Helena Christensen in Bathing Suit is "River Trekking"

Helena Christensen is enjoying nature–in her swimsuit. The supermodel, clad in a green bathing suit, wades in the river in her latest social media post. "River trekking," she captioned the series of snaps, showing off her forever young figure. How does the 53-year-old maintain her fit physique? Read on to find out and learn about 8 of Helena Christensen's top rules 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!

Helena is a big fan of ice baths. "Freezing your ass off-benefits" she wrote in the caption of a recent Instagram post. She added that ice baths can help reduce stress, boost the immune system, relieve pain, combat inflammation and arthritis with anti-Inflammatory properties, boost your metabolism, help with weight loss, improve circulation, promote lymphatic drainage, "oh and it makes your happier," she added. "Start little by little and work your way up to 10mins, I'm not there yet 🥶 cold showers and bathtubs with ice works too."

Helena is all about keeping her workouts exciting by switching them up. One of her go-tos? Pole dancing. "It is the hardest physical activity I have ever done in my life and I have so much awe and respect for pole dancers. It's like virtual ballet to me, so the perception of it as seedy doesn't even annoy me; it goes right over the top of my head. To people who think like that, I want to say, 'well, you just go try it," she explained to Harper's Bazaar UK. She also likes fighting. "For me, working out is about instant gratification; I want to see changes if I'm going to put the effort in! My thing is boxing – I like to feel strong. Boxing might seem like a male-orientated sport but there are as many women where I go and that is a very authentic, sweaty club. It's a little gym in New York, where they train a lot of the champions, and my trainer's name is Jason Lee. I don't want to reveal its name, though, as then all the models will come and I'll be like, 'get out of my club!' I want to be there with the real gritty people."

Short fast runs are more effective than jogs, per Helena. "Sprint, don't run, because that immediately sparks your metabolism and stuns your body by engaging your muscle groups in a very explosive way," she told Harper's Bazaar. "I can't run for 40 minutes at the same pace, listening to music. I will do 20 minutes and then I'm dying. I don't do the long, methodical routines of swimming 40 laps either. I want to be in the ocean fighting waves, not being in the pool staring at the clock and only seven minutes has passed when I'm already exhausted."df44d9eab23ea271ddde7545ae2c09ec

Helena promotes al fresco exercise. "I think it's important to shake it up and do as many different forms of workout as possible, but also to incorporate nature into them," she told the Daily Mail. "Swim in the ocean, swim in rivers, swim in lakes. Hiking, trekking, chopping wood – it's the best way of working out, because it doesn't really feel like a workout. It feels like you're alive."

Helena is one of the many stars who gets her zen on. "It took me years to get into yoga because I wasn't into the whole spiritual thing. I didn't want to go to a class and have to chant, though I know it helps so many people. I finally found a place where we get right into it, and I end up leaving completely re-energised and totally sweaty," she explained to Harper's Bazaar.

You won't find Helena following a restrictive, fad diet. "I'm not the kind of person who will limit myself to any kind of food," she told Allure. "I could not live without bread and pasta. I eat real butter and drink whole milk. And I'm obsessed with Japanese food and Moroccan stews. So when I think about working out, yes, it's good for the mind — but it's also because I eat a hell of a lot of food." 

Helena is a big fan of meditation, which she incorporates into her life in a variety of ways. "I can't just sit still and think of a mantra or repeat a thought or a word. But there are other ways of finding your stillness," she told Allure. "Sometimes I do it by organizing or cleaning. I recently took up piano again, and that is a very good way of being in a calm zone by myself and using my mind differently. That's my form of meditation. The key is to find what works for you." 

Helena maintains that getting enough sleep is the key to health. "I feel absolutely the best when I have had good sleep," she told Harper's Bazaar UK. "That's my number one priority. I actually think it is the number one priority for most people. It just changes your entire day – when you haven't had enough sleep and also when you have."