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MODELS are among the most revered and recognizable figures on the planet. Their alluring bodies, sensuous smiles and elegant wardrobes are the objects of many fantasies.

The bodies and faces that grace magazine covers, billboards, runways and product advertisements are often the result of dedicated, rigorous fitness routines, and the methods of staying in shape are as diverse as the models themselves. Some run, others power walk, do aerobics or ride bicycles to keep those bodies in peak condition. Virtually all watch what they eat.

Roshumba, a New York-based model who has done ads for various products and designers for 10 years, stays in shape with a personalized workout that she calls "Afrobics." "I incorporate African dance movements with aerobic exercise," she says. "I take African dance classes weekly and go to aerobics classes. I take components of both."

The routine, which she does for 30 minutes several times a week, is more fun than work. "It's fun because you have cool drums and get to mix it with funky music. I like the variety," she says. Her routine also includes yoga every other day for 30 minutes.

Williams adds that having a busy lifestyle also helps keep her in shape.

Liza Cruzat, an EM cover girl and one of the top models in the Midwest, stays in shape by running and dancing. "I run about four miles, maybe three days out of the week," she says. She also plays tennis and takes some form of dance, like a modern dance or a jazz class or a ballet class. The daughter of Dr. Edward Cruzat and fitness expert Millie Cruzat, she often attends her mother's dance class, "Millie Cruzat's Total Fitness and Body Awareness," meaning, she says, "the mind and body."

Like all top models, she watches her diet. "I'm considered a vegetarian," she says, "but I eat chicken and fish. I do try to watch the sugar. That's the hard part. That's my weakness."

Veteran model Wanakee is frequently seen modeling apparel in catalogs like E Style. She stays in shape by keeping it all "fun," she says. "I don't believe in panic," she says. "You can't diet or exercise under duress. Otherwise, it won't be fun."

She keeps her figure sexy and trim with a combination of swimming, biking and taking weekly ballet classes. "In the summer, I take ballet classes twice a week, and I ride my bicycle quite a bit," she says. "I swim at least twice a week."

# posted by Medical Information : 3:33 AM