That's Fit

There's a right and wrong way to do everything. There's also always a smarter way to get things done. I'm part of a particularly brilliant group of folks who know how to do things right. Watch this short video to learn the secret of getting the most out of your time walking and running.

For more fun videos, quick fitness tips and recipes ...

Don't have the motivation for daily workouts or the time and money to hire a personal trainer? "Minimalist workouts" could be the answer.

Bouncing a regular ball back and forth may not be much of a workout, but just try it with a reaction ball! Reaction balls are six-sided, so they bounce unpredictably. You never know if you're going to be darting to the left or the right in order to catch it.

Try standing 3-4 feet from a partner and bouncing a reaction ball toward your partner. The object is to catch the ball after only one bounce. It may not sound hard, but you'll find yourself darting back and forth and moving quickly in order to catch the ball. If you want to make it even more challenging, just back up a bit.

Not only is it a fun, effective workout. Playing with a reaction ball helps you improve your hand-eye coordination and increases your reaction time -- beneficial skills for any sport. You can also practice by yourself, by bouncing a reaction ball against a wall. Try it with your kids, too ... it's sure to be a hit!

My husband seems to have solved all of the world's workout problems with one quick fix: to save time, he uses the treadmill while he works on his laptop, thanks to a handy laptop shelf he built for the treadmill in his company's gym.

Pretty savvy, eh? His coworkers know where to find them if an IT emergency arises, and he becomes fit during work hours, at a normally sedentary job. Merits a Fitku, don't you think?

Tread and type workout
Kills two birds with one laptop
Fit and efficient

What are your tricks for staying active at work?

Running short on time? Try your best not to let a full schedule interfere with your workout. You should schedule your exercise time and give it high priority on your to-do list. Don't look at your workout as something you can take or leave at your convenience. The fact is that staying fit and healthy will help you manage the rest of your chores more effectively -- you'll have more energy to be on the go, go, go.

But we all have those days where we just can't squeeze in a long workout routine. When there's just no way a real workout will work, try a quick 15-minute routine. AOL Health has a great 15-minute strength training routine. Or, if you'd rather, you can design your own workout.

• 10 minutes of cardio. Pick a convenient cardio activity that you can do almost anywhere and with minimal equipment. Walking, running, and jumping rope are all good options.
  

I don't have a Garmin or other GPS device for running. One of these days, maybe, but for the moment, I don't. And so, when I run outdoors, unless I've already mapped out the the route, I don't generally know exactly how far I've gone. However, I do know how long I've run, which gives me an idea of distance.

This is a big difference from the way I run on a treadmill. When I have the numbers in front of me, I set a goal to reach a certain distance in a set amount of time. You'd think, then, that these indoor runs would be much harder, and more intense, but that's not necessarily the case.

It's typical to take considerably longer to run outdoors than indoors, especially if you run trails or other rough ground. And so, on your next outdoor run, try a new trail and just go by time. See what kind of workout you get. I find that I'm wiped after a long outdoor run, whether I've gone two miles or six. And unless you're training for an event of a certain distance, I think that's okay -- it allows you to run for the sheer joy of running. What do you think?

We've made tremendous progress in the fields of food, health and technology since the Victorian era. And yet we're not nearly as healthy overall as we were then. What gives?

Recent research is showing that not only did people live longer in the late 1800s, but they had strong immune systems too. Of course, there are several differences in the average Victorian diet compared to ours. Here's a rundown:

• They ate more, around 4,500 calories a day for men and 3,000 for women.
• But they also burned more calories, spending their working hours doing hard manual labour.
• Salt, sugar and tobacco weren't as readily available, and were rarely consumed.
  
• They ate between 8-10 servings a day of fresh fruits and veggies.
  
• In fact, all their food was fresh. After all, they didn't have fridges.
  
• They consumed lots of yeast, in both breads and beer. Yeast helps strengthen the immune system.
  

Want to know more? Read the full article over here.

Back-to-school is right around the corner. Not only will kids everywhere be getting back into their daily school routine, parents will find themselves adjusting their routines as well. Extra-curricular activities, homework, and the daily grind of getting every to and from school each day can put a pretty severe limit on a family's free time.

Being too busy is one of the most common reasons people give for not exercising. Don't let your summer exercise routine falter this fall. Instead, plan to make exercise a priority. Find an empty place on your calendar several days a week and write in your workout... in pen. Keep in mind that exercise doesn't have to happen in a gym or in a committed 45 minute chunk. Walking at lunch, bike riding with the kids after school, or any other activity that raises your heart rate and gets you moving will count.

Need some help getting organized? About.com and Buzzle both have great tips for maintaining your workout routine once school starts.

I came across an interesting post on Diet Blog about exercise. According to experts working with the US government on formulating new guidelines for fitness, what's important isn't how intense your activity is, but how much general activity you get. As cardiologist William Kraus puts it: "Basically, don't sit around all day, and when you do move, you don't have to go at breakneck speed....'Whether you walk a mile, jog a mile or sprint a mile, it burns about 100 kilocalories,' with the same health benefits"

What do you think about this statement? Myself, I'm on the fence.

In the spirit of the Olympics -- they start on August 8: are you ready? -- parents.com features recipes for a bunch of healthy meals you can have ready in record time.

How about a Beijing Chicken Stir Fry you can have on the table in a mere 27 minutes? Can't beat that. Well, maybe you can -- these Athens Veggie Burgers can be ready to go in just 18 minutes. Mexico City Beef & Bean Burritos: 20 minutes tops. Torino Turkey Sausage & Penne -- serve it up in 25 minutes flat.

There's more. Check out the whole lot here. And let us know about any Olympic recipes you've got up your sleeve.

Time. Our greatest resource. I'll debate it with anyone. And I'll win.

Lack of it is responsible for most of what stresses us out. And taking it back is what makes us feel better. The idea of taking a few minutes to relax at the end of the day is possibly the most commonly given advice for recovering from a stressful day. Such a simple solution and so satisfying. But how often do you actually do it? Seems I witness more time spent complaining about now having time than taking time to shut up and relax.

And it makes a world of difference. However, those few minutes would not be quite as decadent for me if not for adding a glass of wine to the equation. Also pretty common, I know. Again, when's the last time? And it's not such a bad idea. In moderation, wine can actually be a good thing. It can even have an antioxidant effect. For some adding chocolate makes for the ultimate de-stress recipe.

So stop fretting that you don't have time or can't afford the calories and sit down with a bite or sip of something nice. For five minutes. OK, two. Whatever. The point is this: ridding ourselves of a day's stress isn't about large quantities of time, wine, chocolate or anything else. It's about coming up with your perfect recipe, whatever that may be. Just so long as it's small and simple.

There's new evidence the childhood obesity epidemic may be leveling off. The past three decades have been an utter disaster in terms of childhood obesity, with the percentage of obese six-to-11-year-olds rising from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 16.3 percent in 2002. Currently, 32 percent of American schoolchildren are overweight or obese.

After analyzing 1999-2006 survey data, researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the level of overweight and obese schoolchildren in America has plateaued at around 32 percent. The rates have remained constant for the first time in 45 years. It's not clear whether kids have simply gotten as heavy they're going to get under current lifestyle habits or if family, school and community interventions to eat right and exercise are making a difference. Some wonder whether a 'fat ceiling' could be a false ceiling -- researchers acknowledge more time and data are required before the obesity rate is definitively deemed stable.

As a fan of fitness and nutrition, I'd like to think advocacy for healthier living is strongly pushing back against obesity's four-decade rising tide. But that's the optimist in me. The hearts of advocacy organizations such as The Alliance for a Healthier Generation must be enjoying a lighthearted moment right now -- AHG's immediate goal was to halt the rise of childhood obesity by 2010. But the moment must be brief as our nation has an immense amount of work to do -- 32 percent is no number to celebrate. In the 1960s, childhood obesity stood in the single digits.

Oh the good 'ol days when lunchtime was for nothing but eating, visiting with friends, and relaxing. When is the last time you did nothing but eat on your lunch break? We're a society of stressed-out, always-busy, multi-tasking maniacs most of the time, which of course sets us up for snarfing down fattening convenience foods from fast food joints and vending machines in an effort to save time. Not good. Not good at all.

Life is about more than just how much you accomplish each day and although being as productive as possible is not a bad thing, there's definitely something to be said for slowing down to smell the roses. Here's some good advice on how to make the most of your lunch break:

Get outside Depending on where you work, you're probably cooped up indoors in the same place for most of the day, so get outside and breath some fresh air to recharge your body and your mind.

Generally speaking, if I go to the gym, I try not to plan anything immediately afterward. Ideally, I like to go home for a shower and get ready in my own bathroom, or at the very least, I'll take a full shower at the gym and get ready there. Either way, it takes some time for me to go from hot, sweaty mess to looking hot (or at least not scary).

But then again, there are those times when you get out of work at 5:00, have plans to meet a friend around 6:00 or 6:30 for a bite to eat, and while your house is on the other side of town, your gym is between work and the restaurant. It would be a shame to miss out on a quick workout just because you don't have time to wash your hair and get all dolled up, right?

In that case, check out the suggestions below for overcoming common post-workout beauty complaints (courtesy of FitnessMagazine.com, with a few of my own suggestions added in for good measure).

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. Hi Fitz, I'm 56, run three to four miles, five or so days a week. Lately, as I'm walking to cool down, the back part of my right knee tightens up and bending it becomes very painful as I do post-run stretching. No pain when running. Anyone familiar with this condition? Dave

A Hey Dave. I get soooo many questions about knees. In fact, I had knee surgery long ago, so some people think I'm some sort of knee expert. I'm not. In fact, I don't think anyone who isn't a physician or physical therapist and hasn't seen you in person should give you advice on your condition. Not helpful, right? Wrong.