Nicole Kidman is 55 and could easily be mistaken for someone 20 years younger. The actress looks amazing, but the reality behind her physique isn’t impossible diets and grueling workouts. Instead, she focuses on a manageable, fun health and wellness routine that doesn’t feel like a punishment. Here’s what Kidman says is the foundation for her holistic healthy lifestyle.
Kidman enjoys regular yoga and meditation sessions. “Over the years I’ve realized that if you don’t have your health, you’ve got nothing,” she says. “So that comes first. And how do you get that when you have two little kids, and a husband, and a lot of work? I work for balance now. I do yoga, and I run, and I meditate. I take really good care of myself and I eat well.”
Kidman refuses to eliminate food groups, instead focusing on making good choices for the most part. “I go out on the tour bus [with Keith]. There’s a lot of junk food on the bus … I’m just not someone that believes in denial. It’s walking a path that’s ultimately 80% healthy, 20% … sometimes it falls to 70,” she says. “But that’s why I think you have things like natural health remedies — you find out what works for you. And I do a lot and I have a lot of energy.”
Kidman loves seafood, especially when she’s in her native Australia. The actress loves typical barbeque foods such as sausage, but can’t say no no shellfish. Her favorite is “a fresh seafood platter with Sydney rock oysters, tiger prawns, mudcrab and lobster,” she says.
Kidman enjoys running, especially as it’s something she has done since childhood. “I come from a marathon running family so that’s been part of my life since I was a little girl,” she says. “I would get dragged out of bed by my dad… and he would just make us run laps of the oval. I just put my music on and off I go. I go into the woods and that’s why I love living in Nashville. And in Sydney you’ve got the beach, which is absolutely beautiful to run on. I also love to spin.”
Kidman and her husband love drinking coffee. “Keith and I love coffee. I love the foam more than the coffee,” she says. “I will go and order a cappuccino and say, make it all foam and very little coffee. They know me now at the Starbucks in Nashville.”
Kidman believes in moderation both for her diet and for her fitness routine. “There’s certainly no secret regimen. I wish there was,” she says. “I’m actually not that strict with my diet. I pretty much eat anything, but all in moderation. Likewise with fitness, I try not to be too strict with it and mix it up to make sure it stays fun. I take a Swisse [Wellness brand] multivitamin daily, which helps fill any nutrition gaps I have when I’m on the road.”
Kidman wants to set a good example for her children by staying active but having fun with it. “I’m sure all working mothers can relate to how hard it is to juggle a family while keeping healthy through diet and exercise!” she says. “That’s why I’m a fan of all types of training. I run, ride my bike, do yoga, whatever I can do and wherever I am in the world. We try to exercise as a family, which makes it much easier to squeeze in among everything else and, of course, much more enjoyable.”
