Angela Bassett Makes 63 Look Like 36 at NAACP Image Awards

Angela Bassett keeps getting older, but refuses to age. The 63-year-old actress looked white hot at the NAACP Image Awards this week, sharing jaw-dropping photos from the event on social media on Tuesday. Her followers were quick to point out the obvious: “63?! WHERE!?🥴More like 36,” wrote one. So, how does the star manage to look half her age? Read on to see 8 of Angela Bassett’s top tips for longevity 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. Find Workouts That Work

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Angela, who is a fan of TRX training, trains with Rob Thompson of Get Fit By Rob. “We start with low cardio — maybe run half a mile, then lift barbells while stepping up onto a bench and do a few machines,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “I do a lot of cardio as well as strength building,” she added to Prevention.com.

2. Be Accountable

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Accountability is key, according to Bassett. One way she ensures fitness success is by paying her trainer. “I will show up, ’cause I don’t want to waste my money. So I gotta be accountable and know somebody’s there waiting for me, because I know myself, and I will talk myself out of going,” she told TV host Laila Muhammad.

3. Find Workout Buddies

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Anglea loves mixing fitness with pleasure. “When possible, I love to work out with my friends when I’m not on the road or filming,” she told Prevention. "Recently, I got a couple of my girlfriends together and we walked the Rose Bowl. It's maybe a three-mile thing. It's about showing up and accountability," she added BlackDoctor.org. "You have to say, 'Everyone will meet at 8:15 a.m.' I know when I have a real plan then I'm there. If my friends are waiting, that puts a pressure on me not to disappoint them."

4. Change Your Eating Habits

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"I'm regimented and rigorous about what I'm eating. Diet is 85 percent of the whole thing for me,” Angela told Porter. She detailed her diet in a video from her Mission: Impossible Fallout press tour. “Monday, Tuesday, I may eat carbs, fruit; Tuesday, Wednesday, protein, veggies—veggies every day—no fats those four days, and then the last three days, I flood it with fat,” she said. “Good fat, though: maybe coconut oil, salmon, almonds, almond butter, you know, olive oil, that sort of thing.” She also sets herself up for success by bringing food to the set of her films, she revealed to the Times, adding that she plugs everything into her MyFitnessPal app. “I bring chicken and steamed broccoli or asparagus with me to the set — good lean protein, vegetables and salad,” she said. “I just found this P28 [High] Protein Bread and I add tuna fish with yogurt, Dijon mustard, a little paprika and pepper, a couple olives and red bell pepper. It’s protein with protein. So you’ve got a sandwich without feeling guiltyI don’t do any dairy, all right?” During her press tour she revealed another one of her favorite bread alternatives. “I don’t do any bread flour. I’ll do Ezekiel bread, which is sprouted.”

5. Cheat

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Angela eats healthy most of the time, but allows herself to cheat. She revealed to the Times that she does have a few guilty pleasures, specifically “red wine with chips. And cake.”

6. Prioritize Doctor’s Visits

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Angela is a big proponent of staying on top of your health. “I lost my mother to heart disease as a result of type 2 diabetes and only learned of the connection years later,” Bassett told Prevention.com. “I have always been committed to practicing health and wellness, and now that I know and understand the link between type 2 diabetes and heart disease, as well as my family’s history, it empowers me to maintain control of my health. For me, losing my mother was a wake-up call to start talking about the risk of heart disease with my family members who also have type 2 diabetes, like my uncle Ralph,” she added.

7. Prioritize Self-Care

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One of the ways Angela stays young is via self-care. “Take care of yourself mentally, physically, spiritually,” she told Refinery29. “Because that's who we are, we're not just a physical being.”

8. ”Keep It Interesting”

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“You have to keep it interesting,” Angela told Black Doctor. “Your diet and exercise. I like tasteful and passionate food. It has to be flavorful. You gotta eat. It’s one of our greatest pleasures, but you’ve got to eat yourself well, which is why I’m also organic.”