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There is this girl. She loves to dress in couture, buy accessories from Fred Segal, shop in Beverly Hills and paint Los Angeles pink. Her nails are groomed and her hair is coiffed, and she only drinks Fiji water. But when this girl goes to the gym, she has nothing to wear.

Nothing sexy and flattering, that is. And the creators of Victoria’s Secret Sexy Sport gear knew that women desperately needed a sports bra that fitter her chest and shape. With bras designed for every impact level — low, medium, high and intense sports activity ““ Sexy Sport offers the wearer clothing made from high performance Coolmax fabric. This “actually moves sweat away from the body to the outer surface of the fabric, where it can evaporate quickly,” says Martha McGuiness of Victoria’s Secret. “This thermo-regulatory effect helps you stay drier and more comfortable.”

The fabric also has Meryl Actisystem, which has moisture management properties so fine that it would put cotton to shame. Plus Lycra, which is the magical stretchy ingredient to any fabric (a.k.a. “don’t go to the gym without it”).

(with questions answered by Jeri Ross, Institut DERMed)

A woman’s worst nightmare is not the thought of having no comfort foods at home in the event of a snack attack. Nor is it the thought of having no shoes to wear for the date with the hottie next door. It’s the three-syllabic “C” word that results in a phobia of swimsuit season and wearing short shorts.

We’ve seen products that promise to deliver satin smooth skin. And we’ve also seen how short-lived these results can be. Cellulite appears when subcutaneous fat protrudes into the dermis, and there is a link between hormonal activity and cellulite. Research has shown that there is no link between obesity and cellulite.

Even if you follow the South Beach Diet or schedule a liposuction during your lunch hour, you will not be able to get rid of cellulite unless you exercise regularly and eat healthily. Experts agree that cellulite is not a fat problem but rather a skin problem. And it is genetic. So what do you do when you have it?

Eat well. Choose foods that are rich in lecithin, essential fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants, according to Howard Murad MD, author of The Cellulite Solution. Some of these foods include soy, eggs, olive oils, pomegranate, raw nuts and citrus fruit.

You can opt for treatments like Endermologie, but chances are that you’ll have to spend a pretty coin to get results and keep them. The answer to banish cellulite: exercise, exercise, exercise! Plus using topical creams that improve circulation in those troubled spots can help (and I repeat, help, but not cure cellulite).

Here are some exercise tips that will help you combat those prune-like skin nightmares:

1. Do swift, heart rate accelerating cardiovascular activity for at least 45 minutes 3-4 times weekly. Remember to cool down (walking is helpful) and stretch those hamstring and quad muscles after you work out. Some cardiovascular exercises including walking, running, swimming, using the elliptical machine and the stair-master. Skiing is a great cardiovascular activity and helps target the gluteal and quad muscles.

Summer has arrived! That means fun in the sun, but all that fun can lead to dehydration. You’ve heard it before””drink eight glasses of water. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to gulp it down. Say adios to bland tasting water and give your mouth something to talk about. Rehydrate with O.N.E. (One Natural Experience) Coconut Water!

Athletes, say goodbye to all the sports drinks on the market. O.N.E. replenishes the electrolytes lost during exercise. With fifteen times more potassium and vitamins and minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium, it’s a healthier and tastier alternative.

Coconut water isn’t just ideal for athletes. Frequent flyers, the elderly, and those battling health problems, ranging from short-term intestinal diseases to ongoing treatments for cancer, will benefit from drinking O.N.E. And if you like to hit the bottle every now and then, it’s great for relieving hangovers.

O.N.E. is a dieter’s best friend. If you drink one 11oz. serving before your next meal, it will fill you up just enough so you won’t eat as much. Soon, the pounds will melt away, and you’ll have that bikini body you’ve always dreamed of.

O.N.E. makes its Hollywood premiere at Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Gelson’s, Ralph’s and other fine grocers.

Turn off your alarm clock, click on the DVD player and let’s go. Now there is Yoga in Bed: 20 Asanas to Do in Pajamas. No need to roll out of bed put on workout clothes and go to the gym.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” I said, when I first heard about this book and DVD, not another gimmicky exercise program. It actually is a great idea, though.

Developed by yoga teacher Edward Vilga, he offers a yoga practice done easily and comfortably in bed. Edward, with his hectic schedule was finding it difficult to find the time to practice his yoga techniques so he created this concept.

Yoga in Bed offers everything from Hatha-based poses (asanas) to the ageless practice of meditation in a light, informative format. With gentle stretching and guided meditation set to soothing, appealing music, doing Yoga in Bed has all the healing benefits of the traditional yoga practice. Whether you are a beginner or an avid Yogi, this is a great way to kick-off your day.

Yoga in Bed is a fun way to get you up on the right side of the bed. And, don’t limit your practice to morning. Yoga promotes sounder sleep patterns and will help you wind down from your busy day.

To learn more visit: www.EdwardVilga.com
Available at www.Amazon.com or www.BarnesandNoble.com

Who says computer downloads and excel spreadsheets can’t co-exist with exercise? With a little creativity, you can charge up your heart rate while waiting for the Internal Rate of Return to calculate.

1. You don’t need to be Einstein to figure out that occasional deep breaths and good posture can re-energize your day, especially as it veers towards lackluster. If stress overwhelms you, don’t just sniff your eggshell-colored hydrangeas. Breathe. Sit up straight as a pin, place your hands on your knees and shut your eyes. Take a deep breath, hold for five seconds, then exhale.

2. Stretch those limbs. As you sit in your chair, extend one leg so you feel your quads get taut; repeat with the other leg. Extend your arms in the air, clasp your palms and gently pull them, as though you are lifting your body into the ether.

3. Take a walk around the block during lunchtime or during the afternoon. Don’t just say you will, and then get distracted by the next phone call or graphics document. Sometimes, a sea of tranquility within you can yield a goldmine. Many colleagues have told me that some of their best ideas came to them while they were walking around the block or when they took a break from work.

4. Distill your energy, even in this heyday of multitasking. Focus on one task at a time, from filling a cup of fresh-brewed coffee to writing a speech you’re going to give the next day. Distraction grates. “If you’ve ever attempted to meditate, you know this phenomenon as “˜monkey mind,’ the state where your consciousness leaps about wildly and refuses to settle in one place” says Marcia Menter, author of The Office Sutras.

Like anything else, focus comes with practice. Like getting that slam-dunk on the basketball court.

5. You won’t look like a loser if you do bicep curls with your Evian bottle. Or keep some 1lb weights underneath your desk and work the arm muscles for a minute or two instead of surfing gawker.com. Use ankle weights too, if you want to strengthen your quad and calf muscles. A burst of energy is sometimes all you need to rev up your internal work engine.

Tanita, the top manufacturer of scales and body fat monitors, has partnered with Jenny Craig to introduce the new line of Jenny Craig HealthyTrack scales with success tools.

These scales are perfect for anyone interested in losing weight and making changes in their daily routines. They’re designed to help people live a healthier life by educating people about weight loss and weight management.

The step-down goal tracking technology automatically suggests a goal weight when users step on the scale. It makes losing weight more attainable by breaking the process into manageable steps. Also included is the “weightless mode” which is great for those shy about revealing their weight. With this mode, your actual weight is not displayed, only your progress.

In addition, the scale includes a recall function that displays the past twelve readings by date to help monitor your progress.

Each Jenny Craig scale comes with success tools to insure your goals. These include a free two week Jenny Craig trial membership, Jenny Craig coupons valued at $50, the Jenny Craig “Healthy Track Guide” which provides basic diet information such as sensible goal setting, activity and diet suggestions, and weight loss motivation and support.

Users also have access to Jenny Craig E-tools, which provides customers with online weight management tools and services such as a BMI tracker, weight tracking chart, and message boards and support chat rooms.

What are you waiting for? This is the time to get in the best shape of your life and now you don’t have to do it alone.

Visit www.tanita.com for more information on the Jenny Craig HealthyTrack Scales with Success Tools.

The workout I’m about to give you will make the muscles in your midsection stronger, harder, and flatter. It will make your body stand taller and a bit thinner from front to back. It will help prevent back pain and injury. It will not give you a visible six-pack unless you are also eating right and getting adequate exercise.

There is an important concept in abdominal training. Remember the 3 B’s: Bellybutton to your Back, and Breathe out!

Every time you do an ab movement, you must concentrate on pushing your bellybutton into your back, and breathe out with a forceful contraction. Constant tension throughout the entire contraction is the second principle. Stimulate more muscle fibers by not going all the way back or sitting all the way up. If you learn to do these things you can completely work your abs in three minutes. The following exercises are the first step on your way to a flat stomach.

Pelvic Tilt/Reverse Crunch
Lie flat on your back with your heels resting on a platform raised one to two feet off the ground and a towel behind your neck for support. Your legs should have a very slight bend in them and your arms are lying on the ground beside you. As you breathe out push your bellybutton into your lower back, compressing your entire midsection as far into the ground as possible. As this happens, concentrate on the lower portion of your abs, right above your pelvic wall, and squeeze them as hard as you can. Relax the deep contraction without releasing all the tension. Don’t let your hips touch the ground as you inhale and repeat the exercise. Do this 20 times.
If that becomes too easy, hold your feet in the air at a 90 degree angle. Do the exact same motion as above while rolling your knees up and over your sternum. Make sure you don’t lift your knees too high. This will shift the weight out of the abs and into your back and hip flexors.

Dropped Knee Oblique Crunch
Still on your back, bend your knees and place both feet flat on the ground at a comfortable distance directly in line with your hip sockets (they are slightly inside where your hip bones are). This is the neutral position when lying on your back. Without moving your feet, drop your right knee out to the side until it is as close to the ground as possible. This will force your left hip slightly off the ground. Put your left hand just below your ribcage on the left side of your body and your right hand gently behind your right ear. As you exhale, do the 3Bs with a forceful contraction raising your right shoulder as high off the ground as possible. Inhale as you start to lower your shoulders, but repeat the crunch before both shoulders can touch the ground again, constant tension. When you switch sides, start from the neutral position and repeat the process of setting up. As you become familiar with the exercise the set up takes very little time. Do this exercise 20 times on each side.

Standard Crunch Pulse
Everyone knows what a crunch is, but very few people get the most out of each rep. Start in the neutral position. Place your hands behind your head and tuck the towel from behind your head underneath your chin. This will prevent you from straining your neck. Do the 3Bs and exhale as you squeeze your abs hard. Your shoulders should be a few inches off the ground, but the rest of your back should be pressed firmly into the ground. Inhale, lowering your shoulders about an inch before repeating the entire crunch. This is a pulse. Remember to never release the tension in your abs by allowing your shoulders to touch the ground.

The Workout
Try to do 20 reps for each set listed. Remember to keep strict form, and don’t forget that the oblique exercise has two parts to it.

Pelvic Tilt/Reverse Crunch
Dropped Knee Oblique Crunch (both sides)
Pelvic Tilt/Reverse Crunch
Dropped Knee Oblique crunch (both sides)
Standard Crunch Pulses
Dropped Knee Oblique crunch (both sides)
Standard Crunch Pulses

That’s a total of 200 abdominal repetitions. If at first you can’t get the entire sequence, that’s cool! Start by doing one set of each exercise, pelvic tilt/reverse crunch, oblique crunch, and standard crunch, one after the other. Add another set every workout until you can do what’s on the list.

Summer is upon us and The Sports Club LA/SF Fitness Manager Angie Kalousek knows that people want ideas and fast tools to find their summer bodies. Here are her top picks:

1. Keep a Food Journal ““ If you record what you eat, you are accountable for your food intake. It’s amazing which foods you will start to avoid if you have to put them down in writing!

2. Cross Train – Perform the same cardio workout day after day and your body gets used to exercising the same group of muscles, therefore your workout loses its efficiency and burns fewer calories. According to Forbes.com as reported in a recent IHRSA Report, once your body is no longer feeling challenged, it is time to change the workout.

3. Use Interval Training to Break Plateaus – Intervals take you out of your comfort zone and can significantly increase your calorie burn rate. This is also a great workout for your heart.

4. Build Core Strength While Developing Great Abs – Crunches and sit-ups not only lead to toned abdominals. Core strength is important for stabilizing the spine and protecting your body from injury.