Photo: Rob Inh00d, Flickr

In this hectic world, there's nothing better than taking care of two things at one time. Physical exercise will reward you with greater energy, overall health and a fit body -- but did you know that exercise also helps you develop a fit mind? It's true! When you work out your body, you also work out your mind.

In addition to cognitive challenges (such as taking a class, learning a new skill or even just doing some brain teasers), several studies concur that physical activity helps keep your mind sharp. Moderate activity has a positive impact on mental acuity, but cardio workouts that really get your heart pumping seem to have the greatest effect. What's more, an active lifestyle will have a long-lasting impact on your mental fitness.

The mind and the body are closely connected. One study found that even short bouts of physical activity in previously-sedentary seniors restored some of the brain loss that's associated with aging.

Exercise is also a great stress reliever. As you're running or biking (or whatever else gets your heart pumping), you'll have time to sort through your thoughts and process your emotions. If you want to really give your brain a good workout, look for a new sport to try or set up a challenging obstacle course -- the combination of physical and mental stimulation will do you good.

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That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader. We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other. That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.

Besides showing you off, we want to reward you for all of your hard work! Adidas is giving gorgeous gym bags to each featured member. To join, please send Fitz your answers to these questions, with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Danielle Urtnowski

Age: 34

Occupation: Personal Trainer & nursing student

How often do you exercise? Four to six times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? I always change it up from cardio on the BOSU to plyometric exercises using full body movement to incorporate more than one muscle group at a time.

What gets you to work out, even when you're feeling lazy? I have a large puppy who requires lots of exercise.

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Duran Duran ruled the 80's. In fact, they still kind of rule. Selling out arenas around the world isn't too shabby in anyone's book.

Even though he's still performing with his legendary band, John Taylor has reformed from his very typical rock star ways of the past, and is now a genuine fitness fiend. We spoke today, and I was delighted to hear about his new lifestyle. John told me that he gave up drinking and drugs years ago and pays a lot of attention to his health. He actually said he considers himself a runner! So cute, he called himself the "slackest runner in the world" but knows he needs that outlet because of the mental relief it provides. To quote John, he says it "suits my psychology."

When we see rock stars living the party life, it's easy to wonder what effects it will have on their futures. Some simply don't survive the lifestyle. But John did, and it's wonderful to see the man so many people adore as he lives a truly healthy life. He does struggle a bit with something, though.

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No ... I'm not asking if you're painfully bright, wealthy and generous. I'm referring to the Oprah Syndrome as: Having lost and regained enormous amounts of weight more times than you can count. If you've lost a bunch of weight through dieting or just plain old great fitness habits, yet at some point just broke down and regained it all back, you're suffering from Oprah Syndrome.

I've been teaching fitness for 20 years now, and I've dealt with many people suffering the same condition. It's extremely painful to watch, and it's really frustrating for both those going through it and those who love them. I call it Oprah Syndrome because Oprah has made this agonizing situation famous. She has all the means, tools and professionals around to help keep her on track but at some point, she mentally just can't take it.

Gaining five pounds back can be accidental. Gaining 60 to 80+ pounds back is oddly deliberate. She could have hit the breaks when she gained 10, 20 or 30, but she didn't. I believe her issue is emotional, and she simply won't allow herself the life and/or perks that go along with being fit and trim. I'm no psychiatrist, but after doing this about a bazillion times, it's hard not to know the trends.

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After watching her weight zig-zag through a range of about 100 pounds over the years, Oprah Winfrey has done it again. Apparently, she's regained the weight she once worked so hard to lose and is stuck at 200 pounds, in a very uncomfortable position.

Oprah reveals that she had envisioned a beautiful dress to wear to President-Elect Obama's inauguration but is now worried she won't be able to fit into it.

"How could this happen again?" she wonders. After losing weight following very public liquid diets, marathons and detox diets, we're all left to wonder: Will Oprah ever keep the weight off for good? Oprah is clearly wondering the same thing.

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It should come as no surprise to anyone that your mental state has a lot to do with athletic performance. Athletes who are able to "stay in the zone" remain calm and focused under pressure, making them less likely to choke. For some, that's easy. For others (myself included), having to make the game-winning shot can incite a feeling of pure terror. And, aside from practice, there's nothing you can do about that, right?

Wrong! Athletes are turning to neurotherapy and neurofeedback to "train their brains." An article called Train Your Brain in October's GQ chronicled one writer's experience with neurotherapy with the California-based Elite Sports Performance (ESP) and showed how it can (and does) help some of the world's most elite athletes to improve their game, with surprisingly easy-to-understand results.

Essentially, neurotherapy reads the different brain waves in areas of the brain, determining what areas are most active and which are a little more sluggish. For the writer, once the results were interpreted, exercises devised by the staff at ESP helped him learn to control his brainwaves -- the feedback was in real time, so training his mind was simple and straightforward, although not exactly easy.

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Do you lift weights to burn calories? Fight fat? Whittle away at your waist? Yes, Yes, and Yes for me. Do you use strength training as a stress buster, though? Not sure I tackle lifting as a means to stress reduction but I must say it's a definite side effect. And if keep at my weighty endeavors, I might teach my body to regularly recover better from stress.

People with decent muscle mass have an easier time recovering from mental stress, says RealAge. Use dumbbells, resistance bands, or your own body weight to build muscle and you'll be one step closer to mastering stress reduction. Why? Because lean body mass (more muscle, less fat), helps the body normalize blood pressure more quickly after a stressful event. A fit body does a better job of ridding itself of sodium, you see, and that takes a big load off your heart and arteries when stress starts to surface.

Time to lift, my friends -- lift your body healthy and lift away your stress.

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Glued to We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs and TMZ? Count US Weekly and People among your guilty pleasures? Don't feel ashamed -- whether you're following the lives of pop stars, athletes or politicians, I think everyone has had their own case of 'celebrity worship.'

And believe it or not, there's nothing wrong with that. A recent study in Time Magazine showed that celebrity crushes can be good for your mental health, and can even boost your own self-esteem. Still, that's provided the crush doesn't go too far (stalking is so not cool,) or replace real relationships in one's life (hello, creepy!)

So go ahead and worship someone -- bonus points if you take inspiration from a fit celeb like Michael Phelps or Jennifer Lopez.

(via Crabby)

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I'm reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen right now. In one of the beginning chapters, the main character discusses how when you're a child you can pinpoint your age to the exact month, when you're in your 20's your age springs to mind rapidly when asked, but when you hit your 30's sometimes you think of yourself as a year or two younger than you actually are. Denial? Maybe. Or maybe it's just the beginning stages of your mental fitness starting to slip.

Exercising your mind is just as important as your physical fitness. If you want to check your mental prowess, try out this fun brainteaser quiz on Good Housekeeping. The test is adapted from a Mensa quiz and it's not easy. But it's a good workout for your mind.

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I recently started running again. Since completing the Kona Marathon six years ago this month, my stride has been very sporadic. I bought my first house, had my first kid, moved across the country and bought my second house. I lost my focus and began getting a workout in any way I could and with a variety of activities.

That hasn't been a bad thing, necessarily. But I realized a while back how much I missed the mental benefits of running. It may be hard on your knees, but it's sure great for your head. All exercise is supposed to be. But I've never experienced anything like the clarity, absence of depression and pure elation that running induces.

And for those of you out there that think running isn't for you or have tried to run a mile and given up, please reconsider. Save for those dreaded laps in junior high gym class, I had never incorporated running into my active life before training for that marathon. In my experience, the payoff is well worth the painful beginnings. Pretty soon, you'll hit your stride. And it doesn't matter if it's a slow one, either. Habitual marathoners are a whole lot thinner and faster than I am, but I've got a head that's every bit as healthy as theirs.

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FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

Let's talk sanity. I'm not talking legal sanity here. I'm talking peace of mind, emotional balance, a general state of mental wellness. It's not so hard to attain, you know. Here's how.

• Say it like it is. Expressing your feelings appropriately is key. Let people close to you know when something is bothering you, when you're angry, when you're sad. Keeping feelings bottled up takes extra energy, can weigh on your mind, and can cause problems in your relationships and at work or school.

• Think it out. Since emotions can be powerful, give yourself some time to think before you say or do something you might regret. Allow yourself a cool-down period if anger takes you over. Let your tears dry a bit before you begin talking about your sadness. Give yourself the gift of a right frame of mind.

• Balance it out. Make time for things you enjoy, focus on the positive things in your life, pamper yourself, and see how the stresses in your schedule don't seem so bad.

• Take care of you. Physical health can affect emotional health -- so take care of your body by exercising regularly, eating healthy, and getting enough sleep. Don't abuse drugs or alcohol either.

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Mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder are very hard for psychiatrists to diagnose sometimes. It's a subjective procedure requiring the patient to tell the professional about his or her symptoms. After that, the doctor must give a judgment which ultimately diagnoses the patient.

But what if medical professionals were able to test the blood and detect whether or not a person had bipolar disorder or depression? This could, theoretically, eliminate the need for subjective judgments on people's mental state. However, some folks believe this is too accurate.

The ethical concerns stem from the fact that ten genes have been shown to reveal a person's mental status. Personality characteristics are controversial in medicine, and a test that can allegedly tell a person if they're unstable could cause a bigger rift. However, if used properly, this seems like a more effective way to treat patients of psychiatry. We'll have to keep an eye on this for future developments!

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Overall fitness is about more than just your body, and although being physically fit will certainly help you do better at work (more energy, more confidence) focusing on your mental fitness will give you an even bigger boost. Better yet, why not strive for both? Here are some easy ideas for sharpening your mind (and body):



Get your dance on (or your kick)
Exercise is great for both your physical and mental health, but when it comes to getting more brain power not all exercises are created equal. The more complex the exercise the more stimulating and beneficial it is for your mind, so things like dance or martial arts classes are the way to go.

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Scientists are discovering that even though lead has been phased out of our environment, those elderly who were exposed decades ago are still feeling the effects. Apparently lead exposure back then has a strong link to their mental decline now.

This flies in the face of what many considered to be a "natural aging" of the brain's decline. However, researchers are quick to note that this is not the sole cause of mental decline as the years wear on. What they are saying is that this exposure has accumulated in their bodies, and still affects their health decades later by causing the brain to work like it's five years older. We live in a time where almost everything we touch is treated with a chemical. But the problem back then was that they didn't realize the full effects of lead.

Thankfully environmental levels dropped dramatically starting in the mid-70's so that by 1990 the amount of lead in the average American had dropped by 80 percent. However, lead in the bone which was contracted in the past can still be measured today (everyone has some level of it in their bodies). More research is needed to figure out the mechanism by which lead stays in the system and how it influences brain aging. Hopefully they can pin it down and cut lead out of our every day interactions even more.

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FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

If your mental health isn't in tip-top shape, chances are your physical health will eventually lag behind. Keeping your mind fit, then, is a sure way to keep on top of your physical self. Try these five ideas for getting a handle on your mental toughness.

• Take control of the stress in your life. It may boost your "good" cholesterol (HDL), say presenters at the annual American Psychological Association meeting.
  
  

• Determine whether or not your home is harboring dampness and mold. These conditions are linked to an increased risk of depression.
  
  

• Fix the little stressors in your life, like leaky faucets. According to Dr. Micheal Roizen, M.D., these minor annoyances can age us by about eight years.
  
  

• One in seven women suffers from depression before, during, and after pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if your baby blues last for two weeks or longer.
  
  

• Find healthy outlets for channelling your anger. Suppressing it could make you four times more likely to die prematurely.

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