Hilary Duff's Realistic Fitness as Busy Mom of 4

Hilary Duff prioritizes feeling good from within as part of her fitness philosophy, a sentiment she has expressed in several interviews.

“I really like to be active. I have a lot of energy that I need to burn off or else I’m like, 'Blah!' So I feel better when I’m active,” she shared with Marie Claire in 2023.

Despite being a mother of four and often praised for her fitness, Duff emphasizes living a balanced life over seeking physical perfection.

“(I’m) appreciating my health, doing activities that make me feel strong instead of just bettering the outside of my body, spending time with people that make me feel good and share similar views on health and body positivity and getting enough sleep and balance in my diet,” she told Women’s Health Australia in 2022.

Curious how Duff maintains her health and wellness goals amidst a bustling household and a successful acting career? Here’s what she has revealed about her fitness routine.

She prefers morning workouts

Duff likes to exercise early in the day, marking it off her to-do list right away, especially during busy times like the holiday season.

“It’s nice to get it out of the way and just know you did it,” she told Women’s Health.

She incorporates weights into her workouts

Duff stresses the importance of weight lifting, particularly for women’s bone health and posture.

Initially apprehensive about “bulking up,” she now enjoys the strength and lean physique weight training provides.

“I’m lifting and squatting and using a barbell with lots of weight on it, and I’ve never felt so strong but lean,” she said in 2019.

To add challenge, Duff uses weighted vests during cardio, especially when hiking.

“I was doing that 12-3-30 workout (on my treadmill), but it was getting really easy for me,” she told Women’s Health in 2023.

“So then, I started wearing a 12-pound weighted vest, and it got hard again. But I like it.”

She enjoys the social side of working out

Duff finds motivation and enjoyment in working out with friends. “I like grabbing a workout or a hike with a friend," she told Marie Claire in 2023, noting the social and motivational benefits.

She likes intense, sweaty workouts

Duff appreciates heated workouts for their detoxifying effect and extra sweat. She particularly enjoys HIIT Pilates classes in a heated studio.

“There’s nothing better than the way (that workout) makes your skin feel,” she said. “You feel like you got rid of what you needed to get rid of, and then your skin just feels so nice. I really like that feeling.”

She practices mindful eating

Working with a dieting coach helped Duff realize how much she was mindlessly snacking.

“I had no idea how much I was eating throughout the day, snacking,” she told Women’s Health in 2019.

“I lost 10 pounds and I was not starving myself, and just eating things that I like and being more conscious.”

She focuses on resistance training

Duff’s personal trainer, Dominic Leeder, emphasizes resistance training to build lean muscle and boost metabolism. They incorporate supersets, combining strength and stability exercises.

“We are looking at around 75-85% of her one rep max. That’s a weight that you can quite happily do eight to 10 reps with perfect form.

After that we would then drop the weight down and do eight reps at a slower rep range.

I’ve found it’s the best way to gain lean muscle mass if it’s mixed with a sensible, science-based diet,” he explained.

Leeder provided an example superset of eight push-ups followed by a chest press on a stability ball with light weights, using a 4-2-1 count rep range.

“That’s four seconds down, holding for two at the bottom of the movement, pressing up for one.” Duff typically does four one-hour sessions a week, sometimes increasing to five.

She enjoys playing tennis with her husband

Duff aims to play tennis for an hour every week with her husband, Matthew Koma, usually on Sundays.

“It’s something my husband and I do together, which is really nice. About two years ago, I told him, ‘We need a sport so we can still enjoy each other’s company when the kids leave the house,’” she shared with Women’s Health.

“I’m really loving that escape and little break,” she mentioned to Shape in 2023. “Tennis is a complex game, and it’s hard to think about other things while playing. It helps drown out all the noise in my head.”

Duff mentioned to Bustle in 2023 that tennis helps her manage “stress and overthinking” because “there’s so much to learn and focus on during the game, your mind really shuts off and takes a break.”

She counts macros

Following the guidance of a dieting coach and personal trainer, Duff has found that counting macros is an effective way to maintain a balanced diet.

Macros, short for macronutrients, are nutrients your body needs in large amounts, including carbs, proteins, and fats.

Counting macros can offer more flexibility in your diet and allows you to eat a variety of foods without cutting out entire food groups.

Talking to Women’s Health, Duff said that counting macros and following a custom weekly menu has been “really successful” for her.

In 2020, Duff posted on Instagram praising her dieting coach, stating that counting macros has helped her “stay lean even while enjoying bread, chocolate, and wine.”

Leeder, speaking to Women's Health Australia, emphasized the importance of carbs, especially for those who work out regularly.

“There’s a common misconception that carbs are bad. Complex carbs are, in my opinion, essential.

Without carbs, your body will use other resources for energy, like protein. And with resistance training, we want that protein to go to lean muscle building to boost metabolism.

We need carbs, and the right carbs will keep you satisfied,” he explained.

She’s realistic about pregnancy weight gain

As a mother of four, Duff is familiar with the challenges of pregnancy weight gain.

“It was very hard for me. It’s such a downer, honestly. You have this new baby, or in my case, my first child was 1, and I thought, ‘I still have this body! What happened?’” she told Cosmopolitan in 2016.

Duff acknowledged that getting back into shape after pregnancy requires “a lot of focus and dedication” and shared some methods that helped her.

“Talking to friends about it, trying to stay motivated, and reserving your energy to ensure you can get to the gym. Cutting out certain vices for a while,” she advised.

She works hard to balance time at the gym with family time

Duff is dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and is also passionate about her career and family.

Balancing every aspect of her life can be challenging, but her trainer Leeder told Women’s Health Australia that they continuously set new fitness goals based on her current needs.

“What we aimed for was maintaining what we have while enjoying life.

When she started filming another show, it became even more difficult to train together,” he said.

“But since our goal was maintenance, we often managed to keep it going, so she stays mentally happy. Once she finishes that work, we’ll ramp up again and set new goals.”

She stays active by chasing her kids

Kids have boundless energy, and Duff has learned that keeping up with them can be a workout.

“Luca and I swim all the time, and he loves riding his scooter, so I got one too. It’s a bit embarrassing as an adult, but it’s fun with him,” she told People in 2018.

“We also jump on the trampoline in the backyard. His favorite game is tag, and he’s so fast. His legs are long, so I run as fast as I can to keep up, and it’s a good workout.”

She’s Done Trying to Be ‘Perfect’

Being in the public eye comes with the pressure to maintain a certain appearance. Hilary Duff has experienced her share of insecurities, but she now aims to be kinder to herself.

"I don’t pressure myself to be perfect," she told Cosmopolitan in 2016. "When I was younger, I felt more pressure and cared a lot more about what people thought of me."

Motherhood helped her adopt this new mindset.

"After having a child, I’m no longer my top priority. I don’t have as much time to worry about it.

Of course, I care about my appearance, and I focus on taking care of myself and maintaining good mental health.

Working out helps with that, but I also love enjoying food and drinks and living my life," she explained.

After the birth of her second child, a daughter named Banks, Duff’s body image perspective evolved.

"I’m proud of my body for giving me three children. I've reached a place of peace with the changes my body has undergone," she told Women’s Health while posing nude for the magazine in 2022.

She Prefers to Prep Meals Ahead of Time

To avoid making impulsive and unhealthy meal choices, Duff shared with Cosmopolitan that she likes to meal prep when she has the time.

"I try to prepare things over the weekend, like a large batch of quinoa to add to salads," she said in 2016.

"I cook for a 4-year-old all the time, so if I don’t have healthy options available for myself, I’ll end up finishing his plate, and that’s not ideal."

Source: today

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