Love these end of the week reviews where we can see what articles we talked about this week and catch you up on articles you may have missed. Is May really over? Can you imagine it? Let's take a good look at what we did this week.

Focus on the Olympics

Our Focus on the Olympics series continued with looks at Ian Crocker, Eric Vendt, Jessica Hardy, Kate Ziegler, Brendan Hansen, Larsen Jensen, Margaret Hoelzer, Aaron Perisol, Jason Lezak, Ryan Lochte and Chip Peterson. If you haven't had a chance to check out these athletes, they are definitely worth reading and sharing with your kids. The Summer Olympics are designed to bring out the best and these are among some of the best in their field.

Other Articles

In Sticks and Stones we look at how activity can help kids who may otherwise face negative labels from their peers. We discuss How to Build a Better You and what you can do to improve your personal fitness. Exercise is about more than building muscle, it's about building Bones-They Do a Body Good and Exercise Benefits the Whole Person.

Are Sports Not Working Anymore? Is that a problem we're avoiding confronting in the modern era when dealing with childhood fitness? In the meanwhile, Summer TV is Back On - Exercise Fun is a great way to jazz up your workout while getting in your favorite television shows.

An Illinois school district is banning birthday cake in an odd move to promote fitness, even when they aren't banning candy for the same reason. In Friday Fitness Fun Articles, we take a look at the fitness ratings for different metropolitan areas. And finally, marking the end of the month is our End of the Month Fitness Goal Checklist.

What articles did you enjoy this month?

It's the last day of May and it's time to look back at the month behind us. I think it's important that we take a day to self-assess where we are and where we're going. Rather than waiting for the end of December 2008, let's take a moment to check out how we are doing right now:

• How are your goals going?
• Have you started working towards achieving them?
• Are you encountering obstacles in your path?
• What are the obstacles?
• Are you discouraged or are you challenged?
• Are you still striving towards your goals?
• Have you made it to the mileposts along the road to your final destination?
• What is preventing you if you aren't?
• Are you feeling good?
• Are you feeling bad?
• If there is one thing you could do right now to improve all of the above, identify it.
• What are your goals for June?
• What is your game plan?
• Where will you be in 30 Days?

Consider all of the above questions and answer them honestly. There's nothing wrong with admitting that you have been lax in some areas and harder in others. Goal checking lets us take a progress report. We get to see where we are and where we need to be. If you decide that your goals need modification, go for it. There's no law that says you can't alter your goals.

In fact, you may have set a fitness goal like many do at the beginning of the year. If you feel like you've done little or nothing to accomplish that goal, take the first step back towards it and forgive your lack of forward progress. Don't beat yourself up with regrets. What's done is done. You can't change yesterday, but you can make tomorrow happen.

Have a great rest of your day! We'll see you back here tomorrow on June 1st to tackle our June fitness program, goals and challenges including what to look for in refurbished exercise equipment, exercising with different conditions including diabetes, arthritis and more!

Welcome to our Focus on the Olympics articles that introduces you to our Olympic athletes and hopefuls that will be competing in Beijing this summer. Jason Lezak is a two-time Olympic medalist who has a record for breaking records.

Meet Jason Lezak

Jason began swimming at age five with the Irvine Novaquatics. When he was 10, he had to make a tough decision between the finals of a run, hit, and throw competition at Angel Stadium for baseball and the Junior Olympics for swimming. Swimming turned out to be his choice and he went on to win a couple events at the competition.

He continued to improve all through high school, becoming an All-American his senior year and receiving a scholarship to University of California Santa Barbara. During his junior year, he placed fifth and sixth at the NCAA Championships in the 50m and 100m freestyle. After he finished his eligibility in 1998, he went on to win his first national title and became a professional athlete. In April 2004, Jason married Danielle DeAlva, Olympian and Pan American Games medalist for Mexico.

Why Root for Him?

At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, Jason broke the American record in the 100-meter freestyle (48.17) in the semifinals. He eventually won the 100-meter and also qualified for the Olympic Games in the 50-meter freestyle (22.05). Jason swam in heat 9 at the Games in the 100-meter freestyle event and came in a disappointing fifth (49.87). He failed to qualify for the semifinals as a result. Jason also won a gold medal in the 400m medley relay and silver in the 400 Free Relay at the 2000 Olympic Games.

Since the 2004 Olympic Games, Jason's success has shown that his performance at the next Games will likely not disappoint. At the 2007 Speedo Clovis Invitational in July, Jason turned in a 22.48 readout in the men's 50m free to earn the meet record that was set by Gabriel Woodward in 2006. He also scared his own meet record of 49.74 with a winning effort of 49.90 at the 2007 TYR swimwear and equipment Meet of Champions in June. In addition to his summer feats, Jason also won the 100m free at the 2007 Speedo Grand Challenge in May.

Performance Record

• World record holder - 400m free relay, 400m medley relay, 400m medley relay short course
• Holds the American records in the 100m free, 400m free relay, 400m medley relay, 400m free relay short course and 400m medley relay short course
• 2004 Olympic Games gold medalist - 400m medley relay and bronze in the 400m free relay

The U.S. Swim team trials take place from June 29th to July 6th in Omaha, Nebraska.

We talk about the benefits of doing something, we often focus on one or two things about it that creates a benefit. For example, why get a job? To pay the bills would likely be the answer most of us give. Yet when we get a job that we enjoy or are successful at, we receive more than just a weekly paycheck. We may receive benefits such as health insurance and access to a fitness program. We receive self-esteem and personal pride. We receive the capability to achieve goals and more.

The same can be said for physical exercise. It's important to maintain your fitness and health. Regular exercise also contributes to maintaining your weight, building healthy muscle, bones and joint flexibility. Exercise also helps us feel better about ourselves, strengthens our immune system and can actually help improve cognitive function and creativity.

I'd say that's a lot more than one benefit most people are so concentrated on: battling obesity. Exercise benefits the brain. The brain benefits the body. The more I exercise, the better I do overall - not just in my health, but in my diet choices during the day, during my sleeping at night and when I am working or trying to be creative. Exercise benefits the whole person, not just one part of it.

Exercise Benefits the Brain

If you were wondering how exercise benefits the brain specifically:

• Increases the flow of oxygen enriched blood to the brain
• Increases growth factors that create new nerve cells
• Promotes synaptic plasticity
• Promotes cognition by increasing dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin to the brain

So the question isn't really what exercise can do for you, but why don't you exercise more? Exercise does so much for a person and it benefits the whole person. How does exercise benefit you?

Welcome to our Focus on the Olympics articles that introduces you to our Olympic athletes and hopefuls that will be competing in Beijing this summer. Ryan Lochte's parents were both swimming coaches and helped him achieve his dream of representing his country in the Olympics.

Meet Ryan Lochte

Ryan started swimming competitively at the age of 9. His parents were swimming coaches and his mother was his first coach with his father taking the primary role as he grew older. In 1992, he watched the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain where Pablo Morales won a gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly. Ryan was inspired from that point forward and wanted to represent his country in the Olympics.

Ryan signed an endorsement contract with swimwear company, Speedo, that is reported to be the longest ever for a male swimmer. In high school, Lochte was a four-time all-state selection and also played for the Spruce Creek High School basketball team. He plays basketball, skateboards and surfs in his free time. Ryan names his father as the most influential person in his life. He's always been there for me.

Why Root for Him?

Ryan demonstrated he can succeed in Beijing when he completed one of the greatest performances in swimming history at the 2006 FINA Short Course World Championships in Beijing. Ryan won five medals (three gold, one silver and one bronze) only 10 days after competing at the NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Ga.

Ryan was named the NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year for the second time in his career last season for the University of Florida. He capped off his collegiate career with four stellar performances at the NCAA Championships in Atlanta and successfully defended his 200m IM title in an NCAA and American record time of 1:40.55. Ryan also set the NCAA record in the 100m back while swimming the opening leg of the 400m medley relay. His seven career individual NCAA titles ranks first in school history.

Ryan is also coming off a superb performance at the 2004 Olympic Games with a gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay and silver in the 200m Individual Medley.

Performance Record

• 2006 NCAA Champion - 200m IM, 400m IM, 200m backstroke
• 2006 NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year
• 2006 SEC Champion - 200m IM, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly
• 2006 FINA Short Course World Champion - 400m medley, 200m backstroke, 200m medley
• 2004 Olympic Games 4x200m Freestyle Relay - 1st
• 2004 Olympic Games 200m Individual Medley - 2nd

The U.S. Swim team trials take place from June 29th to July 6th in Omaha, Nebraska.