Last year, women in the UK spent nearly a billion dollars on swimwear. That's not surprising -- what is, however, more than a bit shocking, is the fact that 45 percent of those purchases have yet to see the light of day.

That's right -- according to recent research, about 250 billion pounds (nearly $500 billion) was spent on bikinis that have never and possibly will never be worn because the people who bought them don't feel comfortable enough with their bodies to don the merchandise in public.

What gives, ladies? Are we buying these swimsuits with the hopes of being inspired to slim down by their presence in our closets? Or are we just hoping we'll work up the courage to bare all once the inevitable trip to the beach becomes a reality?

Wait -- that's not all. Here are some other startling bikini facts:

Just in case you indulged a little too much last week at all those Memorial Day barbecues, today is a chance at redemption. It's National Running Day, and celebrating is easy -- just lace up your sneaks and hit the road!

Making this day particularly interesting is the fact that it's the very first National Running Day. Road racing clubs and organizations all over the country are joining forces to encourage Americans young and old, fit or fat to get out and run. According to Active.com, president and CEO of New York Road Runners Mary Wittenberg said, "Everyone can run. That's the message of this day."

OK, let's say you want to do more than just take a leisurely jog around the neighborhood to celebrate. Or perhaps you've never run a day in your life, but you're interested in getting started (and what better opportunity will you ever have?). What can you do?

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In case this video compels you to book a fit vacation, I thought I'd include these links for my favorite healthy vacation spots!

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I'm writing to you from Jamaica, where I've been enjoying a week at several beautiful Sandals resorts. The sun is bright, the waves are warm, the healthy food is plentiful and the endless amount of free athletic activities mean I'm sure to leave this place at least a pound or more lighter than when I arrived. Am I trying to lose weight? No! Is it likely to happen, though? Probably!

Sandals is a chain of "couples only" resorts located in posh spots around the Caribbean. They're all inclusive too, which basically means you get to eat, drink and play as much as you want without shelling out extra dough. This all-inclusive thing removes lots of vacation-related stress, I assure you.

Most folks believe gaining at least five to 10 pounds per week of vacation is a rule, and my job is to convince you that it's not. Not if you come to a place like Sandals, anyway. As readers of this site, I know you're health conscious and eager to pursue and maintain your fitness levels wherever you go. Sandals allows you to do that.

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Just after the Super Bowl, I asked you how you felt about eating on special occasions. Do you stress about every calorie? Do you try to eat healthfully, but still take small portions of your favorites? Or do you not worry about it all? Here's what you had to say:

• 43 percent of you forget about the calories. After all, it's only one day.
• 39 percent of you take a balanced approach. You don't let it stress you out, but you watch your portion sizes so you don't go overboard.
• 17 percent of you count every calorie.

There are always going to be special occasions. I'm sure a lot of you have dinner plans to celebrate Valentine's Day this weekend. And, as most of you know, it's okay to treat yourself once in a while. So, on those rare special occasions, order what you want. But choose healthful options when possible and watch your portion sizes. Besides ... it's more romantic if you share a dessert, anyway!

While I rang in the new year, wrapped up in my warmest sweater and avoiding the outdoors at all costs, Beyonce and hubby Jay-Z spent the time frolicking on the beaches in the Caribbean in a skimpy bikini (well, Beyonce did, anyway. I'd rather not see Jay-Z in a bikini, no offense or anything).

B took some much-needed time out of her busy schedule to show off her sexy curves and play on the water -- she was spotted tearing up the waves on a jet ski and jumping on a water trampoline. Good for her -- a couple of hours at those activities can help her burn around 500 calories.

Sure sounds like a fun way to celebrate the new year. And she looks fantastic. Not that I'm jealous or anything.

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Queen Latifah has decided to stay on as spokesperson for Jenny Craig, and it's a good thing, because the star is looking to get her post-holiday butt back in gear. What better way than to embrace the weight-loss program that helped her shed a few in the first place.

"I'm glad I re-signed [with Jenny Craig] because I had a little fun over the holidays, as most people do," says the host of Wednesday night's People Choice Awards.

Apparently, the 38-year-old indulged in everything while in Trinidad recently. "It wasn't that I wasn't eating healthy stuff," she explains. "It was just a lot of it. There's always a beach barbeque." Time for some regular workouts and swimming, she says adding, "I will knock this weight back down. I know it."
Want to get your butt in gear but don't have the funds for Jenny Craig? Do it for free with America Takes It Off.

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Welcome to Walking the Walk, a feature that takes a deeper look at commonly shared diet and fitness advice. Every other week, I'll choose one piece of advice and practice it for seven days. Then I'll report back on what I discovered about making it work in real life and how it affected my own personal fitness -- and how it ultimately can affect your own efforts.

For the first time ever, I can proudly say I didn't pack on weight over the holiday season. In fact, I've managed to lose about eight pounds since Thanksgiving. I owe it, mostly, to my ban on sugar and chocolate.

Still, I have a lot of work to do. Take, for instance, my abs. They are very sad abs, abs that must be stuffed into too tight undergarments to look good in holiday wear. They're just crying for attention.

We all know that spot training alone doesn't work. After all, you could have the most gorgeous set of six-pack abs in the universe, but if they're covered with a thick layer of flab, who's going to notice? True spot reduction comes from a healthy diet, aerobic exercise and strength training.

That said, I'd really, really like to squeeze into something nice and a little smaller on Christmas. But that's just over a week away, so I'm going to work these abs like crazy every day as an experiment and see what happens. If it works ... hurray! If not, well, a lesson learned for all of us.

Last week, you told us that -- for the majority of you -- Christmas cookies were your biggest holiday weakness. But if you had a few more than you'd planned on over the past few weeks, don't beat yourself up over it -- you may have already burned them off in all your hectic Christmas activities.

Assuming a Christmas cookie has 90 calories ...

• An hour of singing Christmas carols burned off one cookie.
• An hour of writing Holiday cards burned off one and a half cookies.
• An hour of baking burned off two cookies.
• An hour of shopping burned off two cookies (and no one does just an hour of shopping -- if they do, I am so so jealous).
  
• An hour of decorating burned off three cookies.
• An hour of dancing burned off three and a half cookies.
• An hour of shoveling snow burned off four cookies.
• An hour of splitting wood for the fire burned off four and a half cookies.

See? Those holiday cookies don't seem so bad now, do they?

This is the third part of my interview with trainer to the stars Gunnar Peterson. He dished about his celebrity clients, gave us tips on working out faster and smarter, and now, we're wrapping up the interview with tips for fitting into that sexy little dress ... by New Year's Eve!

Trying to get ready for a holiday party or hot New Year's Eve date? Gunnar suggests dropping carbs like bread, rice and pasta from your dinner (but don't drop them completely from your diet), getting plenty of sleep, staying hydrated and pushing yourself in your workout with your goal in mind. Fuel yourself for your workouts with some protein a couple of hours beforehand, and stay hydrated throughout your workout -- you'll get more out of it in less time.

If you're going strapless or backless, add some pull-ups into your routine. Gunnar is a big fan of assisted pull-ups using rubber bands, which allow even those who can't do a single pull-up alone to complete several reps. "It gives you a great feeling of accomplishment," he said, "which gets you fired up." Also, throw in some rear shoulder movements, like the reverse fly -- it'll help define muscles and give you better posture.

This morning, I encouraged you to start a new tradition with your family -- a healthy one. So instead of chugging egg nog and gossiping about Aunt Rita's new facelift, don your winter coat, hats, mittens and snow boots and head out to the great outdoors. Here are five activities you can do as a family:

• Go tobogganing. The going down part? Exhilarating. The going up part? Exhausting. You're sure to work off those extra calories you're planning on eating at Christmas dinner -- or perhaps you've already eaten them.
  
• Build a snowman. Extra points if you can make it look like someone famous. Though I'm thinking Amy Winehouse might not work, seeing as the hair is bigger than the body.
  
• Have a snowball fight. Play nice ... or not. It depends on your family dynamics, I guess.
  
• Make snow angels. Come on, when was the last time you did that?
• Play Wii. OK, the outdoors isn't for everyone. If the whole clan ishappier in front of the TV, so be it -- just make sure you're getting active at the same time.
  

Have a healthy family tradition of your own? Do share.

So your bags are packed, the car is stocked with festive wrapped presents and you're about to go over the river and through the woods when you realize ... you forgot to buy cousin Jimmy a gift.

We've all been there. At this point, you may not have time to purchase one of our favorite fit gifts, but there are still plenty of health-promoting gifts you can pick up on the way to your Christmas celebrations. Check out the gallery for ideas.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. 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 one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I love to exercise, but may only have about 15 minutes to do anything on Christmas Day. Can you give me a quick circuit to do at home before we take off for the family party? Thanks and Merry Christmas, Johnny

A. Sure, Johhny! I'd love to. Before I do that, though, I want to tell you how impressive it is that fitness is such a priority for you. Lots of folks are going to use the holiday as an excuse to do nothing. You and I both know that a brief workout will probably make us feel more energetic and happy on the big day and give us a little more wiggle room to enjoy an extra indulgence without paying the price. High five to you!

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Supermarket guru Phil Lempert was on The View the other day, offering all sorts of tips for saving bucks on holiday meals. According to Lempert, 63 percent of us say food prices are so dramatically high, we need to do something about it. Here's what he says we should do.

• Skimp on shrimp. It's all frozen anyway. Even the stuff in the glass case that looks all pretty and fresh has been previously frozen. So march right over to the freezer aisle, and grab yourself a bag of frozen-solid stuff. It'll cost you maybe $8, compared to $25. Make your own cocktail sauce too. Horseradish sauce and ketchup are all you need.
• Buy ham in a can. You can pay $69 for a big 'ol ham or $15 for a canned one.
  
• Ban the bakery and buy store-bought cookies, make your own pumpkin pie and mix up your own egg nog too.

Want more money-saving tips? The gals at The View have got you covered.

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The days before Christmas are winding down. If you're in need of a quick gift, a DVD is a good choice. While a couple of hours plopped on the couch certainly doesn't do anything for fitness, many sports-themed movies have an inspiring message. So, when picking out a flick for your favorite movie buffs, why not choose one that motivates them to become more fit? Check out the gallery for some ideas.