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Zodiac Workout!

Ever wondered why, even when you slog it out at the gym, you still can't enjoy your exercise routine? It could be that your workout is clashing with your star sign.

Closer's Yasmin Boland has found a way to ensure that your workout routine matches your star sign - check out your astrological route to fitness below!

ARIES

An Aries friend tried kick-boxing with a trainer and found it tedious. Of course she did! You might think fiery Aries would love it. Uh-uh. Aries is the most competitive sign of zodiac so you need sport where you can actually go in for the kill and beat someone. Look for sports where you have at least one person to vie with. Tennis is perfect for summer, competitive and excellent for burning up calories (300 an hour). Sounds too tame? Squash, judo and/or even fencing will get your inner competitor riled up. You’ll also drop extra kilos if you do something with short, intense bursts of energy. Eg: sprinting.

TAURUS

Not for you, nasty sweaty workouts. You’d rather eat well, exercise moderately and not worry too much about the extra kilos. Hey. They come, they go. For most Taureans, living well is more important than being a half-starved Super Skinny Minnie. And good for you! As a result, about the best work out you can do is a regular power walk through the park or along the coastline, taking time to enjoy the day as much as to work your butt/abs/etc. Just remember to stop every now and then, stretch and give us 10 sit-ups and/or push-ups. Who said exercise has to be nasty?

GEMINI

Exercise has to get a Gemini’s brain going as much as their body. Sure, you might love a little yoga, but you’re such a mentally-active sign that you’ll find you enjoy your workouts a lot more if there’s (1) at least a few others doing it with you(2) some talking (and/or yelling/telling!) about how it’s all going (“Lift your knees higher Gemini! Good! Work it!” etc… from your trainer) (3) preferably some loud, fast music and (4) heavy breathing. Sounds like a gym class to me. Spinning can also get you going, because (ruled by Mercury), anything with wheels works for you.

CANCER

Cancerians are the reason why personal trainers were invented. They come to your home! If you can afford it, get one. Whether they just come and ring your doorbell to get you out of the house and down to the park/beach, or if they exercise with you on your living room floor, it’ll suit you brilliantly. If you can’t find the funds yet, exercise with a friend who’s battling a weight problem. Your natural tendency to want to help people will mean you’re more likely to get out for a run or a swim if for not other reason than to help her. Also; swimming. PS Watch the over-eating over Christmas!

LEO

You want to look good and you know you have to work at it. Think of Leo’s Patron Saints, Madonna and Ginger Spice. They work those bodies hard, and once they have them gleaming, they show them off! Ruled by the Sun, you’re high energy, and don’t mind sweating if it means you end up with a washboard stomach, so focus on aerobic workouts for fast fat loss. Given your innate self-confidence, working out in front of a mirror can spur you on. One-on-one gym sessions with a trainer are also ideal (you’ll love the attention). Dance classes also help you get in touch with your yin/feminine side.

VIRGO

You know that being in good shape takes discipline and you’re readier than ever to be a little bit tough on yourself, if that’s what it takes. With Saturn in your sign now, you should find you’re far more able than before to commit to a rigourous exercise routine or regular workout and stick to it. If you’ve never worked with weights, have a go at Body Pump in 2008, as Saturn makes your strength-building exercises more productive. Although good health is likely to be your aim, it probably won’t upset you to know that 2008-2009 will be the easiest years for weight loss you’ll have in decades.

LIBRA

Librans are ruled by the planet of pleasure and elegance, Venus, and as a result, are not usually the types to want to get red faced and puffed out over exercise. If you want to slim down for summer, your best bet is to take a leaf out of Libran Gwynneth Paltrow’s book and go organic, macrobiotic and small-portioned, while doing an absolutely tons of walking, yoga and Pilates. Seriously. Hard exercise does shift the flab, sure, but since you’re not a sign of excess, you probably have less flab to shift than most. So make it easy on yourself. Take the dainty Libran route to getting bikini-ready.

SCORPIO

As the Officially Sexiest Sign of the Zodiac, a bit of bedroom action is the ideal work out for Scorps. Hehe. No joke. However, there are other avenues. To lose weight now, a detox is ideal for you. See a herbalist for all the facts and potions you need to do it properly. Exercise-wise, you’re not as motivated as some signs… It’s just not your scene to sweat it out for vanity. Does the thought that being fit makes you a better lover (true) motivate you? Ha! Either way, you’re very good at gruelling, endurance sports which test your stamina, so push yourself with anything from cycling to marathons.

SAGITTARIUS  

Forget about trying to make it to the gym on time. You’re a freedom-loving sign, so chances are you’re going to find it a lot easier to stick to an workout routine that takes you outdoors, and which is totally flexible. Running, jogging, swimming, archery (of course), tai chi, kick-boxing in the park, beach volley ball, beach walks and generally anything else you can think of to do that’ll get the wind in your hair will suit you best. However, if you’re serious about shaping up for summer, the number one thing you need to do for yourself is rein in that hearty appetite!

CAPRICORN

Anything where you get to climb should work nicely - eg: indoor or outdoor rock climbing, army-style obstacle courses, hiking. You also have excellent stamina, rather than being someone who exercises with intense energetic bursts. This means you could kill Boot Camp – and if you want to shape up pre-summer, there’s not much else which will do you more good. Sign up now! You’re one of the few signs with the stamina to go the distance. If you decide to stick to the gym, look at classes which will keep you working hard over at least an hour – eg: Body Pump, Spinning or Bums, Tums and Thighs.

AQUARIUS

For starters, you don’t get this whole “I have to be skinny for summer” thing. You are who you are, waistline and all. Not that you’re likely to be too shabby or flabby. Your Patron Saint Paris Hilton is the Ultimate Aquarian Princess. Can you imagine her working up too much of a sweat in the gym? Uh-uh. Your sign needs to find ways to stay slim that are somehow unusual – eg: dancing all night, forgetting to eat and/or just living a lifestyle which keeps you on the move, burning up those calories. We should all be as sensible as you when it comes to our summer bodies.

PISCES

OK, so obviously, swimming will suit you, little Fishgirl. Beyond that, you like flexible training routines – timetables and classes are less likely to appeal. If you’re really worried about getting trim for summer, your best bet is to hook up with a friend and find yourself a really cute trainer to put you through your paces over the next few weeks. A little crush fantasy while you work out will  make it all worthwhile. And watch your carb intake. Saturn this year means you might get extra tired, but that’s no excuse to scoff comfort food! Yoga will also work wonders for you now – mentally and physically.

You can read Yasmin’s Stars every week in Closer magazine. For your Daily Stars, visit Yasmin’s website www.moonology.com

c. Yasmin Boland 2009 Electronic Rights Only