Khloe Kardashian looks and feels stronger than ever.
Had it not been for her breakup with Lamar Odom, though, she might not have felt that way today. "When Lamar and I broke up, I had all these emotions that I didn't know what to do with. Some people suggested therapy, but instead I joined my local Equinox gym, where I'd get on an elliptical and watch bad reality TV. As a result, I started losing weight," the 31-year-old Keeping Up With the Kardashians star recalls in Shape's May issue. "Once I realized I could shed some pounds that way, I began working out regularly with my trainer, Gunnar Peterson, and I made a commitment to get healthy. He taught me that the trick to staying motivated is to find what you really love to do. We did cardio, calisthenics, circuit training, Pilates, and boxing."
Khloe's workouts came to a halt last fall after Lamar overdosed in a Las Vegas-area brothel. "I was told he had four hours to live," says Khloe, who spent the next two months as his primary caregiver. "I know it was very confusing to the world. Because I was with him, everyone thought we were getting back together. But there was no one else to make the important medical decisions. I had to be there to make sure he would survive. I learned that strength is how you handle the good and the bad, and the situation with Lamar was where I found my strength."
Lamar was later transferred to L.A. to begin his recovery. "I didn't leave the hospital for six weeks straight," she tells the magazine. "Being away from the gym that long took a huge toll."
"When Lamar was in the hospital, I stopped doing the one thing I really needed: exercise. The gym takes all the anxiety away when I'm overwhelmed or stressed out," Khloe says. "Now I'm back to there days a week with Gunnar and turning exercise into a habit again." When she's not training with Peterson, Khloe will do "sister" workouts with Kourtney Kardashian, or she'll hit up SoulCycle and Hot 8 Yoga. "If I don't have time to go to a class, I use the treadmill I have at home. This morning I couldn't go to the gym, so I did 30 minutes on the treadmill, and now I feel so happy," she says. "It clears my mind of all the crap and puts me in a really good mood."
While Khloe loves (and often flaunts) her toned figure, she's most proud of how her mental health has improved since getting serious about her fitness. "I love my shape because I've earned every curve. I work hard in the gym to get it. But I also loved my shape before, when I was even curvier. I was always incredibly comfortable in my skin. Everybody else saw me in a different way, but I didn't see myself that way. I still wore body-con dresses back then; I didn't cover up with a muumuu," she says. "Today I put in the work to get the curves I have and every bit of firmness. I feel empowered and badass that I was able to accomplish everything I have."
Keeping Up With the Kardashians returns May 1 at 9 p.m. ET, only on E!