Jessica Alba, a celebrated actress, businesswoman, and mother, has long been admired for her dedication to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A lifelong devotee of movement and fitness, Jessica Alba understands the importance of consistency and discipline when it comes to her health. She prioritizes regular exercise, nutritious meals, and self-care, proving that even with a busy schedule, it's possible to make well-being a priority. Let's delve into the details of Jessica Alba's diet and workout routine.
Jessica Alba's Workout Routine
Jessica Alba stays in shape and active by working out four times a week. Some weeks she’s only able to work out 2-3 times, and she’s OK with that. She loves taking group classes and working out with friends when she can, finding it more fun and motivating. To keep the workouts interesting, she mixes up the strength training exercises in a variety of ways. It’s not worth pushing yourself if it’s just not what you feel like doing, so sometimes when the gym is absolutely not what Jessica wants, she will go outside and walk the hills near her home.
The Importance of Warm-Up
It’s often tempting to skip warm-up exercises, but they’re also essential for preventing injury.
Cardio
Jessica likes mixing up her cardio workouts, incorporating both HIIT and steady-state cardio in different variations. Sometimes, her workout looks like going for a long walk or hike, but normally she’ll head to a gym to work out. If she can, she’ll bring a friend along with her. During the pandemic, she started going on more walks by herself while listening to a podcast.
Jessica will go running and walking on the treadmill. She has bad knees, so she typically walks and runs on an incline on the machine to protect her knees from too much impact. On average, she will spend about 30 minutes on the treadmill at a time. She alternates between long runs and sprints to switch it up. Jessica doesn’t enjoy running, and sprints can help the time go faster for her. She also loves going to spin and dance classes to get in some extra cardio.
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In one Instagram post, the celeb sweats while performing an intense cycling session. She captioned it, “Morning sweat. Kicking off the new year. In another clip, Jessica is back at it. She captioned the post, “It’s a new week [calendar emoji] let’s get it off to a strong start [flex and bike emojis] #mantramonday: you can and you will. Cycling is considered an aerobic exercise. It strengthens the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Jessica revealed she performs interval training to stay fit. The actress wrote in an Instagram post, “30 min cardio -when you you only have 30 min to get it in-check out my stories to get my 30 min interval treadmill cardio.
To get Jessica in an optimal fat burning heart rate range, her personal trainer Ramona incorporates High Intensity Interval Training (otherwise known as HIIT) into her weekly workout routine. The pair will usually cycle through a variety of circuit training exercises while doing this too.
Yoga
Jessica loves going to hot yoga classes. She likes it when the classes include some light weights so that she is getting in some resistance training her classes too. She credits yoga for sculpting her body. One of her favourite types of yoga is called Power Flow Yoga. In this type of yoga, every pose flows directly from one move to the next. It is a fast-paced and intense yoga routine. This can make it more challenging than other types. It requires endurance, strength, and stability. In 2024, Alba's personal trainer Ramona Braganza told Shape her client also enjoys Iyengar yoga, which focuses on holding poses longer. "(She) finds it very beneficial for stretching her body out,” Braganza said.
On the days that Jessica feels like moving her body, but doesn’t want to over do it she turns to yoga. A few simple asanas first thing in the morning allows her to awaken her muscles, encourage blood flow, and recharge her body and mind.
Strength Training
Jessica also likes to incorporate resistance bands into her workouts. In addition to yoga, Jessica will sometimes do circuit routines. She works out with trainer Aaron Hines, who created this routine for her. Finish the workout with a full-body stretch. As any tenured athlete will tell you - weight training is integral if you’re trying to burn fat. Why? Regularly incorporating weights into your workout helps to build muscle, and the higher your muscle content, the easier it is for your body to burn fat while you exercise. This is because muscles are ‘metabolically active’, which means that even when you’re not working out, your body will burn calories.
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Alba wants to stay strong, but she’s not looking to be a bodybuilder, so she makes it a priority to find time for strength training with “moderate weight,” per Braganza. She prefers upper body more than legs.
Dance Classes
Alba has showcased her killer moves on social media on many occasions and told Women's Health she adores dance classes. Dancing isn't only fun. It's actually a great workout. "That’s fun. Like hip hop class, mixed with like core Pilates-type exercises," she said.
Other workout routines
Reformer Pilates is the current workout du jour of celebrities and working women alike, so we’re not surprised to see that this is a prevalent part of Jessica’s exercise regimen. Soul Cycle is another trendy workout, which you typically have to haul ass to your gym to enjoy. But Jessica has a Soul Cycle bike in her home gym, giving her access to the fitness brand’s most popular, heart rate hiking rides from the comfort of her own home. Boxing is another workout that Jessica relies on to improve multiple aspects of her physicality at once.
Jessica Alba's Full-Body Workout
Jessica Alba recently shared a video of her full-body 'daily virtual' morning workout, programmed by Nike global trainer Betina Gozo Shimonek. Targeting single-sided (unilateral) control, core stability and lower-body power, the routine included dynamic and isometric movements, plus some explosive exercises that boosted her heart rate. Shimonek made sure to focus substantially on resistance training, reminding us that 'it's one of the most powerful things women can do for their long-term health - supporting energy, confidence, and longevity.'
Here's their full session:
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Warm-up
- F.A.S.T. (Forward, Angle, Side, Transverse) hip rocks x 10 each side
- Bear plank hold x 20 secs
- Bear plank taps x 10 each side
- Single-leg hip bridge x 10 reps each side
- Side plank leg lift x 10 reps each side
First set 2 rounds of:
- Rear-foot elevated (RFE) split squat - 15lb (6.8kg) x 10 reps each side
- RFE Romanian deadlift - 15lb (6.8kg) x 10 reps each side
- Single-leg hip bridge hold with chest press - 15lb (6.8kg) x 15 reps each side
Second set 2 rounds of:
- Copenhagen side plank x 20 secs each side
- Bird dog row - 12lb (5.4kg) x 12 reps each side
- Tall kneeling curl to overhead press - 12lb (5.4kg) x 12 reps
Finisher 3 rounds of:
- Overhead slam - 20lb (9.1kg) x 20 reps
- Plank hold x 20 secs
Cool-down
- Foam roll and stretch
The Bird-Dog Row Exercise
When Jessica Alba dropped a video of her full-body morning workout on Instagram yesterday, we couldn’t help thumbs-upping one move in particular: the bird-dog row. Alba’s routine-with Nike global trainer Betina Gozo Shimonek-consists of two full-body trisets (three exercises stacked together), sandwiched between a warm-up to wake up her core and lower body, and a high-energy finisher (hello, med ball slam!) to crank up her heart rate and build explosive power. Then it’s all rounded out by a cool-down to bring it back to baseline. Her trisets include tried-and-true staples like Bulgarian split squats and Copenhagen planks, as well as a few combo exercises, like the single-leg glute bridge hold with chest press, tall kneeling curl to overhead press, and, of course, the bird-dog row.
Let’s take a minute to break down that last one. Here at SELF, we’re a big fan of this move-so much so that we slotted it into our strength workouts for our recent Learn to Love Running Program. Why? A whole lot of reasons, which, as an ACE-certified personal trainer, I’m happy to share, in the hopes that it just may become a personal fave for you too.
First of all, a bird-dog row is exactly as it sounds: It’s a bird-dog combined with a row. With bird-dog, you get into tabletop position and then extend one arm and the opposite leg. Because that removes the base of support, all of your core (your rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and even pelvic floor) has to really fire to keep you from tipping over. To be super technical, it’s considered an antirotational core exercise, since the muscles are working to keep you from leaning side to side.
When you add a row, you’ll simply grab a dumbbell in the hand opposite the leg you extend, and perform the move by pulling the weight toward your ribs, almost like you’re putting something into your pocket. The addition of the weight not only ups the core challenge, but it also brings in more upper-body work too: Like with any row, you’ll really target your lats (your broadest back muscle), rhomboids (upper back muscles between shoulder blades), and biceps (the front of your upper arms). If you’re looking to improve your posture, a strong back of the body is huge for preventing that forward shoulder hunch.
So why exactly do we love this combo? It’s just a super functional way to train. You need a strong core in all directions to be better able to do lots of activities in life (just think about carrying heavy grocery bags up the stairs to your apartment-you need the core stability so you don’t fold over to one side). It also provides a solid foundation for running or the moves you do at the gym. Whenever you’re deadlifting or pressing overhead, for instance (both moves in Alba’s routine), a strong core helps you transfer energy so the correct muscles can get ’er done. Finally, for folks who aren’t a fan of traditional core work and tend to skip out on it (it’s me), this move makes sure you’re getting that work in while showing your upper-body some love too.
One quick caveat: Because the bird-dog row includes that balance component-you know, the one that’s so vital for firing up your core-you won’t be able to go as heavy on the row portion as you would if you were doing just a row. So if max strength is your absolute goal, you’d be better served with a variation that where you’re more firmly grounded, say, like the single-arm row (using your thigh or a bench for extra support). But if you’re looking for more total-body, functional fitness and conditioning, the bird-dog row is a great one to add to your routine.
How to do a bird-dog row:
- Get into tabletop position on a bench. Make sure your shoulders, elbows, and wrists are stacked in a straight line and that your knees are in line with your hips.
- Hold a dumbbell in your right hand at arm’s length so it hangs slightly below the bench. Extend your left leg back while maintaining a flat back. Think about driving your foot toward the wall behind you to incorporate more tension in the glutes. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your body as stable as possible, retract your shoulder blade as you pull the dumbbell toward your ribs to do a row. Hold briefly at the top of the movement (your elbow should be past your ribs; if you’re not able to pull it that far, then the weight may be too heavy).
- Slowly lower the weight by extending your arm toward the floor.
Finding Time for Workouts
It’s important not to put unnecessary boundaries between you and your workouts. To stop that, she alternates morning (7am) and evening (6pm) sessions, pre-and post-work at her natural baby and beauty brand The Honest Company, five times a week.
Jessica Alba's Diet
Jessica likes to focus on eating a balanced, nutritious diet. She enjoys flavourful foods, and she’ll put hot sauce on pretty much anything! Her favourite sauces are sriracha, Cholula, and different types of habanero sauce. Although she likes to eat a balanced diet and doesn’t deprive herself of too many treats, Jessica also avoids eating a lot of sugar and carbs. She has low blood sugar and low blood pressure, and her body feels best when she’s eating plenty of salt instead of sweets. For example, after an exercise, she makes sure to replenish her body with coconut water or water with salt. “Nutrition is something Jessica does herself as she knows her body well,” Braganza says, she makes sure she eats healthily and maintains hydration.
Jessica follows the dietary advice of Kelly Leveque, a nutritionist and wellness consultant who focuses on holistic nutrition. Kelly created the Fab Four, which is a diet that emphasises eating protein, fat, fiber, and greens at every meal. Although Jessica doesn’t always follow this formula, she does most of the time! One reason Jessica likes this diet is because it is meant to help regulate blood sugar. There’s no calorie counting with this diet, and Jessica appreciates the ability she has to be flexible with it.
One thing that Kelly and Jessica worked on together was figuring out a way to stabilise Jessica’s blood sugar and hunger levels throughout the day. Kelly recommended that Jessica make sure she is always eating breakfast, which can be hard to do when you’re a busy mom. She also suggested that Jessica focuses on eating one serving of non-veggie carbs once a day, instead of eating carbs for every meal and every snack.
Breakfast
Most mornings, Jessica drinks a smoothie for breakfast. She likes to make sure her smoothie includes greens, protein, and healthy fats. Another smoothie that Jessica likes is a typical Fab Four smoothie. Jessica also enjoys making chia seed pudding for her breakfast. As a treat, Jessica makes pancakes for her family sometimes. She prefers to go the gluten-free route with her pancake mix, and she likes to thin out the batter with olive oil, eggs, and almond milk. This makes the pancakes crepe-like. Sounds delicious!
Lunch
For lunch, Jessica focuses on eating a plate that includes a protein source, healthy fat, fiber, and green vegetables. For example, Jessica might eat a chicken stir-fry with zucchini noodles or meatballs, Parmesan cheese, and broccoli. Jessica also likes to make what she calls “grazing boards.” They’re a great way for her to have nutritious options to snack on throughout her day, especially if she might not always have the time to sit down for a full meal.
Dinner
Jessica likes to eat a salad every night for dinner when she can. She prefers to make her own salad dressing because she says it tastes better that way. She eats a lot of kale, and she always makes sure to massage her kale with dressing before she eats it. That helps remove some of the bitterness of the leaf. She also enjoys chicken quesadillas with corn tortillas and hot sauce! And when Jessica is out for a date with her husband, she loves getting steaks or sushi with him.
Snacks and Treats
Jessica eats a lot of what her kids eat. She likes popcorn, as well as hummus with various vegetables, like carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes, and cauliflower. If she really wants a treat, Jessica will make herself nachos. She likes putting homemade black beans on them and jalapeno-almond cheese. Jessica tries to avoid dairy products, so she likes that she can put dairy-free cheese on her nachos. Although Jessica doesn’t eat too many sweets, she does have a favourite dessert. She loves strawberry shortcakes! Jessica also enjoys baking. One of her favourite things to bake is pumpkin-spiced cookies with her mom.
Balanced Approach to Eating
Alba has a pretty balanced approach to eating that leaves room for healthy foods and splurges. Four days a week, she tries to eat plant-based, and she doesn’t drink alcohol. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all bets are off. That feels like moderation to me.
Mindset and Motivation
Jessica understands what makes her feel her best. She knows the foods that help her feel energised throughout the day, and she prioritises making sure that she is feeding herself and her family well. It will come as no surprise, but music can be a great motivator.
Alba described the process of working out as “agonizing” while chatting with Extra and said she could think of “anything else” she’d rather do than exercise. "I've figured out now certain things that I like to do and it's actually become kind of a stress reliever," she said.
The Importance of Cooling Down
To keep her body functioning at it’s best, and minimise potential injuries, Jessica always makes sure to cool down and stretch after her workouts with the help of her personal trainer Ramona, of course.
Avoiding Boredom
Alba admitted that she tends to get sick of her workouts rather quickly, so she tries to keep it moving.
Gratitude and Body Positivity
Alba also practices gratitude to remind herself how lucky she is that her body takes such good care of her. She loves her shape because it does what she wants it to. If she wants to go on a hike or a bike ride or go for a swim, she knows her body will do everything she tells it to. She also appreciates that she can push herself through when she’s feeling tired. There’s always a little extra something to get me past the tired moments.
Adjusting Workouts for Specific Needs
There’s no one-size-fits-all workout, especially when you’re dealing with knee issues. Just ask Alba, who admitted that she adjusts some exercises to be kinder to her knees. Alba's trainer told Shape, osteoporosis is a concern for the star and said they adjust their workouts together to account for that. “We focus on overhead exercises using resistance, which helps increase bone density,” she said.