Taraji P. Henson in Bathing Suit Shares Body Transformation

Actress Taraji P. Henson covered the November edition of Women's Health, and she looked stunning. "The older you get, the harder it is to get in shape," she said. It was feeling down during lockdown that motivated her. "I realized I had to do everything I could to feel good, or that depression thing was going to get the best of me." The Empire star wore a green sweater ensemble, and showed off her figure. Read on to see 5 ways Taraji P. Henson 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!

Henson is a believer of holistic health, and she revealed to Women's Health that she has a good reason to. In 2015, she experienced a fit of weight loss and vomiting, and a similar episode happened two years later which resulted in her being hospitalized. Henson recalls, "He said, 'If you don't correct what's going on inside of you, you're going to develop stomach ulcers, which can lead to stomach cancer.'" Henson then started working with a holistic practitioner to develop a "whole body" approach to wellness. 

Henson tells WSJ Magazine that she is a fan of intermittent fasting, and doesn't eat until 11 am. Then Henson will start her day with a shake. "I take vitamin C, I take iron. I put elderberry powder, spirulina and collagen in my shake," she says. 

Henson says that she has an area of her body that she loves to work out. She says to Women's Health that her favorite workouts are "anything to do with the butt." Henson says that she loves to do deadlifts. "You have to keep your feet parallel and let your arms dangle," she says. "Your focus should be on your glutes and hamstrings, so you actually feel the pull when you're coming up." Henson's trainer, Mike T., tells InStyle, that Henson loves squats. "She definitely loves squats. It's one of her favorites. She's pretty much known for her derriere and we make sure that we maximize our workouts for that," he says. 

Henson also says that she loves to box, and picked it up during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I fell in love with this boxing machine, Nexersys," she says to WSJ Magazine. "After I do my 20-minute warm-up, I get to boxing. And I love it, because it's got a trainer on there. Not personal, but you can go on-demand and you can do cool work, and it's just you and the trainer."

Henson tells WSJ Magazine that her workouts always contain 20 minutes of cardio, and she uses a lot of equipment. "I usually do that on the elliptical," she said. "If I'm feeling really adventurous, I'll do a 20-minute stint on my Peloton bike. If I'm feeling really lazy, I'll just walk it out on the treadmill."