For some people, exercise is a means to an end. But for Kate Hudson, it’s a way of life.
“I need to be moving to feel good,” she previously told People. “Even just making time for a little movement every day — going for a walk, 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 lived an active lifestyle and has touted both the physical and mental benefits of working out.
“I really enjoy sweating it out, and it helps me clear my mind,” the 45-year-old previously told People. “It’s not just about trying to look good physically, it’s important to get oxygen to my brain 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 “hate(s) the idea” of dieting.
“It puts so much pressure on people to lose weight quickly. Getting healthy is not a two-week process, it’s a change of life-style,” 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 her success? Read on.
She prioritizes strength training
Before she started working out with personal trainer Brian Nguyen, Hudson never really emphasized strength training in her workouts. Then she realized it was the missing piece to a balanced routine.
“One day, I tuned 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 (strength) exercises?,” she told TODAY.com earlier this year.
In a typical workout, Hudson and Nguyen incorporate a range of strength training resources, including planks, lunges, bodyweight squats and hip and glute bridges.
While chatting with Shape, Nguyen explained that Hudson was initially hesitant to start strength training, especially heavy weight lifting.
“She used to think she couldn’t do it, but now that we’re implementing heavier loads, we’re having fun pushing past the edge of chaos,” he said. “Kate’s not afraid of heavy weights — the weight needs to be heavy enough where her integrity does fall and she has to regain that control. I don’t think we do anything so special, but mastering the basics allows her to play with speed, a heavier load, and instability.”
She loves pilates
After discovering Pilates at 19 years old, Hudson is still a fan of the practice.
“It’s the workout my body really responds to. It’s all about alignment, elongating your spine and strengthening your core. It makes me feel my strongest,” she previously told Shape, per PopSugar.
While talking with Self about her love for Pilates, Hudson said nothing else “makes me feel like I’m back to my body” in quite the same way.
She doesn’t believe there’s a one size fits all workout
We all have different body types and fitness goals, so the workout that works for one person might not necessarily work for another. But Hudson believes that everyone can find a workout that suits their lifestyle.
“We are all individual people with individual needs, desires, and likes — and we have to find what makes us happy and what moves us,” she told Women’s Health. “If you like to ride your bike, go for a bike ride. If you like to hike, go for a hike. 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 “super passionate” about food and nutrition and encourages everyone to follow her lead.
“The truth is you have to be passionate about what you’re putting in your body, and why you’re putting it in your body, when you’re putting it in your body, learning about it,” she told E! News earlier this year. “You have to want to love to learn.”
Yoga was a ‘huge part’ of her last pregnancy
In 2019, Hudson took to Instagram to share a photo of herself practicing yoga, calling it a “huge part of supporting my pregnancy” and touting its “wonderful connective benefits.”
“I loved my practice with my growing belly and connecting to (my daughter’s) beautiful spirit,” she wrote.
She uses trackers to make sure she’s eating enough nutrients
Keeping track of how many fruits and vegetables you’re eating or how much calcium you’re taking in can be time consuming if you’re doing it on your own. 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 having the knowledge is something 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 just nuts … If I didn’t have access to understand (that), I would have never known,” she said.
She views living an active lifestyle as a ‘privilege’
Workouts can sometimes feel like a chore, but Hudson prefers to look at them in a more positive light.
“When people are like, ‘What’s your best day?’ It always includes something active because I actually have time to enjoy it,” she previously told Shape. “I have to move…Sitting on my a– is not, to me, a luxury. Sitting on my a–, to me, is get me off my a–. And I think that’s a privilege to be able to be living and feeling strong and healthy. And so I don’t ever want to take that for granted.”
She isn’t afraid of trying different workouts
Hudson’s fitness resume is filled with a plethora of different workouts ranging from boxing and hiking to Barry’s Bootcamp classes and pole dancing.
While talking about pole dancing with Shape, she explained why it’s such an effective workout.
“For me, that’s like the strongest body, and I enjoy that because I can just play music and dance,” she said. “When I feel really strong, I’m usually doing more tricks (on the pole).”
Dancing is also one of her go-to ways to work up a sweat.
“Dance is one of my favorite ways to express myself. But the very discipline of it — continuously pushing to be better — is what I love about it,” she told People.
She’s increased the amount of protein she eats
You can’t achieve your fitness goals if you don’t feed your body with the nutrients it needs to perform.
“Food is everything,” Hudson told TODAY.com earlier this year. “The food we eat is fuel for our body.”
While visiting TODAY in Studio 1A, Hudson revealed the one nutrient she’s trying to consume more of these days.
“We, especially women, should really be eating more protein, especially in the morning,” she said.
She’s passing her love for fitness on to her children
In 2021, Hudson shared a photo of herself with her daughter Rani post-workout and penned the following caption.
“I grew up witnessing my parents take care of their bodies. 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’s engrained in my brain that honoring and working our body is a gift and so I don’t take it for granted,” she wrote.
“I loooove moving. I love when it’s challenging. I love being in charge of my results. And I looooove seeing my daughter have fun doing it with me. They watch everything we do! Gotta make some good moves for kids 💃🏋️♀️🧘♀️,” she continued.
She’s never been an ‘extremist’ with her diet
Life is too short to eliminate foods from your diet entirely. That’s a lesson Hudson has learned and she’s eager 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 really about everything in moderation. I stay mindful of what I put in my body and remember that it’s OK to enjoy yourself.”
While serving as an ambassador for Weight Watchers, Hudson spoke with TODAY.com about her balanced approach to eating.
“I love food so much that I could never live any sort of kind of lifestyle that’s not open to anything and everything. If someone said I can’t have bread I’d be like ‘Wrong, girl!’” she said.
Instead of restricting entire food groups, Hudson has learned to “eat accordingly during the day” when she wants to splurge on one of her favorite foods or drinks.
“The goal is that we can live our life and we can enjoy everything,” she explained.
She understands the importance of a support system
It can take a village to take control of your health and wellness routine, and Hudson previously told TODAY.com 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 guess some people can but for most of us like myself, I need a support system,” she said.
