YASMIN HANI
Bold, Bubbly and Beautiful
A well-known actress, TV host, businesswoman, emcee, and fitness advocate, Yasmin Hani says c’est la vie to life, and lives up every moment with her husband and two children. She shares with us about how to have balance in life, how to be fit in both the abs and the abs of the mind (happiness), and being her best self.
IT IS CERTAINLY NO EASY FIT TO JUGGLE BETWEEN BEING A MUM, BUSINESSWOMAN AND ACTRESS, WHILE STAYING FIT AND BEAUTIFUL. CAN YOU TELL US 
HOW DO YOU FIND TIME FOR YOURSELF DESPITE ALL THE ROLES THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE ON?
I believe any mum or woman does what she can. Just like single ladies trying to fit countless jobs, chasing deadlines and catching up with friends into their schedule – the same goes to us mums. If you’re used to it, that’s when you add on more roles and responsibilities to your life – otherwise, you’d cut off there. So, I guess, when you get married, that’s when you start doing some household chores, and when you get pregnant, you prep yourself to manage all the responsibilities that come with it. So, finding time for myself such as working out is basically out of whether it is necessary or not for me. If you think working out is a necessity, just like eating and sleeping, you will make time for it. In short, it is just priorities.
YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY AN INSPIRATION WHEN IT COMES TO FITNESS AND WELLNESS. EVEN YOUR BUSINESSES ARE CENTRED ON THESE (SWEETCUTS, FITJAB & HIPPOPO BABY SPA). DO SHARE WITH US YOUR FITNESS ROUTINE.
Minimum 3 times a week – and I like to stick to that minimum (laughs). My husband, being the bigger fitness buff between us, loves it when I do that, because sometimes I find excuses not to. My usual workout is a mixture of boxing, gym, weights, classes or yoga – anything goes, actually. I recently picked up my husband’s hobby, cycling, as well. More like, he made me do it, really. But I’m in love with cycling ever since! It totally goes against what I know about cycling. After weeks of cycling on my road bike, it has corrected my body figure and posture, though the downside is bad shoulder aches and muscle cramps after most sessions. I never knew I could cycle for 68 kilometres and around town – but I love it! Having recently went through a beautiful cycling experience in Perth, I also can’t wait to travel to Ulu Langat to have another cycling experience, as people who have been there have claim that it has one of the most magnificent views in the morning.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO FITNESS? WAS IT FROM YOUNG?
Yes, I am very active since young and it’s pretty much implanted in me by my family. All of us loved to be active. At one point during my chilhood, I would prefer to run to the shop to do chores for my mum and I’d ask her to time me. Playing baseball was also one of my childhood hobbies.
I SEE ON YOUR INSTAGRAM THAT YOU DO LIKE A BIT OF TRAVELLING. DO YOU HAVE SPOTS FOR FITNESS OR WELLNESS GETAWAYS? HOW ARE YOUR ESCAPES LIKE?
Rather than choosing a destination to go to for these purposes, we just incorporate our fitness routine in wherever we go. Before travelling to anywhere in the world, my husband will always ensure that there are gym facilities for us to do our usual workouts. Unlike my husband, I’m more of an outdoor person, I like to run outdoor, camp in the forest or picnic on the field to enjoy the beauty of mother nature because I don’t have the opportunity to experience such sceneries back here in busy KL. I’m pretty much a very outdoorsy person, so I enjoy places where I can go kayaking, camping, diving, and all sorts of active things.
WHAT IS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE DONE IN THE NAME OF WELLNESS?
I did cryotherapy, where I had to immerse my body into a -98 degree Celsius cylinder wearing only undergarments. I thought it was going to be crazy. You will get frostbite from the treatment but all you need to do is just rub it off your body fast. After the three minutes treatment, I could see ice on the cylinder, which was basically what happened to my body. Though it was hard for me to notice the benefits as I wasn’t in any sort of pain, it made a great difference for my husband, who suffered from a torn hamstring recently.
WHAT IS YOUR BEAUTY SECRET TO STAYING YOUNG?
I honestly don’t know! I got it from my mama, I guess. But it is probably my husband who plays the biggest role again, as he is the one who does facials religiously and has extensive beauty routines – and he’d make me do the same as well. Otherwise, I prefer to take supplements for a natural glow from within, rather than only externally caring for my skin – vitamins, probiotics, fish oil, placenta – you name it.
WHAT YOU EAT IS OBVIOUSLY AS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR BODY AS WHAT YOU DO WITH IT. CAN YOU SHARE WHAT IS YOUR DIET LIKE? DO YOU COOK? IF SO, WHAT DO YOU MAKE AT HOME?
Yes, we do. We only cook brown rice, red rice and mixed grains at home. When it comes to times when I feel like eating white rice, I’ll choose to go with Basmati as it’s good for digestion. We have changed our cooking oil to coconut oil, as it is better for health. My family is pescatarian, so mostly fish, seafood and eggs as our main protein, and we’re vegetarian most of the time too.
YOUR BEAUTY JUST SEEMS TO RADIATE FROM WITHIN. DO YOU DO ANYTHING FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH OR MINDSET?
I just try to be happy and inject fun in everything I do. My late dad played a big part in my life, being the fun person he was, and that gave me the best childhood anyone could ever ask for. So, I think it has been injected in me to just be happy and have fun. Laughing is also the best therapy to keep you happy from a bad day. Hence, I laugh a lot. I also try to meditate with different types of essential oils, which keeps me sane.
HOW HAS HAVING CHILDREN CHANGED YOU?
I never knew my life was gonna be like this after having kids. After getting married, my husband and I were living like we’re still single – having our first meal at 1pm and the sorts. Now we make sure that breakfast is always served at 8am, and dinner has to be around 7pm. And that is just a small part of the change we’ve experienced. Having children completely changes your lifestyle and your whole timetable revolves around them. We have to also be more responsible of our lives for our children now, like working out for longevity, so we can be with them for longer. My husband is 50 years old, and our eldest is 6 years old. So, he’d still like to run and play with the kids when they are at their peak. For me, having kids keep us in check, and they give us a purpose in life. They are my external “heart” drive.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR WORKING MOTHERS WHO’D LOVE TO HAVE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE, BUT JUST COULDN’T FIND THE TIME AND ENERGY FOR IT?
Nobody has 25 hours a day. Set your priorities right, sit down, plan it, and do it. Again, it is all about priorities. In my case, I hire a personal trainer that comes to the house. Think about what brings you joy, or excites you everyday. There is so much you could do, like squeezing in workout videos from YouTube at home, so you still have your family bonding time.
FINALLY, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT ARE YOUR ASPIRATIONS FOR YOUR CAREER, FAMILY AND PERSONAL GROWTH?
I am a very relaxed person. I used to want to be like Oprah Winfrey – well, still do – and touch the lives of as many people as I can and make an impact on their lives, or at least inspire or empower women, children, families, or people out there. I grab any opportunity I can to do that. I also want to be the best parent to my children, or the best host I can be, or just, the best me. Maybe I cannot be like her, but I want to be the best me. I don’t want to put a goal for me that is hard to achieve and end up beating myself up for it. I just want to be happy with what I have right now, and be grateful, and lower my expectations so that wherever I go, or whatever I do, I’m happy. That’s what I want.
Words by Sara Yeoh
Photographer: Barathan Amuthan @ FramesbyBarathanAmuthan
Hairstylist: Derek Tan @ Anagen
Make-Up: Harshini @ Hadhi.Co
Venue: Alila Bangsar
Wardrobe: Azlie, Head Personal Shopper / Style Consultant, Robinson Kuala Lumpur