Kaley Cuoco’s Workout Routine Is No Joke—Here’s How She Stays in Shape

Kaley Cuoco is expecting her first baby with boyfriend Tom Pelphrey—and the actress is glowing. Cuoco shared a picture of herself wearing an black two-piece swimsuit, lovingly cradling her baby bump. “Honestly the most beautiful preggers I’ve ever seen… you shine and radiate nothing but the most beautiful energy with this belly,” one friend commented. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Cuoco 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 Bathing Suit Photos!

1. Lower Body Exercises

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Cuoco is disciplined when it comes to her workout regimen. “She really likes to work hard,” says her trainer George C. King. “Kaley is interested in her lower body, especially her butt, her legs and her abs,” he says. “We do a lot of lunges, squat jumps and regular squats, plus leg curls and dead lifts.”

2. Ab Workouts

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According to King, Cuoco does 20 situps, 15 hanging knee lifts, and a 60-second elbow plank on the ground or on a stability ball for one abs circuit, repeating each circuit three to four times with 90 seconds of rest in between. “It’s all pretty basic: crunches, situps and knee lifts,” he says.

3. She Loves to Hike

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Cuoco incorporates plenty of hiking into her workout routine. "Trekking up a mountain is a lot like climbing the stairclimber or doing lunges over and over, which strengthens your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves," says Joel Martin, PhD, an assistant professor of exercise, fitness, and health promotion at George Mason University. "To go downhill, your glutes and quads need to do a lot of slow, controlled work to stabilize your knees and hips so you don't fall.”

4. She Practices Yoga

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Cuoco loves yoga, including hot yoga. "Doing yoga five times a week has transformed my body," she told Shape magazine in 2017. "I love being toned and having muscle; it's so sexy and beautiful. And I owe it 100% to yoga."

5. Cheat Day Is a Must

Cuoco says one cheat day a week in a non-negotiable. "I have to have a cheat day. I know when I'm being good all week long that come Sunday, I'm going to lie by the pool, have a drink, and eat some pizza," she says. "Then I wake up on Monday morning and I'm all ready to start the week again. I'm just going to be in a bad mood all the time if there's no light at the end of the tunnel."

Kaley Cuoco just recently wrapped filming for Based on A True Story, and shared some highlights on Instagram, including one of her in a tennis outfit. Cuoco captioned the post, “That’s a wrap on season 2 🔪 of Based on a🩸 True Story ! Trying to gather my thoughts and feels about this entire experience but I can’t really put into words. I ❤️ this show, I ❤️ this cast, and ❤️ this crew . Think we made some magic and can’t wait for you all to experience it! Thanks to each of you for another ride of a lifetime . You know who you are! 🎞️🎥” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Kaley Cuoco stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Uses A Treadmill

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After having her first child in 2023, Cuoco shared some of her workout secrets for losing pregnancy weight with TODAY.com. She says that she does a lot of walking on a treadmill. “Putting that incline up is so good for your muscles, and for your circulation,” Cuoco said. “I’ll also walk backward, which is amazing for your butt and legs. It pretty much works everything.”

2. She’s Motivated

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Cuoco makes sure to stay motivated to workout. She shared how she does so in her TODAY interview. “I remind myself that it’s just an hour of my day, and like eating, it’s important for my body and my heart,” Cuoco explains. “And you never leave a workout and go, ‘I wish I didn’t do that.’ Even if it wasn’t the workout you envisioned, even if it was a little bit more low-key. Getting a good sweat sets the whole tone for the day.”

3. She Uses A Skin Cream

Cuoco shared some of her favorite products in an interview with New York Magazine. She says that one of her favorite skincare products is a cream from Egyptian Magic. “I fell in love with it after my makeup artist on The Flight Attendant started using it on me as a barrier cream,” Cuoco revealed. “I ended up ordering a ton. I apply it absolutely everywhere: my hands, lips, neck, elbows, face. Because it’s allergy season now, I’ve actually been putting it in my nose, too. I use it if I have any sort of chafing or irritation. It can really, truly go anywhere.”

4. She Uses A Foam Roller

Cuoco tells New York Magazine that she loves using a foam roller. “I started using this a couple years ago. It has completely changed my life. It has these big divots, so I can wiggle around on my side or back or legs and get the spots that are extra tender. I work out and ride horses a lot; my legs get extremely sore from horseback riding, so I basically don’t go a day without using the Rollga. I really enjoy using it after I shower at night. I’ll watch TV and roll around on it for a bit. I sometimes spend more than an hour trying to get my blood moving. One of the best things to do is just sit in it and, without moving, let the roller kind of get into a muscle. It releases tension.”

5. She Takes Supplements

In order to help her sleep, Cuoco takes supplements. “Olly’s sleep supplements were my introduction to the brand,” she said to New York Magazine. “When this Miss Mellow product came out, I was excited to try it and curious how it would affect me. It calms me down; I feel a bit lighter after taking one. It’s like a CBD alternative; I’m not a CBD lover — it’s not my thing. Most CBD products are too strong for my very insane senses of smell and taste.”

Kaley Cuoco, 36, is enjoying some downtime in a swimsuit, and she’s not alone. The Flight Attendant star played around with partner Tom Pelphrey (so awesome as Ben on Ozark, now on Outer Range) in a pool, and documented it on Instagram. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Kaley Cuoco 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 Bathing Suit Photos!

1. This is Her Favorite Workout

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“You know, I’m a yogi at heart — I love my hot yoga. Every time I take a break from it I get this urge to go back. It’s wonderfully meditative but keeps me so strong and fit. I also ride horses, which is wonderful for my brain and soul — and great exercise,” she told the Zoe Report. “I think some people are attracted to hot yoga because it’s easier to go through a greater range of motion when your muscles are warmer,” says John P. Porcari, Ph.D., head of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, to ACE Fitness. “And I think some people like the challenge of exercising in a hotter environment because it allows them to work up a good sweat and feels like they are getting a better workout.”

2. She Likes Vegan Protein Powder

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“My sister taught me how to make these amazing smoothies. She found me these incredible vegan protein powders to put in them, along with tons of frozen fruit, and oat milk. It’s amazing how much stuff you can put in one drink and get all the nutrients you need for the day,” she told the Zoe Report. Vegan protein can be good for your gut. Inflammation caused by an imbalance in your gut can turn on your fat genes, leading you to gain more weight than someone eating the same amount of food, and spending the same amount of time in the gym. In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers looked at overweight men and women who were put on a calorie-restrictive diet and given either a placebo or a probiotic supplement—basically, Navy SEALs reinforcements—for twelve weeks. At the end of the twelve weeks, women who had received the healthy gut bacteria showed significantly greater weight loss than those who had the placebo.

3. She Does Cupping

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“Cupping therapy involves heating the air inside a glass cup, which removes some of the air from the cup. The cup is then quickly placed on the skin, and the resulting vacuum pulls the skin partially into the cup, causing a bruise. Some people say they do experience a release in muscle tension afterwards, but there's not much research to prove one way or the other,” says the Mayo Clinic.

4. She Switches Up Her Workouts

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"If I’m doing yoga, we’re doing it every day this week....Then I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I have to switch.’ Then I’m going crazy on SoulCycle....‘Okay, I have to switch.'" “According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the ideal workout regimen balances cardiovascular work and strength training. Their guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes three days a week. Additionally, you should do strength training twice a week,” says the Cleveland Clinic.

5. She Drinks Coffee

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"Caffeine is particularly helpful for those who work out. Caffeine found in coffee has been shown to increase epinephrine levels in your blood as well as stimulate the breakdown of fat making free fatty acids available as fuel," says Kelli McGrane MS, RD, registered dietitian and Lose It! nutrition consultant, to our sister site Eat This, Not That!. "And these two factors together can help fuel and energize your workout."