Shay Mitchell in Bathing Suit Says "What a Difference a Week Can Make"

Shay Mitchell is soaking up the sun – in her swimsuit. The actress and luggage entrepreneur shows off her incredible body in a flirty bathing suit in one of her latest social media photos. “What a difference a week can make,” she captioned the Instagram post. “Okay but that bod + 2 kids … HOW??” commented one of her followers. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Shay Mitchell 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 Drinks a Coffee Protein Shake in the Morning

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Shay drinks her first meal of the day. “I’m not a breakfast person, so for me, it’s usually my coffee-protein shake — an odd concoction of cold brew, ice, two scoops of protein, and a handful of spinach. Some days, I’ll start with celery juice or tea and water with lemon,” she recently dished to The Cut.

2. She Lifts “Heavier” Weights

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Shay loves exercising and recently started weightlifting. “I love working out and look forward to the gym. Since having kids, I’ve started getting into weights. It’s invigorating to lift heavier than before. I’m an Aries — we’re very competitive with ourselves and other people,” she told the publication.

3. She Works on Building a “Bum”

Shay does a lot of glute work. “These days, I love doing anything for the bum. On TikTok, I’m seeing all these girls with the little scrunch pants, and I bought a pair for myself and … it didn’t do anything. That’s how I knew it was still time to build a bum,” she told The Cut.

4. She Goes to Therapy”

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Shay doesn’t let the haters get to her, as she has been working on hr issues for years with the help of a professional. “If you’re just being negative to be negative, that never has any effect on me, because I know that those people are hurting themselves. I had that experience being in high school. I’ve been bullied. I’ve gone through that, and I’ve had enough therapists to tell me it has nothing to do with me. So at this point, being in my mid-30s, anything just negative to be negative will never affect me. I can promise you that,” she told The Cut.

5. She Drinks Tea Before Bed

Shay practices sleep hygiene. “Before I go to bed, I’ll have sleep tea or something like that, because it’s sometimes difficult for me to turn off my mind,” she told The Cut.

Shay Mitchell—star of Pretty Little Liars, Netflix’s You and the Hulu series Dollface—is finally chilling. “Perfect relaxation brought to you by Jamaica and Atlas’ afternoon nap,” she captioned a new Instagram photo of herself relaxing in a bathing suit, referencing her son Atlas. “The palm tree giving me shadow abs is a paid actor.” How does she stay so fit while keeping so busy? Read on to see 7 ways Shay Mitchell 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 Moves Her Body

“As long as you're moving your body, that's a workout,” says Mitchell to Bustle. “It doesn't have to involve lifting weights or following a specific fitness plan.” She added to Forbes: "Chasing after my one-year-old has also been a surprisingly great workout."

2. This is Her “Weird” Wellness Ritual

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“I end my showers with five to 10 seconds of freezing cold water, which not only wakes me up, [but] it’s doing something good for my skin — I wish I could tell you about all the amazing health benefits,” she told Bustle. In fact, cold water also soothes your vagus nerve and can relax you.

3. She's Very Into Salad

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“I need to learn to make something besides a salad. I don’t want Atlas to just know Postmates or UberEats. I want her in the kitchen helping me and knowing what’s going into our food,” she told Bustle. Her go-to salad toppings are “Kimchi and sauerkraut. I add microgreens, too, because it makes me feel like a chef, and it makes every dish look so fancy.”

4. She Had Prepartum Depression

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While growing Atlas, "I had prepartum [depression]. Not post, but pre," Mitchell told Self. “That was something I didn't know back then. I only knew [about] postpartum, so I was preparing myself for that. But then when I was upset and not feeling my best during [pregnancy], I was like, 'Wait, what's this? Nobody talked about this. I should be so happy right now.'"

5. She Does Planks

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Mitchell has shown off her plank walks. Try a modified one to start. “This core-strength exercise is called the modified plank,” says the Mayo Clinic. “Lie on your stomach. Raise yourself up so that you're resting on your forearms and your knees. Align your head and neck with your back, and place your shoulders directly above your elbows. Tighten your abdominal muscles.

• Create resistance by pressing your elbows and your knees toward one another. Neither should move from their positions on the floor. Hold for three deep breaths.
• Return to the start position and repeat.”

6. She Does Lunges

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"[Trainer] Harley [Pasternak] loves lunges, and I'm not the biggest fan of them," Mitchell told SELF during the Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival with Pasternak, who she trains with. "He loves to see how many you can do, and I don't even know how long we went one time but it was painful. But they do their job," she added.

7. She Had a Similar Pandemic Lockdown to Us All

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"I've been taking everything one day at a time and being gentle with myself when I need to be," she said during the first year of the pandemic. "I always try to remain positive, but there have definitely been days where I just have not been up for working out or taking as good care of myself as I’d like. I’ll get into a good routine but then falter. One day off becomes two. Two becomes five. But I don’t beat myself up over those days," Mitchell said to Forbes. "We’re humans going through a really challenging time and I think we are all entitled to off days," she adds.

It’s been less than three months since Shay Mitchell welcomed her second daughter, Rome, and she’s already showing off her flat abs in a swimsuit! The Pretty Little Liars and You star flaunted her fabulous figure on social media over the weekend, wearing a yellow bathing suit while vacationing with her family in Italy. How does the actress maintain her fit physique? Read on to see 7 ways Shay Mitchell 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 Sets Goals

Goal setting helps Shay stay on track. In early 2021 she revealed that after spending 2020 trying to “feel fine,” she was going to make 2021 the year she became the healthiest version of herself. “For me that came in the form of comfort food, comfort clothes and throwing my fitness routine out the window. And that was okay…for awhile. They’re called unprecedented times for a reason. But I also learned about physical and mental self-care, and made a pact with myself that 2021 would be different. I wanted to focus on myself again, because I’m the best version of myself for Atlas - and everyone else - when I take care of myself first,” she wrote on social media.

2. She Exercises

Shay is a big fan of exercise. “A doable time frame 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week for 4 weeks,” she wrote in 2021. “A clear start, a clear finish and a something that I could totally commit to. I have loved getting up these last four weeks and having a routine and a challenge to start the day. I feel more healthy, energetic and engaged…which makes a better me.”

3. Her Food Philosophy? “Everything in Moderation”

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"My food philosophy is everything in moderation," Shay told Women’s Health. "Truly, I'm not one who believes in diets." She also tries to set a healthy standard for her daughter. "I want her to be conscious about what she's eating and where she gets it from. We have been taking her to the farmers market, and I like her knowing that this food came from a specific place,.”

4. She Balances Food and Exercise

According to Shay “it’s all about balance,” when it comes to diet and exercise. “A lot of people that know me know that I absolutely love food, pizza in particular. I work out not only to balance food, but also to keep my mind focused. And for me, that comes in many different forms. It can be taking a walk outside, boxing, or going to dance. Anything physical has such a positive impact on people; the dopamine and serotonin that get released when you work out—afterward, you feel amazing,” she told Byrdie.

5. She Mixes Up Her Workouts

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Shay does a lot of different workouts. “I have to switch it up because I get bored, so I’ll try different classes,” she said. “Cardio for me is a spin class. I think it’s great. I get so amped up with other people in the room, and there’s just a really good energy about it. So I’ll usually start with a spin class, then it will be something like weights or working out with my amazing trainer—we do a mix of Pilates and leg toning. And then I’ll go take a Body by Simone class. There are so many amazing classes here in L.A., but my favorite is boxing. I love it because there is the cardio at the beginning, and then we’re sparring afterward and then we do stretching and weights.”

6. She Hydrates

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Shay understands the importance of hydration, especially when she is working out a lot. “I drink a lot of water,” she revealed to Byrdie. “I try to opt out of coffee and drink green tea instead.”

7. She Squeezes in Workouts

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One way Shay makes sure to get a workout in? Brining a jump rope around with her. “Just taking a skipping rope with you wherever you are is such a good idea because it’s such an amazing workout. It’s the easiest, and I can bring it with me anywhere. And you only need a small amount of space,” she told Byrdie.