The New Kelly Ripa

A Brand-New Kelly

At age 37, Kelly Ripa has done what most of us watching her on ABC's Live with Regis and Kelly only dream about: She's given her abs, arms, and butt a total makeover. As Kelly puts it, "For the first time, I have muscles!" But her commitment to health goes beyond crunches and curls: She supports HEART for Women, a bill before Congress requesting funding for and education about gender-related aspects of cardiovascular health. Here's what this month's Mind, Body & Spirit Superstar told FITNESS.

A lot of women think if they didn't exercise in their 20s, there's no way they can start at 35 or 40. You've done it. What's the secret?

KR: I was the same way about exercise. I didn't do it in my 20s and I was like, it's too late to start now. I figured, I work in an industry where there's a stylist and a makeup artist -- they'll make me look fine. But I began feeling tired -- just playing in the park with my kids wore me down. I thought, "Geez, I'm kind of young to be feeling this way." So I started walking on a treadmill. Then I started jogging on a treadmill. Then I began jogging outside. Now I'm running outside, three to five miles, and taking toning classes.

At what point did you notice changes in how your body looked?

KR: A month or two after I started working out, I wore a sleeveless turtleneck to work. Regis was like, "Ripa, your arm muscles look incredible!" It was the first time anybody had ever said anything to me about my muscles. And because I am a vain person, that's all I needed to hear to stay with it.