Health News

Insanely Ripped Halle Berry Never Goes A Day Without Doing This

When it comes to fitness, Halle Berry does not mess around.

For the last several months, the actress has been sharing photos of her workouts on Instagram for #FitnessFriday, revealing exactly what she’s been doing to maintain her ripped physique. Berry’s in such incredible shape, her trainer told People that she’s actually as fit as a 25-year-old.

But what we love most about Berry’s posts is the amazing advice she gives her fans about finding confidence, staying focused, and persevering through tough times—all while pulling off insane yoga poses and looking flawless at 51.

Here are Berry’s best tips for staying healthy, youthful and strong:

Don’t forget to stretch

 

As we age, our bodies start to break down, so Berry uses stretching to keep her limbs strong and flexible. “Fitness is not just about running, lifting, and punching,” she reminded her followers. “For me, being athletic and super fit is also about being still, stretching, and breathing. Including stretching in my fitness program helps my muscles stay long, limber, improves my mobility and range of motion, and, most importantly, helps me avoid injuries.” In the photo, Berry performs a yoga pose known as the shoulder stand, which stretches her lower spine and legs.

Meditate every day

Yay it’s #FitnessFriday! So many of you have asked about my meditation routine. A few months ago I had the good fortune of traveling to India and it was a life changing experience. While there, I met a yogi master who led me in meditation for 2.5 hours!! That was a first for me. The experience not only profoundly changed me, but it inspired me to never go a day without some sort of meditation. So, today I share with you my favorite spot to meditate at home. In the far back of my garden, I have a spot that’s super secluded with a fountain. I feel safe there, and the sound of running water relaxes me. I make sure I have on comfortable clothes and I decide for how long I’m going to meditate. I set my alarm so that I’m sure to reach my goal. I usually do some stretching first so that my body feels loose and stress-free. I then find a comfortable position that I can stay in for at least 30 minutes. I close my eyes and begin. I start by focusing only on my breathing. I try to clear my mind of everything. This is not easy to do, so don’t feel bad if you struggle for a while. Stick with it, I promise it does get easier. When thoughts creep in my mind, I gently push them away and get back to focusing on my breathing. Once I’m able to clear my mind, I start to repeat whatever mantra I have for day or I simply listen to the thoughts that come to me. Many yogi’s believe this is the time to hear the messages from your higher self, your higher power, the universe, Mother Earth or God! I let them wash over me, absorbing all that comes up. When I’m done, I have ultimate clarity and I feel at peace. Today I hope you can find at least 10 minutes to meditate. Trust me, it will start to transform your thinking, which will change your life. The time is not the key, the intention is. I encourage you to share a photo of you in your favorite mediation spot and tag #FitnessFridayHB! On my IG Stories I’m sharing my #Keto meal for the day and an exercise that complements a good meditation session. It’s called a Hindu push-up. It strengthens your upper body, decompresses your lower spine and provides a great stretch which is perfect before or after #meditation. Namaste ??❤️

A post shared by Halle Berry (@halleberry) on

 Berry said she never goes a day without meditating, which helps her relax and clear her mind. After some gentle stretching, she sits in a comfortable position for at least half an hour, focuses on her breathing, and either repeats a mantra or simply listens to her thoughts. “When I’m done, I have ultimate clarity and I feel at peace,” she wrote. “Today I hope you can find at least 10 minutes to meditate. Trust me, it will start to transform your thinking, which will change your life.”

Push yourself to new limits

This #FitnessFriday let’s talk about self-defense and pushing our personal limits. I am currently in the middle of my John Wick 3 training and what I am learning inspired me to share some of it with all of you. Whether you're a man or woman, I think it is really important to know some basic self-defense techniques. Unfortunately, in this crazy world in which we live you might someday find yourself in a situation where you have to protect yourself, and actually knowing just some simple moves could save your life or the lives of those you love. Throughout my training I’ve been pushing myself to new limits and learning all kinds of techniques that allow me to walk in the world with confidence. So I challenge you today to find a great #martialarts class or #selfdefense class and push yourself to new limits. I promise you, the sense of accomplishment will be inspiring! ❤️?? #FitnessFridayHB

A post shared by Halle Berry (@halleberry) on

Berry is currently filming John Wick 3, and she said the process has forced her to learn new techniques and get outside her comfort zone. She challenged her readers to learn some new moves themselves by finding a martial arts or self-defense class. “Unfortunately, in this crazy world in which we live, you might someday find yourself in a situation where you have to protect yourself, and actually knowing just some simple moves could save your life or the lives of those you love,” she wrote.

When you feel like quitting, don’t stop

Here we go….it’s #FitnessFriday. Let’s talk about our attitude! I know many people who have started their journey to better health and fitness with great enthusiasm. Sadly, after a few short weeks or even a few months they unfortunately QUIT! They felt defeated because they couldn’t master the exercises fast enough or didn’t see results as soon as they would have liked and they gave up. Whether a new workout, a new eating plan or an attempt to do yoga or meditation, we have become a society addicted to the quick fix and we want results before we even start to get good ? I totally understand that feeling. Finding the energy to continue when you see little results is tough and can be very discouraging. However, I’m here to tell you, I too have wanted the “quick fix” and felt like quitting because I couldn’t master an exercise fast enough. I’ve been #boxing a lot lately and when Peter told me I had to jump rope I thought it was going to be easy. We all skipped rope as kids, right? Well, wrong! Not this kind of skipping. The kind where you do 200 to 500 skips without stopping. The kind where you throw in a few tricks and keep on skipping until sweat is dripping off your body. That’s the kind I’m talking about. The first time I had to do consecutive skips without stopping I thought I was gonna die! However, I worked at it until I finally got it. I’m still no Ali with the rope, but this experience reminded me that just when you want to quit because you can’t do something easily or you see no real change, that is when real change is about to occur. This is the most important time to stick with it. I say this to you because I say it to myself every day. I encourage you to not give up and STICK WITH IT! Today on my IG Stories I share a little bit of my rope skipping and another exercise that also tried to defeat me a while back, the lunge jump. It’s good for your legs and butt and offers great cardio as well. Try 20-30 jump lunges for 3-5 sets. If the jumping is a bit too challenging, you can modify it, do a regular lunge and work toward the jumping. For those who want more of a challenge, Peter put some “hot sauce” on it and added a squat to the mix. Enjoy ??❤️

A post shared by Halle Berry (@halleberry) on

We’ve all hit that point where we feel like we just can’t keep going, and Berry totally relates. “Finding the energy to continue when you see little results is tough and can be very discouraging… When you want to quit because you can’t do something easily or you see no real change, that is when real change is about to occur. This is the most important time to stick with it,” she wrote. Whether you’re skipping rope 200 to 500 times in a row like Berry, running a few miles, or doing squat after squat, push through—when you feel like you can’t stand it anymore, that’s when your body is changing.

Let go of negative thoughts

Hey everybody, it’s Fitness ”Yoga” Friday! Many have asked me to explain how I actually meditate. I think we all can agree that throughout our journey called life, we find ourselves in situations where we feel defeated, hurt, insecure, betrayed unhappy, angry, lonely, scared and so on. I’ve learned that in my darkest hours, my inner strength is most available to me. I’d like to share with you a simple #meditation that helps me connect to that inner strength and move more easily through the tough times. First, I get myself into a pose or position where my physical strength is slightly challenged. I’ve been working hard to perfect the #crow pose for this meditation. It's important that I choose a pose I know I can hold for at least 5 minutes. Depending on your fitness level, choose a pose or position that works for you. For the first minute, I start by bringing my mind to whatever unpleasant issue I’m facing and I hold these feelings in my mind's eye. Then for one minute, I tell the feelings to leave my body. As I do this, I imagine the feelings leaving my body and dancing in front of me. Soon the feelings leave and I feel a lightness come over me. For the next minute, I try to create a welcoming space for those feelings. I’ve found that resistance only makes them stronger. I let the feelings play out, and I allow myself to imagine the worse thing that could happen if I held onto those feelings. For another minute, I tell myself that I have ultimate power over those feelings and I imagine the best possible outcome of my problematic situation. I spend the last minute being in a space of gratitude, feeling physically healthy, mentally strong and well. Works for me! Give it a try, what do you have to lose? Today in my Stories and Fitness Highlight you'll find two crow exercises. Share your meditative pose by tagging #FitnessFridayHB and let me know what works for you. Enjoy ??❤️ @lolewomen @nike #FitnessFriday

A post shared by Halle Berry (@halleberry) on

Nothing holds us back like anxiety, insecurity, fear, and other dark thoughts that take hold and make it hard to focus on taking care of ourselves. Berry’s secret to finding her inner strength: getting into a pose that challenges her physically (such as the crow pose she’s doing above), thinking directly about the unpleasant issue and forcing herself to feel those feelings, then banishing them from her mind. “I’ve found that resistance only makes them stronger,” she explained. “I let the feelings play out, and I allow myself to imagine the worst thing that could happen if I held onto those feelings… I spend the last minute being in a space of gratitude, feeling physically healthy, mentally strong and well.”

Have fun with your workout

There’s nothing worse than dragging yourself to the gym to do something you hate. For example, if you despise running, try another form of cardio, like swimming or dancing. Maybe you enjoy boxing, like Berry. Either way, find a workout that makes you happy. “We all agree that we don’t always love to work out. However, one thing that makes it bearable for me is my ability to laugh and play and have fun while I’m doing it,” Berry told her followers. “Truth is, sometimes I have to laugh to keep from crying, especially during my John Wick training, which is no joke! If you can find ways to incorporate play into your workout, it will be something that you actually look forward to doing every day.”

This article originally appeared on Prevention US.

RELATED: Lacking Motivation To Workout During Winter? Try This Trick

Source: Read Full Article