New Move Monday.

Let me introduce you to one little exercise that had me in a whole lot of pain last week: The side lunge.

I tried this move from the Nike Training Club app in the morning. It didn't feel so bad. But when I attempted a pilates class later in the day. Oh, boy – was I in trouble! It took a couple (better make that five) days before my muscles were game enough to try them again, but at least I know they work. They really, really work.

On The Couch: One Day

What's the story? Let me start by saying, if you haven't already read the book, please, please, please go and do it before you watch this movie. It's a beautifully written story by author David Nicholls about two people who meet for the first time on July 15, 1988 and whose lives become intertwined over the next twenty years. The book revisits them on the same day each year and I'll stop short of giving away any actual details – but, suffice to say, it runs the full gamut of emotions.

Why it's worth paying $18 to see... So, how does this cult novel translate on the big screen? Not well, if you agree with the reviewers who gave it just one star. I don't. Aside from the fact that Anne Hathaway has the worst Yorkshire accent ever, I actually think this film is a lovely, funny adaptation of a great book. Things are lost in the film (they always are) but the perfect performance of Jim Sturgess as Dex and the stellar supporting cast certainly makes up for any of Anne's shortcomings. It's not likely to replace The Notebook as the love story of our generation, but it's far from a total disaster. In fact, it's quite easy and enjoyable to watch.

Health Advice, Courtesy Of Eva Mendes.

Daily Mail

Finally, a celeb that loves bread and pasta! But Eva admits, "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." As for fitness, the actress (and face of Reebok EasyTone) says she sticks to a mixture of cardio, weights and yoga for flexibility... 

"I hit the gym three to four times a week to do light weights – not too many repetitions – which target my whole body, and some serious cardio – normally sprinting and interval running... The minimum I do cardio for is 35 minutes, but you can get a lot done in that time if you use it wisely. And then I spend about an hour on the weight training. I also do yoga twice a week. It’s mostly astanga, but my yoga instructor creates a programme for me based around what I need – so if my muscles are tight from running, we’ll do poses to open everything up."

If You Missed Giaan Rooney In Sunday Life...

Sunday Life

 

Do yourself a favour and read her piece here. It's a funny and interesting account of how she had to re-think her entire diet when she retired from swimming – and how it changed the way she looked at her body. Here are the highlights...

Going on a diet... "Everyone says to me now, 'It must be so nice not to be on a diet.' And I'd think, 'Are you kidding? It's the first time in my life I've had to watch what I eat.' Back then, when you are doing six or seven hours of exercise a day, six days a week, you can eat whatever you want, as much as you want. There were no holds barred because everything was fuel and you burn it off so quickly."

Finding out she was gluten intolerant... "While I was swimming, my diet was all about carbs – pasta, bread, potatoes, rice – things that functioned well as fuel. I only discovered after I retired that I am gluten intolerant. Nowadays, if I eat too much pasta or bread, I can look like I'm three or four months pregnant. I didn't realise it at the time, because the exercise managed to balance it out somehow."

Letting go of the competitive instinct... "I had no idea how to exercise for health – I only knew how to train towards a goal. I loved Pilates, so I started turning up to class five days a week until my instructor finally pulled me aside and said, 'Giaan, there's no Pilates at the Olympics, so just chill out. You only need to be here twice a week.'"

Seeing her body in a new light... "I was lucky to have walked out of swimming and straight into a job with Channel Nine. But for the first time, I also became aware of how physically different I was compared to everyone around me. Having come from a career where it was all about what your body can do and not what it looks like, I've always had a healthy body image. All of a sudden, in a television environment, I no longer had that clear-cut relationship."

On The Couch: Do We Really Need Another Reality TV Series?

If that series is The Voice, then yes... yes, we do. And I'm not just saying that because I have an epic crush on Adam Levine – although, seriously, could that man get any more divine?

I think The Voice takes the best bits from Idol (the amazing singers and public voting) and The X-Factor (the four uber-competitive judges) and combines them for a really entertaining ride. Chuck in CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine and it's a recipe for fabulousness.

Here's how it goes: The four judges listen to the contestants sing (and here's the clincher – they do it with their backs turned, so it's all about "the voice", geddit?) and when they decide they want to recruit the contestant for their team, they press a button and their chairs swing around. If that doesn't sound exciting, trust me – it is. And if more than one judge presses their button, the singer gets to choose who they work with. Cue: cattiness as each judge tries to secure their favourite star-in-the-making.

Then once the judges have eight singers a piece, they train them up and battle them off against each other until only four remain on each team. After that, it's over to the viewers. And you can bet there'll be tough choices to be made because of some of these singers are the creme de la creme. Bring it, I say.

Watch The Voice at 7.30pm on Tuesdays on Go!

I Might Be More Inclined To Ride...

If The Lampshade Fits

If I had this Missoni-print bike with turquoise wheels. Swoon.

Why Are There No Men Like This In My Yoga Class?

UK Cosmopolitan

Just when I thought I was never going to get an opportunity to post naked pictures of Adam Levine on this blog, the universe gave me a bit of love and Adam gave Women's Health a little interview. So, let's hear what the Maroon 5 frontman has to say about doing the Downward Dog...  And while you're enjoying the pics, spare a thought for that hand model – it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.

How'd you wind up at yoga?
A year and a half ago, my trainer recommended I try working with Alanna to help with my flexibility issues. I'm naturally very tight in lower back and my hips and hamstrings too. My first class felt like someone was ripping my body apart. It wasn't what you'd call peaceful. But I was excited by the idea that the more dedicated I became the more effortless it would become to relax and give in to that tightness. Yes, the torture subsided a bit over time.

How did your body change?
Physically I have always been on the slender side. When I started practicing I instantly felt more sculpted. Yoga carves you into a different person—and that is satisfying physically.

Did it change how you work out?
I had been lifting weights for years. After our first yoga session, I vowed never to lift another weight again.

Do you believe in the mind-body connection?
I was skeptical, to say the least. I was wary of the cliche´s associated with yoga: spirituality used as a marketing tool or Eastern philosophy sold at Starbucks to disenchanted lawyers and accountants looking for meaning. What I soon realized is that yoga welcomes everyone—that's extremely appealing.

How do you maintain your practice on tour?
Being a traveler, yoga is by far the most convenient way to exercise while I'm on the road. You don't need anything but a few feet of space and a mat. And I can always find at least an hour a day to practice. 

(Levine made videos with his teacher to take on the road with him.)

What is your advice to people who think they are too inflexible to do yoga?
Start simple. Yoga will drastically improve you in every way imaginable. But let's face it, I only practice yoga because the classes are always packed with beautiful women. (I am totally kidding.)