990101wfs

ARRIVAL OF THE FITTEST

Women's Sports and Fitness
January 1999
No. 2, Vol. 2. Pg. 76.

COMMENTARY
In an article about which celebrities are fit and how they got that way, Lucy Lawless is mentioned as attributing her fitness to her rough-housing with her older brothers while growing up.

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ARRIVAL OF THE FITTEST

   Some do downward dogs. Others walk their dogs. They all end up with
great-looking bodies. Here's our guide to who's fit (and who just looks that
way).
   Forgive us, we can't help but notice, okay, scrutinize, these women's bodies
because they're always in the spotlight (and often wearing barely there
dresses). Seeing as they all look amazing--though a few are so skinny they could
fit into our seventh-grade jeans--we also can't help but ask, How did they get
those bodies? We checked around. For some it's in the genes, while for others
it's an expensive acquisition--body honing with help from $ 150-an-hour personal
trainers. Some are self-motivated, like Lauren Hutton, who scuba dives every day
she can. And then there's Jenna Elfman, who stays fit simply by taking her dog
for walks (or so she says). Whatever their stories, we think they have every
right to show off.  
    LITHE & LUCKY
    Elle Macpherson's figure is au naturel: No nips, tucks or diets, just Mach
10 metabolism. It's not fair.
    ALSO LEAN: Jenna Elfman, Gwyneth Paltrow.
    KICK-ASS
    Fake enemies, real muscles. Bond sidekick Michelle Yeoh studies kung fu,
while tomb raider Lara Croft practices virtual gymnastics. Lucy Lawless says it
was her older brothers who made her strong.
    ALSO TOUGH: Sarah Michelle Gellar.
    ANTIAGERS
    Exercise is the fountain of youth for over-40 celebs Sigourney Weaver, Tina
Turner, Michelle Pfeiffer and Lauren Hutton. Pfeiffer fights gravity with
hour-long cardio-training sessions. For Weaver, it's three-hour workouts plus
karate.
    ALSO STILL GOING: Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon.
    SMOKIN'
    A great figure, but we'd rather see Cameron Diaz maintain it without help
from nicotine.
    DRAG QUEEN # 2: Gillian Anderson.
    MARRIED TO IT
    Carolyn Bessette Kennedy has to get sweaty if she wants to spend time with
her athletic amore. Mrs. Andre Agassi, Brooke Shields, tries to improve her
tennis game with free lessons. MORE BUFF BRIDES: Faith Ford, Janet Jones.
    RIPPED ROCKERS
    Dancing keeps Shania Twain's body as strong as her voice, while hatha yoga
yields Madonna's showstopping muscles. (Check out the post-baby abs.)
    MORE DEFINED DIVAS: Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson.
    MADE-OVER MAIDENS
    Smart celebs know a thinner bod makes for a fatter paycheck. Most improved
players: Ashley Judd, who kickboxed for a screen role--and stuck with it. And of
course Weight Watchers' Sarah Ferguson, who got with the program and then
shilled for it.
    OVERHAULED TOO: Marilu Henner, Jennifer Aniston, Minnie Driver.
    HEALTHY AS APPLES
    They're not perfectly thin, but we'll take string and healthy any day. Emme
swims or circuit trains for at least 15 minutes a day.
    ALSO LIVIN' LARGE: Camryn Manheim, Kathy Najimy.
    WORK ETHIC
    Twelve-hour days don't keep them from working out. For Beloved, Oprah
stair-climbed daily. Dr. Laura has a black belt in karate.
    OTHER TOILERS: Cindy Crawford, Mary Bono.
    COMPETITORS
    They go for the thrill of victory. New Jersey Governor Whitman campaigns on
a real trail; newswoman Paula Zahn is game for anything, even a slap shot in the
face.
    MORE PLAYERS: Tea Leoni and Celine Dion golf, while Alanis Morrisette is a
three-time triathlete. (Isn't it ironic?)

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