Downloadable Fitness

There's no need to rush to the gym or break the bank to hire that oh-so-hot personal trainer all the stars are using. In fact, you almost don't need to get off the couch.

Work out with the stars without ever leaving home.

Hollywood fitness guru Grace Lazenby wanted everyone to be able to experience the virtues of a one-on-one session with a fab trainer. Her solution? She co-founded iTrain.com - a site where cutting-edge workouts can be easily downloaded on an mp3 player.

Celebrities such as Sarah Silverman, Courteney Cox, and Darrell May of the New York Yankees are using the various iTrain fitness regimes. There are 11 base workouts including the treadmill, climbing, and cycling, and the price starts at under $10 per download. There are also memberships, which include a sampling of new workouts each month.

But the mp3 player isn't the only replacement for a hot fancy trainer. Push is a service that designs personal training DVDs for each subscriber. Sign up and you'll receive two highly customized workouts a month in the mail. Decide you've had enough of the lunges and want more squats instead? Simply go online, report what you like and don't like about the workout, and bingo - next month the changes will be reflected in the new workouts. It's almost as easy as ordering a Big Mac....

Videogame junkies are getting in on the action too. Thanks to PlayStation 2 EyeToy Kinetic, you can choose between two virtual personal trainers who will walk you through a 12-week training program that incorporates kickboxing, toning, and lots of motivational mind/body tricks. A tiny camera placed above your TV will put your image on the screen so you can check your form right alongside the trainers (in addition to checking out how hot you look when pixilated).

The beauty of it all? You don't ever have to leave your living room-at least not until you're ready to hit the gym and show off your incredibly toned new self.

Posted on February 13, 2006