In the best shape of her life

MANILA, Philippines - Contrary to the oh-so catchy line from a TV commercial that propelled Alice Dixson to fame and star status, the 44-year-old actress and General Nutrition Center’s (GNC) brand ambassador admits to not feeling her age at all.

Actress, model, realtor, and fitness buff Alice Dixson is walking proof of that clichéd aphorism, paraphrase: “If you feel good on the inside, it shows on the outside.” At 44, Alice is proud and unashamed of her age — and she owes it all to her life-changing decision to pursue a healthy, active lifestyle.

Perhaps what makes Alice Dixson, who is back in the showbiz world with a vengeance, such a fascinating subject is her versatility — both in her career and physical pursuits.  Aside from being a certified realtor and commercial model, her acting resume is definitely not that of a lightweight’s: After doing action, drama, fantasy, she’s now delving into comedy with Confessions of a Torpe and already has two projects — one with Viva Films and another, an indie film — in the pipeline before the year ends.  What’s more, she’s also looking at doing a talk show or variety show after Confessions ends its run.  “I think it’ll be fun,” she confesses.

Her fitness regimen is nothing to scoff at either.  “I’ve always been very athletic, since bata pa,” she shares.  “I went to an all-girls Catholic school so we had our basketball team, baseball team … I was doing a lot of swimming, too.  Basically, I grew up as a tomboy — my dad taught me all the ‘boy sports.’”

Right now, Alice is into badminton, volleyball, yoga, running, and does the typical gym workout. (“On good days, I run.  On bad days, I just do weights.”)  Her adventurous streak is apparent with all the sports and activities she’s already tried — and has yet to try!

The list doesn’t end there.  Alice has also done skydiving, bungee jumping, skiing, skateboarding, rock climbing, and so on.  She has had “a little bit of training in Pekiti-Tirsia Kali.  “It’s Philippine martial arts combat with hands, knives … Basically, it’s self-defense.  I’ve done it a couple of times and it was helpful for my TV shows where I had to do some stunts and fight scenes,”  she explains.

As if those weren’t enough, Alice recently learned tennis and wakeboarding, and she wants to learn how to paraglide, karate, kendo, judo, taekwondo. “If I haven’t tried it yet, most likely I will!”

Given Alice’s dedication and desire to lead a healthy, happy lifestyle, it came as no surprise when GNC invited her to become its brand ambassador.  “I said, sure, why not? I’d be honored to, I’d love to,” she exclaims.  “In fact, when GNC first came to the Philippines — 20 years ago, I think — I was already one of their customers.”

She adds, “I’ve always wanted to encourage women — even men — that whatever age you are, you know, you can be motivated to stay fit, be healthy, make your life more active and fun.  I noticed, really and honestly, when I started doing not just yoga but a regular fitness regimen, you get those endorphins that make you happy.”

Currently, Alice is a big fan of GNC’s Women’s Ultra Mega, B-Complex, GNC Fish Oil, Resvitale Collagen Enhance, Natural Brand Mega Acidophilus, and Natural Brand Aloe Vera supplements.

It’s hard to believe that Alice is already in her mid-40s, as even without makeup, she still manages to appear fresh, youthful, and wrinkle-free.  “I don’t have a beauty secret,” she laughs.  “If I did, everyone would know it by now.  Honestly, I think I’m lucky to have good genes.  My mom is really healthy at 81.”

Of course, Alice knows better than to let her genes do all the work for her.  The hardworking actress understands, perhaps better than anyone else, that being in tip-top shape requires patience, dedication, and determination.

“Just like with skincare, you always have to just cleanse and tone your body.  You are what you eat so you have to keep your eating habits clean and tone your body.  Exercise.  And hydrate!  You have to drink a lot of water.”

Paying attention to her body’s needs and wants is something that works for Alice.  “I eat anything I want but in moderation.  Small quantities but frequent,” she says.  “I love to snack.  I love pastries, I love sweets.  And whatever my body feels like having, I don’t deprive it.  But I try not to go overboard.”

She’s also conscious now about how the people around her influence her fitness mindset.  “If I hang out with people who like to eat, I have a tendency to become overweight so I like hanging out with people who like to exercise,” she grins.

One non-negotiable for Alice is that she needs to do at least three activities a week, “whether it be 20 minutes on the treadmill, yoga, or a game of badminton with friends.  You need to sweat at least three times a week to get the toxins out,” she advises.  “If I don’t get to do three activities during the week, I’ll double up.”

Alice is a firm believer of making time for something that is really important to you.  Her thriving career may be tough on her fitness priorities and physical regimen, but she doesn’t let that deter her from leading an active lifestyle. 

As someone who waged the battle of the bulge and came out triumphant, Alice has just two simple bits of advice to share with those who want to lose weight and get in shape.  First, she says, “You really start with small steps.  For me, when I wanted to get in shape and lose weight, what was more important was getting in shape — just building up my cardio resistance.  I started walking until I learned how to do a walk-run, until I could run 1K, then 2K.”

Second is to make it a daily — or at least a regular habit.  “I had a motivational recording.  It’s something I picked up at the point when I was a little overweight, I wasn’t feeling good about myself, and I just wanted to live a healthier, happier life,” she shares. “It’s a good way to feed your mind and inspire yourself.”

And now, Alice also has GNC, the biggest retailer of nutritional supplements in the Philippines, to back her up in her fitness goals and make sure she stays at the best shape of her life.