Two and a Half Men Star Tricia Helfer Shares Swimsuit Photo of “Relaxation”

1. Running and Hiking

Shutterstock

Helfer lives a very active lifestyle. “If I could only do one workout, I'd run or hike (I'm a heavy-duty hiker) with some calisthenics as well -- you have to tone up, too,” she says. “But there always has to be some cardio involved. You gotta get your heart rate going. [To keep things fresh] I mix up my workouts: One day [I'll do] yoga, one day's running and weights, one day I'm doing Pilates, one day's hiking. I'll play a TV show when I'm working out, usually -- unless I'm filming in which case I'm memorizing a script. On the treadmill, I'll watch a show that I want to pay attention to like The Bridge or Justified or The Good Wife. But if I'm doing Pilates or boxing, I'll watch something like Criminal Minds -- you could be upside down or your head backwards on the reformer and still understand what's going on.”

2. Plant-Based Diet

Shutterstock

Helfer enjoys a healthy, delicious diet with lots of plant-based foods. “When hunger strikes at 3 PM, I go for sliced apple with almond butter,” she says. “Either that or I will sometimes crave tuna salad. I cut it up with a little bit of mayonnaise, dill pickles, and pepperoncinis and eat it with hummus and gluten-free crackers. I love a good roasted garlic hummus. If I only have 15 minutes for dinner, I chop up a mixed salad with some cut-up fake turkey. I don't eat poultry or meat but I really like some of those vegetarian ‘Smart’ meats -- I really like the fake turkey slices. My cat is insane about 'em, too! And for a dressing -- red wine vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and a little salt and pepper. It's as easy as that."

3. Eclectic Taste

Shutterstock

Helfer has a varied taste in music. “I have an eclectic taste, just depends on my mood,” she says. “I can definitely sing along to the top 40, but I tend lean more towards blues and jazz. I’m not someone who can name titles and artists, I’m more someone that just puts on a channel on Pandora, depending on my mood, and just lets it play.”

4. Different Types of Roles

Shutterstock

Helfer loves mixing it up when it comes to the characters she plays. “I don’t necessarily prefer one type of role over another,” she says. “It’s fun to mix things up and play all sorts of roles because you then get to explore different facets of yourself and you also get to learn new things. Anything from stunts to studying different jobs and types of personalities. I do tend to really enjoy dark psychological roles, or physical roles though. I had so much fun playing Molly Parker in Killer Women that I’d love to do something like that again. The show didn’t do very well, but the character was a ton of fun to play. And I’m trying to get a serial killer project going, and I would love to play her, Gretchen Lowell, badly.”

5. Gratitude for Health

Tricia Helfer/Instagram

Helfer constantly reminds herself of how lucky she is. “When I need extra motivation, I tell myself that I'm fortunate to be able to work out and plenty of people can't,” she says. “Like when I envision my grandfather and how hard it is for him to even move around, I think, ‘You know what? Not only is it gonna help you move around when you're older if you stay active when you're younger, but you're also gonna have a better shot at getting old if you're working out.’”

Tricia Helfer is a model and actress with a huge following. She is best known for her roles in Battlestar Galactica, Lucifer, and Two and A Half Men. Earlier this month, Helfer shared a selfie on Instagram of herself at the beach. She captioned the post, “Day off.” Helfer also shared a hiking photo on her page last December. She captioned that post, “My happy place. Didn’t get to hike this trip - was in caretaker mode for a friend. But looking forward to coming back and getting out on the trails.” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Tricia Helfer stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Does Cardio Workouts

Tricia Helfer/Instagram

Helfer shared some of her wellness secrets with SELF. She says that she does a lot of cardio workouts. “If I could only do one workout, I'd run or hike (I'm a heavy-duty hiker) with some calisthenics as well -- you have to tone up, too. But there always has to be some cardio involved. You gotta get your heart rate going.”

2. She Mixes Up Her Workouts

Tricia Helfer/Instagram

Helfer likes to mix up her workouts. She shared her favorites in her interview with SELF. “[To keep things fresh] I mix up my workouts: One day [I'll do] yoga, one day's running and weights, one day I'm doing Pilates, one day's hiking.” The Lyons Share states that variety in your fitness routine is important. “Doing the same workout day after day is a recipe for complete boredom followed by burnout. If you’re an avid HIIT class taker at a specific studio, try adding a yoga class in once a week. If you’re used to hitting the gym and doing your own thing everyday, try a spin class. If you’re walking the trail everyday, add in a Pilates class. Either way, if you incorporate new activities, you’re bound to have more fun, actually enjoy your workouts and –gasp- even look forward to your next sweat session.”

3. She Makes Salads

Shutterstock

Helfer tells SELF that she loves to make salads, and shared one of her favorite recipes. “If I only have 15 minutes for dinner, I chop up a mixed salad with some cut-up fake turkey. I don't eat poultry or meat but I really like some of those vegetarian ‘Smart’ meats -- I really like the fake turkey slices. My cat is insane about 'em, too! And for a dressing -- red wine vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and a little salt and pepper. It's as easy as that.”

4. She Eats Healthy Snacks

Tricia Helfer/Instagram

Helfer shared some of her favorite healthy snacks in her SELF interview. “When hunger strikes at 3 PM, I go for sliced apple with almond butter.. Either that or I will sometimes crave tuna salad. I cut it up with a little bit of mayonnaise, dill pickles, and pepperoncinis and eat it with hummus and gluten-free crackers. I love a good roasted garlic hummus.”

5. She Mixes Up Her Skincare

Tricia Helfer/Instagram

Helfer doesn’t just like to mix up her workouts. She also mixes up her skincare routine. Helfer shared her routines with Real Style Network. “As for products, I have a mixture and like to vary it up depending on the weather and the climate I’m in. In the summer or humid climates, I tend to use Nars Aqua Gel Luminous Oil-Free Lotion, AquaGel Luminous Mask and Eye Cream Concentrate and Kiehl’s Microdermabrasion serum. In the winter or dryer climates, I use La Mer Concentrate Serum, La Mer Eye Cream and Crème de la Mermoisturizing lotion. I also love Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate Oil and eye cream. That was the only thing that kept my skin from windburn and chapping while on a cross-country motorbike trip. The best sunscreen I’ve ever used is Kiehl’s SuperFluid.”