Vanessa Williams Shares Her Fitness Tips

Vanessa Williams, 47, has a body that women half her age envy. As if that wasn't enough, she's smart, sexy, confident and talented.

How does the mother of four manage? By setting priorities and multitasking well, she told Prevention, which features Williams on its April cover that hits newsstands today.

One key to her ageless look is her glowing, wrinkle-free skin, which has become healthier as she learned to stop stressing out about the future.

"The older I get, the more I realize that there's less to stress about," Williams told the magazine. "I'm happy to be alive and surrounded by my family. I'm grateful for everything that I've achieved in life and everything that I have been given. When you approach each day with gratitude, it's a lot easier to not be stressed."

For those of us who are continually stressed about our appearance, Williams' top six diet and fitness tips will leave you with one less concern.

1. Cut down on portions. The mom knows she's in trouble when her kids ask her to make their favorite dishes like waffles, pancakes and French toast. Instead of gorging on the goodies, she pushes her plate away when she starts to feel full.

2. Choose new fitness classes. Williams trained with (Pilates guru) Mari Winsor "before people even knew how to spell Pilates." Her strong core has helped her balance her entire body, improve her posture and gives Wilhelmina Slater, her "Ugly Betty" character, the confident walk that makes Betty, Mark and even Daniel tremble.

3. Lift weights. When Williams turned 40, she realized that her cardio, yoga and Pilates workouts weren't going to help her maintain her muscle tone. She added strength training to her regular routine and noticed a difference. "It's one thing to be in shape and thin," she said, "but it's also great to have definition."

4. Take advantage of the seasons. Walking outside in the summer can easily get you out of a workout rut. Williams hikes in the wooded, hilly area where she lives and knows that bringing along a pet can turn a calm stroll into an intense interval workout when your four-legged friends take off after squirrels and other creatures.

5. Enjoy it. Williams sticks to her three-day-a-week treadmill routine, but also mixes it up when she can by adding salsa, which she first learned in 1997 while working on "Dance With Me."

6. Be realistic. After having four kids, Williams has kissed thoughts of her once-dreamed-of washboard abs goodbye. Instead, she's happy with her health and knowing her body will be at its best for years to come.

If you're looking for more celebrity inspiration, check out how Kelly Osbourne dropped 42 pounds. Visit our friends at Stylelist to read about how three over-35 celebs look their best.