Today, Jennifer Lopez celebrates her 50th birthday, joining a few of our favorite celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Gwen Stefani who also turn 50 in 2019. While some recognize this birthday as a segue into a slower-paced lifestyle, J.Lo has showed no signs of slowing down—in fact, she’s absolutely thriving.
To celebrate the milestone birthday, the singer and actress launched her “It’s My Party Tour”—her first tour in six years. In between performing, Lopez has been filming her upcoming movie Hustlers, where she stars as a strip club waitress who manipulates big bucks out of Wall Street men. And yes, it involves some athletic pole work from Lopez, which she has no problem completing. Have you seen her abs?!
Most people would consider their birthday a pretty good excuse to skip the gym and enjoy their favorite foods and sweets. But for J.Lo, turning one year older means squeezing in a workout and having her cake, too. Here’ s how the star looks so stunning at 50.
1. She never skips a workout.
It’s so easy to let excuses keep you out of the gym, but Lopez has learned to hold herself accountable for maintaining her strength and agility. “Very rarely will I skip my workout,” she told Us Weekly. “Sometimes, I work too late the night before, and I’m like, ‘Ugh, I can’t do this.’ But I tell myself, ‘Just do it. It’s only an hour.’ It’s just talking yourself off the ledge of being a lazy bum.”
And yes, that includes her birthday. “#SundayFunday kind of... gotta get it in... now let the fun begin! #birthdayweekbegins,” she captioned a workout selfie from her 49th birthday. Work hard, play hard.
That’s why the star feels more confident in her skin than ever before. “I see pictures of myself in my twenties and go, ‘Oh, I look better now!’” she said to Us Weekly. “I embrace who I am. I feel sexy, I feel youthful, I feel pretty sometimes!”
2. She keeps her workouts fresh.
Lopez switches up her routine all the time, working with different trainers when she’s in New York or Los Angeles. “I like the balance that they both give me. They have two totally different approaches. I like switching it up with my body,” she told Hollywood Life in 2016. Whether she’s doing planks and push-ups with a trainer or dancing to a new song, Lopez stays active and makes sure she’s always having fun.
When exercising with celeb trainer Tracy Anderson, J.Lo’s go-to workouts include kickboxing, circuit training, lunges, burpees, and ab workouts. Another one of her trainers, David Kirsch told SELF that she tones her upper body with the ever-challenging Spiderman push-ups, which includes a stability-testing BOSU ball to target arms, chest, and core.
“I am 100 percent convinced that working out is part of what makes me so happy,” she told Hello Magazine. “Dance has always been a huge part of my life and taking the time to move my body and do something that’s so good for me is key to my happiness.”
3. She fuels up with protein and veggies.
Lopez is not about depriving herself from food to stay slim; instead, she opts for meals that leave her satisfied and full of energy. The actress has worked with nutritionist Haylie Pomroy, whose Metabolism Revolution diet plan helps the metabolism function efficiently by encouraging lean proteins, non-starchy veggies, healthy fats, and complex carbs like brown rice and sweet potatoes.
Lopez has also cut out processed and refined foods (remember her no-sugar, no-carbs challenge?!), and you definitely won’t find her sipping on a cup of coffee in the morning. “I haven’t had caffeine in years,” she told Hollywood Life in 2016. Instead, the actress drinks plenty of water to stay hydrated.
And even though she’s always on the go, J.Lo always looks for healthy options. “Most restaurants offer healthy, low-calorie meals so I watch for things on the menu that fit my lifestyle,” she told told Hello!. “I’ll have a salad or some fish with veggies. And I make sure I drink lots of water throughout the meal.”
She encourages healthy eating to her kids, too. “I try to teach them the right things to eat: a lot of greens, fruits, and grains. They’re starting to learn that’s a way of life,” she told Us Weekly. She explains to them: “I exercise so I can maintain a good weight and run around with you.”
4. She leaves time for rest.
As hard as she works at the gym, J.Lo always makes time for rest. Her number one beauty tip? “Always get enough sleep. I can’t stress this enough,” she told InStyle. “Ideally I would love to get nine or 10 hours of sleep, but either way, I always make sure I get at least eight.”
Her routine also includes self-care. “I also definitely think beauty comes from within—you have to keep your mind, soul, body, and spirit in sync. I am a firm believer in meditating, and when you are happy and feel joy and love, you radiate beauty.” Relaxing with her children and snacking on some fruit and veggies is another way she loves to recover post-workout, according to Hello Magazine.
5. She takes care of her skin.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen Spray SPF 30
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen Spray SPF 30
You don’t need an expensive, multi-step skincare routine to keep your skin smooth and supple as you grow older. Even Lopez sticks to the basics, and clearly that’s working wonders for her.
“I always, always wash my face after a workout. That helps keep my pores clean and my skin feeling healthy,” she told Hello Magazine. “Then I’ll usually put on moisturizer and sunscreen, with maybe a little makeup if I’m going out or moisturizer and eye cream if it’s the evening.”
Oh, and that all-over J.Lo glow? Her makeup artist, Scott Barnes, revealed that he simply sprays her down with sunscreen, specifically Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist SPF 30.
If we’ve learned anything from Lopez, it’s that prioritizing your health and happiness is key to living your best life for years to come. And as she celebrates her 50th birthday in the same year that she’s engaged to wed former pro baseball player Alex Rodriguez, we can once again confirm that this will be her year.
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Jenae is the editorial assistant for Prevention.com, where she regularly covers nutrition, beauty, celebrity workouts, and health trends. Previously, she was an intern at ELLE and CountryLiving.com and a web producer for O, the Oprah Magazine. When she’s not writing about health and wellness, Jenae is either playing video games or reading tweets about The Bachelor.
