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.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. 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 one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Well, they say this is the spot to drop your questions for Fitz, so here goes! I am an avid kickboxer, and have been doing it for four months steady now. I attend a group class with actual bags to punch and kick, and we use gloves and shin guards, etc. However, because it is a class of 30 of us or so with one trainer, we don't always get the individual attention that is required. So here's my question. The trainer is always saying to pivot on the foot while doing roundhouse kicks, side kicks, etc. How do you do this properly? We perform kick boxing in bare feet on rubber flooring, so to twist one's foot while balanced on one leg with no slide at all (our foot tends to grip on rubber mats so it doesn't twist easily). My fear is that I am seriously going to hurt myself by keeping my leg static while throwing a kick with the other. The instructor seems to do it with no issues at all, and I watch him closely, but I don't know how he manages it! Thanks, Missy

A. Thanks for the soft ball, Missy. You probably know I fought competitively as a kickboxer for almost 10 years, and I am the Fitness Director for the International Sport Kickboxing Association, so I will happily answer your question. Pivoting is important, because if you don't do it, you could blow out a knee. The kicks you mentioned require you to twist your body for power. If you are not light on your feet and allow the base foot to pivot while kicking, something will have to give.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

I'm in love with Lucy. No, I haven't ditched my husband for a chic. Lucy is the maker of the pants I've adopted as my uniform. Do I need a uniform? No! Do I wish I had an excuse to wear Power Pants every day? Heck yeah!

If you're not familiar with Lucy, let me introduce you. Lucy is a fashionable line of women's workout wear that puts equal emphasis on performance, versatility and style. The line offers clothing and accessories designed for running, yoga, gym workouts and training in the great outdoors. I've done all of the above in my latest addiction: the Power Pant.

The Power Pant fits my smallish bum in the most amazing way. It enhances my curves, never shows a panty line and falls beautifully to the floor in the boot cut style. The moisture wick material allows me to run without discomfort, and the cute little zippered pockets hold my mp3 player firmly against my hip. One of my girlfriends has a pair, and they disguise her lumps and bumps. Most other fitness pants just accentuate them.

If you ski, you know that it feels like you're flying down those hills. But how fast are you really going? Twenty miles an hour? 40? 50 or 60 ... thousand miles per hour?

Now, I know there's a lot of gear involved in skiing, but if you're a speed demon, you should probably add the Silva S1 Speedometer to your list of necessities. Designed just for Nordic and alpine skiers and snowboarders, it measures ground speed as well as distance traveled.

"Utilizing advanced radar technology, the speedometer calculates your speed and distance and wirelessly transmits all the information to the versatile receiver which can be worn via a carabiner, wrist band, or lanyard." And that's not all.

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.

As a three-time Sports Illustrated cover model and world famous supermodel, Cheryl Tiegs knows quite a bit about being beautiful. I suppose this makes her a perfect fit for her role as judge on ABC's new reality show True Beauty, which debuts this Monday, January 5 at 10 PM. Instead of really judging the unsuspecting contestants on their physical beauty, though, Cheryl and her cohorts will be removing folks who act really ugly. That should be fun to watch.

In the gallery below, you'll find more about the show and Cheryl's beauty tricks. You just might learn something new about Cheryl Tiegs -- for example, did you know she once gained a good deal of weight? Click below for more!

Source

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.

Source

Enrolling your kids in sports can improve their self esteem, get them in shape and help them develop a life-long habit of being active. These are some very good reasons to get them on some sort of team, yes? But there's another good reason they should get on the playing field -- playing ball as a teen can help keep their bones healthy for up to 40 years.

According to recent studies, sports like basketball, baseball, volleyball and soccer can help keep kids' bones strong well into old age, even if they don't keep the activity up. That's not to say they should give activity up as they age, but it goes to show that what you do in your teenage years can have lasting effects on your health.

So come spring, get your teenager active -- if you can, that is.

Source

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.

Source

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.

The secret to becoming fit and trim is painfully simple, and I know you can follow these easy instructions. No diets, pills or programs necessary!

Changing your post-workout routine, tools to "un-Gumby-fy" your yoga routine, and other neat fitness training tips can be found at ...

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source