Many middle-aged women find themselves struggling to come to terms with wrinkles, loosening skin and a ‘mum tum’.
But these body woes are of little concern for 50-year-old Laila White, from Singapore, who has a figure that would be the envy of women half her age.
The mother-of-two, from Singapore, stripped down to her swimwear to show off her toned physique, which she has honed over the last 20 years by following a healthy diet and strict workout regime.
Toned: Mother-of-two Laila White shows off her gym-honed physique by the pool
Youthful: The personal trainer also has a radiant glow and wrinkle-free skin
‘Strong like a bull’: Laila said her muscular physique has improved her self-confidence
Managing director Laila, who also works as a personal trainer, has revealed how exercising has made her feel more confident in herself and helped transform her body from being ‘skinny’ to ‘strong like a bull’.
She said: ‘I have always been skinny even after child birth. Being a housewife and mother was a nonstop career without having any break. [It made] me realise it’s one of the hardest jobs in the world.
‘I was impressed by my brother’s transformation in his physique after going through national service at 18 years old. He taught me a few exercises that piqued my interest and led me to pursue personal training and aerobics instructor courses.
Runs in the family: Laila, centre, poses in matching dresses with her two teenage daughters
Strict regime: Laila said she works out five or six days a week to achieve these results
Gradual process: Laila encouraged others to start slowly if they wanted to transform their body
‘The confidence and energy that training has given me cannot be compared to who I was before. I am strong and hardly fall sick. I am strong like a bull now.’
Laila trains five to six days a week and her workouts consist of 45-minutes strength training and 45-minutes of either cardio or hot yoga. She follows a diet of fish, chicken and vegetables and weighs 8st 7lbs.
However she said some people make negative comments about her toned figure.
She continued: ‘If I am ripped; some love it, some don’t.
Overcoming criticism: Laila explained how some people didn’t like her ‘ripped’ look
Red carpet ready: Laila flaunts her figure at a fitness event, left, and in a photo shoot, right
‘When I am not ripped some say I look better, some say they prefer when I am “less bulky”. You can’t please everyone. So, I please myself. I like when I am lean and ripped.’
Laila urged those wanting to transform their bodies to treat it as a gradual process, adding: ‘It’s not an overnight success.’
‘Don’t shoot for results immediately which can lead to injuries,’ she said. ‘Learn from asking, reading and watching from the right source. It’s a lifestyle not a one-stop destination.
‘Fall in love with the process. It’s a journey, watch how you evolve and celebrate every achievement and with every failure there’s a lesson to be learned.’