How Matthew McConaughey, 56, Stays Fit with Quick Workouts – Copy Them When You’re Short on Time

You don’t need to set aside an hour or two each day to work out – just ask Matthew McConaughey.

The Hollywood star – who this week headlines new Apple TV+ comedy Brothers alongside Woody Harrelson – often has limited time to dedicate to training, so instead he relies on short bursts of activity throughout the day – no matter how brief or seemingly simple. It’s a little-and-often approach that allows him to stay consistent with his health and fitness, even when time is tight.

‘I’ll drop and give myself 20 push-ups at intervals throughout the day: 9am, bang out 20; sitting in a boring meeting at 10:30: bang out 20. I do that 10 times throughout the day, I’ve done 200,’ McConaughey told MH. ‘Or even mix it up with crunches, squats, whatever. Also, I have a 12-pound (5.4kg) medicine ball. I’ll just think, “Pick up the medicine ball and don’t put it down for 30 minutes”. Try that once. You will have a workout, man.’

The Power of Micro Workouts

Those bodyweight movements and light loaded carries neatly reflect McConaughey’s broader approach to fitness. He’d much rather be outdoors than in the gym, regularly mixing running, swimming, cycling and paddleboarding into his routine whenever his schedule allows. For him, a handful of push-ups, squats, crunches and carries fits far more naturally into everyday life than chasing heavier deadlifts or bench presses.

And it’s that consistency that compounds over time. One day of 200 bodyweight reps probably won’t transform your physique, but repeating that habit over six months or a year soon adds up. Breaking the work into manageable chunks also makes the challenge feel far less daunting than trying to complete 200 push-ups in a single session.

McConaughey’s new series, Brothers, sees him starring alongside Harrelson as fictionalised versions of themselves attempting to live together on a Texas ranch. Given his approach to fitness, don’t be surprised if a little physical competition finds its way on screen.

Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_