Mariah Carey just shared a video of her coming out of a pool in a blue swimsuit, looking amazing at age 53. “Big Big energy moment! And thank you lambs for the Sweet sweet Fantasy revival! 💕💙💕💙,” she captioned it. Playing in the background was “Big Energy (Remix)” by Mariah and Latto. “🔥🆙,” responded DJ Khaled, who is featured on the song. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 7 ways Mariah Carey stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.
1. She Does Water Aerobics
“I have a wonderful trainer whose name is Patricia, she lives in St. Barts, poor girl,” she told People. “People say, ‘Only you would fly someone from St. Barts to New York to work out.’ ” Carey said, “We do water aerobics mostly.” “Aquatic exercise is a low-impact activity that takes the pressure off your bones, joints and muscles. Water also offers natural resistance, which can help strengthen your muscles,” says the Mayo Clinic. “Aquatic exercise can also have several health benefits, such as improved heart health, reduced stress, and improved muscular endurance and strength.”
2. She Says You Should Embrace Your Body
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“I don’t feel like you have to be a size zero. We should all just embrace who we are physically,” she said, according to People. “I’m not supposed to be a stick figure girl. It’s just not me.” Also: "I think people expecting everybody to be this thin is ridiculous," Carey told Oprah Winfrey. "It just isn't reality."
3. She Knows Protein is Important
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Mariah tried "to stick with the proteins. It’s the worst,” she has said, calling them monotonous. "An imbalance in your hormone levels can affect hunger and fat storage," nutritionist and celebrity chef Serena Poon tells our sister site Eat This, Not That!. "A protein-rich diet has been shown to increase the activity of leptin, a hormone that regulates body weight, fat mass, and appetite."
4. She Does Bodyweight Exercises
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“To use your body weight in strength training exercises, try exercises such as:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Situps
- Pushups
- Pullups
- Planks
- Step-ups
Keep movements smooth and controlled. Strengthen the opposing muscles, such as the chest and back muscles, and strive for muscle balance. Once you can easily do an exercise for one set of 12 to 15 repetitions, try alternative forms of the exercise to give you more resistance or challenge,” says the Mayo Clinic.
5. She Has Bipolar Disorder
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In 2018, Carey told People she has bipolar disorder. “Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me,” she says. “It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music.” “I’m actually taking medication that seems to be pretty good. It’s not making me feel too tired or sluggish or anything like that. Finding the proper balance is what is most important,” she added.
6. She Indulges in Cookies
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Mariah sells her own line of cookies. “Sure, you know the importance of eating healthy foods and watching calories. But is there room in a healthy diet for occasional splurges? You bet. A flexible weight-management plan allows an occasional, reasonable indulgence. What's important is that eating healthy foods is the rule rather than the exception,” says St. Clair Health.
7. She Does Like McDonald’s
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Carey eats at McDonald’s sometimes, and even teamed up with them. “We took an unexpected jaunt to @mcdonalds to see the Mariah Menu. It was a classic! 😘💝🎄🍔,” she captioned a recent post. “If the fast-food restaurant offers several sandwich sizes, pick the smallest. Bypass hamburgers with two or three patties, which can have more than 900 calories. Instead, choose a regular- or children's-sized hamburger, which has about 250 calories,” says the Mayo Clinic.