You may be first in class in cardio and weights, but what about agility? Training for the Turkey Trot, hanging out with an elliptical, and lifting yourself silly will definitely build your body, but you need to transfer these heart and muscle gains to the specific movements inherent in outdoor sports you do love -- snow skiing, tennis or even chasing the dog.

If you don't break up your love affair with forward-plane cardio and the same lifting regime, you're just another weekend-jock trading former excellence for a sub-par performance. You're also at greater risk for injury when the annual ski trip comes round.

Outside Magazine's "Four Steps to Peak Agility" re-focuses your fitness on two critical, but oft-forgotten skills -- agility and coordination. First, you must be willing to move laterally. Then prepare your knees, before mixing in agility exercises. Finally, learn how to get your mind and body working together so when you lose your weekend warrior balance, and you will, the body will respond in agile kind instead of tearing in two.

If you've ever enjoyed a Cirque du Soleil performance, you'll no doubt agree that the performers in these shows have some of the best bodies in entertainment. They're strong, lean, flexible and have almost magical powers when it comes to acrobatics. I recently went back stage to work with Olivier Renaud, an über fit acrobat from the cast of Saltimbanco, Cirque's traveling arena show. Here, Olivier shares his three favorite exercises, and they're all moves you can do at home. They target the upper body, abs and lower body and I'll admit that Olivier looks fabulous doing them!

Oliver's exercises offer a range of benefits, including strength, balance and proprioception. Proprioception is something you want to train for -- it's basically your body's ability to respond to its surroundings without you intentionally willing it to. For example, if your foot were to hit the edge of the sidewalk, your ankle would have two choices on how to respond. It could either roll out, causing you to tumble over and injure yourself. Or it could instantly retract and keep you up on your feet. This split-second response comes from your body's natural ability to do what is best for you. With a short response time, you wouldn't be able to think, "Gee, let me pull my foot in this other direction." It either happens or it doesn't. Super proprioception keeps you on your feet!

On another note, I took my family to see Saltimanco. This show offered one breathtaking performance after another. My husband and I gasped, and my children belly laughed. I'd see it 20 more times if I could. I think it inspired every one in the audience to hit the gym a bit more too.

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If you're training for a hiking or backpacking trip this summer, Backpacker Magazine suggests you wear your hiking boots to the gym for added realism, and try these three exercises to strengthen stability, agility and power relevant to the hiking motion:

Stability: Side-to-side leaps equalize musculature around the knee joint to lessen impact on the ligaments supporting your knee (e.g., over-developed quads can cause injury).

Agility: Hiking trails are littered with rocks, tree roots, holes, mud and the occasional slithering snake. Reduce your risk of an awkward-fall-with-backpack-on by rebuilding your reflexive reactions to trail obstacles. This proprioception drill will improve the sense of space and movement in your feet. I'm a big fan proprioception exercises -- from my ski-training experience, they work!

Power: A treadmill's maximum 15 degree angle will not get you prepared for a short, steep scramble or that grueling mountain pass where you're gaining 3,000 feet in elevation before lunch. This jump combo will power-up your torso and legs.

I'm currently training for a July backpacking trip (no kids!) in the Wind River Range. I will add these exercises to my gym routine -- just not sure if I'll wear those clunky hiking boots.

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Ski preseason is here and it's time to hit training camp. Not only will you have a better chance of avoiding injury, you'll also lessen the overwhelming muscle soreness after your first day of skiing. But don't let these primer exercises keep you from slipping into that well-deserved hot tub after a day on the slopes!

Here are a few of Stone Clinic's ten tips to prime you for ski season:

• Single leg, one-third knee bends address strength. Stand on one leg with knee slightly bent and a chair on the opposite side for support, then go down and up on the single leg. Try for a smooth motion with no pause on the way up or down. The slightly bent knee should go to about 80 degrees of knee bend -- perform until fatigued, working up to 2 minutes per leg.
• Walk backwards uphill or upstairs in a semi-squat position. This one sounds really difficult, I'm going to try it on our local sledding hill which stands at about 45 degrees.
• Good for improving power, plyometrics are exercises that put a muscle in a stretched state, followed with an explosive move to contract/shorten the very same muscle. Stand on a curb or a step with your side to the sidewalk and jump down off the curb and quickly back up in sets of 10-30 seconds each.
• Stone Clinic recommends balance and proprioception exercises at the end of your workout, as good balance is especially necessary when you're fatigued on that last ski run and most prone to injury. Try standing on one slightly bent leg, hold arms tight against your sides and balance on the leg for 10-30 seconds, drop a little lower and hold for 10-30 more seconds. Repeat the sequence 3-4 times across different bent knee positions. Standing on an uneven surface (couch pillow, or those squishy semi-circles at the gym) or performing with your eyes closed will increase the challenge.

My husband's high school ski team used to start dry land training six weeks before they'd ever ski on snow. We're hitting the slopes in late December ... I will definitely be folding these exercises into my workout. I can already feel the burn.

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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.Hey Fitz. I'm trying hard to lose some weight, but I go out with my work friends and it's difficult for me to pass on the chicken wings (which I love) when my friends order them all the time. Help! Max

A. Max, chicken wings sure are tasty. There are a few ways to look at this situation, and you can choose the outlook that works best for you. First of all, restricting anything 100% is rarely a great idea. Why? It leaves you feeling deprived, which often leads to major revolts. If you're in love with chicken wings, have a few. Just make sure 90% of the rest of the food you consume throughout the week is of high quality and low in calories and you'll see progress.

You can also create a healthier wing ding. It's the wing sauce you love right? Most folks don't truly crave the task of chewing teeny bits of meat out of teeny little bones. That's not the desired bit. It's the sauce. So to create a healthier option that will satisfy your craving, order a grilled chicken breast and then just dip it in some wing sauce. You'll save tons of calories and fat, as wings are usually deep-fried.

The other thing to consider is that chicken wings aren't going away. If you want to avoid them completely for now, have faith that when you reach your ideal weight you will be able to enjoy a chicken wing again. They're always going to make more. Good luck Max. Be particular about what you put in your mouth, exercise often and you'll get where you want to go. Fitz

Q. Fitz. I'd like to help my 67 year old mother stay strong. Where should I start? Shes obviously not super old...but she's not incredibly fit and I think her age adds an element of concern. Where should I focus? Milena

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