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In the past, Kristen Bell’s workout routine has included Pilates, strength training, biking and hiking She said she likes to switch up her movement when it starts to feel “a little bit comfortable”After 30 years as a vegetarian, she began eating meat again in 2022 to boost her protein intake and support her strength training
For Kristen Bell, strength goes far beyond the gym.
“To me, being healthy means feeling good about the choices I’m making, and most important, it’s about keeping fit mentally and physically,” the actress told Shape in November 2017. “I’m constantly reminding myself it’s not about my thighs: It’s about my commitment and my happiness level.”
The Nobody Wants This star has been open about her workout routine over the years, which has included Pilates, strength training and cycling. She’s also stayed honest about how movement has affected her mental health.
“I’ve been struggling the last 2 weeks, for who-knows-why-slash-ALL-the-reasons. Today I finally got back on the tredmill [sic], figuratively and literally,” she wrote on Instagram in January 2021. “And I’m proud. ‘Good job, kb.’ I said to myself. To anyone who’s been feeling the same, you can do it. Just do the next right thing.”
From her “exercise snacking” hacks to her flexible fitness philosophy, here’s everything Kristen Bell has shared about her workout routine.
Bell tries to do some form of movement every day — even if it’s just stretching
Kristen Bell in January 2021.
Kristen Bell/Instagram
No matter what her day looks like, Bell said she makes moving her body part of her routine. The Veronica Mars alum told Shape in April 2021 that she’ll “run or lift weights for a least 30 minutes” on most days, but doesn’t force herself if she’s not up to it.
“If I don’t have the energy, I refuse to beat myself up,” Bell explained. “Instead, I’ll do a 10-minute meditation or stretch class on YouTube to prioritize myself.”
She’s a fan of short workouts
Kristen Bell works out with husband Dax Shepard in May 2022.
Kristen Bell/Instagram
The busy mom of two doesn’t have time to spend hours in the gym. Bell told Shape in 2017 that she incorporates short bursts of movement into her day whenever she can — even if she’s at work.
“While I’m running through lines with my fellow actors, I’ll be leaning backward on a chair doing tricep dips,” she told the outlet. “At home, when my kids and I are on a walk, and they’re meandering and looking at leaves, I’ll do lunges. I get it in however and whenever I can.”
Her other go-to “exercise snacking” options include sprinting up her driveway “10 or 15 times,” doing squats while playing with her kids and keeping a set of weights in the kitchen so she can do bicep curls while cooking dinner.
“Sometimes my workouts are sliced into my day in one-and-a-half-minute segments,” the actress told Business Insider in February 2025. “I try to habit-stack, too. I let the dogs out to pee at 9 p.m. every night, and then I do 24 squats. I’ve done that every night for six months, and it’s great because I don’t have to make time.”
Bell was a vegetarian for 30 years
Kristen Bell in July 2025.
Kristen Bell/Instagram
Bell told Business Insider that she spent three decades as a vegetarian (and a few years as a vegan) before deciding to return to eating meat in 2022. “It finally didn’t feel weird to me,” the actress said. “I felt like I needed and wanted it. Now I try to eat high-protein like my husband to support the lifting.”
Not one to follow a strict diet, Bell told Women’s Health in October 2019 that she practices “conscious eating.”
“I have to eat carbs because I have to memorize 11 pages of dialogue, and I can’t do that eating spinach and chicken,” she said. “I’m not super restrictive … but I am mindful of the portion I take. I find that through conscious eating, I’m able to have all the rewards and also maintain a healthy, steady diet.”
She used to do Pilates but switched to heavy lifting
Kristen Bell in April 2024.
Kristen Bell/Instagram
Back in 2019, Bell told Women’s Health that doing Pilates three times a week made her feel “so much stronger” physically, something she had always struggled with. “I’ve never felt physically strong,” she said. “I felt waifish … or pregnant. And I’m loving the fact that if we ever get attacked by ninjas, I would be a valuable asset.”
Though The Good Place actress credited the exercise for giving her abs after childbirth had “obliterated” her abdominal wall, she later switched her focus to strength training.
“For a long time, I did workouts that were tailored to women like Pilates,” Bell told Business Insider in 2025. “I enjoy those things but I really hit my stride and probably have the best body I’ve ever had at 44 — not just in terms of shape but also strength, endurance, and capacity — when I started heavy lifting.”
Bell likes to compete with her husband Dax Shepard
Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell attend the 2025 Time100 Gala on April 24, 2025 in New York City.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
While hunkering down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bell discovered another motivation for working out: competing with her husband, Dax Shepard.
“My husband started working out a lot during COVID-19,” she told Business Insider, “and because I’m so competitive, I follow whatever he’s doing.”
Her competitive nature not only got her into lifting but also intense cardio. “My husband has been biking a lot recently to build quad strength,” she said, noting that his preferred daily route was “a huge hill.” The actress followed suit by starting with a “formidable” hill in their neighborhood, which taps into her desire to be challenged.
“I’m very active but I never commit to just one workout because I like to challenge myself,” Bell explained. “There will be six weeks where I hike every day and the minute it feels a little bit comfortable, I’ll switch.”
She says exercise makes her feel “more centered”
Kristen Bell in May 2021.
Kristen Bell/Instagram
Aside from the physical benefits of working out, Bell told Women’s Health that the strength she’s gained isn’t limited to her biceps.
“I feel so much stronger, and it’s a physical feeling, but it’s also a mental one,” the actress said. “It should be the first stop for anyone who experiences depression or anxiety because it encourages serotonin and endorphins. I feel so much more centered, patient, capable.”