Brooke Shields and Daughters Dazzle in Matching Gingham Swimsuits
Brooke Shields, 56, is still rocking a bikini as fiercely as she did more than three decades ago. The model and actress shared a stunning photo of herself and her two daughters on Tuesday via Instagram, all decked out in matching black and white gingham swimsuits. "Soaking it all in," she captured the family snap. So, what does Brooke do to maintain her fantastic physique in her fifties? Read on for all of her best diet, fitness, and wellness tips and tricks that she's shared with others, and the photos that prove they work.
She Does Strength Training
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(Photo by Michael Simon) Brooke trains with Ngo Okafor, a New York City based fitness pro and owner of Iconoclast Fitness. Throughout the pandemic, she kept her fans motivated by sharing tons of her workout clips on social media. "Strength became my go-to," Shields said, adding, "I have to work really hard to be fit … I'm not a naturally ectomorphic person," she told The MOMS bloggers Denise Albert & Melissa Musen Gerstein. She has to work extra hard "but I'm stronger and healthier and now I don't feel like have to hide as much."
She Focuses on "Small, Tiny Movements"
Instead of deadlifting massive weights, Brooke trains smaller muscles. "I started working on little individual muscles, and sort of shaping the muscles that don't really get attention," she revealed during an appearance on Today. "You don't have to deadlift 100 pounds. You can do small, teeny movements to activate these little muscles that actually wrap around other bigger muscles, and they tighten them all in. It was a revelation to work with a personal trainer and it not be a crazy painful thing."
She Does Lots of Ab Work
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Brooke didn't achieve her flat abs from sitting around on the couch. Last year, she demonstrated one of her new ab moves on Instagram dubbed The Penguin. "It's harder than it seems… keep your stomach tight and work your obliques," she instructed. She also relies on an exercise ball to activate her abs.
Her Diet Is All About Moderation
Moderation is the name of the game when it comes to Brooke's diet. "We've been taught, 'Deny yourself pleasure.' But moderation is harder because it requires really committing to balance," she told Health. "I find that if I say, 'I'm not gonna eat ice cream' or 'I'm not gonna drink,' all I want to do is drink and eat ice cream. It's some kind of psychological battle."
Her Two Secrets to Being Healthy
Brooke feels her best when she does two simple things. "Truly, when I get enough sleep and drink enough water," she told Healthy Living Magazine. "I don't think there's a trick to being healthy; I think we all know what our limitations are."
She Meditates
Brooke never liked to exercise until she found meditation. "I would say to myself, 'I'm not going to the gym, so I don't have to work out. I'm just gonna have that quesadilla and that ice cream and cocktails.' I got in the mindset of going to bed really late and waking up really late. Everybody in my house was like, 'You've got to get in control because if you're nervous, we don't stand a chance,'" she told InStyle. Soon after she signed up for meditation led by Deepak Chopra. "Before that, I'd never focused on the spiritual element of exercise or the idea of honoring your body and soul. Those were just words before; they didn't feel realistic. Working out has never been Zen for me. None of the exercising I've done in the past has stemmed from me loving it, or from it giving me any peace of mind. When I was younger, it was all ego-based: If you want to be in this campaign, you have to stay fit. If you want to be in this Broadway show, you have to be this fit; you have to dance this much every day. Everything was a goal."
