Octomom Nadya Suleman Reduces Waistline and Stress Through Yoga by Rosemary Black, Daily News Staff Writer

Octomom Nadya Suleman's sleek physique may be due in part to her intense yoga workouts.

The ponytailed, leggings-clad mother of 14 has been spotted in the park near her home practicing yoga moves in front of the cameras, according to the London Daily Mail. Suleman reportedly lifted weights, did sit-ups, and worked on her lotus position.

And even if she hasn't perfected the downward facing dog yet, yoga's good for both her muscles and her head, experts say.

"Yoga offers wonderful resistance and toning practice," says Dr. Anne Kulze, nutrition and wellness expert and author of "Dr. Ann's 10-Step Diet." "It may not pump up the heart rate the way aerobic exercise does, but it's fantastic for toning. People also love it for stress, which we know can impact body weight."

In fact, the time-pressed Suleman may have found the perfect way to tone her body and keep her sanity at the same time.

Yoga is known for its stress-busting potential, says Anne M. Fletcher, author of "Thin for Life" and "Weight Loss Confidential."

"Yoga can help with depression and it increases your energy and relaxes you," she says. "There's something more important about exercise than just burning calories and getting into shape. Yoga offers that psychological dimension, too."

Suleman's svelte shape has been evident for months - even last May she had shrunk to a shadow of what she looked like at the octuplets' birth in January, reports the Daily Mail. But she may be craving not just a leaner body, but some inner peace, too.

She'll find that if she keeps working on her yoga poses, says Christine Avanti, fitness expert and author of "Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salad."

"Yoga isn't the top fat burning exercise but it gets toxins out of your body and enhances your metabolism," says Avanti, who is certified to teach yoga. "It helps the muscles to be long and lean, rather than short and bulky. It's a muscle toner."

And if the busy 33-year-old mom doesn't have time to tone her muscles through yoga, she can simply try another technique that's built into her day anyway: lifting eight plump babies in and out of their strollers.

Experts say that staying with an exercise regimen should be easy for Octomom as long as she's genuinely enjoying it.

"Any exercise routine that motivates the user to stick with it is good," Fletcher says. "If you find something that you like, you'll stick with it and that's what's important."

Yoga is a complete workout that benefits not only the body, but also the mind and the emotions. It is a real calming workout that's really perfect for the busy mom like Nadya.

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