Faith Hill gave herself an unusual 41st birthday present: posing in a bikini for Shape Magazine. The much-photographed country star has never posed in a swimsuit before, but now that she's taken up Pilates she was ready.
"I could bend in ways I haven't been able to since I was a teenager," the Nashville-based star tells Shape magazine for its December issue (on sale Nov. 10). "My husband [Tim McGraw] loves it!"
Her new routine is done with an instructor, and comes after years of waffling when it comes to working out.
"I was always very athletic, playing basketball and softball and running track," she says.
"But in my 20s and 30s, I'd go through phases with exercise, working out for four weeks before a big tour or video shoot and not doing much afterward. Then I had three kids [with McGraw, daughters Gracie, 11; Maggie, 10; and Audrey, 6] and turned 40, so I decided to make a lifestyle change."
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In July she and McGraw began a daily routine that included four miles on the elliptical, light weight lifting, crunches and push-ups.
"I found I slept better, had more energy and was stronger," says Hill, who then increased her regime to include Pilates classes three times a week.
"It was so hard, but ultimately so worth it. My core is much stronger, and my arms are more toned. In fact, wearing a bikini on a magazine cover is my 41st birthday present to myself."
Even allowing for a bit of airbrushing, she looks fabulous. Good for her.
