Fitness Inspirations

What inspires me to be fit and healthy? Is to goal up to hopefully have parts like these celebrities. I like looking at inspirations. It's a motivation for me to work out when I feel like being all sluggy.

ARM INSPIRATION

I have always loved Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green in friends. Her simple but chic fashion sense, the famous Rachel cut, and her super toned arms accented by her gorgeous tan skin. Everytime her Rachel character does her trademark arm movements, you could see the muscle definition. It's lean, but not too muscular. In fact, it looks strong. Even post-Rachel Green, Jennifer has still maintained the trademark toned arms, and that's a woman past 40.

ABS INSPIRATION

Abs are every girl's obsession. The queen of all abs would have to be Britney Spears, most especially during her earlier days.

Her monster workout routine and hours dancing has got her the toned, lean abs that are worthy of midriffs and cropped tops that made her abs unforgettable. Tabloids do show her on the heavy side, and of course there's photo-editing to slim her down, but videos and live performances show that when required or inspired, she gets whipped back to better shape than what we see in taboloids or paparazzi photos. I miss these Britney abs though, but this will always remain.

Another lady with a fantastic midsection is Lady Gaga. My jaw dropped open when she showed her midsection at her Alejandro video. If cores like that could be attributed to dancing in high heels and her outrageous costumes, I'll be out wearing spiky bodysuits like she does.

I applaud Gwen Stefani for not making mommyhood a reason for her to stop maintaining her super-defined midsection. Her pre-baby body had amazing tone and I'm glad that she really maintained her body even after giving birth. (Mental note to self: Maternity should never stop anyone from a healthy lifestyle and working out). Remember toned abs aren't just good for picture purposes. A strong and toned midsection can improve posture and protect your back.

LEGS INSPIRATION

Naturally long legs look better with the right tone and definition. My two inspirations are leggy supermodels. I have really long legs and they can appear sticklike and awkward if left alone. Like I said, even the skinniest of all skinnies can have cellulite problems. Curvex took care of cellulites (as well as quitting smoking) already.

Statuesque supermodel Gisele Bundchen shows that mile-long legs are sexiest when they're shapely.

Another supermodel I adore for her super-toned legs and actually, overall muscle tone is my online yoga teacher, Tara Stiles, whose videos I always follow. Tara is someone who's thin, but she's not waify or sticklike. Her muscle tone is excellent, attributing it to her very active lifestyle and her being a yoga practitioner. Although she's got definition, it's not scary. It looks very natural and athletic actually. She actually looks very graceful and strong in her photo above. By the way, pointing toes helps in defining leg shape and making legs look longer in pictures.

Being long, lanky, and lean used to be one of my insecurities since I feel like I'm a scarecrow or like this awkward girl sticking out from a sea of petite and perfectly-proportioned girls. With the right toning and conditioning, I can have my own body work its own way.

Take note, I'm not saying I will be slaving myself to an exercise routine to the point that it centers my life just to attain my "goal body types". Realistically speaking, these girls are celebrities and they have an entire team of professionals, dieticians, nutritionists, and trainers to get them back in fighting form in a short amount of time. Some girls though, don't have the same natural body type as I do, so of course results can vary.

I think having goals could be a good motivation for me to not slack off and continue the healthy lifestyle I started. As with working my way towards proper fitness, I've been told not to starve myself. I still need energy. It's not how much I eat but what I eat now. Secondly, is to learn to accept my body and enjoy the process as I go along. Third, just have fun. Sometimes, a happy disposition helps us attain our goals without being impatient.