Behind every public figure's appearance lies a personal regimen. This series examines the diets, workouts, treatments, and beauty and fashion habits of notable figures as practical lifestyle information.

[Kim Sa-rang's YouTube channel]
[Kim Sa-rang's YouTube channel]

Actor Kim Sa-rang has drawn renewed attention to her workout and diet routine after sharing footage of herself swimming during a trip to New York.

Kim recently posted a travel vlog on her YouTube channel documenting her time in New York. The clips showed her strolling through a farm, sampling freshly made doughnuts and taking a dip in a rooftop pool at her accommodation.

Kim has previously credited morning exercise and careful eating for her physique. She said she starts each day with abdominal exercises, performing sets of 20 to 30 repetitions for a total of about 100 reps. Her diet features a drink blended with chayote, apple and cucumber, along with mushroom-based meals.

What stands out is not any single food or short-term diet, but the consistency of her daily habits. Kim has said there is "no special secret" and that sticking to her routine is what matters.

100 ab reps every morning — but fasted workouts may not burn more fat

The abdominal exercises Kim does each morning are a form of strength training that engages the core muscles supporting the abdomen and torso.

Core muscles, including the abdominals, stabilize the spine and pelvis and transfer force between the upper and lower body during movement. Training them consistently helps build trunk strength and stability.

Doing large numbers of ab exercises, however, does not selectively burn fat from the belly. Reducing overall body fat requires managing total daily energy intake and expenditure alongside a combination of aerobic and strength training.

Because Kim exercises before breakfast, the idea that fasted workouts burn more fat is often raised. Research does suggest that aerobic exercise performed in a fasted state can increase the proportion of fat oxidized during the session compared with exercising after a meal.

However, burning more fat during a workout is not the same as losing more body fat over time. Recent studies comparing strength training in fasted versus fed states found no significant difference in gains in muscle mass or strength.

There is no compelling reason to choose fasted exercise purely for weight management. If exercising on an empty stomach causes dizziness or weakness that reduces workout intensity, a light meal beforehand is the better option.

It is also important not to focus solely on ab exercises. Pairing them with full-body strength training that engages larger muscle groups — the legs, back and chest — is key. The WHO recommends that adults perform muscle-strengthening activities targeting major muscle groups on at least two days a week, along with 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week.

Chayote, apple and cucumber — the key is low calorie density

Kim has previously highlighted a blended drink made with chayote, apple and cucumber as part of her diet.

Chayote is a gourd-family vegetable with high water content and relatively few calories. Cucumber is similarly water-rich, and apple provides dietary fiber. These fruits and vegetables carry a lower calorie load per serving, making them practical choices for weight management.

High-fiber foods can help increase meal volume and sustain a sense of fullness. That said, fiber content alone does not automatically suppress appetite in every food — the overall composition and quantity of daily meals still matter most.

Eating whole fruit rather than drinking it in blended form is also worth considering. Studies analyzing fresh fruit consumption have found a tendency for including fruit in the diet to support weight maintenance or modest weight loss. Whole fruit delivers water and fiber together, and the act of chewing itself contributes to a feeling of fullness.

Mushrooms, which Kim has said she uses frequently, are another low-calorie, fiber-rich ingredient. They can be added to stir-fries, salads or soups to increase the volume of a meal without significantly raising its calorie count.

Eating only vegetables and mushrooms in the name of weight management, however, is not advisable. Maintaining muscle requires adequate protein from sources such as eggs, fish, meat, tofu and legumes. Carbohydrates from rice or whole grains should also be consumed in amounts appropriate to one's activity level.

It is also worth noting that Kim was seen enjoying doughnuts during her New York trip. When it comes to weight management, what matters more than any single indulgence is the pattern of eating and activity maintained day to day. A long-term approach built around managing overall meal portions and composition tends to be more sustainable than banning specific foods entirely.

Staying in shape after 40 — muscle matters more than the number on the scale

After the age of 40, preserving muscle mass becomes more important than simply lowering body weight.

Muscle mass and strength tend to decline with age, and reduced activity can raise the proportion of body fat even when overall weight stays the same. Women in particular often experience shifts in body fat distribution alongside hormonal changes in middle age.

Strength training can help slow these changes. A review of studies on middle-aged and older women found that resistance training improved muscular strength and cardiorespiratory fitness while also having a positive effect on reducing body fat and maintaining muscle mass.

Building a short daily habit like ab exercises can serve as a starting point for consistent physical activity. Adding multi-muscle movements such as squats, lunges and rows, along with aerobic exercise like walking or swimming, supports overall fitness and body composition.

Swimming, which Kim was seen doing in New York, engages the whole body while building cardiovascular endurance. Because it places relatively little direct load on the joints, it is also well suited to long-term, consistent practice.

The real takeaway from Kim's routine is not the "100 fasted morning ab reps" or any single vegetable. It is closer to a habit of moving regularly and eating meals that are not excessively high in calories.

Enjoying a doughnut while traveling and then returning to her exercise and eating routine at home is itself consistent with sustainable, long-term weight management. Rather than short-term fasting or reliance on specific foods, maintaining muscle mass through consistent activity is what matters most for managing body composition in middle age and beyond.


rainbow@heraldcorp.com