The trick to doing it all, Kerry Washington-style? It’s all about that before-sunrise call time.
“I try to [exercise before work] so I can be back with my kid early,” the Emmy-nominated Scandal star, 38, shared inside the September issue of Self. “I have to take care of myself in order to live life the way I want to. It’s important to have rest days. But in the long run, if I don’t work out for, like, three days, I feel worse, not better.”
No wonder she has that body! The mom to Isabelle, 15 months, covers the mag rocking her fiercely toned frame in nothing but a blue sports bra and emerald leotard. But despite the fact that she hits the Scandal set’s private Pilates studio two to six times a week to maintain that shape, the actress said she has no desire to return to her pre-baby body.
“I’ve been really focused on not being ‘back’ to anything, but being the best version of myself right now,” the Django Unchained actress, who shares Isabelle with her husband of two years, Nnamdi Asomugha, told the mag. “My body is the site of a miracle now. I don’t want to be pre-miracle.”
Washington added that when her manager commented that she was “back” to her pre-pregnancy size, it kickstarted a conversation about moving forward in life. “She meant it as a total compliment,” the actress and arts activist said, “But we had this great conversation where I was like, ‘You know what? I try really hard not to use that language, because it’s not about going backward in life.'”
Which is why, Washington explained, her workout of choice is Pilates, which requires her to get—and stay—in touch with her emotions. “With Pilates, I get to bring my true self,” the Save the Last Dance star said. “I cry, I laugh. I get to go: Where is my body today? What do I need today? How can I take care of myself and push myself past my comfort zone? How can I be both loving and challenging?”
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