By Claire Connors; photograph by Jeff Lipsky
You’ll love them too…
1/ Yoga
In a perfect world, Vanessa goes three times a week. “I don’t consider it fitness,” she says. “It’s more like therapy for me.” She got into it after playing a runaway teen, Agnes “Apple” Bailey, in the 2013 movie Gimme Shelter – a role that required gaining nearly 10kg and cutting her hair into a jagged crop. “I looked in the mirror and was like, ‘Who am I?’ It was definitely a journey back to myself and yoga helped.”
2/ Cheat Days
Healthy = indulging sometimes. So Vanessa allows herself one fun-food day a week. Next? “My sister and I are going for ramen.”
READ MORE: The 5-Day Healthy Eating Plan That’ll Reboot Your System
3/ SoulCycle
When Vanessa was dropping the 10kg she gained for Gimme Shelter, she’d hit spin class twice a day; now she goes when she can squeeze it in. “Put me on a bike in a room with loud music and I’m happy,” she says. “It’s like dancing without the stress of worrying if you look good.”
4/ Sitting Front And Centre At SoulCycle
“I tend to ride for the teachers. I’m such a performer,” Vanessa laughs. “I love being in front because I’ll push myself harder and I’ll give the class energy too. So it’s a win-win.”
READ MORE: 5 Absolutely Insane Body Benefits Of A 40-Min Spin Class
5/ Other Group Classes Too
Beyond spinning, Vanessa gets her groove on in Pilates and circuit training. “I’m really competitive when it comes to fitness. I like being around people so I can compete.” Since she often starts filming at 5:15am, she takes “really early classes”.
6/ Avocados
“I eat a whole avo a day,” she says. “I need high fats. If I’m not getting enough, my body holds on to kilojoules. We’ve been trained to think that fats are bad, but they’re so good – a source of energy and sustenance that keeps you going through the day. That’s the only way I can not eat carbs.”
READ MORE: 10 Things To Make With Avocados That Don’t Involve Toast
7/ Salads From My Favourite Bakery
Speaking of avocados… Sweetsalt Food Shop in Los Angeles “makes fantastic salads. I get grilled salmon with greens, pear, avocado and pomegranate seeds.”
8/ Cool Sports Bras
“I don’t like to wear T-shirts when I work out because it’s better motivation when I can see my body.”
READ MORE: The Easy Meal Plan That’ll De-Bloat You In Just 24 Hours
9/ Hard-Won Abs
A recent paparazzi photo of Vanessa leaving class in a sports bra exposed some seriously sick abs. And she owns those results: “I saw that picture,” she exclaims. “I was like, ‘Whoa! I’m impressed!’”
10/ Lipstick
Make that matte lipstick. It’s her look-good, feel-good secret. “I’m obsessed. For people who are working and have to eat or drink, it stays so nice.” Vanessa’s salad is eaten – and, yes, her lipstick is utterly unsmudged. We bet she rocks it when she works out too!
This video of Gigi Hadid planking is insanely relatable. Plus: This is exactly what Khloe Kardashian orders at McDonalds.
