the colder weather?

Each week, Debbie will share her goals, challenges, successes and tips on how to fit in fitness when caring for a rambunctious toddler.

Well, there was a glitch in my workout plans this week: I seem to have pulled a muscle or something. It started in my chest muscles, but then the pain decided to radiate around to the corresponding back muscles and even down to the lower back somewhat.

The worst part? I didn't have an injury, per se. I thought about what I did the day my pain started, and beyond my hike and strength training, I did toss my son in the air quite a few times. Apparently thirty pounds is my toss limit! As the pain gradually spread and increased throughout the day, I realized I'd have to make some changes in my routine for the week.

So how have I been making the most of my fitness time while not exacerbating my injury?

1. For my strength training, I test out the exercises I am to do that day. If they use the muscles in the area that is injured, or if they cause pain to that area, I don't do them.
2. I have put my hikes on hold, as just standing and walking were painful at the beginning of the week. I will try to start again this weekend.
3. Yoga is on hold, too, as the poses I do are very trunk-focused and that is my weak spot right now.
4. I've done more leg exercises this week, and triceps and biceps have been pain-free as well.

I'm off to the chiropractor to get put back together and hopefully I'll be my old self next week.

How do you change things up when you have a minor strain?

Each week, Debbie will share her goals, challenges, successes and tips on how to fit in fitness when caring for a rambunctious toddler.

As I was hiking / running the trails this past weekend, my thoughts wandered to my working out history. I have hiked for years, daily during my pregnancy and several times a week during "the early years;" back when Owen was small enough to snuggle into my wrap or Mai-Tai carrier and come along for the hike.

The point I was making to myself is that I have a lot of years of regular cardio fitness under my belt.

Still, I was surprised at how easy it was to be able to get right back into the type of workouts I was doing before my toddler-induced hiatus. I have even surpassed the amount of running I used to do, without any aches and pains.

So, as I was running agilely (albeit from the deer flies) over rocks and through brush on Sunday, my question to myself was, "Does the body forget?"

Other than forgetting that it used to be about seven pounds lighter, mine does not seem to have forgotten. My lungs and my muscles have not suffered from my workouts or the hiatus.

What is your experience with starting up a workout routine after a long time away?