Lupita Nyong'o in Bathing Suit Says "Yes, I'm CUTE"
Lupita Nyong'o is having a little fun ahead of the first day of summer in her swimsuit. The Academy Award winning actress dances on the beach in a variety of bathing suits in her latest social media post. "Yes, I'm CUTE," she captioned the clips. "#FirstDayOfSummer ready." How does the actress keep herself fit? Read on to see 7 of Lupita Nyong'o's top tips for staying in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!
Work Your Glutes
In a recent workout video, Lupita showed off some of her workout moves, including a glute bridge. The simple moves works the hamstrings, lower back, abs, in addition to the glutes. "50 glute bridges. #letsgetit #bodybossing," she captioned the clip on Instagram.
Listen to Motivating Music
Lupita is all about the soundtrack to her workouts. "Faith in myself is always renewed when the beat drops… #waitforit," she captioned a recent video. In it, she blasts music and breaks into dance after completing an exercise with dumbbells.
Infuse Cardio Into Weight Training
In another workout video, Lupita demonstrates how she adds cardio to her weight training. In it, she trains to an Ace of Base song, punching dumbbells to the beat of the music. "Punching through with Ace Of Base #bodybossing Starting the week with the right energy and the wrong words," she captioned it.
Treat Yourself
Lupita makes health and fitness a priority, but also believes in treating herself. "About to take a bite off this weekend like… #workhardplayhard," she captioned an image of herself noshing on a few chocolate squares. "Rich in flavonoids (potent antioxidants), chocolate works to help blood vessels relax, which decreases blood pressure. This leads to a plethora of benefits, like increasing HDL (or "good") cholesterol and LDL (or "bad") cholesterol, which can improve heart health," says our sister site Eat This, Not That! "Research backs this up, demonstrating that moderate chocolate consumption (up to six servings a week) can help lower your risk of rapid heart rate, which can lead to heart problems or stroke. Another study confirms this, showing a tasty chocolate bar can lower your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, as long as you keep servings to six or less per week."
Exercise to Feel Good
Lupita knows that exercise is good for her body and mind. "When I feel the burn, I smile and it tricks my body into thinking I am fine. And then I am! #Fitnesscanbefun #SweatNSmile," she explained in one of her posts. "Biologically, exercise seems to give the body a chance to practice dealing with stress. It forces the body's physiological systems — all of which are involved in the stress response — to communicate much more closely than usual: The cardiovascular system communicates with the renal system, which communicates with the muscular system. And all of these are controlled by the central and sympathetic nervous systems, which also must communicate with each other. This workout of the body's communication system may be the true value of exercise; the more sedentary we get, the less efficient our bodies are in responding to stress," says the APA.
Cut Sugar
To prepare for her role in Black Panther, Lupita revealed to Essence that she made a major sacrifice. "It was only once we wrapped that I realized I was on a sugar-free diet," she said "We could have fruit, which is a good sugar, but no fructose or refined sugar. But we could have carbs, which are good when you work out as much as we did, and we weren't eating less. We actually had to eat smaller meals every three hours. I never got bored. I've never worked on a project like this where there is a diet and a workout plan."
Meditate
Lupita gets her zen on. She once revealed to Vogue that yoga and meditation are an important part of her life and help her to stay grounded. "Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. You can also use it to relax and cope with stress by refocusing your attention on something calming. Meditation can help you learn to stay centered and keep inner peace," says the Mayo Clinic. "And these benefits don't end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day. And meditation may help you manage symptoms of certain medical conditions."
