Whether she’s posting bikini selfies from idyllic pools or attending glitzy parties for New York Fashion Week, Elizabeth Hurley has one of those lives we’d love to trade places with for a week. (Or a day. Or an hour!) The model and actress always manages to look look joyful and refreshed no matter where she is, and while we’re sure some of that is thanks to the magic of social media, Hurley also appears to be genuinely grateful for her life and all the rich experiences she gets to enjoy. That, and she seriously prioritizes her own health and wellbeing. Most recently, the 58-year-old shared with fans some details about a retreat she took to a health resort in Austria, an experience Hurley described as “most instructive and informative.”
Hurley visited the resort, VIVAMAYR Maria Wörth, with a number of health-focused goals in mind, she wrote on Instagram. “I went to give my digestion a reboot, attempt to learn how to better deal with stress and be kinder to my body’s various injuries (all of which I sustained filming — movies are not for the faint of heart),” wrote Hurley. After a week “back in the real world,” Hurley says she feels more energized and has a renewed commitment to be her “healthiest self,” which for the actress, means “swigging less coffee, stretching more and chewing my food.” That first one definitely seems to have worked — the photo Hurley posted to commemorate her visit shows the Austin Powers star showing off her flexibility with a full, straight-legged hamstring stretch, which (trust us) is way harder than she makes it look.
Then again, it’s no real surprise to see Hurley excited about stretching. She’s previously posted about trying Watsu, a massage practice for pain relief where a physical therapist stretches and massages your muscles in warm water; Hurley called it “one of the best stretches I’ve ever had.”
It’s also an aspect Hurley loves about one of her favorite hobbies: gardening. “When I’m working in the yard, I’m stretching, I’m bending and I find that’s good for both my mind and body,” Hurley told E! News in 2022, describing the hobby as “the most relaxed I can ever be.”
And while Hurley is passionate about health and wellness, you won’t find her in the gym anytime soon. “I don’t like so much to go to the gym, but I like to go for really long walks,” she explained, citing the important of simply “going outside” and getting moving. In a 2022 Women’s Health interview, the British star added that she likes to combine exercise with other activities, like housework. “I’d rather scrub a mirror [than go to the gym] — it does just as much,” she said.
On the topic of stress, which was another reason behind Hurley’s visit to the luxurious Austrian resort, Hurley also has some areas she wants to improve. The forced pause that came with the pandemic, Hurley told Women’s Health, showed her she’d been in “fight or flight mode for 30-odd years,” she said. “I really valued making myself sit still for a bit.” Hurley also limits screen time, especially before bed, preferring to read physical books instead.
Diet-wise, Hurley is all about limiting sugar and processed foods while prioritizing fruits and vegetables. “One of the most transformative things that I’ve done is making 50 percent of what I eat vegetable matter,” she told The Sunday Times in 2021, per Eat This, Not That.
It’s a wellness routine we can get behind — the low-pressure fitness, healthy eating, and stress-reducing screen reduction, at least. The vacation at the Austrian health resort may not be in the cards for most of us, though Hurley signed off her post by promising she’d be back for another visit. We’ll look forward to living vicariously through her Instagram feed!
Before you go, read more about these stars who’ve talked openly about their health struggles:
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