Maggie Q in Two-Piece Workout Gear Says “Choose Your Health Over Anything”

Maggie Q is not just a renowned actress from Nikita and the Divergent films, but also a wellness advocate with a strong focus on health and fitness. Recently, she shared a photo on Instagram of herself soaking up the sun at the beach, captioning it, "Stretching out in the sun." How does she maintain her well-being? Here's everything you need to know about her approach to health and lifestyle.

1. She Focuses On What Works For Her

Q talked about her diet in an interview with Forbes. She says that she focuses on what works best for her, rather than what others tell her is best. “When I was younger, I believed one type of diet was right for everyone. That ‘healthy’ was under a small umbrella of choices. As I mature and study more about our biological makeup and how different we all are, I realize there is no such thing. I listen to my body, and I lead it in the direction that feels good and give it what it asks for.”

2. She’s Vegan

Q is open about being vegan. This has a lot of health benefits. The American Heart Association states, “Whether you’re considering eating less meat or giving it up entirely, the benefits are clear: less risk of disease and improved health and well-being. Consuming less meat decreases the risk of: Heart disease. Stroke. Obesity. High blood pressure. High cholesterol. Type 2 diabetes. Many cancers.”

3. She Loves Heavy Grains

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Q revealed to the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine that she likes heavy grains. “The way to feel more fulfilled when including more veggies in your diet is to eat a ‘heavy’ grain with them! I love black, red, and brown rice, and I mix them all together. I usually throw lentils or a bean in there to make it even heavier and more nutritious. Don’t forget to mix in flax seeds, seaweed, or liquid aminos! Put your veggies on top of something like that, and tell me you’re not full!”

4. She Stretches

Q broke down her daily routine in an interview with Us Weekly. She says that she likes to stretch each day. “Stretching is everything,” she explains. “If I don’t do it, I feel my whole body go downhill.” Harvard Health states that stretching has a lot of benefits. “With a body full of muscles, the idea of daily stretching may seem overwhelming. It's most important to focus on the body areas needed for critical for mobility: your lower extremities: your calves, your hamstrings, your hip flexors in the pelvis and quadriceps in the front of the thigh. Stretching your shoulders, neck, and lower back is also beneficial. Aim for a program of daily stretches, or at least three or four times per week.”

5. She Loves Yoga

Q also revealed in her Us Weekly interview that she likes to practice yoga. John Hopkins Medicine states that yoga has a lot of health benefits. “Yoga improves strength, balance and flexibility.Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles, while holding a pose can build strength…Yoga is as good as basic stretching for easing pain and improving mobility in people with lower back pain. The American College of Physicians recommends yoga as a first-line treatment for chronic low back pain.”

Maggie Q is a very successful actress. She is best known for her role as the title character on the CW series, Nikita, the American adaptation of the series. Q shared a video on Instagram of herself doing yoga. She captioned the post, “You’ll see this move time and time again in yoga and pilates practice, but it’s foundational for achieving a balanced and resilient body. Move slowly and intentionally through each vertebrae, focusing on your spine and the ground below. I like to inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds and exhale for 4 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10 when you wake up and your spine will thank you. It’s so easy! What’s your morning stretch?” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Maggie Q stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She’s Plant-Based

Q is open about being a vegan. Even her clothing line is vegan. “I don’t [call myself vegan], because it has become a weird, negative term and people feel very judged by it,” she told The Beet. “So I like plant-based better because it’s friendlier: It’s inclusive. You can’t judge people. They have to be where they’re at, and you have to accept them for where they are.”

2. She Takes Care Of Her Gut

Q makes sure to take care of her gut. “I have always struggled with gut health,” she told Thrive Magazine. “Whatever brought that on, I couldn’t say, but breaking down foods has been a challenge for me even before I knew what that challenge was. I wanted to create a line of probiotics that had everything I was looking for. In my journey to improve my own health, I became extremely passionate about helping others out of the hole I was in.”

3. She Loves Kitchari

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Q likes to eat Ayurvedic foods. She revealed in a Qeep UP post that has a particular favorite. “Kitchari is one of my favorite foods on the planet. Simply put: It’s perfect. (For me, anyway.) Whenever I need a reset or my immune system is struggling, or even when I need clarity of thought because of external stressors, I turn to this nourishing Ayurvedic food. I love the principles of Ayurveda because they are all about bringing the body into balance.”

4. She Hikes

Q shared a lot of her wellness tips on her blog, Qeep UP. In one post, she revealed that she loves to go for hikes with her dogs. “My rescue dogs are my life,” she wrote. “Hiking with them is probably my favorite form of exercise. We can go for hours and nothing makes them—or me—happier!”

5. She Uses Oil On Her Skin

Q has amazing skin, and she makes sure to take care of it. She shared some of her secrets and favorite products with E! News. Q says that she uses oil on her skin. “Oil. You can change your skin with a good concentrated oil. Put it on in a sauna, a hot bath, or before bed after a long tiring day and you will be quite renewed.”

Maggie Q is revealing her short but intense home workout. In a new social media post the 44-year-old star of The Family Star shows off her age-defying body while doing a workout. “I’m convinced our bodies are made to move. Being so sedentary is a new (and scary, honestly) thing! On days when I don’t get out on a hike with the dogs or do some kind of quick workout, I can always feel a difference,” she wrote in the captioned of the Instagram video. How does the actress manage to look half her age? Celebwell has all the details on her workout and her other health habits.

1. Short But Targeted Workouts

“So, here’s a bodyweight circuit I did during the midst of a busy day. I shut my laptop, hustle outside, and take 20 minutes to reconnect all my body parts to my brain. The next task I jump to after these little sessions like this one is always the most creative or productive part of my day. (ps - the one-arm body weight rows are tougher than you think!)” Maggie shares in the video, revealing her workout routine.

1. 12 tricep dips
2. 12 one arm body weight row, right arm
3. 12 one arm body weight row, left arm
4. 12 toe touch crunches

Rest 1 minute, repeat 3x total

2. Metabolism-Boosting Food

Maggie’s diet focuses around foods that boosts her metabolism. “I've raised my metabolism by being an active person, so I need more food than most people. But people tell me that I don't eat actual food. Like, how do you think I function? I don’t put anything into my body but the air that I breathe? I can't tell you the number of people who’ve said I need to eat a cheeseburger. I’m like, really? I need to eat a cheeseburger? You can eat a cheeseburger and I'll be okay over here,” she told Women's Health.

3. Gut Health

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She also “struggled” with gut health. "Whatever brought that on, I couldn’t say, but breaking down foods has been a challenge for me even before I knew what that challenge was,” Maggie told Thrive magazine. She recently launched her own supplement line, ActivatedYou. “I wanted to create a line of probiotics that had everything I was looking for. In my journey to improve my own health, I became extremely passionate about helping others out of the hole I was in.”

4. Yoga, Strength Training, Hiking

Maggie mixes up her workouts. She does Jason Walsh’s Rise Nation method, Katonah Yoga, and hikes with her dogs. “My rescue dogs are my life and hiking with them is probably my favorite form of exercise,” she wrote on Qeep Up's site. “We can go for hours and nothing makes them—or me—happier!”

5. Liquid Nutrients

Maggie has a hack for getting all the nutrients she needs: Plant-based drinks, shots and bowls. Wheatgrass, turmeric, ginger, and lemon shots, blended green juice, smoothies, and acai bowls are some of her go-tos, she revealed to Veg News. "Wheatgrass. There is nothing like it," she added to Thrive about her shot of choice.

6. Plant-Based Diet

“I don’t [call myself vegan], because it has become a weird, negative term and people feel very judged by it,” Maggie told The Beet. “So I like plant-based better because it’s friendlier: It’s inclusive. You can’t judge people. They have to be where they’re at, and you have to accept them for where they are.”