Mark Wahlberg’s reasons for staying in shape have changed over the years.
While speaking exclusively with PEOPLE ahead of the upcoming Wahlberg F45 Week, which runs from Oct. 2 to Oct. 8 at participating F45 studios worldwide, the actor, 52, also opens up about how his fitness goals have changed since his youth grown up until now.
Describing how his preferred workout routines include “strength exercises” and that “cardio days are tough for me,” Wahlberg says, “It’s a lot more about longevity for me now than anything else. You know?”
“Before, it was about aesthetics when trying to get in shape,” he adds. “Now, I want to live long.”
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Mark Wahlberg.
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We tried: F45 Training, a Mark Wahlberg-backed fitness franchise with locations near you
Wahlberg — who is also the F45 Training Investor and Chief Brand Officer — is known for his intense workouts, which usually start his day at 4 a.m.
When asked how he feels so early in the morning, Wahlberg says, “You know what? I feel good. I get up and it’s nice and quiet. I get some time to pray and think, and then I’m in the gym, and it’s all over.”
“I feel better getting up early,” he adds. “If I don’t exercise in the morning, it’s really hard for me to do it towards the end of the day.”
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Mark Wahlberg. Â F45 Training
And while he admits he also deals with thoughts of skipping the gym on certain days—explaining, “I probably feel that way almost every day”—Wahlberg, however, declares, “I know what it’s going to feel like afterward. That’s hard to duplicate.”
“If I’m cutting corners, then I can’t be at my best,” he continues. “Everything I’ve done, everything I’ve been successful at, has been done by doing work.”
He adds Uncharted star: “I encourage everyone, even if you just exercise for 10 minutes, you will feel better. We are all very lucky and blessed. You want to live as long as possible. You want to be able to move, and by all means, you have to do that.”
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Mark Wahlberg.
Denise Truscello/Getty
Mark Wahlberg reveals the fitness advice he ‘wishes’ he had listened to 20 years ago
During Wahlberg Week in October, seven brand new workouts personally designed by the actor in the form of cardio, strength classes and hybrid workouts will be available – and free – to fitness enthusiasts.
“It gets harder as the week goes on,” Wahlberg tells PEOPLE. “But the great thing about the F45 is that you can go at your own pace.”
“You don’t have to push yourself so hard,” continues the father of four. “You can get the toughest workout you’ve ever had, or you can also get something that’s super comfortable.”
Wahlberg adds, “I remember the last time we did it, people were like, ‘Gosh, these sets are a little long.’ But then, at the end of the week, they felt like they’d really conquered their fitness goals and thought there was nothing they couldn’t achieve. That feeling is pretty amazing.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education