How Hilary Swank spends her 5 to 9 — from meditating to eating every hour and a half

“I never had an alternate like, ‘well, look, if this doesn’t work out. I’ll do this,'” Swank said.

At 48, she embarked on what she considers her biggest role yet — motherhood. She’s now 50 and her twins, Aya and Ohm, are 18 months old.

Swank spoke to me on a video call from the Manhattan headquarters of HealthyBaby, where she has been the chief innovation officer since February.

She first discovered the brand that makes sustainable diapers, baby wipes, and skincare products with minimal chemicals after learning that some mainstream products can contain traces of carcinogens. She resonated so strongly with the brand’s mission that she asked to help expand their product line.

Swank said she prioritizes jobs with the flexibility that allow her to take breaks when she needs, so she can spend as much time with her twins as possible. Outside of working hours, Swank’s priority is her family and self-care.

“The time that I’m taken away from my babies, I want to make sure that it’s utilized well and that there’s actually a reason for being away from them,” she said.

In this installment of Business Insider’s “5 to 9” series, where celebrities and high-flyers share how they spend the hours they’re not working, Swank shared how she keeps fit, what she eats, and how she recharges.

Meditating in the morning

As a mom to two babies, are you able to find the time to exercise?

I love to exercise. It is air that I breathe, but I don’t have as much time to exercise at the moment. Being a new mom of twins makes that a little more challenging.

But I do make sure that we go for a walk everyday, and I love to play tennis whenever I can.

How do you decompress when you’re stressed?

Ultimately working out for me is about stress relief. I really like resistance training and I try to do it twice a week. It really helps me cope with stress and I find it also makes me sleep better.

And now there’s the added element of wanting to stay strong and healthy for my babies. I want to be able to pick them up and throw them around. I want to play and be outside with them. And eventually I want to be playing tennis with them.

Do you have a nighttime routine?

If I can get home in time to bathe the babies and put them down, then I win. That’s my ideal evening.

I totally believe in the ritual of self-care. I always make time for skincare before I go to bed. I wash my face, moisturize, use eye cream, and neck cream.

It’s something that makes me sleep better. I could never go to sleep with a dirty face.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.