That's Fit

Break out those high heels. A recent study from the University of Verona in Italy reports that women whose feet are elevated at a 15-degree angle (that's about a three-inch heel) have more relaxed pelvic muscles than women who wear flats. The more relaxed these pelvic muscle are, the more they can contract and heighten your sexual experience.

Heels may not be your best bet for healthy feet -- but for a healthy sex life, they may be just the ticket. For 20 great tips for wearing and walking in high heel shoes, take a peek at this site. Per reader suggestion, here are some tips for avoiding the pain high heels can cause. And by all means, don't risk life and limb just to sport a pair of pumps in the name of good sex.

Thanks, Family Circle, for the sexy tip.

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 have a small kidney-shaped pool in my back yard. My preteen kids will be in it all summer and I'd like to kill two birds with one stone by spending time with them and getting in some exercise. What things do you recommend I do for a workout in a small pool? Andrea

A. Hello Miss Andrea. Thanks for the fantastic question. I love questions that pertain to a lot of people, and this one certainly does. I imagine there will be tons of moms and dads in pools over the next few months, trying to make the most out of their outdoor time. Here's the best news. Playing with your children and doing all of the things they do will prove to be a tremendous workout in itself. Kids are cuckoo in the water, and that requires lots of energy. So, at minimum, you could just play copycat.

You really can't have a well-rounded fitness plan without including at least some strength training and although in and of itself it's a pretty simple concept, there are an amazing number of misconceptions out there regarding how to do things and what is and what isn't effective in building and maintaining muscle. Alive.com is looking to help us all clear up some of those misconceptions, though, with their list of the 7 biggest muscle myths.

I always understood the underlying message behind the saying "You are what you eat," but the literalist in me always took umbrage with such a preposterous claim (are you telling me that I'm a carrot?). But, the one instance when this saying can taken both figuratively and literally is when talking about water.

Our bodies are about 60 percent water. This means that, at least in this specific case, we truly are what we eat. With this being the case, then, why do we constantly deprive ourselves of an adequate amount of this resource?

Constant and/or prolonged dehydration can result in a host of health issues, and in some cases death. But research shows that even mild dehydration can affect your health, as well as your performance in the gym. Scientists from the American College of Sports Medicine found that dehydration causes a decline in strength to occur in smaller muscle groups (such as your biceps and triceps, as opposed to such larger muscle groups as your legs, chest, or back).

The 8 glasses of day myth may have recently been debunked, but it's no less important to consume enough water every day. The answer to the question I'm sure you now have is to divide your weight in kilograms by 30.

Stand up straight! No, that's not my impression of a military drill sergeant or a parochial school nun; rather, it's sound advice that can benefit your overall health.

Poor posture can, over time, can cause increased wearing of the joint surfaces, something that can potentially lead to arthritis. What's more, in cases where a person's posture is extremely poor, an actual change to the anatomical characteristics of the spine can occur. This, in turn, can wreak havoc on your muscles and nerves, as well as your lifestyle.

Does this mean that you should resort to walking around with a book on top of your head? Not unless you're the type who likes to get strange looks from people. Otherwise, being aware of how you are standing and sitting should be enough of a reminder to keep your back from rounding too much.

According to this website, proper posture includes:

• Keeping your head directly over your shoulders;
• Your shoulders should be directly over your pelvis;
• Tighten the core abdominal muscles;
• Tuck in the buttocks; and,
• Place the feet slightly apart with a slight bend at the knees

Stretching is an important part of any exercise routine. It develops your flexibility -- increasing your range of motion. Stretching will ultimately improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury from exercise.

Stretching a "cold" muscle, however, can be counterproductive. Cold muscles are tight and stretching them in this state can actually cause injury. It's best to warm up with gentle activity for 5-10 minutes before stretching. This minimizes the chance of injury while stretching and ensures that you'll get the most benefit from your flexibility exercises.

I got quite the shock when I went to see my optometrist five years ago, only to have him tell me that my vision had deteriorated signifcantly and I needed glasses. I found out I was quite near-sighted, despite having near-perfect vision a few years earlier. I racked my brain to figure out what I had done wrong, and it all came down to one thing: My job. That was around the time I started to work in an office environment, slaving over a computer day in and day out. Nearsightedness is rarely caused by genetics--more often, it is caused by strain to your nearpoint vision. And the top source of that kind of strain? You guessed it--the computer.

So my advice? Give your eyes a break. Finish this article, then turn off the computer and let your eyes relax. Men's Health also has this suggestion: Close your eyes, tense all the muscle in your body and and release all at once with an exhale. Do this a few times a day, and you'll find your whole body will be less tense, including your eyes.

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, I want to take one of the BOSU classes at my gym, but I've never done it before and I'll feel like a total dork if I bust my butt on one of those things. Plus I'm a guy. Mostly girls take those classes. Should I bother? Eric.

A. Ahhh! Eric, you are too cute. First of all. The BOSU is a balance tool and is designed to make people wobbly. Until that is, they earn the strength and control to not only stand on top of it, but do some tricks too. Second. You can stand in the back of the classroom if you don't want to be a spectacle. Third. Most people in a BOSU class are too concerned with their own balance to have the time and ability to look at what anyone else is doing.

Even though tons of studies have been done on pre-run stretching, results continue to be inconclusive. Does stretching first increase or decrease your risk of injury? What if you don't stretch first? Depending on which expert you ask, you're likely to get a different answer.

USA Track and Field is conducting a very comprehensive stretch study that they hope will give the running world a definitive answer. Participation is open to anyone who is:

• 13 years old or older
• injury free for at least six weeks prior to start
• running at least 10 miles a week
• able to continue running for at least three months (the duration of the study)
• willing to commit to either stretching or not stretching, depending on which they are randomly assigned.

If you're interested in participating, you can click here to get started. And, rest assured, when the results come back, I'll let you know!

Ever been rendered immobile during an exercise because of a burning, stinging pain? If you're an endurance athlete or have practiced it in the past, you're probably no stranger to at least one of these throbbing sensations. What's interesting though is that everyone seems to have an opinion about how to fix the common cramp.

We've all heard the solutions: it's water, or bananas with potassium, or perhaps stretching. How about massaging the muscle? Maybe vitamins? Who knows... scientists don't pretend to! In fact, a muscle researcher out of Columbia University freely admits that muscle cramping is still open for investigation.

He concedes that there are no definitive explanations about why cramps suddenly bite at the worst moments during athletic performance. The most popular theories point to dehydration and lack of electrolytes as being common causes. But different methods work better for different people. One medical professional says rubbing down the calf works best for his own treatment. Everyone seems to have an answer: How do you deal with a cramp?

If you can, imagine a hot needle going into a sore muscle that's been damaged by athletic stress. Hippocrates used this procedure to treat shoulder pain of discus athletes in the fifth century; it's called prolotherapy. Today, the idea is the same but the methods are slightly different.

Prolotherapy is controversial because modern doctors use needles to inject a sugar solution into damaged muscles. This causes inflammation, much like you'd expect. However, that's exactly its purpose: the body's response to this irritation is to send nutrients to the spot of pain as fast as possible. This literally causes scarring to the already pained muscles and ligaments.

But wait, isn't scarring a bad thing? Not in this case. The scarring causes the body to repair the muscle by laying down new tissue. This procedure theoretically fixes the problem and the pain. But not everyone is convinced. Prolotherapy is still up in the air because not all research backs its effectiveness. You'd think that if the Father of Modern Medicine endorsed it, other practitioners would too! It is, after all, a natural response and healing process -- but hopefully they'll come up with a solid verdict that everyone can agree on.

Admit it -- we all know one or two kids that seem to play video games hour after hour without pause. While these kids (mostly boys, from my experience) can become coordinated while playing games more than some acrobats, one thing they're not getting is muscle movement. Well, unless they are playing a Wii.

While the Nintendo Wii continues to receive accolades for getting gamers (and the "rest" of us) off our butts to actually become active in gameplay, many are complaining that sudden use of previously-unused muscle groups are causing pain. The same thing happens if you spend a few months being sedentary and then burn up the tennis court one weekend. Been there, done that.

But the reverse is also true -- for those playing on non-active gaming consoles like the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360 -- muscle non-use can lead to pain once physical activity is required. In many cases, kids going to PE each day will receive a decent workout, but for those others, they need to see some kind of physical activity regularly. That, or those thumbs will be the strongest muscles on those gamer's bodies.

If getting into better shape is paramount for you this year, I have some good news: It's not as hard as it may seem. Well, I take that back -- it is hard. Very hard, in fact. It requires a great deal of effort, time, and commitment. But, the part that isn't as hard as you may think is figuring out how to actually go about doing it.

Here are five fairly simple workout tips that will help you make 2008 your best year yet.

5. Set short-term goals. While it's great that you've already made the conscious decision to become fit, it's equally as important that you set your sights on a more proximate goal. Is there a dress you want to fit into by March? Do you want to be able to run 3 miles by the end of February? Would you like to lose 4 pounds by the end of next week? By having realistic short-term goals set, you will be motivated by a continuous sense of accomplishment once you achieve them.

4. Use resistance training. Men, women, teens, and older adults can all benefit greatly from workouts involving either free weights and/ or resistance bands and machines. Throw away the misinformation of ten years ago -- resistance training will NOT make you big and bulky (unless it is your goal to look that way, in which case it can). Not only will you burn more calories than just doing cardio by itself, but you will also increase muscle and bone strength.

3. Mix things up. Try to change your workout about every 4 to 6 weeks to avoid reaching a results plateau. Bear in mind that change can be as drastic as performing an entirely different workout, or it can come in the form of something far more simple, such as reducing rest time in between resistance training sets or increasing the speed on the treadmill. As a general rule, though, the more experienced exerciser you are, the more necessary it becomes for the changes you make to be greater.

2. Target major muscles. Don't squander your valuable workout time by isolating single muscles. Rather than performing bicep curls or triceps press downs, focus your attention on moves that target multiple muscles at once. Pull-ups, bench press, squats, deadlifts, and the clean-and-press are exercises are all examples of such exercises. Leave the isolation exercises to folks that have been training for several years and wish to put some finishing touches on their physiques.

1. Stay focused. Remember, when you're working out (especially when you're at the gym), it's not time to socialize. You cannot keep your goals in sight when they are out of focus, which is why you would do well to steer clear of unnecessary banter until your workout is done. Keep your mind on your muscles; visualize them actually working as you perform each exercise. This mind-muscle connection is crucial to achieving maximum results in the shortest amount of time.

These five tips should get you on track, but it's up to you make sure that you don't become derailed. Best of luck in making 2008 your best year ever!!

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is 110 pounds lighter than he once was. The 50-year-old presidential candidate shed so much weight that he reversed diabetes and heart disease and has become one of the most vocal advocates for the fitness movement.

Tipping the scales at 300 pounds a few years ago, Huckabee couldn't even lace his sneakers. Now, he's running marathons.

On finding time to exercise during his hectic schedule, Huckabee says, "I don't find the time. I make it."

And there you have it. Huckabee makes a conscious and deliberate effort to stay fit. That's what it takes. It doesn't take a gym, he says. Just look around your living room and work space and find ways to move more. Lean against a wall and do wall push-ups, for example. You'll strengthen your your chest, shoulders, triceps, and biceps with this one exercise.

Fitness is a win-win scenario, says Huckabee. You'll power your metabolism with trained muscles. You'll shed fat faster and keep it off. You'll achieve strength and energy. And you'll be more likely to survive and enjoy each day of your life. What a pay-off.

I am sore. I train hard, I play hard, and I am sore. But, I just treated myself to something I think will allow me to be less sore in the future. An iNeed shiatsu massager pillow from Brookstone. Mmmmm. It makes me so happy. If you're unfamiliar with this thing, it's a pillow you attach to a chair and lean back on. Then these thumb-like knobby things move around and massage the sore parts on your back and neck.

In fact, right now as I'm writing this I have that weird look of ecstasy on my face. I'm using my shiatsu pillow. Usually folks come to me on advice on how to become more sore. Training equipment, strategies, etc. Today you get the opposite. My $59 pillow of pleasure from Brookstone will satisfy my aching back for much longer than any single massage at a spa. (Although I love those too).