That's Fit

I wasn't sporty as a kid, but one sport I did love was roller skating. The local roller rink had flashy lights, bumpin' tunes and plenty of cute boys to satisfy my tastes. Plus skating was genuinely fun, unlike the prospect of being ridiculed at school for missing the pass on the soccer field.

It's been years since my days on the roller rink, and the strobe lights, 80s dance music and floppy-haired skater punks that originally drew me there have lost their appeal. But the act of actually skating hasn't. It's still fun, and it's still fitness. And while I may take longer to recover from a fall than I would've in my youth, I haven't lost my skills or my ability to have fun in a pair of skates.

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

I just got done chatting with myself....I think. No, it probably wasn't me. The person on the other end of my conversation is world famous and has a couple of of Olympic medals. Nope...it couldn't have been me. But! The other person sounded like me. I asked her questions about health and fitness, and she spat out the same stuff I've spent my professional life teaching. This person raved about the benefits of produce, lean meats and frequent challenging exercise. Yes. It could've been a brilliant fitness expert I was conversing with, but it wasn't. It was champion ice skater and Olympic Sliver Medalist, Sasha Cohen.

I chose Sasha to interview, because of her elite success in athletics. She's also touring with Smucker's Stars on Ice and puts on one heck of a show. She's one of the strongest, most flexible and entertaining athletes on earth. Beyond that...she turned out to be one of the best people I've ever talked fitness with. The girl gets it. I mean, she really gets it! She's a chic who seeks out highly nutritious, low fat, high fiber foods whenever she picks up a fork. She also pursues a well-rounded workout routine outside of skating. I loved what she had to say. I want you to pay close attention as well. She's physically small, but not just because of good genes. She works at it, and I believe she'll always be fit. It's a lifestyle for her, and that's what it should be for you.

Fitz: You're a brilliant skater and make a tremendously difficult sport look effortless. Do you remember when skating was hard?

Sasha: Oh Gosh! Skating is always hard. Sometimes it's a challenge to simply put one foot in front of the other. Every day requires effort just to get through it.

Think about it: Why were you so much fitter when you were in high school? Is it because your metabolism was faster? Possibly, but chances are you were also a lot more active. It's not necessarily your fault -- being young involved more than just sitting at a desk all day. Whether it was gym class, walks to the store, riding your bike to your friend's house, chasing the girls (or boys) down the hall or fights with your siblings, you were active so much more. Now you have to make time for such things, unless you work in an office where chasing co-workers down the hall is appropriate (I doubt it) or you still wrestle your little brother for the remote (I hope not). I for one would love to spend less time under the fluorescent lights of the gym and more time engaged in the carefree activity of a teenager. Here are some ways I, and you, can channel our younger selves and get back into that way of life that we miss so much.

I have always wanted to learn to inline skate because it's such good exercise, and a really fun way to spend time outdoors on your own or with friends. It seems I may just get my chance to learn finally this year, because May 12th 2007 is "Free Skate Lesson Day." Freeskatelesson.com is a coalition of skating schools who get together once a year to offer free skating lessons across the country to help introduce people to the sport. No experience is necessary to take a lesson, and if you can't make on May 12th they'll give a two-for-one coupon for a participating school near you.

I counted 18 participating skate schools in different states across the country, but unfortunately it doesn't look like there's one near enough to me. Guess I'm on my own!

When I was little, I skated like a little demon -- going as fast as my feet would take me, weaving in and out of people while chasing my little brother. I tried it last year for the first time in about 15 years and thought it would be like riding a bike -- I would pick it up again with ease. I was wrong. Maybe it's because these days I am afraid of the pain that falling will inevitably bring. Or maybe it's because skating is hard work.

You might be thinking, pfffffft. Skating is easy peasy. Hardly a workout at all. You'd be wrong though. Skating is a great aerobic workout, especially when you get to the point that you can go fast and don't spend the entire time desperately holding onto your spouse for support. Leisurely skating burns about 350 calories an hour, and when you're having fun on the ice, an hour goes by pretty quickly. If you're skating vigorously, skating can burn a whopping 650 calories an hour.

What winter sports are you into? I used to be an avid skier but lack of time has taken its toll on that hobby. I ice skated when I was a kid but now am surprisingly wimpy once I get onto the ice. I've never snowshoed or cross-country skied, but I would like to, though if I can't get around to downhill skiing, I will probably not find the time for something new. So it seems like my favorite winter sport involves a fire, hot cocoa, a warm blanket and (hopefully) a foot rub. Yikes! No wonder I have trouble losing weight during this season.

Winter sports can burn a lot of calories, and it's they're a great way to fight the winter blues and get some much-needed fresh air. True, it can be cold, but you can change that by bundling up. So what are you waiting for? Get out and enjoy the snow.