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 one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey Fitz. I am 12 years old and am a little chunky. I have love handles and wish to get rid of them, but I don't know what I should do! I was trying sit ups and crunches, but they don't work. Now I want to know what really works and how I can keep my body in shape without body fat . Everyone says that I'm not fat nor skinny, I'm just chunky. I want to get rid of all the chunky parts, but I don't know what I should do. Please help! Jellybean

A. First of all Jellybean, I want you to change your focus. I know it's hard to be young and uncomfortable in your skin. I too, had that issue before I was a teenager and ended up with a traumatic eating disorder. Trust me ... it brought me only bad things, never good. Don't go there. Instead of focusing on your so-called "flaws", find something about your body you like. I bet your body is loaded with treasures.

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As a general rule talking all the time is considered a slightly negative habit, but if you love to chit chat you might be doing yourself some good: research shows that small talk helps memory. Just 10 minutes of talking with somebody face to face was shown to be just as effective on memory and intellectual performance as spending the same time doing crosswords or Sudoku puzzles.

So if you're not a puzzle person and you've been frustrated because all the "boost your memory" stuff seems to center around doing puzzles, math, or the like -- good news! Now you can talk your way to better mental health!

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FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

I'm a fan of talking. I'm not someone who'd ever be labeled a "talker," and by this I mean I don't talk for the sake of talking. I don't hold people captive with endless chit-chat, and I don't need to hear myself speak. I'm as much a fan of silence, really, as I am of talking. Still, when I've got something to say, I say it, especially when not speaking up keeps my feelings and emotions hidden.

In one 10-year study cited in the January 2008 issue of Reader's Digest, about one in four women and one in three men said they held back during a spat. That's what I don't do, can't do, never do. Holding my peace makes me feel sick. According to this same study, this is a natural reaction to suppressing strong emotions. And it's exactly why women who didn't fess up to their feelings in the study were four times as likely to die during the study period. Health wasn't measurably affected for the men in the study.

As we head into a brand new year, with the hope of brand new health, why not resolve to talk more. It might save your relationships -- and your life too.

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In my house, the women always talked more than the men. Although I'm no overly chatty myself, my mother spent hours on the phone every night, whereas my dad's conversations were very to-the-point and no longer than 2 minutes long. And in my own small family, I spend more time chatting than my partner, although the difference is only slight. Which is why I find it surprising that recent studies have shown that men talk more than women on average.

However, it also depends on the context -- women are more chatty when talking to kids or classmates, and men are more chatty when it comes to spouses and strangers. This seems to go against most commonly-held stereotypes, don't you think?

What do you think of these findings? Are you the chatty one in your relationships?

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FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

Do you engage in "fat" talk? Many women do. It's the norm, actually, for women to regularly say negative things about their bodies. Research proves it.

A study from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina -- home to great white water rafting, by the way -- reveals that "fat talk" is social currency for women. It goes something like this:

"I'm so fat."

"Oh, no, you look great, but my thighs are HUGE."

"YOUR thighs are huge? Look at MINE!"

And so on.

"Fat" talk is not all bad. It creates a solidarity among females. It allows them to open up. It's a way of sharing, disclosing, and receiving reassurance. But wouldn't it be great if we could bond as women without trashing our bodies in the process?

Let's try to minimize our own "fat" talk and see what happens. I predict we'll boost our moods and may even secure a better chance at making healthy choices, perhaps even trimming down.

A positive attitude can do wonders for mental health. So compliment yourself next time you're about to slip into "fat" talk. Surely, you've got a few redeeming qualities you can acknowledge. I know, it seems like bragging, but give a try. I'll go first. I won't tell you about my least favorite body part, although it's tempting. I'll only tell you this: I like my calf muscles. I consider them my best feature, in fact.

That wasn't so hard. Your turn.

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It's not so hard to talk to kids about nutrition, fitness, and overall health. But when it comes to informing them about sexual health, not-so-hard can become oh-so-scary.

Before you draw a blank about what to say to your kids about sex education, head to the bookstore for a little advance preparation on how to tackle the "where do babies come from" questions. Experts recommend parents pick up a few books, read them, and then begin discussing the "birds and bees." Here are the books they suggest:

It's NOT the Stork by Robie H. Harris
What's the Big Secret? by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
What's Happening to My Body by Lynda Madaras
The Boy's Body Book by Kelli Dunham

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Normally I don't think that marketing products to children is very honest or ethical. However, I don't have a problem with Dove's latest ad, which is aimed squarely at young girls. The commercial, which you can see at ParentDish in this post by Jonathon Morgan, is the second by the company to bring attention to the sort of (mis)information we are fed by the beauty industry.

The first ad was the one that began with a regular young woman and then fast-forwarded to the same girl transformed into a beauty queen with the many steps necessary to change her look shown in between. The new commercial, titled Onslaught, begins with a young girl and then displays a barrage of fashion and beauty images that promote a thinner, prettier and more perfect ideal. The video ends with a message urging parents to talk to their young daughters before the beauty industry does.

As this piece mentions, the videos are part of Dove's campaign to raise awareness about the industry and more importantly, to raise women's self-esteem. I've seen the ad and I think it's great. What do you think about the video and the campaign?

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It's always great to have close friends to help you though a rough patch in a relationship. They can give you guidance based on their own experiences, offer a shoulder to cry on or just listen to little (or big) complaints or concerns you may have.

However, as this piece suggests, it's not a good idea to go overboard when it comes to filling your best buddies in on all of the little details that surround your current relationship. Remember that what your friends say about your other half can influence the way you behave around and toward your partner, so make sure to keep your thoughts separate from theirs.

Also remember that your friends will believe what you tell them about your partner so if all you ever do is share the bad stuff, they'll have an unfair and biased opinion when doling out advice. It's a good idea to let your friends in on some of the good times as well. But don't go too far -- as the article mentions, there are private parts of any relationship that should be kept between the two of you. If there is something that you wouldn't want your other half to share with their friends, it's best if you don't talk about it with yours.

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A small study of 100 participants conducted by the chairman of the Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India found long-term cell phone users who chatted on their mobile for an hour or more a day, were more likely to suffer from high-frequency hearing loss.

Users who had their phones for four years or more were most effected, while those who had only had their mobiles for two years were less likely to have problems. According to the article, those suffering from high-frequency hearing loss have trouble hearing consonants like s, f, t and z.

It's important to keep in mind though, that the study is small and the researcher who conducted it points out that a much larger study and more research needs to be done before any definitely links or conclusions can be drawn. So don't panic, but maybe try not to chat on your phone for hours on end either.

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One of the best days of my life has to be when I got my own phone line in junior high school and was finally able to chat away to my girlfriends without the watchful eye of my parents -- or worse -- my little brother. 'Girl talk' is a favourite pastime among females of all ages. I know men probably wonder what women can talk about for hours at a time but the answer is -- everything. From major-life changes to issues as small as what brand of toilet paper is best, girls can make it seem like the most important topic in the world.

But girl talk can be harmful too -- especially to adolescent females. A recent study shows that excessive chatting young girls can lead to anxiety and depression. I believe it; in my early teens, a large part of the time I spent chatting to girlfriends was spent gossiping about other girls and verbally tearing them down. When I wasn't talking to friends, I was worried about what they were saying about me. I wouldn't go back to that time in my life for the world -- young women can be horrifically cruel.

And yet talking to friends can be a source of comfort and inspiration. What do you think the solution is here?

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I'm guilty of talking on the phone while I'm out exercising with my dog, but I don't necessarily think it's the politest thing to do. I don't work out in the gym so it's not an issue of being rude to those around me, but instead about my poor friends and family who get to talk to an out-of-breath half-distracted person on the other end of the line. It's because I'm short on time a lot that I always end up on the phone during power-walks, but I'm sure if I tried I could fit my calls in somewhere else. What do you think: is it rude to talk on the phone while you workout? And is it ruder to the people around you (like in the gym), or to the people you're talking to?

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It can be hard to pull yourself out of a negative rut, but here's some good news: it seems negative feelings and emotional pains can be helped by simply putting them into words. When study participants were shown angry faces their brains triggered a "danger" response, but when they called the face what it was -- "angry" -- a different area of the brain became active. Talking with somebody, journaling, or any other way you can use to "label" the emotion triggers brain responses that are designed to manage emotions and essentially "put the brakes" on bad feelings.

I think most people agree that talking things out with somebody or writing in a journal can help a lot with emotions of all kinds, but who knew it had such a scientific basis? Does it work for you?

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While chatting with my mother recently, she told me the details of the postpartum depression that she suffered from for some time after my younger sister was born. The fact that she had the condition was no secret, as she believes that talking about your problems and things that are bothering you, is one of the best ways to work through them. In fact, she says that the day she discussed her feelings of depression with our family doctor at the time, things began to look up immediately.

Unfortunately, many women don't feel comfortable talking about the negative feelings they have after they've had a baby. We are all taught that a new baby is supposed to be a joyous and wonderful event. Even though we know that we'll be tired and sore and then tired again, we expect that the happiness we feel about the new baby will override the rest of these feelings. Many women though, feel incredibly depressed and rightly so. They are exhausted, their hormones are all out of whack and they're going through a new and very stressful experience.

There is nothing wrong with feeling depressed after having a baby and I think that women need to be told this the same way that they're taught how to breathe during labor and shown how to breastfeed after the baby is born. A new mother's emotional health is just as important as her physical health, and she needs to know that there is no shame in having less than wonderful feelings about her new baby. The only real shame is when unaddressed feelings of depression lead a desperate new mom to do harm to herself or her children. If you are the husband, family member or friend of someone who has a new baby (and this group includes new dads, because they aren't immune either), encourage them to talk about how they're doing, whether or not they seem perfectly content. And if you are a parent feeling less-than-great about your new situation, do not feel ashamed to talk to someone, anyone, about how you feel because help is out there.

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A common challenge of exercise is figuring out how hard you should work. There are a few options to calibrate the ideal effort you should be putting forth, but most require too much math to make them great mid-workout options. I like the Keep It Simple Stupid version called the Talk Test.

For the average healthy individual who is trying to improve overall fitness, including cardiovascular and lung capacity, these are the rules.

• If you can have a full blown conversation during an aerobic workout you should be working harder.
• If you can't talk at all, even to scream "help!", you are working too hard.
• If you are huffing and puffing, but still have enough wind to tell your partner or trainer, "I can't wait to get this over with"...your pace is juuuuuust right.