That's Fit

Before basketball there was James Naismith and a peach basket. Before volleyball, there was YMCA director William Morgan who had the idea of combining elements of some other sports. Every sport has its history and its inventor... you could be next!

The folks at Horny Toad Activewear and Instructables have paired up to create the Invent a Sport contest. You can put a new twist on an existing sport or start from scratch, but your ideas must be original. After all, Horny Toad has introduced such sports as trampoline dodgeball; they're obviously not thrilled by run-of-the-mill creations.

To enter you just need a description of how the game is played as well as a description of any necessary equipment. A video of people playing the game is helpful, but not required. Give it a shot. You'll have a great time and you may just win a $350 gift card.

At some point, most people have tried, or at least considered, a cure they thought unorthodox. I have a friend who swears you can stop hiccupping if you say, "One!" after the first hiccup. Go ahead, try it -- it doesn't work for me, but you never know.

Men's Health has come up with six seemingly crazy cures that they swear are effective. Suffer from sleep apnea? Trying to quit smoking? Click through the gallery and see if there's a cure for your ailment -- what do you have to lose?

I'm pretty open minded and love to try new things, but I just can't wrap my head around this gadget: The Rollator. It's a treadmill that moves, like a bike or a scooter or what have you, as you exercise. I understand that a moving treadmill would be more interesting than a stationary one in terms of scenery, but if you're going to walk on it while rolling down the street why not just walk down the street? You'll get the same workout minus the laughing and pointing of onlookers.

The only thing I can see that might be an argument in favor of the Rollator (and I'm really stretching here) is that you could get an uphill 'incline' workout even if technically you were traveling on a flat or downhill surface. Oh, and you could use it as simply a means of transportation (at your own social risk).

Interested? Or maybe just need a good laugh? Check out this video of The Rollator in action.

So maybe the thought of joining a regular old spinning or Pilates class at the gym just doesn't trip your trigger. Maybe you're looking for something more interesting and different than that? Well then maybe, if you're lucky, one of these unique classes are located near you:

• In the Los Angeles area at the Crunch gym try the Rocket Workout. You'll get to use a new machine that is rapidly catching on in gyms all over called the Orbital 360, and the workout includes everything from strength training to stretching to Pilates.
• In Boston at Healthworks try the class called Burn. You'll alternate between walking and running on and off a treadmill for up to 50 minutes. Feel the burn!
  
• The Miami David Barton Gym has a class called Barton Biking where you'll alternate between biking and arm strengthening moves to burn over 500 calories in an hour.
• Chicago's Equinox is home to Chaos, where you'll get to do intervals of strength training and cardio, but with an element of make-believe mixed in.
• And finally, at the New York Health and Racquet Club in New York City you can opt for the Bin Zhou class where you'll meditate and do tai chi, qi gong, and isometrics.

As Christmas gets closer and closer every day, for some of us procrastinators the stress of Christmas gift shopping is getting greater and greater. But if you've got a fitness-lover on your shopping list this year you may find your answer in this list of unique items and gizmos. Depending on just how "gizmo" you want to go, there is everything on the list from workout DVDs to a massage tool nicknamed "The Stick." Or maybe a "buddy-system" fitness plan that's designed like a game, where competition helps motivate and the winner gets rewarded. There's also a wristwatch alarm that can sense your body's rhythms and wake you up at the most opportune moment in the morning, or a sports bra that has a heart-rate monitor built right in. Or, if all that is a bit too unique, maybe some cool upgraded headphones for your loved one's iPod/MP3 player would be a better fit.

Everybody loves to get thoughtful and unique gifts, and this list is certainly full of those! It's just up to you to decide if they fit anyone on your list or not.