Online Reporter
LOS ANGELES. —Age is just a number for actress Halle Berry, who looks just as phenomenal in her recent 60th birthday celebration snaps as she did 10 years ago — and beyond.
The actress makes staying svelte look effortless. But as her personal trainers reveal, specific diet and exercise tips have been learned along the way, that have helped Halle keep her figure trim through menopause, ageing and motherhood.
The Oscar-award winner posted photos of her birthday celebrations with musician fiancé, Van Hunt, 56, stripped back into a skimpy lace robe and eating chocolate-covered strawberries.
Halle, who is mum to daughter Nahla, 18, and son Maceo, 12, has always maintained an unapologetic attitude to ageing.
Just before turning 60, Halle told American publication The Cut: “I am not going to allow myself to be erased.
“I’m going to be louder than I have ever been.”
Her long-time personal trainer Peter Lee Thomas, a martial activist, action actor and fight coordinator, previously told US People magazine that, “she (Halle) has the discipline and athleticism of a 25-year-old.
“She’s putting in the work. She doesn’t mess around.”
The former Bond girl is famous for fighting back against menopause stigma, recently captioning an Instagram post: “Best part of menopause? I don’t give a f**k.
“Not about opinions. Not about playing it cute.
“I move how I want, wear what I want, and do it for me. That’s the freedom no one tells you about ‘til you’re living it.”
The Hollywood A-lister even launched Re-Spin — a health and wellness platform aimed at menopausal women.
It offers advice on everything from nutrition to mindset and exercise.
So what does Halle practise herself, to keep herself in such good shape? And how can you follow in her footsteps?
Her ‘boring’ workout
Speaking on the US’ Tamsen Show in 2025, Halle admitted that she’d shifted her focus from cardio to weight training, in a bid to put on muscle mass.
She said: “This is a necessity during menopause, where muscle mass naturally declines due to the drop in oestrogen. “Now I just do pretty much boring — what I find boring — but it’s necessary for this stage of life, really just heavier weights than I’ve ever lifted, and I do it probably two days a week at least.”
Will Duru, personal trainer and founder of workout app, 12Reps, says muscle is essential to achieve Halle’s figure.
He says: “Having muscle, while losing fat, is how Halle looks lean and ‘toned’.
“Weight training is important here. Plus, muscle helps to maintain balance as you age, to reduce the risk of falls and injuries.
“Muscle also protects bones. Bones can naturally weaken during menopause thanks to the loss of oestrogen, which is why osteoporosis rates are so much higher in menopausal women.”
So what’s the workout you should follow? Seeing as Halle weight trains at least twice a week, Will recommends at least one full body workout, one lower body and one upper body workout each week, guaranteed to hit all areas at least once.
Halle’s favourite strength training menopause exercises
Another of Halle Berry’s trainer Maria Luque, previously shared some of Halle’s favourite strength-training menopause exercises….
Reverse lunge with a twist
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand resting on each shoulder.
Step back into a lunge, and rotate your torso over your front leg. Then rotate back and step back up.
Plank pull-through
This is for your whole body and balance. In a high plank position, keeping your body as still as possible, drag a dumbbell from one hand to the next continually.
Flamingo shoulder press
This is for your core, balance and upper body
Start standing on one leg.
Hold a dumbbell facing forward and reach it up and change the dumbbell to the other hand.
Quit ‘cold turkey’
When she was just 22, Halle was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
It led to her switching from what she described as, “sugared up all the time”, to a low-carb, high-fat diet — which can be helpful for people managing type 2 diabetes.
“My health was on the line, so I went cold turkey on my sugar-filled ways,” she told Women’s Health Australia. “Out the window went the candy, the desserts and even super-sweet fruit.”
Halle’s comments about type 1 diabetes —and how she has “cured” herself —have ruffled a lot of feathers over the years (type 1 diabetes is not curable and requires injecting insulin).
But regardless, Halle sticks to her low-carb diet, avoiding refined, ‘white’ carbs, including bread, rice and pasta.
She has spiralised vegetables instead of pasta, swaps mashed potatoes for cauliflower mash, and tends to stick to a diet of steak and chicken, eggs, dark leafy greens, avocado, bone broth and courgette.
Halle said eating this way has helped her manage her condition, “but it’s also given me a ton of energy and helped me maintain my weight and stay in shape”.
Will explains that carbs aren’t something to completely slash from your diet, unless there’s a medical reason. Will says: “With my menopausal clients, I recommend cutting back on added sugars rather than carbs generally.
“Sugary foods can provide a lot of calories without filling you up, making weight management hard around menopause.
“Eating the right kind of carbs can help to give you energy and support your digestion.
“Look for high fibre carbs such as wholemeal bread, brown rice and pasta, beans and lentils, rather than refined carbs with sugar.
“Aim for a source of high fibre carbs with each meal.”
The £12 gadget
Another of Halle’s trainers, Maria Luque, revealed that she uses a weighted hula hoop.
“This is a great thing to do every day to get your heart rate up,” said Maria. Because it’s weighted, you have to really work at keeping it up. And it’s fun!”
According to Will, a hula hoop requires constant movement through your waist and hips.
“Having the extra weight also makes it more challenging than normal and will no doubt help Halle achieve that ‘snatched’ look.”
Aim for 10 to 15 minutes at a time or build it into your routine in short bursts.
Weighted hula hoops can be bought online for as little as £12.
All-rounder
Hula-hooping isn’t the only playground activity that Halle throws into her workout routine.
The actress previously shared a workout on Instagram showing herself skipping before doing a dumbbell workout.
She’s also shared her love of trampoline jumping, which offers most of the benefits of jumping on ground, but absorbs some of the shock, placing less stress on your joints. — SunClub
