Here at That's Fit, we're constantly telling you what we think about things, but sometimes it's nice to know what you think. So from time to time, we'll ask you a question. Don't be afraid to speak up -- we love feedback.

It's Veterans Day in the US, Remebrance Day in Canada and a day synonomous with peace the world over. Having been raised in a military family, this day is one of the most important to me. It's a day when I reflect on the cost of freedom and how fortunate I am. It's also a day that reminds me that I can't take anything for granted.

And I don't know about you, but when I'm reminded of how lucky I am, it motivates me to exercise. When I'm running, I feel alive, powerful and free. So after observing a moment of silence at 11 AM, you know where you'll find me: On the treadmill.

What about you?

I'm a bit of a sucker for memoirs. I even read A Million Little Pieces after James Frey was deemed a fraud. (He's still working, by the way. No such thing as bad press, right?) I just finished The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan.

Jacki Donaldson read and posted about the book a while back. But I read it after a new friend of mine recommended it. She recently went through the excruciating experience of losing her mother to ALS while living an airplane ride apart. I am currently going through the same thing.

The Middle Place instead involves dealing with cancer, but the themes involving parent-child relationships, distance, disease, and faith are the same. Kelly, who survived her cancer, struggles with all of it, but particularly faith. She is baffled by the Buddhist truth of detachment, "even to people." She still struggles with faith to this day, several years later. I struggle with it a bit as well and I suspect all of us do to some degree. It's the very nature of faith, after all. It's transparent, intangible.

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

A few years ago, I was in a grief support group for people who'd lost their parents. The discussion naturally weaved in and out of the topics of spirituality and religion. My father's religion was running, said one girl. His church was the outdoors: a wooded path on a cool morning, a open field bathed in warm sunlight. I've never forgotten it.

I'm a spiritual person, but organized religion hasn't taken a big role in my life. This is a religion I can see myself being a part of. Running is the cure for what ails me: A heavy heart, a nagging conscience, a gut feeling that doesn't sit well. When I have a problem I can't figure out, I run. When something's stressing me out, I run. When I feel tired or lethargic, I run. And it's never let me down: I always feel better afterwards. No exceptions. It's not that I've found God in pounding my feet on the treadmill, but it helps me find balance, and it helps me find peace.

What activity helps you find your spiritual side?

Yesterday, I published a post citing the fact that 95 percent of those who successfully lose weight somehow go on to regain the unwanted pounds within a few years. Now I've happened upon this statistic: 50 percent of people who start an exercise program quit within the first three to six months.

Hey, it happens. I know. In my combined 37 years on this planet, I've cycled in and out of exercise programs more times than I care to count. And while I seem to be doing OK right now -- I do something fitness-related every day -- there's just no telling what might throw me off my course. That's why I always try to remember why I exercise.

I exercise for energy -- even when I'm tired, I force myself to do something. Inevitably, I feel recharged when I'm done. I exercise for strength -- I want strong bones, strong muscles, arms powerful enough to hoist my littlest growing boy into the air on occasion. I exercise for a lean body -- I've seen results, and I don't want to lose them. I exercise for a healthier heart -- my low resting heart rate always tips off my doctors that I'm challenging myself aerobically. I exercise for peace of mind -- I need to escape the madness of my family unit now and then, and I always feel invigorated when I return home. I exercise to boost my mood, ease my worries, diminish my stress, refocus my thoughts, recharge my spirit, and perhaps most important: To keep breast cancer from paying me a return visit. Recent research links five weekly hours of strenuous exercise to a pretty significant cut in breast cancer risk. That's reason enough for me to keep huffing and puffing.

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In this busy world of ours, it's sometimes hard to calm your mind, to just let go after a long day at the office, running errands, or chasing kids. How do you find peace of mind when you're stressed out? Fit Sugar suggests getting yourself some Zen Sticks. It's simply a stick, made out of fine wood, and it forces you to free your mind by making you concentrate on the stick alone.

Try this: When you're close to reaching the end of your rope, close your eyes and toss the stick in the air--not too high--and catch it. It's really hard to think about bills and housework and deadlines when your so focused on catching the stick. That's the key--and a number of celebrities agree that it's a great way to calm your mind in a hurry.

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Stress is an extremely subjective term, and an extremely subjective feeling. It doesn't mean the same thing to different people, as everybody reacts to life in their own way. So since there's no across the board "cure," the best tool you have for dealing with stress is learning how to relax, for yourself, and the faster you can do that the better.

Try these 3 simple steps the next time you feel the tension creeping up:

• Don't just "do something relaxing" like watching TV or listening to music (although these may help also) -- make a conscious effort to calm down.
• Exercise. Not only will this relax you, but it will relieve guilt from not working out, and relieving guilt is the same as relieving stress.
• Have fun. Do something you enjoy, everyday. Happiness and fun are natural relaxers -- use them!

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