Halle Berry had taken a bit of a break from making movies to spend time with her 13-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son, but now she’s back in a big way. In her new movie and directorial debut, Bruised, she plays a mixed martial arts fighter returning to the ring. Berry had to endure a lot of physical and mental training to take on the role.
During a recent interview, Berry told InStyle, “I was doing four to five hours of training per day, learning six different martial arts disciplines, as well as doing strength and recovery training—which is just as important.” Berry is notoriously passionate about fitness. She owns her own wellness platform, rē*spin, and has a partnership with the FitOn app, where she shares guided workouts. However, she admitted that the training for this role was taxing. The workouts were so intense that Berry worked with a recovery trainer, Sun Lee.
“He always made sure he stretched my muscles to keep them long and lean and checked my body for injuries,” the 55-year-old actress explained. “He gave me minor adjustments when needed and walked me through mini-rehabilitation exercises when I got injured.” She added that cryotherapy and working in water were also essential in her recovery process.
The undertaking didn’t only affect Berry’s physicality but also her mind. She felt that through the process, she grew mentally because she was juggling her acting, training, and directorial duties. Berry said she relied on an old standby throughout filming. “Meditation has always been key to my process. This means taking time to check in with myself, to have quiet moments spent listening to my higher self. It has always been key that I make time for that,” said Berry.