How I stay sexy and self-confident: Eva Longoria is famous for strutting her stuff. Get the workout and diet advice she lives by here

Shape, May, 2006 by Sarah Robbins

We all do it: Watch Eva Longoria and think, does the woman wake up looking that hot? Does she really work for that body? The answer is yes, and the actress' dedication in the gym and on set is paying off in spades this year: Eva earned a Golden Globe nod last year for her portrayal of ex-model Gabrielle Solis on the hit TV show Desperate Housewives and is now on big screens in The Sentinel. Here, her strategies for sticking to an exercise program, eating right and feeling ultraconfident wearing next to nothing.

SWEATING AND LOTS OF IT

Eva is more knowledgeable than your average celeb when it comes to fitness: The 31-year-old is a former aerobics instructor and has a degree in kinesiology (the study of how your body moves) from Texas A & M University-Kingsville. These days she gets her expert moves--and her motivation--from Los Angeles trainer Patrick Murphy, with whom she works out for one hour, three times a week. "Sometimes Pat literally has to drag me out of bed," she says.

Eva warms up for 10 minutes on the bike or the treadmill and then focuses on strength training. "Each session we do between 25 and 30 total-body exercises--lunges with torso twists and one-legged squats with clean and press, for example--with 30- to 45-second rests in between," says Patrick, who uses tools (see "This Gym Tool Gets Results," right), which test endurance while increasing strength and balance. Eva says she's seen the most results focusing her efforts behind her: "With all the lunges, squats and leg presses I've done in the last two months, I think I've gained an inch of muscle in my butt."

THE NOT-SO-DESPERATE DIET

To keep her energy up after the gym, Eva has a hearty, protein-packed breakfast. "I love egg whites," she says. "My mom made them for me when I was little." Raised on a ranch in Corpus Christi, Texas, Eva learned early to love fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy cooking, including Tex-Mex specialties like tacos and tortilla soup. "When I don't have time to cook, I still squeeze fresh lemon on cucumber slices," she says. "It's a Mexican delicacy."

Eating right is made easy on the Desperate Housewives set, Eva says, because the cast and crew prefer fruit, salads and meals made with lean proteins and whole grains.

But the actress does keep it real--and yes! she indulges. "Chocolate-chip cookies are my weakness, and I eat pizza often--sometimes twice a week," Eva says. "I know my body craves what it needs, and sometimes it needs pizza!"

TOTAL RELAXATION

On her rare days off, Eva recharges by sleeping late, flipping through paperbacks on the private balcony off her bedroom--Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle is a recent favorite--or catching an early movie. "When I really want to reward myself, I get a relaxing massage," she says. Her favorite way to spend her weekend is with her boyfriend, 6-foot-2-inch San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker--either snuggling under a blanket while watching a basketball game or de-stressing together in Eva's home spa. Of course, when they really take a break, this power couple springs into action. "On our vacation last year we hiked all over China," Eva says. "We loved it so much that this summer, we're planning an African safari."

RELATED ARTICLE: 'A few of my favorite things'

Borba Skin Balance Aqua-Less Crystalline packets ($28 for 14 packets; borba.net) "I drink this when I'm on set."

Bebe Sport workout gear ($69; bebe.com) "They have really sexy cuts--I actually look forward to putting this on!"

Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt (69 cents; at grocery stores nationwide) "This fuels my early-morning gym session."

Nike Zoom Percept ($100; nikewomen.com) "I have a high arch, and these give me great support."

RELATED ARTICLE: ON MY PLAYLIST NOW

"I love happy music--especially anything '80s."

* Madonna, Like a Virgin

* The Cars, Heartbeat City

* Prince, Purple Rain

* Cyndi Lauper, She's So Unusual

* Air Supply, Lost in Love

RELATED ARTICLE: This gym tool gets results

"Standing on a balance tool forces Eva to stabilize her core--and use muscles she normally wouldn't--in every move we do," says trainer Patrick Murphy. "If she does squats with one of these under each foot, her obliques and lower back work to keep her balanced."

VersaDisc ($20; power-systems.com) "Doing lunges on this has changed the look of my abs--without crunches!"