KATE RITCHIE'S BEST BODY DUE TO PILATES

Summer Bay's sweetheart Kate Ritchie sat down with Australia's WHO magazine just last week to talk exclusively about fitness and health, among other things. The magazine, out now, displays breathtaking photos of Kate posing in a white dress in a pool and her toned and trim new body is hard to miss. 

Ritchie reveals that constant persistence and increased confidence helped her to achieve her best-ever body. Well, that and Pilates. Just a few weeks away from her 35th birthday, Kate bares her sensational legs and taut arms in the photo shoot. The actress discovered Pilates classes four years ago and has stayed committed to this exercise regime ever since. Said Kate in 2009 "I recently started Pilates classes once a week and I can already see what a great discipline it is." Ritchie explains that she likes exercise that has a particular focus on core strength, such as Pilates, as it "is so important for women of all ages". 

 Ritchie also reveals that her reasons for exercising are three-fold; "As I get older I realise that exercise isn't only about fitting into my jeans, it's about longevity! And it also keeps my mind healthy which is just as important". 

As Channel Seven gets excited to air Ritchie's much-anticipated return to TV show Home & Away after five years, Kate explains that she was not always as confident in her skin as she is now. "I was the awkward, pudgy teenager, but I've slowly grown into who I am now....I did have a really hard time during puberty, but it's made me who I am now. It's nice to feel like the most positive thing I can do is to be the best version of me". We should all strive to do this daily! 

The new size eight Kate also loves to go for walks around Sydney, works out with a personal trainer and is careful with her portion sizes. "I eat very healthily during the week and save the treats for the weekend", says Ritchie. We congratulate Kate on having achieved her best body ever in a healthy and responsible way! 

Want to drop a dress size like Kate? Interested in trying a new form of exercise? Call Premium Pilates Studio today on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com 

x Emily 

PILATES CURES AFL CARLTON PLAYER JARRAD WAITE'S BACK PAIN

Carlton forward Jarrad Waite suffered debilitating back problems during the 2012 AFL season, however he has an annoucement to make; he is fitter than ever and ready for the 2013 season. When asked what the secret to his recovery was, Waite revealed that it was none other than the exercise regime Pilates! 

Jarrad has worked hard to strengthen his core muscles with twice-weekly Pilates classes. The Blues forward informs that this form of exercise and rehabilitation has been able to correct the abdominal weakness at the heart of his severe disc injury. 

"My core wasn't the strongest (and it) basically put a lot of force through my back and then it just sort of gave up," Waite told the Herald Sun recently. 

"It was very disappointing because I've had a frustrating few years with hip injuries and it will be good to get through a season without any issues...I know I have a lot to offer for the team and when you are on the sidelines you are useless."

"Pilates is going well and it's something that I enjoy doing".

After the 29-year-old 'squashed' a disc in his spine during Round 8 of the 2012 AFL competition forcing him out of the rest of the season, he may have thought his AFL days were numbered. Due to his committment to Pilates, however, Waite has been able to take on a "full-on" training load as the 2013 AFL season gets closer. Jarrad remarks that this is his first full pre-Christmas training schedule in about five years, due to the nightmare injuries he has dealt with in the past. 

 "It's (training) is going really well, and I just can't wait for the season to start". Hopefully this year will continue to be injury-free for you Jarrad! Keep the Pilates up! 

Suffering from a debilitating injury that does not seem to get any better? Want to improve your sport? Try Pilates today! Call Premium Pilates Studio on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at premiumpilatestudio.com today! 

x Emily 

LARA BINGLE DROPS 12 KILOS WITH REFORMER PILATES

"I lost everything that was weighing me down", Australian model Lara Bingle says of her recent 12 kilogram weight loss. In a January edition of WHO magazine, Bingle opens up about her newly svelte figure and super toned stomach. One year ago, Lara was snapped at Bondi Beach in a bikini sporting a shapely figure for her small frame, which resulted in cruel taunts about her weight gain. 12 months later the gorgeous model is having the last laugh, as she debuted her new and improved body, which she reveals is all thanks to reformer Pilates and a healthy, balanced diet. The 25-year-old displayed her lean figure recently in a pair of clingy black leggings and a sports bra after leaving a gym in Sydney, Australia (photo above). Lara was all smiles after a gruelling workout, showing off her toned and trim tummy. 

In her recent interview with WHO, Bingle talks candidly about her weight gain. She admits that she was at her heaviest last year and that her boyfriend of 13 months, fashion designer Gareth Moody, was her biggest motivator in losing weight. "I've learnt you've got to be consistent in your eating and training. Gareth's taught me that", Lara explains. Bingle's new healthy lifestyle consists of reformer Pilates, super healthy smoothies and a good relationship with food. Lara reveals her weekly exercise routine in the interview, explaining that running increased her appetite and would result in her consuming double the amount of food that she does now. "I noticed once I started doing three to four sessions of Pilates a week that it calmed my crazy life down and I felt a lot more relaxed. I think that doing different activities and also mixing it up with outdoor sports is good, too, as it is a lot more stimulating than just running on a treadmill. I think it’s all about incorporating exercise into your life and not letting it be something you are forced into doing, so exercising with my friends and boyfriend always helps. Food is most important, though, because you can train but if you eat badly it won’t work."

Lara now eats healthier and smarter as well as participating in tough but rewarding Pilates classes. "With all the exercise that I do, I have to fuel my body, so I start the day with a couple of boiled eggs because I can peel them and eat them on the go, and on the weekends I might have toast with avocado. For lunch I’ll have sashimi, sushi or tuna salad, so I have a lot of protein and salad or vegetables and I also have little snacks throughout the day, like almonds. For dinner, my boyfriend and I both cook, and it’s usually just some kind of protein and vegetables. I also have a sweet tooth, so for a treat I have goji berries and dark chocolate, and I love chocolate bullets! I try and eat as organically as possible, so  I go to the food markets to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Oh, and I love juices – anything green – like cucumber, kale, spinach, and also lemon, ginger and apple". 

Lara seems to have found the key to living a balanced, healthy lifestyle as she has never looked more toned, fit or happy! 

Do you have a few extra kilos that you would like to drop, just like Lara? Want to have a toned & lean stomach but find that other exercise does not work for your body? Call Premium Pilates Studio on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com today! 

x Emily 

ANGELIC VICTORIA SECRET MODELS MIX PILATES & PREGNANCY

Marisa Miller bares her beautiful pre-pregnancy Pilates body

Victoria Secret Angel & Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Marisa Miller bared all to pose topless earlier this week. The very pregnant supermodel looked like her slender usual self, besides her expanding stomach that is! Marisa tells Allure magazine how she is keeping her body so fabulously toned and fit during her pregnancy. 

 “I did Pilates five times a week during my second trimester, but it’s so modified now, mostly stretching and breathing. It’s easy to feel swollen and puffy, and moving really helps with circulation,” the 34-year-old reveals. This will be the supermodel's first child, who Marisa says is due "basically any minute!". 

Besides her 5 day a week commitment to Pilates, Marisa also took up swimming and paddle boarding during her pregnancy, however as her tummy grew she had to cease these exercises. "I was paddle boarding until 17 weeks, but then my centre of gravity and balance were completely off. I looked so funny standing up on the board with all that extra weight in front.". Luckily Pilates is an exercise regime that can be practiced throughout one's entire pregnancy! 

No stranger to exercise, Miller is described as a 'fitness enthusiast". Marisa used to run a surf school in California before becoming a famous supermodel, therefore she maintains a very healthy lifestyle and her eating reflects this. The mum-to-be gives shares some of her diet tips with Allure magazine:

1. Eat clean - consume lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Keep cut up fruit & vegetables on hand for when you get hungry. 

2. Swap complex carbs like pasta and white rice for brown rice and quinoa. 

3. Eat kale chips instead of salty chips - much less fat and less calories!

4. If you cannot shake off your chocolate cravings, buy individually wrapped small chocolates instead of a whole block. You will consume a lot less and enjoy it more. 

5. Eat naked! “Eating smart is all about having an awareness of your body.  The most obvious way to do that is by seeing it.  So when you’re trying to lose weight, spend more time wearing less. I don’t think I could eat a plate of nachos naked– could you?”. Mmm probably not! 

The Victoria Secret angel also gives some advice to first time mothers struggling with the inevitable weight gain that pregnancy brings with it; "Embrace everything and all the changes. My sister said to me, 'You're eating healthy and you're working out, so whatever your body gains, it knows what it's doing.' I had never even owned a scale before, but gaining weight is part of charting your progress. Yes, I was seeing numbers I'd never seen before, but I let go of that because I had a new goal and focus." What a great way to put the extra pre-pregnancy pounds into perspective!

Lily Aldridge bounces back into shape in just 5 months with Pilates

Victoria Secret angel Lily Aldridge was back on the catwalk less than five months after giving birth looking more toned than ever before! Aldridge credits Pilates to her post-pregnancy transformation. 

"I do Pilates while Dixie (her baby girl) naps," Lily reveals. The 27-year-old gave birth to her first child just over five months ago, on June 21 2012. The Victoria Secret angel spoke about her love of Pilates and the results she has seen from this exercise regime in a recent interview. "I think men should do Pilates too. It's an amazing way to work out. I’m constantly telling my husband (Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill) he should do Pilates because it’s such an intense workout. I know it seems really girly, but I’ve seen huge athletes do it! I’ve tried running, but I turn bright red—there’s nothing cute about it." 

The new mum reveals that she worked extremely hard on her body for months to be prepared to strut down the famous runway. " It takes two months to be `show ready,'' Lily explains. "And show ready means no Photoshop!" Aldridge certainly looked 'show ready' during the taping, as she flaunted her incredibly flat stomach, trim arms and slender legs in a tiny blue bra and gold bikini bottoms. There was not an inch of post-baby weight to be seen on the gorgeous model. It appears that her addiction to Pilates has without a doubt been worth it!" 

Want to look as toned and content as Marisa & Lily do before and after your pregnancy? Or are you after a Victoria Secret body for summer? Premium Pilates Studio can help you get these results! 

Call us today on 0402 680 724 or inquire on our website at premiumpilatesstudio.com to start toning, trimming down and strengthening! 

x E

KYLIE MINOGUE KEEPS HER BEHIND PERKY WITH PILATES

Home-grown actress & singing sensation Kylie Minogue recently spoke out about how she keeps her petite frame and toned bottom looking so fabulous. At the age of 44 frequent Pilates and a healthy diet assist Kylie in maintaining her famously fit physique. 

Kylie mentions that she occasionally hits the gym, however she finds it hard to stay disciplined. Ms Minogue prefers to engage in fitness activities that keep her interested and moving, which is why Pilates is such a great exercise regime for her. 

"I do Pilates. And when I'm staying in a hotel I sometimes go to the gym. But I don't overdo it," Kylie confessed to British magazine Star. "I wish I was one of those women who do their exercises first thing in the morning, or run straight to the fitness studio as soon as they get up. But unfortunately I'm just not that disciplined!" It's nice to know that some celebrities can be unmotivated like us!

Kylie also attributes her slender physique to regular workouts on the Power-Plate exercise machine, which is another form of Pilates. "My friends raved to me about Power-Plate and now I know why. It's a great invention and a convenient, time-efficient workout," says the pop princess."  

Kylie is the first to admit that she follows a strict healthy eating plan. Ms Minogue fills up with lots of fish and green vegetables. "For lunch I might have grilled fish with veggies, and if Andrés [Velencoso, her partner] is in tow, we tend to go a bit Spanish for dinner - and have something like a piece of tuna on a green salad," Kylie finished. The petite singer likes to stick to a low carb, high protein diet and rarely consumes sugar. Kylie swears by eating carbs with a low GI (glycemic index) such as fruits, vegetables and whole wheat bread. 

Want to trim & lift your behind like Kylie? Interested in increasing your muscle strength and tone as well as improving your posture and flexibility? Call Premium Pilates Studio today on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com

x E