The Ripple Effect

#Fitspo followers, prepare to take it up a level. The hottest body hashtags on Instagram are #fitabs and #situps. Forget skinny: this time we all want sixpacks. Start with a stretch and these secrets from the ab experts.

THE MODELISER
LA-based “body stylist” Nonna Gleyzer (bodybynonna.com) sculpts superbodies Gisele and Stacy Keibler. Her surprising advice: ditch killer crunches. “I don’t like overdoing them — it sends stomach muscles into spasm and can expand a woman’s rib cage so she actually looks wider,” Gleyzer explains. “And they give you short-looking abdominals, not that long definition women want.” Her go-to exercise is the “elephant” move, performed on a Pilates reformer. “I never do a lot of repetitions of any move — it also shortens muscles. I’ll do 10 or 15, have a little break, then switch to a different Pilates exercise.” If doing Pilates on a mat, focus on your back first. “I always have the spine supported by a yoga bolster so when you do ab work the stomach muscles are only responsible for the stomach, not the back. It lifts the intensity without risking injury.”

‘Bootox’ The New Lunchtime Leg Slimmer

For anyone who struggles to zip up their knee-highs, calf Botox (dubbed ‘bootox’) is the new quick-fix cure – but is it worth it? Forget glass slippers – if Cinderella was going to the ball in 2014, she’d be all about the knee-high boots. 

At least, that’s if her fairy godmother could help zip them up. It turns out 40 per cent of women say they struggle to fit into the most obligatory of winter footwear – no matter what size or weight they are. But now cosmetic surgeons reckon they’ve got the answer. Promising to reduce calf circumference by 2cm, ‘bootox’ has hit just in time for Christmas. ‘The procedure involves injecting Botox into your calf muscles to relax them. This changes the contour of your calves, reducing their size for up to six months. The treatment cost round $400 and involves lying face down and having about ten jabs in each leg. But in ten minutes you will be walking back to work straight afterwards.’ 

Youthful Skin Cellulite-Free: Why Celebs Are Going Mad For ‘Wine Therapy’

We’ve often heard a glass of wine solves all problems – but could it give us great skin, too?

It’s time to run a hot bath, pour yourself a glass of red… And tip it in. No, we’re not encouraging you to waste your precious Pinot – it turns out bathing with wine might just be the secret to a youthful complexion, due to its skin boosting antioxidants. And it won’t even give you a hangover. Now available at spas around the country, ‘vinotherapie’ is the starriest way to get amazing skin.  

Angelina Jolie and Ashley Olsen have reportedly tried it, and even Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell are rumoured to maintain their glow with the treatment. 

Workout: Burn 1000 Calories

Forget kettlebells, give the latest fitness tools a go…

THE MULTITASKER: Unikurve
The Unikurve has been nicknamed the 1,000 wonder tool. It’s a small, metal-weighted frame, you can do 1,000 different exercises on it and its creators claim you can burn up to 1,000 calories an hour doing so. You could hold onto it while doing spider climbers or lift it over your head, training the arms.


THE CHILLED ONE: Electronic Yoga Mat
At home, it can be hard to know you’re doing yoga correctly, which is why the smartmat is such a good idea. ‘The built-in sensors link to your smartphone and guide you through a workout. It also lets you track your sessions from beginner to advanced levels, plus there are lots of classes to choose from, covering all yoga styles.
This is the closest thing to having your own yoga instructor! It will alert you when you are in the wrong
positions (often) and guide you back again.’ SmartMat can be pre-ordered via crowdfunding site indiegogo.com for a pledge between $200 to $300.