Gabrielle Union in Bikini Dances to the Beat of Her Own Drum

Gabrielle Union is enjoying her vacation on a yacht! The 48-year-old actress shared a video of herself dancing in her bikini during a getaway with her family, looking incredibly fit and happy. “Dancing to the beat of my own drum,” she captioned the clip. “And so it begins #WadeWorldTour2021 #FamilyEdition.” How does she stay in such great shape? Read on to see 6 ways Gabrielle Union-Wade 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 Bikini Photos!

1. She Maintains a Healthy Diet

“No gluten, no dairy. Except when I eat gluten and dairy, she captioned a recent image on Instagram. She previously revealed to WH that she occasionally indulges in “eating what the hell I want and not thinking about it.”

2. She Makes Exercise a Family Affair

The Union-Wade family is evidence that the family that trains together, stays together. “Training together, struggling, failing, trying to get better—it’s been a cool thing that doesn’t feel like, ‘Let’s go talk about our feelings.’ It’s like, I’m a cool mom!” Gabrielle told Women’s Health. “Grind together, shine together,” she captioned an image of herself working out with her husband, NBA star Dwyane Wade.

3. She Trains Efficiently

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Gabrielle told WHO that her workouts usually consist of 15 to 20 minutes of cardio plus strength training and Pilates. “A Pilates routine generally includes exercises that promote core strength and stability, muscle control, and endurance, including exercises that stress proper posture and movement patterns and balanced flexibility and strength. It can also be helpful in training for sports or in physical rehabilitation,” says the Mayo Clinic.

4. She Is a Morning (Workout) Person

Gabrielle gets her heart pumping first thing in the morning. “You know how you swing your legs off to the side of the bed?” she asks. “That’s when you really think about life’s decisions: How much would it cost if I cancel? What does traffic look like? Should I go back to sleep?” Instead, she drinks a coffee and hits the gym. “I don’t leave people hanging.”

5. She Stays Active Outdoors

“I need sun. I need vitamin D on my face," she explained to WH. "Give me a trail, a park, a walk down the street with the dogs, a breeze, rain. I’ll go hike. I’ll get a lawn chair and sit outside my trailer so I’m not trapped inside.”

6. She Makes Hydration a Priority

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Gabrielle once told Elle that she has been drinking a gallon of water a day since her mid-thirties and it is a game changer. “It's made a tremendous difference with my hair, skin, and nails. Everyone is always like, 'What did you do differently than everyone else? Why are you aging so slow?' It's something that everyone has access to and it not only helps with your beauty, it also helps with your fitness and digestion,” she said. She consumes half her water by noon, “casually” drinking the other half until 6:00 pm. She also revealed that she drinks “a good 32 ounces” during her workouts. “Just try and do as much as you can early,” she suggests.

Actress Gabrielle Union decided to give us all a little motivation for Monday. Union posted a new photo on Instagram with the caption “Runnin’ into this week like… Let’s get it!” The photo shows Union running on the beach in a yellow and white strapless bathing suit, showing off her incredible body that hasn’t changed all that much since the beginning of her career. Read on to see 5 ways Gabrielle Union 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. She Gets Her Beauty Sleep

Union has been praised for not aging and looking the exact same since starring in Bring It On 21 years ago. Union’s secret? She takes the term “beauty sleep” literally. “My best anti-aging tip is the ability to say no, no, and hell, no,” she said to Women’s Health magazine. “We run ourselves ragged saying yes to every freaking thing, whether it’s to our family, spouses, or careers. I sleep eight hours a day and don’t let myself stress out. A lot of people call it selfish, but I don’t have any wrinkles.”

2. She Does Activities With Her Kids

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Union has three step-sons and one daughter, and she likes to do activities with them. “We have a basketball court at our house, so we have shooting contests and a game of 21,” she tells UsWeekly. “And the boys were into those hoverboard scooter things, so I jog alongside them with the dogs.”

3. She Isn’t Afraid To Treat Herself

Union tells UsWeekly that she eats a pretty healthy diet filled with lean protein and vegetables. However, Union also says that she treats herself once in a while, and tries to stay away from extreme dieting. She says, “What good is it to be emaciated if your stomach’s always growling? That sucks. Have a burger!”

4. She Subs Most Drinks With Water

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Union makes sure to stay hydrated and drinks a lot of water each day. She also has methods to make sure she’s drinking a lot of water. “It’s just important to get the water in,” Union told Fitness. "If you can replace sugary drinks or coffee with water you’re still ahead of the game.”

5. She Uses A Heart Monitor

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Union tells Us Weekly that whenever works out, especially when she’s doing cardio, she uses a heart monitor to track her heart rate. She says this helps her know when she's more likely to burn fat, and if anything’s going on. “Keep your heart rate in your fat-burning zone,” she advises. “For me, it’s between 120 to 160.”

Gabrielle Union wears a bathing suit like no one can. “Honey, It’s June 💋🖤,” she captioned some new photos of herself in a cream colored number with a matching hat. “Lookin like you abt to sing ‘I bet ya think this song is abt you,’” commented singer Shamari. “Loool kaav,” said Sessilee Lopez-Holmes. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Gabrielle Union 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. She Meditates

“Meditation gives me the confidence and strength to put myself first,” Union-Wade said. “Sometimes you forget that it takes strength to center yourself, that’s not being selfish that’s being strong. Because you cannot be strong for everyone else and be of service to everyone else when you have literally left nothing for yourself. So, be strong for yourself, advocate for yourself to center yourself. Because without that, it's hard to be superwoman,” she said, according to Forbes.

2. She Does Juice Cleanses

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 14: Gabrielle Union attends the Los Angeles Premiere Of Apple's "They Call Me Magic" at Regency Village Theatre on April 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic)

“The juice cleanse by Squeezed is a Black-owned company and I’m obsessed with their juices,” she told Forbes. “There are juices that invigorate you, there are juices that revitalize you. It’s a juice for all occasions and I’ve found them to be wonderful to work with and I provided a little gift card for Squeezed.” "Studies have shown that fruit and vegetable juices can boost levels of important vitamins and antioxidants, including folate, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene," says Amanda Beaver, wellness dietitian at Houston Methodist. Just enjoy it in moderation.

3. She Loves Being Outdoors

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: (Exclusive Coverage) Gabrielle Union arrives at The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue )

"Give me a trail, a park, a walk down the street with the dogs, a breeze, rain," she said. "I'll go hike. I'll get a lawn chair and sit outside my trailer so I'm not trapped inside." “Getting a mental break from work or a stressful situation like managing your life during a pandemic and going outside is important. It allows you to take a breath, relax, and reset with a better frame of mind,” says Dr. Christine Ashour, Family Medicine and Primary Care, White Plains Hospital Physician Associates, to Health Matters. “It doesn’t matter if you’re at a park, in the words, or in your back yard, being in nature can have a calming effect and improve your mental and physical health, especially when its combined with exercise.”

4. She Works Out Early

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend "In America: An Anthology of Fashion," the 2022 Costume Institute Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

Said Gabrielle of a photo with her and her husband, NBA star Dwyane Wade, at the gym: “Grind together, shine together. Just gettin started over here #MCM @dwyanewade 💪🏾👫🏾 📸 @cassyathenaphoto @heartandhustlegym @traineratlarge”

5. She Promotes Self-Esteem

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: Gabrielle Union poses backstage at the Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards 2022 at Barker Hangar on April 09, 2022 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)

Gabrielle and her daughter Zaya teamed up to empower women not to take social media shaming seriously. “If a post tells you, you’re not pretty enough, unfollow. If someone says natural hair is ugly, mute. If you see anything that makes you feel like you’re not beautiful, simply remove it from your feed,” they said. “I won’t follow anyone into thinking I’m not beautiful,” Zaya noted. “We don’t want you to either.”

Gabrielle Union is celebrating her birthday in her bathing suit! While almost impossible to believe, the actress rang in her 50th birthday over the weekend, with her many friends honoring the special day by sharing photos of her in her swimsuit. She also shared a message to her own account. “2 days in paradise and I don’t wanna leave. This cruise into 50 has been smooooooth,” she captioned a swimsuit photo taken in Africa. How does she manage to look half her age? Read on to see 5 ways Gabrielle Union 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. She Only Works Out Three Days a Week

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Gabrielle isn’t one of those stars who works out every day. In fact, she revealed to Women's Health that she only devotes 50 minute a day, three days a week to exercise. Six minutes per session involves cardio – two minute intervals between three sets. "I like to mix it up so I don’t get anxiety staring at the treadmill," she said. "Cardio could be jumping jacks, running up my driveway, side shuffles like I used to do in basketball, an elliptical, treadmill, or sled pushes."

2. She Does the Same Exercises

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Gabrielle is a creature of habit when it comes to exercise. "There are some old faithfuls I’ve been doing my whole life: squats and lunges," Gabrielle told Women's Health. "They’ve never really failed." She intensifies her "tried and true" moves by adding dumbbells or bodyweight resistance. "The beauty of my workouts are that they change every session and day. It really depends on my mood, what my scenes are like action-wise. Basically I try to stay as flexible as possible I don’t get too bogged down."

3. She Avoids Fitness Trends

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Union doesn’t really dabble in fitness trends "As the workout phases come and go, I'll try everything," she previously told Women's Health. "Nothing, not one thing, has stuck. I've tried kickboxing, cardio barre, I've tried a SoulCycle class...I'm not a class person."

4. She Relies on Simple Exercise

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Gabrielle prefers simple to complex exercises. To get a toned butt she sticks to squats and lunges. "You can do those anywhere. I keep a resistance band in my backpack that I bring to work every day. I can just do side shuffles and leg lifts and squats with the resistance band,” she told Women’s Health.

5. She Exercises for Her Mind

Gabrielle Union/Instagram

Gabrielle is motivated by the mental health benefits of exercise. "I get to work out my aggression, my fears, my anxiety before I get to work or before my daughter wakes up. It brings me a level of peace that I wouldn’t otherwise have. I know when I don’t get my workout in, I notice it the most in my mood. I tend to have a lot more patience after I’ve worked out."

Gabrielle Union-Wade calls herself a “Lover of fun, hope haver & believer of miracles” and she proves it on Instagram; she and husband, basketballer Dwyane Wade, are on their #WadeWorldTour2021, an epic vacation that they’re chronicling. One highlight—besides the giant flamingo floats, big boats and the beautiful vistas of Positano—has been how fit Union looks. This weekend she posted a photo of herself in a bikini looking awesome. Read on to see 5 ways Gabrielle Union 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 Bikini Photos!

1. She Works Out With Her Husband

Gabrielle doesn’t just vacation with her husband; they work out together, too. “Training together, struggling, failing, trying to get better—it’s been a cool thing that doesn’t feel like, ‘Let’s go talk about our feelings,'" she told Women’s Health.

2. She Works Out Because She Wants to Live!

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"I have a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, and I know that can lead to an early death. I want to be a vital and energetic part of my family for a long time, not to be big mama in a rocking chair in the TV room, or huffing and puffing just going up stairs. I work out not because I get off on it, but because I want to live!" she told Women's Health.

3. She Does Pilates

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"I'm not a morning person, but I have to work out early because of my schedule. The great thing about Pilates is that I can take out my annoyance from waking up early on the machines instead of human beings. It's for the greater good. My body responds to it, and I'm also more clear," she said.

4. Give Yourself a Break to Sleep

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"When you're just trapped in the house, for us, it's been key to have a routine," she told Popsugar, "and we didn't have one because we would all be, like, a slave to our phones and our laptops and iPads. So just giving yourself a break to sleep. It shouldn't sound like a radical act, but it is, and it's been a massive game changer for us."

5. She Meditates

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"Meditation gives me the confidence and strength to put myself first,” Union-Wade said, according to Forbes. “Sometimes you forget that it takes strength to center yourself, that’s not being selfish that’s being strong. Because you cannot be strong for everyone else and be of service to everyone else when you have literally left nothing for yourself. So, be strong for yourself, advocate for yourself to center yourself. Because without that, it's hard to be superwoman.”