Why ‘Modern Family’ Star Julie Bowen Runs in Old Sneakers

For Julie Bowen, working out is baked into her regular routine. (Photo: Getty Images/Chris Weeks))

Julie Bowen plays do-it-all mom Claire Dunphy on the hit ABC show Modern Family, but the 45-year-old actress is also quite do-it-all in real life — not only does she have a successful acting career, she’s also the mother to three children, including young twins!

So it’s refreshing to learn how much of a priority Bowen places on physical fitness in her regular schedule. Yahoo Health had the opportunity to catch up with Bowen to learn more about her exercise philosophy, the workout she just can’t learn to love, her morning routine, and what she listens to when she’s running (and swimming!).

YAHOO HEALTH: How do your days typically begin?

JULIE BOWEN: It depends on if I work or not — my schedule is different every day and week. So if I have to go to work, I get up at 5 a.m. I like to use my wrinkle serum cream before I go – Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair day cream. It doesn’t smell flowery, it smells like it’s real — like it’s doing something. I’m all about smells.

And that’s if I’m working. If I’m not working, then I make breakfast for the kids, take ‘em to school, come home, and try to make myself work out before I lose my mojo. I go swimming, I go to the gym — well, it’s not really a gym, it’s more like a closet in my home, and I have one of those stair-climber things. It’s that, or I run, but right now the heat is brutal.

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YH: If it’s hot outside, do you use a treadmill instead?

JB: I am the worst — I really try to do the treadmill, but it’s a battle. I don’t mind running outside, but I really hate the treadmill. I know they’re better for your knees and all that, but I don’t care for it at all. I don’t know why. I listen to books — I’m a huge audible.com fan — and I listen to podcasts, so it shouldn’t make any difference where I’m running. I should just be happy to be listening to something. But there’s something visually about staring at a wall bouncing in front of you. It depresses me. In a pinch I’ll do it, I’m not trying to malign the treadmill, but I’m not good at it.

YH: How often, and how far, do you typically run?

JB: Well, I’ve stopped being competitive about it. I used to be very competitive with myself with time and distance. And … you can’t be like, “Now I’m old and I give up.” But … I was training for [a marathon], and then I got really injured, and then I decided, “You know what, I’m going to do what feels good, what gives me the high.” And I’m totally into the high. So that means [my run] can be anything. Anything over a half-hour counts. And if I have time, I just go an hour. It’s whatever I can fit in. I stopped measuring how far I run — and God bless it, but I hate those [exercise-tracking] devices. I’m not 20 anymore, and I just want to feel good and look good, and I just want to be ready to take on my life and my family and not feel bad [about not meeting any step or exercise goals].

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YH: You also mentioned that you swim — what are those workouts like?

JB: Swimming can be rough on the skin, but it’s great for your body. But it can get chlorine-y, so I use a Neutrogena hair mask — I will slap it on my head before I put on a regular swim cap, one of those big latex gross swim caps, so I look like a Martian or something. And I also have a waterproof cover for my phone so I can listen to podcasts while I swim. It’s a game-changer — a friend told me about it. And the hardest part is the headphones — there are different kinds, and you have to find the ones that are just the right fit. It’s all about creating a suction in your ears. But once you get it, it’s great.

YH: So you’re a big podcast person. What’s your favorite one to listen to while you work out? Are you a Serial fan?

JB: I can go pretty deep on podcasts, I really can. I love the attention Serial brought to podcasts. But when I’m listening to a podcast, I like to learn something, or get pulled into a story, so I really do love Radiolab. That’s the best.

Julie Bowen plays Claire Dunphy on the ABC show “Modern Family.” (Photo: Corbis)

YH: OK, so you have a waterproof case and suction-y earphones for when you swim. Do you have any other favorite gear, like a go-to sneaker or product?

JB: I don’t have a favorite sneaker. I was reading that book Born to Run, about barefoot running, and then I decided that I would try literally running barefoot. I did it on a treadmill while I was on vacation, at a gym at some hotel. I did it for like three days, and my feet were beat up. And then I finished reading the book, and I see, “Oh, run with just less padding.” They didn’t mean I actually had to go barefoot.

So, frankly, I just have a bunch of really old sneakers — everything from Nike, to New Balance, to Skechers. Literally anything that is old and worn down and has less padding, I keep them. I know it sounds kooky.

But I do have to say, when I run, I have to wear sunscreen. … My kids are always like, “Oh, here she comes with the sunscreen.” And especially [make sure to apply it] on your left side, because of when you drive.

YH: Running and swimming are your go-to workouts. But is there an exercise you just hate doing?

JB: There are so many. I’ve been trying to change it up, trying out different workouts. Everybody swears by the CrossFit stuff. I did a bunch of that this summer, and some of it I love — I love shocking your body, and how it’s horrible, but it’s only 40 seconds of horrible. But the thing that they do with the ropes — that is maybe the worst thing I’ve ever done. I feel like it was designed to throw my back out.

And I also really resent crunches. I’ll do them, but I don’t like it.

YH: So it sounds like you’re more of a solo exerciser — is that the case?

JB: Oh yeah, I’m more of a solo exerciser. That’s like my time. Occasionally I’ll do a class or something, but left to my own devices, I like a good 72-degree day and a run.

YH: Alright, we have to ask — there’s a Modern Family episode where Phil and Claire race. Is Ty [Burrell, who plays Phil] also a runner and have you ever run with him?

JB: Oh wow, that was in season one. I was so nervous for that scene because I had just had babies a few months before, and I still was kind of gut-y. And Ty is very athletic — he’s very agile. He’s great with throwing, catching, all that stuff. So for the scene, we started running, and he was like, “I actually can’t run at all.” He’s so humble and kind, so I don’t know if he dumbed it down for me. I tried to run as hard as I could because I was terrified of looking like a numbskull. He’s not a competitive person like that at all, though, — he’s the kindest, nicest person I’ve ever met. And I’m blessed to be his work wife!

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