Kelly Ripa Swears By This Fitness Practice As Means Of Self-Care

Between her mom duties, daytime hosting gig, and many collaborative projects, Kelly Ripa has got to be one of the busiest in the business. And what's noteworthy about the star is that she manages to do it all with enviable enthusiasm and energy — which is a lot less surprising given her impressively healthy lifestyle. Kelly Ripa's wellness habits have long been an integral part of her self-care, but as she flawlessly enters her 50s (she rang in this landmark birthday on October 2), she credits said habits for feeling her all-time best.

A cornerstone of her healthy living? Regular workouts. While Ripa admits that — like many others — she was thrown a curveball having to stay at home the majority of the last several months. Thankfully, she's had the encouragement of her household (and vice versa) to stay active, doing virtual at-home workouts and going for masked runs. "My entire family is diligent about their workout routines, so we motivated each other throughout quarantine, though we all had to revise our sessions a bit," she tells TZR. "I did try and keep myself realistic with working out given the circumstances, but our entire family knew that keeping ourselves physically healthy was really important and getting exercise also helped boost our mental health, which is so important to take care of right now."

Besides the help of her family, Ripa shares that not thinking of exercise as a chore helps her stay in the habit. "My regular workout is one of the best parts of my day," she says. "The key is to mix it up: Functional training, circuit training, core workouts, a jog with a friend — there are so many options to choose from, there’s definitely one (or more) for you. One of my personal favorites is dance cardio. If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much fun I have dancing with my trainer!"

But Ripa recognizes that nutrition is just as important. "I have learned what you put inside your body, allows you to have the strength to do the stuff that benefits the outside," she explains. Because she sticks with a strict veggie-focused diet, Ripa turns to supplements to fill in any nutritional gaps. A partner of Persona Nutrition, the TV personality especially loves her personalized evening pack from the brand, which includes CBD for better sleep. "The difference — pardon the expression — has been night and day," she says. "I get to sleep faster; I stay asleep longer; I wake up feeling energized and ready to take on the day."

A few additional mindful practices help Ripa round out her self-care routine. "For me, even on my busiest days, I try to find 10 minutes to ground myself through movement meditation," she shares. "Those few precious moments of mindfulness — doing yoga while focusing on my thought patterns and awareness — help me create a sense of calm and inner harmony and make a big difference to my overall wellbeing."

And part of tuning into herself means turning off her devices. "With technology, everyone is available 24/7, and I do a lot of things in life that depend on it, but as much those devices help me get things done, I also know they can isolate us if they’re not managed properly," she says. "That’s why my family and I reserve time every day to unplug, to put away our cellphones at dinner, and be truly present with one another."

Having just celebrated her 50th year, Ripa believes her wellness habits have made this stage of life her best yet. In fact, she only wishes she'd started them sooner. "In my 40s, I took what I learned in my 30s and maximized it, and [at 50] I don’t think I could look or feel better than I do now," she says. "One thing I would tell my younger self, and what I try to tell my kids, is to adopt healthy practices earlier. This will set you up with a routine that you can carry on longer, allowing you to look and feel great for a majority of your life."