Kaley Cuoco, the 39-year-old actress known for her roles in "8 Simple Rules," "Charmed," and "The Big Bang Theory," has captivated audiences for years. More recently, she earned an Emmy nomination for "The Flight Attendant." Beyond her acting, Cuoco is admired for her fit physique, which she maintains through a dedicated workout routine and a balanced diet. As a mother to two-year-old Matilda, she has openly discussed the adjustments she's made to her lifestyle to feel energized and maintain her health.
A Holistic Approach to Health
Cuoco emphasizes that health is more than just appearance; it's about feeling strong from the inside out. She told the publication, “We got into this habit we called the bedtime snack,” Cuoco said. “The drawers next to the bed were filled with candy. Eventually, I realized it was mindless eating.
Diet Adjustments for a Healthier Lifestyle
One of the significant changes Cuoco made was eliminating late-night snacking. “So, I cut that out,” she told the publication. “Our refrigerator and pantry have completely changed, because we don’t eat crap anymore. Today, her meals are full of satiating protein and nutritious veggies. She replaced unhealthy habits with a focus on nutritious foods, prioritizing protein and vegetables.
The Importance of Intentional Eating
Cuoco's approach to eating is intentional, as she shared with Women’s Health in 2016, “When I wake up, I have the same little bit of peanut butter on toast every morning". Dietician Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD, coauthor of Regenerative Health: Discover Your Metabolic Type and Renew Your Liver for Life says, "We can all take inspiration from such intentional eating". Kirkpatrick suggests allowing processed foods "about 10 percent of the time-for example, a frozen pizza every other Friday night with our family". She also notes that studies clearly link health problems and weight gain to the amount of ultra-processed foods consumed weekly.
The Role of Cheat Days
Like Kirkpatrick, Cuoco understands that deprivation is not sustainable. She admitted to Shape, per US Weekly, “I have to have a cheat day. I know when I’m being good all week long, that come Sunday, I’m going to lie by the pool, have a drink and eat some pizza. Then I wake up on Monday morning and I’m all ready to start the week again". Kirkpatrick notes that a "cheat day"-or more accurately, "cheat meal"-works for many of her patients, who plan and schedule it intentionally. National women’s health expert Pamela Peeke, MD, author of The Hunger Fix: Food Addiction, advises that if you try it, indulge in only the finest treats. For example, visit the best ice cream shop for handmade flavors or savor high-quality dark chocolate.
Read also: Brad Pitt's Workout and Diet
Regular Snacking for Sustained Energy
Cuoco emphasizes the importance of regular snacking to maintain energy levels. The actress told Women’s Health how her energy levels crash if she isn’t eating regularly throughout the day. “I learned over the past few years that I have to eat every two hours. I just do." Kirkpatrick suggests that smaller, healthy snacks like an apple with peanut butter or a smoothie with avocados and almond butter (as Cuoco favors) every two hours can benefit some individuals for blood sugar control. However, she acknowledges that this approach may not suit everyone’s schedule, emphasizing the need to consider individual needs.
Cutting Out Soda
One crucial change Cuoco made was curbing her soda intake, despite it being her favorite drink. Research supports this decision, as sugar-laden soda is linked to increased risks of diabetes, stroke, and obesity. Harvard-trained neurologist Andrew E. adds that artificial sweeteners in diet soda may mimic sugar, causing an insulin spike in the brain, which is detrimental.
Kaley's Daily Diet
Kaley tries to keep her diet as healthy as she can whenever she can. Kaley used to start her mornings with kid’s cereal. Her pantry was full of the stuff. But now, she prefers to have peanut butter on toast. For Kaley, the carbs give her a much-needed boost of energy that helps prep for her morning workouts.
For lunch, she’ll try to grab something simple. Most days, this involves eating half of a sandwich or a salad. Kaley doesn’t pack her meals with lean protein. She’s a pescatarian and enjoys eating small amounts of fish like salmon on her salads or a vegetable sandwich piled high with leafy greens.
For dinner, Kaley usually eats the same thing: fish with tons of fresh vegetables. Typically, she’ll grill up a small filet and sauté seasonal veg or serve it alongside a salad. Peanut butter is one of her favourite foods and she tries to eat it every day when she can.
Read also: Weight Loss Journey
Nutrition Philosophy
Kaley has learned quite a few lessons about what fuels her body best over the years. For starters, she's more aware of where and how she eats her meals. 'I no longer watch TV while I eat. I think that's a big distraction because you're not thinking about what's going on,' she says. 'It's just being very mindful.'
Her health - and her relationship with food - have improved in tandem 'I'm much healthier now than I used to be,' Kaley shares. 'And I feel better than I ever have, but I also probably eat more than I ever have, which is interesting.' 'I think I used to be afraid to eat, and now I just know the right things to eat,' she tells WH.
Workout Routine
While the famous animal-lover keeps active by doing everything from walking her dogs to riding her horses, she told Women’s Health that hot yoga is her exercise of choice. “I realized I don’t like running…I refuse to do it. I like spinning, so I try to mix that in. But if hot yoga isn’t your thing, just take a page out of Cuoco’s book and experiment with different activities until you find what works for you, encourages Kirkpatrick. “Moving your body in any capacity is really important,” she says.
Cuoco has been a TV staple for years, starring in hit shows like 8 Simple Rules, Charmed, and The Big Bang Theory. More recently, she earned an Emmy nomination for The Flight Attendant. Beyond her acting chops, Cuoco is known for her strong, toned physique-something she credits to a dedicated workout routine. In a recent Instagram post, she showcased her fit frame in a sleek black dress, leaving fans wondering: How does she stay in such amazing shape?
Staying Active
Staying active is a priority for Cuoco, and Sorensen says his client typically gets around 10,000 steps in each day. "She always tries to do some sort of physical activity, whether it’s with me, whether it’s with yoga or riding horses," he told E! News.
Read also: Hemsworth Diet and Fitness
Yoga
Cuoco shared some of her wellness secrets in an interview with Shape Magazine. She says that yoga is one of her favorite exercises. “Doing yoga five times a week has transformed my body,” she says. “I love being toned and having muscle; it’s so sexy and beautiful.” John Hopkins Medicine states that yoga has a lot of benefits. “Yoga is as good as basic stretching for easing pain and improving mobility in people with lower back pain.
Cuoco called yoga “the secret” to her toned physique in 2016 while chatting with ET. “Yoga is the reason that I have been (looking great). It has done everything, mentally and physically. I love it,” she said.
She’s a proud yogi Cuoco called yoga “the secret” to her toned physique in 2016 while chatting with ET.“Yoga is the reason that I have been (looking great). It has done everything, mentally and physically. I love it,” she said. The star is particularly fond of hot yoga, as she told Women’s Health. Despite her dedication to fitness, she admitted that she also feels like skipping her workouts on occasion.“Sometimes do I want to get up in the morning and do it?” she said. “No. But when I get out, I feel like a million bucks.”She stays loyal to her favorite workouts Keeping a number of workouts in your fitness arsenal can keep your body on its toes, and Cuoco isn’t afraid to try new exercises. However, she tends to stay loyal to her go-to workouts.“If I get a little bit bored, I’ll switch over to SoulCycle, which I love too,” she previously told Women’s Health. “It’s all or nothing. I’m hot or cold. I’m not a gray area. So if I’m doing yoga, we’re doing it every day this week….Then I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I have to switch.’"She knows what workouts don’t work for herRunning isn’t for Cuoco, and she’s unapologetic about that. “I tried spinning, I tried running, I tried yoga, I tried Pilates,” she previously told Women’s Health. “I realized I don’t like running…I refuse to do it. I like spinning, so I try to mix that in.”She tweaks her workouts based on the type of acting role she’s pursuing When she was prepping for Season Two of “The Flight Attendant,” Cuoco stepped up her workout game.“Her training regimen consisted of high-intensity circuit full-body training, like cardio, strength training, and lots of core twice a week,” Sorensen told Shape. “Hot yoga once a week, and a couple of days a week she would ride (cycling), which is a beast of a workout.”While training for an action role in 2022, the actor worked out with her trainer six days a week. “My job is to always be in communication with her, keep her motivated with result-driven targets, and always listen to her body to make sure we are doing what her body can handle at any given point,” he said.Cuoco fends off the hangry horrors by eating every few hours. "I learned over the past few years that I have to eat every two hours,” she previously told Women’s Health. “I just do, and I’m not talking about giant meals, but I literally start to fall apart, especially when I’m shooting…there has to be at least a snack or something that I’m eating because I just lose energy so quickly.”Noting that she used to be "afraid to eat," Cuoco explained that she now knows "the right things to eat."“I’m much healthier now than I used to be. And I feel better than I ever have, but I also probably eat more than I ever have, which is interesting,” she said. “I’m actually eating smaller meals and drinking more water and less alcohol.”She tries to incorporate fun into her workoutsDuring their full-body workouts, Cuoco and Sorensen do a mix of resistance training plus conditioning and stability work. The personal trainer told E! News his client enjoys using a stability ball but isn’t a fan of the VersaClimber machine.To keep Cuoco motivated, Sorensen likes to infuse a bit of fun into her workouts.“We just kind of get creative with balancing on the ball on our knees and doing a dumbbell press, or doing some plyometrics on the box or some med ball slams and ball throws,” he said. “Just really keeping her interested and just about having fun because, obviously, working out isn’t always the most fun, but we seem to have a good time.”She avoids mindless eatingIt's tempting to turn on the TV and open a bag of chips at the end of a long day, but Cuoco has learned that this form of multitasking isn't for her.“I no longer watch TV while I eat. I think that’s a big distraction ‘cause you’re not thinking about what’s going on…so it’s just being very mindful,” she told Women’s Health.While chatting with Shape, the star also said she consciously changed her diet after marrying her ex-husband professional tennis player Ryan Sweeting. "We got into this habit we called the bedtime snack. The drawers next to the bed were filled with candy. Eventually, I realized it was mindless eating,” she said, per Us Weekly. “I was just doing it because he was doing it, and it was adding hundreds of calories I didn’t even think about. So I cut that out."She committed to HIIT treadmill workouts postpartumAfter giving birth to her daughter Matilda, Cuoco turned to an intense 25-minute treadmill workout to get back into the swing of her fitness routine. “Putting that incline up is so good for your muscles, and for your circulation,” she previously told TODAY.com. “I’ll also walk backward, which is amazing for your butt and legs. It pretty much works everything.”Cuoco’s HIIT interval routine featured 10 one-minute rounds with 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest. At the beginning of the workout, the star started at a 1% incline and 6.4 speed. With each round, she increased the intensity by 1% for the inline and 0.2 for the speed.She tried a hands-free workout after developing Carpal tunnel syndrome Who knew holding a baby too much could lead to Carpal tunnel syndrome? As Cuoco explained in a video posted to Sorensen’s Instagram channel, that’s exactly what happened to her following the birth of her baby girl.As a result, the duo shifted gears to focus more on lower body and core workouts to give the new mom time to heal. In the video, Cuoco tackles a range of moves, including step exercises, and incorporates resistance bands and an exercise ball.She allows herself one cheat day a week Life is all about balance, and Cuoco lets loose with her diet once in a while. “I have to have a cheat day,” she told Shape, per Us Weekly. “I know when I’m being good all week long that come Sunday, I’m going to lie by the pool, have a drink, and eat some pizza. Then I wake up on Monday morning and I’m all ready to start the week again. I’m just going to be in a bad mood all the time if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.”She has a balanced, consistent dietCuoco told Women's Health she typically starts her morning with peanut butter on toast, followed by something light for lunch, like half of a sandwich or tuna on a salad or in a wrap.For snacks, Cuoco said she likes to nosh on Luna Bars, a rice cake, pears, an apple with peanut butter and smoothies“I love a smoothie,” she said. “I think it’s a great way to get a nice meal in there, and it’s quite easy.” At dinnertime, the star usually opts for something healthy like fish and veggies. DAY FOUR: It didn't surprise me that by this point in the week when my alarm went off for my morning workout, I buried my head under my pillow and thought of a few excuses I could use to justify me skipping today's workout. Kaley is a fan of jumping rope - another form of cardio that isn't my favorite. Are we seeing a trend here? I'm 5'9'' so I always feel clumsy and awkward jumping rope, but for the sake of this post, I had to do what I had to do. I put on some music and started hopping away. I did intervals of 30 seconds jumping rope with 10 seconds of rest. I then increased that to 45 seconds of jumping rope to 15 seconds of rest. In total, I was jumping rope for about 20 minutes, which was enough to cause me to be dripping in sweat. Kaley Cuoco is a self-confessed gym junkie and her hard work shows. From intense circuit and resistance training to cardio, the three-time Emmy award nominee does it all. Her personal trainer, Ryan Sorenson, posted one of her rigorous sessions on Instagram showing the Flight Attendant‘s various full-body workout moves. “We got one speed #strongwomen #fitness #summervibes #wework #womenshealth #longevity,” Sorenson wrote in the post’s caption. In the video, Cuoco performs single lateral raises while kneeling on two foam rollers. “This exercise targets the deltoids (shoulder muscles) primarily,” ACE-certified trainer and nutritionist Mary Sabat, MS, RDN, LD, who does not work with the actress, tells us. TRX training is a great way to improve strength, tone, and build lean muscle, and Cuoco kicks off her workout with TRX pull-ups while in a squat position. “This exercise mainly focuses on the back muscles, including the latissimus dorsi (lats) and the biceps,” Sabat explains. While Cuoco does a complete full-body workout, she focuses a lot on her arms and does alternating single-arm cable rows while in a split lunge. “This exercise targets the upper back, including the rhomboids and trapezius muscles, as well as the biceps,” according to Sabat. Cuoco isn’t afraid to take on a challenging move and in the video she does a single-arm cable row on one side with a lateral shoulder raise on the other side while in a split lunge. Sabat explains, “This exercise combines two movements. The single-arm cable row targets the back and biceps, while the lateral raise targets the deltoids. Cuoco switched up her moves a lot in the video and the one time we see her out of the gym was when she ran while jump roping. “This combination exercise is a great cardiovascular workout,” Sabat states. “Running helps increase overall endurance and cardiovascular health, while jump roping engages various muscles, including the calves, quads, hamstrings, and shoulders. While we just got a glimpse of how the actress stays in shape, the video indicates the intensity of her workouts and Cuoco’s level of commitment. “Kaley Cuoco’s use of exercises that combine more than one move is beneficial for her fitness for several reasons,” Sabat says. “First, combining movements challenges different muscle groups simultaneously, leading to greater overall muscle engagement and increased calorie burn. Second, these compound exercises improve functional fitness by mimicking real-life movements and enhancing coordination and balance.” She adds, “Lastly, they can be time-efficient, allowing Kaley to target multiple aspects of her fitness in a single exercise, making her workouts more effective. Heather Newgen has two decades of experience reporting and writing about health, fitness, entertainment and travel.
Working with a Trainer
Cuoco works with trainer, Ryan Sorensen to stay healthy. Sorensen broke down the workouts he does with her with Shape Magazine. “We have really ramped up her training,” he said. “Basically, she takes one day off a week and trains six days a week.
Sorensen tells Shape Magazine that Cuoco likes to do a variety of things to stay in shape. “Her training regimen consisted of high-intensity circuit full-body training, like cardio, strength training, and lots of core twice a week,” he says.
Sorensen tells Shape Magazine that he has Cuoco do a lot of stair workouts. “We do different movements, like skip a stair, every stair, lateral stair climb, [and] plyo movements five to six times, then we hike back. All in all, it’s about an hour workout.” ACEFitness.org states that stair workouts have a lot of benefits. “Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions - including high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels - that increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, per Mayo Clinic. It’s important for your overall health to reduce your risk.
Treadmill Workouts
One thing Cuoco does to stay in shape is run on a treadmill. She did a lot of these workouts after having her daughter. “Putting that incline up is so good for your muscles, and for your circulation,” Cuoco tells TODAY.com. “I’ll also walk backward, which is amazing for your butt and legs. It pretty much works everything.” HealthyTalbot.org states that using a treadmill has a lot of benefits. “Treadmill working is an aerobic/ cardio exercise. Studies demonstrate that aerobic exercise can minimize the risk of heart diseases. Moreover, they can strengthen your heart muscles. This helps to lower blood pressure and allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently.
Finding Motivation
Cuoco makes sure to stay motivated to workout. She shared how she stays motivated to TODAY.com. “I remind myself that it’s just an hour of my day, and like eating, it’s important for my body and my heart,” Cuoco explains. “And you never leave a workout and go, ‘I wish I didn’t do that.’ Even if it wasn’t the workout you envisioned, even if it it was a little bit more low-key.
Jumping Rope
Kaley is a fan of jumping rope - another form of cardio that isn't my favorite. Are we seeing a trend here? I'm 5'9'' so I always feel clumsy and awkward jumping rope, but for the sake of this post, I had to do what I had to do. I put on some music and started hopping away. I did intervals of 30 seconds jumping rope with 10 seconds of rest. I then increased that to 45 seconds of jumping rope to 15 seconds of rest. In total, I was jumping rope for about 20 minutes, which was enough to cause me to be dripping in sweat.
Consistency and Variety
"Big Bang Theory" star Kaley Cuoco has said she is a frequent gymgoer and she works out five days a week. She has said she loves spinning, hot yoga, and, most recently, working with a personal trainer. In recent years she's been very open about how staying in shape can be difficult and require a lot of work but she still keeps up her fitness routine.
“I tried spinning, I tried running, I tried Pilates. I realized I don't like running … I refuse to do it," Cuoco told the publication. Cuoco is an outspoken fan of hot yoga which is performed in a heated room and is generally more intense than traditional yoga. "Doing yoga five times a week has transformed my body," Cuoco told Shape magazine in 2017. "I love being toned and having muscle; it's so sexy and beautiful. "If I get a little bit bored, I'll switch over to SoulCycle, which I love, too," she said in a 2018 interview with Women's Health magazine. "It's all or nothing. I'm hot or cold. I'm not a gray area.
Adapting Workouts
She tweaks her workouts based on the type of acting role she’s pursuing When she was prepping for Season Two of “The Flight Attendant,” Cuoco stepped up her workout game.“Her training regimen consisted of high-intensity circuit full-body training, like cardio, strength training, and lots of core twice a week,” Sorensen told Shape. “Hot yoga once a week, and a couple of days a week she would ride (cycling), which is a beast of a workout.”While training for an action role in 2022, the actor worked out with her trainer six days a week. “My job is to always be in communication with her, keep her motivated with result-driven targets, and always listen to her body to make sure we are doing what her body can handle at any given point,” he said.
Full-Body Workouts
Kaley Cuoco is a self-confessed gym junkie and her hard work shows. From intense circuit and resistance training to cardio, the three-time Emmy award nominee does it all. Her personal trainer, Ryan Sorenson, posted one of her rigorous sessions on Instagram showing the Flight Attendant‘s various full-body workout moves. “We got one speed #strongwomen #fitness #summervibes #wework #womenshealth #longevity,” Sorenson wrote in the post’s caption. In the video, Cuoco performs single lateral raises while kneeling on two foam rollers. “This exercise targets the deltoids (shoulder muscles) primarily,” ACE-certified trainer and nutritionist Mary Sabat, MS, RDN, LD, who does not work with the actress, tells us. TRX training is a great way to improve strength, tone, and build lean muscle, and Cuoco kicks off her workout with TRX pull-ups while in a squat position. “This exercise mainly focuses on the back muscles, including the latissimus dorsi (lats) and the biceps,” Sabat explains. While Cuoco does a complete full-body workout, she focuses a lot on her arms and does alternating single-arm cable rows while in a split lunge. “This exercise targets the upper back, including the rhomboids and trapezius muscles, as well as the biceps,” according to Sabat. Cuoco isn’t afraid to take on a challenging move and in the video she does a single-arm cable row on one side with a lateral shoulder raise on the other side while in a split lunge. Sabat explains, “This exercise combines two movements. The single-arm cable row targets the back and biceps, while the lateral raise targets the deltoids. Cuoco switched up her moves a lot in the video and the one time we see her out of the gym was when she ran while jump roping. “This combination exercise is a great cardiovascular workout,” Sabat states. “Running helps increase overall endurance and cardiovascular health, while jump roping engages various muscles, including the calves, quads, hamstrings, and shoulders. While we just got a glimpse of how the actress stays in shape, the video indicates the intensity of her workouts and Cuoco’s level of commitment. “Kaley Cuoco’s use of exercises that combine more than one move is beneficial for her fitness for several reasons,” Sabat says. “First, combining movements challenges different muscle groups simultaneously, leading to greater overall muscle engagement and increased calorie burn. Second, these compound exercises improve functional fitness by mimicking real-life movements and enhancing coordination and balance.” She adds, “Lastly, they can be time-efficient, allowing Kaley to target multiple aspects of her fitness in a single exercise, making her workouts more effective.
Staying Motivated
Mondays can be tough, but Kaley Cuoco tries her best to start the week off on the right foot.“We really try to ramp it up on Mondays,” her trainer Ryan Sorensen previously told Shape, adding that she has a “never miss a Monday,” attitude.Cuoco has always lived an active lifestyle, but the 38-year-old has become more dedicated to her fitness routine as she's gotten older.“Bottom line is, you know, I’m not 21 anymore,” she previously told Women’s Health. “It used to be so easy, I didn’t have to do as much. Now, (working out is) part of my day.”Like all of us, the actor has days where she's not feeling motivated. In those moments, she reminds herself that "it's just an hour of my day."“And you never leave a workout and go, ‘I wish I didn’t do that.’ Even if it wasn’t the workout you envisioned, even if it it was a little bit more low-key. Getting a good sweat sets the whole tone for the day,” she previously told TODAY.com.