Lauren Graham on SELF Magazine

Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls) recently challenged herself to get fit before the third season of Parenthood began. When invited to be on the cover of SELF, she set herself a goal to get fit in just 5 weeks.

Here’s how the article begins:

Challenge on!

It’s 87 degrees, and I am on my 14th lap around a high school track. Whose idea was this?

Oh, mine. I’d wanted a fitness challenge. I’ve always been athletic, but I was in a slump. I’d been Spinning, running and hiking, but that didn’t seem to be having a big impact on my body or fitness level. I felt as if my efforts were all for nothing and maybe shoe shopping with my sister Shade would be a better use of time.

What could I do if I pushed past my limits? Could I get leaner? More toned? When SELF invited me to be on the cover, I told the editors I wanted to try training like an athlete. Good news: They loved the idea and said they had the perfect trainer for me. Bad news: I had only five weeks until the cover shoot, during which I’d be traveling a lot. I panicked.

Lauren’s training included using a heart-rate monitor to be in the right fat-burning range, working out longer, and drinking water.

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