As women turn 40, strength training becomes even more important for health and fitness, something Amanda Kloots, 44, knows all too well.
The former Broadway star turned TV personality and business owner was honored with the Outstanding Achievement in Fitness award at the 2026 Daytime Beauty Awards on September 9, 2026, and tells HELLO! that maintaining her physique boils down to one ten-minute trick – jump rope.
© Variety via Getty Images"I love my jump rope," she says. "I jump rope pretty much every single day. At least for 10 minutes a day – it's just so good for our bodies, for our bone density, our brain health, our cardiovascular health, our hearts – just a simple skip."
Amanda admits she has become a bit of a pro at the criss-cross but insists that beginners shouldn't think too far beyond a basic jump.
"A lot of times when I'm jumping it's just a basic jump – maybe some coordination with my feet, but it doesn't need to be like these people on TikTok doing all these tricks. You don't have to be that good to get the benefits out."
Ten minutes a day is all women need to start with, says Amanda. It can seem overwhelming to start a new fitness routine, especially when life is already full with work, volunteering, school runs, and friends.
"Just start, and don't make it overwhelming. You start with 10 minutes a day. That's it," says Amanda. "Go on walks; that's a free thing you can do. Walking is so good for you. It is so beneficial to your body, to your mind, to your mental health, so start there."
© Getty Images for Beaches ResortsAmanda fell in love with jump rope in 2016 and launched the AK! Rope method, which has since spun off to AK! Dance and AK! Body, as well as the AK! Baby Bump prenatal series.
A former member of the Rockettes who perform at Radio City Hall every year, Amanda, mom to seven-year-old son Elvis, has previously been in the ensemble for Good Vibrations, Follies, Young Frankenstein, and Bullets Over Broadway on Broadway.
But the Dancing With The Stars contestant has now set her sights on a bigger opportunity: Roxie Hart in Chicago.
© Theo Wargo"There are certain parts on Broadway that you know you can manage – I can't be Eponine in Les Misérables, even though I wish I could be," Amanda tells HELLO!
"It just would never be in my future. But Roxie is something that I think I could physically tackle, and Chicago is such a classic, awesome, fantastic show so it would be a dream. I think it would be very hard, emotionally and physically – and I've never been a lead on Broadway, so that's a whole different beast to do, but I would love the challenge."
