Last week on "The Biggest Loser," Amanda switched trainers. She had been struggling with Jillian and posting modest four pound losses. On her first week back with Bob, her trainer at the start of the season, Amanda lost a whopping seven pounds. She credited shedding more weight entirely to working with a trainer that she "clicked" with.

Amanda perfectly demonstrates that the right personal trainer often makes all the difference. I'm not talking about a trainer with the best certifications and education -- although you should always seek that -- I mean those trainers that will "click" with you. If you resonate with a certain instructor, you'll have a better workout and, ultimately, better results.

Not everyone can afford or even wants a personal trainer, but we are constantly seeking fitness advice and leadership. When you search for your fitness guru, look at all the options: group exercise teachers, yoga instructors, even fitness DVDs and books. Somewhere out there is a person who delivers the message, just the way you need to hear it.

Here's how to find that "click."

Yes, 50 is the new 40 and 70 is the new 60 and so on, but can you imagine carrying on your fitness routine well into your 80s? Joanne Good from the Daily Mail can, particularly since her 83-year-old mother is her role model, her motivator, her ... yoga teacher. Yes, someone just shy of 85 might possibly be more fit than you. Scary? Nah -- inspirational is more like it.

Yoga is the kind of activity you can do no matter what your age. It's one of those things that you can take at your own pace, and if one of the poses is too difficult, you can modify it or just move on. Yoga can be challenging or relaxing -- it's up to you. But no matter how you practice, you can't deny the good it does your body.

So what are you waiting for? Get yourself to a yoga class, pronto. And, more importantly, keep it up.

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My son is in the fifth grade this year. The school's cafeteria is small, so they scatter the times kids go out for recess and to lunch. As the oldest kids in the school, my son's class doesn't hit the cafeteria until 1:00. Considering he catches the bus at 7:30, that's a long span of time before lunch.

His teacher has a scheduled snack time at 10:30 to help tide the kids over until lunch. She sent home a note regarding snack time for the kids. She recommended a list of healthy snack options which was great. But what was more impressive was this: she's banned candy from her classroom.

I thought it was wonderful. The kids will still be allowed to have candy on special occasions such as Valentine's Day. But on a day to day basis, my son's teacher is promoting good nutrition that will give them the energy they need.

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My kids love fruit. Yours might too. But it never can hurt to have a little more fruit-filled inspiration in our lives. That's what one teacher thought just before setting her kindergarten class loose on this fruity art project. Still Life With Kool-Aid is what she calls it. And here's what Jessica Burkett did.

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Yes! Yes! Kickboxing in preschool! Last week, I had a little visit with my daughter's preschool class; I brought in a child-sized heavy bag and some (adult-size) gloves. Since I'm the Fitzness trainer Mommy, and kickboxing is one of the most fun things I do and teach ... we thought it would be great to share the fun with her buddies.

We spent the first few minutes chatting about being healthy. Choosing healthy foods and exercising was easy to discuss with these little ones. They were desperate to tell me about their favorite fruits and the fun things they like to do. In fact, I heard in great detail about each child's favorite bike, scooter or jump rope. This of course, was fun to for me. We talked sports too, and I addressed kickboxing as such.

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I spoke with Oprah Winfrey's health expert and best selling author, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the other day. I have to say, the man is not only brilliant....he tells a really funny story too. We were talking about his personal fitness habits when I asked him if he has ever had an issue with his weight. This is what he told me.

Dr. Oz: Yes, but only once! I was in the sixth grade at a new school and it was a point when I wasn't involved with either community or school sports. I went to the school cafeteria and found this sandwich called a "fluffernutter". Have you ever heard of that? It's a sandwich with peanut butter and marshmallow inside. I had never tried this thing before, but once I did I was like "Wow! I want another!"

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More and more retired athletes are getting jobs as teachers and trainers for fitness classes across the country. This is one of those topics that has pretty decent arguments for both sides, in my opinion anyway. Retired athletes have what many fitness instructors don't have -- real and actual experience in a specific field. They've developed tricks and tips from their own ups and downs, and really know inside and out what does and doesn't work for them. But on the other side, most (if not all) retired athletes have no official certification in the health and fitness field, and what they share may or may not be safe and effective. Maybe they've figured out what worked for them, but how are they are helping you figure out what will work for you? Or at helping you avoid injury?

Bottom line is that I think it's great if retired athletes want to share their knowledge and experience with others. As long as they're upfront and honest about qualifications and certifications, etc, people can make their own decisions. After all, this is America, and if some fitness icon wants to say "Hey, here's how I got where I am today" then good for them. Just make sure you do your homework, know what you're getting into, and take care of yourself.

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