That's Fit

Just wanted to wish all of my fellow Americans a very happy Fourth of July, and to remind everyone why we celebrate. Of course politics can be rough, and the economy sometimes varies, but those things pale in comparison to all that this country has to offer. As I was explaining to my three and five year old children this week, we celebrate our freedom this Friday. As Americans we are able to choose our jobs, choose our religion, choose our spouse, choose our homes, and have as many or as little children as we'd like to have.

Nothing is perfect of course, but America is perfect for me. I rarely walk by a man or woman in uniform without thanking them for their service, nor an elderly man proudly wearing his baseball cap describing which branch of the military he served. I value the local and state law enforcement officers for placing their lives on the line each day to protect ours. I'm even grateful for the sometimes messy brood of politicians we elect to run this beautiful country of ours.

Lastly, I'm grateful for the nation of Americans. Thank goodness the majority of us are really good hardworking people. The good certainly outweigh the bad. I thank you for voting, working, educating your children, volunteering, helping strangers, and just making this country what it is today. I love it here. I'm proud to be here, and I'm grateful to those who laid their lives on the line to provide my family and I the simple yet irreplaceable luxury of freedom.

A recent report from the U.S. Army's fifth Mental Health Advisory Team revealed that many soldiers are turning to antidepressant drugs to help them cope through wartime deployments.

Time magazine recently covered this story, stating that this recent survey of troops led to the discovery that 17 percent of combat troops stationed in Afghanistan and 12 percent of those stationed in Iraq are taking prescription drugs to help deal with issues related to nerves, depression, and sleep deprivation.

According to Military.com, the Army estimates that authorized drug use splits about evenly into two groups: troops taking antidepressants -- such as Prozac and Zoloft -- and those taking prescription sleeping pills. The percentage soldiers on antidepressants is an equal representation of the percentage of the general civilian population who also use these drugs, says the report.

How is it that the military is able to whip people into shape in such short time, even though they don't have special gyms and fancy fitness equipment for new enlistees? A - Enlistees are pushed to their physical limits; and B - All that's required to transform the body are the fitness basics.

Civilians can learn from this approach and apply it to their own workouts. Rather than spending an hour on an elliptical, leisurely gliding through a cardio workout, try ditching the equipment (and the gym) and go run an outdoor trail instead. Sprint up hills, jump on top of boulders, and leap over small creeks. Push yourself to limits you know you're capable of reaching, but for reasons probably related to a digital readout on a piece of cardio equipment, you never have. As for resistance training, try ditching the bands for a bodyweight workout. Get down and give yourself ten push-ups. Twenty, if you can. Then, find a sturdy bar to hang from and bang out some pull-ups. If you're unable to do so, perform horizontal pull-ups instead. Work your legs with some prisoner squats. Hit your core with sets of the plank and side plank. Push, push, push!!

Don't let these gyms salespeople fool you; it is possible to get a good workout anywhere. Does having an entire gym at your disposal make that task any easier? Of course it does. But, having too many options can also be a distraction, not to mention a forceful attraction to an easier workout. Remember, workouts are supposed to be hard. If yours isn't, it's probably the reason your body's not, too. It's time to change that, but to do that, you must not give in to the temptation of fancy fitness. Stick to the basics, soldier.

When shopping for a bike, you have to make choices. Do you want one that's made for off-road or for biking around town? What about speedy versus sturdy?

If you've ever had to travel with a bike in a small car, you'll probably be as excited as I was about the idea of a bike that folds up (don't ask about the triathlon I drove to alone in my tiny little car -- let's just say that some names were called, things were said, and my relationship with the bike was never the same). However, I always assumed that a folding bike wouldn't be as good as a bike that doesn't fit into a suitcase -- I figured they would be flimsy and not a great choice for long rides.

Upon learning about SwissBike folding bicycles, I realized I was wrong.

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name: Frank Kinsey

Age: 29

Heroic Occupation: Deputy Sheriff

How often do you exercise? Two to three times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? I lift weights, run and play basketball.

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name:

Age:

Heroic occupation:

If you're in the military...where are you?

How often do you exercise?

What type of exercise do you do?

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name:

Age:

Heroic Occupation:

If you're in the military...where are you?

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name: Erik J. Fritz

Age: 19

Occupation: Bulk Fuel Specialist at the Marine Corps and Navy Reserves Unit

If you're in the military...where are you? Green Bay, WI,

How often do you exercise? Almost every day

What type of exercise do you do? Running outside and on the treadmill, lifting weights, and a lot of push-ups.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Knowing that I have to stay in good shape to pass my PT.

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name: Rob K.

Age: 42

Heroic occupation: Police Lieutenant

If you're in the military...where are you? N/A

How often do you exercise? Five times each week.

What type of exercise do you do? Running, strength training, lots of pull-ups, and a variety of cardio machines.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? The knowledge that I'll be glad I did when I'm done. I also feel that the most rewarding workout is the one that you didn't want to do in the first place.

I just stumbled upon an interesting, if controversial, article released by the Associated Press back in 2005 titled "Are U.S. Troops Too Fat to Fight?" The most ironic part of discovering this article was that I came across it while researching fitness regimens on the Military.com website. Despite the grueling physical and mental training many men and women in the service undergo, our soldiers, on average, carry more body fat than they ever have before.

Does this mean that the U.S. military has gone soft on recruits? It's just the opposite, actually; many recruits have gone soft on the U.S. military. The country, as a whole, is fatter than its ever been, and many new enlistees are going into basic training already carrying too much weight.

According to a related article on Military.com, 20 percent of all male recruits and 40 percent of female recruits are too heavy to enter into the military ranks. As a result, some are failing out for not meeting minimal fitness standards, and others are just barely squeezing by (and, by their own volition, using extreme and dangerous methods to bring about rapid weight loss -- i.e. skipping meals, fasting, taking laxatives, etc.). In turn, recruits who barely make it through boot camp are still called upon to perform the same duties and tasks as their fitter counterparts, though they may not be physically able to keep up.

Do you remember taking the Presidential Fitness Test in elementary school? I was one of those crazy kids who LOVED it -- I was naturally athletic and I kept active, so it wasn't hard for me to pass. And I love tests that I know I can pass.

I received an email from Active.com encouraging me to try The Special Ops Fitness Test the other day. "How bad can it be?" I asked myself. I work hard, and I push myself. I can at least give it a good shot, right?

Wrong.

Okay, so I failed. I failed badly ... this time. But I now have some really tough goals to meet. Want to see what they are? Check the gallery! And, let me know how well you did!

Stew Smith, over at Military.com, has been investigating methods for losing weight in the most healthful way possible. Finally, he thinks he's found the magic bullet.

Smith has called in the big guns. "No, actually, I called the BIG GUNS," he writes.

His new-found nutritionist just happens to be a body builder who knows how to trim the fat off every area of the body, especially the torso. If you want six-pack abs, advises Smith, then combine the "Get Lean" diet plan with cardio and abdominal exercises and you'll be well on your way to perfect leanness. That's where Smith, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, former Navy SEAL, and author of several fitness and self defense books, is headed.

Click here to check out the "Get Lean" diet -- it will have you eating five to six times per day -- and here for some wisdom on achieving washboard abs. If losing your love handles is on your list of things to do, visit here. And if you don't have a cardio routine you like, you can borrow some ideas here where a few military e-books are available.

What makes you feel sexy? I was talking with some friends the other day, and the whole group of us agreed that sexy has nothing to do with Frederick's of Hollywood. (Those things are just scratchy.) My friend Kristen thought her little black dress made her feel sexy, and Ann felt it was her perfume.

I honestly feel the sexiest things I own are my black cowboy boots. I'm in no way shape or form a western type girl; I was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I think that I think my boots are hot, because I feel powerful in them. I love powerful men, so maybe that's the connection. Lingerie had little to do with sexy in the minds of my friends and I.

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. Brrrr Fitz! I live in the waaaaaay cold and am already starting to feel the flab. It's too cold outside to go for runs like I normally do. I can't afford the gym and don't want to look like the snowman on my lawn. What do you suggest? Rick

A. Eeeek Rick! I can't imagine. Literally. I can't imagine, because I've lived in Florida all of my life. It's about 80 degrees outside right now. I have been in the cold and snow though, Norway seems to have a lot, and I do have some recommendations. First, there are a ton of things you can do at home. Sometimes it is just too hot to train outside where I am, so I end up in the same situation you're in now (but opposite).

A treadmill would suit your running needs, but if that investment is too much...here are some ideas. Move the furniture and--jump rope, run in place, do jumping jacks, jump on a mini-trampoline, hit a heavy-bag, dance, do step aerobics, squat jumps, video training, gliding disks, free weights, pull-ups, push-ups, squats, or crunches.

I don't know if there's any scientific proof to back it up, but to me it always seems like the more muscular you are the more weight you gain the minute you stop working out. But whether it's fact or fiction, it certainly seems to be what happened to Army specialist Maggie -- as soon as she was no longer in the military the pounds started packing on big time.

This article actually a pretty inspirational story, whether you go for the diet plan side of it or not. It's a good reminder that even the buffest of people have to work hard to stay that way!