Singer Ellie Goulding says she doesn't want to be thin but she exercises to stay "fit and strong".

The `Burn` hitmaker, who is currently dating McFly's bass player Dougie Poynter, insists her motivation to workout has always been health related, reports contactmusic.com.

" don't exercise to be thin. For me, the appeal has always been to be really fit and strong. I think a pair of powerful legs on a girl, or a bigger bum from doing squats, is so sexy,` she told Style magazine.

The 27-year-old, who showed off her bikini body on a recent trip to Ibiza with her boyfriend, also revealed she suffered from confidence issues and severe panic attacks when she was younger.

"I was torn between that really simple life and this life of madness. My brain was getting all these crazy signals, and I'd have these faux heart attacks that felt real,` said Goulding.

"On my way to the studio, I'd have to cover my face in the car with a pillow. I couldn't shop, couldn't go outside, couldn't see people, because there were just so many triggers. And I didn't want to tell anyone, because I just felt so stupid. I never wanted people to see me as weak,` she added.