Fitness Page

Eating a variety of fruits gives your body tons of essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, boosting your energy level--and your body's defenses against cancer, heart disease, and skin damage. Try these easy breakfast and snack ideas to up the amount of fruit in your diet.

1. Cut a cantaloupe in half, and scoop out the seeds. Stuff the center with 1/2 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup strawberries. Top with a dollop of light vanilla yogurt.

2. Mix 1/2 cup of chunky applesauce with 1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese, and sprinkle with slivered almonds.

3. Layer a parfait glass with sliced peaches, strawberries, light vanilla yogurt, bananas, raisins, and top with slivered almonds.

4. Instead of having a bowl of cereal with fruit on top, have a bowl of fruit with cereal on top!

5. Have a bowl of sliced strawberries and bananas topped with light yogurt.

1. Snack on a box of raisins or a bunch of grapes.

2. Opt for a glass of 100 percent fruit juice instead of soda.

3. Make fruit kabobs with slices of pineapples, bananas, and strawberries.

4. Dip cubed fruit such as watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew melon in light yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese.

5. Top strawberries and raspberries with an equal mixture of light vanilla yogurt and low-fat sour cream

6. Cut an apple or pear into halves, and remove the core and stem. Fill with dates and chopped walnuts. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Place in a microwave save dish and add 1 to 2 tbsp. orange juice. Microwave on HIGH for 5 to 6 minutes.

Belly Dancing

Get ready to move those hips! Bellydancing is the latest way to shape up and have fun. The booty-shaking dance originated in Egypt and Turkey, but it recently came to mainstream America. This summer, a troupe called the Bellydance Superstars hit the road as part of the music festival Lollopalooza. There's even a documentary in the works called American Bellydancer, which investigates the current craze and follows the Superstars as they travel across the country to perform. But it's not enough just to watch these experts on stage. The basic moves are easy to learn at home and can be a great workout for your legs, stomach, and butt. It's also a big self-esteem booster. "Bellydancing makes you feel very feminine," says Jillian, choreographer for the Bellydance Superstars. "By the end, you'll love your body no matter what shape or size you are." Practice one of these moves every week until you've got it down, then string them together and you're on your way to having one shake-edelic routine -- and firmer abs to boot!

The breakdown: Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your right arm (with palms facing down) starting with the shoulder, followed by the elbow, then the wrist. Then, push your entire right arm down while lifting your left arm up, again starting with the shoulder, followed by the elbow, then the wrist. Repeat for 3 sets of 15.

Works: Shoulders and triceps.

The breakdown: Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Push your pelvis forward while squeezing your butt. Be careful not to arch your back. Then push out to left side, then push out to the back (keeping your stomach pulled in) and finally push out to your right side. Continue making a circle with your hips, pushing out evenly on all sides. Repeat for 3 sets of 25 circles.

Works: Butt and stomach muscles.

The breakdown: Stand with your feet together. Pull your stomach in without rounding your back. Return to a normal standing position without arching your back. Be careful to only move the muscles under your rib cage. Repeat for 3 sets of 25.

Works: Lower abs.

The breakdown: Stand with your feet together. Lift your left hip up as your right hip pushes down. Reverse this movement, lifting the right hip up while the left goes down. To increase the intensity, lower your knees towards the ground while moving your hips. Repeat for 3 sets of 20.

Works: Front of the legs and hips

Yoga

Madonna does it. Cameron Diaz, Reese Witherspoon and Katie Holmes do it. Janet Jackson and Sheryl Crow do it. But that's not why you should do yoga. The reason you should try this five-thousand-year-old Indian practice is simple: It will make you a happier, calmer -- and, OK, fine -- hotter person.

Yoga is the ultimate mind-body workout. This deep method of stretching washes away stress, anxiety, anger and heartache, and also makes you feel at least two inches taller, not to mention lean, tight, glowingly beautiful and graceful as a gazelle. I like to think of it as a massage and therapy session rolled into one!

Do these five yoga postures (those in-the-yoga-know call them asanas) a few times a week for a month and you'll notice a marked difference in the shape of your arms, abs, legs, back (can you say "cut"?) and your state of mind (can you say "superwoman"?) Just remember: The key to a successful yoga practice is breathing deeply through your nose. Get ready to inhale and exhale your way to a rockin' bod!

The top dog of all yoga poses, this is an amazing all-over stretch that's especially good for relieving stress-related back and neck aches -- and menstrual cramps. Start on your hands and knees, with hands under shoulders and knees directly under your hips. Spread your palms out so the index fingers are parallel. On an exhale, push into your hands to straighten your arms, bring your toes under and straighten your legs, without locking your knees. Your body should be in an inverted "V" shape. Breathe deeply, and concentrate on stretching your heels closer to the ground, contracting your stomach muscles and lifting your butt higher toward the sky. Make sure to keep your head in line with your spine by looking back toward your knees. Stay in this position for about a minute.

Make like a tree and develop a toned trunk -- and a whole lotta balance and grace. Stand straight with your legs together. Bend your left leg and place the left foot on the inner right thigh (it's OK to use your hands to help you!), so your left toes point toward the floor and the left knee points out. With your hands on your hips, try and even them out so they are more-or-less level and your torso is facing straight ahead. Once you feel balanced -- the key is to push the raised foot into your inner thigh and vice versa -- place your hands in a prayer position in front of your chest and then slowly lift your arms above your head, keeping the palms together. If you're having a hard time avoiding hunchback shoulders, separate your arms into a "V" position. Gaze softly at a point in front of you (no boingy eyes!) and breathe deeply, holding for about 30 seconds. Return to the starting position and reverse legs.

Start out in a pre-pushup position with your body horizontal, supported by straight arms and legs, with your stomach pulled in and your gaze slightly forward on the floor. Keeping your right arm strong and straight with the palm pushing into the floor, roll onto the outer edge of your right foot, keeping the leg straight, and slowly stack your left leg on top of your right leg; keeping your feet flexed will help you stay in this pose. When you feel balanced, slowly lift your left arm straight up to the sky so your body makes a straight, diagonal line from the floor. Without straining your neck (think of giving yourself a tiny bit of a double chin instead of arching the head back), look up toward your left arm. Breathing deeply, hold the pose for 30 seconds or more, making sure to lift your right hip as far away from the floor as possible. Slowly roll back to the starting position and do the pose to the opposite side. Your arms and belly are going to get solid, baby!

Lie flat on your back with your arms at your side, palms facing down, and your knees bent with heels as close to your buttocks as possible. On an exhalation, push your feet and arms into the floor and lift your hips into the air so your butt rises off the ground and your thighs are parallel to the floor. Do not clench your cheeks (yes, those cheeks) but rather concentrate on extending your knees toward the wall in front of you, keeping your thighs and feet parallel. Roll your shoulders underneath you so your arms move toward each other and clasp your hands together. Stay in this pose for about a minute, releasing on an exhale. This pose stretches the entire length of your spine, improving your posture, and also tones your chest and back.

End your yoga session with an "inversion," which literally turns you upside-down for both physical benefits and a healthy change of perspective. Fold a towel up into thirds and place it on the floor. Lie down so that your shoulders are right at the edge of your folded towel and your head rests lightly on the floor. Bend your knees with feet on the floor and lay your arms at your sides, palms facing down. On an exhale, push your arms down into the ground to lift your legs into the air, with your heels dangling by your butt. Continue peeling more and more of your back up off the floor, striving toward a 90-degree angle between your shoulders and torso. Bend your arms and place your hands on your lower back for support, making sure to keep elbows close together and parallel. Slowly straighten your legs, keeping thighs and feet together. Press the back of your head into the floor to protect your neck, breathe deeply and try to inch your hands further up your back, toward your neck, placing the majority of your weight in your shoulders. Keep your gaze soft. Hold the pose for up to three minutes (beginners should start with less than a minute). When you're ready to come down, bring your knees back toward your chest and slowly unroll your spine until you are flat on the floor. You will sculpt your stomach and butt muscles, and also calm yourself down so you'll be ready to take on your annoying homework/mother/boyfriend with ease.

Click for more tips on practicing yoga at home!