People do yoga for countless reasons.  Specifically, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 uses yoga to relieve back pain.  Here are the moves he told Women’s Health that helped with his back.  Try these out to relieve any tension or pain in your back – or simply try these out for a good stretch. You can do this set of moves on its own or before/after your workout.



Move #1 – Bent-Knee Forward Bend

With knees hip-width apart and with knees bent, fold at the waist grabbing your opposite elbows and letting your head hang. Hold for 2-5 minutes until you feel your back begin to release.







Move #2 – Dog/Cat Tilts on Hands And Knees

With fingers spread and arms strongly engaged, inhale, then arch your lower back gently and look upward, moving into the “dog’’ position. As you exhale, round your back (like a cat) and look at your navel to stretch out the back and spine as much as is comfortable.

Move #3 – Flat Back Position

Slightly Bent. From standing position, bend your knees slightly and fold at the waist until your back is parallel to the ground. Hold your arms out to the sides to give your back some strength resistance. Imagine that you are holding an orange under your chin and draw your abdomen up towards your spine to create as flat a back as possible. Come back to standing with straight legs. Do this exercise 5 times for a 10-20 second flat back hold each time.

Move #4 – Cobra

Lying on your stomach with your hands underneath your shoulders, inhale and lift your head and torso up off the mat into a cobra backbend. (Your abdomen and lower body stay down.) Keep your elbows in at your waist, your chin into your chest, and your shoulders down. Hold the LAST cobra for 5 breaths, but use the first 4 cobras as a full spinal and back warm-up. As you exhale, lower back down until your forehead touches your mat. Repeat 5 times.

Move #5 – Superman

Lying on your stomach, extend your arms out in front of you and lift your legs behind you. Keep the insides of your feet touching and turn your palms to face each other. Now lift your right arm and your left leg. Hold the first diagonal extension on the right and left side for 5 seconds each side, then hold for one count with strong and proper form. Switch by lifting your left arm and your right leg. Repeat ten times, extending through the arm and back through the leg to create a deep diagonal stretch and strengthening across your back.

Move #6 – Spinal Twist

Lying on your back, hug your right knee into your chest and hold for 2 minutes, then lower your right knee to the left side of your body and turn your head and right arm to the right until you feel a deep stretch across the lower back. Fully exhale and release, holding for 2-5 minutes. Switch sides.

Plagued by injury for a good part of his time in the NBA, Phoenix Suns‘ forward Grant Hill credits his new diet for his recent resurgence.  Last year, at the age of 36, Hill played in all 82 games for the first time in his career.  He followed that up this season by starting in 81 of the Suns’ 82 games.

“When I was a rookie with the Pistons in ’94 I ate whatever I wanted.  Pregame, I’d stop at this street with five fast-food joints and go ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.’  My second year, I hired a chef.  I thought home-cooked meals would improve my diet.  Instead, I ate a lot of steaks, pastas, and heavy cream sauces, and Kool-Aid.  It was always in the fridge,” says Hill.

Hill has now changed his diet to include more fish, fruits and vegetables.  He attributes his ability to keep up with the younger guys in the NBA to his healthy eating.

Here are some diet tips Grant Hill shared in the May 2010 edition of Men’s Fitness…

Don’t Be Drastic
“If you want to improve how you eat, make a few subtle changes to your diet first.  Don’t just go hardcore all at once or you’re likely to fall off the wagon.’

Drink Nothing But Water
“That means no soda, coffee, or juice.  You’ll find it hard to do, but most of us walk around dehydrated because we don’t drink the right stuff.”

Stay Away From Processed Foods
“It can be an almost impossible challenge, but its worth it.  For starters, try to eat foods without labels, then go organic when you can.”

Cheat on Occasion
“You’ve got to afford yourself a luxury from time to time.  Think of it as a reward for all your hard work.  I’ll have a cookie, but not every single night.  It’s like once a month.”

A Sample Day of Eating for Hill

Breakfast – Oatmeal waffles with flaxseed oil and agave nectar
Snack – Goji Berries and almonds
Lunch – Miso soup and fresh fruit
Pre-Game – Fish or Chicken and salad

Hill doesn’t mention what he eats for post-game recovery, but we are certain he maintains his healthy balanced eating approach after the game as well.  it is important to remember that your post-workout nutrition is vital to re-fueling and re-building your body.

Grant Hill and the Suns start the first round of the NBA playoffs this weekend against the Trailblazers.  For more information on basketball training tips check out our previous post on the North Carolina Tar Heels workout program and Lebron James’ workout.

Iron Man 2 hitting theaters this weekend as the most-anticipated movie of the summer. We continue our look at the diet and workout programs of the cast of Iron Man 2.  Over the last two days we have shared the training secrets that helped Robert Downey Jr. pack on 20 pounds of muscle, and the routine that Gwyneth Paltrow used to tone up for her role in the action movie.  Today, we look into the diet Gwyneth Paltrow shared with the readers of her GOOP Newsletter.

Wake Up – Green Tea
Green Tea has a long list of reported health benefits including helping with weight loss as it helps induce thermogenises and stimulate fat oxidation.

Breakfast – A Think Thin bar or Clean Shake. The shake is part of The Clean Program Gwyneth has been known to follow and that we recently reviewed as part of our Spring Celebrity Diet Series.

Actor and comedian Steve Harvey appeared on Good Morning America Wednesday morning to tell us about his unique fitness plan for the new year.

“This is what I’ve got to do.  I’ve got to really encourage people about their fitness,” said Harvey.  We always make these resolutions at the beginning of the year.  And so I was trying to encourage my listeners to get fit so I said ‘well first you’ve got to lead by example.’”

In an effort to lose 25 pounds Harvey plans to ride a stationary bike during his 4 hour radio show every day for the next 3 months.

This is not Harvey’s first foray into the fitness world.

Just after turning 50 he teamed up with former Mr. Olympia Lee Haney to launch is “50 and Fly” campaign.  Steve told Men’s Fitness about his plans for a DVD, book and website detailing his transformation using Haney’s diet and workout plan, and “encouraging men ages 40 and older to tone up, slim down, eat right, and, most importantly, stop using age as an excuse to let themselves go.”

Haney put Harvey through a circuit training program using functional movements (exercises that simulate real-life movement) and followed 2 main directives:

1.  “Eat for what you’re about to do, not what you’ve done.” (Translation: if you’re about to work out, eat carbs; if you’re about to go to sit on your butt, eat a small meat-and-vegetables-only meal.)

2.  “Stimulate, Don’t Annihilate.” (Translation: You don’t have to tear up your muscles to see results.)

We like Haney’s program much better than Steve’s current bike riding binge.  Studies have shown that circuit training or high intensity interval training (HIIT) is a quicker way to burn fat and increase health then steady-state cardio.

However, we certainly won’t discourage anyone from being active and we fully support Harvey in his efforts to get people motivated to be fit.

Fox phenomenon Glee returned a couple of weeks ago, and fans could not be more excited to spend their Tuesday nights singing along with the musical cast. Actress Lea Michele plays perfectionist and self-proclaimed star vocalist Rachel Berry on Glee. In reality, Lea Michele has more than lived up to her Glee character Rachel’s dreams. Lea made her Broadway debut at age 8 and has continued to sing to sold-out crowds ever since.

To keep up with her busy Glee schedule, Lea Michele needs to eat healthy, balanced meals. A great way to eat healthily when you don’t have a lot of time is to cook one recipe that will provide several meals throughout the week. Lea Michele’s Vegetarian Lasagna Roll-up Recipe includes a variety of veggies, for vitamins and fiber, and cheese, for protein and calcium. To make the recipe a bit healthier, try substituting low-fat cheese or using less cheese and adding more vegetables. Bon appétit!

Vegetarian Lasagna Roll-up Ingredients

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large bunch of broccoli, stems removed, finely chopped
• 1 16 oz. bag of baby carrots, chopped
• 1 16 oz. box of lasagna noodles
• 1 32 oz. container ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 24 oz. jars tomato sauce (reserve half for final topping)

Vegetarian Lasagna Roll-up Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté chopped broccoli and carrots until tender, about 7 minutes
3. Place in large bowl and refrigerate until cool
4. Cool noodles, drain and lay flat to cool
5. Mix ricotta with garlic powder, oregano, basil and salt to taste
6. Add ricotta mixture, parmesan, and mozzarella to bowl of broccoli and carrots, mix well with spoon
7. Using a spatula, spread 1/2 cup filling on to the length of each lasagna noodle, leaving 1/2 inch at each end so roll ups do not overflow, roll each one tightly
8. Spread half of tomato sauce on bottom of deep baking pan, seam side down
9. Bake 45 minutes
10. Remove and top with remaining tomato sauce, cook for 15 more minutes

In it’s April 2009 issue Men’s Health named the TRX Suspension Trainer as the Best Total Body Workout Tool.  The TRX is the ultimate portable workout that you can literally take anywhere.  It weighs less than 2 lbs and will give you one of the most challenging workouts imaginable.  The TRX incorporates functional body-weight exercises for a full body workout.  The movements and workouts you can create with TRX are endless and the Fitness Anywhere website is constantly updated with new exercises and challenges to keep your workouts on the cutting edge.

All-Pro Quarterback Drew Brees is TRX’s most recent partner calling the suspension trainer “the greatest piece of functional equipment that exists.”  You can watch Brees demonstrate the August, TRX Game Day Challenge or purchase and download the entire 4 circuit workout program Brees uses to get ready for the NFL season at fitnessanywhere.com.  Check out Drew Brees in action below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG8fruvbdIw

Self.com has a video demonstration of the TRX workout developed by trainer Gregg Miele for celebrity clients Mary J. Blige, Ellen Pompeo and Giselle Bundchen.  Miele “packs TRX to-go kits for stars when they’re going on tour or shooting on location!”
Jennifer Lopez also uses the TRX with her trainer Gunnar Peterson.  Says Peterson, Lopez has  “done push-ups on them, rows, hamstrings – there’s not a body part that you can’t hit using it.  It allows you to work with your body weight depending on the angle and how much you pull on it.”

Emmy winning star of My Name is Earl and summer hit move I Love You, Man, Jaime Pressly graced the cover of Shape Magazine in March telling the mag, “I use this (the TRX) to tone up at home when I can’t get to the gym.”

Season 6 of the Biggest Loser featured the contestants using the TRX and trainer Bob Harper had this to say:

“I have been a trainer now for almost 20 years and I am constantly looking for new equipment. Now being a trainer on “The Biggest Loser”, my workouts have to be effective and on the cutting edge. Thanks to the TRX, I got some really great workouts with my contestants this season. Watching them be challenged by working on something that requires such core strength, as well as shear FULL body strength, I knew I had a great piece of equipment on my hands. I really LOVE this piece of equipment!!!”

Olympic swimmer and Dancing With the Stars contestant Natalie Coughlin told Trathlete Magazine, “I absolutely love strength training and have tried a lot of different things from heavy, max-out weight lifting to simply Pilates…I recently started using the TRX suspension system and absolutely love it. I bring it with me when I travel.”  She also told Fit Sugar she loves doing atomic pushups.  Even MMA fighters, such as Brandon Vera, use TRX.

Try this “taxing upper body blast” featured in the July 2009 issue of Muscle and Fitness.

Drew Barrymore has always been proud of her curves, but in 2004 she realized she needed to workout and diet to feel healthy. She lost 20 lbs. and six years later, Drew has proven it is possible to lose weight and keep it off while following a reasonable diet and workout routine. To see Drew’s results for yourself, check her out in her latest film, Everybody’s Fine, which released on DVD this Tuesday.

Drew has never been a fan of Hollywood the fad diet, and finds that sensible, sustainable eating leads to long-term weight loss. Prior to 2004, Drew says, “I was a full vegetarian, living on carbs.” Now, “I eat more protein. If I want that pasta, I’m gonna have it though! I don’t eat a ton of meat, but if my body needs some, then I’ll eat it. When I don’t feel good about myself, I’ll eat healthier or eat a little less.” Drew eats three meals per day, consisting mostly of organic fruit and vegetables. Drew also drinks a lot of water and takes vitamin C, which keeps her skin looking luminous.

Although a vegetarian diet wasn’t right for Drew, check out other stars, including Olivia Wilde and Kristen Bell, who say a diet without meat helps them stay slim and feel healthy. The USDA also has some helpful tips for creating a healthy, balanced vegetarian diet.

Drew’s diet helped her lose weight, but Drew feels the most important change was adding exercise to her weekly routine. Drew says, “I didn’t exercise before, but ever since I started, my body has really changed.” She jokes, “it turns out those people who say exercise is good for you are right. I hate that!” Drew’s favorite workout is running because she finds it an outlet. She runs about five miles, three days per week. Drew also enjoys the Bar Method, a workout combining yoga, pilates, and other exercises. Finally, Drew enjoys walking, biking, dancing, swimming, and even mini-golf. ”It doesn’t matter how you raise a sweat,” she says, “so long as you have fun doing it!”

Check out Drew’s daily diet and weekly workout routines, provided to Woman’s Day:

Drew’s Daily diet

Breakfast
Fresh organic fruit salad
Or
Brown toast spread thinly with peanut butter

Snacks
Sugar-free jello

Lunch
Grilled chicken, jacket potato and salad
Or
Green vegetable salad

Drinks
2 liters of water per day

Dinner
Grilled turkey fillet with rice, tomato and mixed peppers
Or
A small serving of pasta with a light sauce

Drew’s Weekly Workouts

Sessions per week
Five 45-minute workouts

Suggested exercise

• 45 minutes outdoor running
• 45 minutes fast walking
• 45 minutes cycling
• 45 minutes swimming or dancing

Source: People

It’s Fitness Week on the popular morning talk show Live with Regis and Kelly, so today we are looking at what the extremely fit co-host Killy Ripa does to keep her body in tip-top shape.  Her secret…Physique 57.

An hour long group fitness class, Physigue 57 aims to sculpt muscles by combining Pilates, ballet, and traditional calisthenics.  The class is fast paced and uses a combination of dumbbell and isometric moves.

“I’m totally hooked on this sculpting class I discovered at [New York City gym] Physique 57,” Ripa told Fitness. “It has transformed my body in ways I never thought possible.”

“I saw a difference physically within five classes,” said Ripa, who does the Physique 57 workouts at least four times a week. “I’m a short person, but I’m becoming longer and leaner. The class works your glutes, your abs, and your obliques. It’s all about building muscle, then stretching it out. I’ve never been addicted to something like this.”

Ripa rarely takes a day off, and also runs at least three miles per day, five days a week.

Physique 57 now has three DVDs available so you too can get ripped like Ripa in the comfort of your own home.

For a sample workout from Physique 57 keep reading…

Check back later this week for more updates on Kelly from Fitness Week on Live.

Source

Kim Cattrall is well known as Samantha Jones, the ultimate cougar on the mega-hit HBO series Sex and the City. Although Kim is the sexiest lady the city, she is also the oldest. At age 53, Kim Cattrall provides inspiration for young and old alike, proving that you can stay hot despite your years. Check out Kim in her latest film, The Ghost Writer, which premiers in theaters this weekend.

When it comes to working out, Kim enjoys the overall toning effect of Pilates. More specifically, Kim enjoys Gyro-lates, which is a combination of machine-based Pilates, yoga, dance, swimming, and t’ai chi. Kim also says, “I do easy exercises to lose weight, as much as I can. If I don’t exercise, I feel sluggish. I try to do 30 minutes a day. If I can’t get to a gym, I walk. I find it a release.”

Despite Kim’s workout routine, there is no substitute for a healthy diet when it comes to looking young. Eating healthily improves skin, hair, weight, and overall energy levels. Kim eats a diet of about 2,000 calories per day. She eats vegetables with every meal and drinks plenty of tea, which is known for its anti-aging antioxidants. She also eats healthy oils from sources such as olive oil and fish. When Kim needs to drop a few extra pounds, she says “I stop the bread and alcohol.”

Check out a typical daily diet in the life of Kim Cattrall, as provided to People magazine:

Breakfast
Glass of papaya juice
One multivitamin, plus vitamin C
English muffin with a pat of butter, slice of aged cheddar cheese, fresh tomato slice and sprinkle of kosher salt

Morning Snack
Glass of unsweetened iced tea

Lunch
Gazpacho with a wedge of French bread
6 oz. filet of braised cod
Small side salad with olive oil dressing
Glass of unsweetened iced tea
Crème caramel for dessert

Afternoon Snack
Can of diet soda

Dinner
Glass of Chardonnay
Salad with blue cheese dressing
Chicken breast with green beans

If Samantha from Sex and the City isn’t quite your speed, check out Charlotte’s workout. Charlotte, played by Kristen Davis, is a little younger than Kim, but no less inspirational!

Source 1: MSN Style

23-year-old R&B star Rihanna has been lighting up stages across the world this summer on her Loud tour. But Rihanna has been attracting attention offstage as well, most recently with her controversial Tweet about her shoot for Esquire Magazine: “I shot my first cover yesterday with Russell James… not much preparation: just wax and starve!” Fans were shocked or outraged, tweeting back, “That’s a bad message for your fans” and “What kind of role model are you?” While many concede that it most likely was a joke, Rihanna hasn’t publicly addressed the issue. Earlier in the year, however, Rihanna did address the topic of body image – declaring that she has learned to love her curves.

Rihanna has always been known as having one of most envied bodies in Hollywood – fit, but still shapely and not rail thin. Since she isn’t starving herself, here’s how she’s really staying in such great shape: “a lot of hard work.” Diet-wise, the singer says, “Carbs are the enemy!” She usually eats egg whites and pineapple for breakfast, fish and potatoes for lunch, and more fish for dinner. “I hate vegetables, but I make myself eat them,” she says.

As for her toned legs and slim waist, Rihanna says, “Cardio is key. I lift weights, but I don’t want my legs to bulk up, so I do a lot of cardio.” Rihanna’s personal trainer and owner of Gotham Global Fitness, Ary Nunez, also helps the singer keep her workouts new and exciting. “Rihanna gets bored, so I gotta keep it fresh,” says Ary. Here are 3 general tips Ary uses when working with Rihanna, as shared with Vogue, that you can adapt to your own workouts:

1. Listen to your body.
Nuñez emphasizes that your body will not respond physically if you’re not giving it what it’s asking for. “I’m working with an individual—it’s like we’re sparring, we’re reading each other,” she says. “If Rihanna comes in and has an enormous burst of energy, we’re going to work with that energy. If she’s coming in and is exhausted from work, then the workout focus changes to ‘How can I restore you, so you can be up and working again tomorrow?’”

2. Keep it fresh.
Nunez combines her knowledge of martial arts, dance, and calisthenics to keep Rihanna interested. The biggest muscle is the brain. “Every minute, every second is different,” says Nuñez.

3. Know what you’re training for.
“If we’re training for a tour, we work on stamina, so she’s able last for 2–3 hours on a stage,” she says. But the workout changes if Rihanna is preparing for a movie role or the red carpet. You build a workout around a goal.

These tips will help you on the path towards a rockstar body like Rihanna’s in no time!

Source: wellandgoodNYC

I know this happened a while ago, but I just saw a replay of the MTV Video Music Awards and Pink’s high flying trapeze performance (see below) is incredible.

Pink likes taking her fitness to the extreme saying, “I do trapeze, flipping motorcycles, bungee jumping, skydiving. All kinds of stuff just to get me pumped. I love it.”  On how she is able to perform and do the trapeze act at the same time, Pink told Women’s Health, “I have to be able to run up those stairs as many times as I do and be able to sing at the same time. I’m an asthmatic. I have to be on that treadmill singing to get my lungs right.”

Pink also does P90X and yoga to keep her body in peak condition.

Check out more video and pics of Pink over at Women’s Health.

When the Fox medical drama House returns tonight, loyal fans will tune in to catch-up with their favorite sexy doctor, played by actress Olivia Wilde. As one of the sexiest doctors on TV, her diet and workout allow Olivia Wilde to eat right, stay balanced, and keep her body in top form.

When it comes to diet, Olivia is a self-described “sort-of vegetarian who eats fish.” Although she rebuffs meat, and avoids bread and pasta as much as possible, she does not always succeed. Avoiding bread and pasta is especially difficult due to her Italian husband, Tao. Additionally, cheese and good wine are staples in their Venice Beach loft.

Although it sounds as if Olivia Wilde follows a strict diet, she tries to keep up a relaxed approach to eating. Olivia says, “I don’t own a scale, and Tao banned the word fat from our house.” “If we eat too much, we say, ‘I feel clogged up.’” When following any diet, it is important to maintain a healthy attitude towards food. Creating too much pressure can eventually cause unhealthy eating habits followed by guilt or remorse.

As for maintaining her slim, healthy body, Olivia tries to workout daily. She enjoys spinning at a studio near her Venice Beach home, but laughs because she is so close to an outdoor workout at the beach. “I make fun of it, but it’s amazing, because you have to push yourself through this resistance, which is so therapeutic,” she says. “And they say you can burn nearly 800 calories in, like, 45 minutes if you push it to the highest level.” However, her workout is not limited to the gym.  Her workout routine also includes yoga, karate, and hiking with her dogs Lola and Paco.

As long as Olivia Wilde continues to diet and workout like this, she will continue being one of the sexiest doctors on TV.

Source: Women’s Health

Gerard Butler, actor

Secret: Add weight to the bar and work your core from different angles.

How to do it…

Use heavy weight and do challenging compound exercises such as the squat or deadlift.  These moves engage your core and burn more calories than isolation exercises, helping you to shred fat and reveal your abs.


Butler’s trainer recommends this ab workout at the end of a gym session:

• Hanging leg raises – 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps
• Planks - 3 sets, holding for a minimum of 30 seconds, but try to add more time each session

We expect to see Butler team up with a trainer again as recent pictures have revealed he has lost his ripped look.  Perhaps he will go back to the 300 Workout to prepare for his next flick.

Also, in case you missed it, be sure to check out part 1, part 2, and part 3 of our All-Star Celebrity Abs series.

Kirstie Alley’s recently launched Phitter.com aims to bring the fitness community together in Twitter-esque style.  You can create your own “Phitter Phamily” and meet new “Phriends” to help you with your exercise, diet and weight loss goals.

Alley has had a highly publicized battle with her weight over the years.  She is a former Jenny Craig spokeswoman having lost over 75 pounds, only to put it back on again a few years later.  Alley, the author of How to Lose Your Ass and Regain Your Life will star in a new reality series about her life in 2010 that will show off her new weight loss plan.

We aren’t sure the world needs another social networking site, but we like Kirstie Alley because she is real and her struggles with her weight are like many Americans.

A self-described “beer and bread man,” Paul Bettany recently transformed his body into a ripped machine for his role in the upcoming thriller Legion in which he plays the humanity-saving archangel Michael.

Bettany changed his diet to include small meals of lean meat and vegetables, while eating every 4 hours.  This diet helped ensure that Bettany’s metabolism, and thus his body’s fat-burning ability, was running at full throttle all-day long.  In addition, such a diet ensures that insulin, and thus energy levels, are always in check.

Bettany also hired trainer Mike Hood to run him through circuit training workouts 5 days per week.  Hood says, “The idea was to blast his body.  We didn’t do a lot of cardio.  The heart rate was elevated throughout the workout.  He was never sitting around.”  Essentially the circuit training routine replaced Bettany’s cardio needs, while also creating more muscle, which further increased his metabolism and body’s fat-burning ability.

Here is Bettany’s circuit workout, courtesy of the February 2010 issue of Men’s Fitness:

Core Exercises

• 20 Hanging Leg Lifts (with ankle weights)
• 30 Rope Crunches
• 30 Ab Wheel Rollouts
• 20 Back Extensions

Complete the core phase of the workout with as little rest as possible between exercises before moving on to the main circuit.

Circuit Training

• Smith Machine Bench Press
• Incline Press
• Lat Pulldown
• One-Arm Push Press
• Barbell Curl
• Tricep Overhead Extension

Complete 3 rounds of the circuit.  Do 15 reps of each exercise.  Jump rope for 2 minutes, as an active recovery,  in between rounds.

You can see Bettany in Legion in theaters nationwide starting tonight (January 22, 2010).