Rita Ora Covers Shape Magazine’s May 2017 Issue

Mega pop star, designer, model and television host Rita Ora covers Shape magazine‘s May 2017 issue. Below are some excerpts:

Find your workout rhythm.

“I do circuit training. I usually work out for one or two hours, depending on how much time I have. I do three circuits and repeat that three times. I mostly focus on my thighs and my bum, so I do a lot of squats and weight lifting. And I do one circuit of cardio. What I’ve learned is that you can take your time with training. You don’t have to beat yourself up as long as you get in the workouts that you need. I used to push myself until I felt sick. But I’m approaching it differently now. I enjoy working out. And I like the aftermath—that feeling of contentment.”

Give yourself some fitspo when you need it.

“Sometimes it’s hard. I don’t just wake up and run to the gym. When I need to motivate myself to work out, I look at pictures of women like Jennifer Lopez and Kate Beckinsale. They look incredible! If they can look like that, I have no excuse.”

It’s about being strong, not skinny.

“I’m not going to lie and say I was completely happy with my body before. I knew I could change a few things to improve my stamina, especially onstage. I didn’t start working out to get skinnier—I started working out to feel better. And I think it’s important for women to know that. Don’t be obsessed with being thin. You just have to be fit, healthy, and strong.”

“I love my shape because it’s curvy. I have thighs. I’m a size 28 in jeans. And that’s an average, normal size. I’m proud that I’m normal.”

Eat the food that’s right for your body.

With the plan I’m on, you can eat quite a bit as long as you exercise. In the morning, I have two boiled eggs, asparagus, and half a cup of muesli with almond milk. For lunch, I have chicken or fish with vegetables, and for dinner, I have six to eight ounces of fish with vegetables and half a potato. Plus snacks. I don’t eat bread or sugar. But I’m not starving myself. I used to be like, ‘I’m not eating!’ Eating isn’t the problem, though. It’s about what your body needs, and everyone’s body is different.

But indulge a little too.

“I’m such a sucker for cheese and wine. I was just shooting a movie in Italy, and the pastas, the cheeses, the wine—ooh! Obviously I had to have all that good stuff. Now I indulge once a week. But I don’t go crazy.”

Don’t be afraid to take risks.

“Of everything I’ve accomplished, I’m proudest of my new album. It’s going to shock people. I think it’ll be like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know she had those emotions.’ Because I don’t think they really know me….They see pictures of me, they watch me on TV, but I try to keep my personal life as private as possible, and I don’t post pictures of who I’m seeing. On this album, though, I say things I think people have been wanting to know. But it’s done in a moving-forward way. It’s a positive, uplifting album.”

Photos Credit: Courtesy of Shape magazine