Michelle Obama’s tips for being happy, healthy

updated 10:42 a.m. ET Oct. 5, 2009

The First Lady's number one health rule: Give yourself permission to be happy.

Here she shares the eating habits, fitness routine, and secrets for inner confidence that she hopes to pass on to her daughters and the nation. An exclusive interview with Prevention Editor-in-Chief Liz Vaccariello.

Liz Vaccariello, editor-in-chief of Prevention: My first question actually comes from my own mother. She wanted to know, have you always followed a healthy lifestyle, or did you have an "aha" moment?

First Lady Michelle Obama: I've always been a closet jock, but when I got married and had kids, that fell by the wayside. My "aha" moment came when our first daughter, Malia, was 4 months old. My husband's exercise routine hadn't changed a bit; he was still getting his workouts in, and I was getting irritated (laughs). Then I realized he was just prioritizing it differently. So I said, "If I get up and out before the first feeding, I will work out." That will engage my husband to do that first feeding with the baby. So I started getting up at 4:30 in the morning and going to the gym. With exercising, the more you do it, the more you get into it. And the more you see results, the more you're pushing for the next level. That's when it just clicked for me.

Liz: What has your mom taught you about healthy living?

Mrs. Obama: I think my mother taught me what not to do. She put us first, always, sometimes to the detriment of herself. She encouraged me not to do that. She'd say being a good mother isn't all about sacrificing; it's really investing and putting yourself higher on your priority list. You can be a good mom and still work out, get your rest, have a career — or not. She encouraged me to find that balance.

Liz: So, what does good health mean for you?

Mrs. Obama: It's multifaceted — it's physical, it's internal, it's my diet, and my emotional state. It's all tied in together. Throughout my life, I've learned to make choices that make me happy and make sense for me. Even my husband is happier when I'm happy. He has always said, "You figure out what you want to do," because he's discovered that personal happiness is connected to everything. So I have freed myself to put me on the priority list and say, yes, I can make choices that make me happy, and it will ripple and benefit my kids, my husband, and my physical health. That's hard for women to own; we're not taught to do that. It's a lesson that I want to teach my girls so they don't wait for their "aha" moment until they're in their 30s like I was (laughs). Maybe they can experience it a little earlier.

Liz: What, if anything, scares you about aging?

Mrs. Obama: Nothing, really. I look at my mom — she's 72, and she's happy and looks great. To me, with age, everything has gotten better. You have way more control; you know yourself better. My goal is to be a great-looking 70-year-old! I won't mind being 70, but I want people to say, "You're 70?" (laughs)

Liz: How do you define happiness?

Mrs. Obama: Oh, these are good questions. You know, happiness for me really is when my kids are good and when my family is whole. Moving [to the White House], whatever stresses would be on my husband and me, we could handle; we are grown-ups. But it wouldn't be until the day that my kids came home and said to me, "I like it here," that I'd feel like I could breathe and know that we're all going to be okay here. And that happened very early into the year. My happiness is measured against theirs — when they're in a good place, I feel really good.

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