Heidi Klum took belly dancing classes with her mother.

The German-born beauty puts her incredible figure down to keeping active from a young age and credits the classes, which she attended with her mum Erna, for encouraging her to stay fit.

She said: ''I started dancing when I was six years old, where I would dance ballroom, jazz, tap dance, and belly dance. I was always into belly dance. It was a huge thing in Germany; my mum was really into belly dancing. We took big belly-dancing classes with my mum.

''I don't belly dance now, but I had these great costumes with these long veils that are attached to your fingers, because belly dancing is all about your hands and fingers. You know, you have those beautiful harem pants that could look like a skirt and you have dingly things on your feet and hips. I loved it. The bra with jingle stuff was everything.''

Although Heidi no longer belly dances, the 41-year-old mother of four - who raises Leni, 10, Henry, nine, Johan, eight, and Lou, five, with ex-husband Seal - still makes every effort to stay active and maintain a healthy diet.

She told Style.com: ''I cook pretty much everything, but not too many carbs. I used to do bagel and cream cheese in the morning, but now it's more eggs and vegetables or oatmeal. I love black bread with cold cuts. I eat salads with chicken and meats and a lot of soups and vegetable soups and chicken soups.

''I'm not on a major diet or anything, I just don't eat a lot of carbs like pizzas and pastas and breads. And I exercise a lot. But I was always very active.''