Wednesday, 23 May 2007

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Carmen Electra: Stripping keeps me fit

Former Baywatch star knows a brilliant way to burn the calories

She's posed for Playboy, is famous for her sexy figure and earned a cult following during her Baywatch days. And now Carmen Electra has exclusively revealed that the secret behind her stunning, shapely curves is stripping.

She loves performing erotic lap dances and strip shows as a great way of burning calories and keeping fit.

I was having fun getting in to shape

'I think that strippers have the best bodies,' says Carmen. 'Every time I go to a strip club the girls look just incredible and have fantastic figures. You can also use the moves in the bedroom.'

A trained dancer, Carmen was discovered by 80s pop star Prince and says she was a firm yoga fan before she realised the benefits of exotic dancing.

It was during her stint in the burlesque cabaret act Pussycat Dolls with Christina Aguilera in 2003 that she danced her way to a sexier figure by performing the demanding and daring dance moves on the show.

'While we were rehearsing, my body began to get leaner,' she says. I didn't have a lot of weight to lose, but I really toned up. And I was having fun getting in shape.'

Carmen was so thrilled with her new slimline size 8 figure that she developed her own fitness DVD/video series called Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease [released in 2003] so that everyone can have a go at her stripping routines.

I've gone to strip clubs to watch because it really is a performance

She may have managed to turn stripping into a legitimate workout, but she's not the first celebrity to benefit from a leaner figure from the art form. Celebrity devotees include Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie and Kate Moss.

'I think that women really want to be sexy,' says Carmen. 'The reason the trend for stripping has caught on is because it's boring doing the same exercises every day. It's hard to get motivated if you're just going to run on a treadmill.

'But if you know you can get into shape doing something that's more fun, then you're going to stick to it. And it really works.

'When you see strippers dance, they're working every muscle. They're dipping down, bending knees, moving hips, and the slow stretches are phenomenal for muscle tone. I've gone to strip clubs to watch because it really is a performance.

'I wish I could do that move where they clutch the pole and spin themselves around like a swizzle stick that's an incredible feat!'

The more you do it the more comfortable you're going to feel

Carmen's video starts with some basic stripper moves, such as hip circles, before going on to show how to perform a striptease and a sexy lap dance.

'The more you do it, the more comfortable you're going to feel and maybe you'll want to work up to doing this in front of your partner,' she says.

But if you're too shy to put on a show, the beauty of the video is that you can practise by yourself at home.

'When I started working on this project, I wondered if a few people would be too shy for it. But you can close the bedroom door and do it just by yourself.'

I drink six to eight cans of Coke a day

Carmen says she combines her striptease dancing with regular exercise and a sensible diet.

'Sometimes I go to the gym or do some walking and sit-ups. Other times I dance it really depends on my mood,' she says. 'I'm not a fussy eater but I tend to have lots of protein and such as chicken and sushi and vegetables.'

But clean-living Carmen does have one vice – Coca-Cola. 'I can't resist Coke. I drink six to eight cans a day. I'm addicted. Is there rehab for people addicted to the fizzy stuff?' she says with a laugh.

Selina Julien