Nicole Richie in Bathing Suit Poses With Sofia

Nicole Richie says nothing is as important as family—and judging by her social media posts, she means it. The 41-year-old star posted a photo of herself with little sister Sofia Richie, wearing a brown bathing suit and bandana with the caption "crew". How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Richie 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!

Richie is passionate about growing her own fruit and vegetables. "Backyard gardening can inspire you to take an interest in the origins of your food and make better choices about what you put on your plate," says Dr. Helen Delichatsios, an internist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. "When you grow your own food, you savor it more because of the effort it took to get to the table."

Richie has two children with husband Benji Madden—Harlow, 14, and Sparrow, 13, and says they changed her life. "It definitely changes everything, in the best way," she says. "It's hard to put it into one sentence, but I would say now that they're here and I know what loving something is and caring about something, I would say, I don't know if I ever cared about anything before I had kids. It gives you this entire other perspective, like, you are responsible for these people and their lives and our lives together and what is that? What do I stand for?"

Richie enjoys taking hikes with her two German Shepherd dogs. "Walking is a type of cardiovascular physical activity, which increases your heart rate," according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "This improves blood flow and can lower blood pressure. It helps to boost energy levels by releasing certain hormones like endorphins and delivering oxygen throughout the body. Brisk walking is considered a moderate-intensity, low-impact workout that does not exert excess strain on joints (hip, knee, ankles) that are susceptible to injury with higher-impact workouts."

"I source all the crystals myself, but I also sage them and charge them in the full moon," says Richie. "I have had a lot of questions about that, so to me it feels normal and it feels like the logical thing to do, but maybe you consider that wacky, so I don't know. Charging crystals in the full moon is amazing. They really do feel clean after."

Richie's approach to her marriage is very down to earth and sensible. "Do I have advice?" she says. "I don't know. I think it's really important to enjoy the other person as an individual, not just as the role of your husband or the role of the father. Appreciate that person for who they are and really prioritize having fun together. I wish that there was some trick. There's not. It's two people growing into themselves."