The 23-year-old R&B singer, Ciara, says there's no reason why working out can't be fun.  Growing up with military parents she embraced exercising during her adolescent years participating on the high school track team and on the cheerleading squad.  

With her upcoming tour of her latest album, Fantasy Ride which will be released in February, she shares with Women's Health Magazine her workout tactics that get her in fighting shape.

Train--and eat--like you mean it. "When I was younger, I would play around. I would work out and then eat a burrito afterward. Now I take it seriously--no salt, low salt. It's strict, but when I follow those rules, I see results." Working with her trainer, Sean Moon, for an hour a day five to six times a week and being more mindful of what she eats has worked. "A lot of people don't realize that when you're trying to lose weight, or just trying to stay fit, 85 percent of it is what you eat, and 15 percent of it is how you work out," she says. "And listening to that voice in your head that says, 'I'm gonna get me a burger--I just went to the gym, so it will be OK,' is a bad idea. You can ruin your whole day with a big cinnamon bun. I'm taking that into account now."

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On the cover of this month's issue of O Magazine, Oprah is wearing purple athletic apparel that flatters her body, and I love it! 

Apparently the company that makes the athletic wear is Beyond Yoga, and Oprah isn't their only celebrity fan of the clothing line.  They have quite a few celeb fans including Julia Roberts, Charlize Theron, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Aniston, Kristen Davis and Demi Moore just to name a few. 

I checked out their site and I really like a lot of their styles....it's a little bit pricey (at least for my budget), but compared to what I thought it would be considering their A-list clients, it's not that bad (there were pants less than $100).  When you pay good money for good quality athletic clothes you can wear it for years - it's definitely worth the investment if your a fitness buff, or if you just want look cool and stylish in comfy clothes.  Their clothes are made to fit every body shape from XS to XL.  

I actually wish I had the money to splurge on Beyond Yoga's clothes now, but I'll have to wait...they'll definitely be my first place to shop when I need pants or a top.  Can't wait!  

Read more on That's Fit. 

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Sorry for so little links this morning.  I'm running off to teach and wanted to give you a little something to read to hold you over until lunch.  

4 Warning signs to know when your workout is still working. (She Knows)

Can't afford healthy food, here's some for under $1. (Vitamin G)

Fight the fat when you're not to blame. (Self)

Happy vs. weight.  Size 14 British girls are the happiest. (That's Fit)

Oscar winner Marisa Tomei developed a love for hula-hooping while shaping up to play an erotic dancer in new movie The Wrestler - because she found it to be the best exercise.

The actress stepped up her work-out regime as soon as she realised she'd be stripping in the film - and there was one routine that helped her tone up more than anything else. She explains,

"I hula-hooped a lot, which is my favourite part of my routine... You're using your core muscles."

Tomei showed off her hula-hoop skills during an appearance on comedienne Ellen Degeneres' daytime talk show in America on Tuesday (06Jan09). She also revealed she had to give The Wrestler co-star Mickey Rourke a naked lap dance in a scene on her first day on the set.

One of the gyms I teach at just had a specialty class for Hula Hooping this past Monday....but I couldn't make it, argh!  Do you think this is the next fitness craze?! 

Check out some basic Hula Hoop techniques in this Yahoo video.  Umm, don't think I'll be jumping through hoops anytime soon....it looks hard!   

Gossip Girl's, Taylor Momsen, works out at Club H Fitness in New York City. The 15-year-old actress sat down with Teen Vogue to discuss fashion, lifestyle and of course fitness!  Here's what the young star had to say:

What do you wear to the gym?  My thing about going to the gym is that I leave my bracelets on, and I put on my makeup the way I would do it in real life, and I wear cute clothes, because if I don't feel good when I leave the house, then I'm not motivated to do it. I need to like how I look while I'm doing it. Fitness icon? I don't think I have a fitness icon, but I think it's great for girls who care about themselves enough to make an effort. Self-motivation!

Typical menu? I don't eat any red meat. I was a vegetarian for about a year, and then I incorporated fish back into my diet. And I eat a little bit of chicken occasionally, for protein, but I eat a lot of vegetables. I'm pretty much vegetarian, aside from when I do eat fish or chicken. And a lot of fruit—I eat pretty healthily. My mom raised me to eat pretty well. I never really got into junk food. But once in a while I do splurge, though.

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Make the healthier version of chicken parm with this recipe.  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts cut into 4 portions or 4 small breasts) 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 6-ounce bags baby spinach 1 cup marinara sauce, preferably low-sodium (see Tip) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella 4 soft whole-wheat sandwich rolls, toasted

Directions:

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In his first interview since being diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2007, Patrick Swayze opens up to Barbara Walters in a 20/20 special. 

"There's a lot of stuff going on. Yeah I'm scared. Yeah I'm angry. Yeah I'm [asking] why me. Yeah, I'm all this stuff," he tells Walters.

Despite chemotherapy treatments Swayze continues to work, you'll be able to see him in action in a new show, TNT's The Beast, which will premiere next week.  Swayze remains to keep a positive attitude,    

"I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life, not lived in the shadow of cancer, but in the light."

Watch the full interview with Swayze and Walters on ABC tomorrow, Wednesday night at 10pm.