How The Stars Stay In Shape

Jet, July 23, 2001

Summer is here and the time is right for getting into shape.

A number of celebrities in music, movies and TV are out there doing their thing as they get in shape and enjoy these hot, fun-filled summer months.

Shemar Moore, Kim Fields, Vesta, A.J. Johnson, Montell Jordan and Kevin Eubanks are among the stars who are committed to staying in shape and are finding the time to work out despite their hectic showbiz schedules.

Each celebrity's workout routine might differ, but they all say the most important thing is to find out what kinds of things you like to do, then do plenty of them. Staying in shape does not have to be strenuous, it should be tim, they told JET.

Show-biz hunk Shemar Moore says working-out has become part of his life. Moore, who stars on the soap "The Young and the Restless" and in playwright David E. Talbert's national play The Fabric Of A Man, wanted to be a Major League Baseball player before he was bitten by the acting bug.

"I work out a lot," he told JET. "I'm an athlete. I've been an athlete all my life, so that's all I've ever known. I lift weights four days a week for an hour-and-a-half a day. I box three days a week for an hour a day. And I run four miles a day, four days a week. So working-out is a big part of my life. And so I'm in the gym probably three hours a day."

He explains, "I work out to keep my body right, to keep me looking good. But at the same time, it keeps my mind right. It really makes me feel good and it's a way of life. I've gotten used to it. Also, it's a nice escape. Some people don't like it. Some people, it hurts their bones or they don't like to sweat. I need that. I need that adrenaline rush. It's a challenge. It just makes me feel good. I can get out, escape and think, release all my pressures."

Kim Fields, star of the former series "Living Single," also realizes the benefits of working-out and staying in shape.

"Summer time is great because you can do a lot outdoors. What can motivate people is the idea of variety, being able to mix up, swimming, bike-riding, roller-blading, walking."

She advises people to first set goals that are realistic before starting a work out program. "Don't say I am trying to be a size 8 in a week, and you are a size 15."

Fields says people should be motivated by "how you feel about yourself. Don't be motivated by society dictating what beauty is or what health is."

She is currently winning rave reviews for her role in the play The Vagina Monologues at the Apollo Theater in Chicago. She finds a gym in whatever city she happens to be in. "If I am in a city like Chicago or New York, where I can walk places, I'll walk. I will walk to find gyms where I can work out. I brought my Roller-blades on the road with me in Chicago to skate all around Lake Shore Drive on the bike path."

Fields' workout regimen includes 30 minutes on the cross training machine, free weights, hiking, swimming and roller-blading.

She says playing music on her walkman as she works out keeps her motivated. "Music with a lot of good beats keeps you motivated, keeps you pumped up. I might pull out some old Rick James. You will be surprised what you can do to Super Freak," she laughs.

Famed songstress Vesta, whose signature song is Congratulations, has lost about 105 pounds in recent years--and has kept it off. "I've been this size since 1994 when I lost the weight," she says proudly.

"I made a commitment to myself. It is very important to make that commitment and stick with it.

"I stopped eating late at night, which is what put all the weight on me. I also exercise three days a week."

She points out that staying in shape also means watching what you eat. "I stay away from fat as much as possible. I have some carbs, low carbs, high protein, and lots of fruits and vegetables. I drink at least two liter bottles of water a day."

She notes, "If you can't get yourself motivated, you will fail at the diet. It's not a joke, it is not something to start for five days and then go back to your old eating habits. You really must put your mind to it."

She emphasizes, "All Black women are beautiful at any size. No matter what size you are. And exercising is for your health. It is not a fat issue, it is a health issue."

Famed actress A.J. Johnson, who stars as Tyrese's mother in the box-office smash, Baby Boy, is also a personal trainer to such stars as Queen Latifah, Alfre Woodard and Holly Robinson Peete.

She stays in shape by following the same advice she gives her celebrity clients through her fitness company, "The A.J. Way."

"I follow `The A.J. Way' advice I give my fitness clients. In shape means a balance of the mind, body and spirit, a high-protein, low-carb diet, meditation consistency in the gym. If one is missing, you are out of shape," she says.

Famed singer-songwriter Montell Jordan has found a perfect place to keep his body-and soul in shape.

Jordan works out on a regular basis in a state-of-the-art fitness center at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, GA, near Atlanta. He says working-out helps him keep his stamina up for his energy-charged concert performances.