Candice Swanepoel is 33 and thriving. The South African model posted a gorgeous series of pictures of herself swimming underwater in a black one-piece bathing suit, captioning the shots “..and with libra season comes an ocean of emotion 🌊 ⚖️.” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Swanepoel stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don’t miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!
Breakfast for Swanepoel is usually eggs and bacon or a delicious smoothie. “My breakfast varies depending on my mood. I do a nice beauty smoothie,” she tells The Cut. It contains coconut oil, flaxseed oil, banana, protein, some kind of antioxidant fruit like blueberries or strawberries, or some nut butter. I discovered it from doing research; I like to be on beauty blogs. I’ve always loved nutrition and because I’ve worked out for so many years, I’ve figured out what’s best for my body and keeping my energy up. It’s evolved from that.”
Swanepoel doesn’t see exercise as a burden—she believes it’s important to find a workout you love. “I really enjoy working out so, to relax, I’ll do a yoga or Pilates class,” she says. “What I love about yoga is that it helps both your mental and physical well-being. I also like unwinding by taking my dogs for a walk. When I can, I love to be surrounded by nature or swimming in the ocean.”
Swanepoel knows the importance of balance in life. “To me, wellness is having a balanced lifestyle between personal and work,” she says. “It’s being happy and healthy. I don’t like restrict myself from certain foods that I want, or kill myself at the gym. It’s really what’s comfortable for my body at the time and what’s best at that moment.”
Swanepoel is an early bird, who loves the beach and swimming. “An ideal day would be to wake up quite early, make a nice breakfast, and take my time in the morning before taking my dogs for a walk, going to the beach, or having a quick swim,” she says. “I also love being at home, decorating, or FaceTiming with my family.”
Swanepoel has two children—Anaca, 5, and Ariel, 4, and revels in her post-baby body. “You take on a different shape, a more womanly shape,” she says. “I’m loving it. I’ve had such an amazing experience with my pregnancy and afterwards. It’s quite a journey: the hormones, watching your body grow that way, giving yourself time to go back to normal. I think women have to stop putting so much pressure on having to be perfect and back in shape three weeks after. It’s just not realistic. For me, it was about focusing on my son and it all just fell into place after that.”