“It’s never too early to start” taking care of yourself, says Karlie Kloss. The 31-year-old model, technology whiz and mother of two certainly knows how hard it can be to make time for yourself as she’s been in the public eye for half of her life. However, she also knows how important it is. “It’s not about anti-aging anymore. It’s about how you can actually do small acts of kindness to prevent being at a place where you need intervention,” she tells us while we’re sitting together at the newest Therabody location in New York City.
Kloss has been using Therabody products for many years, recalling the first time she saw one of their devices in the New York City downtown gym Dogpound around 2016. The products have come a long way. Kloss recalls the one back in 2016 was loud and stopped everyone in their tracks trying to see what it was. Recently, the brand launched a quiet, everyday user-friendly device—Theragun Sense ($299) complete with a screen for visually guided routines and a built-in biometric sensor, which makes the technology more accessible. “Even if you have the most incredible tool but you don’t know how to use it, forget it,” says Kloss. In this chapter of her life, Kloss is prioritizing wellness, her people, exercise and mental health while deprioritizing social media and comparison.
Which devices do you use at home?
“Well, I love all the things. My favorite is the way the beauty tools [TheraFace] have really changed my beauty routine. We’re all everyday athletes, and I always try to train whenever I can. I’ve always been very serious about my fitness. I get tension, especially in my shoulder, so keeping the Theragun Mini ($149) in my bag has been a game changer. I use the devices for moments of wellness in my day-to-day life. We can all steal away two minutes. The RecoveryTherm Cube ($149) was amazing for my knee surgery recovery.”
You’ve been modeling for a long time. How did being a model so young affect your perception of the world and yourself?
“I mean, I need all day to tell you about that, but I was 15 years old when I started modeling. I grew up in Missouri in the middle of America, far away from the city or the fashion world, and I came to New York and kind of had this overnight success. I walked in Calvin Klein for New York Fashion Week and it put me on the map. I was pretending to be a character for so many years, kind of projecting this woman on a runway or in campaigns or on magazine covers, and yet, I was still figuring out, discovering and learning who I was, as cliché as that sounds.
Somewhere along the way, during the trials and tribulations of our 20s [things shifted]. I think becoming a mother as well has certainly had a profound impact on me, but I definitely appreciate my career as this incredible access to the world and ability to learn from so many incredible creatives in the industry, but also [the ability to] grow into who I am and who I want to be. I think that’s the journey of life. Part of why I’m so grateful for my career is being able to have so many mentors along the way to help guide me.”
You have so many other interests outside of modeling—is it something that you were always interested in?
“No, I was not into fashion at all. It just happened. I was walking in a mall wearing Limited Too around 2005 or 2006. It was not chic—it was not the height of fashion.”
“Oh man, again, we need all day to talk. We are consumed by our phones and our devices, and I am such an evangelist of technology. I love the power of technology to be able to solve big problems and democratize access. However, I also think we need to be present and connected to our bodies, to our environments, to our loved ones. So I definitely have set boundaries on how much I even allow myself to be on social media to consume it or be affected by it. I think that taking moments—like two minutes to do a breathing exercise—actually just grounds you in your body. Beauty and wellness is not just one thing you can put on your skin. It’s a holistic approach to how you are really caring for yourself. Mental health is absolutely, for me, just as important as physical health.”
So, what do you do for your mental health?
“I exercise. It’s less about how it affects my body and more about how it affects my mind. Even if it’s just walking on a treadmill, exercise changes the course of my day and my emotions and helps me show up better for the people in my life and my job. I also think having your people is beneficial, whether it’s my mom tribe or my lifelong friends or my husband—just having people you can lean on helps.”
What’s your go-to workout?
“I recently have been getting super back into Pilates. I still run. The marathon was on Sunday, and seeing all the photos I’m like, ‘Next year, I’m doing it.’ It’s so special, the New York City Marathon. But I have really been loving Pilates and low-impact high-intensity workouts lately.”
Is there a beauty product you’ve loved for a really long time that’s been with you throughout your career?
“Yes—Estée Lauder has this advanced repair serum that’s the best under makeup or on bare skin.”
