by For some people, exercise is a means to an end. But for Kate Hudson, it’s a way of life.
“I have to be moving to feel good,” she previously told People. “Even making time for a little movement every day – walking, doing a few minutes on the treadmill, some Pilates, or if I have more time for it, I love hot yoga.”
The actor has always led an active lifestyle and has reaped the physical and mental benefits of working out.
“I love sweating, and it helps clear my mind,” the 45-year-old previously told People. “It’s not just about looking good physically, it’s important to give my brain oxygen and feel like my blood is really circulating. I love skiing, walking, hiking and especially riding my bike. It makes me feel like a kid again!”
Hudson has a similarly balanced attitude when it comes to eating, previously telling Shape that she “hates the idea” of dieting.
“It puts so much pressure on people to lose weight quickly. Getting healthy is not a two-week process, but a lifestyle change,” she told the magazine, per People.
We could all learn a thing or two from Hudson’s balanced approach to health and wellness. Eager to hear the secrets to success? Read on.
She prioritizes strength training
Before she started working out with personal trainer Brian Nguyen, Hudson didn’t really emphasize strength training in her workouts. Then she realized it was the missing piece for a balanced routine.
“One day, I looked in and I was like … I don’t feel strong, I feel long and I love my Pilates but as I get older … am I doing enough exercises (strength)?,” she told TODAY.com earlier this year.
In a typical workout, Hudson and Nguyen incorporate a variety of strength training resources, including planks, lunges, bodyweight squats and hip and glute bridges.
Chatting with Shape, Nguyen explained that Hudson was initially hesitant to start strength training, especially lifting heavy weights.
“She thought she couldn’t do it, but now that we’re applying heavier loads, we’re having fun pushing past the edge of chaos,” he said. “Kate is not afraid of heavy weights — the weight has to be heavy enough when her integrity falls and she has to regain that control. I don’t think we do anything that special, but mastering the basics allows her to play with speed, heavier load and instability.”
she fine pilates
Having discovered Pilates at the age of 19, Hudson remains a fan of the practice.
“This is the training that my body really responds to. This involves alignment, lengthening your spine and strengthening your core. It feels the strongest to me,” she previously told Shape, according to PopSugar.
Talking to Self about her love for Pilates, Hudson said there’s nothing else that “makes me feel like I’m back to my body” in the same way.
She does not believe that there is one trick that fits all
We all have different body types and different fitness goals, so the exercise that works for one person may not work for another. But Hudson believes that everyone can find a workout that fits their lifestyle.
“We’re all individual people with needs, wants and likes — and we need to find out what makes us happy and what motivates us,” she told Women’s Health. “If you like to ride your bike, go for a bike ride. If you like to walk, go for a walk. If you like to swim, (swim).
She knows a lot about nutrition
Hudson has access to the best personal trainers and nutritionists, but she doesn’t rest on her laurels and let them do all the work. Instead, the star is “extremely passionate” about food and nutrition and encourages everyone to follow his lead.
“The truth is being passionate about what you’re putting in your body, and why you’re putting it in your body, while you’re putting it in your body, learning about it,” she told E! News earlier this year. “You have to want to learn to love.”
Yoga was a ‘huge part’ of her last pregnancy
In 2019, Hudson took to Instagram to share a photo of herself practicing yoga, saying it was “a big part of supporting my pregnancy” and choosing its “amazing bonding benefits”.
“I loved my practice with my growing belly and connecting with (my daughter’s) beautiful spirit,” she wrote.
She uses trackers to make sure she is eating enough nutrients
It can be time-consuming if you are doing it alone to keep track of how much fruit and vegetables you are eating or how much calcium you are taking. That’s why Hudson prefers to use an app like MyFitnessPal to keep track of her meals and nutrients.
“Food is 80% of the challenge … and tracking it, knowing it, understanding it, and the knowledge I’m passionate about,” she told TODAY.com earlier this year.
While filming the 2011 movie “Something Borrowed,” Hudson said she gained 10-15 pounds then decided to start tracking her food intake to understand why.
“I started tracking, and (realized) I was eating about 3,000 calories of straight nuts … If I didn’t have access to (that), I wouldn’t know,” she said.
She sees an active lifestyle as a ‘privilege’
Workouts can feel like a chore at times, but Hudson prefers to look at them in a more positive light.
“When people are like, ‘What’s your best day?’ It always involves something active because I have time to enjoy it,” she previously told Shape. “I have to move…Sitting on my head is no comfort for me. Sitting on my a–, I think, get it out my a–. And I think that’s a privilege to be able to live and feel strong and healthy. And so I never want to take that.”
She is not afraid to try different exercises
Hudson’s fitness resume is packed with plenty of different workouts from boxing and hiking to Barry’s Bootcamp classes and pole dancing.
Speaking to Shape about pole dancing, she explained why it’s such an effective exercise.
“For me, that’s like the strongest body, and I enjoy that because I can only play music and dance,” she said. “When I feel really strong, I tend to do more tricks (on the pole).”
Dancing is one of the ways she will work up a sweat.
“Dancing is one of my favorite ways to express myself. But the discipline itself — constantly pushing to be better — is what I love about it,” she told People.
The amount of protein she eats has increased
You can’t achieve your fitness goals if you’re not feeding your body the nutrients it needs to make.
“Food is everything,” Hudson told TODAY.com earlier this year. “The food we eat is fuel for our bodies.”
While visiting TODAY in Studio 1A, Hudson revealed the one nutrient she’s trying to eat more of these days.
“We, especially women, should be eating more protein, especially in the morning,” she said.
She is passing on her love of exercise to her children
In 2021, Hudson shared a photo of herself with her daughter Rani post-workout and wrote the following caption.
“I grew up witnessing my parents take care of their body. People always ask me how I get motivated to stay in shape. The answer is, it’s what I know. It’s how I was raised. It is engrained in my brain to honor and work our body is a gift so I never take it for granted,” she wrote.
“I love to move. I love when it’s challenging. I love to be in charge of my results. And I love to see my daughter having fun doing it with me. They watch everything we do! They have to make a good move for the kids 💃🏋️♀️ 🧘♀️,” she continued.
She was never an ‘extremist’ with her diet
Life is too short to eliminate foods from your diet completely. That’s a lesson Hudson has learned and she’s keen to pass it on to others.
“I have never been an extremist. I love food. And I love a good cocktail,” she previously told People. “For me, it’s about everything in moderation. I feel what I put in my body and remember that it’s okay to enjoy yourself.”
While serving as an ambassador for Weight Watchers, Hudson spoke to TODAY.com about her balanced approach to eating.
“I love food so much that I could never live any kind of lifestyle that is not open to anything and everything. If someone said I can’t get bread I’d be like ‘Wrong, girl!’” she said.
Instead of restricting entire food groups, Hudson learned to “eat accordingly throughout the day” when she wants to splurge on one of her favorite foods or drinks.
“The goal is for us to be able to live our lives and enjoy everything,” she explained.
She understands the importance of a support system
It can take a village to take control of your health and fitness routine, and Hudson previously told TODAY.com that she’s blessed to have a strong network to help her achieve her goals.
“What’s really important is to have access to support … we can’t do it alone … I think some people can but for most of us like myself, I need a support system,” she said.
