When we were thinking about a cover star for our epic 10th birthday issue, one name dominated the chat: Jennifer Hawkins. The Miss Universe turned model, presenter and entrepreneur embodies the kind of Aussie girl Women’s Health is all about – smart, fun, fit and health-savvy, but still happy over a wine (or a tequila, in Jen’s case!) and bowl of pasta.
WE’RE CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF WH. HOW DO YOU REFLECT ON YOUR PAST DECADE?
It’s been so crazy! I do look back often and think, ‘Wow, how did we get here?’ Yes, I’ve worked my butt off, but sometimes it’s nice to sit back and go, ‘You know what, I’ve been given great opportunities and I’m just really grateful for everything and for the people I have around me’.
OUR SHOOT KICKED OFF AT 7AM – BUT WHAT ARE YOUR MORNINGS TYPICALLY LIKE?
I like to get up and run on the treadmill in our home gym, or I go for a walk outside. I tend to exercise in the morning or after work, because there’s just too much happening in the day. I also do a pilates session with a trainer once a week, usually on a Saturday morning, and I’ve been doing lots of weight-resistance training and yoga, too. Even just 30 minutes [of yoga] a day is like moving meditation. It’s hilarious – my Staffie dog Milly watches me. I thought maybe she’d come over and lick me, but she just sits and doesn’t do a thing!
Lilybod sports bra $69, Seafolly bikini bottoms, $59.95, Cotton On Body jacket $49.95, Armani Exchange watch $279.
WHAT DOES REGULAR EXERCISE DO FOR YOU?
It’s for the mind as well as the body. Aesthetically, you get the bonus of what it does to your body, but primarily I work out for energy, for what it does to my brain and for the endorphins it brings. If you’re having a bad day and you’re overwhelmed, or even if you’re just tired or jet lagged, get on the treadmill or elliptical and just sweat it out. Or when you’re running or doing yoga, it kind of puts things into perspective and you’re centred and can start again.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR TYPICAL DAY ON A PLATE.
Breakfast is oats with chia, flaxseed, prunes, banana and strawberries – that type of combination. Or I have fried or poached eggs on sourdough toast with lots of olive oil – I’m obsessed with olive oil – and maybe avocado. I have a pretty big breakfast, and also start with hot lemon water. I snack between meals because I need the energy if I’m exercising. I [work with] Freedom Foods and they’ve got bars with lots of fibre, so they keep you going for a long time. For lunch, it’s a chicken salad or wrap, then an orange or pear in the afternoon. And dinner is vegetables, a chicken schnitzel, steak or fish. Jake and I love pasta, too.
Read more of our chat with Jennifer Hawkins in our special 10th birthday edition of Women’s Health, on sale Monday September 4.
On the cover, Jen wears Fella swimsuit $190, Ivy Park parka $129.95.
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