That's Fit

Halle Berry was seen this weekend at the Revlon Run/Walk for Women in Los Angeles (possibly with an engagement ring on her all-important finger), and let me tell you -- she looked fantastic. And the fact that she gave birth to her daughter, Nahla Ariela, just about a month ago makes her fabulous body just that much more amazing.

New moms in the real world shouldn't hold themselves to Halle's standards -- I mean, she had a ridiculously amazing figure before the baby. However, she dished about her post-pregnancy fitness routine to People, and I've got the scoop for you!

She's been working out five days a week for an hour with her trainer, Ramona Braganza. She implements three cardio segments using the elliptical, stairs, and kickboxing, as well as some strength-training that works her abs and legs.

I'm already thinking about it: Mother's Day. Are you? The big day -- Sunday, May 11 -- arrives in less than one week. Which means you've got not quite seven whole days to think up a whopper of a gift for your mom -- or anyone who serves as mom to you. By "whopper," I mean not something big, expensive, or extravagant -- and not something that hails from your neighborhood McDonald's. I mean this: Thoughtful. Something that tells mom you know her, love her, and appreciate her.

For me, a candle fits the bill. I love candles. And my little boys know this. Every time we pass the Yankee candle shop in the mall, they ask me if I want to stop in for a visit. When we stroll the scented store together, they love finding fragrances and running them over to me. They also know I like quiet time. Once as they were backing out of the driveway in route to a guy's weekend getaway, they spotted me shedding a few tears as I waved them goodbye. "Enjoy the quiet, mom!" Joey shouted from his open window. He knows me well.

What do you know about your mom? Does she love the outdoors? Enjoy a home-cooked meal? Seek thrill and adventure? Give it some thought. And try to translate it into a whopper of a gift -- like a home-made gift certificate for an afternoon hike -- with you. Or a feast made by your own two hands with only the healthiest of ingredients. Or a zip-line excursion at a local ropes course location.

It really is the thought that counts. So start thinking now. And make your gift one that really matters.

Moms who followed a "hearty" diet prior to conception are more likely to give birth to boys, according to a recent study. We touched on this here at That's Fit yesterday, but I thought I would go into some of the details I discovered.

The study found that, out of a group of women who followed a high energy diet (which generally included a daily bowl of breakfast cereal) around the time of conception, 56% had sons. Out of the group that took in fewer calories, including moms who skipped breakfast, only 45% had sons. The women in the first group not only consumed more calories, but but took in a large variety of nutrients.

Not everybody is sold on this theory, but there are some valid points to back up the findings.

If you had what you considered to be a pretty perfect body, would you -- or do you -- flaunt it, show it off, maybe even allow it to be photographed for all to see? David Beckham would. And he did, when he posed in his underwear for Emporio Armani billboards in December.

People everywhere cheered upon seeing Beckham's bod. But not mom.

"When the photos came out, she was the first one to call me and say, 'What are you doing?'" say's the 32-year-old. "I had to try and explain it to her and it didn't go down that well."

So would you do it? Would your mom approve?

I don't have many excuses to miss a workout -- I set my own daily schedule, I don't have children (only dogs), and I live in a warm climate (a Scrubs marathon on TV isn't a real excuse). I honestly can't imagine how hard it must be for new moms learning to schedule their time with babies and naps and feedings.

But, mamas with small children do get one advantage (sort of) -- they get to run with a stroller, which provides a much more intense workout that running without one. And, doing so doesn't give you bad form as was previously believed. Sheryl Crow is taking advantage, and why not? It allows her to get outside, get some great exercise, and she's spending time with her son.

If you're not sure how to start working out with a stroller, you might want to see if there is a Stroller Fit Class available near you. Also, check out the gallery below for the top user-rated jogging strollers from joggingstroller.com.

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. Dear Fitz. My high school offers very few sports, but I'd like to play something. I'd like to try out for football, but my old-fashioned mother thinks that will make me a "tomboy". What do you think? Katie

A. You've come to the right place Katie! I happen to have embedded myself in the traditionally male sport of full-contact kickboxing, and you know what? It made me a better woman! Sports are sports. Whether you play with a ball, racket, gloves or sneakers...sports are just a more fun way to exercise and flex your competitive muscles. Period.

I loved getting in the ring to try and knock an opponent out. I loved the strategy, speed, and power of the event. Fighting, in fact, is one of my favorite things to do. Some of the girls I've competed against thought they had to take on some sort of macho persona. Short hair, yucky jeans, and mean snarls. I, on the other hand, preferred to act like a monster in the ring and show up to the after-party like a lady in a pretty dress and heels. Embracing my athleticism, strength and courage has allowed me to appreciate how wonderful it is to be a woman. A strong, athletic, educated woman who loves to have the doors held for her.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Renel Gerwig

Age: 47

Occupation: RN. Currently an at home mom of three boys; 14years, 10 years, and 9 years.

How often do you exercise? Four to five days a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Cardio, weight training, and Martial arts (Choi Kwang Do).

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? A mental picture of how good the Desperate House Wives look at their ages, and how good it will keep me looking.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Heather Schott

Age: 35

Occupation: Stay at home Mother of two. My 11 yr old is home schooled and I have a 3 1/2 year old that I chase around all day.

How often do you exercise? Five times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? I run, lift weights, and occasionally do yoga.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? I have downloaded photos of people's body parts I covet. I look at those when I need a swift kick in the pants, or I visit a bodybuilding website to get motivated.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Dawn-Elise Snipes

Age: 36

Occupation: CEO of AllCEUs.com, and the Descartes Academy K-8 online umbrella school

How often do you exercise? Daily

What type of exercise do you do? Spin, stadiums, jogging, hiking, and ballet.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Carla Birnberg

Age: 38 - age in head..20

Occupation: Full time writer, and full time toddler chaser.

How often do you exercise? Daily. Be it lifting weights or going down the slides with my tornado.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Cindy Wooldridge

Age: 38

Occupation: Stay at home Mommy of three!

How often do you exercise? About five times per week.

What type of exercise do you do? Running, yoga, Pilate's, jumping rope, lifting weights, hiking, swimming when weather permits, and step aerobics. Mixing it up keeps me interested!

Just wanted to wish all of my American fitness friends a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Hopefully all of your meals are both healthy and tasty. My mother is cooking for thirty five of us, and I can't wait until 4:00pm today when the food gets placed on the table. After playing football and soccer for hours, we'll have two twenty-five pound turkeys, giant bowls of stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes (made with skim milk and NO butter), asparagus, rolls, and a massive pot of black beans and rice contributed by my Cuban sister-in-law, Sandy. Hooray! I've already run three miles this morning, so I've got my day kicked off right. Maybe you can go do some sweating too!

The other thing I wish you all is a pleasant and drama-free experience with your friends and families. Holidays are not only fun, they're often stressful. So try to keep things bright, light, and pleasant.

Today I'm not only thankful for my close friends and family. I'm thankful to be able to work for millions and millions of folks like you who genuinely care about yourselves and are constantly working to improve. I'm grateful to be able to contribute in any way to your longer, fitter life.

It's amazing to most of us that there is a woman alive today that has given birth to 17 children, but an Arkansas mom has been there. Again. And, again.

From a few cases of umbilical hernia to swollen breasts on some of her boys, Michelle Duggar has seen it all. In other words, the panic that grips some new parents over things that appear wrong (but are normal) can be stressors initially, but my guess is that Duggar has seen most of them.

From baby acne to enlarged breasts (due to hormonal exposure for nine months), some things are perfectly normal with many babies. The key is to make sure of this normalcy with your physician so that worrying can go away.

Jennie Garth, formerly known as Kelly Taylor on FOX's 90210 and current contestant on ABCs Dancing with the Stars, has whipped her body into tip-top shape with all her recent fancy footwork.

"I've lost weight and I'm looking great," she says.

She may not keep her slimmed-down figure for long, though, because she's pretty sure she'll have another baby.

Garth, wife of actor Peter Facinelli and mom to three young daughters, says she secretly looks forward to being pregnant again. Why? "So that she could eat and have ice cream," says her hubby.

Before she focuses on family, Garth, 35, must first finish her ballroom competition. It's down to five dancing couples. Could Garth win it all?

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've just begun jogging as a part of my fitness routine. I've traditionally walked a lot and jumped rope. My husband, Aaron, is trying to convince me to run a 5K race with him within the next few weeks. I don't think I can run it all! Do you have any expert advice that will help me get out of it? Thanks. Amy

A. No can do, Amy! I suggest you sign up to complete that race and get the fancy t-shirt that goes with it as soon as possible. Nothing motivates like an upcoming athletic event. Look at it this way. You are a new runner, and that's fine! In fact, it's terrific. We already know you wouldn't be racing to win, right? You'd just be going out to get some exercise and probably support some charitable cause. That alone makes you a winner. Jog as much as you can, and fill in the spots when you get tired with all of that walking you've been doing.

Trust me. I've participated in a bunch of 5K races, and haven't won one. I didn't care, nor did anyone else around me. It's a ton of fun to lace up your kicks and get moving with hundreds or thousands of others. I bet you'll enjoy it so much that you start looking for another race as soon as you're done. Thank your husband for the invitation and the motivation. Then let him know that you're eager to cover the distance at a pace that feels good to you. If he moves faster, he can wait at the finish line with a kiss for you as you cross it. Have fun and let me know how it goes! Fitz

Q. Miss Fitz. I was startled to read that the woman who won the New York Marathon had a nine month old baby. Isn't that really unhealthy? I was shocked! Mark.