This is the one thing Jennifer Lopez does every morning to stay in shape
It's kind of hard to believe that someone like Jennifer Lopez used to be criticised for how she looked. I mean, you don't really see many better-looking 48-year-olds.
But still, Lopez has revealed that she "got a lot of flack" from people in the industry, mainly due to her curves. In recent years, it seems people are more into curvier figures, which is also a sign of unrealistic beauty standards loosening up a bit. But while J-Lo was climbing the ladder to success, the dancer/singer/actor was told over and over again to change the way she looked.
"They’d say, 'You should lose a few pounds,' or 'You should do this or do that'," she told InStyle. However, she never let it get to her, and put her foot down.
"It finally got to the point that I was like, 'This is who I am. I’m shaped like this.' Everybody I grew up with looked like that, and they were all beautiful to me. I didn’t see anything wrong with it. I still don’t!"
"My generation was very much focused on size 0 models," she went on. "It was just so unattainable for most normal people, including me. My mom and my grandmother were the ones who drilled into me, 'This is how we are, and this is what’s beautiful.' My dad loved my mom’s body — all the men in our family loved the women’s bodies."
"Being curvy or not being 6 feet tall was never a bad thing; it was actually something that was celebrated. And so, later on, when I brought that in front of the world, I wasn’t really trying to send a message. I was just being myself."
But while she may have inherited her curves from her family, it's not like the star does nothing to keep herself looking so good at age 48. Lopez shared her top secret of how she stays in shape, and it's really a no-brainer.
"I like to work out in the morning," she said. "It loosens me up, gets me ready for the day, and keeps me strong. I’m convinced that working out is part of what makes me so happy."
It's as simple as that. While most of us know that working out will help us stay in shape, it's also Lopez's attitude which ensures it remains a healthy part of her lifestyle.
And as we know with Jennifer Garner (is it a Jennifer thing?), working out first thing in the morning is an easy way to make sure you don't skip a workout. As she explains, you're less likely to talk yourself out of it, especially if you've already laid out your gym clothes.
Lopez also stresses that taking care of herself makes her a better friend and caretaker for those around her.
"I really believe that when you take care of yourself and work to stay healthy, you’re better able to take care of those you love," she said. This extends to teaching her daughter Emme about self-confidence.
"The one thing I really want to teach her is to love and respect herself first and to make sure she commands respect from others," Lopez said. "Social media — it’s fun and social, but at the end of the day you’re living in real time, where you have a core group of friends and family. I try to get her to focus on the things that matter: being a good person, friend, and daughter, being happy with herself, and doing the things she loves."
Preach!