Just when we’d decided that the beach was gonna get whatever body we decided to give it this year, here comes Danai Gurira on the cover of the July/August issue of Women’s Health, reminding us that we could probably do better.
Not that we hope to reach Gurira-level fitness; the actress, playwright and activist works way harder for her stellar bod than we likely have the focus for, admitting to the magazine that when it comes to her sessions with trainer A.J. Fisher, “Sometimes it’s so intense, I can’t remember what we did.”
Along with a very responsible “pesca-vegan” diet and spiritual balance, Fisher’s “Corectology” method is the secret behind the stability and strength that fuels the 40-year-old Gurira’s incredible physique and athleticism seen in The Walking Dead and Black Panther.
The method “aims to even out muscle imbalances while improving strength, mobility, and cardiovascular function.”
Gurira’s workouts incorporate circuit training, the Pilates 100 and resistance bands, which make her intense workouts portable. And while Fisher pairs different muscle groups to increase Gurira’s stability, glutes are always on the menu. “It’s the biggest muscle in the body and key for posture and balance,” Fisher tells Women’s Health.
“If I haven’t worked out, if I haven’t exercised and connected with my body in some way, it chips away at my feeling of well-being,” Gurira tells the magazine. “As women, we’re not always encouraged to find the fullest extent of our physical power. There’s something so exciting about tapping into that part of ourselves.”
Helping women and girls tap into their power is one of Gurira’s goals—in life, in work and with her Zimbabwean-American arts nonprofit, Almasi Arts, which pairs established and aspiring artists.
“The struggles of women and girls is something that I’m very passionate about,” she tells Women’s Health. “I have to do what I can in the world. We all have to do what we can.”
It’s the kind of drive that gives Gurira her remarkable body, focus and career, and reminds us why she was perfectly cast as the Dora Milaje general Okoye.
“There’s no app for skipping hard work,” she says. “You have to seek your purpose and pursue it.”
The Glow Up tip: The July/August issue of Women’s Health, featuring Gurira, hits newsstands June 26.