Ana Karylle Yuzon energizes the room as soon as she enters. Simple, down-to-earth, yet extremely talented. Her acting, hosting, and entertaining career crosses over stage, television, and even film. She sings, writes songs as well as produces. She has several business ventures.
Despite having a daily noontime show, Karylle still finds time to share her insights not only on social media but also on blogs and recently, a column in Shape Philippines where she is also featured as its first local cover.
Shortly after reading her story as a marathoner’s wife where she recounted special moments of husband Yael’s first marathon in France, it dawned on me that what I have learned from Karylle is how to have joie de vivre.
Her posts on social media will certainly perk you up and inspire you. She always points out the joy of living and even slowing down. She is not afraid to laugh at herself. She celebrates people she meets and finds joy in everyday things. She has an infectious smile and a healthy appetite to try new things.
She is very committed to her own fitness as she is to her music. She tells us more about both.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR: What are you busy with lately aside from your daily hosting on Showtime?
KARYLLE: My new album “A Different Playground” is out now. I worked on it the whole of last year and I’m really excited for everyone to hear it. I wrote Can’t Shut Up and if you know my husband Yael, you’d know it’s about him instantly. I also wrote Half a Million, Sunny Daze, and Sunflowers.
There is a standard song there called Tenderly, which I recorded eight years ago. I waited for the perfect time to release it. I’m very proud of that recording. I’m also very fortunate that I was given the chance to record Magbalik ka na Mahal because being part of Ballet Philippines’ Rama Hari at the CCP is one of my career highlights. The song is by Ninong Ryan Cayabyab and National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera. This piece of work is just so inspiring because it is where music, poetry, and ballet come together with other elements such as great sets and costumes.
I’ll be promoting my album this year. I’ll also be starting a very exciting new show very soon. I am writing again. Watch out for my articles in Shape Philippines magazine and on my blog. I launched a website with some friends where you can help certain charities. Check it out: www.mypledge.site.
When did you start taking ballet and what do you love about it?
I started when I was three years old, my mom took me to ballet class at Ballet Repertory with Amelia Garcia-Yulo. Primarily, it was so that I wouldn’t get scoliosis like her. I do have it, but ballet helps with my posture, which isn’t perfect but not as bad as it could be.
Whenever I’m on a stage, a field or any kind of open space, I twirl and do some ballet moves. It makes me happy. Ballet was “my own thing” growing up. My mom was a singer and because it’s challenging to be an “anakni” (my own term for anak ng artista), it became a safe space to be me in the ballet world.
How about running? How did you start??
My dad made me quit ballet when I was in high school. He told me it would be difficult to play any sport if I walked like a ballerina (which is in first position or with the left foot facing left and the right foot facing right). When we would go to the park when I was a kid, my dad would make me practice walking straight in the yellow line on the sidewalk. It was a fun challenge and I would usually fall into the street!
Then when I was doing this movie called litsonero with our Ninang Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, she invited me to my first fun run. I think it was a UNICEF run. I went with the healthiest and strongest friend I have who was my high school classmate Noelle Wenceslao, one of the first women to traverse Mount Everest. She is part of the Kaya ng Pinay group, along with Carina Dayondon and Janet Belarmino-Sardena. She wasn’t very sporty back in high school and I knew that if she could have a positive lifestyle change, I could, too.
I’ve never really been a sporty person growing up. My best friend Paula Boon-Sbiza was always excelling in basketball and soccer, and I always felt she was the sporty one. When I started winning in fun runs, I felt so empowered because I actually found a sport I could be good at. It’s silly, but it made me really happy to outrun boys!
What do you like about running?
It’s my favorite thing. I feel like I’m flying. When I feel the wind on my face…that moment is priceless. When I do fun runs, I’m on a natural high for about a week! When I run past my quitting point, I always have a grand voice over in my head. A grand voice that says “the triumph of the human spirit.” I know it’s silly, but if you’ve gone past your limit, you know exactly what I’m talking about.?
How do you stay fit? What is your exercise routine?
Yoga with my neighbors. I love that we bond this way. I did my first-ever headstand in my Bali vacation with the teacher there. Pilates for my scoliosis. Sessions with coach Kit at Gold’s Sheridan. Before I met coach Kit, I scored the lowest in a fitness test. She promised to make me strong. On Christmas, I took the Sheridan Christmas challenge and scored the highest. I’ve never felt so strong in my life. What a great way to end 2015!
I super love the spinning class with coach Arnold plus the definitions class after. I like sharing this moment with the other people in the class. I feel like their victory is my victory. I’m inspired by seeing how hard they work, especially if they come to the classes regularly.
I also like the tandem sessions with Yael. I also see other people doing couples’ workout and it’s cute! Especially the situps… hahaha. I can’t quite do them alone! I also sometimes do kickboxing class for the Padilla boxer in me. I also like swimming, but it’s more for my singing. It keeps my lungs strong.
Any special diet?
As for my diet, I eat muesli with yogurt for breakfast with some fruit. Lunch is pretty regular: rice and ulam. I love rice so much that I wrote a song about it and Sponge Cola recorded it. “If I had a choice, I’d eat rice every day. Every day. With every meal. Rice, you’re alright.” I think you get the idea hahaha! Yael tries to get me to eat brown rice and kamote. I also have fresh fruit juice. Dinner is special coz it’s my dinner date with Yael. Sometimes, we cook and sometimes, we eat out.
Midnight snack is bad, but I do have cheese sometimes. Chips are always a craving, which is why I try to keep them away from the house. I have a healthy alternative, which is broccoli or asparagus or cauliflower with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), garlic, italian herbs, basil from our garden in the oven … with a touch of lemon or cheese before serving!
Why is exercise important for you??
I had this talk with my Lolo Carlos Padilla a couple of years ago about living a healthy lifestyle. He said that he would drink occasionally in his younger days, but he would work out the day after to make up for it. He eventually gave it up and cited that his other peers were either “patay or baldado.” I’m sure that the story is a bit exaggerated, but it was definitely effective. It’s hard to live long without good quality of life. I’m sharing this story because it is one of the reasons why I stay fit. I also have a pic of my lolo running by Manila Bay during his peak. He still does his ensayo boxing sessions in his garage to this day. Lolo, my fitspiration! Of course, it’s cool that he is a boxer and an international referee. It is even cooler because we also have Olympic boxers in our family — Jose Padilla Jr and Carlos Padilla Sr.
What is the hardest part of staying fit?
When your mind and body get lazy and heavy. Before the Shape pictorial, I was at my heaviest and was so tired all the time. I had a nice long talk with coach Kit before our first session — I talked to her about myself and my eating habits, my likes and dislikes. The best thing she asked me was how committed I was from a scale of 1 to 10. I said 10 and I haven’t looked back since because I love the results.
I had to find inspiration and motivation in anything and everything. It was an uphill climb, but I’ve always loved uphill climbs whenever I run, so, I figured it would be a fun challenge. I was able to eat clean and healthy, but I was grumpy half the time. I don’t ever want to go on a diet again. I will just eat better and work out regularly. Promise!
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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.