Rebel Wilson Says This Exercise Helped Her Lose Weight and Get Healthier

Getty Images / Robert Trachtenberg

Rebel Wilson, 41, embarked on her self-proclaimed "year of health" in 2020, and it looks like she hasn't slowed down one bit. Over the last two years, the actress and producer lost 77 pounds and has openly talked about her diet, fertility journey and staying body positive. She even shared some lighter moments (like this hilarious workout video using vodka bottles). But if you're wondering how exactly Rebel Wilson exercised to maintain her significant weight loss, you might be surprised to learn that her favorite way to exercise was actually free! Wilson says she relied on walking several times a week to get healthier.

Related: 7 Things Rebel Wilson Did to Get Healthy and Maintain Her 77 Pound Weight Loss

In the season three premiere of Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk on Apple Watch, Wilson guides listeners on a 32-minute hike through Griffith Park in Los Angeles. In the episode, she talks about her weight loss journey. She says, "My goal was just to get healthier and was to lose the body fat that my body didn't actually need and want ... I knew deep down I wasn't the healthiest version of myself."

In 2020, Wilson attended an Austrian wellness retreat (potentially as part of her Mayr method diet program). She says, "An Austrian doctor said 'Rebel, the best way for you to lose unwanted body fat is just simply walking. Doesn't have to be high-intensity, doesn't have to be uphill, just moderate walking an hour a day. And if you can do that, for you, for your body type, it's, like, the best way to lose unwanted body fat.'"

Instead of overcomplicating her exercise routine, she decided to implement the doctor's advice. She says, "I would train at the gym, you know even when I was at my heaviest, like hardcore and do weights and do things where you just feel absolutely exhausted afterwards, and I didn't actually need to be doing that." So she decided to give herself some grace and try moving her body in a more gentle way.

"It just made me think: 'OK I should take it a bit easier on myself, and just do it gently and do it lightly.' So in 2020 I lost weight but very, very gradually. Sometimes I kicked up things a notch with some workouts and went hard. But, the majority of the work for the year was just doing things like walking for an hour," she says.

Related: 9 Best Walking Shoes, According to Podiatrists

While this advice might not guarantee this kind of weight loss for everyone, it is a great and accessible goal if you want to add more movement into your day and improve your health. Walking has plenty of health benefits, from improving heart health to reducing dementia risk to helping us live longer. Plus, it's totally free, you can do it anywhere and it can help if weight loss is your goal.

Wilson says, "Sometimes the simplest thing like getting out and walking for an hour a day is the kindest thing to your body, and your body will respond to that." We couldn't agree more.