How supermodels stay in shape: Elle Macpherson

Supermodel Elle Macpherson has revealed how she keeps her body in shape.

"I have a very holistic perspective on health. I choose to look after my body from a Chinese medicine perspective, which promotes and maintains wellness rather than treats illness," the Daily Telegraph quoted her as telling The News of the World newspaper in the UK.

"I have acupuncture regularly and I see a Chinese doctor who treats most common ailments with herbs."

"Maintenance is a concept for me across the board. For example, every six months I go to my doctor to have ultrasound checks on my breasts, ovaries and uterus," she added.

Elle, 46, talked about how she cares for her body.

"These days I practise wellness over fitness. I feel I've discovered the things that are really important to maintaining health as I''ve got older because my body has become more sensitive," she said.

"Number one is sleep. Often when I don't sleep enough I notice a difference in the way I respond to everyday circumstances. Five hours sleep, as opposed to eight, makes a huge difference to my wellbeing. Sleep can also be a great detox for the body, giving it time to regenerate so it can function more efficiently on every level," she added.

Macpherson also revealed drinking water is essential to her.

"I have six 500 ml bottles that I refill every day. I put them on the kitchen table or on my desk and I count them down towards the end of the day. It''s a good trick because every time I walk past them I can pick up a bottle and drink it as I walk around. I make sure those bottles are gone by the time I go to bed."

Elle also revealed her diet.

"Diet is very important to me and particularly for my children, as I have seen that low blood sugar levels can affect their moods along with excess sugar, salt, preservatives and food colourings."

"From a nutritional perspective, organic food is really important. I can't stress enough the importance of eating non-processed food where possible. I try to buy Fairtrade (product certification system designed to identify products that meet with environmental, labour and developmental standards) and local fruit and vegetable produce that's in season."

Elle said that exercise is vital for her but it has changed over the years.

"When I was younger and had more time on my hands, I would run six miles or go to the gym every day. It didn't take a lot for me to stay in shape because genetically speaking I was born with good architecture. As I've aged, I've realised that continuous strenuous exercise isn't necessarily the best thing for my body. Strength and flexibility are really important so I choose to do different things," she said.

"When I'm in London, I'll do Pilates or yoga and I'll work with my trainer."

"I'm gentler on my body than I used to be. It's not that easy because I don't have the same physique as I did when I was 20 and there's a temptation to do what used to work for me when I was younger. I've now realised that a more gentle, consistent, self-loving approach is more beneficial. As well as yoga and Pilates, I choose sports I love. I go water-skiing every morning when I'm in warmer climates, and I go skiing when I can in winter. I love to hike, surf and paddleboard. I do sport I really enjoy," she added.