Vanessa Carlton knows how important it is to have a mentor in one's life (hers is Stevie Nicks, who taught her to reach out to other young female musicians), which might be part of the reason she works so hard to stay fit inside and out. The 27-year-old singer/songwriter is not only a successful musician, but she's also an accomplished athlete and and well-balanced individual.

Vanessa jogs as many as five miles, six times a week to stay in shape. She doesn't have a lot of spare time, so when she works out, she wants to "sweat hard." In fact, she participated in the New York Marathon in 2005 when a friend asked her to run it for the Musicians on Call charity. She accepted the challenge and said, "The race itself was a much a mental test as a physical one."

Though she's open to running another marathon, Vanessa has found other ways to relax. She actually went all the way to India to learn to meditate, but found it difficult because she was so active. Now, she practices a walking meditation, and wanders the streets with her dog, occasionally stopping to write down song lyrics that come to mind.