Vanessa Hudgens in Bathing Suit Says Hi From “Cabo, 1962”

Vanessa Hudgens is going retro! The actress and Caliwater founder flaunted her fabulous figure in a green two-piece via Instagram on Friday, taking her swimsuit style back in time. “Cabo 1962,” she captioned the sassy snap. How does the actress approach health and fitness? Read on to see 10 of Vanessa Hudgens’ top tips for staying 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. Work Out Every Day

Vanessa doesn’t skip a workout. “I would do seven days if I had time,” she told Parade about her approach to fitness. “I love starting my day off that way because sometimes I’ll have a less productive days and if I’ve gotten a workout in, then I feel like I’m accomplished no matter what.”

2. You Don’t Need to Do a Lot of Cardio

Vanessa doesn’t do as much cardio as she used to. "My fitness has taken a turn. Cardio has been put on the back burner, and I'm very OK with that,” she told Shape. “The things that have become the most important are balance and mental health.”

3. Lift Weights

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Vanessa is a huge fan of The Dogpound gym, where she does a lot of strength training and weight lifting. “During the pandemic, when everything was paused, I created a little community. I'd get my friends together over Zoom and we would do Isaac Boots's live workout classes. As the world started to reopen, I found myself obsessed with Dogpound,” she explained to Shape. “I go with my best friend; we're extremely competitive. We have the best time — the amount of dancing we do between sets is ridiculous. Everyone knows when we're at the gym. They say they hear us before they see us.” She also revealed one of her favorite moves, squats with a rack, “and I love to see how much weight I can add to the bar.”

4. Mix Up Your Workouts

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Vanessa does a lot of different workouts to prevent a plateau. “My body builds muscle very quickly and I don’t love the way it looks on my body. So I find the way that I achieve the body that I want for myself is to lengthen, to lean and to tone,” she told Parade. Pilates, Soul Cycle, and hot yoga are all on her roster. “I’ve been going to this Pilates studio called WundaBar for years and it’s just a great deep muscle-training workout. It’s not super high intensity but I always feel it the next day.” And, doing Pilates on a reformer, “works your muscles like nothing else,” she told Shape.

5. Double Up on Workouts

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If you feel motivated, do two workouts in a day a la Vanessa. “And some days when I have the time, I love doing Pilates first and then going over to Soul Cycle. I love a double up!” she told Parade. “I always feel so accomplished when I double up.

6. Utilize the Workout Buddy System

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"I'm the type of person that needs to be in a class," Vanessa explained to PopSugar. "I need someone telling me what to do, and I love being in a group environment because I'm very competitive, so it pushes me to work harder than I would if I was by myself."

7. Prep for Workouts Ahead of Time

Vanessa sets herself up for exercise success. “I normally sign up for a class the night before so I don’t even have time to think about it and just wake up to having to go to workout. If I don’t do it first thing in the morning it normally does not happen,” she said.

8. Eat Healthy

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Vanessa is a fan of clean eating. "My overall food philosophy is, if it's real, I'll eat it,” she told Shape. “Many things are processed and contain chemicals and ingredients I can't pronounce. I want real food. If I'm in Italy, and I see them making pasta by hand, or if it grows from the earth, that's real. I stay away from the processed stuff. I also don't eat meat. I'm a pescatarian. What animals go through is so inhumane. That's not a system that I support.”

9. Try Intermittent Fasting

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Vanessa is one of the many stars who is into intermittent fasting. “I eat two bigger meals a day instead of three,” she told Shape. Breakfast will be an avocado, “maybe vegan sausage, and a piece of healthy bread,” she dished. “Dinner depends on my mood. I let myself have what I want. If that's a big bowl of spaghetti with clams and a glass of wine, then that's what I'm eating. Sometimes I crave a salad, and I'll make a big one with nuts and goat cheese and salmon. Other times, it's tacos and a margarita. I've learned that when I try to be super conscientious of everything I put into my mouth, all I can think about is food. But when I listen to my body and eat what I want, that's when I'm happiest.”

10. Be Empowered

Vanessa focuses on how exercise empowers her. "At my fittest, I feel unstoppable,” she told Shape. “You think, 'There's no way I can get through 30 reps.' But then you do, and you remind yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to,” she explained. “Those little victories should always be celebrated. That's what contributes joy and happiness and power and strength to your life.”