I have a love-hate relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow: Love her movies, hate her uppity tone. But on the fitness front, it’s all love: Love her discipline, love her body and love her fitness philosophy. I just read an article she wrote for the UK’s The Telegraph on her fitness dos and don’ts and was so impressed, I decided to put them into practice…
Gwyneth says to make exercise a habit…
Miss Paltrow treats exercise like brushing her teeth. She works out Monday to Friday at 10am – no excuses. So I just mapped out my week of exercise and inputted it all into my iPhone calendar with daily reminders. Here’s how the week looks:
Sunday: Yoga
Monday: Morning run
Tuesday: Pilates
Wednesday: —
Thursday: Sand Volleyball
Friday: Morning run
Saturday: Yoga
Gwyneth says to schedule in a detox…
Gwynnie’s doctor, Alejandro Junger, recommends a detox once a year to rid organs of processed food and environmental toxins. This year Gwyneth went without processed foods and additives for 3 weeks. That means no packaged foods, including protein bars and store-bought salad dressings. Tough one, but I’m going to give it a try. To up my veggie intake, I just signed up for The Farm Box, a weekly delivery of farm-fresh produce from Sunizona Family Farms.
Gwyneth says to keep food at your fingertips…
I couldn’t agree more. When I’m hungry, all bets are off. So I vow to always carry almonds and apples around with me for on-the-go eating.
Gwyneth says to measure in inches…
Gwyneth isn’t a fan of the scale. As she puts it, “It can leave you vulnerable to shame and guilt, and it messes with you psychologically.” I actually don’t even own a scale and can’t remember the last time I weighted myself. I go by how my clothes fit. If the pants start to get snug, time to cut back on treats and turn up my workouts. And the pants are getting a tad snug.
Gwyneth says to believe in balance…
Believe it or not, but G kicks back with a glass of red wine in the evening and even smokes a cigarette on a Saturday. Shocking, I know. But it’s true; you need the “right amount of naughty” to keep you sane and vibrant. Plus, planned cheats keep me from going hog wild. My guilty pleasures of choice: chocolate and diet coke.
