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Lea Michele: I’ve Never Changed My Body for Anyone Else (Exclusive)

Lea Michele
Lea Michele attends AwesomenessTV’s ‘Versus’ event, in partnership with Gatorade, at Awesomeness HQ on December 4, 2017 in Santa Monica, California. Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com

Lea Michele works on her fitness whenever she has free time, but not because of any outside pressures. “I’m proud that I never really changed my body for anyone else,” she told Us Weekly exclusively at Gatorade & AwesomenessTV’s #SistersinSweat Summit on Monday, December 4  where local teen girls connected with female leaders to explain the long-term benefits of staying in sports. “I think that I’ve always been told, and we’re always told, especially nowadays with social media and everything, that you have to look a certain way, and I really just honored my uniqueness. I believe that’s really helped me get to where I am today.”

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Lea Michele
Lea Michele attends AwesomenessTV’s ‘Versus’ event, in partnership with Gatorade, at Awesomeness HQ on December 4, 2017 in Santa Monica, California. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Awesomeness

The actress, 31, doesn’t have to look far to squeeze in workouts. “What’s super easy for me is hiking because I live near some really great trails. I can literally get in my car, drive for less than a minute and be on the top of a mountain 20 minutes later,” she told Us. “It is so spiritually incredible as well as physically — I look for workouts that have to be also good for my spirit as much as they are for my body. I can’t be at a gym with crazy music playing and people looking at themselves in the mirror.”

The Glee alum notes that her fitness regimen has as much to do with her mental wellbeing as her physical. “Anything that you’re feeling, working out is the best thing for you. If you’re down, working out is good. If you’re in a good mood, working out is good!” she explained. “It’s like, it makes me feel good on all levels. Taking care of myself is the number one priority because I have to be in my best physical and mental shape in order to do my job. And working out is my time.”

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However, there are other notable benefits to keeping up with her workout routine. “I mean, sometimes I’m in a place where I work out so I can eat like a man which is also, I think, totally fine,” she said. “More so than anything, I work out so I can feel good. It’s such an endorphins booster for me. That’s really what it’s about. But I also know that if I have gone on a trip and I’ve indulged, that I can always go back to my workouts and that will kind of get me back into shape.”

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