Mary J. Blige Shows Off Healthy Body on Shape Cover
Mary J. Blige has been working on her exercise regime for several months and now she’s showing off the results. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul is now the queen of abs on SHAPE magazine’s December issue.
On the cover, MJB is wearing an all-white two-piece bathing suit, which reveals her svelte figure. The cover line says it all: "42 and Sexier Than Ever -- the Moves That Make Her Fit & Fierce."
Getting that fierce body wasn’t easy for Blige. The 'My Life' singer enlisted the help of her trainer, Mark Jenkins, and stayed on a strict diet and exercise routine.
"My main exercise is cardio,” she tells SHAPE. “The treadmill is fine but running outdoors gives me the best results. I try to log 6 to 8 miles a week. I could be in the worst mood, but when I do my cardio I feel much, much better.”
In preparation for the cover shoot, Blige also eliminated sugar from her diet and ate foods that were gluten-free, dairy-free and low-carb.
Blige also cut out alcohol, which she did following the untimely death of her idol, pop icon Whitney Houston.
“I haven’t had a drink in a year and three months," she attests. "I had quit for a long time but started again about five years ago. I’m off it completely once more, and now I feel stronger than ever."
The December issue of SHAPE, featuring the shapely Mary J. Blige on the cover, will hit newsstands on Nov. 25.