Giada De Laurentiis whips up delicious dishes on TV and in cookbooks, is preparing to open her first-ever restaurant this spring in Las Vegas, and still manages to find time for exercise. (Oh, and did we mention she has fabulous hair?)
The celebrity chef is a master at rocking her busy schedule while staying fit and sane at the same time. How does she manage? We got her tips:
Do What Works for You
It’s way easier to buckle down and exercise if you’re not dreading it. Giada is, admittedly, not a runner, so she found other ways to get her fitness on. One of her go-to workouts is yoga. (Check out her yoga routine here.) And she’s recently added something else to her regimen: boxing. “Lately, because of this restaurant, there’s a little bit more stress,” she says. “The yoga helps me breathe and center myself, and the (boxing) lets the steam out.” Haven’t found your favorite workout yet? We have a whole list of exercise options.
Wake Up 15 Minutes Earlier
Even if you do a super-quick workout right when you get up, you’ll still set a good tone for your day. “It doesn’t have to be a lot of exercise,” says Giada. “I just get up a little bit earlier and I do it, but it really helps me sort of breathe.” Here are even more reasons to work out in the morning.
Get Creative When You’re Limited
Giada lives in Los Angeles, is opening a restaurant in Las Vegas, and regularly takes trips to New York City. Basically: She travels a lot—but she doesn’t use that as an excuse to skimp on her workouts. When you’re going on a trip, pack small, light exercise equipment, says Giada, who takes yoga blocks and resistance bands with her to make sure she gets in some yoga and stretching. And if all else fails, use what the hotel offers: Rather than pack a heavy yoga mat, Giada will practice on a towel. If she wants to do some boxing, she’ll stack pillows on the couch, get on her hands and knees, and get to it.
Stretch at Night
X
A good night’s sleep is so important, says Giada. And stretching right before you hit the sheets is a great way to both improve your fitness and get in the ZZZs mindset. “It helps release all the stuff from the day,” she says.
Just Breathe
Only have 60 seconds to treat yourself? “I always say, if all else fails, take a deep breath,” says Giada. “For a lot of us who talk a lot, you don’t breathe as much as you need to. … If you can’t do anything else, just sit up and try and breathe—even if it’s for, like, a minute, it will still help.” In fact, these five breathing exercises will boost your energy—plus they double as an abs workout!
MORE: Giada De Laurentiis: The Ultimate Time Management Expert
