Karen Mcdougal has been modeling for almost 20 years, but she fell in love with working out almost by accident. “I started exercising because I was doing a lot of photo shoots for fitness publications,” she recalls. “I soon discovered that I loved what working out did for my body!” Today, she values her regular workouts more for their health benefits than aesthetics. “Exercise makes you feel better; it gives you energy and keeps you strong like nothing else!”
McDougal typically hits the gym five to six days a week, with her primary focus on strength training. She follows a split routine as well as regular cardio sessions on the bike or treadmill. Although she primarily maintains a clean diet (favorite foods include oatmeal, salmon, chicken, and broccoli), she’ll give in to her sweet tooth. “My body craves sugar!” she says. “I eat clean mostly and work out, so I don’t feel too guilty about eating sweets.”
And she won’t go anywhere without a water bottle by her side. “Drinking water makes your skin look nicer and flushes out toxins,” says McDougal, who drinks several liters of water a day plus three to five green teas. When she’s not working out or on set, McDougal listens to music, reads, and takes walks with her puppy, Prince, as well as answering questions from her fan site (karenmcdougal.com). “If I can make one person smile, my day is complete!”
