I want a body like...Elle Macpherson
celebrity bodies,celebrity,diets,elle macpherson,fitness
Elle Macpherson in leather trousers
From supermodel to business woman, mother of two and television presenter, Elle Macpherson isn\'t your average 47 year-old and, with a body that doesn\'t appear to have changed at all since her emergence onto the catwalk 30 years ago, she doesn\'t look like one either. As the new presenter of Britain\'s Next Top Model, Elle is back in the spotlight once again so we\'ve done our research and dug out the diet and fitness secrets she sticks to in order to maintain her toned, to-die-for figure. Read on for her simple, no-nonsense approach to maintaining ‘the body\'.
Listen to your body
celebrity bodies,celebrity,diets,elle macpherson,fitness
Elle Macpherson in a body con dress
The biggest mistake many people make when starting a new diet or exercise regime is to force themselves to do too much, too soon which almost always ends up in failure. Elle doesn\'t follow a regime and instead does what she thinks her body needs each day; "I have a holistic attitude to health- it has to be a combination of physical, spiritual and emotional care. It\'s about listening to your body. Sometimes I need to run, other times to meditate, sometimes I need to dance with my kids, and sometimes I just need a good meal. I don\'t have a regime."
Work on your core muscles
celebrity bodies,celebrity,diets,elle macpherson,fitness
Elel Macpherson in a black dress
As well as doing regular cardio it\'s important to work on your core muscles as it\'s these muscles that give you a great posture and keep you flexible. The core muscles consist of the abdominals, the obliques, the lower back muscles and several inner muscles of the trunk of your body. A good set of core muscles will allow you to lift more weight which in turn helps to improve performance in other sports such as running. Core muscles also help reduce injury, so if you ever find yourself with a sore back, shoulders or aching joints, you need to improve your core. Elle relies on Pilates and Yoga to keep her core muscles in tip top condition and both of these forms of exercise are also great for elongating muscles resulting in that lean athletic look Elle is famed for.
Accept you for you
celebrity bodies,celebrity,diets,elle macpherson,fitness
Elle Macpherson in a short white dress
It\'s simple really; if you have always been tall and lanky, you\'re never going to get the curves of Cindy Crawford and if you\'re all boobs and bum, you\'re never going to look like Kate Moss. Deal with it. The quicker you accept your body shape the sooner you will start to feel happier in your own skin and there really is nothing more attractive and sexier than that. Even supermodels like Elle have body anxieties but she knows happiness doesn\'t lie within a pair of size eight jeans; "A few pounds show a lot on my body. But it\'s okay. I believe women look good with a bit of softness to them...I do know focusing on the exterior doesn\'t make me happy. If I want peace and serenity, it won\'t be reached by getting thinner or fatter." Well said.
Eat clean and lean
celebrity bodies,celebrity,diets,elle macpherson,fitness
Elle Macpherson in a black dress
Elle has always relied on the renowned Clean and Lean Diet to keep her weight in check and her complexion looking healthy and clear. Created by Elle\'s personal trainer James Duigan the diet works on the principal that your body needs to be in its natural shape which is lean and fit compared with sluggish and round. Rather than cut out entire food groups or restrict your eating habits the diet simply encourages you to eat for health, not size. It completely eliminates processed foods and drinks which is what causes your body to cling onto fat on areas such as your middle and hips offering tasty, healthy alternatives instead. Talking about the diet James said, "You could stay on the diet permanently. It is not a life of denial. It is a life of eating lots of great foods from lots of different sources and never feeling hungry." Amen to that.
The Clean & Lean Diet, £6.99, amazon.co.uk
Mix it up
celebrity bodies,celebrity,diets,elle macpherson,fitness
Elle Macpherson on a bike
It\'s great if you\'ve found a form of exercise that you enjoy but it\'s still important to alternate your routine to stop your body getting into a rut. To keep her body guessing and to work all muscle groups Elle alternates between different forms of exercising such as swimming, running and cycling. Trying different sports is also a great way of fitting in seeing friends so the next time you\'re trying something new, rope them in, you\'ll have fun and a great workout.
Lift weights
celebrity bodies,celebrity,diets,elle macpherson,fitness
Elle Macpherson in a white dress
Many women stay well clear of the weights area in the gym but light weights are Elle\'s biggest secret to keeping those extra pounds away and looking toned. Just two weight training sessions a week can reduce overall body fat by 3% in just 10 weeks which translates to as much as three inches off your waist and hips without even changing your diet. A word of warning though, always stick to three pound weights as any bigger and you\'ll start to bulk - not a good look.
Plate up
celebrity bodies,celebrity,diets,elle macpherson,fitness
Elle Macpherson in black dress
Power Plate classes are becoming increasingly popular with men and women due to the visible results which can be obtained in just a couple of weeks. Elle is a huge fan of Power Plate and ensures she gets several sessions in a week to keep her body looking toned. Results from classes are quick due to the vibrations from a plate which you can stand, sit or lean on. The vibrations cause the body to become unstable which in turn causes the muscles to work harder to keep upright and in the same position so if you do a press up or a squat on the Power Plate, with each movement you are working the muscles much harder than if you were on a stable surface. Because each class also lasts around 20 minutes and you don\'t sweat they can be squeezed into a lunch hour or after work before going out unlike a sweaty gym class.
Visit powerplate.com to find out more.
Cut yourself some slack
celebrity bodies,celebrity,diets,elle macpherson,fitness
Elle Macpherson in a white dress
Once you\'ve decided to eat healthily and exercise more it\'s only natural that you want to see results within days but it\'s important to take things slow and steady if you want to achieve long-term results. After giving birth, Elle picked up on the huge pressure on new mums to spring back to their original weight, an expectation which is neither healthy nor realistic, "It\'s ridiculous," the model remarks. "It\'s like there\'s this competition - who can lose weight the quickest after a baby? It\'s unhealthy for both mother and child." When dieting, aim to lose between one and two pounds a week, that way you won\'t set yourself up for disappointment which will send you straight to the fridge and there\'ll be no need to feel hungry or deprived all of the time.
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