Shape
“Sleepless” star Michelle Monaghan has been one to watch since her breakout roles in "Mission Impossible" and "Heartbreak Kid." The actress, wife and mom of two will next star alongside Michael Sheen in Peter Glanz's comedic thriller “The Price of Admission.”
But now Monaghan is covering the March issue of Shape Magazine, in which the star reveals how she balances eating well, working out and having a hotter body than most 20-somethings.
The 40 year old (yes, 40), divulges all the secrets of her physical successes.(Read more below.)
Shape
Here are TooFab's 5 biggest takeaways from the interview:
For Michelle, it's imperative for her to find balance between work and working out.
“When I'm not shooting, I aim to work out at least three times a week. But if I'm filming, I rarely make it to the gym. With “The Path,” I'd go to the park and run maybe once a week. Or I'd do squats and push-ups in my trailer. On shoot days, I start at about 5 in the morning and don't get home until 7 at night, so it's hard to find time for exercise. I throw myself a bone and don't get too worried about it. I know that when I have time again, I can kick it up a notch.”
Healthy living is a stress relief she refuses to let become a stress.
“I get crabby when I don't work out. Just ask my husband! I really depend on exercising to relieve stress. Last week, I was overwhelmed and I thought, I need to go for a run or a hike to clear my head. I had a to-do list that was a mile long, and I didn't know what to tackle first. When I run, it helps put everything into place. Years ago, when I started working out, it was about getting my body in shape, but now, the mental benefits outweigh the physical ones.”
By the same token, Michelle says she doesn't want to let the pressures of society affect her or the way she raises her 8-year-old daughter, Willow.
“I also need to be an example for my daughter. That means I can't run around worried about what I look like. We're active together as a family; the kids go hiking and biking with us, but I don't obsess about what I eat.”
She hates fruit!
“I have never liked fruit. To make up for it, I have a green juice every morning, which is totally devoid of fruit but has tons of vitamins from vegetables. A typical day of eating for me is eggs or oatmeal for breakfast, soup or salad for lunch, and fish or meat and lots of veggies for dinner.”
She keeps herself on her toes (literally).
"I hike in the morning if I can, after I drop the kids off at school. If not, I'll go for a run. Typically, I'll do 30 minutes, which is a three-mile run for me. I started doing Pilates, too, and it's really challenging. I find that it's a good balance for my running, which makes my muscles tight. Pilates loosens me up. I also love SoulCycle. I played a Spin instructor in a movie, and at the time I thought, 'There's no way I'm getting on a bike.' But SoulCycle had just opened in L.A., so I went with friends. The lights were off, candles were burning, and we were hooked. It's like church!
"In “Sleepless,” I'm an internal affairs investigator who's really proficient in MMA. As a result, I got to do boxing and kickboxing. I worked with a trainer three days a week for three hours at a pop and got in unbelievable shape. I feel so lucky that I've been able to try all these different ways to work out.”
She absolutely loves her body.
“I love my shape because I know what it's capable of—running 13 miles, having two children and learning to surf. I love my body so much. It's profoundly amazing. I have enormous gratitude for it.”
