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! My 12-year-old daughter has started getting into fitness, all on her own motivation. She's always been on the thin side, and is certainly a healthy weight...and a fairly healthy eater. She said she wants to work out to build muscle and put on a few pounds (certainly not what you usually hear from girls at that age group). I want to support her, but I also want to be sure she is doing things in a healthy age-appropriate way.

She lives with her dad and we live in different states, which certainly makes matters more complicated. If she lived with me we could figure out ways to exercise together. Her dad and his girlfriend are both overweight with unhealthy habits. Any suggestions on how to get started? And is there anything she shouldn't be doing yet or things I should look out for? Thanks, Judy

Hello Miss Judy. You ask a great question and are smart to be both excited and leery of the situation. A child of 12 eager to pursue true fitness is an absolute gift. It is also a perfect point for that child's parent to stop and evaluate the situation, to make sure it's addressed correctly.

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I love technology -- when it works in my favor. Give me a locked up computer or an automated telephone voice recording that buries me deep in unwanted options and I get pretty frustrated. When technology makes my life easier, though -- like when it allowed me to print my airline boarding pass at home so I could avoid long airport lines this past weekend -- I'm all for it. I'm also a fan of the health-related information that popped up on my computer screen while printing that glorious boarding pass.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was the topic listed in bold print at the bottom of my pass. A blood clot condition caused by prolonged sitting and occurring primarily in the lower legs, DVT has become an issue of concern for travelers packed like sardines on airplanes. Jammed tight with other passengers with barely enough leg room to wiggle a foot and with luggage, food, and beverage carts blocking the aisles, it's critical we find a way to move around. If we don't, we risk the formation of a blood clot that can break away and become a pulmonary embolism.

For a mini education on the DVT topic, check out this website. And take a look at a few of our previous That's Fit posts that address this scary health issue.

Top 6 hospital risks
Take a walk, pal
Taking a long flight this Christmas? Stretch your legs
Some tips for avoiding blood clots
Stand up and stretch -- it's good for the veins

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Mountain hiking plans in your future? Something to be careful of is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), otherwise known as altitude sickness. Traveling too high too fast can actually kill you, in rare cases, and more commonly will just make you sick. 20% of people will notice symptoms when hiking in the 6,300-9,700ft range, and above 14,000 most people experience at least minor signs.

AMS is caused by a combination of the lower air pressure and oxygen levels at higher altitudes and can be characterized by fluid collecting around the lungs and the brain. Symptoms often include headache, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and dizziness. AMS is best treated by descending to a lower altitude and administering oxygen, and even better yet preventing it from happening altogether by climbing slowly and stopping at the first signs of illness.

Hiking is a great way to get outdoors and get fit, but make sure you're educated on the risks and take care of yourself!

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Although pleurisy is most commonly caused by viral infections, other underlying diseases can cause it such as pneumonia and tuberculosis, and other diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, liver and kidney disease, heart failure and pulmonary embolism. Other causes include chest injuries and drug reactions.

Pleurisy, also called pleuritis, is an inflammation of the pleura, which is the moist, double layered membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the rib cage. The condition can make breathing extremely painful, and sometimes it is associated with another condition called pleural effusion where excess fluid fills the area between the membrane's layers.

The pain of pleurisy is usually treated with analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and indomethacin. Pleurisy from a bacterial infection can be successfully treated with antibiotics, while no treatment is given for viral infections that must run their course. Alternative treatments can be used to help heal pleurisy. Acupuncture and botanical medicines are alternative approaches for relieving pain and breathing problems. An herbal remedy commonly recommended is Asclepias tuberosa otherwise known as pleurisy root. It got that name by early American settlers who learned of this medicinal plant from Native Americans. Pleurisy root helps to ease pain, inflammation, and breathing difficulties brought on by pleurisy.

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Obviously, air pollution is bad for everyone's health. That's the very definition of pollution. But a recent, very large, study of over 65,000 people shows that air pollution is much, much more dangerous than previously believed. This study, which is bigger and more detailed than previous research, looked primarily at women's health and found the risk of pulmonary and heart related problems to be almost directly proportionate to the pollution levels in different neighborhoods. Armed with this latest information, experts are pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to lower it's annual standard for the "fine particulates" that are used to measure air pollution levels.

Maybe I'm just really ignorant about pollution, but I've always thought it was made up of mostly microscopic particles. This article says that it would take only 30 of these particulates to equal the thickness of a human hair...that is scary big!

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