Christina Hendricks Shares Her Secrets To Staying Healthy

Christina Hendricks has a whopping 68 acting credits on her IMDB page, spanning decades. The show-stopping actress, while she most recently appears in the dark TV comedy "Good Girls," is likely best known for her iconic role as secretary Joan Halloway in AMC's award-winning drama series "Mad Men." The confident, powerful, take-no-prisoners Joan exuded both gentle poise and fierce courage, and Hendricks herself was raised in similar fashion. 

The star once told Everyday Health that her mother had raised her to believe she was capable of anything she put her mind to. "My mom never thought there was anything we couldn't do. If we wanted to do it, she'd say, 'Well, let's figure out how to do that,' whether it was dance or theater," Hendricks said. 

The actress has gone on to manage a highly successful and busy show business career, and yet she still finds the time to take good care of herself, something she admits is always a work in progress as she (like the rest of us) learns as she grows.  

When asked how she manages to take good care of her mental and physical health during demanding schedules, Christina Hendricks explained to Everyday Health that her self care is always evolving.  "I'm constantly trying to learn how to be healthier and take tips from people," she says. "You have to remind yourself all the time."

Some of the advice she's found most helpful includes getting comfortable in your own kitchen. If you love food (who doesn't?!), learning to cook some of your favorite dishes yourself allows you to choose the freshest ingredients and leave out and preservatives or other additives mass-produced food might include. In Hendricks' case, she loves to cook Indian food, and when she needs comfort food, she turns to good old, homemade spaghetti and red sauce. 

 As far as exercise is concerned, Hendricks says it's been helpful for her to work out with a buddy to keep her accountable and entertained. She also recommends getting out of a "workout rut" by trying new things. If you get bored walking every day, maybe try out yoga or pilates or a dance class. And speaking of dance. Hendricks swears by dancing every single day to feel the joy of movement and relieve stress. You don't have to have any training; you can just play your favorite music and let loose in your own kitchen, with no one watching.