Cobie Smulders: Fitness Q&A

From The Avengers to Jack Reacher, she’s done it all. Here’s how she made sure she looked the part.

TRAIN FOR HER: What is your fitness fad?

I had to work my butt off on the Jack Reacher. I really wanted this woman to look like she knows what she’s doing and to look like she can take someone down. I did a lot of boxing, tae kwon do, jiu jitsu, and I trained with a guy who trains S.W.A.T. units – mostly for the movement and weaponry. I had a little bit of history with those elements from the Marvel films, but this was a lot more intensive and I got to show off what I learned a lot on this film.

What is your daily routine?

In my day-to-day life I get a lot out of Pilates, indoor cycling classes, and the bar method. I also do more weight training now, and I stick with the boxing when I can fit that in. The bar and Pilates are great because they do so much for my posture and core. I believe it helps with my energy levels. I love SoulCycle. I sweat so much with that; I pound it for 45 minutes and it makes me feel great.

What do you eat in a typical day?

I workout a lot at home now because of my two kids and I think motherhood has enhanced that in many ways. I’m mostly healthy when it comes to eating. Lots of protein, and a green smoothie for breakfast, eggs, avocados, arugula, quinoa, almonds, a lot of fruit, and veggies. I’m also drinking a lot of water and a lot of coconut water.

Where do you consider your happy place?

I find training incredibly de-stressing and it’s enormously helpful to my life on a number of levels. Working out helps you take control of
your body, strengthen it, and just become stronger and more capable. I am very into health and leading my life that way; a lot more so about how it makes me feel than the look. How my training relates to my work and life, it’s really about being healthy and so that I get the most out of this body.

Find celebrity interviews and more in every issue of TRAIN for HER.