Ella Emhoff Shares Swimsuit Photo Kayaking

Ella Emhoff is the stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris. She is also a model and knitwear and textile artist. Emhoff and her mother recently enjoyed a day of kayaking in Mexico. She shared some photos and a video on Instagram from the day. Emhoff captioned the post, “We went kayaking and now my arms are sore but my skin is oh so soft. We love a mother daughter trip.” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Ella Emhoff stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She’s Found Confidence In Herself

Emhoff opened up about being a model, and how it has helped with her confidence to The Washington Post. “All of my life, I had really low self-esteem and self-confidence, so this kind of felt like a way for me to take that back,” she said. “I have body hair, I have tattoos. Like, that’s not crazy in the scheme of things today, but it’s not what you’d consider, like, the most generic-type model.”

2. She’s An Activist

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Emhoff is a prominent activist. She tells ELLE that she wants to use her career as a model to talk about causes that are important to her. “I think modeling now is not just about modeling, but it's about creating space for people who do other things, whether it be art, activism, writing, any type of creation. And I get really excited when I'm able to do things that, and work with brands that actually let me not only be the model, but actually share my own thoughts and have [conversations] like this where I can talk about sustainability and activism in general.”

3. She Uses Sustainable Products

Emhoff wants to use sustainable materials in her knitting. “It’s made me obsessed with researching materials, especially the recycled cashmere [Stella McCartney] has been working on,” she told ELLE. “I try and source my yarns as sustainably as possible, whether it’s by going to outlets that are going to just throw away all their yarn, or working with other brands to get their excess yarn, or using yarn that I've had since I was a child. It's made me think more resourcefully on the ways that I want to package things… It’s made me ask myself, ‘Is this cool and is this helpful?’ It’s been a big influence.”

4. She Spends Time With Her Dogs

Emhoff is a dog lover and she spends a lot of time with them. She shared this set of photos on Instagram of herself with a dog, captioning it, “Everyone, say hi to Jerry.” The American Kennel Club states that having a dog has a lot of benefits. “Just petting a familiar dog lowers blood pressure and heart rate, slows breathing, and relaxes tense muscles. Scientists at Washington State University discovered that petting a dog for just 10 minutes can have a significant impact. Study participants had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone.”

5. She Goes To The Beach

As you can see from her recent post, Emhoff spends a lot of time by the water. She shared this set of photos on Instagram of herself at the beach. According to the South African College of Applied Psychology, going to the beach has a lot of health benefits. “Mindful meditation helps us re-centre ourselves and truly be in the moment. And spending time on the beach can activate mindfulness. Sitting on the beach is a great place to help slow you down and bring you back to the present moment. Watching and hearing waves, feeling the sand, and smelling the sea spray, all assist in focusing your attention on the here and now. Alternatively, swimming in the sea automatically also draws you into the present moment. Swimming immerses all your senses – the colour, feel and sound of the water around you, its taste and smell.”