Zoe Saldaña spoke with The Wall Street Journal about her morning routine, preparation for roles, and her life off-screen with her husband (Marco Perego-Saldaña) and their children. Known for her roles in blockbuster hits like “Avatar” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Saldaña continues to land new roles that are likely to keep her busy over the next few years.
With at least two more “Avatar” movies planned and as the main character of the show “Lioness,” Saldaña balances her work life with a wholesome life off-screen, referring to herself as a homebody and somebody who lives art when she isn’t making art.
Saldaña lives in Northern California with her husband and their three children, and she talked to WSJ about her normal routines, hobbies, and how she prepares for her various roles, which tend to include being disciplined in other areas of her life.
Saldaña’s Health and Wellness Routine
GettyAs an active actress, Saldaña has to be ready for filming across projects. It turns out that her morning routine is highly relatable. Although there’s one part of her day that has people wondering if she might be doing damage to her body rather than helping it.
When asked about her mornings, Saldaña said she likes to start with a workout, which used to be Pilates, but has since shifted to weightlifting as she learned more about the benefits of this exercise type. NPR has an article that dives into the unique benefits that women see from resistance and weight training. These benefits include a reduction in cardiovascular mortality, a boost in mood, joint protection, and even improved blood sugar control.
Of course, working out is only one part of Saldaña’s morning. While she doesn’t always eat breakfast, she’ll tend to have eggs when she does, which is another great health choice. Johns Hopkins Medicine has an article that looks at the nutritional benefits of eggs and talks about new research that contradicts the past belief that eggs aren’t healthy for your heart.
Since Saldaña considers cooking to be another form of art, she likes to cook her meals from scratch, even if breakfast might not be in her schedule that day.
Saldaña’s Hot Bath Routine Draws Concern, but Isn’t Necessarily Harmful
GettyThe part of Saldaña’s routine that’s drawing the most attention is her claim that she takes up to three baths a day in very hot water. She also claims that these baths can be long, which raised questions regarding how healthy this habit is.
UCLA Health has an article that looks at frequent bathing and its impact on your skin microbiome, finding that frequent bathing can disrupt it and cause issues. However, the same piece discusses how to protect your microbiome from within through hydration, diet, and exercise. With that in mind and Saldaña’s claim that she hydrates after these baths, this portion of her routine is unlikely to be harmful to her.
The concern over Saldaña’s routine comes from good intentions, but it’s also a reminder that health is dynamic and everybody is unique. As for Saldaña, being able to relax in a bath is likely a welcome relief after a day of filming.
Saldaña will be returning as Neytiri in “Avatar 4,” which has entered its post-production phase, and as Neytiri in “Avatar 5,’ which is currently being filmed.
