No pain, no gain. Demi Lovato is back to hitting the gym and taking MMA classes post-rehab because she’s committed to staying physically and mentally healthy, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.
“Working out is cleansing for her mind, body and soul,” the source says of Lovato. “It keeps her on track, focused and feeling good.”
Lovato was photographed leaving the Unbreakable Performance Center gym in Los Angeles on Friday, November 9, after a mixed martial arts class. Returning to her intense workouts, including her MMA sessions, is just one of the ways Lovato is rebuilding her life following her accidental drug overdose and rehab stay. “She loves the structure and getting things back on track health-wise,” continues the source. “She feels good, looks good — and is determined to continue to stay on this path.”
The 26-year-old singer finished a three-month stint in rehab last month, following a near-fatal drug overdose in her Los Angeles home in July. She remained in the hospital for nearly two weeks before reporting to an in-treatment facility.
The Grammy nominee is a long-time fitness devotee — and told Us Weekly in May 2017 that, for her, exercising “definitely therapeutic.” Said the star, “I feel the most confident when I’m in the gym — whenever I’m training, whether it’s boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu.”
And as Unbreakable trainer Jay Glazer told Us in 2016 of Lovato’s workouts, she doesn’t mess around! “The MMA part has definitely resonated the best with her, she actually hits and kicks incredibly hard. People here are kind of stunned when they look in the cage to see who’s cracking the pads that hard and see it’s her,” said Glazer. “Sylvester Stallone came in and heard someone hitting pads and couldn’t believe it was her. Not a bad plug to get from Rocky!”
Besides getting physical, the Fabletics designer recognizes the role of mental health in her overall well-being. “I stay confident in my own life by daily affirmations — looking in the mirror, telling myself I’m beautiful no matter what and just learning to accept my flaws for what they are and knowing that, you know, my curves are beautiful, and I am who I am,” Lovato told Us in 2017. “I hope to inspire [young women] by getting in the gym, getting healthy, feeling comfortable in their skin.”
