Elizabeth Gillies Amazes in Workout Gear, Saying "My Body is Thanking Me"

Elizabeth Gillies is indulging in a self-care getaway – in her workout gear. In a new social media post the actress shows off her amazing body in exercise clothes during a wellness retreat. "I did @theranch.life for the first time in 2016 and remembered feeling so proud of myself. Even at 22, I was stunned that my body could handle the rigorous hikes and all of the other physical and mental challenges that come with this journey. 8 years later and I'm even more proud of myself for completing this program. I pushed myself further and my body is thanking me. Thank you, #TheRanchHudsonValley for giving me a much needed reset and quality time with my beloved @rafaeldlf who I very much missed running around beautiful mansions with. ✨" she captioned the post. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits. 

Elizabeth maintains a healthy diet – mostly because she has to. "I'm extremely passionate about food but I have a lot of food allergies, so I can't eat a lot of what makes food taste so good. The biggest thing I miss is dairy. I haven't had dairy or red meat in about seven years," she told New Potato. 

"I also try to stick to a gluten-free diet but that's especially hard considering I grew up in an Italian family where bread is a huge staple of every meal. Overall, I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and maintain a healthy diet. But if I had it my way, I'd be sitting in a room eating French fries and cake all day," she told the New Potato.

Elizabeth is a coffee drinker. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are several benefits of drinking coffee in moderation. "It acts on your brain to improve memory, mood, reaction times, and mental function," they say, citing a study finding that caffeine can improve endurance and performance during exercise. It is also antioxidant-rich, can ward off diabetes, prevent neurologic disease, lower cancer risk, and ward off depression, they point out.

Elizabeth meditates on a regular basis. "Zen Queen! Pro tip: Don't take your heels off to meditate, it's much more elegant this way. 🌸" she captioned a post. "When you meditate, you may clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress," says the Mayo Clinic. Benefits include:

• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
• Building skills to manage your stress
• Increasing self-awareness
• Focusing on the present
• Reducing negative emotions
• Increasing imagination and creativity
• Increasing patience and tolerance
• Lowering resting heart rate
• Lowering resting blood pressure
• Improving sleep quality

During her getaway at The Ranch Hudson Valley, Elizabeth went hiking. "Hiking is one of the best ways to get exercise. No matter what type of trail you find yourself on, hiking is a great whole-body workout—from head to toe and everything in between," says the National Parks Service. Some of the physical benefits include building stronger muscles and bones, improving your sense of balance, improving your heart health, and decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems. It also offers many mental health benefits, according to a Stanford University study.