Soap Hub Wellness Wednesday: Y&R’s Melissa Ordway Says Life Begins At 40

Abby’s birthday is in November on The Young and the Restless, but her portrayer, Melissa Ordway, was born in March. The actress chatted with Soap Hub about her next big birthday for this week’s installment of Wellness Wednesday.

Melissa Ordway Ready for the Big Day

While Y&R is getting ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary on March 26, Melissa Ordway tells Soap Hub that she is also preparing for a big milestone that’s occurring a mere five days later — her 40th birthday on March 31!

“I have less than [a month] till 40!” shares the actress, who admits to having ambivalent feelings about the big day. “I feel like, for the longest time, I didn’t care about turning 40. Whatever. I’m happy. I have such a full life — which is all true!”

Life Begins at 40

However, as the day is approaching, the Daytime Emmy-nominee says that the reality is starting to sink in. “Wait a second, I still think of myself as younger,” she says. Soap Hub talked to Ordway at the opening of the Y&R time capsule, which was placed in the ground at TV City 25 years ago. “When I saw ‘1998’ on it, I thought, ‘Oh, that was two years ago,'” she chuckles.

Ordway says that her goal now is to get into great shape. Her plan is to make good use out of a Peleton bike that she has. “It hasn’t been used [in the past],” she shares, “but I’m trying to use it every single day. You can either do a bike class or a cycle class — there are all different kinds of workouts.”

Melissa Ordway: Multi-layered Approach

The actress says that having a specific date like an upcoming family reunion or wedding or, in her case, a birthday can be a motivating factor in staying consistent. “I’m using my 40th as a goal,” she says. A planned birthday getaway may or may not occur but either way, Ordway says she still plans on being “bikini ready.”

In addition to hopping on her Peleton, Ordway says she’s doing some intermittent fasting and not eating as much gluten. But she feels that the best thing that she can do is stay regular with her schedule. “I feel that being consistent [helps],” she says. “They say if you can stay on a consistent path for a certain length of time, that you can stick with it. As soon as I miss one day, the whole thing can fall apart.” As always, Soap Hub recommends checking with your physician before embarking on a new fitness and/or diet regime.