Over the weekend, Zendaya dropped jaws when she hit the red carpet of the Paris premiere of Dune, rocking an ab-baring knit Alaïa number, consisting of an oxblood crop top and matching skirt with a feathered fishtail. In addition to further solidifying the young star as a fashion icon, it also confirmed that she is one of the most abfab stars in Hollywood. How does the 25-year-old maintain her physical as well as mental health? Read on to see 7 ways Zendaya stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bikini Photos!
1. She Forces Herself to Eat Breakfast
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Zendaya doesn’t like to eat first thing in the morning, but she makes herself do it anyway. “At some point my assistant will try to force me to eat something. I've never been a breakfast person. I love breakfast food, just not at breakfast time. I'll eat breakfast food, but it must have some Nutella on it: pancakes, berries, and Nutella. If I don't have a lot of time, I'll just eat and focus on getting dressed,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.
2. She Snacks on Noodles
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Zendaya fuels up with carbs when she forgets to eat. “It's bad but because I work so much, sometimes I forget to eat. I snack throughout the day, though, especially if I'm on set where there is craft service,” she told Bazaar. “My go-to is a cup of noodles with hot sauce. I know it's bad for me. People are like, "Zendaya, it's high in sodium!" but it's what I want to eat.”
3. She Hates Water
Most stars emphasize hydration as one of their top health hacks, but not Zendaya. “I don't drink coffee; it doesn't do anything for me. I don't drink energy drinks or soda, either. And I hate water,” she told Bazaar. “I'm a juice drinker but not fancy-people juice. Like Tropicana or lemonade—not fancy.”
4. She Eats What She Wants, But Skips Dessert
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“I don't cook. I think I could cook—I can do anything I put my mind to, so I could cook. I just (a) don't like following directions, and I'm (b) too lazy,” Zendaya told Bazaar. Instead, she uses Postmates to order food. “I can have anything I want; that's the beauty of ordering food. If I'm having my favorite meal, I'll just skip right to ice cream. In fact, I get in trouble with my assistant a lot—he says I shouldn't do that. I usually try to ask everyone in the house what they want, but the final decision is mine. If I want Chick-fil-A, you guys are going to have Chick-fil-A. I will order something for you, but it will be from where I want.”
5. She Doesn’t Enjoy Exercise
“I don’t enjoy working out,” Zendaya revealed during GQ interview’s “Actually Me” segment. “I tried in quarantine.”
6. When She Does Exercise, She Heads Outdoors
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"I figured that I should do more physical activity," she explained to Steven Colbert about why she opted to start working out during the pandemic. "I was like, 'I need to start getting my blood pumping. I need to be outside more. I can't just stay inside and not do anything all day.'" To get herself motivated, she enlisted her assistant and infused a little laughter into their sessions by showing up for their daily sessions in different wigs.
7. She Prioritizes Mental Health.
Zendaya revealed to British Vogue that she makes her mental health a priority. "Of course I go to therapy. I mean, if anybody is able to possess the financial means to go to therapy, I would recommend they do that. I think it’s a beautiful thing,” she said. "There’s nothing wrong with working on yourself and dealing with those things with someone who can help you, someone who can talk to you, who’s not your mom or whatever. Who has no bias."
