Lauren Conrad shares the secret of her inner strength, plus the romantic ways she keeps her heart rate up.

Get your "heart" rate up

One of the best things to happen to Lauren this year was starting a relationship with actor Kyle Howard. But after just a few months of dating, Lauren found she was getting soft around her middle. "I call it the 'boyfriend layer,'" she says, laughing. "We were having more romantic dinners out, and I was exercising less." To get back on track, the couple started working out together. "We like doing outdoor stuff: tennis, bike riding, kayaking, stand-up surfing, hiking in the canyons around L.A.," says Lauren. "I just ask Kyle, 'You feel like working out?' It's more fun than hitting the gym alone."

Find your inner strength

Lauren's confidence got a jump-start after a pep talk from her mother and a close friend. "Nine months ago, I reached my breaking point," she says. "I felt bad about myself because certain people were relentlessly attacking me and my reputation. My mom kept saying, 'Let it go, Lauren. It doesn't matter.' My friend also sat me down and asked, 'Why do you care what people say about you? How does it really affect you at the end of the day?' I couldn't come up with a good answer and realized I had to stop worrying about what other people think. The next day I got a tattoo on my lower back that says 'sticks and stones,' because they may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Once I let go of that, I felt more confident about myself. And that," she says, "made my decision to leave The Hills pretty easy."

Discover more ways to develop your own self confidence and inner strength at Shape.com.