Kate Hudson is a fitness fanatic, busy actress and mum. So how does she do it all? And stay in shape? BESTFIT went to find out…

Kate Hudson has always been a woman of irrepressible spirit and energy. Raised in LA by mother Goldie Hawn and stepfather Kurt Russell, Hudson is best known for her breakthrough performance in Almost Famous and crowdpleasing roles in You, Me and Dupree, How to Lose a Guy In Ten Days, Bride Wars, Raising Helen and The Skeleton Key.

The 37-year-old now spends as much time raising her sons Ryder and Bingham as she does on the silver screen but despite her busy home life, she returns to our screens this month in Mother’s Day. Hudson plays Jesse, who tries to patch things up with her estranged mother, and stars alongside Jennifer Kate, and also recently co-starred opposite Bill Murray in Rock the Kasbah and voiced the character of Mei Mei in Kung Fu Panda 3.

A long-time fitness devotee, Hudson has also published a self-help book – Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body – that offers women sound advice on diet, fitness, and personal wellness. As well as that, she has also launched her own clothing label, Fabletics. A busy bee, then… but Hudson took a short break from her hectic lifestyle to talk fitness, health and happiness.

“Fitness is a passion of mine, however, it’s not just the physical aspect: It’s also a matter of mental and spiritual wellbeing. Staying active and fit helps to stimulate the brain, and it enables you to see things more clearly”

You’ve been celebrated of late as being one of the fittest women in Hollywood. Has fitness been a constant theme in your life?

I’ve always been very athletic. My mother was a dancer before she got into acting and I’ve grown up with the idea that it’s important to exercise. I just feel better if I feel my body is fit and I’m eating properly.

I’ve learnt a lot about nutrition and I try to make sure that my children eat healthily and are aware of how important it is to eat well. I also think that fitness is not just about working out or doing sports, it’s also about staying active in general. I think there’s an important correlation between physical fitness and mental health, and that they reinforce each other.

You’re obviously a big advocate of following a healthy lifestyle,e but is that difficult when you’re so busy?

In our daily lives, we are always engaged in a thousand chores and we get bogged down in life. So sometimes exercise becomes an impossible task. But we need to overcome that feeling. Being fit is not a question of looking good; it’s a mental and physical requirement for feeling healthy about our mind and spirit.

Fitness is a passion of mine, however, it’s not just the physical aspect: It’s also a matter of mental and spiritual well-being. Staying active and fit helps to stimulate the brain, and it enables you to see things more clearly. The problem, if anything, is to find the motivation to do exercise.

My mother was a dancer before she got into acting and I’ve grown up with the idea that it’s important to exercise. I just feel better if I feel my body is fit and I’m eating properly.

What was the inspiration behind your wellness book?

People have asked me how I stay fit and this book was my way of sharing a lot of the things I’ve learned about taking care of my body and my philosophy about health and fitness. Women face a lot of pressure and it’s important to find a good balance between work and family, and to enjoy a lifestyle that allows us to feel good about ourselves and not feel guilty about the choices we make. So I wanted to share with people the kinds of experiences I’ve gone through and what has worked for me. I don’t think there are any strict set of rules or tricks you can follow that apply to everyone, but I think if you look hard enough you can always find interesting ideas or principles that are going to motivate and inspire you to do more with your life and feel better. You have to have an active attitude and work at thinking creatively and purposefully about your life.

You suggest in the book that women need to avoid trying to live up to unreasonable ideals of beauty…

Trying to achieve physical perfection is ridiculous. To feel good about yourself you need to understand your body and what you need to feel good and healthy. You need to feel good about what nature gave you. My body is constantly changing and it’s different from what it was like two years ago. So you have to make adjustments, maybe increase your level of exercise or the kind of workouts you do, and do what it takes to maintain your fitness. I want to be as fit and healthy as I can be not just for my own well-being, but for my family, and for my children.

How do you deal with life’s challenges?

I am more accepting of the things that life brings and moving with them. I reached a point in my personal evolution where I felt like I could finally just accept what is, instead of putting expectations on myself or other people. Once I actually started dealing with what is and what’s happening now, I just felt an inner freedom. My mother showed me how much easier it is to smile, laugh a lot, and not take things too seriously. That’s probably the best life lesson I’ve ever been given.

What can you tell us about Mother’s day?

It’s been a long while since I’ve done this kind of a comedy and Garry [Marshall – director] has his own beautiful way of looking at things. He creates such a great atmosphere on the set and I’ve known him since I was seven years old and hanging around the set of Overboard [which starred Hawn and Russell]. I also did Raising Helen with him and it was really wonderful to be part of this film with him. It was also so much fun for me to get to work with Jennifer (Aniston) who’s a close friend of mine.

The film addresses the theme of what it means to be a mum today…

Right. The mother character I play is very different from her own mother and it shows how so much changes over time about the way we look at things and how mothers today have a lot more challenges to deal with.

Are you enjoying the double life of being a Hollywood star and working single mother?

I’m in one of the best places I’ve ever been in my life. I feel finally at peace with myself and the way I approach my world. I’ve been working more than ever lately and I love being a mom and getting to have such a great time with my sons.