Zumba, the Latin dance-inspired cardio class, is more popular than ever. Millions of Zumba DVDs have been sold and classes are filled with people having a blast while they work to burn calories.

Zumba is a great and fun way to work your core, arms and legs, and to burn hundreds of calories a session, all while having fun. It’s no wonder that this craze has also gotten popular in celebrity circles.

Jennifer Lopez

This Latin beauty has dancing in her blood, so it’s a perfectly logical fit that Jennifer Lopez would be drawn to the Latin rhythms of Zumba. Recently she was quoted as saying in an interview with Redbook magazine that “As women, we tend to give away a lot. We take care of a lot of people, and we can’t forget to take care of ourselves. If that means once a week you’re going to go off without the kids or without anybody… get a facial even if your sister thinks that’s selfish, or join a Zumba class, or take a painting class, or whatever, you’ve just got to do it.”

Madonna

The ageless Material Girl has been linked to various fitness and spiritual movements. Another entertainer known for her dance moves, Zumba classes are offered at Madonna’s Hard Candy gyms.
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How do celebrities stay looking so great all the time? Part of it is genetics, but part of it is just staying dedicated to healthy eating and regular workouts. Here are some great tips on losing weight from your favorite celebrities.

Jennifer Aniston

“I do some cardio for at least 20 minutes a day,” says Aniston. “Even that short burst  makes a difference.” She also says that white peaches are her favorite healthy snack.

Jennifer Lopez

J-Lo does an occasional cleanse. “I don’t recommend it all the time,” she says. “But if you do a balanced one…you can lose some poundage fast.”

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A new diet, based on the book, The Dukan Diet, by Dr. Pierre Dukan, is said to be the secret behind J Lo’s post pregnancy weight loss. Gisele Bundchen and Jessica Szohr, the star of TV teen drama Gossip Girl, also credit the Dukan Diet for dramatic weight loss.

The Dukan Diet is said to be the “real” secret behind why French women don’t get fat, with an estimated 1.5 French households participating with a great deal of success.

The Dukan Diet has four stages. Phase one, the Attack Stage, is a high-protein, no-carb approach. There is a list of 72 protein-rich foods to choose from during this week of dieting. This phase lasts from 2-10 days.

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Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba – the list goes on of A-list moms-to-be who immediately transform their post-baby bodies into their pre-pregnant shapes. How do they do it so quick?

The overwhelming pressure to be thin in Hollywood is a massive driving impetus for these new moms to whip their bodies back into svelte shape. But all of them work hard to do it. They may have the money for personal trainers, baby-sitters and personal chefs but when it comes down to it, each of these new moms have to put in the work.

Health experts recommend pregnant women gain anywhere between 20 to 40 pounds for a single pregnancy. For those moms-to-be who are underweight to begin with, they are encouraged to fall on the weightier end of this spectrum. For those ladies carrying multiples like Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie, the weight recommendations are a bit more generous.

A few weeks after Jolie gave birth to twins, Vivienne and Knox, it didn’t even look like she had ever been pregnant: Her slender physique showed very little, if any, hint of her pregnant self.
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Jennifer Lopez trained for the better part of a year to do a triathlon this month. The moment of truth finally came. Not only did she do the swimming-running-biking event in under two and a half hours, she managed to raise $127,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. What did you do today?

Lopez was inspired to run a triathlon while eight months pregnant with twins Max and Emme, who were born in February.

“I was watching TV, and I saw a triathlon and I said, ‘You know what? I think I could do that, that would be great for me to do. Maybe I’ll do it this year,’” she explained.

We should all have that kind of spontaneous ambition for healthy activities. In fact, I’ve been thinking about getting a bike soon. I’m an impulsive person. I have four words for you – Tour de France 2009!