Kristen Bell, the beloved actress known for her roles in “Veronica Mars” and “The Good Place,” has long been an advocate for a holistic approach to health and fitness. Far from adhering to extreme regimens, Bell champions a philosophy centered on mental well-being, functional strength, and finding joy in movement. Her fitness journey is a testament to consistency, flexibility, and a deep understanding that true health extends beyond physical appearance.
Prioritizing Mental Health Through Movement
For Kristen Bell, exercise is not solely about aesthetics; it’s a vital tool for her mental health. She has openly discussed her struggles with anxiety and depression, emphasizing that working out helps her stay balanced, centered, and more patient. Bell once shared on Instagram, “I don’t work out to get a certain body shape. I work out for my mental health.” This perspective underpins her entire fitness philosophy.
She understands the importance of listening to her body and not forcing herself when energy is low. Instead of beating herself up, she might opt for a 10-minute meditation or a stretching class on YouTube, prioritizing self-care over a strenuous workout.
Kristen Bell’s Evolving Workout Regimen
Bell’s workout routine has evolved over the years, showcasing her willingness to adapt and explore different forms of movement. Her approach often involves short, high-intensity bursts and integrating exercise into her daily life.
Pilates and Cardio Foundations
Previously, Bell was a big fan of Pilates, particularly attending classes at Studio Metamorphosis three times a week. She credited Pilates with helping her feel “physically strong” for the first time, noting it gave her abs after childbirth and made her feel like a “valuable asset” if ever attacked by ninjas.
Beyond Pilates, she incorporates cardio and strength training. Most days, she aims for at least 30 minutes of running or lifting weights. She has also tried CrossFit classes.
Embracing Short, Effective Workouts
Given her busy schedule as an actress and mother of two, Bell is a strong proponent of “exercise snacking” or “micro-workouts”. She incorporates short bursts of activity whenever and wherever she can. This might involve:
- Sprints: She sprints up her driveway, walks back, and repeats this 10 to 15 times, a routine that takes about 15 minutes and is “fantastic for your heart, brain, and body”.
- Bodyweight Exercises: While running lines with fellow actors, she might do triceps dips leaning backward on a chair. When walking with her kids, she’ll do lunges as they meander.
- Home Circuits: Her at-home workouts have included pushups, plank rows, air squats, V-ups, and burpees, often crediting trainer Charlie Curtis for these “blood pumping sessions”. Some detailed routines found include multiple rounds of burpees, wall sits, mountain climbers, forearm planks, and inchworms with decreasing reps.
- Yoga: Yoga is another significant part of her routine, which she sometimes uses as a gentle activity or even a form of active recovery.
The Shift to Heavy Lifting
More recently, Bell has pivoted her focus towards heavy lifting. In 2025, she shared that she truly “hit her stride” and achieved “the best body I’ve ever had at 44 — not just in terms of shape but also strength, endurance, and capacity — when I started heavy lifting”. This highlights her continuous journey of discovering what works best for her body and goals.
Kristen Bell’s Dietary Habits
Bell’s approach to diet, like her fitness, emphasizes balance and sustainability rather than strict deprivation. She focuses on nourishing her body while also allowing for occasional indulgences.
Plant-Based Focus with Recent Adaptations
For over 30 years, Kristen Bell was vegetarian, and for five of those years, she was vegan. She switched back to a vegetarian diet in late 2017, finding veganism not sustainable long-term, though she still believes in its benefits for the body and environment.
However, in 2022, she began reintroducing meat into her diet to boost protein intake and support her strength training, marking another evolution in her wellness journey.
A Typical Day of Eating
Bell’s meals are generally plant-heavy and protein-rich:
- Breakfast: She often starts with a vegan matcha latte made with Ripple pea milk for protein. On set, she typically has egg whites, spinach, tomato, and extra feta. She has also mentioned a spicy breakfast with egg whites, feta, avocado, and hot sauce.
- Mid-morning Snack: Bell is known to enjoy a salt bagel with cream cheese, acknowledging the need for carbs to fuel her demanding work. She also likes protein shakes (pea or hemp milk with adaptogens) and Greek yogurt.
- Lunch: Her go-to lunch is a “garbage disposal salad,” a bed of lettuce piled with various toppings like avocados, raisins, apples, tomatoes, egg, blue cheese, Parmesan, nuts, carrots, cucumbers, and potatoes.
- Dinner: For dinner, she enjoys Banza (chickpea-based) pasta with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and either an egg or Beyond Meat crumbles for protein. She also cooks plant proteins like lentils, black beans, and tempeh.
Mindful Eating and Hydration
Bell avoids sugar for the most part, a habit she adopted after a 30-day no-sugar challenge with her husband, Dax Shepard, which made her realize how sugar affected her. She also maintains an alcohol-free lifestyle.
She practices a “biohacking” tip of eating spinach or other fiber-rich leafy greens before carbohydrates to slow the body’s absorption of carbs and stabilize blood sugar. She also drinks green tea, often with Vital Proteins, in the morning.
Bell’s Holistic Wellness Practices
Beyond exercise and diet, Kristen Bell incorporates other practices into her routine to support her overall well-being.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation is a significant component of Bell’s wellness strategy. She practices transcendental meditation a couple of times a week, finding that it makes her feel “more rested than a full night’s sleep”. She emphasizes that meditation helps her reduce stress and stay focused.
Self-Care and Family Time
Bell believes strongly in self-care, which for her includes allowing herself to “let it go” when things don’t get done, forgiving herself, and leaning on others. She unwinds by snuggling with her family and watching animal shows, and enjoys doing puzzles.
Her family even engages in cold plunges and sauna sessions together, embracing the invigorating effects on endorphins and norepinephrine.
Realistic and Relatable Goals
Kristen Bell’s fitness journey is defined by her realistic and attainable goals. She encourages making “tiny bargains” with oneself, setting achievable targets like jogging for just seven or ten minutes. This approach fosters a sense of triumph that makes workouts feel better and more sustainable. She also puts weight loss goals in perspective, reminding herself that compared to larger global issues, being one size bigger doesn’t truly matter.
Ultimately, Kristen Bell’s fitness and wellness journey is a refreshing take on celebrity health, emphasizing mental strength, diverse movement, balanced nutrition, and self-compassion. Her honesty and relatable approach make her an inspiring figure for anyone looking to build a sustainable and joyful path to well-being.
