Recovery Day: Pure Barre XPRO Trainer Millie Hanson Follows An 80/20 Diet and Relaxing Sundays

One of Pure Barre’s brightest XPRO trainers, Millie Hanson, is a Bay Area native who leads with the idea we “are what we believe we are.” With that in mind, the University of Arizona’s School of Dance alum also believes in balance, moderation and being kind to yourself. Cheeseburgers and coffee are just fine in Hanson’s book and as one can see from her Instagram page, having fun is also just as important as a nice, sweaty workout.

“Ugh, I don’t even want to know,” Hanson tells Athletech News regarding the thought of time spent on her social media accounts. But the California girl, who calls Los Angeles home, is certainly aware of many other aspects of her life. With fascinating, relatable thoughts about weight tracking, shopping, eating healthy and more, here are Hanson’s very own Recovery Day reflections. 

Athletech News (ATN): How do you start your day? 

Millie Hanson: I’m very much a habitual person. I like to have certain habits I like to do throughout my week. I like to have structure. I film Xponential+, but I actually manage and teach Pure Barre in Beverly Hills. I work at the studio pretty much five to six days a week. [At] the start of my day, if I’m not coming over and teaching an early morning class (6 or 7 am), [it’s] wake up, get dressed, head out the house to teach. If not, then I just start my day slowly getting up, doing a skincare routine, working out if I can. I’m a huge coffee person. Breakfast is a really important meal of the day for me. A lot of times I’ll have oats or toast. Almond butter. Something that’s healthy fats and carbs. Lately, I’ve tried not to go on social media right away. I try to wait two or three hours and that’s helped a lot.

ATN: When can you actually “relax”?

Millie Hanson: Sundays [are] my days off and I always try and keep it that way because I find that’s just the one day of the week where I feel I can relax the most. I think knowing that everyone usually has a Sunday off helps me actually relax a little bit more. [laughs] I love going for a walk. Usually on Sundays I grab an iced coffee at one of my favorite little coffee shops over at Toluca Lake. Sometimes I’ll call mom, dad, bestie. Catch up from the week. Then the rest of the day I like to relax, but also relaxing for me is prepping for the week — groceries, things like that. The rest of the night I usually just veg out on the couch.

ATN: How many days do you work out?

Millie Hanson: I used to be a maniac and work out every single day. I actually almost wasn’t seeing results. Obviously, a lot of that was too much muscle fatigue or not giving my muscles and my body a break. I try and work out six days a week. A lot of it is mental too. It’s not only physical. If I go out of town or something I have learned to not care to take more days off.

ATN: How often do you weigh yourself?

Millie Hanson: I try not to at all. My sister got us a scale. It’s not in my room or bathroom, but if I happen to see it I’ll use it. But I really try not to weigh myself often. When I do see the scale I do my best to not pay attention to the number. I don’t think that is always equated to health. You can weigh five pounds heavier at the end of the day than you do at 8 am. 

ATN: When you are injured how do you manage your inability to workout?

Millie Hanson: That can be definitely one of the hardest things. I grew up a dancer. I also danced in college and anytime I was injured at that time I think that was almost the toughest thing because I was dancing so much during the day. It was also my major in college, so it was really my whole life all day, every day. Now, I think I would give myself more grace and understand that I need to take the time. 

Back then I think I found it almost even harder because I would still have to go watch the dance classes and sit on the side. It is definitely a huge mental toll, but I think it gives you time to reflect and you come out feeling either a little bit more motivated or you discover things in the times you can’t be doing what you love every day.

ATN: Yes/No to fitness trackers? Data friend or the enemy?

Millie Hanson: I don’t do fitness trackers. I don’t really want a watch showing me if I had a good workout or not, or how many calories I burned. I do have a watch, but I never wear it. It’s pretty much just always dead. 

I love the idea of them. I’ve taken some classes where you wear the heart monitors and things like that. It’s fun, but it’s not a part of my thing, and I understand and have no problem with people who do it. I just personally don’t. 

ATN: How healthy are you really?

Millie Hanson: I feel like I’ve had a journey since I graduated college. I’ve had this different ebb and flow of where I’ve been, in regards to food. I became extremely plant-based after college. I was living at home and my mom is very plant-based. So I kind of switched over to that and just ate whatever she was eating and whatever she would make. I felt amazing, but I also became a little bit too lean. I felt really good but then also I could feel myself [being] a little bit weaker. Everyone’s different, but that’s just what I noticed. 

I’ve kind of stayed plant-based since then. If I go get a cheeseburger I do that. If I go out to eat I’ll get steak tacos. But as of even just the last month or two, I’ve incorporated a lot more meat into my diet. Chicken on my salads and things like that. I’ve noticed [a difference in] my energy levels. I try and do an 80/20 — 80 percent of my week is very veggie-forward; 20 percent is the weekend margaritas, chips, salsa, and going out to eat. A lot of people talk about balance and I think that’s extremely important.

ATN: Thoughts on alcohol? 

Millie Hanson: I really don’t drink during the week. I try not to. If it’s a special occasion I’ll have one glass of wine. Even if it’s just one glass I notice it affects my sleep. I’m very sensitive to what I put in my body. So even [with] one glass of wine I can slightly notice a little puffiness the next day. [I] just save [the alcohol] for Saturday and Sunday.

ATN: What are some of your greatest indulgences?  

Millie Hanson: I’m probably not the best when it comes to giving advice on how not to spend money (when it comes to going out and shopping and retail). I love, love, love, love shopping. [A] majority of my shopping is workout clothes. 

ATN: Where do you want to have a shopping spree?

Millie Hanson: Since I live here in L.A. I’ll usually go to The Grove, which is a huge shopping center, or The Americana. I like going out and definitely enjoying that. It makes me feel a little bit better. I believe in a little bit of retail therapy.