SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE, November, 1998.
Would you believe that brave and buff Reneé O'Connor started exercising in high school to shed her baby fat? "My weight was fluctuating, which is why I got into working out," the 27-year-old actress says. These days, O'Connor gets lots of exercise just by doing her job-- playing the part of Gabrielle, Xena's partner and best friend on the hit television show Xena: Warrior Princess. The two travel through ancient lands to defend the weak and fight evil forces. O'Connor performs many of her own stunts, including the scenes where she wards off enemies with a large, heavy staff.
To physically prepare for the show (not to mention for staying toned for those skimpy cavewomanesque costumes), O'Connor does a variety of activities, including rock climbing, hiking and kick boxing. "To avoid exercise boredom, break up your routines by doing different things,"" O'Connor suggests. The Texas native, who puts in long hours on the set, doesn't always have the time or energy for daily sweat fests, but she tries to fit in some kind of exercise every day. "I really listen to my body-if I'm tired, I'll just jump on the trampoline for a half hour or walk on the beach. If I'm really energized, I'll go for a strong hour-and-a-half workout," she says. O'Connor also uses free weights (she has a set at home), but that doesn't mean she wants biceps like Arnold Schwarzenegger's: "I try to keep a lean look, so I don't use heavy weights."
O'Connor's secret weapon to maintaining her fab abs is the inflatable fitness ball, which she learned about from her boyfriend, Steve. "I used to teach aerobics, but this is harder than any abdominal routine I've ever done," she says.
With all that exercising, O'Connor still watches what she eats, but she takes a common sense approach to diet. "I used to never eat anything that wasn't healthful, but now my habits are more moderate."
-- ELIZA BERGMAN KRAUSE