Jake Gyllenhaal's "Best" Form of Self-Care Is, Uh, Intimacy

The actor opened up about his wellness practices.

By Samantha Schnurr Sep 09, 2019 5:24 PMTags
Jake GyllenhaalKristin Callahan/ACE Pictures/Shutterstock

Jake Gyllenhaal believes in sweat. 

Such is what he told Vanity Fair while on the topic of wellness. The 38-year-old Oscar nominee was pretty open about his self-care preferences, sharing with the magazine, "I believe in sweat, in whatever form. For me, my best form of self-care is intimacy; that makes me sweat." 

While the star didn't elaborate further, he did note his belief in the "balance of rest and exercise" and the value of skincare imparted on him by his famous sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal

"Because I have an older sister who is an actor—and because she has taught me since I was a kid and I've looked up to her—skin care is important. People can definitely get me for that, but you'd be laughing your way to wherever," the star said. "I think caring for yourself is really important, particularly nowadays as men. Being vulnerable and admitting those vulnerabilities is very, very important."

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The star also has a penchant for exfoliation. "I do believe in showering as a spiritual practice and a physical practice," he told Vanity Fair. "Since working in South Korea on a movie, I've found exfoliation to be a really wonderful, very manly thing, which I didn't appreciate as much before."

But, when it comes to your own wellness, do as you wish. 

"I think it's all bulls--t if you want it to be bulls--t, and it's not if you don't," he told the magazine. "I feel that way about pretty much everything as long as you're not hurting anyone."