I keep in shapeSUNDAY with fast living
How luckyLiz can still thrive... at 55
LIZ Hurley whipped up quite a snow storm with her latest social media snaps... but the real question is how has she managed to freeze time and stay in such fantastic shape?
While some got all hot and bothered by the snaps – taken by Liz’s 80-year-old mum, by the way – most of us were left stunned at her age-defying beauty.
And, more than anything, wondering if we can have access to that magic formula, whatever it is, too?
It’s 27 years since Liz stepped out in a safety-pin Versace dress on the arm of Hugh Grant at the world premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral.
She had a jaw-dropping figure... just like she does now.
She had a flowing brunette mane and gorgeous smile... just like she does now.
And she had a legion of admirers... just like she does now.
Why, at 55 Liz looks so youthful that in another snap she and son Damian, 18, could be taken for brother and sister.
So how does she do it? With quite a bit of effort, in one way or another.
ACTIVE
And the key factor is fast living – in a controlled way, that is.
Actress and model Liz said in an interview: “I don’t do anything specific to keep fit but I’m very active – whatever I do, I do with gusto. I run up the stairs, walk the dog, do a lot of gardening.
“I go out into my woods and chop down trees and attack hedges with my hedge trimmer. I don’t go to the gym, but I’m quite active. I don’t really sit still. I don’t lie around on the sofa.”
There’s no suggestion, of course, that Liz was attacking the hedges when she posed for her daring snow snap in the back garden of her Herefordshire mansion! She sported a strategically positioned woolly cardigan.
Liz posted the snap on Instagram – and had to defend herself after an inevitable furore.
Talking previously about her health secrets, Liz spoke of three things: “Making more time for exercise, eating nutritious foods and taking the time to do relaxing activities.”
She has also spoken about enjoying Pilates and yoga and is even an advocate of strengthening the lower back by doing squats while brushing her teeth. Sounds tricky.
Liz also says she favours “simple, natural, easy food” – ideally homegrown, without chemical additives.
Her diet is largely plant-based, she says. Though she used to eat more meat from her own organic farm, meals nowadays are more likely to be chicken with “lots of vegetables”. But in the past she has admitted to one guilty pleasure – “sticking my finger in jars of peanut butter”.
Liz is also a fan of the Vivamayr health spa in the Austrian Alps. Its detox regime includes fasting, food deprivation, colonic irrigation, no booze and as much mountain air as can be gulped.
Guests are encouraged to put down their phones, turn off wifi, get early nights and chew every mouthful of food 30 times.
The £4,000-a-week clinic teaches clients the importance of slowing down their fast-paced lifestyles. And while
I run up the stairs, walk the dog, chop down trees and attack the hedges
LIZ HURLEY ACTRESS ON THE STEPS SHE TAKES TO STAY TRIM
that might jar with her frantic treechopping exploits, Liz has said: “Vivamayr taught me to relax. I learned to sit still, put my phone down and enjoy my food.
“My digestion has improved since I followed that advice.”
Other slender celebrity regulars of the week-long treatment known as The Cure include The Rolling Stones, Kate Moss and fellow model Naomi Campbell. On the subject of low-calorie intake,
Liz takes alcohol in moderation and swears by drinking two mugs of warm water first thing in the morning. “It tastes fairly disgusting but is fantastic for your digestive system,” she says.
Skin care is high on Liz’s agenda too. But with such age and gravity-defying looks, there are inevitable questions over whether she has had surgery of any kind.
In 2018, she revealed she wouldn’t go down the plastic surgery route anytime soon, saying: “Plastic surgery? I’d be too scared. Fillers? Forget about it. But I have had Botox for my forehead.” In another chat she declared: “The kinder and nicer you are to yourself and those around you will make you glow from within no matter what birthday you hit. Spread the love! Nothing keeps you healthier than loving people and being loved back.”
She also says lots of fresh air helps too. Although us mere mortals might spare the neighbours and not expose ourselves quite so much...