Kate Beckinsale defies age with her dedication to fitness and a healthy lifestyle. At 50, she's in incredible shape, and she openly shares her secrets to staying fit and healthy. It's clear that Beckinsale's approach combines a balanced diet with a consistent and varied workout routine.
A Shift in Perspective: From Workout-Adverse to Gym Junkie
Fitness wasn’t always Beckinsale’s "thing". She didn’t start exercising until her 20s when preparing for her role as Nurse Lt. Evelyn Johnson in Pearl Harbor. At first, she didn’t really enjoy exercising and said that it “wasn’t great”; however, in the years since, she’s gone from being workout-adverse to a hardcore gym junkie.
The mental health benefits keep Beckinsale motivated. “Now exercise is almost more important to me mood-wise,” she told Women’s Health during a 2019 cover interview. “The other aspects feel like a great side effect.” “I’m very connected to my body, so if I’m going to experience stress, I’m probably going to experience it physically,” she continued. “So it’s usually a good idea for me to go do something physical to get rid of it. I kind of have to think of myself as a horse or something - time for a run around the paddock.”
Kate Beckinsale's Comprehensive Workout Routine
Kate works out hard with Gunnar five or six times a week. Her routine is a combination of circuit training and cardio. She does circuit training interspersed with brutal cardio, such as crazy things on a nonmotorized treadmill. That part is torture. But the thing I like about circuit training is that you're never doing one thing for very long.
Morning Workouts and HIIT
Beckinsale has a seize the morning, seize the day philosophy. "I wake up, eat something, and go straight to the gym," she shared with Women’s Health. Training first thing in the morning is a great way to adhere to your fitness routine, as when we get our workout done first thing, it means we are less likely to make excuses or find that other factors outside our control disrupt our workout plans.
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Beckinsale hits the gym six days a week to work out with her trainer Brad Siskind focusing on HIIT-style workouts that incorporate weights, squats, sit-ups, boxing, rowing, climbing machines, and basically anything else you can imagine.
The whole hour is work,” Siskind told Women’s Health. “She’s a strong person. I see her six days a week, and she rarely misses a workout," he said. "If she does, there’s a good reason. Because otherwise, she’s crushing it.”
Compound Exercises and Intervals
Kate is big into compound exercises-that is, moves that work several parts at once. She kicks off her workouts with eight compound exercises that work two muscle groups at once, like biceps curls as she squats, or situps with combination punches.
After working through her compound exercises, Kate will do 90 to 120 seconds of a cardio interval, like rowing or the VersaClimber. She'll follow that up with her set of eight exercises again, but with heavier weights, bands, or faster reps. That all takes about 45 minutes.
Cardio and Strength Training
Kate might do two-a-days but will split up cardio and strength training. Whereas if the 48-year-old wants to do straight-up cardio, like a walk or run, she’ll make it a double workout kind of day. "If I’m going to do cardio, I’ll do it later on in the day," Beckinsdale added.
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Kate tends to do a cardio interval at the end of her workouts. That can mean using a rubber Inertia Wave, or doing one-leg pushes on a curved SkillMill treadmill. She wraps up her workouts with a good stretch.
Yoga for Balance and Injury Prevention
When she’s shooting a new film on location, Beckinsale makes time for recorded yoga workouts by Jessica James and Mandy Ingber to help keep her body in tip-top shape despite her grueling schedule. Kate maintains that the practice keeps her limber and protects her body. “I haven’t been injured while doing an action movie, and I think it’s partially from practicing yoga,” she told Women’s Health.
Trampoline Fitness
Kate is one of the many stars who enjoys trampoline fitness. Kate told WH that she's "into trampolining"-calling it "the greatest thing." Kate likes to do LEKFit classes, which are streamed online. With LEKFit’s app, Kate can put her laptop on her counter and bounce on a trampoline in her kitchen. “It makes you feel kind of jolly!” she said. Adding a spring to your step can help you get into shape faster. A NASA study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology claims that rebounding exercise is 68 percent more efficient than jogging. As far as calories burned, a study by the American Council on Exercise found that mini trampoline workouts effectively burn an average of 12.4 calories per minute for men and 9.4 calories per minute for women.
Other Exercises
Kate shared an Instagram video in 2019 of herself punching a dummy in the face after doing an abs roll-up and roll-down. Kate shared a super impressive video on Instagram in 2019 of herself flipping a tire at the gym. In the video, Kate flips a tire that's 150 pounds (not a typo), making it look like nothing.
Kate Beckinsale's Diet: Clean Eating and Avoiding Sugar
It should come as no surprise that Kate Beckinsale’s diet is fairly restrictive. She actively cuts carbs and avoids processed sugar whenever she can. This is because they leave her feeling bloated and sluggish. That’s not to say that she AVOIDS carbs entirely.
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During an interview with Delish in 2018, the actress shared some of the details of her strict diet. For the most part, she tries to steer clear of sugar and refined carbohydrates as they make her feel “very sluggish". Instead, she loads up her plate with protein and vegetables, which “suit my body very nicely”.
Protein and Vegetables
Kate’s a big fan of starting her day off with plenty of protein and fresh vegetables. When she’s on the run, she might grab a green smoothie sweetened only with fresh fruit. When she gets to enjoy the morning, she might have eggs with avocado toast. She even has a signature recipe for it! For lunch, Kate likes to mix lean proteins and fresh veggies. Others, she might have a mixed vegetable soup (again with in-season veg) or a salad with chicken breast or salmon. For dinner, her favorite meals are incredibly simple. She loves to grill fresh fish, chicken breast, or turkey.
"[My 17-year-old daughter] Lily and I eat clean-we have a lot of sautéed vegetables like brussels sprouts and broccoli and chicken and fish."
Reintroducing Meat for Energy
Beckinsale was a long-time vegetarian but started eating fish and chicken on her trainer’s advice. "I was a vegetarian for a really long time because I am incredibly squeamish about meat,” she said in a 2017 cover interview with Shape. “But when I was filming Pearl Harbor, I didn’t have enough energy, and the trainer I was working with at the time said ‘You’ve got to start eating chicken and fish.’ So I did, and that helped me.”
Avoiding Alcohol
Booze has never been Beckinsale’s thing. “I don’t drink alcohol,” she told Shape. Remember, drinking alcohol often means consuming TONS of carbs and sugar that your body really doesn’t need.
Occasional Indulgences
Though Kate tries to satisfy her sweet tooth with fresh fruit, she’s no stranger to a little indulgence every now and then. Most of Kate’s snacks are low-carb and naturally low in calories.
Key Takeaways from Kate Beckinsale's Routine
- Consistency is key: Kate rarely misses a workout, showing a high level of dedication.
- Variety is important: She mixes up her workouts to target different muscle groups and keep things interesting.
- Listen to your body: She adjusted her diet to include meat when she realized she needed more energy.
- Mental health matters: Exercise is crucial for her mood and stress management.
- Yoga provides balance: She uses yoga to maintain flexibility and prevent injuries.