Gabrielle Union in Bathing Suit Enjoys "Magic Hour"

Gabrielle Union is enjoying the holiday season in the tropics! The 49-year-old actress shared a bunch of photos and videos of herself, husband Dwyane Wade, and their children celebrating Christmas in Maui in their swimsuits. In many of them, the star's washboard abs were seriously on display. "Magic Hour," she captioned one, tagging it @andreaiyamah #SupportBlackDesigners. How does she stay in such great shape? Read on for 6 of Gabrielle Union-Wade'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!

Union demonstrates dietary discipline. "No gluten, no dairy. Except when I eat gluten and dairy," she captioned a recent image on Instagram. She previously told Women's Health that she occasionally indulges in "eating what…I want and not thinking about it." 

Union has found lots of workout buddies in her family. "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 also captioned a recent social media snap of her and Dwyane breaking a sweat together. 

Gabrielle revealed to Women's Health that her workouts are efficient, usually consisting 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," explains the Mayo Clinic.

Gabrille encourages morning workouts. "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?" So, she drinks a coffee and hits the gym. "I don't leave people hanging." 

Union is all about outdoor exercise. "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."

Gabrielle famously revealed to Elle that she has been downing a gallon of water a day for nearly a decade. "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 explained. She tries to drink half a gallon by noon, "casually" drinking the other half until 6:00 pm. During workouts she chugs "a good 32 ounces" to stay fueled up. "Just try and do as much as you can early," she suggests.