20 Amazing Bodies of Iconic TV Soap Opera Stars 

For all the twists, turns and characters coming back from the dead, one thing remains consistent in the world of soap operas: the stars stay fit. After all, some cast members appear for decades at a time, and the audience craves familiarity; like any stars, the actors and actresses here have to remain recognizable. They do so with a combination of nutrition, exercise and mindfulness techniques, as well as a unique approach to a long-lasting career. As a result, these stars are iconic. Here are the wellness secrets from Kelly Ripa, Lisa Rinna, Susan Lucci and many more.

1. Kelly Ripa

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Before becoming a TV host, Kelly Ripa appeared on All My Children as Hayley Vaughn. In an interview with Closer, she shared her favorite post-show breakfast. “What I will have is a green apple, cut up, and then I take two tablespoons of almond butter and a teaspoon of cinnamon. I blend it all together, I put the apples in there and then I eat that like a porridge, if you will. That is my first chewable food of the day.”

2. Galen Gering

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Galen Gering plays Rafe Hernandez on Days Of Our Lives. He revealed to Soap Opera Digest that he does calorie deficiency. “You have to look at the overall calories that you’re putting into your body on a daily basis and really pay attention to that. Once you do that, you can figure out how you get a calorie deficit. You obviously have to burn more calories in a day than you’re putting in your body [in order to lose weight]. It’s a simple formulaic thing that a lot of people fail to do. Once you do that you’ll realize how much you’re snacking throughout the day and adding calories to that pile, when you may not even be hungry. For me, when I want to lose weight, that’s the first thing that I look at.”

3. Lisa Rinna

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Lisa Rinna played Billie Reed on Days Of Our Lives. She shared her wellness secrets in an interview with People. Rinna says that she makes sure to do some exercise each day. “I just think it’s really good to move everyday. I really love the combination of SoulCycle and yoga. It keeps me balanced and sane.”

4. Shemar Moore

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Shemar Moore played Malcolm Winters on The Young & The Restless. He shared how he got in shape for his role on S.W.A.T. to Men’s Health. “I gained 10 pounds. It changed my physique," said Moore. "I’m looking to gain more. It’s just hard with the schedule that we keep, when we are working 12-16 hour days. Ideally, I would like to be 200-205 pounds, so I can add more muscle. For me, that’s a good weight in terms of flexibility, being able to move, be nimble and do all the action.”

5. Eileen Davidson

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Eileen Davidson plays Ashley Abbott on The Young & The Restless. She shared her hair and skin care secrets with Woman’s World. “I have gone the route of the super expensive before, but I guess I’ve just gotten kind of bitter. I’m wondering if it really makes a huge difference. So now, I use Cetaphil as a daily facial cleanser. I use Eucerin as a body lotion. Just your basic things. I do use Aveda hair products but every once in a while, I throw in Pantene. “

6. Lauren Koslow

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Lauren Koslow plays Kate Roberts on Days Of Our Lives. She shared her fitness secrets with Soap Opera Digest. “In terms of exercise and diet, I find it helps to think in terms of health and wellness and not necessarily in terms of weight. Make it a decision to be in the most healthy condition that you can be in. Some of the tips along that line, especially if you’re thinking about a plant-based or more healthy diet, is when you’re at the supermarket, read labels. Also, try to shop the outside aisles of the market, where they have fruits and vegetables, and stay away from processed foods. Try to shop organic, when you can, or sustainable or local.”

7. Kirsten Storms

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Kirsten Storms has appeared on both General Hospital and Days Of Our Lives. She notably had to have brain surgery in 2021, and shared her gratitude for her loved ones and medical team on Instagram. "I feel very fortunate that my situation wasn't more serious and that I had a wonderful neurosurgeon who immediately knew how to fix it," she said. "I'm not gonna lie, brain surgery had me nervous, but I'm immensely thankful to my family, friends, and incredible 'work family' who have been supportive, kind and loving during a time when I've been feeling a lot of emotions."

8. Katherine Kelly Lang

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Katherine Kelly Lang plays Brooke Logan on The Bold & The Beautiful. She tells Soap Opera Digest that she believes in moderation when it comes to food. “I generally eat healthy but I love to snack on potato chips. I love a hamburger and French fries once in a while. I’m not so much a sugar person, but I do like chocolate sometimes. You have to have a good balance. You can’t be too strict and you can’t just eat whatever you want, especially as you get older. You really need to watch what you are taking in because it’s easier to put on the pounds the older you get. But if I eat too much one day, I’ll eat less the next day, or have more green drinks or try to put more vegetables in my diet. Try to eat organic and fresh food as much as possible.”

9. Camila Banus

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Camila Banus played Gabi Hernandez on Days Of Our Lives. She tells Soap Opera Digest that she meal preps. “It really helps for me to meal prep at the beginning of the week, whether that be Saturday or Sunday. I’m okay to eat the same thing, although maybe one day I’ll eat something different, for the entire week. I love that. But I do have a huge problem with drinking [enough] water. Nothing worked except two things. One of them is a really cool bottle I purchased on Amazon. It keeps me motivated. It has little positive notes on the outside of it for every hour, like, 9 a.m., ‘You did it,’ 10 a.m., ‘Good job, keep going.’ The second thing is I add a couple of pineapple chunks to that bottle of water. It gives it a little bit of an acidy pineapple taste and makes it really easy to drink.”

10. Chrishell Stause

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Prior to starring on Selling Sunset, Chrishell Stause appeared on All My Children and Days Of Our Lives. Her personal trainer, Ocho, shared her workout secrets with Women’s Health. “A week of workouts for Chrishell can vary," he explained. "Her schedule is very hectic, so we get in what we can, and HIIT training is one of the most efficient ways she can build muscle and burn fat at the same time."

11. Jensen Ackles

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Before appearing on Supernatural, Jensen Ackles played Eric Brady on Days Of Our Lives. To get in shape for The Boys, Ackles told Men’s Health that he turned to a certain website. “I'll make a little shout out to beachbody.com because I went on there and that's how I got my cardio in… I just followed the random videos. All I had was those adjustable power blocks, so I utilized those as my weights."

12. Arianne Zucker

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Arianne Zucker, who plays Nicole Walker on Days of Our Lives, talked about her fitness on her blog. “I can't stand the gym. I will do anything else, but go to the gym. I did work out with an amazing trainer for 3 years, so that he taught me a lot. I bought my own weights for home, so I could at least work out my arms while watching a movie or listening to a great podcast like Everything From A to Z. Shameless plug. I also just recently started working out with a system called TAPfit. It's like these taps shoes that fit over your work out shoes and you can do a tap dance work out with it. I love tap dancing and I thought this was a fun way for me to do both.”

13. Justin Hartley

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Justin Hartley played Adam Newman on The Young & The Restless. He talked about his approach to fitness in an interview with Men’s Health. "As you get more and more into working out and fitness, you start to understand it starts to impact different phases of your life," he says. "It can impact your emotional state, it can impact your stress level—it's way more important than just physique and looking good."

14. Josh Duhamel

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Josh Duhamel’s acting career began on All My Children, playing Leo du Pres. He shared his fitness routine with FabFitFun. “It includes a lot of circuit training lately with cardio and weight training intervals, but I’ve really started doing a lot of yoga lately — which for me is so important. My flexibility has gotten better, and I feel stronger than I have in a really long time. I’m not as injured as I was before because of yoga, so that really has helped.”

15. Melissa Ordway

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Melissa Ordway plays Abby Newman on The Young & The Restless. She shared her approach to wellness in an interview with Food Republic. “I tried going on diets, or saying, I'm only gonna eat healthy this week and eat salads, or I'm gonna go on a juice cleanse, and I last like half a day. I find it important to eat what I want and then go to the gym and run on the treadmill. I'm lucky that I can do that so I don't have to do some crazy diet. I just try and do outdoorsy things and keep active.”

16. Kimberlin Brown

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Kimberlin Brown plays Sheila Carter on The Young & The Restless and The Bold & The Beautiful. She shared her diet secrets with Soap Opera Digest. “To lose weight, you have to cut your carbs. You really need to cut out the white flour and the sugar. When I found out I was coming back to the show, I really hit Keto/Atkins. To me, Keto and Atkins are basically the same, and that’s just the removal of sugar and flour and that helped the pounds come off super-fast, which is hard for me because I love my bread! But, it was something I was willing to give up to get myself back into soap opera shape. I still have a ways to go, but I’m really happy with where I started and where I’m at now, and that is important.”

17. Kelly Monaco

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Kelly Monaco plays Sam McCall on General Hospital. She shared some of her favorite workouts in an interview with SheKnows. Monaco says that her workout routine is quite varied. “My workout regimen varies. I do everything from the gym to yoga to cardio classes, hiking and swimming. I’m pretty active. I’d rather stay outdoors than be cooped up.”

18. Krista Allen

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Krista Allen stars as Taylor Hayes on The Bold & The Beautiful. She shared her favorite vegan recipes with One Green Planet. “Burgers and Fries are my specialty. I am a Texas gal so the grill is my significant other at this point! I also have been doing some very cool raw dishes and I’m enjoying that, too. So, I have a group of hungry beach goers coming over at 8, and I am making some Hang Ten Burgers (a Veggie Boom Boom original) and super crispy oven baked steak fries. I’ll maybe throw in a cool micro brew for the drinkers and some organic sparkly soda for the non-drinkers and I usually do some chocolate chip cookies for dessert, or some fresh organic fruit with mint if it’s hot outside.”

19. Tanisha Harper

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Tanisha Harper, who plays Jordan Ashford on General Hospital, shared her fitness secrets with Soap Opera Digest. She says that she does a variety of different workouts. “I go to a place called Natural Pilates that uses the Reformer machine. I do that about three days a week. I also incorporate yoga at least once a week, and occasionally, I will work out with a trainer, lifting weights, which is really great for the body and helps you be strong. I hike about two days a week, but I don’t even really consider that exercise; it’s more about being out in nature. Maybe once a month, I play tennis just to stay active and keep my body moving, and occasionally I do boxing, which is great for strength conditioning and keeping my stamina up.”

20. Susan Lucci

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Susan Lucci played Erica Kane on All My Children. After having two heart surgeries, Lucci told FOX News that she has changed her diet up. "My doctor told me, 'You keep doing what you're doing because something good will come from that.’ It started with superfoods. I do have the occasional pasta and carbs. But the key is moderation."

Get ready to be amazed by the incredible bodies of General Hospital stars. These talented actors not only light up the screen with their performances but also maintain impressive fitness and wellness routines. From their diet secrets to workout preferences, skincare tips to mindfulness practices, they all have their unique ways of staying in top shape. Discover how Tanisha Harper maintains portion control, Brook Kerr finds balance through yoga, Rebecca Herbst prioritizes skincare, and Laura Wright undergoes a transformation after her divorce.

1. Tanisha Harper

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Tanisha Harper has played Jordan Ashford since last year. She opened up about her diet to Soap Opera Digest earlier this year. “I eat rather healthy. Don’t get me wrong — I love a sweet treat! — but I’m all about portion control. I don’t ever eat a giant plate of food; I’ll have small portions of whatever I’m eating just to maintain some sort of control and balance and so that I don’t overeat.”

2. Brook Kerr

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Brook Kerr plays Portia Robinson, and previously played Priscilla Johnson. She revealed her go-to workout to Soap Opera Digest. “I really like yoga and hiking and anything that incorporates flexibility. You just feel, on a deeper level, like you’re actually doing something good for your body. I’d done yoga before, but I just got back into it about six months ago and I really do like the stretch and the sweat and it makes me feel more grounded.”

3. Rebecca Herbst

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Rebecca Herbst played both Elizabeth Webber-Baldwin and Jessie Brewer. In an interview with Soap Opera Spy, she revealed her skincare secrets. “Moisturizing your skin- day or night- really protects it from the elements. I also cut back from exfoliating because it tends to dry out my skin in harsh weather. And, drinking lots of water is always the best way to keep your skin nice and hydrated.”

4. Laura Wright

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Laura Wright has played both Carly and Lara Spencer, as well as Beatrice Ekhert. She talked about making wellness changes after her divorce to Soap Opera Digest. Wright worked with a coach from Beachbody. “I walk different. I stand different. I sleep different. I love how amazing my body feels.”

5. Amanda Setton

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Amanda Setton plays Brook Lynn Quartermaine. She revealed to Soap Hub that she makes time for self-care, no matter how busy she gets.“I’ve learned over and over that self-care is number one. I have three children. It’s a lot, [so] I make a conscious effort to practice self-care. I eat well, I work out, and I stay hydrated. If you don’t do that first, then I won’t be able to be present for my family — my husband and children. My motto is to stay strong and healthy!

6. Cynthia Watros

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Cynthia Watros plays both Nina Reeves and Virginia Benson. She tells Soap Opera Digest that she does a variety of things to stay in shape. “Yoga has been with me for 15 years, off and on, not only because it makes me stronger, but what it does to ease the thinking,” she explained. “I have a very overactive mind. But one of my favorite things to do is hike. I hike in places that I’m really familiar with because I find that I can connect not only with nature, but with myself. That’s right up there for me with yoga. I used to do the whole thing with the gym and spinning classes and I loved it, but with [Covid], I can’t go to the gym, so I’m really back in love with yoga, which I do from home, and hiking. When I was going to the gym, I’d do a bit of everything so I didn’t get bored — weight-lifting classes, Zumba, Pilates. It’s probably four days a week that I’m doing something to move my body, even if it’s just a walk.”

7. Kate Mansi

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Kate Mansi played Kristina Davis this year. She tells Muscle and Fitness that she loves to do outdoor workouts, specifically hiking. “I’ve climbed Mount Whitney, I love being in nature,” she says. “We were shooting Casa Grande in Petaluma and it was beautiful out, no one was around, so on my off days, or off hours, I would do a lot of hiking and saw some incredible trails while I was there. I’m a sucker for new adventurous things. Ice climbing just adds that layer of intensity, which I love. Ice climbing is a real practice in being mindful, and being present.”

8. Risa Dorken

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Risa Dorken plays the recurring role of Amy Driscoll. She isn’t afraid to stand up for herself. After being body-shamed, Dorken responded back on Instagram. “I am learning to fall in love with my body,” she wrote. “I work out 5 days a week, I watch what I eat, and the truth is… I’m healthy.”

9. Haley Pullos

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Haley Pullos has played the recurring role of Molly Lansing since 2009. She revealed that she likes to eat vegetarian and pescatarian food to Soap Opera Digest. “I get whatever the vegetarian option is, and Tajh and I have lunch together. If we still have scenes to do, we’ll go over them while we eat and then we go back up and finish. The commissary isn’t open anymore, so since Covid happened, GH provides boxed lunches on stage and we grab them from a table. There are usually two meat options and a vegetarian option, or a meat option, a pescatarian option and a vegetarian option. If there’s a pescatarian option, I will almost always grab that, but today, it was vegetarian. Usually, it’s a sandwich or a rice/salad type of bowl. They taste a lot better than they look most of the time! I always sneak up early because the vegetarian option is the first one snapped up, and if I’m still on set taping and won’t be able to get to the food on time, I ask somebody to grab a vegetarian box for me and put it to the side.”

10. Carly Hughes

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Carly Hughes plays the recurring role of Elise Vance. She shared her fitness secrets with Reflect Beauty. “I have found a few workout regimens that really resonate with me and make me feel good, which is important, because if you don’t feel good, you won’t go! So I workout about 5 days a week- not always consecutively – and I allow myself to miss days/ sleep in when the mood strikes. I’m not a fitness fanatic, but I always feel amazing after a great workout. And that makes me happy.”