British actress Thandie Newton has starred in films such as Mission Impossible II, Crash and W. She’s simply gorgeous and always looks picture-perfect on the red carpet. In this month’s issue of the UK InStyle Magazine the 37-year-old mother-of-two explains that her fit figure all boils down to good genes workouts at the gym and plenty of yoga. She said,

“I’m a Jivamukti yoga freak – it’s food for my soul. When I’m not working, I’ll drop Rip off at school and Nico at nursery, then I go to yoga.”

Jivamukti yoga isn’t one of the more common forms of yoga but it’s a stimulating exercise that incorporates Sanskrit chanting, meditation and deep relaxation. Newton mentioned that she also does a lot of work with her trainer, Liston Wingate-Denys. As for the genes she says she inherited, her father is British and her mother is Zimbabwean. What a knock-out!

Source

Emmy Rossum keeps her 23-year-old body tight and taught by heating it up; she practices Bikram Yoga (also known as Hot Yoga). The actress and star of Phantom of the Opera tweeted recently that she was taking Bikram classes.

“Continuing with my new workout kick,” Emmy said from her Twitter account. “105 degrees, 90 minutes of Bikram hell = a really clear mind and a really toned behind. Oh it even rhymes!”

Created by Bikram Choudhury, Bikram takes you through 26 postures or asanas and 2 breathing exercises. As Emmy tweeted, the 90-minute classes are practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 40%. Because the rooms are so hot, you will sweat quite a bit, getting rid of toxins in the body. Your muscles are warm, which allows you greater flexibility for deeper stretching, and the heat also helps prevents injuries as well as relieve stress and tension.

Watch this video that explains the practice more.

Cute as Emmy’s personality may be, the Golden Globe Award nominee’s body is scorching hot!

Source

The glamorous Kate Winslet has accepted libel damages over the previous allegations that she lied about her workout routine. A few months ago Winslet sued the Associated Newspapers when an article was published accusing her of lying about only exercising 20 minutes a day and the author of the article suggested that the actress had to do more than that to prepare for roles. Her lawyer Rachel Atkins said,

“The claimant has frequently asserted the right of women to accept the way that they look and by accusing her of trying to mislead the public, the defendant caused her a great deal of distress. It was simply not true.”

The newspaper did print an apology in September and agreed to pay the damages worth $40,000. Winslet said that she felt she had to demand an apology to show her commitment to the views she has previously expressed about body image, diet and exercise. She said,

“I strongly believe that women should be encouraged to accept themselves as they are, so to suggest that I was lying was an unacceptable accusation of hypocrisy.”

Source

Not many 49-year-olds can boost losing 40 pounds, running a marathon and being a spokesperson for Jenny Craig. Valerie Bertinelli has gone one further this month – she’s just released a new fitness DVD, Losing It And Keeping Fit, with her personal trainer Christopher Ross Lane.

The former One Day at a Time actress apparently spent most of her workout hours in her living room, and now wants to help other women workout in their homes too. The 61-minute DVD Valerie Bertinelli: Losing It And Keeping Fit
went on sale on November 3 and boosts two exercise programs with full-length workouts to help you lose weight and keep fit.

The first program is Body Basics for beginners (a 20-minute whole-body workout to tone legs, hips, abs and arms) while the second is a Bikini Ready intermediate routine (40 minutes of sculpting exercises with bursts of cardio).

A bonus feature also includes interviews with both Valerie and her trainer Christopher.

Self magazine caught up with a few of the stars of the Twilight movie series and spoke to them about their fitness habits.

Rachelle Lefevre
Cast as Victoria in the first 2 movie of the series, Rachelle keeps fit by hitting a boot camp 4 to 5 times a week. She also does a little Pilates to lengthen and tone her limbs, but drinks about a gallon of water every day.

Kellan Lutz
This hottie who plays Emmett Cullen goes bouldering, which works not only his upper body but also his core because you have to use your fingertips. He also takes a dip with his dog and does a few laps in the pool. When it comes to his diet he eats a lot protein (steaks and hamburgers) but also keeps it balanced with veggies.

Ashley Green
The 22-year-old actress gets up really early to do Pilates because her day is so busy and she has no other time to fit it in. Ashley also drinks a gallon of water every day, but it’s a special kind of filtered water that the body absorbs quicker.

Source

Comedian and talk show host Chelsea Handler is on the cover of the December issue of Playboy Magazine.  The 34-year-old hasn’t said if she reveals all but the au-naturalle Chelsea is proud of her shapely body.  On her show Chelsea Lately she will often joke about her large breasts and the fact that she doesn’t need any surgical enhancements.  While on the Jay Leno Show this week she was asked how she got in shape for the photo shoot and she jokingly responded,

“I quit drinking for like a day and a half,” she explains. “And I worked out — but I always work out. So it wasn’t anything major.”

In a previous interview with Women’s Health Magazine she did explain what her usual workouts consist of. She exercises four to five times a week and she’ll do sprints, pilates and workout with her personal trainer.  She has also been seeing a nutritionist in order to eat healthy and have more energy. Her weaknesses include salty fried foods like doritos, pizza, burgers and fries so she is sure to be careful and not get stuck into them too often.  She said,

“I have to be careful because it’s a slippery slope, and the minute you start indulging, you want more. But it works in the opposite way, too. When you eat healthy, suddenly chips don’t sound so great.”

Source
Source 1

Cougar Town star Courtney Cox Arquette is a big advocate of the Power Plate. She used the machine as she prepared for her role as a newly divorced mom who is getting back into dating after years of marriage. She said,

“Power Plate Training Machine has dramatically changed my workout. I know that every muscle in my body is being ignited in ways that you can’t do with traditional training. Its uses are limitless. I love this machine!”

The Power Plate is an efficient workout that can be done in less than 30 minutes thanks to the Advanced Vibration Technology that causes involuntary muscle reactions 25-50 times per second while exercising. Users have increased strength, improved muscle tone and balance. Other celebrities that use Power Plate include Dannii Minogue, Cher and Stevie Nicks. Courtney’s trainer, Michelle Lovitt said that it helps celebrities get red-carpet ready in less amount of time in comparison to traditional exercise. Lovitt said,

“If your schedule doesn’t always allow time for traditional exercise, Power Plate Acceleration Training is great because you get a full, targeted workout in as little as three 30-minute sessions a week, and still see amazing results.”

Source

Edward Norton, star of Fight Club and The Incredible Hulk has laced up his shoes and he’s ready to run the upcoming New York City Marathon.  He decided to train for the marathon in order to raise money for the Massai Wildnerness Conservation Trust, an organization he discovered 10 years ago while doing work in Kenya. He has even done some training with Maasai tribesmen who are the Kenyan long-distance superstars.  He now has a 30 person team (including David Blaine, Alanis Morrisette and Maasai warriors) ready for the marathon and they’ll all be raising money to support the cause.

Norton started training in June and he has slowly increased his weekly mileage in preparation for the event.  He has suffered from shin splints and IT band pain but overall he’s had great success.   He said there are,

“moments where it’s hard to believe you’re going to reach the next five-mile increment.  And when I ran 21 miles, I felt pretty good about that.”

Norton trained in Kenya with the tribesmen for three weeks and now his new buddies are in New York and he has taken them running through the park and they’ve also attended some yoga classes.

So far Norton has raised $140,942 and he’s being sponsored by Puma and Garmin.  For further updates check out his twitters and tweets as he is giving daily updates.

Source

Previous The Biggest Loser trainer, Kim Lyons, has released a new fitness DVD – one aimed specifically targeted to diabetes patients, called Start Fitness Now: Beating Type 2 Diabetes.

The 3-set DVD series, produced by Watch It Now Entertainment and created with Dr Sheila Singh, MD, Diplomat of the American Association of Family Physicians, is a workout designed by a celebrity trainer but endorsed by a registered physician.

“As a physician, I recommend patients engage in 150 minutes physical activity per week; the DVDs are structured to give you this with 20 minutes per day – a realistic goal yielding realistic results,” says Dr. Singh. “The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cites 63% of Americans battle with weight loss management and obesity – this series can help them as well.”

The DVDs, “Sit Down & Shape Up For Beginners”, “Sit Down & Shape Up Intermediate” and “Stand Up & Slim Down”, are specifically designed with beginners in mind. The routines start off easy and progress to tougher exercises that strengthen and challenge your body and its core, boosts your heart rate, increases blood circulation, all the while mobilizing your different muscle groups.

You can find out more information on how to manage type 2 diabetes with exercise and a healthy diet on the official StartFitnessNow.com website.

As a health and fitness writer for Yahoo! Health, Gabrielle Reece has really outdone herself with this latest dumbbell circuit workout.  I’ve done the butt workout and the abs and core workout but this new one (that I just did today) will really put you to the test.  The workout is an all over toning workout that incorporates both the lower body and the upper body so you’re working twice as hard.  Reece also throws in some cardio moves too to keep the heart rate up.  There are 11 exercises in the circuit and you should strive to complete the whole circuit three to four times.

1. Running

Do short sprints of approximately 30 feet. Walk back to the starting point and begin the next sprint. Do 5 sprints.

2. Skating

Stand in a seated squat position. Quickly jump from side to side exploding off the floor and try to go as fast as you can while keeping your balance and concentrating on form. Do 20 on each leg.

3. Split Squat

Stand with feet apart with one foot behind the other.  Hold dumbbells by your side and perform a single lunge squat.  Do 12 times on each leg.

4. Bicep Shoulder Press Combo

While holding dumbbells at your side stand erect and do a traditional biceps curl, but when you get to the top rotate wrists in order to go up into a shoulder press.  Lower back down and repeat 12 times.

5. Stationary Lunge Bicep Curl

Lunge forward with one leg, place weights down by the forward calf, and curl arms towards shoulders. Lower weights, go back to standing position and repeat on both legs 12 times.

6. Stationary Lunge Tri Kickback

Lunge forward with one leg, bend arms and place weights by the sides of your tummy; extend weights back until arms are straight. Lower weights, go back to standing position and repeat on both legs 12 times.

7. Side to Front Shoulder Raise

While standing hold weights at your sides and then raise arms to to the side until parallel to the ground.  Then slowly move weights to the front of you keeping parallel with the floor and then back to starting position.  Repeat 12 times.

8. Squat Row

Lower into a squat position, leaning your upper body slightly forward with arms hanging down. Pull weights in toward your body, bending from the elbows until maxed out. Slowly lower back to straight arms. Repeat 12 times

9. Toe Squat with Front Shoulder Raise

Rise up onto your toes and hold it there while you raise the dumbbells straight out in front until parallel to the ground. Lower your arms back to the beginning position and repeat 12 times while staying on your toes.

10. Side Toe Squat with V-Shoulder Raise

Turn feet and knees outward. Rise up onto toes and hold; raise dumbbells diagonally out to a V until arms are parallel to the ground. Lower back down while remaining on your toes and repeat 12 times.

11. Straight Leg Deadlift

Stand erect with weights in your hands by your sides.  Hinge down at the waist while keeping arms and back straight and keep going down until weights touch the ground. Slowly hinge back up to starting position.  Repeat 12 times.

This is one hefty workout.  Don’t forget that once you complete the 11 exercises in the circuit you still have to do the whole process two more times, whew.  Good luck!

Source