July 15, 2013

Michelle Kwan: 5 tips for staying fit and healthy

The former figure skater shares her secrets for reducing stress, sleeping better, exercising and eating right in the new magazine USA TODAY 'The Best Ways to Stress Less, Sleep Better.'
"Sleep plenty, eat healthy and smile lots!" sums up former figure skater Michelle Kwan's strategy for a healthy life.
When it comes to staying in shape, Kwan, 32, likes to "mix things up so I might rotate from running, rollerblading, swimming to practicing yoga. It depends on the particular mood that I'm in.
"I also enjoy a number of winter and summer sports. You can find me playing beach volleyball in the summer and snowboarding in the winter," says Kwan, who won two Olympic medals. She is a member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. "I still skate sometimes but not often, sadly only every few months."
To live a healthy life, you have to create healthy habits by getting into a routine of eating healthy, finding time to exercise and making sure you get enough shuteye, she says.
Kwan and other health-savvy celebrities share their ideas for reducing stress, exercising and living an overall healthy life in the magazine USA TODAY The Best Ways to Stress Less, Sleep Better, on newsstands now.
Her insights on:
Managing stress. "Life can be overwhelming sometimes -- feeling like there's not enough time in the day to finish all that you need to do. The approach that helps me the most to reduce the stress level is to take one thing at a time. This mind-set helps me concentrate on the task at hand rather than to be bogged down by the anxiety of not being able to do it all."
Getting a good night's sleep. "In a perfect world, I would get 8 hours of sleep a night. I make sure that I turn off my cellphones, computer, and TV before heading to bed, so I can concentrate on sleeping."
Weaving exercise into her life. "I always make sure that I allot 1.5 hours of exercise five days a week. If I'm traveling I try to bring yoga DVDs with me and I definitely bring my sneakers so I can get in a quick run if there's no gym at the hotel."
Enjoying food while managing your weight. "Everything in moderation."
Losing weight: "Eat your veggies, avoid fats and sugar and use portion control."
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