How Meghan Markle Keeps Her Figure

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is no stranger to life in the public eye. Indeed, Markle was a Hollywood celeb before she married into the royal family, most notably through her role as Rachel Zane in "Suits." However, even before her time on "Suits," Markle had made several on-screen appearances, including in the film "Horrible Bosses" and the TV series "Castle." As such, Markle has always maintained a well-rounded fitness routine to maintain her screen-ready figure, including a healthy diet, yoga, and a wide variety of full-body workouts.

Over the years, the Duchess of Sussex has shared many personal wellness and beauty tips, including her favorite inspirational books and even her signature perfume. As someone who has undergone such a stunning style transformation from actor to royal, it's safe to say that her workout routine is equally responsible as her mindful lifestyle habits for her good looks. "My health, my state of mind, the feeling you have after a workout; all of these things drive me to step onto my mat or go to the gym," Markle explained, as reported by Women's Health in a feature published in 2018. "Sometimes the idea of working out sounds absolutely dreadful, but I always remind myself of how good it will feel afterward. Euphoric, almost." Markle is dedicated to keeping up physical activity to maintain her toned physique and, honestly, we should all take notes from the duchess.

The most effective form of exercise should involve the activation of more than one group of muscles. For this reason, you can't go wrong with a full-body workout, which targets several muscle groups and fitness concerns. Indeed, Meghan Markle's Toronto-based trainer, Craig McNamee, told Women's Health in 2020 that the duchess prioritizes her health and an active lifestyle: "When she gets to the gym, there's no real complaining. She gets down to business right away and really enjoys it." Complaining during a workout is practically a rule for some people, so this comment says a great deal about her unwavering dedication to fitness.

Markle followed a specific routine while working with McNamee. "Generally speaking, we had a full-body approach," said McNamee. "And since Meghan was onscreen, we really focused on posture." As such, Markle's trainer created circuits that targeted her back, lower body (glutes and hamstrings), and her core (abs, obliques, and pelvic floor).

Meghan Markle is a devoted and lifelong yogi — a practice rooted in family ties and childhood memories. "My mom was a yoga instructor," she said, per Women's Health, "so that practice is in my blood. I love an intense vinyasa class — and even better if it's blasting hip-hop and done in a dark room with candlelight. The best." Vinyasa is a form of yoga that involves continuous movement. Instead of holding a single pose and resting in between, vinyasa requires you to flow from one pose to the next by synchronizing your inhalation and exhalation.

"There are so many benefits that come with the practice of yoga," Markle's former trainer Duncan Parviainen shared with Best Health in 2015. "A few benefits of vinyasa yoga include increased flexibility and muscle strength, greater happiness, increased mental focus, a greater ability to relax, decreased anxiety and better sleep." Muscle gains, anxiety relief, and a sleep aid? We're sold. What's more, Markle also told Shape that she does "a lot of hot yoga — Moksha yoga, specifically." This contemporary form of yoga involves vigorous yoga sessions in a heated studio to draw out toxins and burn more calories.

On top of yoga and full-body workouts, Meghan Markle is also a fan of Pilates and similar fitness programs. "Pilates Platinum is hands down the best thing you could do for your body," she said to Harper's Bazaar in 2017, referring to a specific Pilates chain owned by her friend Heather Dorak that utilizes a Megaformer machine. "You keep coming back for several reasons: first off, your body changes immediately ... give it two classes and you will see a difference ..." Sebastein Lagree of Lagree Fitness estimated that Markle was practicing Megaformer pilates approximately three times per week while living in the U.K. "She goes to Studio Lagree in London, and went to Power Pilates in LA," Lagree told the Daily Mail. "Women love it because it's a graceful way to weight train."

Additionally, Markle also reported that she relied on fitness DVDs by Tracy Anderson when she worked as an actor. "I've been doing the Tracy Anderson DVDs for five, six years almost now," she told Shape in 2013, "and I just find the results are great and you can do little 15-minute increments. I'll do them in my trailer — just find those little bits of time that help, and at the end of the day, you've had a full workout."

"Running has always been my form of moving meditation, which I relish because it allows me to get out of my head," Meghan Markle explained (via Women's Health). She also shared with Best Health that she used to run more often before she started working on "Suits," as her typical work day began at 4:15 a.m., which didn't leave much time for jogging — or sleeping, for that matter. As such, Markle has learned to diversify her exercise routine whenever possible to adapt to various schedules.

That said, running remains one of Markle's favorite activities despite her shifting agenda and priorities. In fact, nothing can stop the duchess from partaking in her go-to cardio workout, least of all a pair of creaky joints. "As I've gotten older, running has become hard on my knees, so I can't run outside the way I used to, but I'm still planning to run a marathon!" she revealed to Best Health.

Although Meghan Markle is accustomed to leading an active lifestyle, she struggles to keep up her daily routines amid other responsibilities now that she is a mother and a member of the royal family. Taking care of herself is not simply about looking good, she told Best Health. "I make sure that I take care of my skin and body, especially with the work hours I have. And I don't just take care of myself for aesthetic reasons but because how I feel is dictated by what I'm eating, how much rest I'm getting and how much water I'm drinking," she explained. In her interview with Shape, Markle specified, "I eat mostly just fish and veggies, but I am also a foodie. So on the weekends, all bets are off."

Among her favorite weekend go-to snacks? Mixing together wine and chocolate. "Combining two of every lady's classic loves, wine and chocolate, this remarkably easy yet decadent dessert has been the talk of the town this season," she wrote on her now-defunct lifestyle website The Tig (via Mind Food). Needless to say that as an entrepreneur and royal, it's more than likely that Markle makes time for her favorite foods in combination with an overall healthy eating regimen.