Nia Long is heating up social media with her latest selfie. The 51-year-old actress rocks a bathing suit in her latest social media post, shared on Tuesday. “Ain’t no shame in my selfie game @fspuntamita @thealist.us This is what Monday looks like,” she captioned it. How does the star keep herself fit and looking forever young? Read on to see 7 ways Nia Long stays 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. She Was Raised a Vegetarian
Nia told Access Hollywood that her devotion to health started young. “I was raised as a vegetarian. My mom is a vegan. I’m not either today, but what I am thankful is I know better,” she said. “A lot of people don’t have the education on what a healthy diet is and how important it is. I was the kid who had the chunky peanut butter made from real peanuts with no sugar or additives. I had the peanut butter and jelly almost every day on that hard whole wheat bread – which is honestly my favorite treat today,” she continued. “If you start your kids young with healthy foods and a colorful plate, you will be surprised how those healthy habits will follow them throughout adulthood.”
2. This Is What She Eats
Long balances her love of food with her personal nutritional needs. “I choose quinoa, avocado, fresh fruit, vegetables – all mostly from the local farmer’s market because the produce is better and you know what you’re eating,” she told Viva. She also tries to avoid gluten and pack in the protein. “I am a blood type that needs to eat more meat. I was raised a vegetarian so it’s an interesting mix.” One of her favorite meals? “I make the best ground turkey tacos on the planet,” she revealed. “The secret is Spike, a spice I put in everything and a dollop of regular sour cream. They are absolutely divine. I don’t always have the sour cream because I’m constantly trying to make room for the chocolate chip cookies for dessert.”
3. She Hasn’t Done Botox But Isn’t Against It
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While Nia maintains that “natural is better” she isn’t against Botox. “I’m not against anything that makes you feel and look good but I do believe that you should only do what’s needed,” she told Black Doctor when she was 49. “I haven’t done Botox or fillers yet but for me, right now, I don’t feel that it is necessary.”
4. This Is Her Secret to Anti-Aging
In 2020, Nia was asked by one of her Twitter followers about her secret to aging. “Lol! Water, sex and vitamins :)” she responded. Water is crucial. "Water is a crucial nutrient, and euhydration is necessary for optimal daily function," says one study. "Traditionally, a 2% or more body water deficit was thought to produce cognitive performance decrements; however, recent literature suggests that even mild dehydration — a body water loss of 1% to 2% — can impair cognitive performance."
5. She Jump Ropes Daily
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One of her go-to workouts? Jump roping. She told NewBeauty, “I try and do every day for the length of at least one song.” Jumping rope can help build bone density. "Using multilevel modeling analyses and adjusting for participants' height and physical activity, we found that girls who participated in weekly rope skipping activities, compared to those who did not, had higher levels of bone density at the calcanei," said one study.
6. These Are Her Other Go-To Workouts
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“Taking care of your body is part of any balanced life,” she told Viva. Pilates, yoga and boxing are her go-to workouts. “I do more yoga now than Pilates because it goes along with my meditation. Boxing is very aggressive so when you just want to get it out or you’re frustrated about something, just making your body have to work that hard is great. Afterwards, I feel wow! I just kicked some butt and it feels great. Now just let me go kick life’s butt and keep it going,” she said.
7. It’s All About Balance
“Everyone should try to balance themselves out as much as possible,” she told Viva. For her, this involves homeopathy. “The whole idea is very intriguing to me. I’ve learned so much about the importance of the adrenals – working moms especially can relate to this. When you are depleted, your body doesn’t function as quickly and efficiently as it should. Building that part of yourself up by going straight to the cells is much more effective,” she explained. “Modern medicine means you take a pill for this, a pill for that, but it’s just really a band-aid for a cellular issue.”