Danai Gurira: Fitness Routine of a Warrior

Danai Gurira! You probably best know her as Okoye, the sexy-bodied yet ever so fierce and somber general in Black Panther, Marvel Studio’s highest-grossing superhero flick. She’s also played Michonne in the TV series The Walking Dead. So, who’s Danai?

Danai Gurira is a popular Zimbabwean-American actress and playwright. The actress is famous for playing roles where physical strength is key, and at 45, her body is smashing. However, her incredible physique doesn’t come on a silver platter. Beyond good genes and a highly athletic childhood, the actress puts in intense work to stay fit.

While most of us skip gym day for the effort it requires, Danai puts in work at the gym at least four days every week. She credits her consistent and effective workout sessions to her trainer, AJ Fisher, whom she met on the set of The Walking Dead. Although she admits to her workouts being occasionally so intense that she forgets what they entailed, the fitness routine that prepares her for action roles typically includes:

Danai works out with the help of her trainer at least three to four times a week and on her own at least once. Her trainer specializes in fitness routines aimed at clearing out muscle imbalance while improving strength. Consequently, their workout sessions usually center on strength-building and endurance exercises like high-intensity pilates and circuit training with intervals of active rests.

The Katana-wielding actress also wears a heart-rate monitor and resistance bands throughout her workouts. Every session also includes some intense glute workouts because beyond being the biggest body muscle, the glutes also significantly impact posture and balance. In her line of work, these two are everything.

Danai has a demanding career and an incredibly busy schedule, like any other successful actress. While the actress always does her best to get to the gym, sometimes she’s on the move or caught up in a movie set far from home. So, she brings the gym with her—she always packs a workout mat and dumbbells, and regardless of how tight her schedule might be, she ensures she sneaks in a 20-minute workout daily.

Besides her official workout sessions and the 20 minutes of exercise she makes sure to sneak into her busy schedule, Danai leads an incredibly active lifestyle. She plays hockey and tennis and loves to swim whenever she gets the opportunity.

When it comes to staying fit, what you eat is usually as crucial as working out. Danai knows this well and implements it in her lifestyle. The Walking Dead actress follows a pesca-vegan diet, which is mainly plant-based but allows fish and seafood. Spinach, in particular, is her favorite, and she gobbles it up at every opportunity she gets.

She adds it to smoothies and is always her go-to when having meals. Additionally, Danai prioritizes rest in her busy schedule and dedicates Sundays to winding down.

While most of us see fitness as part of a lifestyle, for Danai Gurira, it’s not just a routine; it’s her way of life. The actress commits to daily workout sessions, and even when her schedule is crazy, carves out 20 minutes for exercise.

Add in that her acting career centers on physically demanding roles, and it’s evident why she maintains such an exceptional physique.