Ana de Armas, known for her captivating performances and undeniable screen presence, recently turned heads by showcasing her impressively toned abs post-workout, sparking renewed interest in her fitness and diet regimen. The actress attributes her physique and overall well-being to a balanced approach that prioritizes enjoyment and mental health alongside physical activity and mindful eating. Rather than adhering to restrictive diets, de Armas focuses on diverse workouts and a wholesome, plant-forward diet that keeps her energized and “sane” amidst her demanding schedule.
The Pillars of Ana de Armas’ Fitness Routine
De Armas is celebrated for her dynamic roles, often requiring intense physical preparation. Outside of film-specific training, her regular fitness routine is a mix of activities designed to keep her engaged and prevent boredom, emphasizing both physical strength and mental clarity.
Pilates: Core Strength and Mental Sanctuary
Pilates stands out as Ana de Armas’s favorite workout. She has shared that doing reformer, chair, and bench work helps in “keeping her sane”. This low-impact exercise is renowned for strengthening the body’s inner core, enhancing flexibility, and promoting longer, leaner muscles. According to the Mayo Clinic, Pilates offers numerous benefits, including injury prevention, stress relief, improved posture, and heightened mind-body awareness. Its focus on controlled movements and breathwork also contributes to mental well-being, providing a much-needed sense of calm.
Dynamic Workouts: Boxing, Spinning, and Weight Training
To combat monotony and keep her workouts fun, Ana de Armas actively varies her routine. She told People that “Exercise also makes me happy, but it has to be fun. I do something different every day — one day boxing, the next spinning or weight training — to not get bored”. This varied approach ensures she engages different muscle groups and maintains high levels of motivation.
- Boxing: De Armas finds boxing to be an excellent way to release energy and stress. Harvard Health notes that boxing builds strength, improves balance, posture, hand-eye coordination, boosts mood, and enhances endurance and alertness.
- Weight Training: Incorporating strength training helps de Armas build and maintain muscle, which is crucial for overall strength and a toned physique.
- Spinning: Cardiovascular exercises like spinning contribute to heart health and endurance.
Outdoor Activities: Hiking, Walking, and Swimming
Ana de Armas also embraces the outdoors as part of her fitness regimen, often sharing glimpses of her active lifestyle on social media. She enjoys hiking, long walks, and swimming, especially during the summer months. Outdoor exercise not only provides physical benefits, such as building stronger muscles and bones, improving balance, and enhancing heart health, but also significantly boosts mental health by improving mood and reducing anxiety. She often walks with her dog, Elvis, making it a regular and enjoyable activity.
Intensive Training for Action Roles
When preparing for action-packed roles, such as her work in No Time To Die or the John Wick spin-off Ballerina, de Armas undergoes rigorous, specialized training. This can involve intense physical work, stunt coordination, fight choreography, and even firearms practice for several hours a day. For Ballerina, her training included a strict, low-calorie nutrition plan, 90 minutes of strength training daily, four to five hours of stunt coordination, firearm practice, and treadmill runs with a weighted vest. This dedicated approach allows her to perform many of her own stunts, showcasing her impressive strength and agility.
Ana de Armas’ Mindful Approach to Diet
Unlike many celebrities who adhere to strict and often unsustainable diets, Ana de Armas emphasizes a balanced and enjoyable relationship with food. She prioritizes eating healthily but allows for indulgences, believing that food should make her happy.
Clean Eating with a Plant-Based Focus
Ana de Armas’s diet is characterized by clean, whole foods with a leaning towards a plant-based, vegan lifestyle. She avoids overly processed foods and focuses on nutrient-dense meals.
- Breakfast: She typically starts her day with a high-protein breakfast to stay satiated and energized until lunch. She enjoys cooking her own meals to control portion sizes and make healthier choices.
- Lunch & Dinner: Her main meals often consist of lean protein, abundant vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Common choices include salads with salmon or grilled chicken, or grilled vegetables with fish.
- Snacks: Apples and other fruits are her preferred snacks.
- Gut Health: De Armas also prioritizes gut health, incorporating foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and vegan yogurt into her diet. She believes this is crucial for both physical and mental well-being, helping to manage stress and anxiety.
Hydration and No Restrictive Diets
Staying well-hydrated is another key component of her healthy lifestyle. She aims to drink 4 to 5 liters of water daily, along with herbal tea, to support her body’s functions and curb cravings.
De Armas has openly stated that she is “not very disciplined with diets” and prioritizes doing “whatever makes me happy in life, and food makes me quite happy!”. This moderate and balanced approach, where food is both fuel and enjoyment, has been key to her long-term success in maintaining a healthy lifestyle without feeling deprived. Her go-to comfort meal is a classic Cuban dish of rice and beans, sometimes with a fried egg on top.
Self-Care and Mental Well-being
Beyond physical exercise and nutrition, Ana de Armas incorporates several self-care practices to maintain her mental and emotional health, which she sees as integral to her overall fitness.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation is a regular practice for de Armas, which she finds helps her “create space to take time for myself to think, meditate, feel good and healthy”. She notes that consistent meditation helps manage daily information overload and stress, leading to a new perspective on stressful situations, increased self-awareness, and improved sleep quality. She also practices mindfulness in the mornings.
Recovery and Relaxation
To support her intense training and demanding schedule, de Armas prioritizes muscle recovery and relaxation. She uses a massage gun, such as a Theragun, to alleviate tension in her shoulders and legs, calling it “incredible” and a good complement to Epsom salts and arnica cream. She also enjoys a hot bath every night with salts and a bath bomb, ensuring at least 15-20 minutes of phone-free relaxation as a crucial part of her bedtime routine.
In essence, Ana de Armas’s killer abs and radiant health are the result of a holistic philosophy that values enjoyment, variety, and mental well-being as much as disciplined physical activity and nutritious eating. Her approach demonstrates that a healthy, toned physique is attainable through a balanced and sustainable lifestyle, rather than extreme measures.
