Ana Bárbara is sharing memories of a beautiful vacation in Cancun, Mexico. Bárbara posted throwback pictures of herself posing in a bright bathing suit and colorful cover up, against a background of blue sea and skies. “💜 It should always be: who, how and when.... a woman wants 💜,” she captioned the post. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Bárbara 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. Stair Running Workouts
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Bárbara runs up stairs outdoors as part of her workout, which is a great lower body workout. "You're able to work through a [large] range of motion at the hip and knee which can benefit your butt muscles, as well as the quadriceps, and hamstrings,” says Heather Milton, CSCS, an exercise physiologist at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center.
2. Weight Training
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Bárbara regularly weight trains as part of her exercise routine. "A good training program should be well-balanced and focused on strengthening all musculature," says Aroosha Nekonam, senior personal trainer at Ultimate Performance. "You should always be lifting at an effective intensity for growth, progressive overload and effective recovery, regardless of gender."
3. Resistance Bands
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Bárbara uses resistance bands at the gym. "You can loop them around your legs or arms, and they come in all different shapes and sizes. Like weights, they have different resistances to make your workout easier or harder," says personal trainer Jen Skym. "Resistance bands recruit the 'stabilizer' muscles – this muscle group is significant because it supports our larger muscles and joints when we move, and helps reduce the risk of injury. So they are a safe and low-impact option for older people, and are often used for rehabilitation."
4. Exercise Balls
Bárbara incorporates exercise balls into her workouts. “The exercise ball can also be used as a replacement for a chair at work or home,” says Thomas Hyde, DC. “The movement of the exercise ball requires muscular response to keep one's center of gravity and maintain balance on the ball. This stimulates the deeper trunk muscles (multifidus and transverse abdominis) that are important in supporting the spine, and reduces static loading on any one structure in the spine.”
5. Hiking
Bárbara loves hiking with her family and their dog. "Think of hiking as simply taking a longer walk in nature; you can hike at any pace, at any elevation, and for any number of miles, hours, or even days," says Alyson Chun, assistant director of adventure sports at Stanford University and instructor for REI. "The more challenging the hike, the more calories — and stress — you'll melt away."
