1. Sweating Every Day
Larter works out for the mental and physical benefits. “I'm a huge believer in exercise and I think that anyone can have a down day or be going through different kinds of challenging times in their life,” she says. “For me, exercise is about getting out of your brain and into your body. I work out all the time and it's not just to get stronger. It's because of the mental lift that you get from it. I mix it all up. So I do hot yoga, I do Orangetheory, I do a lot of band work. And I run outside. And so that to me is really how I mix it all up. I love to sweat. I even have a steam at home, but I try to sweat every single day of my life. I just feel like again, it cleanses you. It knocks out maybe that extra glass of wine you had. I have young kids at home. I definitely love on the weekends to indulge. And so for me it's how I can stay in shape and feel good about myself.”
2. Lots of Delicious Food
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Larter makes a point of only eating what she will truly enjoy. “I drink a ton of water,” she says. “I definitely like green juices, but I'm not someone who makes their own or drinks it every day. I try not to eat a lot of white bread and white flour, things like that. If it’s going to be bread, it’s going to be a great whole grain. If I'm going to eat pasta, I'm going to go out to an amazing Italian restaurant and eat homemade pasta. I love cheese. Like Saturday night we had an amazing cheese plate. My best friend came over. We had a great Barolo. That’s worth it to me. I try not to eat mediocre bad food (laughs). If I’m going to eat it, it’s going to be great.”
3. Postpartum Fitness
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Larter switched up her workouts during and after pregnancy, replacing her outdoor runs with more gentle exercise. "Your priorities change," she says. "As a new mom, I'd rather be spending time with my baby than working out for an hour and a half every day. I figured out that it's important to take the time for yourself--and that hour, four times a week, is about me, having time to breathe and to get a little bit of alone time."
4. Balanced Lifestyle
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Larter’s attitude to fitness is connected to her love for food and need for balance. “I LOVE to eat, so I have to make time for exercise,” she says. “I often work a 12-hour day only to return home, put my babies to sleep, and only then pay penance for the enormous cheeseburger I ate at lunch by spending 30 minutes in the gym. It’s not my favorite thing at times, but it’s how I’ve chosen to manage my ever-intensifying addiction to eating things, and fortunately I’ve found the balance.”
5. Meditation Every Day
Larter meditates every day for her mental wellness. “I try to laugh a lot,” she says. “I meditate, quite often for very short periods of time, maybe 15 times a day, 20 times a day and no more than three minutes at a time. I'll do it in traffic. I'll do it when I'm putting my kids down for naps or for bedtime when I wake up in the morning. Just quick little mantras or things that help me to continue to feel positive. I think in a world where the news can feel extremely heavy, I definitely have not chosen an easy industry. I find that if I can ground myself, exercise, meditate and stay very level, it keeps me stronger and more capable of handling life.”