In this video from ExerciseTV, personal trainer and fitness “it girl” Zen Gray walks you through a list of fitnes fashion faux-pas to be avoided – after all, the point of going to the gym is to work out, tone up and feel awesome about yourself!

Zen Gray’s Fitness Fashion No-No’s:

1. Legwarmers: while they may look cool (FAME nostalgia, anyone?), legwarmers may actually cause you great discomfort when burning calories at the gym. Please, ladies – save these for your dance classes or for the next Eighties revival.

2. Bling: Ditch the chunky bling and clanky metals when hitting the gym for a workout. Intricate and dangly jewelry can get caught on your clothes or towel, or even worse, the machinery you’re using for your workout. The best accessory for working out? A bottle of water – it’ll keep you cool, too.

3. Perfume: Remember Pepe Le Pew? You don’t want to smell like him when you work out. Spare yourself (and other gym-goers) the unpleasantness of scents gone wrong, and ditch your perfume when heading to your local fitness center. Instead, opt for a lightweight deodorant which will keep you dry and comfortable.

4. A Hole in One: Sweats or workout garments that have holes anywhere near the crotch are probably a bad idea, not to mention one awkward fashion statement. Leave these at home, folks!

5. Sweaty T: Heading to the gym? Leave your sweaty tee at home, or better yet – toss it! Look for lightweight cottons and “smart fabrics” meant for working out and breaking a sweat in.

6. Make Up Madness: If you’re going to the gym with the intent of doing more than watching, don’t paint on a perfect face before leaving the house! You’ll end up a drippy mess, not to mention nothing is sexy about clogged pores.

7. Too-Short Shorts: Shorts are a hot item and provide freedom of movement when working out, but please – if your shorts expose more bum than a buff bod, leave them at home. What works for Kylie on the dance floor was not necessarily meant to pump iron in.

As kids, we were all obsessed with Miss Jan: if she still lived with her parents, if she had a boyfriend, where was her accent from. And we never got all the answers: Miss Jan was like an angel and we were the blessed children who got to spend hours with her, listening to her funny stories about being stopped in the street and asked for autographs by people who could swear on their lives that they had seen the legendary Xuxa (before she was accused of satanic behavior).

The truth is, I discovered the myth behind Miss Jan when I saw her working out in the gym, 13 years after she was my teacher. She didn’t recognize me, but I could definitely recognize her: unlike Xuxa, she hadn’t aged a single day.

That’s why when I saw Zuzana Light, I couldn’t help but think of Miss Jan: always beautiful, happy and with a cute funny accent. And when she advises to exercise every day and cut your portions in half I understand the reason why Miss Jan kept herself fit for so long.

Take the latest iPhone, for example. One day you don’t even know it exists, and the next day you’re burning with desire for one of your own.

There’s a lot to say about consumerism and consumer culture as we know it, but at the end of the day, this yearning to have pretty-pretty things is what ultimately pushes humanity to create stuff like the Mona Lisa, The Marriage of Figaro and mini golf. Today’s society, flooded by temptations, commercials and subliminal advertising, is starting to develop a natural immune system; we know what we want, but do we need it?

Well, I don’t know about you, but I need sexy shoulders. Illumistream have opened a world of possibilities for me. I never understood how important shoulders are, or how much I missed all these years, treating my shoulders as if they were mere ligament connectors.

I couldn’t be more wrong. According to the easy-to-follow fitness doctrine of this video, sexy shoulders can be mine without the need to buy expensive gym equipment. Yes, that’s no lie, folks! Get your perfectly sculptured shoulders with some easy exercise! Boys will want you, girls will want to be you (or the other way around)!

For the time being, I’m just watching, trying some special power-resting before I kick into fitness mode for some shoulder buffing. But you go ahead now, I’m right behind you.

For more, check out Illumistream’s Studio on 5min!

I wasn’t exactly sure what these curious folks were up to, but I couldn’t look away. After a while, I finally mustered up my courage and proceeded to question one of the lone swayers, trying to find out what it all meant.

“Tai chi,” he explained, “is an ancient internal Chinese martial art. It brings me balance.”
And with that, he continued to gaze right through me, serene as a Yogi, moving his hand through the air like an imaginary thread.

So, what is Tai Chi, exactly? Tai Chi descends from Qigong, an ancient Chinese discipline that has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine. The Chinese characters that spell out Tai Chi Chuan can be roughly translated as “supreme ultimate force” – cool, huh? In essence, Tai Chi can be perceived as a crossroads between yoga movement and meditation. Tai Chi includes a number of forms, or position sets, and although it is considered by many a natural extension of Chinese martial arts, the movements in Tai Chi are actually very slow and gentle, exercised with grace and precision. The emphasis in Tai Chi in not about the brute force typically associated with other forms of martial arts, but rather on the internal power that can be exercised.

Aside from the health benefits of shifting your body into movement, Tai Chi training is also recommended as a form of stress management, similar to Yoga. Chi is ancient Chinese notion referring to a form of energy. According to Chinese medical philosophy, one becomes sick when there is a block preventing the flow of chi through the body. The Chinese also believe that Tai Chi also has far-reaching psychological effects – practiced as a form of meditation, Tai Chi is supposed to help us understand ourselves and interact in better ways with those around us.

Moreover, unlike some other forms of physical activity, which may not be right for everyonbe, Tai Chi has much to offer for a wider audience. A major reason for this is that the movements involved are low impact, and put minimal stress on the muscles and joints. Unlike running or hitting the gym, the risk of injury is extremely low, and you can practice it almost anywhere, at anytime. Tai Chi requires very little space, no equipment, no special clothing or uniform, and allows you to set your own pace.

Ready to let your Chi flow without constraint? Instructor Scott Cole of beYOU.tv is here to whip your Chi into shape and guide you through the 5 elements of Tai Chi.