Beach season is already here and January is long gone — but it’s never too late to start (or refresh!) your fitness and wellness goals so you can feel your most confident …with or without clothes.
And to make it easier for you, we rounded up the top game-changing rituals and no-nonsense advice — from both celebrities and top industry experts — that are simple, doable and yes, that actually work.
For example, if you’re gearing up for a tropical vacation but are dreading wearing skin-baring swimsuits, don’t stress. Founder of celebrity-adored Sugared + Bronzed Courtney Claghorn told Us the secret to getting rid of razor bumps.
First, “soak skin in warm water and then exfoliate with a gentle but effective [mitt]” before shaving. Afterwards, use a soothing product with salicylic and lactic acids for anti-inflammatory benefits. If you prefer using professional hair removal methods, sugaring (instead of waxing) might be a smarter choice. “Sugaring paste is applied at room temperature and removed in the natural direction of hair growth. This makes a huge difference in reducing hair breakage beneath the skin surface,” she explains.
Redefining Beauty: Stars Paving the Way for a New Era of Self-Confidence
Below, more foolproof tips from the stars and the pros that will help you look good in the buff, or in a bikini:
Heidi Klum
Klum’s not wasting time worrying about aging. The Project Runway host chooses to enjoy the present rather than dwelling on how her physical appearance might change over the next two decades. “Who cares how I look when I’m 70? I want to have fun now,” the model, 52, has said. “Obviously, I hope I still look fabulous at 70, but if I’m not, I had a great time up until that moment.” Now that’s how you achieve a glow from within!
Kendall Jenner
The 29-year-old supermodel is a proponent of cold plunging, a.k.a. immersing yourself in ice-cold water for a few minutes. “Sometimes I miss a day because it’s hard to get myself there mentally, but [I] do it as often as I can,” she’s noted of the somewhat uncomfortable practice. The wellness trend has numerous benefits for the body, including working to reduce inflammation (which, in turn, can help decrease bloating) and boosting metabolism.
Gabrielle Union
Experiencing perimenopause influenced Union, 52, to follow an anti-inflammatory diet — which incorporates eating whole foods like spinach and salmon — to help manage side effects such as weight gain. Added bonus: “A healthy, whole food diet can help prevent [chronic diseases such as] heart disease, cancer, neuronal degeneration [and] diabetes,” Keri Glassman, an integrative registered dietitian and founder of Nutritious Life, tells Us.
Brooks Nader
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model’s hack for anyone to accept their body and feel sexy in their skin costs zero pennies. “Just be naked. All the time. And then you’ll learn to love yourself,” she tells Us. “I am always naked, 24/7. I live with my sisters — nothing they haven’t seen before, all good,” the Dancing With the Stars alum, 28, quips. “And so just be naked more and then you’ll be more comfortable.”
Sofía Vergara
If exercising appears more tedious than invigorating, you’re not alone. The Modern Family star, 52, feels the same way. “I’m in a bad mood two hours before and while I’m doing it and then I’m done, because I know I have to come back and do it again,” she’s joked. But if you’re inspired to tone your tush like Vergara, try lunges, squats and deadlifts using the Megaformer — a more intense Pilates-inspired spring-based machine seen in Lagree Method classes. “With this machine, I was able to figure out what worked for me,” she explained. “I don’t love it at all, but I love how my body’s changing.”
Hunter McGrady
Confidence is sexy! “Talk yourself up in the mirror,” preaches the model, 32, who praises an uplifting activity from a therapist. Standing naked, “Say five things you want to love about yourself. [Those] will eventually become the easiest things [to] love.” With time, the list is bound to grow longer and more profound. “[It] used to be my hips, my arms, my legs, my cellulite, whatever it was,” McGrady tells Us. “Now, it’s so much deeper than that — I don’t even think of those things anymore.”
Kylie Jenner
“Hydration is a big part of my life,” Jenner, 27, has said. “I feel better, my skin glows and I’m energized.” If you’re wondering how much water you should be consuming daily, Glassman says that drinking “64 oz a day is a myth, but it’s a decent place to start.” And no, ingesting plenty of H2O is not the cause of bloating: “Remove carbonation, highly processed packaged foods, chewing gum, artificial sweeteners and focus on whole foods.”
Elizabeth Hurley
If you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin your fitness journey, listen to the 60-year-old Austin Powers star, who gave accessible advice on Instagram. “I don’t drink weird green juices or shakes and only take supplements if a blood test tells me I’m lacking something,” she wrote. “I try to have vegetables or fruit equal half of every plate I eat.” Of course, she enjoys a cheat meal on occasion: “I eat pretty much everything but only have junk food as an absolute treat.”
Eva LaRue
The trick to looking good in photos? According to the All My Children alum and current General Hospital actress, 58, it comes down to maintaining proper posture. “Even the most incredible supermodel can have a bad shot with a bad pose or just bad body posture,” she tells Us. “Stand up super straight [and] suck that gut in — it helps with your back [strength] anyway.”
Lori Harvey
The model credits Pilates for her killer abs. “It’s changed my life,” Harvey, 28, gushed of the low-impact workout, which does more than just achieve a six-pack. Certified Pilates trainer and creator of B the Method, Lia Bartha, explains why: “When the core is strong and properly activated, everything else functions better — your posture improves… your breath deepens, even your joints feel more stable,” she says. “[In my method], it’s not about crunches or quick fixes. It’s about building strength from the inside out.”
Elizabeth Banks
“Look, I’m never mad at some self-tanner,” the actress, 51, tells Us. “Everyone looks better when they [are] a little bit sun-kissed, and you shouldn’t [have] to be in the sun to do it.” Celebrity airbrush artist Jenni Blafer (a.k.a. SKJ — Sunkissed By Jenni) explains why most people feel their best with a faux bronze: “Tan skin creates shadows where the muscles are defined.”
Laura Chan
No beauty routine can make you love your physical appearance unless you let go of unhelpful thought patterns. The 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover model, 34, agrees. “It all starts with your mind,” she tells Us, urging people to avoid giving in to unrealistic beauty standards as they’re “not real.” She adds, “Look at how beauty ideals change over time… your body is not a trend.”
