Alessandra Ambrosio in Bathing Suit Says Hi From "Paradise"

Alessandra Ambrosio is making the most of her island getaway. Over the weekend, the 40-year-old Brazilian bombshell shared a bunch of photos from her recent vacation on the island of St. Barts. "Un petit bout de paradis…🏝🐚💫 I've missed u #stbarth💓 #favoritespotonearth," she captioned the images. (Translation: "A little piece of paradise.") How does the former Victoria's Secret Angel keep herself in such fantastic physical form? Read on to learn about 7 of Alessandra Ambrosio's top tips for staying 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!

Alessandra eats healthy but also allows herself to indulge. "I'm all about moderation and eating something different every day. Obviously I try not to splurge on pasta, but if I'm back in Brazil where everything is pasta- or bread-based—and so yummy—I'll eat whatever I want, then go back to lots of salads and chicken or fish with veg as soon as I'm back in L.A," she told The Edit. 

Alessandra loves Pilates. She also uses reformer classes as an excuse to "get in some girl time," she told Glamour. "It's important to break a sweat every day, and I love the way Pilates makes me feel long and lean."

"I love to do yoga as it centers me and also at the same time keeps me in shape," she told FOX News. "Since there is a lot to do around the house sometimes I don't have much time to work out, in which case I try to do some stretching and hold a plank for five to 10 minutes."

"In my family, no one ever worked out. It wasn't until I did my first Victoria's Secret show that I started exercising…now that it's a healthy, normal part of my daily routine," she told The Edit.

Alessandra has a very active lifestyle and incorporates her family into it. "We love going to the beach, hanging in Malibu and playing volleyball… We like going rollerblading and biking, all kinds of things!" she told People.

"Whenever I start to diet, everything goes downhill," she told The Edit. "So if I want a little bite of dark chocolate on a plane or a cocktail with friends on the weekend, I'll have it. In fact, I'll drink a glass of red wine with dinner most nights, and two or three times a week I'll have a cup of tea and a cupcake with Anja, who's as obsessed with red velvet as I am."

Alessandra is also a big fan of strength training. She has shared her workout via Instagram and it is intense but doable, involving lifting small weights, interval training, and core exercises. Try this exercise from the Mayo Clinic:

Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.: "The bent-over row is an exercise you can do with dumbbells to work the muscles in the back of the shoulder. The bent-over row targets the posterior part of the deltoid in the shoulder. That's important, because many people focus on the muscles at the front of the shoulder. What you really want is balance in the shoulder muscles."

Nicole L. Campbell: "To do the bent-over row with a dumbbell, hold a dumbbell in your hand and stand with your feet comfortably apart. For most people, this is about shoulder-width apart. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Bend your knees and lean forward at the hips, keeping your spine nice and straight. Let your arms hang straight below your shoulders and slowly raise the weight until your elbow lines up just below your shoulder and parallel with your spine. Then slowly lower the weight to the starting position. You'll feel tension in the back of your shoulder and the muscles across your upper back."