Last year, women in the UK spent nearly a billion dollars on swimwear. That's not surprising -- what is, however, more than a bit shocking, is the fact that 45 percent of those purchases have yet to see the light of day.

That's right -- according to recent research, about 250 billion pounds (nearly $500 billion) was spent on bikinis that have never and possibly will never be worn because the people who bought them don't feel comfortable enough with their bodies to don the merchandise in public.

What gives, ladies? Are we buying these swimsuits with the hopes of being inspired to slim down by their presence in our closets? Or are we just hoping we'll work up the courage to bare all once the inevitable trip to the beach becomes a reality?

Wait -- that's not all. Here are some other startling bikini facts:

You spent all winter working hard on those abs -- counting calories, burning fat through regular cardio and doing planks and other core work to tighten up. So the last thing you want to see when you finally slip on your bikini is belly bloat.

Belly bloat is a combination of extra fluid and/or excess gas caused by eating certain foods. If you want to show off that hard-won belly at the beach, or just want to squeeze into a little something for a night out on the town, avoid the following foods for a few days beforehand:

• processed or salty foods
• gassy veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and onions
• carbonated soft drinks
• fried or fatty foods
• spicy dishes
• artificial sweeteners

Since vegetables are good for you, you don't want to avoid even the gassiest for long. Cooking them can make them easier to digest, or simply eat them in small portions.

Source

So what's the weather like where you live? I'm still bundled up in jeans and a sweatshirt, but I know that swimsuit season is lurking right around the corner. The older I get, the more I try to embrace my body for the amazing thing that it is... even with it's imperfections. But a swimsuit can make those little imperfections seem a little more pronounced than usual. I've been following Shape's Bikini Body Countdown to help me feel as confident as possible once pool-worthy weather arrives. How about you? Does swimsuit season stress you out?

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Our fitness expert Fitz sits down with the stars and digs out their great and not-so-great methods for staying healthy.

Olympic swimmer Dara Torres is more fit at 40 than she was at 20, and if you think you can't be über fit too, you should definitely read on. Dara is the perfect example of what exercise can do for you. Here is what the new face of the Got Milk? campaign and author of "Age is Just a Number" has to say about the new book, her body and motherhood.

Fitz: What's your favorite part about being so fit?

Dara: I love the way it makes me feel and how I look.

Fitz: Are you ever critical of your physique?

Dara: Yes, I have my weak parts on my body, but we all have our problem parts. I would like a better rear end!

Fitz: You recently flashed a group of reporters while promoting the Got Milk? campaign. Why?

A stadium is a great place to sit on your bum to watch a game and get off your bum and train it. Whether you live near a small or large stadium, I recommend utilizing it as a unique component of your training regimen to intensely target your lower body muscles and respiratory systems. There are so many activities you can do with the varying heights of steps, and the benefits are unreal.

For more innovative training videos, visit SportsHealthExercise.org.

For more from Fitz, visit Fitzness.com

Source

You'd think that the models in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition would really watch what they eat before the photoshoot. Not so, says cover model Bar Refaeli. "They tell you 'you better not go on a diet before the shoot'. Girls tend to think, 'Oh my God, I have to be in swimwear, I have to look amazing'. They just say, 'You better not, girl!' And they just let you eat all the time during the photo shoot. They love that; they love their girls healthy."

But Refaeli doesn't get her fit body without some effort. Refaeli sticks to a healthy diet and she exercises regularly. She loves horseback riding and has been riding since she was just a little girl. Refaeli gets her kicking legs by practicing Krav Maga, an Israeli form of martial arts.

Need some fitness motivation? Check out Refaeli's gorgeous swimsuit photos for Sports Illustrated.

Source

They've been together for more years than the ages of the girls from The Hills combined (or at least it seems that way ... ) -- so what is Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell's secret to surviving the Hollywood relationship curse? Maybe it has something to do with taking time out of their busy schedules to frolic in the sun and surf on a recent vacation in Hawaii. But while Goldie's girlish figure impressed the paps, photos of Kurt's bulging belly elicited headlines like 'Russell Shows Too Much Flesh.' What gives?

True, Hawn does look fantastic for her age (63) and Kurt, six years her junior, is looking a little chunkier these days judging by the photos, but I don't think he looks that bad. Plus, it's not like he's baring all by wearing a Speedo or anything.

What do you think -- should the press lay off Kurt, or does he need to schedule some sessions with Goldie's personal trainer?

Source

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

As a three-time Sports Illustrated cover model and world famous supermodel, Cheryl Tiegs knows quite a bit about being beautiful. I suppose this makes her a perfect fit for her role as judge on ABC's new reality show True Beauty, which debuts this Monday, January 5 at 10 PM. Instead of really judging the unsuspecting contestants on their physical beauty, though, Cheryl and her cohorts will be removing folks who act really ugly. That should be fun to watch.

In the gallery below, you'll find more about the show and Cheryl's beauty tricks. You just might learn something new about Cheryl Tiegs -- for example, did you know she once gained a good deal of weight? Click below for more!

Source

Everyone of course! I recently returned from a fabulous vacation with my family at Walt Disney World in Florida. Our six-day adventure was non-stop fun, and a major highlight of this trip were our days at the Disney water parks. We enjoyed both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon to the max and would love to go back every sunny day of the year.

I had a little sad moment though as I chatted with a father of two little ones in the kiddie section of Blizzard Beach. We were commenting on what a challenge it was to keep perfect track of our children in such a busy, water-filled place. The poor guy told me he was alone with his children, because his wife didn't feel like she could go out in public in her swimsuit. He didn't want the kids to miss out on the water fun, so he took them himself. She stayed back at their resort.

It made me amazingly sad to think that this woman felt so uncomfortable in her skin that she couldn't even enjoy a beautiful day with her family at a ridiculously perfect place. I know we all feel self conscious at times (including me). And even as my profession is to educate and inspire others to be more fit ... I wouldn't want anyone to place their life on hold because of their body shape or size. That woman is a really special part of her family, and I imagine they missed her very much.

Depending on where you live, summer may be right around the corner, or it might already be here. And you know what that means ... bathing suit season! If the thought of being out in public in a bikini makes you cringe, don't worry -- you have time to join America Takes It Off and get your body where you want it to be, and if, by some slight chance, your body doesn't end up looking quite the way you planned before your next trip to the beach, you have wardrobe options (check out the gallery if you don't believe me).

First of all, let's take a minute to talk about your body. I'm hoping that you love every inch of it, but if there are some things you'd like to change, I'm right there with you. Perhaps you're not too confident about your mid-section, or there's a little more junk in your trunk than you'd like. Or, maybe you're really thin and wish you had more curves. What we all need to do is realize what parts of our bodies we like best and figure out how to play up those assets when we put on our bathing suits.

I've lost some weight so all of my summer clothes from last year are super baggy on me. So last week I went on a bit of a shopping binge. I ordered t-shirts, capris, and pretty much every other item of summer clothing you can imagine. I'll tell you what -- there's nothing like trying on summer clothing to remind you of all the areas you need to get toned up. Parts and places that look just fine in my winter sweaters sing a whole different tune when only covered by a tiny summery top!

If you're looking to tone up for summer, AOL Body has plenty of great tips for you. Their shoulder exercises are sure to get your upper body looking great in swim suits, tank tops, and tees.

• Shoulder press. Sit on a chair with good back support. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place your feet hip-width apart. Bend your elbows and raise the dumbbells up until they're level with your ears. Raise arms up over your head without locking your elbows. Lower. Repeat.
• Lateral raise. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down at your sides. Raise arms out to the side until they're shoulder-height. Lower and repeat.
  
• Front raise. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down at your sides. Raise your right arm straight in front of you. Lower and alternate with the other arm.
  
• Shrugs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down at your sides. Keeping your arms straight, raise your shoulders to your ears. Lower and repeat.
  

Be sure to click over to AOL Body for further description and images of each exercise.

Source

I'm 36. I'm not overweight, but would love to shed, oh, 5 pounds or so. So I guess that means I'm pretty, well, average? So, when it comes to bathing suit shopping, I'm not filled with dread, but it's not my favorite thing, either. I'm beyond my string bikini days. In fact, I don't know if I ever had one. But I'm definitely not ready for the black one-piece with a skirt down to the middle of my thighs.

I've been successful in the past couple of years at finding something in this in-between category. And this season, I'm actually feeling a little excited when it comes to choosing a bathing suit -- or three!

In recent weeks the catalogues have been arriving in my mailbox and I've discovered within the pages some real-life swimsuits that look cute, provide some cover but are far from dowdy.

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

This week I went back to talk with one of my favorite past guests, Mr. Colin Egglesfield. (To view Colin's in-depth interview click here.) Spring is here, summer is coming and this All My Children star has the most perfectly fit body one could wish for. We all want to know how celebrities earn their great bodies, and Colin was sweet enough to share his tips for preparing for swimsuit season. These tips are exactly as our favorite Calvin Klein underwear model gave them to me. So play close attention, follow his advice, and prepare to strut your stuff this summer!

• Run! You can do all the weight training in the world, but nothing burns off that winter weight better than a good 30-45 run at least three times a week. I like to start out doing about 30min and then gradually work up to an hour over the course of a few weeks as I start to get my stamina back. I love to run outside by myself with my headphones and some great music on my iPod and just go! It's my time to be alone with my thoughts, and anything that might be on my mind always seems to be a lot clearer after a good run.

Source

Yesterday as I was driving into town I passed a house situated on a corner lot. A mother was outside in a hot pink, one-piece bathing suit running through a sprinkler with her kids. She was far from a swimsuit model and had plenty of imperfections, but my first thought was, "Good for her!" I'm quite self-conscious so I know I wouldn't have had the guts to do what she did, but I think it was wonderful that she didn't care if others saw her. It was a hot day and she was outside having fun with her kids. Again ... good for her. According to a recent survey sponsored by Lands' End and Fitness Magazine, my self-consciousness is more the norm ... and that woman's fantastic, devil-may-care attitude is a rarity.

50% of women report turning down an invitation because the event required them to wear a swimsuit. (I don't know if I've ever said no to an event, but I have played the old "Oh darn, I forgot my suit" game before.) 45% of women stated they won't walk around the beach or pool without covering up first. 18% would rather walk on hot coals or go to the dentist than put on a swimsuit. 83% state that they have felt judged in their suits and 59% fess up to judging others. 52% of women look for suits to enhance or slim down areas of their body.

I had to chuckle while reading these survey results, because it was basically like reading my own opinions about swimsuit anxiety. (Though I'll wear a swimsuit any day rather than walk on hot coals, thank you very much.) I do wonder why we can't just be comfortable in our own skin, though. Eating well, exercising, and taking care of your health is important; we all want to live long, energetic lives. But does happiness come in a size 2? I don't think so. We are who we are, and it's high time we stop looking for perfection and just accept ourselves ... lumps, bumps, and all. So the next time my son wants to run through the sprinkler maybe I'll join him, forget about who may see me, and just enjoy the moment.

Source

For those of us who live in places that get chilly -- or even downright freezing -- during the winter, summer is a lovely and much-anticipated change. Unfortunately with all the good -- barbeques, outdoor adventures, work lunches outside -- comes the bad --wearing a bathing suit after months of hiding under bulky sweaters. Right now the thought of wearing a bikini makes summer the most terrible time of year for many.

The good news is there's still plenty of time to shape up in time for the beach. A good balance of cardio (running is my personal favorite and here are a few great tips) and muscle training (I'm not a fan but feel it's a necessary evil so give these a try) should show some results fairly quickly if you stick to a good routine.

Keep in mind though that nearly everyone has hang-ups about their body and those who you think look perfect by the pool likely spent ages agonizing over whether their thighs look big. And they're probably sucking in their stomach too. I guess what I'm saying is that while toning up a bit before you go swimsuit shopping is never a bad idea, it is a bad idea to panic, go overboard, get worn out and end up frustrated. Go slow, appreciate whatever results you accomplish, and enjoy the added confidence that comes with knowing you worked hard and look, but more importantly, feel better about yourself for it.

Source