That's Fit

Sometimes I run. Sometimes I walk. Sometimes I bike. Sometimes I work out in a gym. Sometimes I try to get fit in my own back yard. Yesterday, I exercised in my living room. It all comes down to my kids and how to best fit in my physical activity around their needs, their wishes, their desires, their demands. The living room workout, all 22 minutes of it, well, it satisfied us all. I only hope we can keep up with it, making it a regular ritual at our house.

All it took to keep the three of us busy were one BOSU, two resistance bands, two six-pounds weights (for me, not them), and our own bodies. We did push-ups, sit-ups, leg lifts, jumping jacks, and planks. I did squats, on and off the BOSU, and lunges, and a few arm exercises too. Danny (he's five) did a lot of creative work with the bands, and Joey (he's seven) became a master at BOSU push-ups.

I don't know about my guys, but I worked up a sweat during our group workout and judging by the enthusiasm of my kids -- "I really like to exercise," said Joey as he moved to the tunes he chose to blare throughout the house -- it seems I may get to keep sweating in this manner. Perfect for me. And for them too.

What's NEAT? Well, beside being a word used by teenage TV stars of yesteryear to describe rocket ships and hula-hoops, it's also an acronym that may have you parking your car in the farthest spot from your office as possible.

Standing for Nonexercise Activity Thermogenesis (fancy talk for things you do, other than exercise, that also burn calories), NEAT was the explanation for an increase in triglyceride levels in men in a recent study. Danish researchers instructed study volunteers to take elevators instead of stairs, park close to buildings, and reduce the overall amount of walking they do for two weeks, after which time their triglyceride levels were again taken. Amazingly, researchers found that the men's levels were, on average, 18 percent higher after the two-week period.

Clearly, the takeaway from this study is to remember that burning calories need not require a gym membership or daily five-mile runs. Everyday activities -- such as those mentioned, as well as normal household chores and daily duties -- require caloric expenditure. To that end, greater benefit can be obtained from taking steps to increase your nonexercise effort level, with parking far from a building, using stairs instead of elevators, and walking to and from the store being great methods of how to go about doing just that.

In my expert opinion, yes! Disney World is the healthiest place on earth. I just returned from a five-night, six-day vacation with my husband and two children and was blown away by the amount of physical activity both offered and required of ourselves in order to indulge in the full Disney experience.

We pushed our double-stroller miles through two theme parks, climbed thousands of stairs and jumped an equal amount of waves at two water-parks, danced our tushies off to live bands at various Disney resorts, and played game after game with our children as we giggled, oohed and ahhed at all the Disney magic. As a fitness trainer, one of my biggest obstacles is convincing my clients not to trash their fitness efforts when they head out on vacation. Disney offers the perfect opportunity to not only maintain one's fitness level, but improve it.

The physical adventures are endless, and Disney World has made a deliberate effort to increase the availability of legitimately nutritious, low fat, and lower sugar foods. Fruit stands have popped up all over the theme parks, and children's dining has switched from burgers and fries to grilled chicken with carrots and grapes offered as side dishes. Soda has been dumped for low fat milk! I can't get food that "clean" in my own neighborhood, unless I cook it myself! Of course, the old junkie favorites like popcorn, fries, and ice cream are still available, but if you do care about your health and want to maintain it on vacation ... Disney makes it easy.

I don't like school buses. It's mainly because of the lack of seat belts. But I also wonder why, in an age of childhood obesity becoming too common and people of all ages not getting enough exercise, parents don't walk their kids to school more often when it's a reasonable distance from home. Certainly, time is a factor for many who are struggling to get on the road in order to make it on time to work. But for the rest who don't have to work for money or work from home, this is a big opportunity to develop good habits.

My neighbors and I were just talking the other day about raising kids who are physically fit and finding ways to fit exercise into their lives. One of them said, "All I care is that they learn to make a habit of moving around for 30 minutes a day for the rest of their lives."

I actually timed out the walk to and from the local elementary school a while back. My kid is just short of 3 years old, so we've got some time before this is an issue. Still, I was curious. Low and behold, it's 30 minutes, round-trip.

Of course another neighbor pointed out the social aspect of the bus and how they would miss out on going to school with all their friends. I've been thinking about it. And I've been getting this image in my mind of a big parade of kids, parents in tow, walking down the street to school with their hearts pumping. It could happen.

How hard can walking be? One foot in front of the other, power forward, and keep on going. Simple. But if you want to be a more efficient walker when it comes to exercise -- by efficient, I mean you'll burn more calories in less time -- then practice these seven sure-fire steps.

• Keep your chin level with the ground while you walk and focus on the horizon ahead.

• Relax your shoulders.

• Bend your arms to 90 degrees and close your hands in loose fists.

• Swing your arms gently forward and back while keeping your elbows close to your body.

• Stand up straight. Don't lean forward or backward.

• Strike the ground with your heel, then roll through your foot smoothly, then push off your toes.

• Take small, quick strides rather than long, slow ones.
  
  

Just took these very steps today, and they felt good. Take them yourself and tell us how efficient you become at the art of walking.

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 have a small kidney-shaped pool in my back yard. My preteen kids will be in it all summer and I'd like to kill two birds with one stone by spending time with them and getting in some exercise. What things do you recommend I do for a workout in a small pool? Andrea

A. Hello Miss Andrea. Thanks for the fantastic question. I love questions that pertain to a lot of people, and this one certainly does. I imagine there will be tons of moms and dads in pools over the next few months, trying to make the most out of their outdoor time. Here's the best news. Playing with your children and doing all of the things they do will prove to be a tremendous workout in itself. Kids are cuckoo in the water, and that requires lots of energy. So, at minimum, you could just play copycat.

My treadmill has been sitting quietly for some time now, all alone in the corner of my kids' playroom, completely neglected and collecting quite a blanket of dust. I noticed the dust yesterday, just more than four weeks after our last run together, and I felt sorry for it. No, I felt sorry for me. It's been 30 days since my tummy tuck surgery, and the spotting the dust on my trusty treadmill symbolized just how inactive I've been. Doctors orders, I know. But I simply had to clean that thing off and take it for a spin.

My spin wasn't too much -- just a walk, at 4.5 miles per hour, with no incline. I managed quite easily for two miles, all the while dreaming ahead two weeks when my doctor gives me the OK to start running again. How great it will be.

Is your treadmill -- or elliptical, or stationary bike, or whatever it is you're ignoring in the corner of your house -- collecting dust? If so, give it a quick wipe-down, hop on, and take that thing for a whirl. It'll do you a world of good. It did me.

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. Hey Fitz. I'm heading out for a week's vacation on a cruise ship next month, and worried that once again I'll gain almost ten pounds while gone. That's what I've done the last few times I've gone on a cruise. How can I get around it? There is awesome food everywhere! Susan.

A. Susan, Susan, Susan. I'm shaking my head. The deal with vacations, cruises especially, is that they're a time for you to relax, get away from the daily grind and have some fun. Pigging out and gorging are simply not what you should be focusing on...wherever you are! Yes, there is a lot of tasty food on cruise ships. There is also a lot of yummy things available at your local grocery store every single day! That doesn't' mean you should run through the aisles like a lunatic shoving everything you can get your hands on into your mouth. Just because food is THERE, just because food is FREE, doesn't mean you have to eat it.

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, My question for you is: how can I lose weight when I'm no longer able to exercise due to a life time injury. I'm even stuck relying on the government for my income and food. Lisa

A. Hey Lisa. As if staying in shape isn't hard enough! Dealing with a disability truly makes weight management a challenge. It's not an impossible accomplishment though. It's just going to take a decent amount of education about nutrition for you, and an even greater amount of discipline.

Head on over to this American Heart Association site where the experts say if we walk more and eat better, we'll live longer. They're so sure of it, in fact, that they're kicking off National Start Walking Day on April 16.

Do you know that heart disease is the number one killer in the United States? Do you know that physical inactivity doubles the risk of heart disease? Sobering, isn't it? Fortunately, these facts can be changed. Here's how.

First, you can start walking and start reducing your risk. Second, you can support the American Heart Association. The folks there are challenging Americans to walk a million miles and raise a million dollars all in one day -- April 16. Ready to accept the challenge and help fight heart disease and obesity? Click here for more information.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Alexandra Harris

Age: 51

Occupation: Life Coach

How often do you exercise? I eat seven days a week, and I exercise seven days a week!

What type of exercise do you do? Power walking, light weight training (for muscle tone), and yoga (for balance, flexibility, and occasionally turning my organs upside down). I think there's something really healthy about moving your organs around!

We'd all like to know that we're going to make it to our retirement and still have a few good years in us to finally enjoy some time off. But the sad reality is that many of us won't make it to those golden years, or won't have the health to enjoy it, and in many cases, this is mostly preventable. As diet guru Julia Havey points out, there are five things that could very well keep you from enjoying you old age:

1. You smoke. Haven't you heard the news? It will kill you, man.
   
2. You don't walk enough. True, cars and elevators are great inventions, but they're also making you a little rounder in the waistline. If you have a couple of minutes to spare (come on, who doesn't?), walk.
   
3. You eat too much saturated fat. Saturated fat is only healthy in moderate amounts. Use with caution.
   
4. You eat too much trans fat. Unlike saturated fats, trans fats are never healthy, no matter what the amount. Rid them from your diet.
   
5. You don't eat enough fruits and veggies. 5-10 a day, that's all it takes.

Each year the American Podiatric Medical Association releases a list of America's Best Walking Cities. What makes a city walkable? Number of parks per square mile, percentage of adults who walk for fitness, use of mass transit, cleanliness, and other criteria. Did your city make the list?

1. Cambridge, MA
2. New York City, NY
3. Ann Arbor, MI
4. Chicago, IL
5. Washington, DC
6. San Francisco, CA
7. Honolulu, HI
8. Trenton, NJ
9. Boston, MA
10. Cincinnati, OH

Want to see how walkable your community is? Type your address in at WalkScore.com.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Justin

Age: 23

Occupation: IT Specialist

How often do you exercise? Usually 5 times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Walking outside, elliptical, weight lifting, and the treadmill when it's too cold to walk outside.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Picturing the foods I ate sitting in my stomach.

If your workout routine involves a treadmill, consider this: is your routine a bit stale? Are you finding that what once was a challenging workout is now a bit, well, easy? That'll happen as you adjust to your new fitness level. There's only one solution: Make it harder.

When you're working out on the treadmill, there are a number of ways to make it more difficult. You can up your speed, work out for longer periods of time or add some ankle weights. But one of the most effective ways to amp up your workout is to increase the incline. Start small; add just one level of incline, and keep it at that level until you find it easy, then increase again by one level.

Remember: A workout that's easy to do probably isn't doing too much to improve your fitness or your body.