Italian model and TV star Elisabetta Canalis is just one of many stars who love the Alo Yoga gym in Los Angeles. Canalis, 45, shared videos of herself wearing black leggings and a matching sports bra, working out in the trendy studio using a kettlebell. Another video showed the star doing sled exercises, and lunges with dumbbells. “Back to weights today! Grazie @giorgiomerlinofor this full immersion,” she captioned the post, tagging her personal trainer from the gym. “Killing it 👊🏼🔥 come sempre 🫡,” trainer Merlino responded in the comments. Here’s what Canalis does to stay fit, beautiful, and strong.
Canalis has sworn by Pilates workouts for years, and kept it up during her pregnancy as well. “Pilates can make you aware of your body and your experience inside your body,” Sarah Wilcoxon, Pilates certified instructor at Missouri State University, tells Authority Magazine. “This is excellent news for folks (like me) who know that mindfulness and meditation are good for mental health but have trouble sitting still.”
Canalis has been horseback riding for decades, a sport which has mental as well as physical benefits. “Recreational horseback riders report a significantly higher sense of physical and emotional well-being and happiness than people who don’t enjoy the companionship of animals,” says the American Heart Association. “Riding, and being out in nature, helps many people melt away stress and find calm.”
Canalis doesn’t omit any food groups, focusing on protein and vegetables for her diet. She makes a point of allowing indulgences every now and then while following an overall sensible regimen. “Eating a diet that’s rich in protein is important for your muscle health,” Allegra Picano, RDN, tells Henry Ford Health. “And the more muscle mass you build, the faster your metabolism is and the easier it is to maintain a healthy weight.”
Canalis enjoys martial arts such as Krav Maga and kickboxing, which are great workouts for burning off steam and building strength. “My mom tried to send me to dance or artistic gym or things like that,” she previously told FitBump. “But I never wanted to play any of those sports. I wanted to play martial arts. My [then husband Bryan Perri] studied wrestling when he was younger. We like those kinds of sports!”
Canalis does strength training sessions under the watchful eye of personal trainer Merlino. Regular sessions are good for not only building muscle, but positively impact bone health, too. “Just doing aerobic exercise is not adequate,” Dr. Robert Schreiber, physician-in-chief at Hebrew SeniorLife and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, tells Harvard Health. “Unless you are doing strength training, you will become weaker and less functional.”