Turning 49 on Tuesday June 4, Angelina Jolie has achieved a lot in her life, from being a mother, winning Academy Awards, and her work with the United Nations.
Living a well-rounded life also involves prioritising your health, which includes the frequency of exercise – and the type of exercise you do – and what you eat.
According to reports circulating in the media over the past few years, Angelina has a personal trainer called Gunnar Peterson.
In an interview with Pop Workouts, Gunnar stated that Angelina has a structured workout programme involving circuit training, strength training and cardio.
Each exercise motion includes three sets of 10 to 15 repetitive movements, but variety is key in targeting different muscle groups.
When training for a role, such as the 2010 film Salt, Gunnar said he would incorporate Muay Thai martial arts into Angelina’s workout regime.
“We got her learning a combination of Muay Thai and Krav Magha very early on,” Gunnar told SELF. “We would then pick the moves she was best at and combine them into a sequence.”
When training for her role in the children’s film Maleficent, Angelina revealed she took up yoga. “It’s not something I do easily because I’m not a still person,” Angelina told USA Today.
“But I was forced to do yoga because [to fly] you have to have your core strength to be able to hold yourself.”
Training in your 50s
PureGym highlighted the best ways to work out once you’ve reached your 50s and beyond, especially as bone density decreases and accidents could be more harmful.
Warm-ups are required to promote blood flow and get the body in motion; good options for a warm-up include the treadmill, the cross-trainer, and the rower in the gym.
If you are unable to go to the gym, then a brisk walk in the park, for example, would help towards your exercise goals. The NHS recommends all adults do at least 30 minutes of exercise, five times per week.
You only need to do a warm-up for five minutes before moving on to mobility exercises, such as shin boxes, or other active stretches.
How to do a shin box
Sit on the floor with your legs bent at the knees and your feet flat on the floor in front of you. Open your legs into a straddle position.
Keeping the left edge of your feet planted on the floor, turn your torso to face left and twist your hips and legs until both knees touch the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat on the right-hand side.
As for training, the workout could include bench presses, rowing, shoulder press, leg press, and lunges. Before starting any exercise programme, you should consult with your medical healthcare team.
