Sexy actress GABRIELLE UNION used her marriage break-up to get in shape.

Rather than feeling sorry for herself after splitting from Chris Howard in 2005, the Bad Boys II star poured her grief into a hardcore fitness regimen.

She explains, "After I got separated from my husband, I got a trainer, got a meal delivery service and went back to church. I felt like I needed some direction.

"I just tried to stay positive. Instead of going to (fast food restaurant) Fatburger and hitting happy hour, I tried to run on the treadmill, hike, take my dogs out." And when she hit post-marriage lows, she turned to pals Sanaa Lathan and Essence Atkins.

She adds, "I have a great group of friends who get me through everything. "I went through a divorce and it was speculated on in those blogs, everywhere. It’s definitely hurtful. "Sometimes there are those days where I don’t want to leave the house because I don’t want to be shredded in those articles… so I call my friends and they talk me off the ledge, as we are fond of saying."