A Glimpse Into Actress Norma Shearer’s 1930s Morning Routine

Morning routines are essential for many people to set the tone for the day. Most look up to celebrities and public figures for inspiration and tips toward a better day. For Norma Shearer, a famous film star from the ’20s and ’30s — the first to be nominated for five Academy Awards, winning Best Actress for 1930’s The Divorcee — good mornings began with a glass of hot water.

Norma’s morning routine involved a workout, a cold shower, orange juice, and a swim if it felt good. With most people opting for a less structured, happy-go-lucky morning, Norma’s might seem bizarre and too detailed to adopt. Let’s take a trip back to the last century to see how Norma started her day!

Norma’s morning ritual

Norma detailed her morning ritual in a 1929 interview with the Pittsburgh Press. “Before I get out of bed in the morning, I have a glass of hot water, and then I go through a five-minute set of exercises in bed,” she said. “These are stretching and bending exercises which awaken me and give me pep to start the day.”

RELATED: Hoda Kotb’s Advice To Clea Shearer Of ‘Home Edit’ On How To Fight Breast Cancer

After her exercises, Norma took a cold shower— and on days when she was “very ambitious,” she went swimming, after which she got dressed and had breakfast. “I dress and go down for breakfast which is an old-fashioned one, orange juice first and then real Canadian porridge (the kind that is cooked the night before) toast and coffee,” she added.

What are the benefits of Norma’s rigid routine?

If Norma was so particular about how her day started, it must have had much to do with her health and well-being. For example, her light stretching is medically proven to activate the muscles, increase flexibility, reduce symptoms of depression and promote cardiovascular health by increasing heart rate variability, which is beneficial to the body and mind for the day ahead.

According to health experts, cold showers can lift your mood by giving you an endorphin release and increase the production of white blood cells responsible for immunity. It also boosts energy, promotes the growth of cells that help burn fat. Hot water and breakfast — which many people avoid or replace with a cup of coffee these days — are also an integral part of a good day. High-fiber meals like Norma’s breakfast porridge were helpful for healthy metabolism, and hot water was for cleansing the gut.

It is no surprise that Norma — who died at age 80 on June 12, 1983 — was always ready to seize the day and whatever opportunities it brought for her career, thanks to starting her day on point with these rituals.