IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

How motherhood influenced Busy Philipps' perspective on exercising

The actress and E! talk show host says working out "clicked" for her when she became a mother.
Hi! Happy Inside Gut Check Gym With Busy Philipps
Philipps "really started to connect the mind/body thing" after the birth of her first child.Kena Betancur / Getty Images
/ Source: TODAY

Six days a week, you can find Busy Philipps literally jumping up and down for the sake of her physical (and mental) health at a trampoline fitness class in Los Angeles.

For our One Small Thing series, the host of E!'s "Busy Tonight" and mother of two girls (Birdie, 10, and Cricket, 5) shared how parenthood influenced her perspective on exercising — and why she considers her workouts to be her "me" time.

How has your healthy lifestyle changed since becoming a mom?

I would say that after my daughter (Birdie) was born — she's 10 1/2 — I really started to connect the mind/body thing. It became clear to me that working out was not a punishment, a means to an end to having a hot bod, and that it was really about true wellness, keeping yourself sane, having time for yourself, about making yourself feel good, releasing endorphins naturally, keeping your skin looking good. Post-motherhood, that was when that finally clicked in for me. Working out ceased becoming a chore and more something I looked forward to. I finally understood it. Some people have that realization much earlier in life.

Which workouts are you loving these days?

I do LEKFIT, the trampoline workout in Los Angeles that I’ve been obsessed with and I’ve been doing for a long time. I do trampoline six days a week, maybe seven. I like the hot yogas that use infrared heat. The yoga is in addition, maybe once a week if I can get it in.

Do your kids work out with you, or is that your "me" time?

It’s "me" time, but also, they don’t belong in a workout class with a bunch of adults. It’s not appropriate. Birdie does rock climbing for fun and Cricket just got into dance. They both do gymnastics. Birdie does an "American Ninja Warrior" class thing. She goes to a gym and they do obstacle-type strength (exercises). She climbs walls and does weird stuff.

In addition to exercise, Philipps — a spokesperson for HI! Happy Inside, a cereal with probiotics, prebiotics and fiber — believes in the importance of eating (and drinking) well, too. She shared her philosophy about meals with TODAY.

"I don’t subscribe to, 'You have to eat breakfast at breakfast, or dinner at dinner,'" she said, noting that cereal is part of her midday snack. "Eat what you want, when you want it."

For more, sign up for our One Small Thing newsletter.