By DAISY DUMAS



Time to nod off: The air nap gives tired workers a chance to take a short break from the grind



A gym in Charlotte, NC, is offering frazzled clients a class in the ultimate relaxation technique: sleeping.



Air napping, the latest craze at the Flex-and-Fit gym, sees customers climbing into silken hammocks and hanging in sweet repose for 25 minutes.



In what may be the least arduous gym class ever, the nappers are simply required to make themselves comfortable and fall asleep to the strains of calming music.





Sleep lessons: Shama Patel helps a client wriggle into the silken cocoon before a restorative nap





'Relax, close your eyes and listen to the meditative music,' instructs gym owner, Shama Patel.



Nearly half an hour later, she gently wakes her nappers up, interrupting their rest in the womb-like cocoons.



Fomer attorney Ms Patel says that she came up with the idea as a way to fill the room between work-out and yoga classes.



In her former line of corporate work, she had come across specially-designed napping rooms before and saw the potential in the unused space.





Cocoons: A sleeper lies, suspended in relaxation. The hammocks are made of silk and sleeps only last for 25 minutes





Patel told WCMC.com: 'When I first entered corporate America, they did have a nap room.'



'It encourages us to take a nap and recharge and then get to work.'



The unmoving forms of bodies suspended in the gently swaying cocoons may look eerie, but the response has been positive.



One napper told the news station 'I feel rejuvenated, ready to start the day.'



While another, Evan Panesis, said: 'This was one of the best naps I've ever taken, I might have to get one for my home now.'





source: dailymail

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By HOLLY THOMAS



California Cool: Vanessa Hudgens appeared to have regained some of her old confidence as she left Mareka Organic Food in Studio City yesterday



Vanessa Hudgens has been quite the chameleon lately.



Switching from grungy gym bunny to sultry seductress at the VMAs and back again, there are clearly many sides to the Sucker Punch star.



And her latest look, channeling baggy chic in Studio City seems to indicate that the actress is feeling like some chill-out time.





Baggy chic: Vanessa's trousers were similar to those often favoured by Gwen Stephani





Wearing a long dark skirt and a fringed orange vest, Vanessa was obviously in the mood for something less constricting than the leggings which have been her item of choice recently.



She didn't even appear to be wearing a bra, but she managed to get away with the always-risky decision, even sporting a cool leather beaded necklace.



Vanessa wasn't wearing much makeup on under her huge sunnies, but the natural look suited the fresh faced star.





Getting healthy: Vanessa was grabbing something nutritious from Mareka Organic Food



She also accessoised with some chunky gold rings, and purple nail varnish to add a further splash of colour.



The 22 year old had popped into Mareka Organic Food with some friends to pick up a few nutritious bites.



The healthy choice was most likely part of her new slimming regime, which she has embarked on to lose the extra pounds she gained for her role in upcoming independent movie, Gimme Shelter.





Boho babe: Vanessa's laid back look was a far cry from her slick appearance at the VMAs last weekend





Getting back in shape: Vanessa's been taking yoga classes to return to her usual svelte figure



Vanessa has been combining a healthy diet with regular exercise to regain her usually svelte frame.



She has been spotted carting her yoga mat to class, and also went for a hike with her teenage sister Stella yesterday.



The actress appears to have regained some of her confidence after struggling with the short hair cut she had for Gimme Shelter.





Switching up her look: Vanessa's been quite the chameleon lately, from sultry star at the VMAs last weekend to grungy gym bunny



source: dailymail

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By SARAH BULL



Ill-advised: Lauren Goodger last night wore a pair of tight black leggings which did little to flatter her figure



She has been desperately trying to get into shape ahead of the third season of The Only Way Is Essex.



But if Lauren Goodger wants to show off her new figure, she might want to choose some more flattering outfits.



The 24-year-old star was seen out in London last night wearing a pair of ill-advised tight black leggings, which did very little to highlight her recent weight loss.





Weight loss mission: Lauren has already lost around half a stone and is hoping to lose more before the third series of The Only Way Is Essex





Lauren is thought to have lost around half a stone after hitting bootcamp earlier this month in a bid to shift a few excess pounds before her return to the hit ITV2 reality show.



She teamed the tight leggings with a vest top featuring a rose diamante motif and some black heels.



Lauren hasn't made a secret of her struggles with her weight, keeping fans updated on Twitter about her bootcamp exploits.





What a natural: Lauren posed and pouted for photographers as she left Aura nightclub in London last night





She wrote last week: 'Getting ready for bootcamp 3 hours intense training yes I am scared!!'



Lauren added a few days later: 'Feel like I've been beat up love this feeling bootcamp 4days intense hardest thing ever but makes u feel so good!No more bad pics of me haha!'



Lauren, who is engaged to her TOWIE co-star Mark Wright, recently admitted she was fed up with constant criticism about her weight.





In training: Lauren has been attending bootcamp in a bid to shift a few excess pounds





'I’m still a size ten and if you look from series one I’ve not changed much.



'I’m bored of talking about it all the time - at the end of the day people might go on about my weight, but I’m the one engaged to Mark and happy.'



Lauren wasn't the only star to make an appearance at London's Aura nightclub last night.



source: dailymail

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By JESSICA SATHERLEY



Salute to the sun: Imogen Thomas has revealed her love of Bikram yoga - and is seen here leaving a class in London yesterday



Imogen Thomas is no stranger to posing in her underwear, but the Welsh model has now jumped behind the camera to create her own photoshoot.



The former Big Brother star has taken photographs of her figure in lingerie with her mobile and posted them on her Twitter page.



It’s all in the name of fitness though and has told her followers that she’s on a diet and is working on her abdominals.





Beaming: The model and reality TV star clearly can't stop flaunting the results of the sessions and has posted up pics of her abs on Twitter





She tweeted the snaps and wrote: ‘Abs coming… 6 sessions and I’m feeling the best ever.’



And she gave her fans a word of advice too, by tweeting: ‘Girls you can do it… trust me.’



She revealed that Bikram Yoga has been part of her workout regime in a bid for a flat stomach.





Working hard: Imogen Thomas, seen here in North London this week, has been working hard for her upcoming calendar shoot



Imogen tweeted: ‘I’m gonna post some photos to show u what bikram yoga does to your body.’



Bikram Yoga is similar to traditional yoga techniques but sessions last for 90 minutes in a heated room of 40.6 degrees Celsius.





The power of heat: Women doing Bikram Yoga in London, where the room is heated to 40 degrees Celsius (posed by models)



The former Miss Wales beauty queen had been shooting in the Spanish town of Marbella.

And was seen posing for a series of photographs at the Sisu Boutique Hotel in Puerto Banus.



She tweeted afterwards: ‘Thank u everyone for loving one of my calendar pics! The fab bike shot :) told you that u wouldn’t be disappointed.’



source: dailymail

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By GEORGINA LITTLEJOHN



All aglow: Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis dazzles in neon paint for Cancer Research



It's the sort of body art that is usually adorned by clubbers as they dazzle as they dance the night away under a party's UV lights.



But neon paint can also be a rather effective away of drawing attention to yourself in others way, say for a worthy cause - as two sexy sporting personalities have proved.



Former heptathlon medallist Denise Lewis and Sky's Sports' Soccer AM presenter Helen Chamberlain stripped off and got decorated in UV paint to support Cancer Research.





Electrifying: Helen Chamberlain's hair stands on end as she poses in the UV designs that adorn her upper body





The ladies looked stunning as they modelled the designs - inspired by microscopic images of cancer cells and painted by body paint artist Carolyn Roper.- to show their support for Shine, the UK charity's night-time walking marathon.



Both Helen, 44, and Denise, 38, have a connection to the disease and were happy to pose for the campaign.





Shining bright: Swimmer Mark Foster is splashed with designed that were inspired by microscopic cancer cells





The event, which takes place in Glasgow on September 10 and in London on October 1, hopes to raise more than £1 million.



It has been designed to symbolise the light that Cancer Research UK's doctors, nurses and scientists bring to the lives of people affected by cancer through life-saving research, and participants can choose to walk either the full marathon or a half marathon route.



The charity says people can dedicate the money they raise to a specific area of cancer research, including breast cancer, lung cancer and leukaemia.





source: dailymail

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By DAILY MAIL REPORTER



Trim and toned: Jennifer Ellison has showed off her slim figure fronting a new campaign for Kelloggs



She has battled with her weight and went up to a size 18 when she was pregnant with her son Bobby.



But Jennifer Ellison, 28, is the yummy mummy with a flat tummy, and she has been snapped showing off her trim midriff as part of a new campaign.



The actress, who found fame on Channel 4 soap Brookside, has stripped off down to a tiny white bikini showing off her slim figure for a Kellogg’s campaign.





Yummy tummy: The actress, 28, has lost over four stone since giving birth to her son Bobby last year





But while Jennifer might be showing off her frame the actress has drawn attention to what is underneath her skin with body paint showing her internal organs brushed onto her stomach.



The yummy tummy campaign has been launched by the cereal giant to try and encourage women to eat more wheat bran fibre for a healthy stomach.



As well as posing in a bikini Jennifer has taken her toned tummy to the supermarket for a shop.





Turning heads: The actress certainly caught one shop assistants eye as she took to the supermarket for a photo shoot for the campaign which is trying to encourage women to eat more bran fibre





As Jennifer struts down the aisle in a pair of shorts and a tied white shirt, a staff member can’t help but have his head turned as he walks past.



At the start of the summer Jennifer reached her target weight of nine stone after months of dieting.



In fact the actress managed to shed four stone after giving birth to her son Bobby in February 2010.





Tight squeeze: Jennifer Ellison showed off her four stone weight loss in a tight black dress as she opened her Fame Academy in Liverpool in June



Jennifer showed off her trim figure in June as she launched her very own Fame Academy in her hometown of Liverpool.



The actress, who has appeared in the production Calendar Girls is hoping to help fame-hungry youngsters to hit the big time with the talent school.



source: dailymail

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By SARAH BULL



'I love bread and pasta!' Eva Mendes revealed her diet secrets in a new interview and photoshoot with Zest magazine



She's one of the most attractive actresses in Hollywood at the moment, with her toned figure causing body envy among millions of women worldwide.



But Eva Mendes has revealed that despite eating healthily, she doesn't shy away from carbohydrates in her diet plan.



Posing in a photoshoot for Zest magazine, the 37-year-old actress added bread and pasta are among her most-loved food items.





Curvy but toned: Eva shows off her figure in Reebok EasyTone trainers and apparel as she messes around in the new shoot





She said: 'I focus on the inside out - so it’s all about what I’m eating, how I’m feeding my body and how much water I’m drinking. I don’t eat meat, but I eat a lot of fish and brown rice.



'I love bread, too. People are always surprised when I eat bread in restaurants! I mostly stick to wholemeal, though.



'When in doubt, go dark with the food - so I stay away from white pasta, white rice and white bread and that keeps things simple for me.'



Eva also revealed she maintains her slim figure with regular trips to the gym, as well as frequent yoga sessions.





Smiles all round: The actress looks in good spirits as she reclines on the carpet





In the new shoot, Eva is seen wearing Reebok EasyTone trainers and apparel throughout, and admits she is a huge fan of the fitness brand.



She said: 'I’ve been wearing Reebok since back in the day! But their range of toning products are just perfect for me.



'They keep me toned while I go about my everyday chores, while I’m walking my dog or running around doing errands.





Fitness fanatic: Eva has regular gym workouts and yoga sessions to maintain her slim figure





The full interview appears in the September issue of Zest magazine, on sale tomorrow







source : dailymail

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By DAILY MAIL REPORTER



'I'm happy with the way I look': The Only Way Is Essex star Lauren Goodger insists she is happy with her size 10 figure



The Only Way Is Essex star Lauren Goodger has come forward to insist that despite reports saying she's not happy with her weight, she is secure with her size 10 figure.



The 24-year-old star told Star magazine she is fed up with constant criticism over her curvy physique, and is more than happy with her current size.



Lauren's revelations come after it was claimed she was jealous of her fellow TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh's toned and lithe figure.





Curvy and proud: Lauren told Star magazine she is fed up with the constant comments about her weight





Lauren said: 'I’m really annoyed by a lot of stories I’ve seen this week. I don’t feel insecure about my figure, I’m happy with the way I look.'



Asked how often she works out, Lauren replied: 'It’s never a regular thing with me, it could be once a week or twice a week, depending on what’s going on.



'I’m still a size ten and if you look from series one I’ve not changed much





'She's just very slim': Lauren also said she doesn't think TOWIE castmate Amy Childs has lost too much weight





'I’m bored of talking about it all the time - at the end of the day people might go on about my weight, but I’m the one engaged to Mark and happy.'



Lauren also spoke about reports her TOWIE castmate Amy Childs has lost too much weight in recent weeks.



She said: 'I saw her a couple of days ago and she does look very slim - but she doesn’t look too skinny.





The full interview with Goodger is in the new issue of Star magazine, on sale today







Relief: Lauren also said she is thrilled her fiancé Mark Wright was cleared of using threatening behaviour earlier this year



source: dailymail

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