Celebrity fitness trends

Want to know how Scarlett Johannsen stays tonedf? Want to push your fitness to the extreme? Check out the latest fitness trends that keep the stars fit.

Jake Gyllenhaal did his own mind-blowing stunts in his upcoming movie, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. To train for the movie, the 29-year-old took up parkour — a physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one’s path by adapting one’s movements to the environment. Jake trained with David Belle, the inventor of parkour. “He taught me to actually run on walls and jump from rooftops safely. It’s not fake. We actually did it,” Jake told Good Morning America.

Former Spice Girl has followed Jennifer Anniston to take up Yogalosophy, a fitness regime which combines yoga and toning exerciseswith astrology. Jennifer credits her body to Mandy Ingber’s method, and has even featured in one of the DVDs. A friend told Heat magazine that Victoria bought the Yogalosophy DVD and “does her workout at home around four times a week to ‘align her mind and spirit’. She’s really starting to notice the difference.”

What do Scarlett and Axl Rose have in common? They are both members of SPiN, a ping-pong social club opened by celebrity and table tennis junkie Susan Sarandon.

A workout that combines features of Pilates with boxing, Piloxing is the brainchild of Swedish dancer and celebrity trainer Viveca Jensen. The work-out mixes air punches with weighted gloves, along with tummy-strengthening and toning exercise. Hilary is a fan: “After training with Viveca I feel physically strong and mentally empowered,” she wrote on Viveca’s website.

The former supermodel is a dedicated player of horseback polo, and often plays for the Apes Hill Polo team in Barbados, where she lives. In 2004, Jodie co-founded Pret-a-Polo, a venture to marry up polo, fashion and partying. She told UK’s Daily Mail: “Polo is exciting, skilful and already quite sexy. There are good-looking players, horses and a lot of attractive women attending.”

Forget spin, the latest bike craze is SoulCycle, a 45-minute session that also brings a spiritual experience. Since this indoor cycling studio opened its doors in New York five years ago, SoulCycle has attracted celebrity devotees: Brooke Shields, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and Jon Bon Jovi. The key way SoulCycle is different from other indoor cycling sessions is the spiritual element as the instructors educate, entertain and inspire. At the start of every workout, the lights are dimmed, candles are lit and the instructor cues up a playlist of music that’s specifically timed to help give motivation and energy.

Kangoos are low-impact, rebound sport shoes originally developed in Switzerland, specifically for joggers to minimise the impact on joints. Running in these special shoes promises a full-body work out. When Kim and Kourtney Kardashian were photographed bouncing around Miami Beach in Kangoo Jumps last year, pogo jogging really became a fitness trend.

Have you seen the shoes that look like rubber glove toe socks for the feet? They’re Vibram FiveFingers shoes that are meant to mimic the experience of running barefoot, yet protect your feet from dirt and debris. Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey swears by barefoot running as a safe and effective workout that stimulates the muscles in your feet and lower legs. Other celebrities that have been seen sporting a pair of Vibrams include Kate Hudson, Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson.

The Latin dance-inspired cardio craze has taken over gyms across Australia. Zumba promises to work out your core, arm and leg muscles while burning calories. Jennifer Lopez recommends Zumba. In a recent interview, J-Lo said: “As women, we tend to give away a lot. We take care of a lot of people, and we can’t forget to take care of ourselves. If that means once a week you’re going to go off without the kids or without anybody and just go shoe shopping — well, that’s me, because I love shoes — or get a facial even if your sister thinks that’s selfish, or join a Zumba class, or take a painting class, or whatever, you’ve just got to do it.”

Remember hula hoops in the playground? Well, using a weighted hoop to get a full-body work-out can burns up to 600 calories an hour. It also tones your muscles and improves your posture. Marisa Tomei took up hula hooping to get fit for her role as an exotic dancer in The Wrestler. Beyoncé, Liv Tyler, and even Michelle Obama have also introduced the hula hoop to their work-out routines.

The ultimate portable workout that you can literally take anywhere. No wonder, the TRX Suspension is popular with jet-setting, time-poor celebrities. Fans include Gwen Stefani, Mary J Blige and Gisele Bündchen. The only equipment used is a nylon strap and handle that you can easily pack in your suitcase. Just attach it to a door or other sturdy base and you’ll strengthen and tone your muscles by lifting and lowering your own body weight.