Today, I've had the honor to train with some of the best stunt performers in the game. Back in my 20s (and 30s), though, I mostly worked out in order to look a certain way . I was young and appearance was a big part of my early acting career.
Back then, my workouts focused on weights. I was always in the gym, either sitting at a weight machine or with a barbell in my hands. It was all about sculpting ; I worked my butt off isolating muscle groups and lifting as heavy as I could. It was a little boring (I knew every Monday would be exactly the same as the Monday before), but I looked fit and that was enough for me at the time.
After I found out I had diabetes at 22, though, things started t change and I began to see fitness as a way to care for my health and my body . As a result, throughout the next few decades, my perspective (and my workouts!) shifted. I began to focus on feeling fit more than looking fit and my workouts became acts of self-care.
Then, from the moment I became a mother onward, I wanted to be strong and healthy for my kids . I wanted to be around for them for as long as possible. I wanted to be able to carry them out of a burning house if I needed to.
\"I walk through the world with more confidence than ever before.\"
Now, whether I'm exercising alone or training with Peter Lee Thomas , my fitness routine feels so freeand my workouts have really transformed. These days, I do yoga and stretch, I sprint fast, I work with my own bodyweight, weights, and resistance bands , and I practice martial arts.
I don't think Peter and I have ever done the exact same workout twiceand I always end up sore in places I didn't even realize I had muscles !
Today, instead of doing round after round of biceps curls, I'm churning through full-body movements like cleans and presses or thrusters. Today, I can do pullups like an athlete and run far. Not to mention, my core has been loving this 360-degree workout approach !
With this approach to fitness, my mind is never bored, my body continues to reap the benefits, and I walk through the world with more confidence than ever before. The icing on the cake, though: In focusing more on my health performance, I enjoy exercise more than ever and look just as fit as ever, too .
Halle Berry is a producer, director, and actress. Now known as one of the fittest women in Hollywood, Halle recently launched rspin , a community for stories, conversations, and products for health and wellness seekers. In her weekly WH column and #FitnessFriday Instagram posts, she shares a personal look into her own health and fitnessalong with the tips, tricks, and advice behind her famously fit physique.