Tracee Ellis Ross shares the 2 things she prioritizes for better health in her 50s
Tracee Ellis Ross is the answer if the question is, "Where can I find some fitness inspiration?"
The 51-year-old shares videos of her high-intensity sweat sessions, but her confidence and outlook on life also provide fans with serious #fitspo.
“I’m the sexiest I’ve ever been. And when I say that, I mean I feel the most myself," she told Harper’s Bazaar in 2021.
Here are some of the workouts and wisdom Ross has shared over the years:
She's a fan of the Tracy Anderson Method
Ross practices the Tracy Anderson Method, a fitness technique that's popular with celebrities.
“I feel sexy, and strong and beautiful when I’m working out. The movements are very dancer-esque, and I’ve been really enjoying it,” she told PopSugar in 2017.
The actor noted that she enjoys being in a hot room while doing the workout.
“I love sweating; it’s one of the ways that I process everything that goes on during the week and move it through my body," she said. "It’s always really loud music and great music, which I love, and the workout changes every 10 sessions, so even if you take classes, it changes every 10 days, it changes . . . I love that! I never get bored.”
She takes a holistic approach
It's tempting to structure workouts around the changes you want to see in your body, but Tracee and Tracy take a more holistic approach.
“It’s really underdeveloped to say, like, ‘Oh, I only want to work on this,’ or ‘I only want to work on that.’ It’s all connected… (Ross) respects her whole body and she works on her whole body,” Anderson told US Weekly in 2021.
Ross' personal trainer Jason Walsh also offered insight into her fitness routine in a 2022 interview with Shape.
“We’ve been focusing on full body patterns and her goal is increasing her overall strength and muscle coordination,” he said. “We are always focused on reinforcing her fundamental movement patterns.”
She doesn’t shy away from equipment to mix things up
Ross' Instagram posts show her mixing things up with different types of equipment. She uses weights, kettlebells and battle ropes to challenge herself.
She focuses on form
It's tempting to rush through your workout to get it over with, but Ross shows off her methodical, precise moves in all of her workout videos. In the long run, focusing on form helps you avoid injuries and downtime.
She's a fan of Gyrotonics
Ross also practices Gyrotonics, which focuses on balance throughout the body, strength and flexibility.
The Gyrotonic Method utilizes specialized equipment that “addresses the entire person by opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion, and improving strength and movement efficiency,” according to its website.
In 2011, Ross told The New York Times that she would "never stop doing Gyrotonics."
“It is wonderful for the body and I have a pulley tower at home in my meditation room,” she explained.
In 2022, the star posted an Instagram video of herself doing Gyrotonics and gave a shout-out to her instructor.
“Lisa Marie and I have worked together for over 20 years now. She is a safe space and a beautiful teacher who helps me process through my body, work through physical roadblocks and get strong with fluid movement," she captioned the post.
"She is not a therapist, she is a Gyrotonics and movement master trainer who has done deep work herself. Safe partners, practitioners and spaces are important to healing and growing."
She fuels up before and after a workout
Ross has apple sauce before heading to the gym, “And I do not like apple sauce at all. But I was told that that kind of pure, good-for-you sugar 15 minutes before a workout will make your workout more productive. Whether it works or not, I have no idea. But I suffer through eating the apple sauce,” she told The Wall Street Journal in 2022.
After going hard in the gym, the star refuels, sometimes opting for a protein shake, as she told Bon Appétit in 2016.
She prefers to prepare her own food
Ross is able to control what goes into her meals by making most of it herself.
“I make most of my food, and I am the queen of the salad,” she told Shape in 2020.
Ross told People that prepping her own meals is “one of the ways that I actively love myself.”
She avoids dairy, sugar and gluten
Ross steers clear of sugar, dairy and gluten, "but otherwise I eat pretty much everything,” she told Shape in 2020.
She also takes a whole-body approach to choosing food.
“I have this philosophy on eating that it not only has to taste good in my mouth, but also feel good in my body,” she told People in 2020. “So a lot of things that taste good in my mouth don’t feel good in my body.”
She doesn’t limit herself to three meals a day
In 2016, Ross told Bon Appétit she eats smaller meals more often.
“I have nothing against three meals, but I usually do a couple extras. I do an earlier lunch with hardboiled eggs and quinoa. Maybe I’ll also sauté some vegetables to go with that, or do a Happy Egg Sandwich from the farmers’ market. Basically it’s the time when I want a nice scramble on toast with butter,” she said.
Ross continued, saying, “Early dinner, around 6 p.m., is when I do salads with protein, such as sliced turkey, chicken, or crushed Brazil nuts if I’m tired of meat. Then I’ll broil something—salmon, steak, chicken, maybe some vegetables. And I’ll usually snack on something in front of the TV.”
She doesn’t deny herself when cravings arise
Ross allows herself treats — but she's more fond of salty than sweet.
“I eat chocolate if I want chocolate,” she told PopSugar in 2017. “I’m a big salty person; I love olives, I love potato chips, I love French fries,” she said.
“I eat a lot of all the other things that I eat (besides dairy, sugar and gluten). I am not somebody who will sit down and eat a small bag of potato chips... I eat the whole bag!”
In 2016, Ross told People she also enjoys treating herself at her favorite restaurants once a week "to have a glass of wine and a delicious meal."
She follows some basic guidelines
In 2011, Ross shared a few of her most relatable wellness tips with The New York Times.
“I eat well and drink lots of water, and I get my sleep. I like eight hours. I barely eat sugar, gluten or dairy, even though I love all three. I don’t drink soda or caffeine — never have," she said.
She's tried blood flow restriction training
Ross isn't afraid to try different health and wellness methods to achieve her goals, including blood flow restriction training, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as a training technique that "allows you to exercise at a lower intensity and still make progress."
A band around the thigh or arm reduces blood flow from that area so you can "use less weight to build strength and muscle mass."
Ross revealed why she's into the method in a 2022 Instagram post, writing, "Explanation on the cuffs: BFR or blood flow restriction training allows you to get the same results with a lighter load as you would with a heavier load. I use these for the first 10 minutes of my workout."
She tries not to judge herself too harshly
Like many people, Ross was forced to press pause on her workout routine for a bit during the pandemic. In 2021, she shared a video about the impact it had on her fitness.
“I didn’t transform my body and exercise like a crazy woman and turn into a vegan. And, as a result, my body feels different,” she said. “I sat more than I’m used to; I didn’t do the same amount of cardio that I like; I wasn’t in the gym because of the circumstances of what we were all living in and are all living in."
Ross decided not to judge herself for circumstances that were out of her control.
“With all the sharpness and harshness and violence and fear that has been around, perhaps the softness of my body is a blessing. It has been able to nurture me in a way that my mind could not... I really encourage and invite all of us to receive the wisdom of our bodies right now and allow the softness, the weight, the whatever — and be grateful. I made it through this year!" she said.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
