Soap Hub Wellness Wednesday: DAYS’ Heather Lindell Takes A Literal Hike

Fortunately, Jan Spears doesn’t appear to be going anywhere on Days of our Lives now that she’s seemingly carrying Shawn Brady’s baby. Off-screen, Jan’s portrayer, Heather Lindell, stays fit by literally taking a hike!

Heather Lindell Talks Hiking, Celery Juice, and Meditating

Soap Hub chatted with the actress, who returned to DAYS as Jan Spears after a long absence, about how she stays fit while juggling her roles as wife, mother, actress, and realtor. Read on to get the scoop from the talented Lindell!

Soap Hub: How do you find the time to schedule fitness with work, family, and life in general?
Heather Lindell: A few things work for me. I’m lucky enough to have a husband who recently got very into hiking. We’ll go to a hiking trail that’s not too far from our home. We do a six-mile loop. My husband does it more than I do, but I try to do it with him three times a week. We started doing that during quarantine, and we’ve kept it up. It’s awesome. It’s a great way for us to spend quality time with one another.

Soap Hub: What do you like to do that you find meditative?
Heather Lindell: I like to cook; that’s being meditative for me. That brings me a lot of joy. I work oftentimes on Sundays in my real estate career. I get people saying oh, you don’t get to have your Sundays, but I cherish that time. It feels like ‘me’ time even though I’m working. I know my kids are being well taken care of.

Soap Hub: Does cooking at home give your more input into portions and ingredients?
Heather Lindell: Yes. I signed up for the New York Times app where you can get unlimited recipes. I’ve found their recipes to be restaurant-level quality. I love making homemade sauces for pasta. I’ll make a tomato base and then, a creamier base another night. I’m a simple cook. I’ll roast chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

Soap Hub: Is there something you’d like to focus on more this year for wellness – shutting the phone off earlier or drinking more water?
Heather Lindell: Yes. I would do both of those things, and I think everyone needs to do both of those things! It’s so hard when I wake up and shut off my alarm. I don’t think anyone should be looking at their phone when their eyes open, but we do. I’m trying to take 30 minutes before engaging in emails and calls.

Soap Hub: We are all different but what’s something you do that you feel works well for you? Or something that doesn’t?
Heather Lindell: One thing I’ve started is I’m drinking celery juice every single morning. People have asked me if I feel it’s made a difference or not. For me, this is just what I’m doing forever. I’m not replacing meals with it. I’m just drinking it when I wake up and then, I go about my day. I think it tastes delicious. I wake up craving it. The only hard thing is to remember to buy enough celery! Putting it in the juicer, cleaning the juicer is easy.

I have a lot of friends who have recommended I drink water with lemon. I tried it, and I just don’t like it. I don’t like the taste. It doesn’t work for me, personally. But my body loves celery juice, which is good for your gut health and overall health.

Soap Hub: You’ve been back since 2019 when Jan came out of her coma in Days of our Lives: Last Blast Reunion. You look like you’re having so much fun playing her once more.
Heather Lindell: Thank you. I am. A thousand shout-outs and thank yous to Ron [Carlivati, DAYS’ head writer]. I’m forever indebted to him for bringing me back and for clearly enjoying writing for my character. I’ll be on DAYS as long as he wants to write for me. I’m having so much fun playing Jan.

Days of our Lives (DOOL) airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Salem, check out all the latest that’s been posted on DAYS spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.