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Jenna Bush Hager Reveals New Fitness Routine: 'Figured Out what Kind of Works for Me'

Jenna Bush Hager TODAY
Jenna Bush Hager TODAY

Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Jenna Bush Hager

Jenna Bush Hager is celebrating her fitness journey.

The Today show anchor, 40, revealed on the show Friday that she has been working out with a trainer for the past six months, letting viewers in on her new workout routine.

Hager shared her process after her cohost, Hoda Kotb, pointed out that the Today show audience had noticed Hager's physical transformation.

"People have noticed there's like a transformation happening with you," Kotb told Hager. "You are — they are just saying, 'Jenna's looking amazing. She's never looked this good.' "

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Kotb added, "Something is happening. I think for someone, like you and me, who constantly is like berating, belittling, no good — I think one of the things we should all do in January is celebrate when something good happens."

Hager told Kotb, "I think I've figured out what kind of works for me. I think the hard thing is, I think we expect things to happen overnight. This has actually been almost six months."

Hager explained that she made a change to her daily routine by getting her exercise in before she comes to work, telling Kotb, "The difference is, I wake up before the show and workout — and really workout."

The Today host said she trains with "an awesome woman named Amanda," and is sometimes joined by friends who wake up "at the crack of dawn" to get moving for "a hard workout."

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She added, "Here's the other thing, anybody that's either gained weight during the pandemic or had babies and gained weight, it just takes time, and you have to give yourself that grace, because my body isn't 18 anymore."

Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager
Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager

Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager

Hager welcomed her youngest child, 2-year-old son Hal, with husband Henry Hager in August 2019. She and Hager are also parents to daughters Margaret "Mila" Laura, 8, and Poppy Louise, 6.

Hager told Kotb that her mom, Laura Bush, was helpful in reminding her to give herself "grace" after the birth of her children.

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"She said, 'Yeah, of course you look like that now, Hal's two-and-a-half. It's right about time. Give yourself that grace,'" Hager said.

She continued, "I had three babies, so [my body is] going to look this way. And would I choose perfect abs or them?"

Kotb agreed, adding, "stuff happens," while Hager encouraged others to "maybe just allow yourself the time."

Kotb and Hager previously weighed themselves live on air during the Today show in 2019. While both women said they were surprised by their numbers on the scale, they said they prioritized how they felt over how they looked while reflecting on the experience one week later.

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"Look, we feel grateful," Kotb said at the time. "Don't get us wrong. We're healthy, my God no one knows better how much that matters. There's something about standing on the scale and watching the number, like, not stop. I was like, 'Wait, I don't remember this number.' "

Hager added, "I thought I weighed what I weighed at the end of college, and what I realized is since then, I've had three babies, I am 20 years older — I'm never going to weigh that again, and that's okay. Life is so much more beautiful because of it."