Zendaya: Exercising makes me less anxious
Movie star Zendaya has revealed that she exercises in order to improve her mental and physical wellbeing.
Zendaya believes exercising helps her to feel "less anxious".
The 27-year-old actress acknowledges that she doesn't have a strict workout routine, but Zendaya feels that exercising can be really beneficial for her mental health.
She told Vogue: "It’s a joke amongst my friends and family, but I don’t have a workout practice, per se. I’m not the best at keeping up with it."
Despite this, Zendaya has began to recognise the value of staying healthy and active.
The Hollywood star said: "I think sometimes people assume that because of what they see of me, maybe I’m a certain way. But when I’m not working, I tend to isolate myself.
"My therapist, family, and friends will tell me, ‘You need to get up and get out,’ and I never want to - but when I make myself do it, I realise it’s actually kind of nice. I’m less anxious.
"I have to really be intentional about taking care of myself. I’m learning to be more responsible for myself and for my own body and looking after it all."
Zendaya accepts that her mental health remains a work in progress.
The actress - who is in a long-term relationship with her 'Spider-Man' co-star Tom Holland - said: "Sometimes it’s just getting out of bed, telling myself, ‘We’re facing the day: we're taking a shower, we're putting on real clothes, we're seeing some sunshine.’ I try to set little challenges for myself."
Zendaya also appreciates having a strong support network around her.
She shared: "It can look different for different people, but everybody needs to have people to reach out to and talk to and feel supported by.
"I think for most people, it’s not always easy to go on a several-mile run every morning; sometimes it’s hard to do even the little things to take care of yourself. It helps to feel like you’re not the only one."
