Bianca Gonzalez: 'Cardio always works'

SHE'S HUMAN, TOO. Like all of us, Bianca Gonzalez knows what it's like to make resolutions and not be able to keep them. The answer? Themes. Photo from @iamsuperbianca on Instagram

The Women's Health Philippines January-February cover girl looks forward to a fearless 2014

MANILA, Philippines - Celebrity and "social media darling" Bianca Gonzalez is the cover girl of Women's Health PH's January-February issue. She met the press at the issue's official launch on January 7 at 55 Events Place in Quezon City.

Women's Health PH managing editor Anna Felipe also answered questions from the press, along with Men's Health PH editor-in-chief Peejo Pilar and Men's Health PH cover boy Geoff Eigenmann. (Geoff lost an incredible 40 pounds in just 3 months! But that, my friends, is another story.)

While Bianca admitted to having "good genes" as far as her slender frame is concerned, she said she doesn't take fitness in stride. "I worked out even during the holidays," she told impressed media who were enthralled with her simplicity and humility.

Being in a relationship with Barako Bulls player JC Intal is also a motivation. "He's so fit and I have to keep up with that," Bianca said.

I read the cover story on Bianca written by Anton Umali, and here are my takeaways as far as fitness is concerned:

1. Don't make a resolution to be fit. Make fitness your theme for the year.
"Some of my friends did 'DIY 2013' and others did 'Fitness 2013'. It's more of like a guiding principle for your year and you apply this to all your goals and endeavors."

2. Look within and decide how you want to grow. This will guide what theme you should choose.
"I asked myself what I needed to do to become a better person," Bianca said about turning 30 last 2013, which she themed "Fearless." "From the big things to the little things, I applied that. And now that 2014 is here, I'm sticking to the 'fearless' theme."

3. Know the fitness approach that works for you. Bianca chooses the relaxing route.
"My workouts of choice are swimming and Pilates...My life is already stressful and high-impact that my workouts need to bring me down. I wouldn't say that Pilates and swimming give me a high, but rather [they] bring me peace of mind."

4. Eat your veggies and detox from time to time
"When I was a kid, I was at war with my mom when it came to eating veggies. Now that I'm older, I realized that eating vegetables really helps one look good. I try to do the juice detox cleanses twice a year, but only as a supplement."

5. Keep your mind fit, too. Engage in dialogue on social media.
"I've always been an opinionated person, the type that likes exposing my feelings. It's very important for me to share what I feel and think, because when you share it, people can give their opinion, tapos kokontrahin ka (then they will oppose you), they can give their two cents worth as well. Then, you can reasses your opinion. It creates dialogue."

GRACIOUS LADY. I posted live updates of the press conference on my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts. After the event, Bianca found time to express gratitude. She's really inspiring!

In the press conference, I asked Bianca: If you had only one fitness tip to tweet to all your followers that you know really works, what would it be? (Bianca has 2,813,563 followers on Twitter and 394,000 followers on Instagram. Those numbers are still rising!)

After a short pause, Bianca thoughtfully answered: "I've said this before and I still believe in it: 'Cardio always works and there are no shortcuts.'"

Read the whole cover story on Bianca in Women's Health PH January-February 2014. 2014 is also the 5th anniversary of the magazine, and readers can expect issues filled with even more up-to-date information about fitness and nutrition. Catch their events "Beauty and the Beach" in Boracay in April and "Are You Game" in the latter part of the year. - #CoffeeWithKai