Kerry Washington: How Pilates Healed Her Body and Mind

Kerry Washington doesn't just use Pilates to stay fit. For two decades, the practice has been her lifeline back to loving her own body.

The 49-year-old actor grew up in the Bronx with what looked like a golden childhood from the outside. But she carried a painful secret: childhood sexual abuse that she kept hidden for years, pouring her pain into becoming someone else through acting instead.

In college, that unprocessed trauma manifested as disordered eating. Kerry would cycle between binge eating and overexercising, feeling more disconnected from her body with each passing day.

At 19, she started therapy and began the long journey of learning to be Kerry, not just the characters she played. She discovered yoga, got certified to teach it, and eventually found Pilates as a deeper way to reconnect mind and body.

Now, Kerry practices Pilates three to four times per week with longtime instructor Erika Bloom. She even has Bloom read scripts to help develop how her characters move, blending her healing practice with her craft.

"It's not somewhere I come to judge myself and try to look different," Kerry explains. "It's somewhere I come to know myself better and to be more at home in my body."

That sense of home extends beyond the reformer. Kerry lifts weights twice weekly for bone health, and the body awareness from Pilates lets her rock climb, swim in open water, and move without fear of injury.

Why This Inspires

Kerry's approach to food recovery offers a powerful lesson: shame is the enemy, not the food itself. She's learned that the moment she beats herself up about a food choice, she's tempted to disconnect from her body again, which only triggers more disordered eating.

"I have found that forgiveness and grace are two giant tools for recovery," she says. It's a daily practice, not a destination, and she shows up for it with the same commitment she brings to her Pilates sessions.

Kerry also practices self-love through bodywork like lymphatic massage and facials. These aren't vanity treatments but acts of care, ways of staying connected to and honoring the body that carries her through life.

After decades of feeling more comfortable being someone else, Kerry Washington has finally learned to be at home in herself.