Kerry Washington on Her Favorite Exercise: "With Pilates I Get to Bring My True Self"

The 38-year-old star welcomed daughter Isabelle Amarachi into the world in April 2014. While pregnant, Washington didn't try to hide her bump during red carpet appearances with long over-sized pieces, instead, she accentuated her bump to show how proud she was to be a mom. The Bronx native follows a similar mantra with her post-baby body.

"I've been really focused on not being 'back' to anything, but being the best version of myself right now," said Washington to Self as reported by E! Online. "My body is the site of a miracle now. I don't want to be pre-miracle."

Exercise wasn't introduced to Washington once she became an actress in Hollywood. Oh no. Washington actually moved to India straight after college to become a certified yoga instructor, so incorporating a balance between exercise and life has been a part of her agenda for years. The exercise style she's most fond of now is Pilates. The Django Unchained star even has a workout area on the set of Scandal. Washington has been working out with personal trainer, Julie Turner, two to six times a week for the past five years, according to Self.

"There are a lot of forms of exercise where you have to leave yourself out of the room while you force yourself to do this thing. With pilates, I get to bring my true self. I cry, I laugh. I get to go: Where is my body today? What do I need today? How can I take care of myself and push myself past my comfort zone? How can I be both loving and challenging?"

Staying in shape and finding peace of mind isn't just for her personal gain. With her busy work schedule and motherhood duties, Washington is always on call. To add some sanity to her day-to-day routine, she makes sure to wake up extremely early to open up free time later in the day to cuddle with her husband, NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha, daughter and Shih Tzu-Yorkie mix. While she insists rest days are important, the actress does not like to miss her scheduled workout days.

"I try to get it in so I can be back with my kid early. I have to take care of myself in order to live life the way I want to. It's important to have rest days. But in the long run, if I don't work out for, like, three days, I feel worse, not better."

Catch Kerry Washington in the season five premiere of Scandal on September 24 on ABC.

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Kerry Washington, Scandal