Gabrielle Union in Bathing Suit is "Gettin' Stronger"

Gabrielle Union is showing off all her hard work in her swimsuit! The actress dances around in a neon swimsuit in one of her latest Instagram posts, showing off her strong and gorgeous body. “Gettin’ stronger. Havin’ more joy. Creating more boundaries. Prioritizing my peace. Minding the business that pays me,” she captioned the post, adding the tags #LegDay and #MondayMotivation. How does the Cheaper by the Dozen star maintain her fit physique? Read on to see 5 fitness tips Gabrielle Union swears by to stay 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. Keep Cardio Short, But Effective

Gabrielle only devotes 50 minute a day, three days a week to exercise. Only six minutes of each session involves cardio, usually done in two minute intervals between three sets. "I like to mix it up so I don’t get anxiety staring at the treadmill," she told Women's Health. "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. Stick to Tried and True Exercises

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Gabrielle focuses her energy on moves she knows work. "There are some old faithfuls I’ve been doing my whole life: squats and lunges," Gabrielle explained to Women's Health. "They’ve never really failed." However, she switches up 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. Avoid Fitness Trends

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Union maintains that fitness trends are just that. "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. Keep Exercise Simple

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According to Union, the most simple exercises are the most effective. For example, 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. Exercise Improves Your Mood

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Gabrielle exercises for her body…and mind. "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."