Rita Ora reveals her no-excuses diet and exercise secrets
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(Courtesy Arthur Belebeau/SHAPE magazine)
With a new album, clothing line and acting career in the works, popstar Rita Ora has had one heck of a year.
In a cover story for SHAPE magazine’s April issue, the 26-year-old dishes on how she’s managed it all, and diet, exercise and mindset all played a crucial role.
“This past year, I’ve really been on my game by eating right and going to the gym,” Ora told SHAPE. “As a result, I’m focused now, and I get a lot more done.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ora revealed she’s changed her attitude toward exercise, and has started viewing movement as fun rather than a means to punish her body. To get her sweat on, she prefers one to two hours of daily circuit training, with squats, weightlifting and cardio all in the mix.
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Whereas she used to work out till she made herself sick, Ora told SHAPE she now exercises to get stronger and healthier, not thin.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I didn’t start working out to get skinnier — I started working out to feel better,” Ora told the magazine. “And I think it’s important for women to know that.”
As for diet, Ora said she steers clear of bread and sugar, instead opting for lean protein, fish and veggies. That approach signals a clear break from Ora’s previous perspective on eating.
“I used to be like, ‘I’m not eating!’” she revealed to SHAPE. “Eating isn’t the problem, though. It’s about what your body needs, and everyone’s body is different.”
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Ora also divulged her top role models: her parents, plus-size model Ashley Graham, and Jennifer Lopez. They provide her with the inspiration she needs to be her best self, she said.
“When I need to motivate myself to work out, I look at pictures of women like Jennifer Lopez and Kate Beckinsale,” she told SHAPE. “They look incredible! If they can look like that, I have no excuse.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Still, Ora takes the time to indulge. Her vices? Wine and cheese.
“I indulge once a week,” she said. “But I don’t go crazy.”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She told SHAPE she loves her curves and thighs, and is proud of the way she looks.
"I'm a size 28 in jeans," she told the magazine. "And that’s an average, normal size. I’m proud that I’m normal.”
Ora’s body positivity is ultimately a reflection of her upcoming album, due out this summer.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“[The album] is done in a moving-forward way,” she told SHAPE. “It’s a positive, uplifting album.”
We’ll cheers to that.