While Anne Hathaway most recently starred in romcom The Idea Of You, she became an icon for her role in The Devil Wears Prada, and in true Andy Sachs-grafts-for-what-she-gets style, she goes hard in the gym when she has a goal. While prepping for a movie, she recruits a PT and switches up her routine almost entirely: ‘It’s a completely different story when I’m working on a film,’ she told Shape.
Filming or no filming, we’re sure you’ll agree she’s one of those celebs who seem to have endless energy and a year-round glow, so we were keen to do some digging into her workout and nutrition habits.
Handily, when we reached out to celeb PT Ramona Braganza – who previously trained Anne for her role in Get Smart, then Rachel Getting Married, and for the two months prior to Anne’s Oscar appearance in 2009 – she shared several simple tips she gave Anne, that could also give you an instant health boost.
1. Work out in the morning
‘Each week of workouts with Anne ahead of the Oscars would include five days of 1-hour workouts in the morning,’ Ramona tells us.
Now, before we go any further, morning workouts aren’t for everyone, but if you do find you have some extra time in the AM and you aren’t the kind that struggles to form a proper sentence before 11am, then getting moving first thing can give you a solid confidence boost to go about your day, thanks to the endorphins (happy hormones) that come from exercise. Plus, it means your workout is out of the way, and you can focus on the other tasks on your to-do list – a no-brainer for Anne and her busy schedule.
2. Use music
It’s not news, but music can be seriously motivational, and Anne agrees. ‘For most actresses, training in a gym can be monotonous, so we’d use music during workouts,’ Ramona explains. Turn it up, we say (unless you’re smashing a home workout and your neighbours are in).
3. Make warm-ups fun
Think of a warm-up and chances are the first thing that comes to mind is boring static stretches, right? Well, that needn’t be the case. ‘We often warmed up by doing sun salutations,’ Ramona says of her workouts with Anne. ‘Or a dance warm-up. I enjoy leading as I have a background as an NFL cheerleader which helps.’ Sounds like our kinda warm-up.
4. Go hard for a quick confidence fix
We all know quick fixes in the diet/workout sense aren’t the one (#SustainabilityForTheWin), but when it comes to confidence ahead of a special occasion, going the extra mile in the gym can work wonders. ‘On the day of the Oscars, we pushed for a big pump for Anne since it helped her mental state,’ Ramona explains. ‘Confidence comes from within and when you feel your muscles contract, or even if you’re just a little sore, then you’re more aware of your posture, too.’ In turn, you’ll find yourself standing taller and, thus, come across and feel more self-assured.
5. Always rest
You’re probably bored to tears of us telling you this, but even Anne does it. ‘Rest days are so important,’ Ramona begins. ‘When we trained for Anne’s two films, we made sure she took at least one day a week off for recovery.’
Did you know, neglecting rest can actually slow down your progress? Read our guide for more info.
6. Switch up your surroundings
You’re probably not going to look forward to exercise if you only ever do it at the same spot in your local gym, and Ramona would make sure that wasn’t the case for Anne.
‘Going for walks are always included in my clients’ programmes, since it’s important to have a nice break from indoor training,’ she says.
There are so many walking benefits, too, from improved heart health, to a calmer mind.
7. Stack up on snacks
Anne never went hungry, and a lot of that comes down to regular snacking. ‘Often my clients are very knowledgeable on nutrition,’ Ramona tells us. ‘A go-to snack for many while working on set would be bags of popcorn.’ Tasty and cheap – count us in.
8. Incorporate all kinds of training
Unless you’re aiming for a specific performance-based goal (i.e. bodybuilding/running a marathon/swimming the channel – you know, the casual things), then a combo of cardio and strength training is typically better, and that’s what Anne did. ‘We’d use my 321 Training Method,’ Ramona tells us. ‘It involves cardio, circuit and core work, using resistance tools to achieve strength. For Anne in particular, we worked on her arms to accentuate her back and support her posture while wearing a gown at the Oscars.’
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No doubt these are all tips Anne still uses to this day, but she’s since become a mother, there are some other useful things she’s said about her opinion on exercise.
9. Motherhood puts things into perspective
Giving birth is no mean feat, as we all know, and so much so that Anne told People exercising feels easier since she had her son. ‘I find that my workout is really different now because I gave birth,’ she said. ‘I feel like doing burpees now after having a baby is zero big deal.’
10. Do what feels good
Anne knows comparison is BS, and she doesn’t try and take on habits that don’t suit her. ‘I’m not a natural wellness warrior. I have friends who go to longevity conventions. They take crystal baths. For me, I try to make it to yoga three or four times a week,’ she told Shape.