Scarlett Johansson first joined the Marvel Universe when she signed on for the second ‘Iron Man’ movie. She was around 24 at the time and “never been to a gym,” she said during a new episode of Dear Media’s “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast.” This role “changed my life in so many ways,” she told the podcast, but it also “changed my whole outlook on exercise.”
Johansson, now 38, sat down with show hosts Lauryn Evarts and Michael Bossstick and talked about her skincare routine (including her skincare brand, The Outset), of the magic of a good margarita and her fitness routine – the last one that has changed drastically over time.
“I did weightlifting for a long time. It was my thing. I loved lifting heavy, low reps,” she told Evarts and Bossstick. For example, in 2019, Johansson prepped for Avengers “Endgame” with aggressive 6 a.m. workouts that included plyometrics, heavy weight training (including push-ups with weight plates on the backstroke and 245-pound deadlifts), and intense cardio like sprinting and battle rope exercises.
But Johansson eventually traded the high-intensity work for something a little gentler on the body: Pilates.
“I got to an age where I was training on ‘Black Widow’ and you know, I think it’s hard to lift heavy weights at some point,” Johansson said. “You just, your body reacts in a different way than it (did) – recovery is tough. And so I started doing Pilates to try to give myself a break from heavy weightlifting and I fell in love with it. And now I mostly do that.”
The practice has existed since the 1920s, but it is has become ultra popular in recent years as people have turned to less stressful and more enjoyable workouts in the wake of the COVID pandemic and after years of doing high-intensity exercise – just like Johansson. Many other celebrities are also fans, including Kylie Jenner, Kerry Washington, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga.
Johansson said she trains five days a week if she’s actively filming, and three or four days a week when she’s not – usually always one-hour private sessions with a trainer, first thing in the morning. in the morning.
Johansson assures Evarts that there are no secret celebrity health tips — “there are no health and wellness hacks” — at least not the ones Johansson knows, jokes she.
On the contrary, for her, it is as simple as moving her body often. “I think for me personally, exercising as many times a week as possible keeps me mentally sane,” she says. “And that goes a long way, because I don’t sleep as much as I should.”
Johansson is a mother of two – Rose, 8, and Cosmo, 1 – and she knows full well how exhausting life with a baby can be. “I try to nap if I can, when the kids are napping, when my baby is napping, anytime.” And the rest of her wellness routine is damn relatable: “I eat too late. I love having a glass of wine at the end of the day… I won’t be able to stick to a crazy diet at all. less than someone like to make food for me. And that drives me crazy too. I love to cook. I’m a very laid back person that way.
This makes movement her “me time” and a crucial part of her self-care. “I think my favorite thing is to try to exercise whenever I can during the week because it helps my mental well-being.” And as champions of the many non-cosmetic benefits of exercise, we’re all for it.
To listen to the rest of the interview, check out “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her” wherever you listen to podcasts.
Image source: Getty Images/Monica Schipper
