I'm away this week (for a little adventure with the family) so I thought I'd post some popular posts from the past.

Summer shoes have high expectations of your feet.

Open-toe slingbacks, sandals, wedge heels. Not to mention that you’re footing the bill for weekly pedicures just to stay presentable in them.

But what do you demand of your shoes? Not much, by the looks of yours... but shouldn't you? If you could request that your shoes make your legs leaner (and your ass for that matter). Wouldn't you?

Sound crazy? This summer tone your thighs, your calves and your glutes with Fitflop, the UK's hottest new fitness shoe. This unique line of flip-flops was dreamt up by a woman who specialises in coming up with things we just didn't know we needed. Marcia Kilgore is the former personal trainer who came up with the concept of Bliss the Mecca for spa hoppers on both sides of the Atlantic ­ and then surpassed herself with her next project, the gloriously tabloidish "Soap and Glory" skincare range.

This time she went one step further (literally) and designed a shoe (rather a flip-flop) that exercises your legs while you walk. The FitFlops cleverly designed midsole creates an uneven walking surface which challenges core calf, thigh and butt muscles to maintain control while you walk - you are literally working out while strolling down the high street!

That’s more than I can say for the shoes in my closet.
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Celeb trainer Jim Ryno, recommends these simple sculpting moves that you can do at home:

Exercise 1: Kitchen squats
While holding on to the lip of a counter, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and dip down into a basic squat. (The cabinets beneath the countertop will prevent knees from moving forward.) Do two sets of 12 to 20 reps.

Exercise 2: Calf raises in the shower
For tones calves, raise both heels together off the shower floor. Repeat for two sets of 12 to 20 reps.

Exercise 3: TV-time thigh toning
While watching TV, put a pillow between the knees and squeeze thighs together. Hold for a beat, then release. Repeat throughout a half-hour show.

For more of Jim's workouts, go to Podfitness.com.

These are among the easiest areas to make over, since fat melts away here much more readily than it does from your abs and thighs. Jim Ryno likes overhead tricep extensions: Sit on a chair or 90 degree angle bench, head up, back straight, feet firmly on the floor. Hold one dumbbell (vertical to floor) with both hands overhead. Keeping your upper arms in place, slowly lower dumbbell straight down behind head, as low as you can naturally go. Keeping elbows at one fixed point. Raise the dumbbell upward over your head until arms are extended, rotating your hands up and over until the top plates are resting in palms of hands, thumbs around handle. Lower the dumbbell behind your head in a slow, controlled manner.

Try to keep your elbows at the same fixed point throughout the lifting and lowering motion and keep upper arms (from shoulders to elbows) close to sides at all times. Do this exercise two or three times a week, and see changes in as few as two weeks. To smooth away back-of-arm bumps, go for a lotion with lactic acid, like Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Body Creme.

Men: It's Vegas... do you know where your women are? You might want to check out a class called "Stripper 101" or who knows maybe you want to sign them up.

The class is held in a theater at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino (formerly the Aladdin), and has become so popular that it's now offered daily.

Approximately a dozen or so women, every day, from their 20s to 50s enthusiastically learn how to do a striptease. It's a sweat-inducing low impact aerobic workout designed to instill a positive body image and increase self-confidence, while developing a strong sense of sensuality. The mantra: Grab Life by the Pole!

The fact is that you won't burn a ton of calories but it is still an exotic dancing workout that involves lunges, squats, kicks, and stretches that will reach all of the major muscle groups.

It's not for everyone; some women even find the whole concept demeaning, but for the most part I'm all for trying new things. Who knows you may just end up feeling more sexy and liberated (no matter what shape or size you are), and honestly isn't that what the class is all about? The cost is $40-$60 and includes a drink (which you will probably need).

Men: Did I mention that she also walks away with a "stripper's license?"

If you're more straight-up-and-down than hourglass, the right moves can give you a sexy, nipped-in shape--even if you never achieve flat abs. The key is to target your oblique muscles, which pinch in your waist, says Jim Ryno, personal trainer for Podfitness.com. Try the Side Plank every other day: Lie on left side with legs and feet on top of each other, prop body up on left forearm, place right hand on hip and, keeping your legs straight, lift hips eight to 12 inches off the floor. Hold for 20 seconds, lower and repeat if you can. Switch sides. You should see curves in about three weeks.

The two to four inches of leg just below the back of your knee tends to be one of the most difficult areas to develop for women; but with consistant training beautifully shaped calves can be achieved. Jim Ryno's favorite move is the Stability Ball Calf Raise. Stand with your feet hip width apart lean your chest against the ball (which has been placed on a wall)... Your toes should be pointing forward.

Contract your calves by pushing off the balls of your feet to raise heels up in air (standing on toes.) Lower heels and repeat. Remember to keep knees slightly bent throughout movement to prevent any knee strain.

This exercise can also be done lying down on the ball with your feet shoulder width apart. With the stability ball under your chest, contract your calves so that you roll on the ball until it is almost under your stomach.

You've got three major muscle groups here; depending on how you train them, you can change their shape significantly, says Jim Ryno, who is a podfitness.com trainer. He recommends a basic squat (sit back as if you were lowering into a chair) while holding five- to eight-pound weights for added sculpting power. And, since the butt is one place women tend to store excess fat, cardio workouts (about 30 minutes a few days a week) will help show off your results.

To get Arms and Shoulders like Halle Berry, Jim Ryno tells us that you need to challenge your muscles by lifting heavy weights. The great thing about the shoulder area is that it is one area that does not hold a lot of body fat and so you can tend to see results pretty quickly.

To get a back like Hilary Swank, jump rope; it’s a phenomenal way to train the upper body. Jump rope, which is often associated with boxing, is a high-intensity, highly effective cardio activity that you can mix in with your strength training program.

To get glutes like Jennifer Lopez, you can perform your cardio on an incline - such as climbing stairs - it’s a great way to tone your glutes. Good form is crucial when working this area, as we often put our backs into these exercises instead of our glutes.

For amazing abs like Sheryl Crow, you’ll need to not only include cardio to your strength and endurance training, but you’ll need a sensible diet as well if you want to see results in this area.

For legs like Lisa Rinna, you should do cardio that involves climbing, or an incline to help develop your shapely legs. We all now know that Lisa is a phenomenal dancer and that also helps her look so great - dancers have some of the best legs around, so why not mix it up?

Your childhood Wonder Woman costume. Your Dolce and Gabbana suit. Your favorite robe and slippers. You’ve always believed that clothes have special powers.

But even your favorite little black dress can’t fight women’s heart disease. Which is why you’ll want to participate in National Wear Red Day to support women’s heart health awareness. Whether you choose a hat and sweater (it's cold outside), shoes, a red shirt or even just a Red Dress pin, your good taste today will deliver an urgent wake-up call to women nationwide.

Getting in shape can be a maddening thing.
You sweat your butt off regularly on the treadmill only to find that, in fact, your butt looks exactly the same.
It’s enough to make you want to punch someone.

So go ahead — Put yourself or ask your trainer to put you through the paces as if you were a real professional boxer (punch the heavy bag and the speedbag, shadowbox, and even spar, should you feel so inclined). You burn ridiculous amounts of calories and tone up fast. (You don’t think Hilary Swank was born like that, do you?)

What’s more, if you want your own gloves, I found Pink boxing gloves that will make you not only punch like a girl but look good doing it!

And instead of having a bad ass, you’ll be one.