There are celebrities who make wellness look effortless, and then there’s Kate Hudson, who epitomizes wellness. She may be an actor, entrepreneur (of multiple successful businesses), author, podcaster, and mom of three, but she still makes time for her tried-and-true morning routine. And after reading up on her a.m. self-care rituals, I couldn’t help but try them out (because why wouldn’t I want to be in Kate Hudson’s shoes, even if it is just for a week?). After all, she has flawless skin, an exuberant spirit, and feel-good vibes.
So how does Kate Hudson start her day before running her activewear empire (Fabletics, ICYMI) and new supplement brand INBLOOM? Is she just like us when it comes to a morning regimen? Ahead, I lay out Kate Hudson’s morning go-to rituals and what it was like adapting them into my own morning routine for a week.
Hydrate
Kate is all about wellness from the inside out, so it was no surprise when she told The Chalkboard Mag that she wakes her body up with celery juice every day. But that’s not all—she also starts the morning with a glass of lemon water, a cup of joe (black), and a smoothie with INBLOOM Immunity Defense (now that’s a lot to chug down first thing in the morning). Lucky for me, I was already on the lemon-with-water train, and celery juice had been in my weekly rotation before. I brought back daily celery juice (thanks, Trader Joe’s), and I’m happy to report that midway through the week, I noticed it helped move things along (if you know what I mean), and by the seventh day, I was convinced my complexion looked clearer. Needless to say, I’ll be drinking celery juice on the reg, trend or not.
Coffee isn’t my jam (I’m more of a matcha girl) and I’m not one to drink smoothies in the early hours of the day, but come mid-afternoon, especially after a good sweat, nothing sounds better. After a strength-training session, I treated myself to a protein PB and blueberry smoothie from INBLOOM’s collab with Bluestone Lane. Although it did hit the spot, I could’ve easily made a version of it at home (and saved $9.50), but do as Kate does when she’s on the run, right? The main takeaway I got from Kate’s hydration practice is to be intentional about nourishing your body as soon as you roll out of bed to jumpstart your digestion and day.
Work out first thing
According to Kate, the formula for the best kind of mornings includes getting a good workout in, and I couldn’t agree more. Kate’s secret to making sure she fits in some kind of movement every morning before getting down to business, especially when she doesn’t feel like it? Waking up and putting on a good outfit, of course. I’ll admit I don’t jump out of bed ready to squat it out or downward dog, so changing into a workout set before I could think twice about it was key for me. Once I was dressed, it was harder to talk myself out of exercising.
One quick scroll through Kate’s IG and you’ll see she takes her workouts seriously: Pilates, yoga, dance, functional training. But at the same time, she listens to her body and chooses the type of activity based on how she feels. When exhaustion sets in and she needs a boost of energy, she turns to a quick jump-rope routine and breathing exercises. What’s more, she works out to create energy, feel good, and honor her body, not to look a certain way. Taking a cue from Kate, I opted for 30-to-45-minute walks when I didn’t get a good night’s sleep or didn’t feel up for hitting the gym.
Since quarantine, I’ve been a bit lax on when I work out, so setting aside some time to get my heart pumping before I dove into emails helped clear my head, give me energy to take on my long to-do list, and motivate me to carry on good habits throughout the day (think: taking breaks and getting my greens in). Plus, I didn’t have to think about squeezing a workout in after putting in long hours of work.
Mask up
In a video Kate posted on IG, she said that she swears by Juice Beauty’s Revitalizing Acacia + Rose Powder Mask in the mornings. Sure, she teamed up with the beauty brand to create it, but if you know Kate (and I like to think I do), you know that she’s a proponent of clean ingredients (food and beauty alike). Cruelty-free, vegan, and made with certified organic ingredients—I was all for it. The best part of masking in the a.m.? It was “me time” I carved out for myself that left me feeling refreshed. I can’t say that it made a noticeable difference in my skin, but to be fair, I have only used it for a week (check back with me in a month).
In an interview with Allure, Kate revealed that she keeps her approach to beauty simple and uses water sans cleanser on her face in the morning. She also knows that what works for her may not work for everyone. “I’m a believer that [beauty] starts with what you eat, how you take care of yourself, and how you sleep,” Kate said. “For me, beauty is about how we feel. What are we doing in our lives that make us feel good? And then it emanates.” Bottom line: Beauty (and wellness, for that matter) is not one-size-fits-all. You do you and do what makes you feel good. Not to brag, but I’ve been going without cleanser in the a.m. for a year or so now, and I don’t miss it (Bonus points: You get more bang for your buck on your cleanser). But to really channel Kate Hudson? Do what’s best for you, not what’s best for her (or me).
Meditate
If there’s one wellness ritual I haven’t given the time or attention it deserves, it’s meditation. I’ve signed up for free trials on both the Headspace and Calm apps, but that’s the extent of it. TBH, I think I’ve never committed to meditation because I’ve had the idea that it has to be “perfect” (a solid 20 minutes of sitting still without any distractions or wandering thoughts) in order to reap the benefits. I’ve continued to put it off because I think of all the other things I could do with my time: throw in a load of laundry, work on my next article, catch up on This is Us, etc.
But Kate shared a video of her practicing meditation with her daughter, where the 3-year-old says “I’m done” after a few seconds (I feel you, Rani!). But in all seriousness, Kate’s post shows that meditating doesn’t have to be a certain technique or a set amount of time. With that in mind, I set out to take whatever time I had to work on my meditation practice. I followed Kate’s 10-minute meditation, which is six simple, easy-to-follow steps. The result? I felt more grounded as the days went on and I noticed the little thoughts that would normally nag at me (“I wish I was further along in my career” or “What if I let my family down?”) lessened at first, then dissipated. I was also less reactive to situations that would typically bother me.
“I try to connect to the root of the issue that’s bothering me so that I don’t misdirect my feelings,” Kate told The Chalkboard Mag. That really hit home because I realize I’ve taken out my stress and frustrations on my boyfriend and family many times, especially during the last couple of years (anyone else relate?). As part of my 10 minutes of meditation, I’ve taken to my journal to work out any troubling feelings, and that’s been so freeing. I feel like I’m finally understanding why Kate always seems centered and jovial.
Play music
There’s nothing like a good playlist to set the mood, get you out of a funk, or motivate yourself at the gym. So what better way to rise and shine than to play some tunes? Kate seconded that. In her interview with The Chalkboard Mag, Kate said her choice of music to wake up to is a toss-up between classic jazz and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (see Encanto), followed by Frozen’s “Let it Go.” Kate knows a thing or two about music, considering her partner, Danny Fujikawa, is a musician and she herself is musically inclined.
This morning hack was the simplest to incorporate, mainly because I had Alexa do it for me. And classic jazz is usually what’s playing in our house anyway, especially when we leave our wiener dog home alone. For that reason, I didn’t feel any major shifts, but I will say that having jazz music on in the background is always a good idea, whether I’m getting ready in the morning or focusing on finishing a work deadline.
Final thoughts:
While Kate’s rituals that make up her morning routine are nothing new or out of the ordinary, trying them for a week made me more organized and, more importantly, more intentional about how I spend my early waking hours (instead of just going through the motions and rushing to get out the door). This leads me to the biggest lesson I learned from Kate: Be mindful about your actions, from what you put into your body to how you work out. Wellness is about balance and choosing things that make you feel good.
Although she is world-famous and has all the resources (and free products) you could imagine at her fingertips, anyone can become a morning person and try her routine. Her habits are easy and fairly inexpensive to adapt, and they don’t take up an unreasonable amount of time. On the flip side, if I were to channel Kate, I’d bet she would say don’t force any habits that don’t feel right or natural to you and create a routine that energizes you. What that looks like for her may look entirely different for you and for me. Now that’s some sage advice, if I do say so myself—thank you, Kate!
