That's Fit

One of the most common questions I'm asked is, "how do I get in shape quickly?" Well ... I'm sure as you read that question you might have thought ... impossible! Yeah, kinda. But, there are some things that will get you in shape quicker than others. The key is to challenge yourself, work most areas of your body, and make sure you do both cardiovascular and strength training. These are my favorite five moves that I believe will have the greatest impact on your fitness level, and help you see results sooner rather than later.

Check out the Summer Slimdown Guide -- it's loaded with tips to help you make the best of this summer and that fine body you're living in!

When we we run, we work our legs. When we do curls, we work our biceps. When we do crunches, we work our abs. This is one way of looking at it, anyway. Another way is to think of your body as a whole. There are no parts or areas; rather, there is just the body.

No, you don't need to start saying "ohm" at the end of each set you complete and wear healing crystals to the gym to aim for physical oneness. Simply place less emphasis on individual muscle groups or target areas, and instead train for total body results.

While there's nothing wrong with fine-tuning certain areas of your body once and a while with some muscle-specific exercises, you'll get maximum results from a program designed to exercise your body, not body parts.

The lunge is a very popular lower-body exercise, hitting the hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps with a deep, satisfying muscle burn. Just like most exercises, there exists a wide variety of lunges you can perform. But unlike exercises that keep you in a fixed position throughout a set, you can vary your lunges rep-by-rep to really blast your leg muscles.

A great one-two combination is to perform the standard forward lunge and then go right into a reverse lunge. To do so, start by standing upright and with your feet together. Next, take a step forward with your right leg and then lower your body while keeping your back straight. Once your rear knee is only inches from hitting the floor, hold in this position for a second and then press yourself back up and backward to the staring position.

Now, this would normally be where you would then step forward with your left leg and perform the same move. However, this time try bringing your right leg behind you and doing a reverse lunge. Using the same leg you led with in the forward lunge (which, in this example, was your right leg), take a fairly large step backward. Then, slowly bend that knee to lower your upper body, again keeping your back as straight as you can. Once your right knee has almost touched the ground, hold for a second and then push your body up and forward. You should now be in the starting position again, standing upright and with your feet together. Finish this one-two combination by doing with your left leg what you just finished doing with your right. Once back to the starting position again (after doing a full one-two combined rep for each leg), that equals one total rep.

Here's a very good video demonstration of forward and reverse lunges from a trainer featured on ExpertVilliage.com

If you're not doing squats during your workout, start today. Hell, start now. Stand up from your computer, lock your hands behind your head, and bang out a set of squats. Finished? Good. Now ask yourself, Do I perform this superb muscle-building and calorie-burning exercise properly?

A proper squat -- whether performed with a barbell bent from a Herculean load of 45 pound plates planted across your back, or with nothing more than your own body weight -- requires keeping your head up and a natural arch to your back. It also means lowering yourself to the correct position at the bottom of the movement. Thighs parallel to the floor is the way it's commonly described, but this isn't exactly clear enough.

Squat down right now. Look at your thighs. Are they parallel to the floor? If so, which part is -- the bottom or the top of your thighs? Ahh ... therein may very well lie the problem. Most times, people go by the position of the bottom of their thighs (nearest the knee) when determining that their legs are parallel to the floor. However, in this position you'll notice that the tops of your thighs are still somewhat angled and therefore not parallel with the floor.

If I'm trying not to strain my abdominals -- which is exactly what I'm trying not to do -- there's really not much I can do, reports Fitz, because everything I do, from grabbing a plate out of the cupboard to squatting to lunging, will tax my abs.

"Just relax," says Fitz, who is sure my legs will resume their shape once I hit the pavement again -- and incorporate these easy leg moves into my routine: Squats, lunges, anything Jane Fonda inspired, and a few ballet plies too.

Deep breath. Relax. Two weeks and counting.

Running is many things: It's energizing, rejuvenating and oh-so-good for both your soul and body. But it's also hard on your legs, particularly your feet, calves and knees. If you like running and want to keep doing it for a few more years, treat your gams well by stretching, practicing proper form, drinking lots of water and treating yourself to a massage.

You don't need to hit up a massage therapist though -- you can give yourself a runner's massage by rubbing down your feet and calves, as recommended on Fitsugar. Or enlist your significant other (I definitely plan on doing this). Yes, there is a reason behind this -- a massage can bring blood to the area, which will help your muscles warm up and recover.

How do you prep for a run?

As fabulous as we at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.

The mercury is rising and summer -- the season of bathing suits, shorts, and summer dresses are just around the corner. If your legs need a little tune-up before they see the light of day, check some of these tips from our fellow fitness bloggers.

Lift Magazine recommends these simple moves you can do while you're going about your day. The Fitness Diva teaches you how to turn heads without even trying. And the Stiletto Jungle shares tips on how to get glowing skin without sun damage.

Bring it on, summer. We're ready for you!

Guys that are looking to get stronger and more powerful-looking legs usually focus on building their quads and hamstrings, forgetting that developing their calves is just as important. Women often make the same mistake in their quest to firm and tone their legs, lunging all day long without paying much attention to the muscles that stand out the most while wearing heels.

I wish I could say why the calf muscles frequently get neglected, but I honestly don't know. Maybe it's because they're far away from our eyes, and that it takes bending over to actually take a look at them (unless you look in a mirror, of course). Or, perhaps its because we figure we work them all day long during normal activities -- ie. walking, climbing stairs, etc. -- so they get enough of a workout. The problem is, the fact that our calf muscles are used so often is the exact reason why it is necessary to work them extra hard at the gym.

Whether it's on your face or your legs (or elsewhere...), razor burn is downright unpleasant. Interested in finding out how you can stop razor burn in its tracks? I recently came across this article with some helpful tips on how to prevent it:

• Make sure you're using a clean, sharp razor. Ditch the one you picked up years ago, and only use a disposible one when it's absolutely necessary.
  
• Don't go against the grain -- shave in the same direction the hair is growing.
  
• Shave in or after the shower, and make sure the area you're shaving is thoroughly wet--dry hair is too difficult to shave
  
• Try using a shaving cream or oil -- soap and water shaves are too harsh.
• Don't shave run the razor over the same area over and over -- this will lead to irritation.
  
• Don't shave immediately after getting up -- the skin is too puffy to get a good shave. On the other hand, don't spend too long in the bath before shaving -- your skin gets too wrinkly
  

Of course, if you do get razor burn, it's not the end of the world. Apply an Aloe Vera lotion twice a day and your skin should be rash-free within a couple of days. Or, try using a tea bag, as Bethany suggested a while back.

If you have a great sense of balance, a heightened sense of style, a lot of extra cash, and want to build up your calves, these shoes might be for you. Oh, and when I say heightened sense of style, I mean that your taste runs toward the Posh Spice end of the spectrum, not so much toward Sporty, because Victoria Beckham owns a pair of these $3600 Antonio Berardi shoes.

So, what are the pros of these shoes? Well, you would certainly work your calves, and maybe Posh would want to be your friend.

Cons? You'll probably fall over, your regular friends will make fun of you, and maybe Posh would want to be your friend.

For $3600, I think you can find better ways to build calf muscles, don't you?

This winter, I intend to hit the slopes a few times, either skiing or snowboarding. I grew up near the mountains and was skiing shortly after I was able to walk. The chance to head the the hills was always the bright spot in a bleak winter season for me, and though the business of being a grown-up has put a bit of a damper on my sportiness in the past few years, I'm going to try to re-capture that love of my youth. After all, when you live in a place where winter takes up the majority of the year, it's nice to have something to look forward to, right?

But skiing and snowboard--and whatever winter sport you choose, be is snowshoeing, skating or whatnot--requires strong legs. Plus, I've had problems with my knees in the past and I'd like to strengthen the muscles around them to prevent any chance of injury.

During the summer months plenty of lecturing goes on about looking after your skin by wearing an SPF lotion and drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. The result, for most of us, is that we look pretty darn good all summer. Later on when the plummeting temperatures and harsh winds of winter settle in, many of us aren't so well prepared and spend months suffering with chapped lips and dry skin. I know that by February my legs start to take on the appearance of a scaly fish, and are also often itchy and sore.

There is no reason, however, why your skin can't look as good in the winter as it does in the summer -- as long as you're prepared to look after it, that is. This piece recommends concentrating on what you put in your body, as what you eat will be reflected by how you look on the outside. According to the article, a diet full of fish, beans, nuts, whole grains, leafy green veggies and flax seed oil (which is full of Omega-3 fatty acids), will help ensure your face -- and the rest of your body -- continues to look fresh during weeks of nasty weather.

Naturally though, there are a number of ways to take care of you skin that have nothing to do with what you're eating. Some of the tips on winter skincare listed here include:

Here's a habit you might want to incorporate into your workout routine -- checking your feet. Sound a little odd?

Once your workout is complete and you strip off those shoes and socks, make sure you look at every nook and cranny on those stinky pinkies. This practice might just help you identify suspicious moles that may lead to skin cancer.

Melanoma of the foot is the deadliest type of skin cancer because it's rarely caught early. So look at the top, the bottom, and the sides of your feet. Check your toes, your nail beds -- take off that toenail polish, ladies, and really look -- and then take a peek at your legs.

Did you know the most common site of melanoma for women is the lower extremities? Check out this young woman's blog. Miss Melanoma is her name, and she writes all about life with this deadly cancer. She'll tell you how she lost part of her foot to the disease and how she manages her post-cancer. She'll inspire you to do the right thing. I promise.

I accepted a challenge the other day and climbed hundreds of steps in the University of Florida football stadium. The challenge centered around testing my cardiovascular strength. "Try it and see how hard it makes you breath," my sister said. So I tried. And my breathing became labored. I even had to slow down a few times to catch my breath. But I made it up all those stairs, and all the way back down too. And today, a few days after my feat, I realize the challenge wasn't all about breathing. It was also about my legs, my calves to be exact.

Right now, I can barely walk. Well, I can walk -- I just look like a waddling duck as I put one foot in front of the other. And as I contemplate my compromised state, I wonder just how some people do it -- how they conquer "stadiums" as they run and walk up and down, day after day. I guess it's just like any physical activity -- start slow and in time, the body becomes stronger. I did it with running. Once unable to run around the block, I can now log up to four miles at a time. It's called progress. Plain and simple. If I chose to continue stadium workouts, I'd no doubt become proficient at it. My knees may suffer over time, but my calf muscles would surely adjust.

I don't think stadium stepping is in my future. But if I ever take on the challenge again, I'll take it slow and steady. You should too -- if walking is something you really value.

For more on stadium cross training, click here.

Are you familiar with peripheral arterial disease (PAD)? I must admit, I was unaware of what it was, and 75 percent of the adult population in the U.S. is apparently in the same boat.

PAD is a very common blockage of blood vessels in the legs that boosts heart risk. It's estimated that 8 million Americans are affected with PAD, but most of the country has no idea it exists. Sounds like a matter of education to me. Artery blockages anywhere in the body is something patients need to know about. Well, let's just say citizens and include everyone.

PAD happens when the arteries in the legs are blocked with fatty deposits, much like what happens quite often in heart disease. The problem here is that the heart doesn't have an issue - the leg does, and amputation can even result in some cases.