By Cary Castagna, QMI Agency
M
ichelle Betts refused to seek solace in Haagen-Dazs after breaking up with a boyfriend eight years ago. Instead of diving into the clichĂŠd universal comforter for broken hearts, she decided on a more abs-friendly remedy. "I immediately joined a gym and that's how I got over the breakup," the 34-year-old Hollywood actor recalls in a phone interview from Los Angeles. "I literally walked up the street to Crunch (Fitness)." Her workouts were cathartic. In time, her emotional wounds healed. And in the process, Betts transformed into a self-confessed fitness fanatic. "I became very known at the gym. I would talk to all the trainers and the people taking classes," she says. "Then I got more into the nutrition aspect and I got really hardcore." Prior to signing up for her first gym membership, Betts was "like most people," she notes. "I've never been overweight. I've always taken care of myself." But Betts -- the proud owner of six-pack abs -- has never been fitter than she is now. She trains six days a week, doing everything
from yoga and resistance training to hiking. And when she's not training herself, she's training others. Betts, who earned her personal training certification two years ago through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, takes clients through a series of cardio, balance, core, plyometrics and resistance exercises. She also likes to take clients hiking in L.A.'s Runyon Canyon Park. "If you go hiking with me, we're not just going to hike," she says. "I make you do jumping jacks at the top and ab work at the bottom." Betts describes herself as a "big ball of energy." But she's not big. At five-foot-four, her weight hovers around 105 to 110 pounds. While she's looking to gain a couple more pounds of muscle on her petite frame, Betts is also working to further develop her burgeoning acting career. The one-time body double for Demi Moore is appearing this fall in the fourth season of the hit VH1 reality dating show Tough Love: Miami. Her past credits include a sci-fi thriller on Showtime called Galaxy Hunter, a national McDonald's commercial, and a sexy online comedy known as Party Girl Plus One. Regular exercise and a healthy diet have kept Continued on next page
www.tampabaywellness.com
Tampa Bay Wellness • jAnuary 2012 13