When you look at some of the Hollywood stars who have been gravitating toward yoga as their secret to a super flexible and lean body, you might also want to consider this exercise as part of your own fitness regime.
I did yoga for the first time back in 1996 and I really didn’t like it all that much. Along the years, I’ve tried yoga here and there, but it’s never been all that appealing to me. Then a few months ago, I discovered hot yoga and it changed my entire relationship with yoga. I liked it so much I wrote a review about it here:
Hot Yoga is great to increase flexibility!
I won’t lie — Madonna’s super flexible body — in her 50s! — really motivated me to reconsider hot yoga as a great fitness program to keep my body limber as I age. I’ve talked about my admiration for Madonna’s body before, which you can read here:
Madonna and Gwyneth’s personal trainer reveals all
Madonna’s and Kylie Minogue workout secrets
Madonna might be the poster child for why yoga is so important, but she’s not the only Hollywood celebrity who enjoys it. Here are a few other celebs who make yoga an important part of their fitness regime:
1) Reese Witherspoon: Reeses runs and uses Pilates to keep her body fit, but this star also loves yoga. Reese has fallen for the new Hollywood trend of YogaHop (in case you haven’t heard, YogaHop incorporates yoga poses with banging hip hop music).
2) Parker Posey: Once the naughty lawyer on Boston Legal who liked to disrobe at the office, this brunette keeps her body in camera-ready shape with Ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga yoga is a vigorous workout that is ideal if you practice other intensive workouts like dancing, biking, running or hiking.
3) Gisele Bundchen: The supermodel is using Anusara yoga to keep her million-dollar body lean, calm and flexible during her pregnancy. But I wonder if Gisele will continue with Anusara yoga (similar to Hatha Yoga) after she gives birth or if she’ll try a more intensive form?
4) Jennifer Aniston: Jennifer admitted a long time ago on Oprah that she was a yoga devotee and that it was what kept her grounded during her divorce from ex-husband Brad Pitt. She does four 45-minute sessions a week. You may have seen her bikini body inside the pages of Vogue ’s December 2008 issue and while I confess I’m not really a fan of hers, I must admit her body looks pretty amazing. I have to say that 40 looks pretty incredible on Jennifer Aniston!
5) Camilla Belle: This twentysomething actress practices yoga for two reasons: fitness and meditation. Like so many yoga devotees, she finds yoga keeps her grounded and helps tune out a lot of the noise that can become quite harmful if you don’t learn to handle and control your stress.
6) Jenny McCarthy: Though I’m not sure I agree with her gluten- and dairy-free diet, I agree with Jenny’s devotion to yoga as a way to help stay slim, flexible and strong.
7) Gwyneth Paltrow: Since Gwyneth and Madonna are best pals and share the same personal trainer, it’s no wonder this mother of two would also use yoga to keep her body slim and lean as she ages.
#8) Madonna: I kept the best for last – what can be said about Madonna’s incredible body that has not been said before? I love how Madonna is showing everyone that you decide how you age. Madonna has done more for yoga than any well-orchestrated publicity campaign ever could! She practices 90 minute sessions of Ashtanga yoga every day! No wonder that for Madonna, age is nothing more than a number!
