Cleo’s tips to being fit and fab

GOALS: SETS HER MIND AND BODY TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL

Looking back on year she became a ‘yummy mummy’.

Actress and mother, and wife to one of the country’s sexiest male film and TV actors, Lehasa Moloi, Cleo Moloi has made a name for herself on the list of “yummy mummies 2017”.

Having transformed her body into a sculpture of fitness and health, the young arts lover takes a look at her fitness achievements through the year in order to celebrate the long hours spent slaving away in the gym.

Juggling both a steady acting career and a household, Moloi had to make a number of tough sacrifices, which included spending much time between gym walls instead of sipping sundowners with the girls.

Despite them being encouraging and positive about her achievement, setting herself goals to reach was only the first step in overcoming challenges which would come as her fitness journey continued.

THE FITNESS PITS OF 2017

1 “One of the pits in 2017 was the injuries I got that I could have easily prevented. I started my workout regime with my focus on glutes, completely neglecting core work. As a result I ended up hurting myself on more than one occasion.

“But now core/ab work has become the foundation of my exercise routine and I’ve made it a priority at least three times a week.

“What I didn’t know was that I could strengthen my core while sitting in traffic – by doing pelvic floor exercises. That is how simple it was for me to start getting stronger.” 2 “The other thing that is still a bit of a struggle for me is the trap of comparison. I wanted to grow my glutes and reduce my waist because it seemed to me that voluptuous curves were what society embraces.

“I was looking at everyone else and wanting what they had, not realising that my journey isn’t like anyone else’s. With social media, we are inundated with perfect abs and/ or booty. I believe that allowing myself to be influenced by those images started messing with my mental and emotional health.”

THE FITNESS PEAKS OF 2017

1 “Cameron Shayne said ‘how you do anything is how you do everything’. This year, I discovered a new movement form called budokon. Shayne developed a cool movement art incorporating yoga, locomotion and calisthenics.

“It also speaks to being patient, curious and intentional, not just inside the gym but in every aspect of your life.

“I got to do a workshop with Cameron and that was certainly a peak for me this year – it gave me the motivation to keep moving.” 2 “At first I didn’t enjoy cardio at all because I didn’t think that I would find something that would make me sweat and smile at the same time.

“But I found step class. I go to step class at my local Virgin Active and it is honestly a party in the gym. I’m in there learning a new dance routine to local, feel-good music once or twice a week, which is amazing for my body and memory.” 3 “The notion that says, ‘get to know who you are and stay true to that’ became a reality for me this year.

I started to learn what I should eat, how much water I should drink, what foods I like that are good for me and so forth. I now know a lot more about what works for me. “All I had to do was start to ask myself very simple questions. The more questions I ask, the closer it brings me to my vision and ultimate goal.” For Moloi, having a balanced diet paired with a routine fitness schedule and determined partner has come in handy, as she has managed to transform her body and increase her fitness level tremendously in just a year.

Something that makes me sweat and smile at the same time.

Cleo Moloi