Angela Bassett Makes 63 Look Like 36 at NAACP Image Awards

Staying fit and healthy in your 50s is obviously a different challenge to wellness in your 20s—if anything, it’s even more important to make the effort. “You don’t realize how important our nutrition is and how it affects our bodies. It’s fuel. But I also think we need a balance, you know? We have to be able to have our indulgences and things that we love while practicing the 80/20 rule,” says Jennifer Aniston. So what’s the secret to maintaining health and wellness after 50? Here’s why Halle Berry, Keanu Reeves, and Nicole Kidman are thriving as they get older.

1. Halle Berry

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Halle Berry, 56, intermittent fasts and uses weights for her workouts. “Wherever I am, I just try to find the foods I've become accustomed to eating, and I've been a pretty healthy eater for many, many years because of my diabetes,” she says. “And now that's become second nature to me. I fast until 2 p.m.—I usually eat between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., and then I'm done for the day, which is the same when I'm traveling or working. I also have so many things now that I can take with me as far as working out when I travel, all sorts of bands and light weights that are easy to pack and use when I don't have access to a gym. So much of my favorite kinds of exercise can be done in the house or in a hotel room.”

2. Salma Hayek

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Salma Hayek, 56, calls walking her dogs her version of exercise. She also likes the occasional juice fast. "When I feel stressed, I turn to food for comfort," she says. "After doing a juice cleanse, I'm motivated to eat healthier and not emotionally. Cleansing is like my meditation. It makes me stop, focus and think about what I'm putting into my body. I'm making a commitment to my health and hitting the reset button."

3. Viola Davis

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Viola Davis, 57, loved her training regimen for The Woman King. "When I was a girl wanting to win the Miss Central Falls Recreation Contest — wanting to look good in a bikini, wanting to be thin and cute and delicate and pretty — I just wanted to be willowy and thin,” she says. “I was always muscular and thicker, and I felt like my femininity could not be created with this canvas. And then all of a sudden, with this role, my muscles, my arms, my thick legs, my heavy voice were perfect. I felt unapologetic about it. I celebrated it physically in every way. Sometimes you do a movie and then it's over. And sometimes, you do a movie and it shifts you a little bit. You're a little bit better for it. And that's what it's been like for me with the training."

4. Keanu Reeves

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Keanu Reeves, 58, has an incredible work ethic when it comes to his exercise and training. “Keanu’s grit and stamina are astounding to witness," says personal trainer Patrick Murphy. “I would meet Keanu daily after his stunt training. We’d even train on weekends, for an hour each time. The exercises I prescribed influenced posture and alignment, and stabilization. KR possesses a serious commitment to ice baths, which I’m all for as well. One of the best recovery practices to do after all of the ground and pound stunt training is an ice bath.”

5. Michelle Pfeiffer

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Michelle Pfeiffer, 65, does Pilates and yoga, and follows a vegan diet. "I love the vegan diet because I love carbs," she says. "Eating this kind of food is much healthier, and you avoid a lot of toxins that could age your skin and body. I noticed a difference in my skin not long after I became a vegan."

6. Nicole Kidman

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Nicole Kidman, 56, follows the 80/20 rule when it comes to her diet. "I go out on the tour bus [with husband Keith Urban],” she says. “There's a lot of junk food on the bus ... I'm just not someone that believes in denial. It's walking a path that's ultimately 80% healthy, 20%… sometimes it falls to 70. But that's why I think you have things like natural health remedies — you find out what works for you. And I do a lot and I have a lot of energy."

7. Elle Macpherson

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Elle Macpherson, 59, follows a mostly vegan diet. “Although I prefer a raw vegan diet, if I’m craving something hot, I’ll have a poached egg on sunflower or wheat-free dark rye bread, raw oatmeal with agave or a raw chia pudding soaked in almond milk,” she says. “I’m vegan at the moment, so I make veggie wraps—otherwise, it’s veggie pizza or vegetable pasta with pesto. When I feel like having something sweet, I’ll have my favorite dark chocolate or vegan ice cream—sometimes both!”

8. Sophia Loren

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Sophia Loren, 88, credits walking for good health and energy. “A little exercise is good. But I walk, walk, walk, walk!” she says. “I walk an hour every day. That’s very good for your heart. Physical exercise makes you more graceful. Walk as if the whole street is yours. Relax a little bit, read, look at the sunset—you know, things that please you.”

9. Laura Dern

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Laura Dern, 56, exercises with her family. “I am realizing that as a mother and a daughter, self-care is a requirement in my day if I'm going to stay healthy enough to be the sole provider as an only child for my parents. If I can wake up and meditate before I grab my phone, that really helps me be centered for everyone else throughout the day,” she says. We make sure to have the time in the day to walk our dogs and get fresh air, we make tea, take (online) yoga classes, and we're learning to knit together.”

10. Cate Blanchett

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Cate Blanchett, 54, is a big fan of Pilates and at-home cardio. “I really like Pilates,” she says. “I feel like it’s made for actors’ bodies. For me, I need to do it one-on-one. I find that when you go into a big class, you actually need a guiding hand. At home we have an elliptical trainer, which is good because that’s often the only exercise I get. But my job is very active — I end up stretching each day before I go on, so I feel very taken care of in that way.”

11. Jennifer Aniston

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Jennifer Aniston, 54, has learned to genuinely love healthy food. “Well, what we put in our bodies is important,” she says. “I used to eat mindlessly, and I never used to read packages or gave a hoot about what I was putting in [my body]. I’m much more mindful about what I eat and conscious of my ingredients. I try to practice balance by eating a proper amount of protein, vegetables, and water and exercising. Meditation, for me, is really important. If I were to skip my daily practice or miss a few days, I would notice a difference in my day—it’s not something you can ever put your finger on, but I see a difference.”

Age is just a number, at least when it comes to some of Hollywood’s hottest stars. Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Aniston, and Demi Moore gained fame in their teens and twenties and in the decades since, through their thirties, forties, fifties, and even sixties, have managed to stay looking forever young. Here are 10 celebrity bodies that defy time and the secrets behind them.

1. Jennifer Lopez

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In May 2021 Jennifer Lopez declared: "I'm in the best shape of my life." The 53-year-old actress seems to get in better shape the older she gets. Her secret? Changing up her approach to exercise. "In my 20s and 30s I used to work out but not like I do now," she told InStyle's The Beauty Issue. "It's not that I work out more; I just work out harder and smarter. And it doesn't take me as long as it did in the past. I do it more for my health than I do for looks, which is funny. When you do things for the right reasons, you actually look better!"

2. Heather Graham

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In early June, Heather Graham, 53, hit the beach in a white-hot swimsuit, revealing her age-defying body. According to the star, the secret to her physique is a combination of fitness, mostly yoga and sometimes twice a day, and a healthy diet. She revealed to Refinery29 that she avoids complex carbohydrates—white flour and sugar.

3. Demi Moore

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Demi Moore might be a grandmother, but she’s still just as sexy at 60 as she was decades ago. The longtime yogi, recently upped her workout game with the help of at-home workout classes via The Mirror. She also hikes with her family, eats healthy, and doesn’t drink alcohol or do drugs.

4. Catherine Zeta-Jones

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Catherine Zeta-Jones, 53, clearly knows a few things about longevity. The Welsh actress is one of the few Hollywood stars who trains herself. “I don’t have a trainer. Crazy, right? But I don’t need anyone to motivate me,” she told InStyle. “I love exercise, even things like the elliptical machine and stretching. It’s a legacy of dancing all those years.” She does exercise “at least 45 minutes a day, seven days a week” – so every single day! Some of her favorite workouts include swimming, tennis, peloton, and tap dancing.

5. Salma Hayek

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At 56, Salma Hayek is still sizzling up social media with her swimsuit snaps. In June 2023 she showed off her gorgeous curves in a bathing suit, making it hard to believe her claims that she hates to work out. "Some people have the discipline to exercise in the morning, and I didn't develop that," she told People. "I work with a woman in London who taught me how to hold my body in a way where the muscles are activated all day long. So even when you brush your teeth, you're working the muscles.” Salma claims "restorative yoga” is responsible for her ageless body. “She taught me how to tone [my muscles] without clenching them. You relax them and focus on the parts that need to be used, but never with tension. If you're aware of your body, you'd be surprised by the effect it can have."

6. Jennifer Aniston

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Jennifer Aniston is famous for her rigorous and regimented approach to exercise. However, in a new interview with Bustle she revealed that after a lifetime of super-aggressive “feel the burn” workouts, she has softened her routine. “I work out about three to four times a week, which is basically all your body really needs. I’ll do Pvolve, and then to switch it up, sometimes I’ll do Pilates, or sometimes I’ll take a hike,” she said. She also focuses on recovery. I love an infrared sauna or an Epsom salt bath. Those are two really good for drawing that lactic acid out, and I’ll even use my hands or a little gua sha on my legs for the same purpose.”

7. Elizabeth Hurley

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At 58, many women aren’t thrilled to wear swimsuits – let alone model them. However, Elizabeth Hurley is still her own best bathing suit salesperson. “I don’t exercise, but I am very active,” she confessed to Harper’s Bazaar. Her routine includes “going for walks, stretching, maybe a little yoga or a little Pilates,” she told Us Weekly in October 2018. “But I don’t like high impact, high energy sports. I don’t actually think they do you much good. As long as you get your heart rate to the rate you need it to get, which is a fast walk. But you need to do a bit of it.” She also counts steps. “ I walk every day, so I try and hit my 10,000 steps a day and I do some stretching every day. And then sometimes I do a bit more, but that’s enough for me really,” she said.

8. Cindy Crawford

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At 57 Cindy Crawford is still a supermodel. She attributes her fantastic figure to regular strength and weight training workouts, boxing, golfing, and surfing. She recently told Red magazine that she has eased up on exercise since her Cindy Crawford Workout video days. “Now my goal is not to get hurt. So, I have added a lot more stretching and Pilates, and I don’t feel as compelled to do those tough workouts any more,” she said.

9. Halle Berry

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For Halle Berry, 56, fitness is simply a part of her lifestyle. “You just have to have the will and the desire. And you have to make up your mind that it's important,” she has said about the secret to her success. While her approach to exercise has evolved, she maintains that it’s “only changed in terms of how I've been adding to my fitness regimen. It used to just be working out with weights, and then I got into Pilates, and then I got into yoga, and now I'm into martial arts."

10. Sharon Stone

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It’s hard to believe that Sharon Stone is 65. "Every time I exercise, I do something different based on which areas need to get in motion," she told Shape. The Basic Instinct star works out four to five times a week, combining pilates, total-body stretches, strength training, yoga, and dance. She also avoids alcohol and caffeine and eats incredibly healthy, avoiding gluten.