Mark Wahlberg Drops 'Intense' Fitness Routine To Prioritize Recovery & Avoid Injuries As He Ages

In a new interview, Mark Wahlberg opened up about how his age has changed his fitness routine. The actor spoke about prioritizing his rest and physical recovery and shared his new fitness routine. Wahlberg said he now takes cold plunges weekly and rests for two days.

Wahlberg discussed merging his fitness routine and Christian faith, saying he always finds time to pray. The actor also ensures he gets eight hours of sleep daily and spends quality time with his wife and kids.

During an interview with Fox News Digital, Wahlberg opened up about the changes he's made to his years-long intense fitness schedule. 

He said, "I mean, look, I just, you know, get more and more injuries and not recovering the way I should. There's no reason why anybody, never mind somebody at 52 years old, needs to be training, seven days a week and then doing two a day."

Wahlberg said all that intense working out has put a "pounding" on his body and recovery. The "Father Stu" actor noted, "God has given us the best possible gifts. One of them is sleep right to recover and to heal and even cold water." 

However, he shared that ice-cold baths have recently been challenging for him with the significant drop in Las Vegas temperatures.

Wahlberg spoke further about the cold plunges and how they've helped his body. He said, "The feeling that you have, it's pretty good. It's definitely something that I look forward to in the morning, not necessarily getting in, but the feeling I have after for sure."

Wahlberg also shared the changes he's made to his old workout routine with Fox News. He said, "Taking a cold plunge and doing that, resting two days a week and really kind of just focusing on being able to move and feel good for the long haul and hopefully drag this beautiful thing called life for as long as possible, as opposed to just worrying about aesthetically trying to get bigger and stronger and then ultimately getting injured."

The "The Departed" actor spoke about the injuries his intense fitness routine had caused to his body. These include "problems with shoulders, knees, back," which Wahlberg said are part of the many mistakes he's made with his body. The actor stated that he's trying to share these errors with his kids, who "now love to workout," so they don't make the same mistakes.

Wahlberg got candid about incorporating his adjusted fitness routine and Christian faith into his daily schedule. The iconic actor shared that he wakes up early, before the rest of his family, to be alone and allow himself to focus on the "nice and quiet time."

Wahlberg said he then gets on his "hands and my knees, express my gratitude, reflect and think about the things that I should be doing." After that, he begins his daily fitness routine, which includes a cold plunge and going to the gym. The actor then returns to his private space to read his prayer book and start his day.

The "Transformers" star added I like to get as much of my stuff done before the kids got to get up for school, so that way I'm not taking time in the middle of the day to focus on all these other things that I need to do to be the best version of myself."

Wahlberg spoke to E! News at McClaren's F1 Vegas VISTA Experience and shared that getting good sleep is very important to him. He said, "As long as I get my eight hours, I can do my thing. I've been getting up lately at 3:30. I don't want to be doing all my personal stuff—working out, my prayer time in the middle of the day and then trying to golf."

Wahlberg also spoke about the importance of quality time with his wife and their four kids in his daily routine. To ensure this, Wahlberg does all his personal activities before they wake up and has a nighttime routine.

He said, "We'll have dinner, get the kids all situated—well, they got to bed when they want—and then we'll start watching T.V. and I'll usually fall asleep in the middle of something."