Drive past any baseball field at this time of year and you're likely to see a team practicing or playing a game. And team sports aren't just for little kids. Joining a team -- whether it's baseball/softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball or any other sport -- is a great addition to your fitness routine. When your team is relying on you, you're more likely to stick with the activity. Plus, it's just plain, good fun. Do you play a team sport?


When you're playing a sport, do you count all the sports drink calories you consume? Last week, I asked you about liquid calories.

Maybe you're lucky enough to live where it's warm in February. Where I live, however, it feels like we're in the middle of a never-ending winter. I spent one day this past weekend at a sledding hill and plan to go back soon to try out the ice skating rinks and cross-country skiing trails. It's a pleasant change from my usual living-room based winter workout.

Whether you want to stay toasty indoors or you're ready to brave the cold, AOL Health has a list of fun winter workouts, including:

• Mall walking. Believe it or not, this can be a decent workout. Try circling the mall several times before slowing to a window-shopping pace. And be sure to check with your local mall; some have walking clubs and open the doors early for walkers.
• Dance. Whether you're just moving to some tunes in your living room, following a dance exercise DVD or hitting the club with some friends, dancing can be a great workout.
• Ski or snowboard. Both downhill and cross-country skiing are excellent sources of activity. And they're exhilarating, too!
  
• Snowshoe. It may look easy, but walking with snowshoes is an intense activity. Use poles for balance and cross over an open field or walk along a snow-covered path.

For more ideas, check out the full article on AOL Health.

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I don't know what it's like where you live, but outside my window there's very little green to be seen. Everything is covered in a thick and frosty layer of white. But just because you don't see much green, doesn't mean you can't go green when it comes to winter sports. As an added perk ... you'll end up with more green in your wallet.

• Rent. If you hit the ski hill only once or twice a year, you really don't need to own your equipment.
  
• Buy used. Ebay, used sporting goods stores, and sites likes Craig's List and Freecycle are great places to search for sports equipment. Keep your eye out for skis, snowboards, skates, hockey gear, and other winter treasures.
• Equipment swap. Many ski clubs hold equipment swaps where you can bring in your unused gear and look for something new (to you, anyway). If you have a child on a hockey league or other winter sport, consider setting up an equipment swap with other parents.

If you've got old equipment that's really not fit for use anymore, try to find a new purpose for it and keep it out of a landfill. I unloaded a ridiculously old set of skis on Freecycle last fall; the person who picked them up is going to attach them to the bottom of a large crate so he can easily tow his gear across the ice on his way to his ice-fishing shanty. You just never know what use people can get out of old items.

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From those of us with tiny mosquito bites to those of us who are more well-endowed, we're all looking for a good sports bra. Not only does it look bad if things are rocking and rolling upstairs, it's just plain uncomfortable and really detracts from your workout.

Here comes Fitness magazine to the rescue (like a knight in shining armor, but with bras instead of a sword). Check out this slideshow, featuring great sports bras picks for everyone, from the A cups all the way to the D-Plus cups.

No doubt about it: When you have the right fit, you'll be supported properly so you can focus on your workout.

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This morning, I encouraged you to start a new tradition with your family -- a healthy one. So instead of chugging egg nog and gossiping about Aunt Rita's new facelift, don your winter coat, hats, mittens and snow boots and head out to the great outdoors. Here are five activities you can do as a family:

• Go tobogganing. The going down part? Exhilarating. The going up part? Exhausting. You're sure to work off those extra calories you're planning on eating at Christmas dinner -- or perhaps you've already eaten them.
  
• Build a snowman. Extra points if you can make it look like someone famous. Though I'm thinking Amy Winehouse might not work, seeing as the hair is bigger than the body.
  
• Have a snowball fight. Play nice ... or not. It depends on your family dynamics, I guess.
  
• Make snow angels. Come on, when was the last time you did that?
• Play Wii. OK, the outdoors isn't for everyone. If the whole clan ishappier in front of the TV, so be it -- just make sure you're getting active at the same time.
  

Have a healthy family tradition of your own? Do share.

Safety helmets have become standard gear for biking. So much so that people don't think twice about putting them on. But many still go zooming down the side of a slippery mountain without the protection of a helmet. It's ridiculous if you think about it. Even more ridiculous when you consider that there were more than 26,000 head injuries from winter sports in 2007, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Keep safe while sporting in the snow by following these tips:

• Wear a helmet approved for your specific sport.
• Protect your eyes with goggles.
• Wear appropriate clothing.
• Use additional safety gear when it is available (e.g. hockey pads).
  
• Don't drink before skiing or snowboarding, and don't participate when you're not feeling well.
  
• Avoid hazardous conditions such as ice-coated sledding hills.
• Use approved areas for ice skating, skiing, snowmobiling and sledding.

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The days before Christmas are winding down. If you're in need of a quick gift, a DVD is a good choice. While a couple of hours plopped on the couch certainly doesn't do anything for fitness, many sports-themed movies have an inspiring message. So, when picking out a flick for your favorite movie buffs, why not choose one that motivates them to become more fit? Check out the gallery for some ideas.

In the current economic climate, almost every family is feeling the financial pinch. But just imagine how tight things must be when you have a family as big as the Duggar family of 17 Kids and Counting? From groceries to holiday spending, the Duggars have to be very frugal. They also have to be careful about spending when it comes to entertainment. According to Jim Bob, the Duggar family dad, one of their favorite activities is playing broomball at the local community center. After the initial investment of the gear, this is now a free activity the whole family can participate in ... plus, it's great exercise.

What is broomball you ask? That's the same question I had to ask when I first read the article. Broomball is somewhat similar to ice hockey, but the equipment is quite a bit different. Instead of a hockey stick, players use a "broom" -- a stick with a rubber-coated broom-shaped tip. Instead of a puck, players maneuver a blue or orange ball around the ice rink. And instead of skates, players wear special shoes with rubber soles.

I haven't played broomball, but it sounds like a lot of fun. Plus, if the Duggar's younger kids can manage it, it's obviously a great activity for the whole family.

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Do you spend your summer seeking outdoor adventures? Mountain biking on rugged trails or scaling the face of a rocky mountain? While opportunities for your favorite outdoor adventures may not be so numerous in winter, you can still get your adrenaline rush indoors.

Men's Health shares four amazing indoor adventure sports centers across the country. But you may be able to find something a little closer to home. For example, in my neck of the woods there's an awesome rock climbing wall at the community center, a rowing pool at a local rowing club, and an indoor skating/biking facility just a couple hours away.

And don't forget about all the incredible adventure sports -- such as snowboarding and skiing -- winter has to offer as well. AOL Health has 11 fun winter fitness activities to try.

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Pregnant women can't always do all of the exercises and sports they did before they became moms-to-be, but golf is not one of them. In fact, I've actually heard that a baby belly can help with form (I can't attest to that, not having had a baby and having pretty poor form no matter what).

The problem comes in when finding something to wear -- you don't want to dress sloppy out there on the course, but you need to be comfortable and able to move easily. And, just as important, you don't want to spend a fortune on something you'll only wear for a couple of months. What options do you have?

Van Linsey has a great solution, where mainstream meets maternity. The women in the picture above, a model and the line's designer, Vanessa Gobes, are wearing the same shirt in the same size. And Vanessa, who is pregnant in the picture (obviously), is wearing a pair of mainstream to maternity jersey pants, which have a comfy fold-down waistband, so they will fit nearly any size waistline.

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The resident athlete of the The Girls Next Door trio, Kendra Wilkinson, is engaged to Hank Baskett, wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. And guess who's going to give her away? None other than Hugh Hefner, of course. And the ceremony will be held at the Playboy Mansion.

Hank Baskett may be the pro athlete of the pair, but Kendra's no wimpy bunny. She's a fan of nearly every sport and is a solid soccer player. While Kendra has been seen running and working out on her TV show, she has a somewhat unusual choice for a favorite exercise. On her MySpace page she claims "You know I can shake what I got and I think it's the best exercise."

If shaking your (ahem) assets isn't quite your thing, you could take some more mainstream fitness tips from the The Girls Next Door workout video, which features Kendra as well as the other Girls Next Door, Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt. Jake Steinfeld of Body by Jake and other professional trainers served as consultants on the DVD so the ideas and techniques are effective and sound.

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In order to be a superb athlete, we all know you need to work your butt off and practice as much as possible. You might be surprised, though, to know that in order to become the best, you actually need to do the opposite -- relaxation is the key to breaking records, according to this article from the New York Times.

That's not to say you should take to the couch for a few years and expect to win a gold medal at the next Olympics. Nope, finding a balance between training as hard as you can while not stressing too much about your performance makes all the difference, according to experts. "It's the paradox of athletics," says Rick DeMont, coach at the University of Arizona and a former Olympian. "Tension is slow, tension is inefficient. You need to be relaxed."

Still, telling someone to relax is one thing. Actually being able to relax when hundreds, thousands, or millions of people are counting on your win is quite another. Your thoughts?

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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.

Pound for pound, Shawn Johnson would probably be the strongest member of the U.S. Army ... if she were in it. This petite 16 year old can do an insane amount of pull-ups on her first set alone, and has more drive than any NASCAR vehicle on the road. Wouldn't you love to have the strength, stamina and flexibility she's earned? Take some of the advice she gives here, and you may do just that. Just like the brilliant medals she won in Bejing this summer, Shawn's advice is golden!

Fitz: How many hours a week do you train before a competition?

Shawn: Before the Olympics I was training about 26 hours in the gym a week and up to five hours out of the gym running and swimming... doing anything extra I could.

Fitz: Your upper-body strength is amazing. How many pushups and pullups can you do?

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Martha recently posted about whether or not parents should be notified if their children are overweight. A recent user question on Momtourage shows that some doctors are doing just that. ... and I think it's a good thing. The parent asking the question is wondering if they should even be concerned that their child is overweight because they feel that their child is active and happy.

Some children are clearly, unmistakably overweight. But for other kids, it isn't always easy to tell. After all, kids go through growth spurts and they grow at different rates. But if a medical professional expresses that your child is indeed overweight, it's time to take action.

As parents, there are many things you can do to help your child live a healthy lifestyle and maintain an appropriate weight.

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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.

Nastia Liukin was the darling of the U.S. gymnastics team this year as she conquered Olympic Gold in the All Around competition and proudly added to her collection four more medals. That would be three silver and one bronze; I personally would kill to have just one in any color. She's Russian born, American bred and now working with the Secret Sport Challenge to help make other athletic dreams come true. I scored this interview this week while she was promoting the Challenge and bringing attention to the twenty $5,000 scholarships being given away to help others achieve their sporty goals. Nastia is ridiculously fit and has some great advice to help you look better, feel stronger and live longer.

Fitz: How many hours a week do you train before a competition?

Nastia: Before the Olympics I trained for about seven hours a day. It included about two hours of warming up and conditioning, and the rest of the time was spent practicing routines and skills on the events.

Fitz: If you weren't a professional athlete/gymnast how do you think you'd pursue fitness?

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