MANILA, Philippines — It has been five years since actor Derek Ramsay and model and fitness expert Joanne Villablanca called it quits, and Joanne is a mom to a 16-year-old, but she does not look 34 years old.
In fact, Joanne just got married early this month.
At Watsons Philippines’ recent first ever Health and Wellness Expo days before her wedding, Joanne even managed to share to select press some easy-to-follow fitness tips for a healthier 2024 and beyond.
Just start, be consistent
“Just start (at your fitness goals),” Joanne urged. “It doesn’t have to be every day. Always remember and always put into your head, ‘Why am I doing this?’ Know your whys: bakit ko ginagawa ‘to? For myself? Or I want to look good because this is my job? Is it for your grandparents, your parents, your kids? Know your whys and (those) will also motivate you to workout and live a better lifestyle.”
Work smarter, not harder
“SMART,” said Joanne, stands for:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable goals
R – Relevant goals
T – Time-bound
Try different kinds of workout
“Explore different workouts because everybody’s different,” advised Villablanca.
“What works for me might not work for you, or it depends also on your goal: to be flexible ba? To build muscle? So, there are different kinds of workouts to achieve your certain goal.”
She claimed she has tried different types of workout, including weight-lifting and boxing, but yoga stands out because it enables her to be focused on the moment and on her breathing.
“I highly suggest yoga to anyone, lalo na if you’re having a bad day, stressed ka, if you want to improve flexibility, because it really calms the mind. Iba ‘yung feeling after a yoga class,” she avowed.
“Kasi it’s like a meditative flow. You move with your own breath. You don’t focus on anything because you focus on your breath and your pose. So lahat ng iniisip mo, your mind constantly thinks, right? Kahit nakahiga na tayo sa kama, ‘what am I gonna eat tomorrow,’ ‘what time are we gonna setup?’ In yoga, it’s very peaceful, very quiet.”
Practice mindful eating
“Rice is not bad,” she assured. “But just make sure na kapag kumain tayo, be mindful, be present at the moment. I am still guilty of that. I eat while I watch TV, I scroll through social media, so hindi mo na-eenjoy ‘yung food mo na parang, ‘Ano nga ulit ‘yung lasa nu’n?’”
According to Joanne, what motivated her to be a fitness guru is to be able to grow old gracefully for her loved ones.
“Before of course, when I was younger, I want to look beautiful, I want to look fit because I do commercials,” she admitted. “But as you age, your priorities become different. It’s either because you want to grow old for your kids, you want to be strong for your parents…I want to be healthy not just for myself, pero ayaw ko nang alagaan ako ng daughter ko when I grow old…”
She believed that the saying “Prevention is better than cure” means making good health and fitness always a priority.