I've been testing out the new adidas Supernova Glide running shoes (top image for women, lower image for men) and have great news for those of you desperate for more support. These shoes have lots of it. My initial response as I first put my feet into these shoes was, "Wow! They're so soft and comfy!" And after many uses, I still feel the same way; they kind of make me feel like I'm running on pillows.

l have, however, felt like it would be totally lame to describe them to you as "soft and comfy." That description seemed almost too simple. But last week, while I was working out at a gym in a beautiful Sandals Resort in Jamaica, I noticed the man next to me on the stepper wearing a pair. So I asked Kevin from Canada what he thought of his new Supernova Glides, and do you know what he told me? "They're soft and comfortable!"

Throughout both my career as a fitness professional and as a competitive athlete, my feet have taken quite a beating. Proper footwear is about the only thing keeping me going at this point. It is said that every step a runner takes places three times the amount of their body weight worth of impact down on each foot. Ouch! The right shoe has the ability to dramatically decrease the amount of trauma each foot will endure.

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I love participating in races. I love the training (well, most of the time), I love the adrenaline, I love the camaraderie. Probably I'd love winning, if I ever did, but as it is, I just love being a part of the event. However, I don't love the impact these events generally have on the environment.

Think about it -- races create a large amount of trash (paper cups, water bottles), cause large numbers of people to travel, and what do you do with all that swag? Maybe you keep it and use it, but lots of people just throw it away. Races can be really wasteful.

Fortunately, they don't have to be. Event organizers have a couple of options if they're hoping to "greenify" their event. Both Athletes for a Fit Planet and the Council for Responsible Sport have several ways to help organizers make their races more environmentally responsible, plus they provide information to athletes who want to make informed choices about their races.

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I've mentioned before that I'm a pescetarian (I know it sounds pretentious -- it just means that I eat fish, but not any other form of meat). I have a number of reasons for my personal food choices, and I try not to force my choices on anyone else.

In fact, my husband is a big meat eater (though he's become less of one since marrying me), and until now, I've never tried to persuade him not to have steak -- he's in great health and he enjoys it.

However, this post at Green Daily made me realize that perhaps I should be just a little more outspoken about eating vegetarian meals. From the post: "... driving your car aimlessly for three hours consumes less energy and is responsible for fewer greenhouse gas emissions than producing 2.2 pounds of beef."

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There's a swimming pool in my neighborhood and while it's full of kids and families during the days and on weekends, early mornings and late evenings are pretty peaceful pool times. No canon balls. No "Marco," "Polo." No screaming. No shouting. No inflated tubes. No rafts. No water torpedos. No dive sticks. Just quiet. And stillness. Which makes it perfect for a water workout.

I'm about to make my splash in that pool. I'm about to stretch and run and jump and swim until my muscles are strong and lean. Julia Roberts is doing it. I can too.

Celebrity trainer Kathy Kaehler has Roberts in the pool and has tasked her with a range of shallow and deep-water activities, cardio exercises -- like jumping jacks, water walking, and water running -- and for toning, Kaehler has Roberts doing scissors, heel lifts, leg circles, and knee swivels.

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

Q. Hi Fitz, I'm trying to lose weight, but exercising is a problem for me since I am almost 300 pounds. I have a bad knee and my hip hurts, so I am looking for an exercise tape that is low impact but helps me burn as many calories as possible during the work out. Thank you, Paula

A. Hello Miss Paula, I'm glad to hear from you. I've trained many people who weigh between 300 and 500 pounds, and the pain you're feeling in your knees and hip is not unusual. The more weight we carry, the more strain our joints endure. You're wise to look for low impact exercises.

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Ouch! I have shin splints. It's a common running-related injury with the official name medial tibial stress syndrome. This highly medical term really just refers to pain along the shinbone (tibia), the long bone in the front of the lower leg. The pain is caused by an overload on bones and tissues. The bad news is that the discomfort I feel when I run is slowing me down. The good news is that my problem can be alleviated.

Rest is one treatment plan. I don't mean giving up on exercise altogether, but switching to a low-impact program is certainly wise. I could try swimming, biking, walking, and weight training, for example, while my legs heal. I can ice the affected area for 15 to 20-minute intervals, four times per day, for several days. I can elevate my shins above my heart, take an over-the-counter pain reliever, make sure my shoes fit my foot, my stride, and my sport, look into arch supports to disperse stress on my shinbones, strengthen the area with exercises such as toe raises, and then gradually resume running. I can also broaden my running horizons -- which I plan to do starting this week.

A free series is being offered here in town to prep area runners for a local marathon in February. I don't have any big plans to run 26.2 miles anytime soon, but there's no doubt I can learn a thing or two about proper running. So I'm headed to the first seminar on Tuesday. The topic: Core Strengthening, Form Running, and Dynamic Flexibility. I'll be back to report on what I learn. In the meantime, tell me what you do about shin splints. Any words of wisdom about how you prevent or treat this irritating injury?

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My grandma had osteoporosis. For her, it reared its ugly head in her back which became more and more rounded with each of her passing years. It caused her great pain. And it caused her to continually urge me to stand up straight and practice good posture -- which is important for young women like me who wish to maximize bone health. But even more critical for mostly Caucasian and Asian women is weight-bearing exercise and resistance training.

Walking, running, dancing, and playing tennis are just a few good weight-bearing activities. Biking and swimming don't count because they provide no impact of bones on the ground.

OK, so are you ready for your mission? Here's what you've gotta do: Start slow if you must and tackle 10 minutes of walking three times per week. Gradually build up to 30 minutes a day, five times per week. Do more if you can. Then add weights for resistance. Take on some strengthening exercises for 20 minutes, three times per week. If you don't feel very fit at the moment, begin walking with ankle weights and then tack on small amounts of weight, beginning with one pound and working your way up.

Personally, I hope to turn back the clock on osteoporosis. How about you?

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Helmets are something I've come to really respect, especially since I spent some time working to rehabilitate young adults who had suffered traumatic brain injuries during routine activities like playing sports and riding motorcycles. I've read that long-term and professional football players commonly suffer from negative head-impact effects like poor memory and short emotional fuses. But would you spend $1000 on a football helmet for your high school student to wear?

Riddell is hoping so, as they plan to start marketing their latest high-tech helmet creation to parents next month. The helmet not only provides state-of-the art impact protection but also tracks the location and severity of every bump and bang.

It is pretty pricey, no doubt about that, but can you really put a price on your child's health?

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