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Comedian Chelsea Handler has been tickling our funny bones for more than two decades—and she doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. In fact, 2025 has been a big year for the New Jersey native, and we only just cleared Q1. In March, Chelsea released her latest comedy special, Chelsea Handler: The Feeling, on Netflix, and a month earlier—on the day of her 50th birthday, in fact—she published her seventh book, I’ll Have What She’s Having.
“It feels fantastic,” Chelsea tells Women’s Health of turning 50 and embracing all that comes with it. “I am very much about positively aging. I’m not upset about it. I am not complaining about it. I have a lot of great things happening in my life, and I’m trying to spread joy and enthusiasm in this world because we need a lot of it.”
Indeed, but positively aging doesn’t happen without a little effort, and while laughter may be the best medicine, supplementing with strength training, protein smoothies, and guided meditation surely can’t hurt, right? To that end, Chelsea shares with WH the five health practices she follows to live her best life.
She prioritizes weight training to prevent injury.
It’s become an annual birthday tradition for Chelsea—slipping into a string swimsuit and barreling down the slopes to celebrate another year of life. Sure, those viral videos are a nice little publicity stunt, but they also speak to what sparks joy in Chelsea’s heart: skiing.
She spends her winters up in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, and her exercise routine is all about keeping her muscles strong yet supple for her favorite sport. Before she hits the mountain, she takes time out in the morning to stretch her body and warm up her core with an abs class. Due to a previous meniscal tear, Chelsea also focuses on strengthening her legs and ensuring her glutes are “firing.”
“I do lots of butt exercises so that if I fall when I ski, I’m not hurting myself or I’m not pulling any muscles,” she says.
In the off-season when she’s back in L.A., she lifts weights every day with personal trainer Ben Bruno. Even if she’s traveling, she’ll hit the hotel gym for at least 10-15 minutes.
“I don’t do a ton of cardio,” Chelsea says. “I do a lot of weight training because it’s really important for all women to hold on to lean muscle. I’m so grateful to be strong.”
She supports her strength with supplementation.
Sneak a peek into Chelsea’s pantry, and you’ll likely find a collection of jars and bottles bursting with every buzzy supplement on the market—she knows protein is key to powering her muscles.
Chelsea starts each day with a super-charged smoothie that includes 8 ounces of almond milk, whey protein (she prefers chocolate but will settle for vanilla in a pinch), amino acids, creatine, collagen, and flax seeds. If she’s feeling frisky, she might even add some hemp seeds before chugging the whole thing down.
“That sets me up for the day,” she says. “I don’t have to take any more supplements.”
She believes in a balanced approach to nutrition.
Though that morning smoothie of hers may sound a little…intense, Chelsea insists her diet is pretty even-keeled. “I’m not crazy about my food,” she says. “I understand now that balance is really the most important thing—to not deprive yourself of anything that you like.”
Chelsea snacks throughout the day to ensure she’s fed and fueled, and she likes to wind down with a little treat. “I always want a little chocolate right before I go to bed, so I eat a Yasso bar as a nightcap,” she says. (Chelsea is a spokesperson for the brand, and her favorite bar flavor is Sea Salt Caramel.)
She turns off her phone when she can.
Chelsea is just as dedicated to her mental health as her physical health, and one way she quiets her mind and finds a little peace is by powering down her phone. “I try to limit my phone use where I can,” she says.
Without the flicker of a screen to distract her, Chelsea dedicates at least a portion of her phone-free time to another favorite pastime: reading.
“I read for an hour every day,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Vanity Fair or a book, but it has to be mindful reading and it can’t be on my phone.”
She meditates most days.
Another impactful practice for Chelsea is meditation. She averages five sessions a week—and may even double up on some days.
“The thing I love about meditating is it’s kind of like you’re praying,” Chelsea says. “You’re setting an intention—‘I’m going to be kind and thoughtful all day long’—and you’re setting yourself up for success. I wish I had learned this 20 years ago when I would fly off the handle if I thought somebody was annoying or stupid. I would tell them—I had no filter. Now I’m like, ‘Okay, no. That’s not kindness.”
And that, dear readers, is growth.
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