That's Fit

Raisins are the perfect pre-workout snack, reports a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. They taste better than commercial sports gels and have the same effect on performance. Raisins also help athletes meet their daily needs for vitamins, minerals, and fiber, says lead researcher Mark Kern, Ph.D. of San Diego State University.

Kern's research, gathered from a group of male and female cyclists, was designed to examine potential differences in metabolism and cycling performance after consumption of moderate glycemic raisins vs. a high glycemic sports gel. Through blood samples taken before and after exercise, performance was deemed no different between the raisin and gel trials. Minor differences in metabolism were detected.

The bottom line: Raisins appear to be a cost-effective source of carbohydrate for pre-exercise snacking in comparison to sports gels for short-term exercise sessions.

The last time I took a long walk on the beach, barefoot, my calves let me know about it the next day, which got me thinking about how great it would be if I could do more walking barefoot. There's something really satisfying about stretching one's toes and feeling the changes in terrain while walking, plus, it obviously works the leg muscles differently than walking in shoes. However, it wouldn't be safe (or hygienic) to walk around the places I go barefoot, so that was the end of that.

Only it wasn't actually the end, because this link for Vibram FiveFingers Footwear (which we've also covered here at That's Fit a time or two) popped into my inbox the other day. You know I love fashionable footwear, and believe me, this isn't it, but it is a unique and cool concept based on barefooting, which they define as:

1. The exhilarating joy of going barefoot without leaving yourself exposed; 2. any activity requiring unconventional footwear offering the protection of a thin, flexible Vibram skin; 3. an intelligent way to deepen your connection with your natural surroundings.

Gallery: Vibram FiveFingers Footwear: It's funky!

Choosing the right sports bra requires attention to a number of factors. First and foremost is your bust size. Obviously, the big busted woman is going to require a different type of support than a woman with small-bust needs.

Second, take into account what you need it for. Playing basketball or jumping rope requires a different level of support than going for a walk, and it really is important that, if you plan to do some jumping activities, you find a bra that keeps you from bouncing.

SheFinds.com came up with a comprehensive list of the Best Sports Bras using the editors' expertise as well as input from readers. There are bras for busts large and small made for all different activities. Check them out in the gallery and be sure to leave a comment sharing your favorite sports bra!

I dare you to read this story without getting choked up.

Throughout their high school and college careers, student-athletes are told over and over again that sportsmanship is important. That's why, in many sports, the athletes and coaches shake hands before and after each game. However, what happened at a Central Washington University softball game is the greatest display of sportsmanship I've ever heard.

The game, versus Western Oregon, would decide whether Central would keep their Division II playoff hopes alive -- it was the second game of a double header, the first of which Western had already won. In the second inning, 5'2" senior right fielder Sara Tucholsky stepped up to bat with two runners on, and did something she'd never done before, not even in practice -- she hit a home run.

Elated, she sprinted to first base and rounded it, but as she did so, she realized she hadn't actually made contact with the bag. She turned to go back and felt an enormous pain as her knee gave out, and she collapsed right there on the base path.

Just had my tummy tuck one week ago. All is going well -- better than I'd anticipated, actually -- and just yesterday I went with my mom while she picked my boys up from school. I even accompanied them to the park for an afternoon play date. It was great to get out of the house and away from the recliner that doubles as my daytime resting place and my bed. It's where I sit, sleep, write, watch TV, read bedtime stories -- and worry about how all I've gained through strenuous exercise over the past year is about to be lost.

According to my doctor, I can't really exercise for six full weeks. I can walk, and I can gradually add other movements to my routine, but I can't full-out run -- my favorite fitness activity -- for quite some time. This worries me. Will I gain weight? Will I lose my muscle tone? Will I be completely out of shape by the time I lace up my running shoes? It's possible.

What ever will I do?

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.

This week I got to sit down on a beautiful sunny day, in The Swamp with the very sweet, smart and athletic ESPN College GameDay Analyst Mr. Kirk Herbstreit. No, we weren't knee deep in mucky water. We were in the heart of Gator Country enjoying the breeze after Kirk completed his workout, running zillions of steps at the University of Florida football stadium, The Swamp. Kirk retired from playing football more than 15 years ago, after four years at quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes. But now, he's one of the major faces of college football. Pandemonium strikes college campuses across the country when he -- along with host Chris Fowler and analyst Lee Corso -- set up shop outside the biggest games of each week.

Kirk brings something unique to the team. Every time the GameDay crew heads to the University of Florida, I find more than just the expected crowd of rowdy football fans swarming their booth. There is always an unusual amount of females in a frenzy to get as close a look as possible into Kirk's pretty blue eyes. He's definitely worthy of the attention. From my interaction with Kirk, I think he's a genuinely nice and genuinely thoughtful person. Before we started talking fitness, Kirk shared concerns over all the violence taking place on college campuses. He's a protective father and husband who tries to excel in his career while taking care of his family. He is just plain old sweet! And even though his professional life has been built around sports, he works hard to squeeze in fitness and manage nutritious eating just like the rest of us. Kirk seems to be an expert juggler of life and shares some great tricks for staying fit on the go. He also dishes a few doozies on football.

Fitz: What types of things do you do to stay in shape?

Kirk: It's kind of a lifestyle really. As an athlete I worked out so hard, I could eat anything without paying the price for it. As I got older, I still had that appetite and I was not able to work out as hard as I did when I was playing football. What I really try to do is control my portions, and mix in cardio and strength training workouts four to five days a week. If I can do that, I feel like I'm in a pretty good place. It's just about doing it though!

Fitz: What do you do while you're on the road?

Normally, I try to keep my kids' organized activities to one per season, but this spring, those activities will be overlapping for about a three week period. Suddenly, my older daughter is very close to being over-scheduled, something I try hard to avoid. She doesn't want to drop an activity, though, so we're going to make rest, good nutrition, and quiet time a priority so that she can power through.

As a family who typically cherishes unscheduled free time, we're learning how to be a family on the go. Here are a few things I've learned:

• Always have a stash of band-aids on hand. Spring is a notorious time for skinned knees.
• Take a reusable bottle filled with water every where you go.
• April is not too early for sunscreen.
• An umbrella is especially useful if stashed in your car, instead of your closet at home.
• It might not seem chilly now, but pack sweatshirts anyway.
• Always, always, have an energy-boosting snack ready.

My son wears glasses and I've always worried about him when he's out playing sports. A good smack to the face and he could sustain serious eye injury. Last soccer season, I chalked up the horror movies running through my mind as unreasonable mommy-worries. (Because goodness knows I have a lot of those.) But according to this article, my fears aren't that outlandish after all.

The American Optometric Association reports that there are roughly 600,000 sports-related eye injuries each year. About 13,500 of which result in a permanent loss of sight. Eye protection is a necessary measure in high-risk sports such as baseball, basketball, and football. Other sports, such as golf, tennis, and fishing, may not seem like as big of risks, but protective measures should still be taken.

Purchase protective eye wear from a sporting goods store if you don't wear glasses vision correction. If you do wear glasses, ask your optometrist for recommendations. AOL Body has more tips on sports safety and injury prevention.

Danny had a soccer game on Saturday. It was game one. And his team won. Well, there was no official score keeping but those of us with our eyes on Danny and his purple-shirted four-year-old friends happened to notice that his team scored three times while the other team didn't seem to score at all. It doesn't matter all that much who won -- although we did let Danny know his team was victorious: We needed something to get him back on the field next week -- he's not sure he loves soccer all that much -- and this seemed to motivate him a bit.

I'm no athlete myself. I gave sports a try a few times in junior high school -- basketball and softball were my two attempts -- but really, organized sports just didn't do a thing for me. They might not do anything for Danny either. But I must say it was quite exhilarating watching my little tike run around that soccer field this past weekend. Seeing him race around with his teammates, not even sure which goal belonged to him, admiring him in his knee-length team shirt with a gigantic number 10 on the back, and spotting him kick that size three ball in his size 11 cleats just warmed my heart.

Maybe I'm living vicariously through my mini soccer guy, feeling the thrill of what I never felt firsthand all those years ago when I threw my hat in the sports ring and promptly pulled it back out. I'm just not your average female athlete. I'm simply a happy bystander. A spirited cheerleader. A proud mom.

Go Danny!

It's hard enough to find sunglass that look good and feel good -- it gets even more complicated when you throw sports into the mix. You need to make sure your sunglasses stay put, of course, but if you're doing something active, like running, you also want shades that don't weigh too heavily on your nose or cheekbones.

Oakley has always made a point of designing glasses that stay where they need to be, which is why they've been popular with professional baseball players, volleyball players, and golfers. Take a look through the gallery and see which ones suit you and your sport!

When it comes to building more muscle mass, many people tend to focus on protein and carbohydrate intake, unwisely forgetting to take fat into account. The problem is, without eating a moderate amount of healthy fat, you're denying yourself the possibility of achieving what Hans and Frans might call maximum pumpitude.

A study that appears in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reveals that guys who ate a normal diet that included a moderate amount of fat gained 5 pounds more muscle than guys who followed a low-fat diet. And, the guys in the first group also experienced an 86 percent increase in strength over the second group.

Fats are a necessary part of a well-rounded diet, provided they are being sourced from healthy foods such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, seeds, and flaxseed oil. So, hear me now and believe me later ... get your fats if you want to pump up!!

My son played basketball this winter, but there was a month or so lag time before baseball tryouts. Practices are starting next week and we're both looking forward to it. He really enjoys organized sports. But family-based activities are important too. Spring is a great time to shed those winter blues and get the whole family outside and moving. Try these ideas:

• Visit a nearby pitch and kick a soccer ball around
• Play a game of catch in the backyard
• Teach your kids jump rope songs or try out some fancy double-dutch footwork
• Go for a family walk after dinner
• Ride bikes along a rail trail
• Hike on a wooded path
• Go to the beach and explore, play a game of Frisbee, or swim (if weather permits)
• Shoot a game of HORSE or Around the World at a nearby basketball hoop
• Visit the park and play on the equipment with your kids.

Being active as a family sets a wonderful example of physical activity for your kids. It also creates more quality time with your family -- developing stronger bodies while developing a stronger bond.

I remember viewing forced exercise as punishment well into high school. I never ran for fun. I ran because I was late for practice, or because we hadn't played well the night before.

Having coached youth sports, I understand the need to have some sort of punishment, and it's totally logical that the punishment be something that will also benefit the players. However, it's also important that the kids realize that's why you've chosen this consequence.

Forbes published some tips for choosing the best sneakers for your sport, and to be honest, I found it a bit lacking. They covered a lot of running and outdoor sports, but some of the sports for which shoes are really important (like volleyball and basketball) were totally left off.

I did a little research and added what sounded like the best shoes for those sports. However, it's important to remember your sport-specific needs when shopping for a shoe. If you will be making quick, side-to-side movements, you'll need different support than you would for running a marathon. If you really don't know what you need, try to find a store that specializes in your sport and ask for help. The right shoes might not make you a better athlete, but they will make your sport more enjoyable.

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. Dear Fitz. My high school offers very few sports, but I'd like to play something. I'd like to try out for football, but my old-fashioned mother thinks that will make me a "tomboy". What do you think? Katie

A. You've come to the right place Katie! I happen to have embedded myself in the traditionally male sport of full-contact kickboxing, and you know what? It made me a better woman! Sports are sports. Whether you play with a ball, racket, gloves or sneakers...sports are just a more fun way to exercise and flex your competitive muscles. Period.

I loved getting in the ring to try and knock an opponent out. I loved the strategy, speed, and power of the event. Fighting, in fact, is one of my favorite things to do. Some of the girls I've competed against thought they had to take on some sort of macho persona. Short hair, yucky jeans, and mean snarls. I, on the other hand, preferred to act like a monster in the ring and show up to the after-party like a lady in a pretty dress and heels. Embracing my athleticism, strength and courage has allowed me to appreciate how wonderful it is to be a woman. A strong, athletic, educated woman who loves to have the doors held for her.