Kelly Ripa remembers when Mark Consuelos used to give her gym memberships for Christmas, and years later, she realized why.
Ripa, 53, made the recollection during the Tuesday, January 2 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark. After wishing the audience a happy new year, Consuelos, 52, said, “I worked in a health club in college and I loved new year,” prompting his wife to say, “Because that’s when you would sell memberships.”
“A lot of people would come in and I would never see them again,” Consuelos continued. “They would buy a membership and I would never see them again.
His comment reminded Ripa of when Consuelos would unsuccessfully try to convince her to work out.
“I feel like early in our relationship, every year for Christmas you purchased me a gym membership,” Ripa said. “And every year I didn’t use it,and then Christmas would come and you would get me a gym membership!”
Ripa did not understand why Consuelos was so determined to offer gym memberships every year, until she shared the story with a friend.
“One day, one of my girlfriends said, ‘Maybe he’s trying to tell you something?’ And then it dawned on me, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s trying to tell me something!’” she recalled. “No, it’s a way of life,” Consuelos replied. “It’s a lifestyle!”
Ripa finally realized he had the best intentions for her to get in better shape.
“You’re right,” she said, “It was good for me. I’m glad that you stuck with it.”
Once Ripa understood the message, she followed Consuelos’ advice and began working out regularly
In November 2020, Ripa revealed her exercise regimen.
“I work out seven days a week. And I try to workout an hour and a half a day, no matter what — whether I’m working or not,” she told InTheKnow.com. “If I’m working, maybe I’ll start it a little bit later or a little bit earlier, depending on what day of the week it is. But I am very religious about my fitness.”
“I think that energy begets energy,” Ripa continued. “There are people that say, ‘You must hate working out!’ It’s going to be so hard to push your way through [with that attitude], and I love working out. But it’s like developing a love for anything: You have to really practice it to love it. And, so, I found that years ago I really figured out that the more energy I put into the gym or left on the dance floor, the more energy came back to me.”
Ripa and Consuelos have been married for 27 years after they met while starring in All My Children in the ‘90s. They have three children, son Michael, 26, daughter Lola, 22, and son Joaquin, 20.
