Actress Madison Pettis is looking back on a magical August spent at the beach, as summer draws to an end. Pettis, 25, shared a series of pictures of herself enjoying the sun and sea with friends, including a snap of herself posing on the sand in a gorgeous orange bikini and trucker hat. "August slipped away into a moment in time," she captioned the post. "Why was this literally the best month every ❤️😢 missing u alreadyyyy," commented friend Torri Webster. How does she stay healthy and happy? Here are 5 ways the actress takes care of her health and happiness.

Pettis practices Pilates using a reformer machine. "A lot of people have weak core and back muscles, and strengthening these postural muscles helps balance out the tension that results from this weakness," says athletic trainer Leanne Wonesh. "This is especially great for people who sit at desks for long periods of time because having stronger core and back muscles can help pull you out of those classic desk postures that cause tension and pain in your shoulders and legs."

Pettis is just one of many people who have discovered a love for pickleball. "Pickleball is a great form of cardiovascular exercise that helps get your heart rate up," says Kaitlyn Jacobson, Physician Assistant at Renown Urgent Care – Ryland. "It can lead to better cholesterol and blood pressure levels, lowering your risk of heart disease. Since pickleball is a low-impact sport and easy on the body, it's a great way to get movement in and maintain healthy bones, joints and muscles. By playing pickleball, you'll reduce the rate of bone loss and help conserve bone tissue."df44d9eab23ea271ddde7545ae2c09ec

Pettis has battled acne over the years, and is thankful for professional guidance in dealing with it. "I felt more comfortable on camera because I was working with hair and makeup artists on sets," she says. "I felt lucky that I had professionals guiding me on what was best for my skin, how to take care of it after wearing a lot of heavy makeup on set and [teaching me] the best ways to cover up my acne. I've taken notes and done my due diligence… [My skin] doesn't love when I try a bunch of new things. I've learned that less is more — if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Pettis doesn't feel the need to wear makeup every day. "Beauty to me means doing what makes you feel good about yourself, no matter what other people think about it," she says. "Some days I feel great without makeup, and some days I want to do a full beat. Don't ever let someone tell you what you should do to be beautiful. Do you."

Pettis has learned how to take care of her beautiful curly hair. "One important tip for curly hair is getting it trimmed regularly and finding a hair stylist who cuts curly hair properly," she says. "They need to cut it while it's dry, ringlet by ringlet, so you can accurately see how much is getting cut, so it doesn't end up being shorter than you wanted. For years, I got hair cuts while my hair was wet. Curly hair is longer when it's wet and shrinks up when it's dry. So I had a few traumatizing haircuts where it looked like they were only cutting off one inch, but once it dried, they had actually cut like four inches. Another tip is to dry curly hair with a microfiber towel to prevent frizz. Deep conditioners are also my best friend—my hair can't get enough moisture."