HEALTHSlay Like Shay! 'Pretty Little Liars' Star Reveals How She Took Her Fitness Game To A New Level
June 20 2021, Published 12:01 a.m. ET
After taking a bit of a break from regular exercise, actress Shay Mitchell recently revealed she’s back at it — and feeling stronger than ever.
"2020 was the year of searching for something to make us feel good," the mom of 20-month-old Atlas wrote on Instagram. "For me, that came in the form of comfort food, comfort clothes and throwing my fitness routine out the window."
In January, she decided to team up with wellness app Openfit and committed to exercising five days a week for one month. "It changed everything," Shay, 34, shared. "I had way more energy; I don’t have five cups of coffee anymore. I can sound preachy when I’m talking about it, but it totally altered my year."
FRESH EATS
The Pretty Little Liars alum had always maintained a healthy lifestyle, but she's taken things up a notch now that she's a mom. "I want [Atlas] to be conscious about what she’s eating and where she gets it from. We have been taking her to the farmers market, and I like her knowing that this food came from a specific place," she revealed.
Shay’s morning meal is usually a "perfect breakfast quesadilla" with eggs, spinach and mushrooms that she discovered on TikTok. For lunch, she'll have pho or chicken noodle soup, and dinner is fish with a sweet potato and a salad.
She snacks on fruit and veggies with hummus and satisfies her sweet tooth regularly. "I love ice cream [and] donuts too," she’s said. "There’s not a dessert I don’t like, to be honest!"
PUSHING IT
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She jumped headfirst into Openfit’s 4 Weeks of Focus plan with pal Stephanie Shepherd, doing 30-minute strength training and cardio sessions in the mornings with trainer Kelsey Heenan. They alternated between jump squats, arm and leg raises, squat presses and classic push-ups, and Shay said she surpassed her own expectations.
"For me, it was always about a deadlift," she revealed. "Getting up to 50 pounds was a boss move. I was really proud of myself." She’s thrilled with her return to form. "I was strong before I had Atlas," said Shay, "and I wanted to feel that way after." Mission accomplished.
SELF LOVE
"We celebrate our bodies before we’re pregnant; we celebrate our bodies with bumps," Shay said. "We should also celebrate our bodies at whatever point we feel our best again."
NEW CHALLENGE
The star followed a 30-day plan exercising five days a week for four weeks. "I feel more healthy, energetic and engaged," she wrote on Instagram on Feb. 10.
THE RIGHT MOVES
Shay admitted frequent HIIT sessions initially took a lot out of her. "At the beginning… I was thinking, 'How the hell am I going to get through these next four weeks,'" she said on Instagram.
