Kaley Cuoco Shares Her Top 30 Fitness, Health and Food Secrets

When it comes to hitting the gym and eating well, Kaley Cuoco is no stranger. Even after recovering from shoulder surgery last summer, she was back at the gym doing one-arm exercises. (And FYI, these workouts included giant sleds, so let's just say they were pretty damn tough.) She's a health warrior, where living a life filled with weights, yoga, and nutritious food is what keeps her balanced and sane and able to kick some serious butt on the big screen.

And she's not one to shy away from sharing her wellness tips on Instagram, whether it's a video of her working out or eating something delicious and good for you. Still, ICYMI, here are a few nuggets of knowledge you can steal.

If you hate running, as Kaley does, don't do it because you think it's the best workout to choose or because someone else had great results. Exercise should be fun and make you feel great, so find something you enjoy and stick with it. (Kaley loves yoga and spinning!)

If you have the munchies before bed, try not to grab a greasy sandwich or bag of chips all the time. Kaley used to eat candy before heading to bed, but now she reaches for healthier snacks, like peanut butter and an apple.

RELATED: Looking for some cheap healthy snacks? WH has you covered.

To really sustain a healthy lifestyle, indulging from time to time is totally normal. Kaley shared her thinking with WH US: 'Tonight I’ll be going to In-N-Out and doing one of their grilled cheeses, massive fries, and a shake,' she said. 'That’d be a cheat [meal] for me.'

If you only do one workout, it'll become stale, Kaley says. Instead, add variety. She said in an interview, 'If I’m doing yoga, we’re doing it every day this week....Then I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I have to switch.’ Then I’m going crazy on SoulCycle....‘Okay, I have to switch.'

RELATED: Find out what happened when one spin-hating editor tried SoulCycle for the first time.

As someone who struggled with acne growing up, Kaley is all about keeping her skin fresh, dewy, and glowing. She swears by a skincare routine with her favourite products.

RELATED: Get up to speed on the connections between diet and acne before you start cutting any food groups out. Or, if you're in the market, a good acne face wash is a great purchase.

Sometimes we think it's all about going hard, but really, bodies need to recover. Kaley found her recovery training to be a form of therapy. 'As much as I love yoga, and spin, this place has been a major refuge for me in many ways,' she shared over Instagram.

RELATED: 11 best choices for your active recovery days: slow down to speed up.

Kaley's all about keeping her kitchen clean. 'Our refrigerator and pantry have completely changed because we don’t eat crap anymore,' she told Shape. 'No more soda, chips [crisps], cereal; we had boxes of stuff that only a 4-year-old would eat.'

RELATED: Take a peek inside mega-trainer Jillian Michaels' fridge for some healthy meal-prep inspo.

Can't find time to cook dinner? Feeling a little lazy? Quit the excuses, Kaley says. 'Alright there you have it, no excuses,' she wrote on social media after a sweat sesh. 'Injured or not you can still have a badass workout. I'm absolutely dead and ready to eat something. That was frickin' awesome.'

Remember, though: exercising with an injury is only advised under professional supervision. Check with your doc before you attempt anything that could prolong your injury recovery time.

There was a bit of controversy over Kaley's workout when she shared a pic exposing her 'bra-less boobs.' What did she say? 'Don't be jealous. It's not flattering,' Kaley replied. And yes, she continued to keep crushing her workouts.

RELATED: Nab one of WH's favourite sports bras if you prefer to go bra-full during your workouts.

If you're not feeling up to it, try anyway, as you'll feel great afterwards. 'Sometimes, do I want to get up in the morning and do it? No,' she told Women’s Health US. 'But when I get out, I feel like a million bucks.'

RELATED: Make like celebs and snap up a sunrise alarm clock to make those early AM workouts that little bit easier.

Maybe your metabolism was super speedy in the past, but that doesn't mean it will stay that way. Kaley admits you should adjust as you get older. 'Bottom line is, you know, I’m not 21 anymore,' she said. 'It used to be so easy, I didn’t have to do as much. Now, it’s part of my day—working out is part of my day, eating right is part of my day.'

RELATED: This is how to get fit and stay fit at any age, from your 20s to your 70s.

Give that booty some love! 'Kaley is interested in her lower body, especially her butt, her legs and her abs,' trainer George C. King told PEOPLE. 'We do a lot of lunges, squat jumps and regular squats, plus leg curls and deadlifts.'

RELATED: Learn how to deadlift properly or swot up on challenging lunge exercises and squat variations to target your legs, glutes and abs.

Healthy habits are easier to keep when you share them with others who hold you accountable. Trainer George C. King told PEOPLE that Kaley loves bringing friends along to work out with her. 'She also likes to hike outdoors,' said King. 'She’ll pick a place near where she lives and go there with friends.'

RELATED: Want to take your sweaty pursuits outside? Make sure you have a good facial SPF handy to protect your skin in the great outdoors.

Working out outside can be great for your health—you can shake things up in different scenery while also getting the benefits of being out in nature. She loves playing tennis, riding her horses, and hiking, her trainer said.

Health habit number one? Keep your head up, and it'll all be okay. Back in 2016 after she split from ex Ryan Sweeting, she told Ellen DeGeneres, 'I already feel like 2016 is going to be a much better year than 2015. It's been rough, but things are going good. I'm much, much better now. I'm in a much better place than I was.'

There's no need to hide in a workout class—own your stuff. 'Sit in the front row in front of the mirror so you can stare at your fine-ass self as you sweat, it forces you to be accountable and not slack,' Kaley said to SELF.

'Unless you’re Gisele, you wake up some days and feel ugly,' she told SELF. 'When that happens, I accept that I’m not perfect and it’s okay; I can start over again tomorrow.'

RELATED: Here's how to deal with body image and self-esteem

If you don't like yoga, give it another shot. Kaley swears by her practice, which is five times a week. 'Doing yoga five times a week has transformed my body. I love being toned and having muscle; it's so sexy and beautiful. And I owe it 100 per cent to yoga,' she told Shape.

RELATED: Get zen-ready with a comfortable, affordable yoga mat

Kaley has admitted to owning jeans in three different sizes because bodies fluctuate and it's all good. Don't sweat it.

Just because a friend is kicking ass in HIIT, it doesn't mean you need to do it, too. Listen to your own body, says Kaley. 'It took years for me to figure out what my body needs and that what works for my friends doesn’t necessarily work for me,' she said.

RELATED: Resistance training and LISS (low-intensity steady state) training can be great options if HIIT's not your thing.

Kaley is no stranger to planks to give her those washboard abs. She posts tons of videos on Instagram when planking and she looks pretty badass.

RELATED: 8 major plank benefits to get you amped up for your next planking session.

When it comes to fitness, Kaley doesn't let fear stop her. She posted a photo trying a new, challenging machine on Instagram—and totally nailed it.

Kaley loads up on protein and good fats as it gets closer to bedtime. 'She can have carbs in the morning, for lunch, and maybe some a little after,' trainer George C. King said.

'But as the day progresses, she'll consume less and less so that by her last meal of the day, she'll be eating just green veggies and a source of protein.'

RELATED: This protein powder porridge hack will mean your brekkie is never lumpy or grainy again.

Kaley eats complex carbs, which offer more fibre and nutrients. Her trainer said that she 'isn’t a big fan of meal plans or diets,' but she tends to nix white rice, bread, and potatoes.

Kaley is all about setting yourself up independently and taking care of yourself, as that's the only way to be there for others. 'I like to tell my friends, "Always make sure you have your life going, and that you’re number one, so that anyone who comes into it—husband, or boyfriend, or girlfriend, however you roll—that’s just an added bonus to something you’re already creating,"' she said.

Kaley is widely successful in whatever she puts her mind to, and it's that work ethic that drives her to be healthy and productive each day. Her show-jumping trainer, Tracey Wade, said in 2018, 'Kaley is a force of nature.'

'Kaley loves abs,' her trainer said. 'One of her favourite abs exercise circuits involves a BOSU Ball sit-up to squat jump, plank jumping jacks, and alternating prone dumbbell tricep kickbacks on the floor.'

RELATED: PTs say this simple exercise could be better for building core strength than sit-ups and planks.

A vegan lifestyle isn't for everyone, but adding in some meat-less options is great for your health, Kaley says. 'I haven’t been eating that much meat lately. So I’m kind of into tofu, which is a new thing for me, and a lot of vegetables,' she told Us Weekly.

RELATED: 10 vegan deficiencies to be aware of if you're choosing to nix animal byproducts

When dining out, Kaley prefers places that offer nutritional info. 'I think it’s nice when it’s in front of your face,' she said. 'You know exactly the calories, you know what’s going in, so it keeps you a little bit more accountable.'

Letting your tears out helps you heal, especially during workouts, Kaley says. 'I’ve cried numerous times in yoga,” she shared with Women’s Health US. 'The best part is I’m sweating so bad no one can tell.'

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