Katie Couric & Brooks Perlin workout
A good workout program, such as one by Katie Couric's athlete boyfriend Brooks Perlin, or celebrity personal trainer David Kirsch or Tracey Mallett, and a diet of healthy food will give you legs like Katie Couric and a body like Faith Hill or Ellen Burkin You might have read somewhere that Katie Couric (More of Katie's legs in this gallery.) is a member of an elite $7500 a week Manhattan gym where she's trained by a personal fitness guru such as David Kirsch or Tracey Mallett.
The gym membership is true, as is the personal trainer, but the $7500 a week is wildly exaggerated. You can join a David Kirsch session at the Madison Square Club (210 Fifth Ave., tel: 212-683 1836) for $120 an hour. Let's say you workout two hours a day, five days a week, that's still only $1200 a week. OK, it's beyond the reach of most people but it's a heck of a lot less than $7500.
Of course, you could cut that amount down to less than a hundred bucks if you buy a few of Kirsch's books or Tracey Mallett's dvds, then follow them to the letter. You can always supplement your dvd and book workouts with membership of your local YMCA, where the personal trainers might not be celebs but they know what they're doing.
There are some basic rules to getting in shape and losing weight. Exercise needs to be regular and long term; you need adequate rest and sleep; you must improve your eating habits; cut down on alcohol; work on stamina and strength (by running and a core-strengthening program); drink lots of water (don't bother with energy drinks that are too high in carbs).
If you're starting from ground zero, you can't go far wrong with this simple, three-step method:
Run or workout for at least 30 minutes a day. If you're totally out of shape, walk 30 minutes, six days a week. You're allowed one rest day. Build up over three months to one hour of moderate to hard exercise at least four times a week.
Reduce intake of alcohol, soda, junk food, and processed food If you can, cut out junk food all together. Eat smaller portions and more fresh veggies. Drink lots of water.
Mentally focus on the goal of getting in shape and stay motivated Picture what you want to look like and how much weight you intend to lose. Your mind has to be with you on this. Without commitment, you won't do it.
With this simple, three-step approach at the beginning, you won't get bogged down in unnecessary details. As you begin to feel improvements in your fitness, you'll become more motivated to delve deeper. You will want stricter control of your diet, you'll probably lose the taste for junk food and soda, and you'll take an in-depth interest in training programs, how and why they work.
If you're already beyond the beginner stage, it's worthwhile buying a serious training guide such as Bob Glover's Runner's handbook
or his Competitive runner's handbook
. They deal with all the essentials of transforming yourself from couch potato to active, regular runner at any stage of life. Glover even introduces you to racing.
If you're not into running or triathlons like Katie Couric's boyfriend Brooks Perlin, it's best to stick to a gym-based workout like those designed by David Kirsch and Tracey Mallet. A personal traner, or at least a group trainer as offered by programs at the YMCA, could be just what you are looing for.
By Tiffers von Tien
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Jody, New York You don't need an expensive gym membership to get in shape. You need commitment and self-discipline. Buy a good par of running shoes and hit the roads. If you don't want to run out of doors, join the Y and run on one of their treadmills. Simple.
Miranda, Oklahoma City Why pay thousands for gym membership. You can get exactly the same effect, i.e. a great body, by joining the YMCA and listening to one of their trainers.
Greg, Kenosha The simplest and least expensive way to get in shape is to improve your eating habits, cut back on alcohol and bad food, plus walk or run five times a week. That doesn't cost thousands of dollars, not even hundreds.
