2017 is shaping up to be the year of the fitness influencer. Scroll through Instagram and you’ll find health tips, athleisure #ootd posts and an endless collection of content around workout #inspo. Considering fitness culture is more prominent than ever, sportswear giants can’t help but notice and get in on the action. Brands like Adidas are using social media to recruit fresh and new faces for ad campaigns, like Meagan Kong, one of Adidas’ Ambassadors to US Running.
This is a smart move from a branding standpoint since influencers like Kong bring a cool-factor far beyond their tight bods. If you haven’t already noticed, the Minneapolis-born professional dancer also has ridiculously gorgeous hair. Along with her luscious locks, her impressive rhythm has landed her on stage with huge celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and Pit Bull. Not to mention, she’s also appeared on TV shows like America’s Next Top Model, The Voice and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
And if that wasn’t enough to make you want to stalk her Instagram account, she recently traded in her usual yo-yo dieting for a more realistic and healthy approach that’s documented on her social channels and blog, You Kong Do It. Just when we thought we couldn’t love her more, Kong was kind enough to share her expert food and fitness tips to living a healthy life—without hesitation!
How to Achieve Flawless Skin On-the-Go
- I recently purchased a high-frequency wand and it’s really changed my skin. I’ll use it all over my face for five minutes every night and then zap blemishes for 10 seconds. Once a week I exfoliate, use Kate Somerville’s Eradi-Kate Mask and then zap any blemishes with the wand.
- To fight breakouts from sweating throughout the day (dance rehearsals, multiple workouts, etc.), I use makeup wipes with salicylic acid immediately after I finish each activity. Wiping the sweat within two or three minutes of completing the workout keeps bacteria from drying up and clogging my pores.
- When I must wear makeup while working out (for a photo shoot or while dancing on set), I like to use an all natural primer like Juice Beauty’s PHYTO-PIGMENTS Illuminating Primer, so at a minimum, I know that the products on my skin are pure and act as a shield.
- I like to sprinkle eucalyptus oil around the tub for a post-workout home spa experience.
Healthy Eating Essentials
- I use flax oil (instead of butter and other oils) as salad dressing, to top popcorn and to make hummus. It adds fiber and omega-3, but it also promotes healthy skin, hair and nails. You can find this in the medicine aisle, oftentimes categorized as a dietary supplement at the grocery store. Keep in mind you can’t cook with it since it doesn’t take heat.
- I also swapped parmesan for nutritional yeast. I like to make spaghetti squash with peas, tons of nutritional yeast, flax oil, salt and pepper and just a sliver of butter when I want to indulge a little.
- I make this apple cider vinegar tonic and drink it once a day to boost my energy, rev my metabolism and clarify my skin!
- When I feel bloated while on my period, or sodium puffed from a bad week of eating, I’ll drink dandelion tea as a natural diuretic.
- Throughout the day I like to snack on my 30-second energy bomb. The recipe calls for one pitted date split open, almond butter slathered onto it and rolled in bee pollen. Dates provide a natural source of sugar, almond butter is great source of protein and fat and bee pollen features a burst of B vitamins.
Tricks to Stay Motivated and Maximize a Workout
- I travel with a jump rope and resistance bands so I can do a full body workout in my hotel room.
- I eat squeaky clean at home (no dairy, no white carbohydrates, occasional grains and/or beans, but I like it to be protein-heavy) so I can live a little when I go out and can’t control what goes into my food, even the healthy choices!
- I sign up for my workout classes at the beginning of the week so all I have to do is show up!
- I never let myself feel or look like a scrub when I workout. I’m a firm believer that you work harder when you like what you see in the mirror. Also, the tighter my hair, the tighter I squeeze. I use two thick black hair bands tied three times around when I work out.
- I try to work out first thing in the morning so that I start my day at a calorie deficit. When you eat a banana pre-workout, you’re spending the first part of your workout working off the sugar you just ate.
- Cardio is not enough. To change the shape of your body you need to change the shape of your muscles, so I treat my body like a weapon. I diversify my workouts as much as possible so my body doesn’t settle and my brain stays engaged. A typical week could be: Monday – cycle, Tuesday – endurance Pilates or dance class, Wednesday – circuit class or yoga, Thursday – a jog or boxing and Friday–a hike.
*Photo Credit: Brandon Bacquie
