Jennifer Garner in Bathing Suit Says "Happy Summer, Y’all"

Jennifer Garner is looking red hot in her swimsuit. The actress shows off her fit-at-51 figure in a red bathing suit in one of her latest social media posts. “Happy summer, y’all,” she captioned an Instagram clip of herself taking a dip in the pool. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Jennifer Garner stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Works Out Every Morning

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On Jennifer Garner’s 51st birthday earlier this year she appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show and revealed her secret to longevity. “What I do in the morning is I work out,” Garner said. “You’ve gotta do hard cardio to get that—to get yourself—I’m sorry, you do,” she said. “We need it in our bodies, but we need it in our brains. Your brain needs it!” she exclaimed. “You find something that actually makes you feel joyful while you’re doing it or it won’t work.”

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Jennifer does a daily Zoom workout class at 5:30 am with Beth Nicely a combination of dance cardio, plyometrics, and strength training. “Building your cardiovascular fitness and building your strength—it’s not about how you look, it’s not about how you fit into clothes, it’s about your own strength and pushing yourself further than you think you can go,” she explained to Women’s Health. “It’s hateful, but it’s not so hateful that you just think, ‘Okay, I never want to do it again.’”

3. She Drinks Coffee

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“My regular breakfast is coffee and more coffee,” Garner joked to Harper’s Bazaar in a “What I Eat in a Day” video. She will usually drink it black but sometimes enjoys an almond milk cappuccino. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are several benefits of drinking coffee in moderation. “It acts on your brain to improve memory, mood, reaction times, and mental function,” they say, citing a study finding that caffeine can improve endurance and performance during exercise. It is also antioxidant-rich, can ward off diabetes, prevent neurologic disease, lower cancer risk, and ward off depression, they point out.

4. Here Is What She Eats in a Day

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After exercising Jennifer has whole-fat yogurt with nuts and berries. “There’s usually an apple in there somewhere,” she adds. At noon she eats a “big, fat salad like Elaine in Seinfeld,” she told Women’s Health. The salad consists of arugula, hearty veggies like green beans and broccoli with half a sweet potato, cheese, and chopped nuts, putting “anything” in there. For dinner, she likes to “make mom food” for her entire family, usually a starch and a big salad. For example, a roast chicken, mashed potatoes, twice baked potatoes, rice, or pizza crackers with fresh veggies. While “nobody cares if they’re cooked or not,” she does often roast them so their family can “nosh ‘em on down.”

5. She Tries Not to Drink Alcohol

Jennifer told Harper’s Bazaar that she is making a conscious effort to avoid drinking a glass of wine with dinner. “I think the more that comes out about alcohol, the more I’m just reexamining my own relationship with alcohol,” she said. “And the older I get, the more I want to protect my brain.”