Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge commonly known as Kate Middleton
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Catherine Elizabeth “Kate”; née Middleton; born 9 January 1982 is the wife of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and a member of the British Royal Family. The Duke of Cambridge is second in line to the thrones, after his father, of the Commonwealth realms and, should he eventually ascend to them, the Duchess would automatically become the Queen Consort.
At 5ft 10inch tall and weighing just 8st 8lbs, Kate Middleton has slim and athletic figure. There are rumours she is taking diet tips from her mother, who swears by a controversial French eating plan, the Dukan diet, and that stress is playing a huge part in her recent weight loss.
But despite intense scrutiny, the future princess insists she is keeping a handle on the situation and is sticking to the most tried and trusted methods of maintaining a healthy weight – balancing an active lifestyle with sensible eating.
Despite the gossip surrounding her eating habits, Kate sticks to a low GI diet of lean meats, fish and vegetables to stay healthy.
She loves “summer foods,” She loves “summer foods,” including beans, salads and salmon, and although she doesn’t deny herself, she is believed to be extremely disciplined in what she eats.
Kate has also been linked to Dukan diet, originated by Pierre Dukan, to fit into her wedding gown on April 29.
Her mother, Carole, has been a Dukan devotee since using the diet to shed weight last year and it is rumoured she has turned her daughter on to the regime.
A variation on the hugely popular Atkins diet – high protein and low carb – the Dukan diet already has several famous fans, including Hollywood A-listers Jennifer Lopez and Nicole Kidman.
The four-stage diet consists of a series of phases – attack, cruise, consolidation and stabilisation – whereby foods are withdrawn and then slowly re-introduced.
According to the Dukan diet website, the phases enable the dieter to lose then maintain the correct level of weight for body type.
Kate leads such an active lifestyle, her diet of low GI carbs only serve to help maintain her slim frame while muscle definition is down to her choice of exercise.
She is a keen gym bunny and does at least one hour every day, using the private facilities installed at Clarence House.
Her favourite high-energy workout includes rowing, running and weight lifting. She also cycles regularly, balancing her cardio workouts with yoga sessions to improve flexibility.
A typical workout routine for Kate would include short 20-minute bursts of high intensity training to keep things fresh and interesting.
Running
To really burn fat and ensure a body fit for a princess, vary the speed of your workout. Running at a high intensity for three minutes and a moderate intensity for five will ensure all of your muscles are working hard and help tone your abdomen.
Rowing
For super-toned arms, rowing is the best thing to banish bingo wings and impress the future king. An intense 30-minute rowing session can burn 300 calories.
A session on the rowing machine will provide great strength, flexibility and posture in your upper body.
Weights
Adding weights to a cardio routine will help with muscle definition and sculpting body shape. As weights are essentially the same as resistance training, it will help improve co-ordination and increase bone density as well as improving performance during cardio routines.
Doing step-ups and push-ups alongside squats and lunges using an exercise band will also give the same effect. For best results, do repeat each move 10 to 12 times, breaking just long enough to catch your breath in between. Repeat for two to three sets.
Yoga
Lactic acid build-up in the muscles from vigorous cardio exercising contributes to muscle fatigue so it’s vital to use yoga stretches in between regular workouts to release any lactic acid build-up.
Forward bends stretch the lower back and hamstrings. This helps you let go of tension in the back, neck and shoulders, increasing the flexibility of the spine.
Backward bends open the chest, hips and rib cage and hips, building strength in the arms and shoulders. They also add to flexibility in the shoulders, while helping ease the tension from the front of the body and hips.
Seated asanas – or poses – increase suppleness in the hips and lower back. Strengthening the whole back, they increase the flexibility of the spine and elasticity of the hips, knees, ankle and groin.
Balancing asanas are essential for cultivating muscle tone and physical harmony as well as strength and agility. Great for overall posture.
Holiday activities with Prince William include skiing, which uses both upper and lower body to get the heart rate soaring and can burn up to 1400 calories an hour.
On their trip to Kenya last year, they had an active holiday, including horse and camel riding.
Tennis-mad Kate, who plays at Princess Diana’s old haunt, the Harbour Club in Chelsea, is all set for Wimbledon this year when she will be the Royal representative.
She also loves swimming, which helps tone up her body.
Kate has a notoriously sweet tooth. Haribo Starmix and Tangfastics are her favourites. She stocks up from local stores when she is with her family in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
She also buys French bread, ham, salami, cream and eggs.
She has the perfect smile and toned body — and many wonder how the Duchess gets in such terrific physical shape.
Like in real life, it doesn’t just come naturally — and takes a lot of hard work and dedication!
And some of Kate’s secrets are revealed in the new issue of British magazine Now.
The article reveals she doesn’t have a personal trainer, but has developed her own workout routine.
“We can reveal the Duchess owes her tiny, toned figure to a no-frills £13 workout consisting of a gym ball and a pair of dumbbells,” according to Now.
“Kate does an hour’s workout every morning using the gym ball and dumbbells, which includes some core exercises like squats, sit-ups and arm curls.”
Not to mention, she also has a healthy diet, loves sports and gets to go on long walks to tire her dog Lupo out!
“She hates dieting – she sticks to healthy picks like oatmeal, dried fruit and almonds. Kate’s not much into sweets, but she does love Kettle chips!”
We see what is often the case for young people applies to Kate as well. By sticking to a diet based on natural foods, avoiding excessive alcohol and snack-food consumption, and keeping an active healthy life style with regular exercise allows her to maintain the glow of fitness and health. No crazy diets – no steroids or human growth hormone treatments – no insane exercise regimen – and Kate is a model for all to follow.
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The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
