Kerry Washington Swears by These 5 Habits to Look Ageless Always

It's hard to believe that Kerry Washington is celebrating her 48th birthday on January 31. The star has been in the public eye since her breakout role as Chenille Reynolds in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance but hasn't seemed to age much in the 24 years since. What is her secret to looking and feeling young? Here are her top secrets for longevity.

Kerry exercises a lot, mixing up her workouts. "I'm a big Pilates girl and I love to hike," she told ELLE. "You don't even want to be in your own body when [you] show up at the gym—I didn't for years," she added to 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." Kerry added to Allure that she doesn't view exercise as a chore. "I love to work out. It's really important to me; it's part of the culture of my family," she said. She also loves SoulCycle, yoga, Peloton classes, dance classes, Gyrotonic training, and the elliptical machine. "I do different things, but I'm most obsessed with water aerobics," she said. "Now I do it with my friends on the weekends."

Kerry has a healthy and balanced approach to food. "In general in life I try to live it, not diet," she told People. "I think that's hard when you're restricting a lot. So I try to take it easy on a daily basis and do what's going to make me feel good." Nonna Gleyzer, one of her Pilates trainers, revealed to Shape that the actress "has always been an extremely healthy eater" and "eats a lot of vegan products, with little clean meals throughout the day."

Kerry enjoys drinking her nutrients. She told ELLE that she is super into nutritionist Kim Snyder's Glowing Green Smoothie, packed with spinach, celery, lemon juice, cilantro, and more. "I try to keep it consistent year-round," Washington said. Gleyzer added to Shape that she hydrates with coconut water. "She loves coconut water, which gives her potassium and important electrolytes. With the long hours she works, there's really no room for her to play around. She needs to be in the best shape every single day, and she definitely is."

"The things my mother always stressed were to drink a lot of water and get a lot of rest, which I used to roll my eyes at," she told Oprah Magazine. "Now I think she's a genius. Health and wellness really are the sources of beauty."

You won't find the star drinking her calories in the form of alcohol. "I'm also not a drinker," Kerry confessed Eto lle. "I love a drink occasionally, but I wouldn't be able to handle it. You see one sip, but I have to drink three cups to get the scene done," she said. "I tend to be a 'when in Rome drinker.' When I'm traveling, I drink what they have there or I'll get a special cocktail."