Brooke Shields, a prominent figure in the public eye since her early years, has consistently captivated audiences with her talent and enduring beauty. From her iconic roles in films like The Blue Lagoon, Pretty Baby, and Endless Love to her memorable Calvin Klein jeans advertisements, Shields has maintained a successful modeling and acting career. Now, at 59, she continues to inspire as she shares her approach to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, emphasizing the importance of both diet and exercise. Through Instagram, Shields provides a glimpse into her fitness journey, demonstrating that anyone can achieve their wellness goals with the right strategies.
Embracing a Balanced Diet
Shields prioritizes moderation over restrictive diets. While she isn't a fan of restrictive plans like the keto diet or intermittent fasting, she emphasizes that balance is extremely important to her, even if it can be challenging. "We’ve been taught, 'Deny yourself pleasure.' But moderation is harder because it requires really committing to balance," she previously told Health.
She believes in enjoying her favorite foods in moderation rather than completely depriving herself. "I find that if I say, 'I’m not gonna eat ice cream' or 'I’m not gonna drink,' all I want to do is drink and eat ice cream. It’s some kind of psychological battle." Instead, if she's craving something, Shields says she'll let herself have it and work harder to burn it off later. "When I tell my trainer I had a glass of wine, he’ll say, 'Liquid bread!' And I’m like, 'Ugh, but it was a nice one,'" she said. "It’s a matter of checks and balances."
Shields also focuses on staying hydrated and consuming healthy greens. As she told Healthy Living Magazine, "Truly, when I get enough sleep and drink enough water, I don’t think there’s a trick to being healthy; I think we all know what our limitations are."
Rethinking Diet After a Health Scare
In September 2023, Shields experienced a seizure, which she attributed to low sodium levels caused by drinking excessive amounts of water. This incident led her to rethink her hydration habits. "The seizure made me a little afraid of water, which is terrible," she recalled. "I was drinking copious amounts of water out of nerves and fear, like a gallon. And I depleted my whole system from the sodium it needed," she continued. "I didn’t know that. You're taught salt is bad, water is good. I just - I overdid it. I’m not saying I’m drinking less water, but I’m pacing myself now with how I drink. I don't overload."
Read also: Discover Brooke Walker's focus on health and well-being
Adapting Her Workout Routine
Shields has adapted her fitness routine over the years to accommodate her body's changing needs. After undergoing knee surgery in 2018 and dealing with past injuries, she shifted her focus to low-impact exercises and preventative measures. She told Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on Today, "I started working on little individual muscles, and sort of shaping the muscles that don't really get attention. You don't have to deadlift 100 pounds. You can do small, teeny movements to activate these little muscles that actually wrap around other bigger muscles, and they tighten them all in. It was a revelation to work with a personal trainer and it not be a crazy painful thing."
Current Go-To Fitness Routine
Shields has found Pilates, specifically the Nofar Method, to be her go-to these days. In her opinion, “really difficult Pilates” is the best because it’s “no impact” and she always leaves drenched in sweat. The Nofar Method combines strength training, cardio, and challenging elements of a classic Pilates session.
In addition to Pilates, Shields incorporates cardio into her routine. “That, combined with drinking less, and then doing a cardio of some kind, like a SoulCycle class or a rower with music - do 10 minutes. Even just that, I’ll start to see results.”
Home Workouts and Instagram Inspiration
Prior to quarantining at home, Shields worked out hard in the gym with personal trainer Ngo Okafor. Now, of course, they star in at-home exercise videos called "At Home Workouts" on Shields's Instagram account. In each video, Okafor provides Shields with helpful instructions and encouragement. For example, below, Shields shared a step-by-step tutorial of a core move Okafor taught her called the penguin crunch. "On your back, knees bent, go down, and keep your stomach tight," she said while demonstrating the posture. "All you're going to do [while] keeping your back on the floor as much as you can and you're shoulders up a little bit, is touch your outside ankle and touch your other outside ankle."
Group Fitness Classes
In September 2024, Brooke told Women’s Health that, since her injuries, she prefers group fitness classes over working with a personal trainer. “I don’t try to cheat during classes, but I don’t feel like being scrutinized,” the actress shared. She attends low-impact fitness classes four to five times per week, mixing in Pilates with "anything that deals with strength and stretching."
Read also: Approaches to Weight Loss: Brooke Hyland's Story
The Importance of Self-Care
Shields emphasizes the importance of self-care, including meditation, to maintain a healthy lifestyle. After a period of "self-indulgence" during quarantine, she turned to meditation to work through fear and improve her overall well-being. "I just want the absence of fear. Because every time I start spinning out of control, it comes from fear," she said. "I have to prove to my girls and show my girls that we will get through this, but we have to take the measures," she says. Meditation has even improved her workouts, making her feel more aware of her body with every stretch or lunge. "I’d never focused on the spiritual element of exercise or the idea of honoring your body and soul," she said. "Those were just words before; they didn’t feel realistic."
A New Chapter at 55
Shields feels like she's starting a new chapter. "I've learned this from talking to friends who are over even 40, we're all feeling like there's a new chapter; we've got more to do," she told Today. "That we can begin now. And mine started with these sort of silly little exercises!" Shields notes that her exercises are "preventative" as well and a breath of fresh air for people looking beyond boutique fitness classes targeted toward younger people. "If you're not in your 20s, you can get hurt a lot," she told Today. "A lot of these workouts, they're great and and they're pumping music and they're fabulous. But if I were to try to do them I would hurt my back, I would hurt my knee, something would happen because my body has taken 55 years of punishment."
Shifting Perspectives on Fitness
When she was younger, Shields said working out was "all ego-based"-but now, at 55, it's so much deeper. "As I started to workout with this specific goal in mind I learned so much about how the body works and started to feel better than I ever had before," she said in an Instagram post. "By the time I had recovered from surgery my fitness routine had become part of my lifestyle."
Prioritizing What Energizes Her
From food to fitness, Brooke is focusing on prioritizing herself-and that applies to all areas of her life. "I'm saying 'yes' to doing things that give me joy rather than everything having a purpose to get you to the next thing," she says. "It's like, 'Do I want to go see the ballet?' Maybe I do, but I'm not going to go for the wrong reasons anymore." Each night, she tries her hardest to get eight hours of sleep. She's also drinking less alcohol.
Advice for Women
Overall, Brooke encourages women to take charge of their wellbeing-no matter the obstacles in your place. "Start owning the information that you take in about your health," she says. "Once we start making this the norm, I think it will be easier for women to self-advocate. You're not being difficult. Self-advocation should be empowering, rather than something to be afraid of."
Read also: Markham's Health Transformation