Kerry Washington Swears by These 5 Habits to Look Ageless Always

Kerry Washington is not just an actor; she is an activist. “Going green for #EarthDay! 💚 Buy some sustainable jewelry and help save the 🌱🌎!!! Today and tomorrow only, @auratenewyork is donating a % of proceeds to the Rainforest Alliance to help protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities,” she captioned her swimsuit snap yesterday. Do it! And: How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 6 ways Kerry Washington 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. She Does This First Thing in the Morning

“I’ve been really trying to practice the Oprah Winfrey ritual: I check in with gratitude and grace when I wake up. I can be in a little bit of a state of overwhelm and panic if I don’t start out being connected to grace and gratitude,” she told Glamour. "Other ways I reach out to others to express gratitude is to open doors for others, give compliments, say “hello” or “have a nice day,” give a warm hug, pay for a stranger’s meal or coffee, donate to a charity or send cards to loved ones for no particular reason. Other ways I connect to internal awareness is by surrounding myself with inspirational quotes, regular meditation, yoga, spending time in nature and journaling about how I want to feel and what I want to do in order to achieve those feelings," Dana Stewart is a licensed clinical social worker in Behavioral Health in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, writes in the Mayo Clinic.

2. She Uses Sunscreen

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Washington has a good tip if you have kids. “A lot of the research that we’ve seen shows that it’s important to put sunscreen on your kids, but as one of the most important things we can do as parents and moms is apply sunscreen to ourselves,” she says. “That’s the act that makes kids the sun protectors of themselves. They’re much less resistant to having the sunscreen when they see us put it on ourselves first, and more likely to do it for their whole life.”

3. She Does Yoga

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Washington shared video her doing Child's Pose, Happy Baby, Cat Cow, and other yoga poses. “The child's pose helps to stretch your back and muscles around your hips. In this pose, kneel and sit on your knees. Lean forward, keeping your buttocks on your heels, and rest your forehead on the floor. Move your arms so they're next to your legs, palms facing up. Inhale and exhale, slowly and deeply, for at least eight breaths,” says the Mayo Clinic.

4. She Likes Deep Tissue Massages

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“Massage is generally considered part of complementary and integrative medicine. It's increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations,” reports the Mayo Clinic. “Studies of the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension.”

5. She’s Done Pilates

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"I've never met anybody who's taken Pilates and doesn't understand their own body better afterward," she told Women’s Health. "As women, we live in this culture where it's like, 'You have to fix this.' Pilates has allowed me to be focused on my appearance and my health in ways that are not abusive or critical."

6. She’s Inspired by Trailblazers

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Washington admires “Jane Fonda, Cicely Tyson, and Diahann Carroll—those women are my lighthouses. Because their light was shining ahead, I knew where to go. They kept showing up for their art and values and that made me feel like I could bring all of myself to my work,” she told Glamour. “If society is telling us to look the other way, and you, as anybody from a disenfranchised community, are saying, 'My story matters,' that is an act of activism.”

Cindy Crawford is 57 and shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to looking and feeling her absolute best. The supermodel shared a social media reel of herself working out over the years, wearing both old-school leotards and modern gym wear. “It’s not a resolution, it’s a lifestyle 🤍🧘🏻‍♀️💪🏼🏃🏻‍♀️🏋🏻‍♀️,” she captioned the reel. Crawford is a strong proponent of consistency over unrealistic goals—here’s how she takes care of her health and wellness, and what she thinks about the resurgence of 90s style.

1. Health and Wellness Philosophy

Crawford’s fitness and wellness regimen is all about consistency over fad diets and workouts. “Setting realistic goals and having consistency over time is what you notice over the years,” she tells The Cut. “With food, I try to be 80 percent good, 80 percent of the time. I’m not going to say I work out every day; I try to work out three to four days a week, and some weeks I don’t even get that. Someone got me on to tongue scraping; you have to do it first thing in the morning, don’t even drink water. I do my tongue scraping, my dry brushing. I do the sauna and then I’ll do the cold plunge maybe once a week because I hate being cold. My husband goes in for three minutes, but you feel like an endorphin rush after you do the hot and the cold.”

2. Morning Routine

Crawford starts her day in the jacuzzi, watching the sunrise before having breakfast with her family. “We all meet in the kitchen for our breakfast drink of choice,” she tells Molly Sims. “I recently switched to the Foursigmatic Coffee (I actually think I heard about it from Molly’s Instagram!). It’s a nice substitution for the very strong coffee my husband makes. If I don’t have coffee before my workout, I usually make a shake. I use almond milk, ¼ banana, a cup of spinach, fresh mint, Ladder Vanilla protein, and a handful of cacao nibs. I try to catch the first 5 minutes of CBS This Morning. I love the segment called ‘your world in 90 seconds.’ We use this time to talk about what’s going on in our lives that day. Then I head down to the gym for either Pilates or Circuit training with cardio intervals with trainer Sarah Hagaman.”

3. 90s Beauty Resurgence

Crawford was a 90s supermodel, so the resurgence in 90s-style fashion and beauty doesn’t faze her. “Makeup artist Hung Vanngo always says, ‘Oh, you ’90s girls, you love blush.’ Women do tend to resonate with when they first started experimenting with hair and makeup; that’s their comfort zone,” she tells The Cut. “I try not to get too stuck, but at the same time, I know what I’m comfortable with. I pulled out my Velcro rollers again a few weeks ago because I wanted that style that only Velcro rollers can do. My husband’s like, “I haven’t seen those in a while.” I always liked that kind of hair.”

4. Supplements and Retinol

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Crawford uses supplements to help support her wellness needs. “I am a big fan of retinol—especially for cell turnover,” she tells W Magazine. “The Meaningful Beauty Age Recovery Night Crème contains both Retinol and our Melon Extract. Dr. Sebagh helped educate me that nighttime is the perfect opportunity to rest and repair your skin. I do take several vitamins and supplements under the direction of my doctor for things like joint health, etc. I am excited that Meaningful Beauty is coming out with our first supplement this Spring called ‘Beauty Sleep.’ This supplement will support both better sleep and your skin by increasing hydration and elasticity.”

5. Skincare Secrets

Crawford’s skincare—for both body and face—is all about preventative care. “Neutrogena has a body oil that I put on sometimes, and that totally reminds me of being 25 years old in New York,” she tells The Cut. “My skin needs have changed. My workouts have evolved. We evolve. I’ve liked dry brushing for a long time. I started in my 20s and I’m more religious about it now than ever... Skin really is all about stuff that we know but just doing it. I always say put on sunscreen; that’s why our [Meaningful Beauty] moisturizer has SPF in it, you don’t even have to think about it you’re covered. I wear a hat, I don’t smoke, and I try to drink enough water. Consistency over time makes the biggest difference.”