Courteney Cox, the beloved actress known for her roles in Friends, Cougar Town, and the Scream franchise, consistently radiates health and vitality. At 60, she exemplifies how a dedicated approach to diet, exercise, and overall well-being can lead to a vibrant and fulfilling life. This article delves into the specifics of Courteney Cox's diet and workout routine, drawing on her own words and insights from experts to provide a comprehensive overview of her wellness habits.
Embracing the Cold: Ice Baths and Saunas
One of Courteney Cox's more unconventional wellness practices is her love for ice baths. Despite initially being hesitant, she now embraces cold plunges, highlighting the invigorating feeling and long-lasting dopamine hit they provide. She even jokes about wearing waterproof booties to combat the extreme cold.
In addition to cold plunges, Courteney enjoys traditional hot saunas, often incorporating essential oils for a steamy and aromatic experience. This combination of hot and cold therapies provides a multitude of benefits, including improved circulation, detoxification, and mood enhancement. Jennifer Aniston, inspired by Courteney, also became a devotee of infrared saunas, praising their skin detoxification and cell rejuvenation benefits. Cat Deeley also enjoys infrared saunas, often applying hair oil during her sessions.
A Varied and Consistent Exercise Routine
Courteney Cox is a firm believer in the importance of regular exercise for both physical and mental well-being. To that end, she incorporates a variety of activities into her routine, including:
- Reformer Pilates: Cox practices reformer Pilates three times a week with Jessica McTighe, an instructor who focuses on creating a lean, dancer-esque physique.
- Interval Training: She incorporates interval training into her cardio routine, alternating between walking and running for 30 minutes, three times a week.
- Tennis: Cox plays tennis regularly, emphasizing the importance of monitoring her heart rate during workouts to maximize their effectiveness.
- Strength Training: Recognizing the importance of maintaining muscle mass as she ages, Cox prioritizes weight lifting in her routine.
- Boxing: She previously enjoyed boxing workouts, highlighting their effectiveness as a form of cardio and muscle strengthening.
In the past, Courtney has used an EMS (Electronic Muscle Stimulation) suit during lockdown to keep busy. She bought the Katalyst product and subscribed to fitness classes.
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A Closer Look at Courteney's Strength Training Workout
Courteney shared her strength training workout, which includes exercises such as:
- Chest Press: This exercise targets the pectoral muscles, helping to build a defined chest.
- Woodway Treadmill Run: Running on a treadmill is a great way to burn calories and improve cardiovascular fitness.
- Shoulder Press: This exercise strengthens the shoulder muscles, improving upper body strength and stability.
- Captain’s Chair Leg Raises: This exercise targets the abdominal muscles, helping to improve core strength and stability.
- Kettlebell Sumo Squats: This exercise targets the hip adductors and inner thighs, helping to tone the legs and hips.
- Chin-Ups: This challenging exercise works the biceps, shoulder muscles, lower back, and deep spinal stabilizers.
Adapting to Injuries and Finding Alternatives
After sustaining a wrist fracture, Courteney sought alternative exercises to her beloved Pilates. She turned to the cross trainer (or elliptical trainer), which provides steady-state cardio and works multiple muscle groups without risking impact injuries.
Embracing a Balanced and Nutrient-Rich Diet
Courteney Cox prioritizes a balanced and nutrient-rich diet, focusing on lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats. She avoids excessive carbohydrates, opting to obtain them primarily through vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli, and asparagus.
Daily Diet
- Morning Routine: She starts her day with a drink made of cucumber, pineapple, ginger, and lemon, followed by a cup of decaf coffee with oat milk and honey.
- Lunch: Courteney often opts for turkey roll-ups made with Boar’s Head turkey, mayonnaise, mustard, Havarti cheese, avocado, Fritos, and pepper or some sort of chicken salad.
- Dinner: She typically pairs a protein source, such as chicken, steak, turkey, or fish, with some type of grain and vegetables.
Healthy Habits
- Hydration: She drinks at least 2 liters (64 ounces) of water every day.
- Green Juice: She enjoys making green juice with kelp, mineral powder, kale, cucumber, ginger, lemon, and apple.
- Vitamins: She takes vitamins every morning. She likes to take Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9 capsules, as well as Vitamin D and Vitamin D pills.
- Eggs: She loves eggs, and she eats them regularly.
Occasional Indulgences
While Courteney focuses on healthy eating, she also allows herself occasional indulgences. She enjoys making pasta with garlic and olive oil, and she cooks turkey mince chili with cheese and cornbread for her annual Super Bowl party. She isn’t afraid of carbs and has pizza and pasta. Experts agree that incorporating cheat meals can help maintain a healthy relationship with food and prevent binging.
Expert Opinions on Courteney's Diet
- Maggie Berghoff (Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner): Praises Courteney's morning drink for its health benefits, including debloating and detoxification. However, she may recommend trying it without pineapple for less sugar spike.
- Jesse Feder (Registered Dietitian): Highlights the benefits of cooking at home, which allows for control over fat, salt, and calorie content.
- Destini Moody (Sports Performance Dietitian): Notes that turkey burgers are lower in saturated fat and higher in protein than beef burgers. She also emphasizes the importance of eating vegetables of all different colors to provide the body with a wide range of antioxidants.
Skincare and Beauty Regimen
Beyond diet and exercise, Courteney Cox prioritizes skincare and beauty. She is a firm believer in lasers for boosting collagen, removing discoloration, and tightening her skin. She also uses a red light panel in the mornings to relax and rejuvenate her skin.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Key Products and Treatments
- Lasers: She has spoken about having some very high-end treatments to boost collagen, remove discoloration, and tighten her skin.
- LightStim Treatment: She uses a LightStim red light panel in the mornings to relax and rejuvenate her skin.
- Facials: She visits her regular facialist, Mila Moursi, who is ‘amazing’.
- SPF: She wears SPF every day, even when at home. Her go-to choice is Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 Moisturizer.
- Other Products: She has also described The Cream by Augustinus Bader, Tata Harper exfoliating cleanser, and an ESPA dry brush as daily essentials.
- Towel Warmer: She uses a towel warmer with neroli oil to create a spa-like experience at home.
- Body Wash: She uses body wash from Nécessaire and body balm from Jenni Kayne’s Oak Essentials.
Embracing Aging
Courteney has openly discussed her past experiences with facial fillers, admitting that they led to her looking "off." She has since embraced aging naturally, focusing on maintaining her health and well-being through diet, exercise, and skincare.
Mental and Emotional Well-being
Courteney Cox recognizes the importance of mental and emotional well-being in overall health. She prioritizes getting enough sleep, taking care of her mental health, and eliminating toxic people from her life. She also finds joy in cooking, listening to music, and spending time with loved ones.
In addition, Courteney has her own cleaning products brand, Homecourt, that she loves decluttering and clearing out her home. She says she hates clutter and that it is best to clean as you go as opposed to having to do it all at once; it leaves you feeling less overwhelmed.
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