‘Don’t Count Calories, Count Days’: Actress Gail Bean On How She Prioritizes Fitness And Self-Care

Gail Bean is a powerhouse. A force to be reckoned with on screen. The recent NAACP award-winning actress took award season by storm in Los Angeles with intentional style choices and a slim physique, causing her industry peers to take notes. 

Aside from her riveting performance in Snowfall as Wanda, Bean took on the challenging role of an edgy stripper with a smart mouth and daring personality, Roulette, in P-Valley. What struck me most about her character was her confidence and desire to positively represent petite frames and body types, which you rarely see on television. On P-Valley, Bean exudes sexiness, mystique, and boldness; also, her body looks amazing. Many wondered, including me, how she could condition her body to give a convincing performance and if she did any poll stunts (spoiler alert, she has)!

We recently interviewed Bean to learn about her workout and self-care routines, the importance of fitness hobbies, and proper nutrition. 

ESSENCE: Share your high-level workout routine with us! 

Gail Bean: My best friend, Amber, is my fitness trainer. She’s very much into working out every day and staying fit, so for me, it’s important to do some movement every day. I often do 100 jumping jacks, 90 crunches, 80 squats, and 70 leg lifts, and then I’ll do 10 minutes of cardio. So that, for me, is the quick, full-body workout. I also love boxing; it’s therapeutic while also being a workout.

Are there any fitness-based hobbies that take your workouts to the next level? 

Aside from boxing, I love to swim. I’m a fish. Swimming is also a full-body workout, and it also helps me sleep because I have problems getting asleep at night or just getting to sleep. Sometimes, I may have 10 hours of sleep in one week. So swimming helps with working out, clears my head, and keeps my body in shape. It also tires me out to the point where I rest peacefully at night. 

I love that! When I first met you, one of the things I complimented you on was your powerful petite representation in P-Valley. Do you feel like you physically represent petite women, or is that something you associate with?

I do feel that I represent women with petite bodies, and I’ve been slim all my life; we have our challenges. But I think people can look at me and see that I’m happy with my body the way it is. And I walk confidently in my body. I also think it makes women on my committee proud to see someone owning it and not feeling that it’s a hindrance or lacking. I do a good job of representing petite women and women with smaller assets.

Since we’re on the subject of P-Valley, did you do any of your stunts? Speak to me about the polling process; you seem pretty familiar with that pole. 

If I had to put a number on it, I would probably say I did about 80% of my stunts, but shout out to my stunt doubles. I had three, and they were extremely talented. They were more flexible than me and had more stamina. 

How was that process when you took up the training? Did you fall in love with it? 

Yes, it was rigorous, but I felt free when I trained. It was very rewarding. For season two of P-Valley, I trained for four months with two different people. I trained mostly at Vertical Joe’s with one of my sorority sisters, Dark Knight. During my pole training process, there was one moment when I went home defeated. I just cried and felt completely over my head, and I contemplated giving the role back. I am grateful for my loved ones who poured into me then; because of them, I didn’t quit. 

How do you keep that fitness consistency going despite any self-conscious thoughts you may have?

I gathered myself to keep going and persevere despite the negative activity from my surroundings. Prayer sometimes involves being still and allowing yourself to go through the moment. I leaned on my family, friends, and God in those moments. I have a really good support system. Also, the Vertical Joe’s team and my trainer Amber were supportive throughout my training process. I have moments where I’m hard on myself. But we must remember to give ourselves grace, self-love, and self-care. So, my village and the self-care practices I’ve learned from different cultures get me through difficult times. 

Talk to us about your self-care process and practice. 

Self-care in an industry like this, and in any everyday life, starts with discipline. So, it’s important to have self-awareness and discipline to give yourself that much-needed space. I prioritize resting and taking my vitamins. As mentioned, discipline is important—the discipline of not being accessible to everyone at all times and not being everyone’s problem solver. I pray to God all the time. I pray for replenishment and restoration because each day is new and will take a lot of energy from me.

You discussed setting boundaries, but we want to know what you eat. You told us a little bit about the diet. But what’s your daily situation?

I stay hydrated in different ways. I need orange juice to wake me up. Then a tea. The tea is for my skin, for my health, and just for my body. To be honest, I don’t even like tea, but I drink it every single day. I also drink a lot of hot water because I heard somewhere that it was good for you. I talk a lot, so the hot water helps me. Regarding food, I’m trying to cut back on chicken and dairy because of its hormones. However, I do love seafood and sweets. I can’t forget about the vegetables. I love asparagus and broccoli. I’m big on well-balanced meals. 

So, what motivates you to work out?

I don’t know if I’m motivated to work out. I’m going to be 100% honest; it’s a struggle every time. I am motivated to do my fitness hobbies, like swimming and boxing, but I haven’t reached the point where I’m motivated to go to the gym and work out. I’m going to get there one day.

Share some advice for black women struggling to develop healthy habits and take their fitness seriously.

Your health is wealth. And your body is a temple, so treat it as such and get up every day and do something to honor it. However, if you aren’t motivated to work out daily, weekly, or yearly, trust that you are not alone. Take it one day at a time. Do not count calories; instead, count days. Every day, try to get up and do something. It doesn’t have to be an hour workout. It could be five minutes here, 10 minutes there. Allow that time to build and grow. Give yourself grace and be patient. 

Also, when it comes to healthy eating, do things in moderation. Leave something to savor.