Cara Kempf is a certified personal trainer with the Fitness Zone in Carmel and a group fitness instructor with NIFS in downtown Indianapolis. She can be contacted at fitnessblog@theindychannel.com.

When it comes to exercise, the stars know how to work it.

Ever wonder how celebs get those hard bodies? Well, with the exception of a few cheaters ("it's Trim-Spa, baby!") most of them actually work hard.

Oprah Winfrey shed (and, finally, kept off) her pounds by doing 45-minute cardio boot camp sessions six mornings a week, and 40 minutes of intense weight training four to five times a week.

Denise Richards lost all of her baby weight by doing tons of cardio jogging for an hour in the sand and circuit training with 10 minute intervals of jump-rope. She also lifted weights twice a week to gain back lost muscle.

Beyonce Knowles traded fried chicken for bran cereal, sugar-free Jell-O, sushi, and daily 4-mile runs. She also incorporates Pilates into her routine.

JAG's Catherine Bell works it three days a week for 60-90 minutes of kickboxing, abs, push-ups and stretching. She also walks with her newborn baby to shed those excess baby-pounds.

One thing that these celebrities definitely know how to do? Work hard!

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You don't actually have to be a celebrity to look like one. Do 60 to 90 minutes of aerobics every day and lift weights for at least 30 minutes, two to three times per week if you want to look lean and fit.

Don't forget to stretch at the end of each workout and finally, don't just go through the motions -- work to your full potential!

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Sept. 6: Weight Loss By Sauna Not The Best Bet

Infrared saunas exist as a new craze in the battle of the bulge.

Manufacturers are trying to promote their newest product, saying that using it can burn 600 calories in only 30 minutes. They also say that the saunas can improve mood and relieve ailments. However, doctors say consumers should proceed with caution -- I agree.

The reasoning behind the weight loss, manufacturers say, is that as you begin to get hot, your body begins to sweat to try to keep you cool.

Supposedly, the saunas increase metabolism so that you can burn more calories.

The biggest concern when visiting the sauna is dehydration. Because you lose so much fluid through sweat, you must regain the fluid upon leaving the sauna. In my opinion, therein lies the problem.

Obviously when you sweat you lose lots of water weight -- so much so, that you will begin to drop calories. However, you will become dehydrated, and will remain so until you rehydrate your body, which puts that water weight right back on. I find it hard to believe that sitting in a sauna could burn fat.

Dr. James Shoemaker, director of the Metabolic Screening Laboratory at the St. Louis University School of Medicine, would agree: "There's only one way to break down fat cells with heat -- set the person on fire. Heating people up does not remove any (toxins) from their bodies," Shoemaker said in an article published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in August.

Of course, there are benefits of enjoying a sauna. They relax muscles and make you feel good -- no harm in that. However, if you are trying to lose weight and keep it off, I wouldn't resort to sitting in a sauna every day for an hour or two. Once again, there is no magic pill, and in order to lose weight and keep it off, you must work at it -- a brisk walk or jog will do your body much more justice when it comes to overall weight loss and health.